The Out Traveler: Atlanta

Thank GLAAD It's Friday Atlanta

A recent hate crime in Midtown Atlanta reminds all of us that we need to keep up the fight for tolerance.

Do your part by joining me and other GLAAD Members at Thank GLAAD It's Friday this Friday, March 13th at Bazzaar. $35 gets you a GLAAD Membership, plus two free hours of complimentary Absolut cocktails.

Even if you can't attend the event, purchasing a ticket still contributes to GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and gets you a one year GLAAD Membership.

Get your TGIF ticket here.

Read about the latest hate crime in Midtown here.

Click the invite above to get your ticket!

Sirius/XM Satellite Radio Appearance

Tonight, Matt Burkhalter and Jordan McAuley are headed to the Sirius/XM studios in New York City for an interview with Derek & Romaine on the Out Q Channel.

They'll be on from 7:05 to 7:30 p.m. talking about Atlanta and whatever else Derek and Romaine ask them about!

Sirius - channel 109

XM - channel 98

If you don't subscribe to Sirius, you can get a free online trial.

For those of you that don't know, Romaine was Matthew Shepard's best friend at the University of Wyoming before he was killed.

Listen and call into the show if you want! 1-866-305-6887

Find out more:

• Sirius Out Q
• Derek and Romaine

Do You Have Petal Lust This Weekend?

Donna Marshall one of the special guests attending our upcoming Out Traveler: Atlanta Party at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse this Wednesday, February 18th at 8 p.m.

She's even created original art exclusively for the party's gift bags!

At first glance, Donna Marshall's colorful artwork of flowers and trees looks like something you'd find in the
Atlanta Botanical Garden gift shop, or something your Mom might want to buy.

But take a closer look, and what you see will probably surprise, shock, or maybe even give you a thrill.

Because what you're really looking at are depictions of male and female body parts -- ok private parts -- not just orchids and lillies.

Marshall says she scours drawings and photographs to find images that she can enhance and intertwine to create beautiful pieces of botanical art.

"It's fun when people realize that what they're really looking at is nature married with the human body," says Marshall, who has replaced her dark side with creating fabulous artwork.

"At first people think it's a beautiful arrangement of flowers, then realize what they are really viewing and fall in love. Some see that what they once thought of as dirty can actually be very beautiful when arranged and presented the right way. And what is more beautiful than the naked body?"

Marshall is premiering her work at Bazzaar Atlanta this Friday, February 13, 2009 in conjunction with the sexy gender bending 2nd Friday of the month party FLUX featuring DJ Vicki Powell.

Arrive early from 8-10 to preview The Petal Lust Collection and mingle with hipster crowds from the past, present and the future!

Complimentary Bubbly for the ladies from 8-10. Contact Bill Kaelin at 404-396-5750 for table reservations.

Donna Marshall will also attend The Out Traveler: Atlanta party at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse on Wednesday, February 18th at 8 p.m. to sign pieces of her art included in the gift bags.

To learn more about Donna Marshall and Petal Lust visit PetalLust.com.

Does Atlanta Really Need a Gay Travel Guidebook?

You may have seen the writeup in this Sunday's AJC about our new book, 'The Out Traveler: Atlanta.'

Last week, it was covered by the Associated Press.

Now it's in USA Today, with people already commenting on whether or not Atlanta really needs a gay travel guidebook.

We think it does.

Almost every other major city has one, and Atlanta deserves one, too.

Gay travel guidebooks are useful and necessary, especially if you're new to a city.

But of course, we're biased!

What do you think?

Post your opinion on USAToday.com

The Out Traveler: Atlanta Party

The Out Traveler: Atlanta Party
Presented by Out Magazine, Horne Rum & Artificial Flavor

Wednesday, February 18th @ 8 pm
Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse
991 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta

Cocktails by Horne Rum

Gift bags by:

Out Magazine
Artificial Flavor
Petal Lust
Alter Ego Pop Art
29 Spa at the Mansion
Burkhart's Pub
Escape to Blue Ridge
LOGO
... and more!

