with Beverly McClellan

SEPTEMBER &
OCTOBER 2011
Atlanta Pride
MUSIC ISSUE
Beverly
McClellan
with
OUT ON FILM
Xanna Don’t:
Faceless on
FACEBOOK
What would Skylar White do?
text messages from hell
about this publication
Previously published in the 1990‟s in
Austin, Texas, this humble „zine began simply as
my band‟s newsletter and unintentionally evolved
into a regional Texas publication.
Since relocating to Atlanta, I was the
Entertainment Editor of Atlanta‟s lesbian
magazine, Labrys, until its demise in 2009, and
had an adventurous stint as Contributing and then
Interim Editor for the GLBT news weekly, ATL Free
Press, defunct in 2010.
Amidst the ever changing landscape of
Atlanta‟s gay media scene, I‟ve revived Don’t
Label It! and the concept of cross-pollinating on
paper and online the worlds I‟ve always lived in:
the live music scene, film happenings, and the
gay community. Within these pages, they coexist
in harmony.
Thanks for picking us up!
Xanna Don’t
Most photos by Ann L. Brown
Web site by Kathryn R. Smith
© 2011 Xanna Don’t
If your business would like to become an
environmentally conscious print sponsor,
please contact Xanna at [email protected].
DON’T LABEL IT! IS PRINTED ON 100% RECYCLED, ACID/BLEACH FREE PAPER
PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PUBLICATION AGAIN RESPONSIBLY
Beverly McClellan has The Voice
by Xanna Don’t
When the booming yet flexible voice of Beverly
McClellan hits Atlanta Pride, every head in
Piedmont Park will turn like Christina
Aguilera‟s cockpit chair on NBC‟s hipper
version of Idol, The Voice. Her talent demands
it. Beverly possesses an undeniable sincerity
that instantly relates in her performances.
Now, she has finally arrived.
Xanna Don’t: This year you had an amazing
breakthrough on NBC‟s new singing talent show,
The Voice. Did it surprise you? Were you
surprised that you received the most votes in
the semi-finals on Christina Aguilera‟s
impressive vocal team?
Beverly McClellan: Absolutely! America is
growing up to pass a girl like me through.
XD: Much to NBC‟s credit, they don‟t have an
age cutoff for contenders on The Voice. But
you mentioned a couple of times on the show
that you were the oldest contestant to make
it. Having two decades of experience under
your belt must have contributed to your
ability to shine under pressure, but did you
worry being older could cost you votes? Was
your age ever a concern for you?
BM: I don't feel my age negatively impacted
my chances on the show. I was never concerned
that I might not connect with audiences based
on my age. Music transcends age boundaries, I
believe. My many years of experience
definitely added a confidence on stage, but
experienced or not, we were all there to
connect with America as performers.
XD: At what point in the audition process did
you become excited about the possibility of
national television exposure?
BM: I was excited for the possibility of
national exposure from the very start when I
auditioned in Miami. It is difficult for local
artists to break through. Whether that was
ever my destiny, I wanted to give my music the
chance to be heard outside of South Florida.
XD: The Voice emulates the process record
companies used to employ: find talent based on
hearing it first and then groom it, not mold
it. For so long, the recording industry has
based who they sign on image or on how many
albums an act is able to sell independently
(which isn‟t always a reflection of talent).
Do you think The Voice can influence the way
labels sign artists?
BM: I do. The whole premise negates the trend
of sex symbols behind a microphone. It
embraces artists for their individuality and
talent first. The success of the show stands
as a model of the importance to let music
shine above all else.
XD: It was fabulous that you, Vicci Martinez,
and that big loveable bear, Nakia—all openly
gay performers—were embraced by the show‟s
producers and the thousands of fans who voted
for all of you. Would you have participated if
they‟d asked you to downplay being a lesbian?
BM: I would not have been involved with the
program if I or anyone else was asked to hide
who they are. I've always lived expressing
myself truly; I could never hide that and
would never want anyone to be influenced to,
for that matter. The second song on my latest
self-titled record was written with that very
idea in mind: I Can't Hide Me.
XD: You seem like the kind of person who
won‟t be changed by your “overnight” success.
What‟s your philosophy? How do you approach
life as a musical performer?
BM: I never forget where I came from. I have
my Grandmother's seed planted inside of me.
Like roots, that mentality and her memory are
a part of who I am. When everyday life grows
faster than we do, I think we have to embrace
our beginnings to catch up.
XD: Did you get married yet? Will your
fellow Aguilera teammate Frenchie Davis sing
at your wedding, as reported?
BM: The wedding hasn't happened yet, but
there will be many from my Voice family there
to embrace our union.
XD: You‟re a Florida native, currently based
in Fort Lauderdale. What does it mean to you
to play Atlanta Pride, the biggest gay pride
celebration in the southeast?
BM: I'm honored to be a part of this event. I
have said it before and I am sure to again: I
will do me no matter what. Our differences are
vast, but music is what brings us all
together. I believe in being the change you
want to see. Pride events mirror the notion of
staying true despite any obstacle.
Beverly McClellan plays the Coca-Cola stage on
Sunday, October 9, at 4:45 pm.
The Voice returns to NBC on February 5, 2012,
following Super Bowl XLVI.
www.beverlymcclellan.com
www.myspace.com/beverlyshane
Xanna’s interview with Beverly McClellan also appears in
Pride’s official 2011 magazine guide available online at
www.atlantapride.org.
more Pride music
by Xanna Don’t
Similarly overdue for the big
spotlight,
lesbian local
legend Michelle
Malone [left]
was described
by The Village
Voice as being
more than on
par with Sheryl
Crow and
deserving to be
“rubbing shoulders with The Allman Brothers and
Buddy Guys of the world.” She had a break in the
television world this year, too, when her song,
Restraining Order Blues, played within a recent
episode of True Blood. Recently she added a couple
of well deserved wall hangings to her home: Gold
and Platinum records for co-writing with The Indigo
Girls. Tirelessly touring, The Michelle Malone
Banned (cheeky take on “band”) is also deserving of
a big hometown welcome at Atlanta Pride this year.
Tuck some extra cash in your pocket to pick up the
new album, Debris, at the merch booth after their
set on Pride‟s Coca-Cola stage, 10/08 @ 5:30 pm.
www.michellemalone.com
God-des and She are yet another act owing
their momentum to the small screen. In 2006,
Showtime‟s The L Word propelled them to big venue
status with their #1 Logo charting, rap/soul hit,
Love You Better. This year‟s new album, Three,
produced by Brian Hardgroove (Public Enemy, Wu
Tang, Aerosmith) threatens to hoist the duo even
further. But their Atlanta Pride performance on
10/09 @ 5:30 pm should assure their lesbian base
who they love best. www.god-desandshe.com
Childhood friends
who reconnected
musically years
later, Louisville,
Kentucky‟s Amanda
Lucas and Audrey
Cecil are as
accomplished
separately as they
are terrific
together under the
Photo of Bridge 19 by Patty Henry
moniker Bridge 19.
Last year, they won the local performer spot for
Lilith Fair‟s Indianapolis stop. Equal parts pop
and folk, their arrangements creep into Americana
easily as they harmonize like siblings. But mostly
these gals display a clear comprehension of the
value of being working musicians and, like Beverly
McClellan and Michelle Malone, have the attitude
and heart to gracefully ascend as an act. See them
10/09 @ 3 pm on the Bud Light Stage. www.alacmusic.com
Utah‟s buff, wholesome-looking hard rocker
Justin Utley excommunicated himself from The Mormon
Church, publicly denouncing their “conversion
therapy” after undergoing it for two years. Last
year, he appeared in a leading role in the musical
“Our Country” at the New York Theater Festival.
This year, he was chosen as one of Next Magazine‟s
“Who‟s Next.” Activist, musician, singer, and
actor, his self-penned, big sky country-tinged
ballad, Stand For Something, reminds us how
resolutely he does. Justin performs 10/08 @ 2:50 pm
on the Coca Cola Stage. www.justinutley.com
“I feel like the gays are always first,” says
New York-born, international pop/dance diva Wynter
Gordon of her appreciation for the LGBT community‟s
trend-setting
taste during a
live web chat
with
WildAtlanta.com.
