We
all
know
the
stereotype
about
lesbians
and
money.
I’m
so
tired
of
hearing
that
we’re
bad
tippers
that
I
give
20
percent
even
for
crummy
service.
But
last
week
made
me
wonder
if
this
particular
stereotype
doesn’t
have
some
basis
in
fact.
We
kicked
off
our
whirlwind
weekend
of
events
celebrating
the
new
Southern
Voice
with
a
“Hot
Off
the
Presses”
party
at
Hoedowns
on
Thursday,
traditionally
lesbian
night
at
the
venerable
gay
country
bar
(See
page
29).
The
club
was
packed
and
tons
of
fun.
But
if
I
overheard
this
conversation
once,
I
heard
it
100
times:
“I
don’t
want
to
pay
$5
for
the
Hoe.”
The
miffed
girls
were
referring
to
the
new
$5
cover
charge
at
Hoedowns,
one
in
a
number
of
changes
by
new
co-owner
Ben
Elliot
generating
buckets
of
buzz
around
town.
His
decision
to
bring
in
drag
performer
Charlie
Brown
several
nights
per
week
has
stirred
the
most
controversy;
it’s
a
major
change
for
the
bar,
previously
probably
the
only
gay
club
in
town
not
to
have
drag.
Elliot
cites
business
reasons
for
the
addition,
and
I’m
not
weighing
in:
patrons
will
vote
with
their
feet
on
that
one.
But
there’s
no
drag
at
Hoedowns
on
Thursday
night,
unless
you
count
what
a
drag
it
was
to
hear
everyone
complaining
about
the
cover
charge.
And
mind
you,
these
are
the
same
women
who
complain
about
the
lack
of
lesbian
nightlife
in
Atlanta.
Coincidence?
Hardly.
Atlanta
currently
is
home
to
close
to
30
clubs
targeting
gay
men,
and
not
one
single
bar
catering
completely
to
lesbians
every
night
that
it’s
open.
(Eye
Candy,
originally
billed
as
a
women’s
club,
now
hosts
male-oriented
events
on
Saturday
nights).
That
could
change
dramatically
in
the
coming
months,
when
at
least
three
lesbian
clubs
are
slated
to
open:
Paris
Decatur,
the
new
My
Sisters’
Room,
and
Six
Degrees.
(See
story,
page
37).
Add
those
to
weekly
events
at
mixed
gay
bars
—
including
events
produced
by
Traxx
Girls,
women’s
nights
at
Phase
1
and
Tower
II,
Thursday
nights
at
Hoedowns
and
Saturday
nights
at
Jungle,
where
the
Court
of
Kings
drew
a
huge
crowd
March
24
for
their
first
night
at
the
venue
—
and
Atlanta
lesbians
could
soon
have
more
nightlife
options
than
any
time
in
at
least
the
last
decade.
BUT
IF
WE
want
these
clubs
to
survive,
we
have
to
be
willing
to
pay
for
them.
While
a
few
gay
bars
still
exist
without
cover
charges,
our
male
friends
regularly
pay
$5,
$10
or
even
more
to
enter
popular
bars
on
regular
nights,
and
$20,
$50
or
more
for
special
events.
Is
it
any
wonder,
then,
that
bar
owners
and
party
promoters
cater
to
them
and
not
us?
Whether
through
nominal
cover
charges,
frequent
visits
or
buying
plenty
of
drinks
and
generously
tipping
bartenders
and
performers,
Atlanta
lesbians
have
to
prove
that
we
can
be
a
viable
market
for
nightlife
venues.
If
we
want
them
to
show
us
the
party,
we
have
to
show
them
the
money.
SPEAKING
OF
SHOWING
US
THE
MONEY,
that’s
exactly
what
the
Human
Rights
Campaign
needs
to
do
with
the
proceeds
of
their
massive
local
fundraising
dinner.
HRC,
which
is
based
in
Washington
and
bills
itself
as
the
nation’s
largest
gay
political
group,
has
a
flurry
of
great
events
coming
up
in
Atlanta
–
some
put
on
by
the
national
office,
others
sponsored
by
the
Atlanta
organizing
committee.
On
Friday,
HRC
sponsors
a
panel
discussion
here
on
gay
issues
in
sports,
featuring
major
gay
former
professional
athletes,
timed
to
coincide
with
the
NCAA
Final
Four
in
Atlanta.
(See
story,
page
1).
Earlier
this
month,
HRC
hosted
a
“Claim
It:
Your
Truth,
Your
Faith,
Your
Sexuality”
forum
at
Atlanta’s
all-male,
historically
black
Morehouse
College.
Upcoming
HRC
events
include
the
annual
HRC
bowling
fundraiser
on
March
31,
a
Women’s
Final
Four
watch
party
on
April
3,
and
the
group’s
signature
black-tie
Atlanta
Dinner
&
Silent
Auction
on
May
5.
The
events
come
as
HRC
faces
a
tide
of
criticism
from
gay
bloggers
on
the
right
and
left,
focused
on
whether
the
agency
accurately
reports
its
membership
and
effectively
advances
its
mission.
Some
valid
questions
have
been
raised,
though
the
back-and-forth
can
start
to
sound
like
so
much
inside
baseball
for
people
not
given
to
following
the
intricacies
of
Washington
politics.
But
HRC
also
frequently
gets
questions
from
those
of
us
outside
the
Beltway
on
how
the
money
...
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