Shownotes
Join DJ Sir Daniel as he hosts 'I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife.' In this episode, he features Mashaun D. Simon, a native of Atlanta, who shares his journey of duality, balancing his identity as a Black gay man and answering the call to ministry. They discuss the inclusivity of Atlanta for Black queer individuals, the diminishing number of Black-owned queer spaces, and the impact of HIV on their community. In the full episode, Mashaun reflects on his late brother, Hollis, and the influence on his own life choices, while also delving into his personal nightlife experiences and the challenges of conforming to societal expectations. This heartfelt conversation sheds light on the unique challenges and triumphs of Black queer life in Atlanta.
I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife strives to tell the stories of Atlanta's gay nightlife from the perspective of the people who lived it.
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Topics: #IComeAlive #MashaunDSimon #Atlanta #LGBTQIA+ #QueerCulture #BlackPodcasters #BlackMusic #MusicPodcast
A special thanks to the Counter Narrative Project Media Roundtable 2024.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Listen To "CHANGE" by RAHBI
In this time of great challenge, legendary Atlanta-based singer RAHBI is choosing to ignite a fire within our hearts with his empowering new single, ‘CHANGE.’ Co-written with soul music trailblazer Donnie (The Colored Section) and produced by Grammy nominee Sterling Gittens Jr. (Chris Brown, Justin Bieber), ‘CHANGE’ finds RAHBI passionately singing, ‘Change the world, give it a different face. Let’s put some love back in this place,’ encouraging listeners to embrace a more compassionate world.
Click Here To Listen to "CHANGE" by RAHBI
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Transcripts
DJ Sir Daniel: The views, thoughts, and
Speaker:opinions expressed are the speaker's own and do not represent the views,
Speaker:thoughts, and opinions of Queue Points.
Speaker:Welcome back to I Come Alive: Stories of Black Gay Atlanta Nightlife.
Speaker:I am your host, DJ Sir Daniel.
Speaker:This series strives to tell the stories of Atlanta's gay nightlife from the
Speaker:perspective of the people who lived it.
Speaker:Our featured guest for this episode, is a reluctant leader as most pioneers are.
Speaker:Mashaun D.
Speaker:Simon has the distinction of being an OG peach holder for he is
Speaker:Atlanta born and Decatur raised.
Speaker:He has a unique story of duality.
Speaker:How does one answer the call of the almighty and still enjoy
Speaker:being Black and queer in Atlanta?
Speaker:You'll soon find out.
Speaker:Enjoy the show.
Speaker:You have the distinction of being the only human being.
Speaker:born and bred subject that I've spoken to so far on this project.
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And that's a big deal because as a native son of Atlanta, like what grade would
Speaker:you give your city for its treatment of its black and queer citizens?
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Oh, wow.
Speaker:What grade would I give?
Speaker:You know, it's, hmm.
Speaker:What grade would I, is this like on a normal scale of like a to like D or, yeah,
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: just you can give it or we can do, uh, e, s and, and u.
Speaker:Excellent.
Speaker:Satisfactory, unsatisfactory, whatever you want to do.
Speaker:Teacher s Yes, exactly.
Speaker:. Whatever you want to do, professor.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Um, I would say that where we are now as it pertains
Speaker:to the city and what's available to those who identify as black and
Speaker:queer, however you line up on that, um, um, I would give the city a seat.
Speaker:I think the city does really well around being somewhat inclusive, um, politically
Speaker:for the LGBTQIA community at large.
Speaker:But I think when it comes to, and what I mean by that is the ways in
Speaker:which it protects, um, the overall community in a lot of ways, especially
Speaker:when we think about like Midtown 14th street, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker:Um, it's support for gay pride in the city, et cetera.
Speaker:And the ways in which businesses come together.
Speaker:But I think when it comes down to those of us who are also black and
Speaker:brown, um, I cannot say that the city has done or the city has Invested as
Speaker:much energy, commitment, care, and concern for us, what we need, what
Speaker:we want, and what's available to us compared to the community at large.
Speaker:I will say though, that what I find to be interesting is that
Speaker:this project that you were doing, um, there seems to be this trend.
Speaker:Um,
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: and so, um, maybe it was about a year ago, I participate in
Speaker:these conversations that the City of Atlanta were doing about Black Gay Atlanta
Speaker:and the history of Black Gay Atlanta, and I found that to be intriguing.
Speaker:Um, and so I think there is something happening where there are certain people
Speaker:in certain spaces with a certain amount of access that are bringing this conversation
Speaker:to life, and I do appreciate that.
Speaker:Um, but those pockets are few and far between.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Hmm, so let's put a pin in that because we're
Speaker:going to come back around to
Speaker:Black gay Atlanta the treatment of this the city as a whole I do
Speaker:find it is rare that we do run into someone that is a native of the city.
Speaker:So how do you feel, and we're going to get to our main topic, but how do you feel
Speaker:when you see those disparaging comments about Atlanta, knowing that most of the
Speaker:people living here are transplants now?
Speaker:You know, we love that saying Atlanta is not a real place.
Speaker:And at times it is, it is mythological.
Speaker:At times it does go, you feel like, okay, are we in Oz right now?
Speaker:But yes.
Speaker:How do you feel about more so the disparaging comments about the city
Speaker:of Atlanta, whether it's about the infrastructure, um, traffic or the
Speaker:fact that there is a, such a large and visible black gay community here.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Yeah.
Speaker:I tend to, I tend to take it personal in a lot of ways.
Speaker:Um, I have taken notice as to lately, this has actually happened a few days ago where
Speaker:a colleague of mine who lives in San Juan, Puerto Rico, every time, um, according to
Speaker:him, people from Atlanta visit San Juan.
Speaker:Like he, he claims that he just knows that they are people from Atlanta.
Speaker:Like he's like, I know that these are Atlanta Negroes.
Speaker:For these reasons, dot, dot, dot.
Speaker:And I'm always like, no, stop.
Speaker:Cause one, all of us are not like that and not, and you can add whatever the
Speaker:stereotypes you want to add to that.
Speaker:Um, but two, as you said, a lot of the people who now claim
Speaker:Atlanta, we're not born here.
Speaker:Like there are not that many natives still living in the Metro area.
Speaker:Um, I used to joke and say.
Speaker:And I know this to be true because I feel like I'm related to most of them.
Speaker:Um, because I'm just still finding more and more family as I get older.
Speaker:But, uh, yeah, like I find myself taking it jokingly and subtly personal, um,
Speaker:because I think it is slightly unfair that all of these things are tacked on to my
Speaker:city, um, from the perspective of someone.
Speaker:Now, let me be very clear.
Speaker:And I always do this.
Speaker:I'm Atlanta born and Decatur bred.
Speaker:Um, because my family was adamant about raising me, um, in a
Speaker:different kind of environment.
Speaker:And so a part of that is in my DNA, like I am a Decatur boy, um,
Speaker:but I still claim Atlanta proudly because I was born in this city.
Speaker:I, um, have been greatly influenced by this city politically,
Speaker:economically, socially, culturally.
Speaker:Um, and so I like to take ownership of the fact that I am one of
Speaker:the very few who are still here.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: And it's funny you bring up claiming, you know, how Atlanta
Speaker:has influenced you socially, as long as you and I have known each other.
Speaker:And that's been for a minute now, as long as you and I have known each
Speaker:other, you really haven't been much haven't been one for going out a lot.
Speaker:And so I'm wondering how has like the pursuit of the titles that I
Speaker:named that I rattled off earlier, like the pursuit of those titles.
Speaker:How have they informed?
Speaker:your connection to the gay scene here in Atlanta?
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Um, well, yeah, I was here.
Speaker:I, I, I was many of them.
Speaker:I was a club kid.
Speaker:I went to the Bulldogs and tracks and, uh, and the phase ones.
Speaker:And I went to Loretta's.
Speaker:I've been to the Marquette once I survived.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: I
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: never want to go back
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: again.
Speaker:Um, I think we have to go back as adults just to Just to, to, to gauge
Speaker:the amount of growth, our growth and the, the growth of the Marquette,
Speaker:because I think the Marquette,
Speaker:well, but see, here's the thing.
Speaker:I think there's still a place, there's a place for not necessarily the stabbing
Speaker:and
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: the being dragged out on the streets.
Speaker:But there is a place for that.
Speaker:That segment, that demographic of the community to feel seen and
Speaker:to have a space for them as well.
Speaker:And I think it, and I think it is something to, it's also a
Speaker:way that we gauge ourselves and you know how far we've come.
Speaker:Cause I haven't been there since 1995, 96.
Speaker:So yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: I don't even remember when I went to be quite honest.
Speaker:I just know I've been in there once and I was like, Oh, this is what this is noted.
Speaker:I never have to come back here again.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: I wonder how much the fact that it was co ed, like
Speaker:it was very much, it was unspoken.
Speaker:Like this is not just for you boys.
Speaker:This is also for the lesbians, the, the studs, especially when, when I was going
Speaker:in, it was on, um, Right there by the AUC across the street from that McDonald's.
Speaker:Um, Job Corps had a headquarters here in Atlanta at that time.
Speaker:And so a lot of the young ladies The studs the young and budding studs that
Speaker:used to go to job Corps would come to job I mean would come to the Marquette
Speaker:and frequent the Marquette and they kind of outnumbered the boys as it were, you
Speaker:know so There's a lot I said for that environment, but you were saying about how
Speaker:the scene and your pursuit of Your dreams your goals How how did one inform the
Speaker:other like Did you find at one point you were like, okay, can't do this as much as
Speaker:anymore because I'm concentrating on this.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Yeah.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:That's very true.
Speaker:That is very, and I was having a conversation with
Speaker:someone recently about this.
Speaker:Um, my, my husband and I have just recently celebrated 10 years together and
Speaker:There was a conversation being had with one of my ministry
Speaker:colleagues out of North Carolina.
Speaker:Uh, About how rare that is seen in our community.
Speaker:And it caused me to go down this rabbit hole of a lot of the choices
Speaker:I made for a lot of different reasons as it pertained to, as you said,
Speaker:the levels of status I was chasing.
Speaker:And I was that young man who had been conditioned to believe that um, you had
Speaker:to be presented in a certain kind of way.
Speaker:Respectability politics, you had to.
Speaker:Operate a certain kind of way.
Speaker:You have to lose certain way.
Speaker:Um, and so when I started seminary, um, back in 2010, um, I like to say that my
Speaker:life, my nightlife ended in that moment.
Speaker:Um, I had been, you know, hanging out with my people, going to the
Speaker:Bulldogs, going to, um, the spots.
Speaker:Um, I remember the days of going to the palace.
Speaker:I remember the days of phase one.
Speaker:I remember the days of all of those moments.
Speaker:Um, but when I decided to surrender to what I perceived to be a call on my
Speaker:life to ministry, um, I chose to submit to this idea that people in ministry
Speaker:didn't need to be in certain spaces.
Speaker:And the club is one of the places that we did not need to be in.
Speaker:Um, and when I started preaching regularly, um, when I started
Speaker:pastoring, um, um, um, um, All of that came to an abrupt end.
Speaker:I would still, every now and again, do like a First Fridays at the
Speaker:Eagle, um, with certain people.
Speaker:Um, when my now husband and I got together, there were a couple times
Speaker:where he and I went as a couple or when family of his was in town for like a
Speaker:pride, uh, a Black Gay Pride weekend or, or, or Labor Day weekend, we would go.
Speaker:So a First Friday experience.
Speaker:But yeah, I completely stopped.
Speaker:Doing all of that because it was perceived that that was not something for someone
Speaker:of my stature to be doing unless I Was gonna be what a lot of people call it.
Speaker:Not my city sissies.
Speaker:So if I went out of town
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: I Was I was just about to bring that I was like do you so do you
Speaker:were you one of the ones that you felt?
Speaker:You can't you can let down your hair in another city because yeah, that's what we
Speaker:would see here in Atlanta Yeah Yeah, and
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: yeah, I became a not my city system.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: I'm not my city, sissy.
Speaker:And I will say that you, you and Elvis, your husband have always, um, would come
Speaker:out for events that I was a part of.
Speaker:Like if I would be spinning at a, at a bulldogs for, like you said,
Speaker:for pride weekend, yes, you guys would come out and support me.
Speaker:And I always appreciated that because I was well aware of your journey.
Speaker:And.
Speaker:It's funny that you have that kind of conflict within yourself about, you
Speaker:see a friend on the journey and you're like, well, it's not that serious.
Speaker:You know, he could, he could do such and such, he could come out.
Speaker:And, but then you don't realize you have to take into consideration
Speaker:that people are really on.
Speaker:Their life's paths and you need to and we have to respect that and I and that only
Speaker:comes with growth And you know getting older and just living life because as I
Speaker:step away from Nightlife, you know and not being a part of it as much as I did
Speaker:mostly because you know growing older and things starting to Change or be the
Speaker:same and you know, you're trying to, you don't really feel like you fit in anymore.
Speaker:Um, do you deal with that of the aging out thoughts of, you know, nightlife?
Speaker:Is that a thing for you?
Speaker:Do you feel like you feel like you've aged out?
Speaker:Because I still, like we say, there's a first Friday and that's
Speaker:where we'll see people our age or older, you know, that will come out.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Um, yes.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's interesting.
Speaker:So I think it's interesting space now where I, I feel like I am, I am having,
Speaker:is it a one 80, not quite a three 60.
Speaker:I don't know.
Speaker:Like I am, right.
Speaker:And you know, I did that great when I was in high school, what's what's one
Speaker:plus one again, uh, I, I am having a moment in my life now where, um, I've
Speaker:been on this interesting journey.
Speaker:The past couple of years of stripping myself of a lot of that baggage.
Speaker:Um, certain people in certain religious spaces call it deconstructing.
Speaker:There's this argument that maybe it's not quite deconstructing.
Speaker:Maybe it's something else.
Speaker:Whatever.
Speaker:The reality is, um, I am finding myself divorcing myself of a lot of that baggage.
Speaker:Um, and so because I am what a lot of people like to press to be this public
Speaker:figure, Uh, I do not as much allow some of those things to hinder me as much as
Speaker:they used to because my own work and my own research has caused me to consider
Speaker:that that level of conditioning may not have anything to do with anything
Speaker:beyond people just trying to control or people just trying to, um, create.
Speaker:It's a world or society or individual or being that makes them most comfortable.
Speaker:Um, so the reasons why I don't go out much now is because I'm busy.
Speaker:Like sleep is very important to me.
Speaker:Like you
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: said,
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: sleep is a commodity.
Speaker:Um, and so it's, it's, and sometimes, yes, there are certain spaces.
Speaker:I'm just like, this ain't for me.
Speaker:Like.
Speaker:I don't know who this artist, I don't know who a little sexy red is or what
Speaker:have you and so that doesn't move me.
Speaker:Um, you give me, we went to a gathering not too long ago, um,
Speaker:that my brother had this party.
Speaker:And my brother is in his late 50s, early 60s.
Speaker:And I was like, oh my gosh, I just realized that I am
Speaker:of the bridge generation.
Speaker:Like, I, I am that in between from my brother's generation.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Cause I'm a cusp, I'm a Gen X er, so I'm a cusp millennial.
Speaker:Um, and so there are some millennial music and some Gen Z music that I am familiar
Speaker:with the Canadian because I'm, because I have young nephews and nieces, et cetera.
Speaker:Um, and then I'm in this interesting Gen X pocket, where there are certain
Speaker:kinds of music that move me, but then it generates the music of my brothers and
Speaker:sisters and even my parents generation.
Speaker:Some of the, what we call oldies move me as well.
Speaker:And so if I find a space.
Speaker:What's all of that operates, then I'm very happy.
Speaker:I'm very comfortable.
Speaker:I'm living my life and, and that's no issue.
Speaker:But when you get to some of this other stuff, like I enjoy make the stallion, um,
Speaker:I ain't got her knees, but I love my boss.
Speaker:Um, but like the 60 reds of the world, I don't know who the people
Speaker:are in that musical movement.
Speaker:So those are the reasons, like the music, um, that I enjoy sleep.
Speaker:Those are the reasons that sort of keep me from going as much compared to.