Sitting on a
greaser flamed
car seat
sporting a chic
„70s „fro, she
tells Pride audiences to expect “a lot of soul and
sweat.” Having already written for Mary J. Blige
and Flo Rida, her debut album, With The Music I
Die, dropped in Australia last June and is due in
the states by the end of the year. Its hit single,
Dirty Talk, went triple Platinum down under and
topped the U.S. dance charts as well. Wynter can
likely expect a jubilant audience reaction when she
performs Putting It Out There (Pride), a
promotional single that was the official theme of
Sidney‟s 2011 celebration. In addition to Atlanta
Pride, you can see her as a guest judge on Simon
Cowell‟s upcoming new Fox talent show, The X
Factor. Wynter‟s Pride set is 10/08 @ 7:55 pm on
the Coca-Cola Stage. www.myspace.com/wynter85
With Feel Your Love, Secret Love, and Cry
Tonight (Kiss Me Back), Kim Sozzi is another solidvoiced diva well acquainted with the rare air at
the top of the dance charts. Her new song, Rated R,
takes on a sociopolitical tone as its video spills
images of high profile women done wrong by their
men. But it‟s not a downer—you‟ll still feel
compelled to dance with abandon as you commiserate
with her observations on 10/09 @ 4:10 pm, Coca-Cola
Stage. www.facebook.com/kimsozzimusic
Pride‟s Saturday night headliner is the multitalented, multi-Platinum recording artist Deborah
Cox. In 1998, her single, Nobody’s Supposed To Be
Here, became the longest running #1 hit in
Billboard‟s R&B chart history. She‟s racked up ten
#1 dance hits since then as well. In other words,
this woman has sold a lot of records. Deborah has
also appeared on Broadway in Elton John and Tim
Rice‟s Aida as the title character and returns to
the Great White Way next year to portray Josephine
Baker in Josephine. Her Pride appearance on 10/08 @
8:35 pm (Coca-Cola Stage) is a true triumph for
Atlanta. www.deborahcox.com
A new line-up of glam outfit The Sexual Side
Effects emerged this year to a vastly increased
audience. Still fronted by Amber Taylor, a
transgendered lesbian rumored to be Ziggy
Stardust‟s baby sister, the backbone of the band is
now fused by straight ax men with one mission: play
her songs really well. They succeed. This summer,
Amber created a theme night called “Gilded Trash”
that was hugely attended at iconic Atlanta music
venue The Masquerade, holding promise of a reprise.
In their newest incarnation, the SSE‟s dreamy rock
sound is more accessible than ever. Catch „em on
10/08 @ 3:55 pm, Bud Light Stage.
www.thesexualsideeffects.com
A new side of Promise has also emerged this
year. Her sound is tighter, poppier, and radiofriendly. She once had a job at Arista Records in
New York City where she learned the ropes of the
business, which no doubt served her well in
securing a role in the choir of the upcoming
Atlanta-filmed Queen Latifah vehicle, Joyful Noise,
with Dolly Parton. Promise has done her homework
and is ready for the test, 10/08 @ 4:40 pm (Bud
Light Stage). www.myspace.com/promiseonline
New Yorker Sir Ari Gold could be described as
the Jewish Lady Gaga; he‟s not afraid to mix up his
musical influences or his fashion choices and is
adept at both. He also DJs at East Village gay bar
The Cock when he‟s not juggling gigs in the
Catskills with his brother, Elon. Let‟s hope Ari
brings his ferocious tiger costume from his The
Human Way It Is video. His is an act that must be
seen, 10/09 @ 6:15 pm on the Coca-Cola Stage.
www.myspace.com/arigoldtheartist
Local band The Orkids are a catchy, high
energy synth pop encounter reminiscent of „80s acts
The Human League and The Eurythmics. They have
sharp musical chops, crafty songwriting skills, and
were honored earlier this year as one of the Top 30
Athens Bands by prestigious Paste Magazine. They
play Pride 10/08 @ 3:35 pm on the Coca-Cola Stage.
www.myspace.com/theorkids
Fronted by vocalist and pianist John SH!
Williams, newcomers Hemming and Hawing vault dancepop gymnastics with the adroitness of Vince Clark‟s
Erasure. But upon closer listen, it‟s really the
beauty of that band‟s predecessor, Yaz, and their
early „80s contemporaries, This Mortal Coil, that
shimmers in H&H‟s experimental ballads. Their live
shows are known to pause for bombastic, impromptu
“chug fests,” so have a beer at hand to join in the
merriment at their Pride debut on 10/09 @ 4:20 pm,
Bud Light Stage. www.hemmingandhawing.com
North Carolina transplant Nubia Soul GODdes
embodies a soothing, „1970s vibe. Her relaxed,
nurturing sound lulls and boogies with shades of
disco. An accomplished percussionist, she writes,
arranges, sings, plays and produces her original
music. She is earth mother to her own contagious
sound. Groove along on 10/08 @ 2:20 pm, Bud Light
Stage. www.myspace.com/mysteryous9
Chicago gal moves to Nashville and gets
positive attention from the jaded, ornery country
music industry. That‟s Katie Quick‟s story in a
nutshell. Of her single, Best In Me, “Sweet as
candy,” was Music Row Magazine‟s decree, and we
agree. Play that one again! Hear it 10/09 @ 3:40
pm, Bud Light Stage. www.katiequick.com
Young Atlanta country musician Hannah Thomas
brings a full throated approach to her repertoire.
Local openly-gay drummer Clay Cook compares her to
Gretchen Wilson and Shawn Mullins has acerbically
observed, “No auto tune needed for that voice.”
Hear it yourself on 10/08 @ 2 pm, Coca-Cola Stage.
www.myspace.com/hannahthomasmusic
still more Pride music
Fresh faced Good Girl Alexis Jordan mixes Taylor Swift
aesthetics with a Beyonce-influenced pop sound; she may
be only 18 years old, but she‟s already scored a dance
hit with Happiness. www.myspace.com/alexisjordan
Billboard‟s Breakout Act of 2005, Atlanta hip hop/new
wave duo Slick & Rose prove they‟re still relevant after
a decade of performing (www.myspace.com/slick&rose)
while Tupelo‟s Dusty and The Robodrum take a jamming,
Dave Matthews approach to blues rock. www.Robodrum.com
Established Atlanta funksters Gurufish play Princeinspired patter with percussive guitar riffs.
www.myspace.com/gurufish Atlanta vocalist Shade sings
silky electro pop with rap breaks.
www.reverbnation.com/shadenation And returning to
Pride‟s stages this year, Michel Jons Band brings the
wedding reception experience to the park as Demizes, a
#1 IAIRA recording artist, shakes his well received
Onion in tight undies and satin shirts.
www.demizesonline.com
Xanna’s full Pride music preview also appears in Pride’s
official 2011 magazine guide. View it online at
www.atlantapride.org.
encounters
September 18
16th Annual Fall Garden Party benefiting
Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative
@ Einstein‟s , ATL 4—8 pm
www.thehealthinitiative.org
SUNDAY
September 27
Miller Light Concert Series presents
Lily of The Suburbs [pictured], The
Canvas Waiting, and Mike Killeen
@ Smith‟s Olde Bar, ATL
www.myspace.com/lilyofthesuburbs
TUESDAY
The Prime Time Emmy Awards
on Fox www.emmys.tv
Equally Wed Magazine presents
Love Is Love Wedding Show
@ W Hotel Midtown ATL
www.equallywed.com
September 19
Season 13 premiere of
Dancing With The Stars on ABC
with Chaz Bono, Nancy Grace, more
www.abc.go.com/dancingwiththestars
MONDAY
September 23
Atlanta Food Rave 7 pm
@ Andrews Entertainment Complex
www.atlantafoodrave.com
FRIDAY
September 29—October 6
OUT ON FILM GLBT Film Fest
@ Midtown Art Cinema, more
www.outonfilm.org
October 1
Party At Ponce featuring
Shawn Mullins [pictured with Xanna
Don‟t], Francine Reed, and The Indigo
Girls with food samples from
Watershed, Rathbun‟s, Yeah! Burger,
more @ Ponce City Market 7—11 pm
www.partyatponce.com
SATURDAY
October 1
Atlanta Field Day benefiting
C.H.R.I.S. Kids 9 am—1 pm
@ Westminster Presbyterian Church
www.atlantafieldday.org
SATURDAY
October 2
Dexter returns on Showtime
www.sho.com
SUNDAY
October 10
The Rosie Show debuts on OWN
www.oprah.com/rosie
MONDAY
October 16
AIDS Walk Atlanta
www.aidswalkatlanta.com
SUNDAY
October 16
Frisky Monkey CD RELEASE
@ Red Light Café, ATL 8 PM
www.friskymonkeymusic.com
FRIDAY
October 3
Candye Kane @ Sister Louisa‟s, ATL
www.candyekane.com
MONDAY
October 5
The Lemonheads performing
“It‟s A Shame About Ray”
@ The Earl SOLD OUT
www.myspace.com/thelemonheads
WEDNESDAY
October 6—8
A3C Hip Hop Festival
@ Masquerade, ATL
www.a3chiphop.com
November 1
LGBT Town Hall Meeting with
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and
Atlanta Police Chief George Turner
@ St. Mark‟s United Methodist
www.stmarkumc.org
TUESDAY
OUT on the big screen
by Xanna Don’t
Atlanta‟s OUT ON FILM returns September 29—October 6 at Midtown Art
Cinema. Here are some highlights for Don’t Label It! readers.