"THE book on gay life in Atlanta... literally."
- Creative Loafing

"A wealth of insider knowledge."
- Jane and Jane Magazine

"Discover Atlanta's fascinating gay history."
- OUT Magazine

The Associated Press

New guide to Atlanta for gay travelers

ATLANTA (AP) - There's a new guidebook for gay travelers interested in visiting Atlanta.

"The Out Traveler: Atlanta" (Alyson Books, $15.95) is the latest in a series that also includes books on New York City, South Florida and Hawaii.

The Atlanta edition was written by two gay friends who grew up in the city, Jordan McAuley and Matt Burkhalter.

The introduction to the book says that gay travelers "have to know where we are welcome, how to fit in, the vibe of a particular cultural or political climate - all things many straights take for granted."

The book lists many basic attractions like the Georgia Aquarium, Stone Mountain and "Gone with the Wind" author Margaret Mitchell's house, along with hotels and bed-and breakfasts deemed to be "gay-friendly" by the authors, and nightspots and bars like the Atlanta Eagle leather bar, Blake's on the Park, Burkharts and Mary's.

Visit www.OutTravelerAtlanta.com for more information.

- February 2, 2009
The Associated Press
(original story >>)

Jane and Jane Magazine

New and Notable:

"The latest installment of the Out Traveler travel guide series offers a wealth of insider knowledge on the best places to go, the most intriguing people you're likely to see, and the events you won't want to miss when visiting the South's largest gay mecca.

Beyond the standard guide fare--photos, maps, information resources and lists of popular gay- and lesbian-owned businesses--the two native Atlantan authors delve into the gay cultural history of Georgia, inviting guests to gain a more intimate understanding of how Atlanta came to have one of the nation's top 10 largest LGBT populations."

- Jane and Jane Magazine
January/February, 2009

Out Magazine

"Atlanta natives Jordan McAuley and Matt Burkhalter take you on an expedition of the second-highest LGBT populated city in the U.S.

With historic and cultural highlights, from Underground Atlanta to the High Museum of Art to Druid Hills, you'll discover Atlanta's fascinating gay history and the thrills of the city's nightlife."

- Out Magazine
February, 2009

Out Magazine (February, 2009)

 

Local Authors to Speak at Atlanta Travel Expo

Matt Burkhalter and Jordan McAuley, local authors of the new book The Out Traveler: Atlanta will speak about gay travel in Atlanta and beyond at the Atlanta Travel Expo.

Burkhalter and McAuley will share their insider tips on a panel titled "Gay Travel: Hot New Destinations, Events, Tours, and Cruises" on Saturday, January 24th from 2:15 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. along with Ed Salvato, Travel Editor at PlanetOut.

Also speaking at the Atlanta Travel Expo are Patricia Schultz, author of 1001 Places to See Before You Die, Leon Legothetis of Fox Reality's Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, and Pat Johnson and Regina Fraser of PBS' Grannies on Safari.

The Atlanta Travel Expo is the only travel show in Atlanta where you can meet directly with hundreds of destinations and vacation rental property representatives from around the world. It takes place January 23rd - 25th at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta.

The Out Traveler: Atlanta is Burkhalter and McAuley's second book together. It is the followup to their previous book, ATLANTAboy: An Insider's Guide to Gay Atlanta.

This time the duo delve deeper into gay Atlanta's history, covering its earliest beginnings from the late 1800's to the present day, exploring how Atlanta's gay community has positively impacted the world. Listings of Atlanta's hottest gay-friendly bars, clubs, restaurants, stores, gyms, spas, salons, hotels, and more have been updated since ATLANTAboy's 2005 release.

Celebrities also comment on Atlanta in the book, including Annie Leibovitz, Tim Gunn, Elton John, Madonna, Patti LuPone, Nancy Grace, Leslie Jordan, Reichen, Wilson Cruz, and more.

Burkhalter and McAuley are available for interviews upon request. Both will be available for interviews in person at The Out Traveler: Atlanta Party on Wednesday, February 18th at 8 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse (991 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta).