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Photo courtesy ProjectQAtlanta.com
CHRIS COLEMAN
The man with his name all over some of the most high profile gay nightlife events in town is Chris Coleman. His goal is to take the typical gay scene to another level and the next step is in the works—a major circuit party weekend in Atlanta in 2011.
How would you define your role in Atlanta’s LGBT community?
My goal is to fill the gap between a private “house party” or “social gathering” and the bar/club scene. Most large cities in the U.S. have great clubs, bars and restaurants. However, only a couple of those cities have someone to organize a specific night to cater to the LGBT community. My goal is to give Gay Atlanta an alternative choice to the “typical” Gay scene. While the existing bars, clubs and restaurants play a vital role in our community, my goal is to take that experience to another level and offer an alternative to the existing nightlife.
What do you forecast for Atlanta’s LGBT community in the next 5 to 10 years?
I wish I had a crystal ball! The nightlife scene has changed so much over the past five years. I will say, I am happy to see that a resurgence is happening all over the country. Atlanta is no exception. With new Atlanta clubs and lounges opening, life is being bred back into the city. We’ve seen multiple bars/clubs close over the past five years. When a frequented bar/club closes, a negative emotion washes over the community. The LGBT community has not witnessed any new nightlife venue openings and yet we are losing venue after venue. Now that REIGN, Sector4 and the Spring 4th Center have sprung up, the LGBT community once again has more choices on where to party and kick back. I also see more venues sprouting up within the next 1-3 years. I think the next 5 to 10 years looks great!
We learn from all our experiences, both good and bad. Tell us about a negative life experience you’ve had that you learned a valuable lesson from.
Losing my Mother to heart disease was a very painful time in my life. I witnessed her health fail year after year. Even though I had to witness my Mother die, the experience positively changed my relationships with my other family members. I grew closer to my Dad, my Mother’s sister, my cousins and my brother. I think her energy and love brought us all closer together. Her death taught me that I truly have a wonderful family that I cherish with all my heart.
How has being LGBT shaped your outlook on life?
Conducting business with other members of the community is like doing business with your friends. We are all one degree of separation and having a business in the LGBT community is similar to doing business with family or friends. I worked in the retail mortgage industry for over 10 years and not once did I feel as though I was among friends. This positive experience that I witness day in and day out not only has shaped my outlook on life, but it’s made me a more tolerant person, a better partner and a better friend.
Tell us a little more about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?
Like most people, I love to travel, meet new people and eat good food. I think I am a pretty easy guy to read. Not much out of the norm!
I would love to eventually get involved in a concert arena. I’ve worked with many high profile entertainers and I’d really enjoy taking that experience to another level by producing full length concerts. One of my goals was to produce every major party for Pride Weekend and I accomplished that goal this year. I am now looking at bringing back a “circuit party” weekend to Atlanta. There is a plan to move forward with this endeavor and with the backing of one of the most influential DJs on the scene, we might actually see an Atlanta “circuit party” in 2011.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one book you would want with you?
Unfortunately, I don’t enjoy reading! However, if I could have a DVD and a DVD player, I could watch Ever After every day.