THE GREEN, Sunday 10/02 @ 7:25 pm
It‟s difficult to describe The Green as a
gay film because it‟s written on such a
human level that it defies any simple
classification. Its lead character, Michael
Gavin (OBIE Award Winner, Jason Butler
Harner), retreats from New York City with
his lover/partner—not his husband—to a
small Connecticut town to teach high school
while writing a book. But the town and misconstrued events within it write the story for him. As unintentionally as his
path twists, so slip the words from each well written character‟s lips. Much
like real life experiences, they wish, as we all so often do, that they could take
their misspoken syllables back, often within a breath of their utterance. We
don‟t mean to say the wrong things; we just do. But like the charges of
inappropriate conduct with a student made against Michael, once they‟re out
there, they exist.
“As far as anyone around here is concerned, you‟re guilty,” cautions Julia
Ormond as the focused yet amicable lesbian attorney who seeks to clear
Michael‟s name. But as alarming as the overall situation is for him, and the
whole town, there are no histrionics in the acting or delivery of this superb
script. The film‟s tone is as smooth and glassy as any day would be in a
bucolic, affluent New England town, which makes for a very ordinary, realistic
witch hunt—the truly scary kind. Ileana Douglas uses her effective, relaxed
brand of humor as Michael‟s fun work friend, gracefully chuckling through
cancer with no Grace Adler stunt work. Even the strident, uptight high school
principal‟s wife, played perfectly by Mary McCann, is never over-the-top;
you‟ve met this woman before and, although she‟s a force, she‟s not a
caricature. The Green is filled with such well pitched performances all around.
It‟s completely believable storytelling. www.thegreenthemovie.com
WISH ME AWAY, Wednesday, 10/05 @ 7:15 pm
“I‟m so ashamed it‟s taken me so long to come out,” says country vocalist Chely
Wright as she confesses its announcement is being carefully coordinated by a new
manager, a literary agent, and a slew of other industry professionals. It must be the
most elaborately planned self outing ever,
including a record album, a book, an
advance interview with The Advocate,
private (yet filmed) spiritual guidance, savvy
PR “media training,” and this documentary
film, Wish Me Away. But Chely is clearly a
gal who was used to being molded, initially
by her mother‟s failed singing aspirations
and secondly by the country music
establishment itself. She moved to
Nashville from Kansas in 1989 with a
competent pop voice and by 1995 was
Photo by Tanya Braganti
honored with a new artist CMA. That period
punch lines the film with lots of bad „80s hair and banal, forgettable songs. But it
didn‟t have to; this era was also the dawn of the alt-country movement (now
Americana) that glowed with Dwight Yoakum, Lyle Lovett, Lucinda Williams, k.d.
lang—who came out in 1992—and in 1991, the first country act to be nominated for
a Best New Artist Grammy since the early 1960s, The Kentucky Headhunters. By
1999, Chely‟s #1 hit, “Single White Female (Is Looking For A Man Like You),” clearly
exposes an artist under the influence of the industry machine: it‟s an awful song.
She tells us in her video diary that she‟d planned to come out when she had a chart
topper—but she didn‟t. Instead she publicly, opportunistically dated earnest country
heartthrob Brad Paisley, recording duets and appearing at the Grand Ole Opry with
him. But mostly she amplified her sex symbol image, making videos stuffed with
glamour shots better enjoyed with the sound off, allowing herself to be hard-baked
by the country cookie-cutter mill that eschews everything that‟s cool about the genre.
Enter the legendary Rodney Crowell and both Chely and the audience can sigh with
relief. With her toe dipped in authenticity, his production brought out the best in her
and the music got better. People who love smart country music can also lament that
it took her so long to come out, but we‟re listening now. www.wishmeawaydoc.com
GONE, Wednesday, 10/05 @ 5:35 pm
If you‟ve been riveted by the sagas of The Eagle
Bar Raid and Amanda Knox, this Tribeca-shown
documentary is for you. Gone is the story of Kathryn
Gilleran, a mother and former police officer who
travels from her home in upstate New York to Austria
to investigate her gay son Aeryn‟s sudden and
inexplicable disappearance from a public sauna in
2007. But Vienna‟s version of Bennie and The Red Dogs has casually concluded,
without a body, that he committed “spontaneous suicide,” as they purport gays
routinely do. They abuse and intimidate her with the same level of hubris inflicted on
Atlanta Eagle patrons in 2009. Navigating her own private inquest in a foreign
country with no authority and little help proves emotionally gut-wrenching, but she
doesn‟t give up. What could make her son run naked into the street, mysteriously out
of sight? www.gone-film.com
THE NIGHT WATCH, Tuesday 10/04 @ 5:35 pm
Adapted from the lengthy novel by Sarah
Waters, BBC Two‟s The Night Watch is a madefor-British-television movie that graphically depicts
the horrors of wartime for gays and women as well
as war itself. The film explores in reverse the
intertwined lives of World War II Londoners who
must manage their own personal desperations
while surviving the war. This dichotomy brings out
the best and worst in them, aspects revealed with
suspense through rapid rewind editing, an unusual technique for a period drama.
Shot in faded Technicolor almost akin to a sepia wash, it‟s an edgy take on a well
worn era. www.bbc.co.uk
THE LULU SESSIONS,
Friday, 09/03 @ 3:50 pm
The Lulu Sessions is a film
about a lesbian couple who never
were. This documentary depicts a
relationship between its filmmaker,
S. Casper Wong, and her subject,
Dr. Louise “Lulu” Nutter, that never
fully developed because there were always other things that took precedence:
mostly academia, some men, and ultimately, cancer. But this realization does not
unfold wistfully because Lulu, ironically an acclaimed cancer researcher who
diagnosed herself, is a hoot and a half. She‟s brilliant, cantankerous, problematic,
often drunk, funny, and endearing. And she‟s dying. www.lulusessionsfilm.com
TOMBOY,
Monday, 10/03 @ 5:20 pm
This French film with English
subtitles reminds us of the classic
song from Broadway‟s South
Pacific, “You Have To Be Carefully
Taught.” There‟s so much children
instinctively know until parents and
society unlearn „em. In a new home and neighborhood, prepubescent Laure
introduces herself as Mikael to the local kids and passes for a boy, engaging in
summertime games and swimming. They have a pretty good time until Mikael gets
too aggressive and hurts a chum, causing parental intervention and a cruel outing.
Sensitive performances from a cohesive group of fine child actors make this film
worth seeing. www.tomboythemovie.com
THAT’S MY NUN, Tuesday, 10/04 @ 4:15 pm
Well, they‟re not really “our” nuns, but we do have a fine convent of our own in
the ATL! You‟ve seen them in their white mime faces and elaborate habits in the
Pride parade and parading about town doing good deeds. The cloisters of The
Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence depicted in this docu are based in Europe and
San Francisco, but the order‟s purpose internationally is the same: raise awareness
of HIV prevention methods and spread joy. Local sister Gunza Blazin‟ better warm
up her clogs and practice her do-re-me‟s: the Parisian nuns sing! There‟s no limit to
their antics and make-up in the spirit of saving lives. Genuflect in thanks.
Check Don’t Label It!’s blog page at dontlabelit.com/blog for more film
previews and updates during the festival.
Individual tickets available at Midtown Art Cinema.
More info and all access passes at
www.outonfilm.org
Personal
Forecasts
September
& October
2011
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
LEO
What would Skylar do?
I wanted the carwash to launder
Walt‟s money for our family and with
patience and determination, I got it.
My dalliance with Ted was an angry,
confusing time. I love Walter and I‟m
committed to him and my family.
I bail Ted out of his tax troubles and
he leases a Mercedes? You got a
friend you can never help enough?
I don‟t always see eye to eye with
Saul, but he can be a resourceful
attorney at times. Worth a listen.
Sometimes you‟ve gotta put on a
push up bra, fluff up your blond
locks, and beguile the IRS agent.
Inventing the successful gambling
cover story for Walt‟s money was a
genius way to help Hank and Marie.
A surprise pregnancy at 40 will
make you slow down and evaluate
your life. My kids always come first.
Slow and steady hides the money.
Just ring in those car washes, one
here, one there, then another…
The cash is coming in faster than I
can hide it! And now the car wash is
turning a profit? Busy, busy, busy!
It would appear to anyone that I‟m a
cashier at a car wash. “Please give
this to your car care professional.”
“Married couples can‟t be compelled
to testify against one another.” This
all works so much better together.
I understand why Hank did what he
did. He wanted to provide for his
family after his death from cancer.
What would Xanna don’t?
Don‟t overdue it. Use just the right
amount of pressure and effort for
winning results. All in good measure.
Don‟t fall for free flowing flattery. It‟s
nice to hear, but keep it real as you
bat your eyes with appreciation.
Don‟t bet the farm! Don‟t bet anything
at all. Money pitfalls can be long and
deep these days. Spend cautiously.
Don‟t assume you have all the
answers. Is there someone better
versed on the issue who could help?
Don‟t leave your bank statement on
the coffee table for nosy neighbors to
see. Commit it to memory and shred!
Don‟t be shy when people notice your
abilities. Enjoy your accomplishments
and revel in the future you‟re building.
Don‟t whack those donkeys into the
wee hours of the morning. It‟s fine to
leave the party when you‟re tired.
Don‟t have the attention span you
used to? Is ADD contagious? Of
course not. Be methodical and focus.
Don‟t let success spoil the beautiful
flow of your everyday life. Make your
fans work around your schedule.
Don‟t accept what people say at face
value. If you want to know what they
really mean, examine their motives.
Don‟t go it alone. There‟s so much
ahead and you‟ll need somebody you
can trust as you go through it.
Don‟t refuse acknowledgement or
praise. Always consider its source,
but you still know you deserve it.
Anna Gunn portrays Skylar White on Breaking Bad. www.amctv.com
[These forecasts are the author’s interpretation of what the onscreen personality might say.]
Faceless on FACEBOOK
by Xanna Don’t
On August 11, my only
Facebook page
disappeared. It was
completely hidden from
view. For two weeks
prior, my page had been
visible to others, but my
access to it had been
suspended due to “inauthentic name.”
During that time, I sent the nameless FB folks emails,
letters, and voice mails (no one answers the phone in their
Palo Alto offices) appealing to be deemed an authentic person
in their faceless eyes. Then I finally received a reply from
“Barry” in their User Operations department. Here is what
Barry-with-no-last-name had to robotically say:
_________________________________
Hi,
Facebook is a community where people use their real identities. We require
everyone to provide their real first and last names and real birthday so
you always know who you’re connecting with.
Please reply to this email and attach a digital image of one of the acceptable
documents outlined below so we can verify your account information. We
will permanently delete our record of this digital image from our servers
after we use it to confirm your identity.
If you have a government-issued ID (ex: passport or drivers license) please
attach that.
If you do not have a government-issued ID, please attach copies of at least
TWO documents that:
- Are from a respected institution (ex: business, school, university)
- Combined show your full name, birthday, and picture
Some examples of acceptable documents include:
- School or work ID
- Utility bill
- Marriage license
- Legal name change paperwork
- Credit card (with the number blacked out)
- Birth certificate
Be sure to black out any personal information that is not needed to verify
your identity (ex: address, license number, credit card number). If possible,
please save this file as a JPEG.
Note that we won’t be able to assist with this account you until we receive
your identification.
Thanks for your patience,
Barry
User Operations
Facebook
____________________________________________________________________
A portion of my original appeal:
From: Xanna Don’t
To: The Facebook Team
Subject: Re: My Personal Profile was Disabled
Please restore my account. www.facebook.com/xannadont
Xanna Don’t is not an inauthentic name. It’s my name.
I have been Xanna Don’t for more than three decades. It was my stage
name for 20+ years. It has been my pen name as well. It is the name my family
calls me. No one knows me by my birth name. My bank even accepts checks
made out to Xanna Don’t for deposit. I am Xanna Don’t.
Other celebrities have personal pages as their stage names; Elvis Costello is
one. Please allow me access to my Facebook page again. It is my ONLY
Facebook page. I have almost 1400 friends who obviously know me as Xanna
Don’t. I even have a wife listed on my page who knows me as Xanna Don’t.
It is my name in every practical way imaginable…
___________________________________
In my appeal, I also attached my professional bio and listed
some press quotes. As emails between me and Barry-with-nolast-name progressed, he elevated my status from “disabled”
to merely “suspended,” and then back to disabled again. At
one point, I faxed 22 pages of my 100+ page press kit to him.
If The Boston Globe thinks I‟m Xanna Don‟t, why not
Facebook?
Why does this happen? The suspicion
is that Facebook wants “real” names
because they are going to sell our
information. When you post a note or a
photo, their terms stipulate that they then
own it. And they need to substantiate
their member numbers to advertisers: if
you have an additional page for your cat,
advertisers balk. Fluffy has no buying power of her own in the
marketplace.
But again, I have only one page and I wondered how it was
chosen for scrutiny. Some speculate that there is a specific
algorithm that winds its way around the Facebook universe
looking for abnormalities. Online publication Silicon Valley
Watcher found Arabic and Asian names that were targeted and
questioned if Facebook‟s “real name” policy is racist. I wonder
about drag queens, roller derby girls, transgendered people;
such an algorithm could be discriminatory on many levels.
Domestic violence victims, while not likely to choose a name
that would call too much attention to itself, could also be
victims of the “real” name policy if they don‟t have the means
to pay for a legal name change.
In my case, there‟s another, more
Without access to
likely way I was victimized by this
Facebook, I’ve
policy. I was reported. It‟s a vicious,
essentially been
underhanded way to shut somebody
bulldozed from
up. If I don‟t have the ability to
Atlanta’s gay media
research, friend people, receive and
landscape.
send event invitations, or post what‟s
going on with this „zine to Facebook, I‟ve essentially been
bulldozed from Atlanta‟s gay media landscape. It‟s a
McCarthy-like tactic that largely removes me from society.
Nowadays, public lives are lived on Facebook with our public
names, and my public name has been killed.
What‟s truly mournful is that my time in Atlanta
represents a nanosecond of my life and the friends I made
during it. Cherished contacts regained from those very
If you have an
additional
Facebook page
for your cat,
advertisers balk.
Fluffy has no
buying power.
meaningful years in my hometown of Boston, Massachusetts,
and my adopted hometown for a decade, Austin, Texas, have
been lost, too. In my efforts to craft an Act 2 for my life, access
to the talented cast of my hard-earned Act 1 has been
wrongfully obliterated. No one should have the ability to do
that to an individual by exploiting a disputable technicality.
Certainly no one who cares about the First Amendment and
considers themselves a journalist should. Someone is playing
a very, very dirty game.
_____________________________________________
ADDENDUM: As of 09/15, Facebook restored my page.
Here’s what Barry-with-no-last-name concluded via email:
Hi Xanna,
You'll be pleased to hear that our policies have
recently been updated, and since you have proved to
me already that you use this name in your everyday
life, I may give you access back to this account under
the name Xanna Don't. I want to thank you for your
patience and compliance through our correspondence
and this process. Enjoy the site!
Thanks for contacting Facebook,
Barry
User Operations
Facebook
__________________________________________________
You can find Xanna Don’t on Facebook again at
www.facebook.com/xannadont
text messages from hell
me (08/21, 2:03 pm):
I just tried to look up
their “deputy editor”
through your Facebook page and she
has blocked you from
finding her.
the wife (08/21, 2:05
pm): What?
me (08/21, 2:08 pm):
LDB herself has also
blocked you, but she
had never blocked
me. It was them.
They DEFINITELY
did it.
the wife (08/21, 2:10
pm): Omg! 
me (08/21, 2:13 pm):
It‟s so bizarre. Why
would she block you
but not me? Why
now? They‟re covering
their tracks.
the wife (08/21, 2:16
pm): Yes they are.
me (08/21, 2:18 pm):
That‟s why Mr. PQ
was so expressionless
at that benefit when I
told him I was kicked
off FB for inauthentic
name. He froze like I
was reading My Pet
Goat to a classroom;
he knew it wasn‟t
random.
me (08/21, 2:22 pm):
We knew they fought
dirty (“anonymous
source” sabotage;
using children to call
me a bigot), but this is
a new low. They sell
the idea of respectability, yet have none.
the wife (08/21, 2:30
pm): This is
inexcusable.
me (08/21, 2:41 pm):
If they‟ll go this far to
get rid of me, imagine
what they‟ll do to TD if
he accepts the latest
overtures from SoVo.
It never ends…
Send your text messages from hell to [email protected]
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