What would you do if you were entering an establishment and you heard the doorman and a manager denying admission to a transgender woman because they were afraid she would use the wrong restroom?

No, this isn’t a scenario from the God-awful ABC show “What Would You Do?” – rather it was what a couple of Atlantans experienced when they tried to visit the Pink Pony strip club last weekend.

In a posting on Facebook, Atlantan Hudson Marr details how a transgender friend was denied entry into the Pink Pony because the security guard noticed the transgender woman’s ID indicated she was born male.

“He says it’s a ‘restroom issue,’” Marr wrote on Facebook.

The security guard allegedly said he would have to check with his manager before allowing the transgender woman inside the strip club.

In a video posted on Facebook, a Pink Pony manager is seen waving the transgender woman away from the door while repeatedly saying, “Have a good night.”

The transgender woman, who was unable to be reached by Fenuxe, is near tears as she argues with the doorman and threatens to try to get the club closed down.

“That’s called discrimination,” the woman says in the video.

Atlanta has a human relations ordinance which prohibits discrimination against transgender individuals in a variety of circumstances, including public accomodations.

Flipping through the latest issue of GQ in the office a few weeks ago, we came across a startling ad:

The vintage aesthetic of the Ray Ban ad transported us to a time – not too long ago – when gay men were expected to live entirely buttoned-up lives, reigning in their desires and identity in order to be seen as upstanding citizens. There is such a quiet courage in the men’s faces and gait as they endure the gawks of passers-by, as Ray Ban implores them to “Never Hide.”

There have been several other bold gay ads this spring, including this image of a lesbian couple and their daughter in a JC Penney catalogue, which infuriated some conservative groups:

This morning, the gay website Towleroad posted this image of a Los Angeles billboard, where GAP shows two guys sharing a shirt, with the tagline, “Be One.”

When the first Atlanta Human Rights Campaign Dinner was held in 1988, gay Americans were in the throes of an unchecked plague, had recently been declared criminals by the U.S. Supreme Court, and remained shunned by much of society. Still, the theme for that first Atlanta HRC dinner implored gay Atlantans to “Dare to Dream, Dare to Be.”

The lofty theme crystallized into a more explicit goal at the next year’s dinner: “In Our Lifetime.”
In the two-and-a-half decades since those early dinners the world – politics, entertainment, social acceptance – has evolved at a rate that would have been hard to envision in the late 1980s. From taming HIV/AIDS to becoming a cultural constituency, we have experienced a lifetime of change in less than a quarter century.

The theme for this year’s Atlanta HRC Dinner & Silent Auction, “Be Part of Equality,” invites us to absorb the successes we’ve achieved, and enlists us in the push to achieve full equality. While there is surely work that is left to be done, the Atlanta HRC dinner’s silver jubilee is about celebrating how remarkably far we’ve come in a relatively short time.

The keynote speaker for this year’s dinner, which takes place May 5 at the Hyatt Regency downtown, is U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who has a chance to take our movement to another historic height this fall. Baldwin, who was the first openly gay person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998, is hoping to break another barrier by becoming the first openly gay person to serve in the U.S. Senate.

In addition to offering a motivational pep rally for Baldwin during her historic bid, the Atlanta HRC dinner will feature actor Sean Hayes, best known for his role as Jack on “Will & Grace.” The Emmy Award-winning funnyman, who came out as gay in 2010, will be receiving the HRC Visibility Award.

Local heroes who have advanced LGBT equality in Atlanta will also be honored. This year’s Leon Allen & Winston Johnson Community Leadership Award will be presented to the Rev. Phillip Thomason, the minister of outreach and pastoral care at St. Mark United Methodist Church, who has guided the congregation’s LGBT-welcoming efforts since 1990.

The Health Initiative, an organization that started in 1996 and has continuously expanded its mission to address the evolving health concerns of Atlanta’s LGBT community, will be honored with the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award at the dinner. The non-profit was originally known as the Atlanta Lesbian Cancer Initiative, then broadened its scope and changed its name to the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative in 2006. In the last year, the group underwent a new name change to The Health Initiative, which reflects its goal of addressing health concerns among all sectors of the LGBT community.

Google’s daily doodle is dedicated to famed pop artist Keith Haring, who would have turned 54 Friday.

Haring, who was gay, created the iconic bubble figures that have been widely reproduced since his death in 1990. The artist’s work is closely associated with the AIDS epidemic, as Haring partnered with numerous AIDS agencies to help bring attention to the disease.

Haring died in 1990 at age 31, embodying how the epidemic wiped out a generation in its prime. However, his work has helped his spirit become immortal.

One of the most colorful gatherings in gay Atlanta takes place this weekend, as sci-fi fans come together for OutlantaCon May 4-6.

The annual confab brings together queer comics, gaming and supernatural enthusiasts for three days of fantasy fun, beginning with the opening ceremony Friday at 6:30 p.m. The roster for OutlantaCon has continued to expand throughout the conference’s five-year history, and this year includes:

• Discussion forums such as “The History & Importance of the X-Men,” “Where’s the ‘Gay’ in Gaming,” and “My Undead Life,” which will feature insight from Tony Gowell, who appeared as a zombie in “The Walking Dead.”
• Workshops to help queer sci-fi writers develop characters and storylines, as well as how to publish and promote their work.
• Talks from industry big wigs such as Moxie Magnus (a drag queen and ‘Star Trek Cosmetologist), Jevocas Green (co-producer/writer of the fan film series ‘Uncanny X-Men’), and Atlanta native Joe Phillips (an illustrator who has been in the comic book industry since 1987).
• Competitions such as Scrabble and Carcassone tournaments, a wildly popular Match Game contest, and a Jeopardy! Showdown.

As devastating and depressing as the AIDS epidemic has been, few events are more uplifting and hopeful as when thousands of people from all walks of life descend on Piedmont Park for the annual AIDS Walk.

Registration for this year’s event, which takes place Oct. 21, is now open, with a $10 fee for walkers and $30 for runners; although those are the minimum donations and participants are encouraged to raise more. Folks can register as individuals, or create a team to make a unified contribution with their friends, co-workers or neighbors.

For those who live outside of Georgia or won’t be able to attend the AIDS Walk, there is also a “virtual walker” option that allows you to donate whatever you can to a worthy cause.

Last year, AIDS Walk raised $1 million for AID Atlanta and eight other local AIDS non-profits, and has helped save countless lives in the more than two decades that it has taken place. Organizers are hoping to reach another $1 million for AIDS Walk this year, and have raised more than $4,000 in the first 24 hours of open registration.<\font>