Speaker:These concerns around me being a preacher or me being a pastor or me being, um, the,
Speaker:this individual that, that, that people have tapped, um, a, a title and some level
Speaker:of authority to, um, I, I, I am of that person that nowhere is scandalous because
Speaker:if I'm supposed to be doing the work of being amongst God's people, then I should
Speaker:be able to be anywhere amongst God's people and, and that not be a problem.
Speaker:So yeah, I thought that really answered your question, but yeah.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Um You mentioned, you mentioned your brother and I know
Speaker:that you, you've acquired quite a few spiritual brothers on your journey.
Speaker:Um, but tell us about Hollis O.
Speaker:Simon the second.
Speaker:Why
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: are you doing this?
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Um, I, this is, I think this is, um, You'll see
Speaker:where I'm going in a second.
Speaker:Tell us, tell us about Hollis O'Simon the second.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Um, Hollis O'Neill Simon, the second born for my
Speaker:father, Hollis O'Neill Simon, um, was, is, uh, for all intents and
Speaker:purposes, my only biological brother.
Speaker:Um, I have learned in the past few years since my father died, father
Speaker:and I had a lot of parallels.
Speaker:My father had only one biological brother.
Speaker:I only had one biological brother.
Speaker:Okay.
Speaker:Even though I have these other siblings from the other situations,
Speaker:et cetera, et cetera, yada, yada, but for all intents and purposes,
Speaker:he's my only biological brother.
Speaker:Um, he asked in 1992, the early 1990s, um, from complications to HIV, um, he
Speaker:had full blown AIDS by the time he died.
Speaker:He was a educator, he was a special education teacher.
Speaker:Um, but he was also a designer.
Speaker:He was a seamstress.
Speaker:He made clothes for some of my siblings, for his mother, for cousins.
Speaker:Um, he was working, um, to develop a name for himself in the fashion world.
Speaker:Um, he was my guide in a lot of ways.
Speaker:Uh, uh, he, I mean, he was just amazing.
Speaker:He was an amazing individual, um, full of life, full of love.
Speaker:Um, and when he became diagnosed with HIV, um, He is probably one, one of the
Speaker:reasons why I am at this age of 40 plus 45 plus live to the extent that I live
Speaker:because my brother wanted to live so bad.
Speaker:He was so creative.
Speaker:Um, when I had projects at school that displayed boards, I would have him draw my
Speaker:display boards for my school assignments.
Speaker:Um, I mean, he probably was for all intents and purposes.
Speaker:The first best friend I had before I knew what a best friend was.
Speaker:Yeah, he was my big brother.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: He was your big brother, and did he identify as a gay man?
Speaker:He was.
Speaker:He was a black
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: gay man,
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: um,
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: as well.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: So, um, I brought him up and I asked about Hollis because
Speaker:one, I know how important he is to you.
Speaker:And I just wondered, did you ever imagine what your life would have been like if
Speaker:he were to, if he were alive to help you navigate through those black queer spaces,
Speaker:you know, through those, through the club scene, through the, you know, your
Speaker:first date, your first hookup, whatever.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:Tell me about that.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: I think about that a lot.
Speaker:Um, it is part of the reason why the D is in my, in my name, in my signature.
Speaker:Uh, I learned after my brother died,
Speaker:he
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: either named me or had something to do with my naming.
Speaker:Um, and so to honor him and to honor his memory, um, I made my
Speaker:middle initial a part of my, my, my brand, my identity, my signature.
Speaker:Um, but there have been numerous times.
Speaker:Especially when I was having like relationship problems.
Speaker:Oh my god.
Speaker:I'd be like, if my brother was here, um, the conversations we could have
Speaker:had, um, the moments we could have had when I could have just driven over to
Speaker:the house and then just been like, let me tell you about what this negro did.
Speaker:Um, I just really feel like there were these missed moments.
Speaker:Um, especially Because I wasn't, I was young when my brother died.
Speaker:I was 13 years old when my brother died.
Speaker:I was 13.
Speaker:He was 33.
Speaker:Um, and so I had not quite come.
Speaker:I knew who I was.
Speaker:Um, and I knew what my identity was, but I had not been brave enough to let
Speaker:others in on that or let others back.
Speaker:Um, so he was a huge part of why I came out when I came out.
Speaker:Um, and I, for many years, I found myself in a space of just
Speaker:contemplating the what ifs.
Speaker:How would, how would have things gone?
Speaker:There was a good time.
Speaker:A lot of people don't know this.
Speaker:Um, I think I've only told this to one, maybe two other people in my life.
Speaker:There was a period of time in my into late teens where I
Speaker:had a health scare of my own.
Speaker:I, I, I had been exposed to HIV.
Speaker:One that I was dating at the time.
Speaker:And so I was really, really concerned, um, and had just really spiraled.
Speaker:I was just like, Oh my God, I did the same thing.
Speaker:My brother did.
Speaker:Oh my God, my family is going to be so disappointed in me.
Speaker:Yada, yada.
Speaker:I went through all of that stuff and I had these moments of if Hollis was still
Speaker:here, what I have made some of these mistakes, what I have dated this person,
Speaker:what I have, what I have done these things and how was I going to navigate?
Speaker:My way through after that, thank God I was spared.
Speaker:Um, I was not positive.
Speaker:I am not positive.
Speaker:Um, but it, it triggered this way of just sort of being Set apart.
Speaker:Um, and so even when you talk about These decisions that I did not make because
Speaker:of the life that I was chasing like not going out as much etc, etc Losing my
Speaker:brother also had a large part in that because I wanted And that health care
Speaker:because I wanted to I wanted to provide a different narrative than the one
Speaker:people around me had been so used to.
Speaker:Um, and so I became the well organized, driven, highly successful, well
Speaker:attached, well connected person that I did, especially for my family,
Speaker:especially for my mother and my father, because of the loss of Hollis.
Speaker:Um, I needed them to look me in a different kind of way so they
Speaker:could say that I had done the same things that him and many others
Speaker:had been, um, judged for doing.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Hmm.
Speaker:I think, uh, I actually relate to that in the sense of, you know,
Speaker:the way I would move the way I would like even just going out.
Speaker:It was more so of, okay, I'm going here.
Speaker:I'm going to be on my best behavior because I don't want the narrative to
Speaker:be what he was down at such and such.
Speaker:And he was there, you know, and you always think, Oh God, what if something happened?
Speaker:What, what is my mother going to say?
Speaker:And that's, you know, and it says something, um, dire happens.
Speaker:Oh God, is this going to be.
Speaker:The story that they tell my mother.
Speaker:Is this going to be the story, the legacy that I'm going to leave behind
Speaker:with such and such got caught up in, at this party or at this club.
Speaker:And, but I, you know, I,
Speaker:I love that about you and Hollis.
Speaker:And again, I mentioned that you pick up spiritual brothers along the way.
Speaker:Um, Myself included, you know, and I think part of that, those moments that
Speaker:we get to share in those spaces become part of that bonding process because I'm
Speaker:thinking of a moment Where I witnessed you get free once I'm on a dance floor,
Speaker:I'm not gonna go any further than that
Speaker:But I do I do want to know for you because it didn't necessarily happen
Speaker:with me, but What and I've been asking every all my subjects this question
Speaker:about the music aspect because I'm a DJ So I'm gonna ask this like what song do
Speaker:you remember that really set you free?
Speaker:In, in the space with your, in the queer space with other black men.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Uh, Oh my gosh.
Speaker:What song has really set me free?
Speaker:Um, um, there, there are three that come to mind for me because they present
Speaker:themselves at very different points
Speaker:in my
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: life.
Speaker:Um, So back in the day Back in the day it was splat pack square of the ground
Speaker:Yeah, it was back in the day it was that and part of that was because
Speaker:of the influences of being around my sister So I have an older sister
Speaker:Um, who was an exotic dancer?
Speaker:Um, and so she introduced me to a lot of that music back in the day So it
Speaker:was just something about that song that whenever it came on I was just like
Speaker:You I was just black and gay and free.
Speaker:Um, um, back that ass up.
Speaker:Um, it's another one that I think was the one that came on the night that
Speaker:you were talking about in question.
Speaker:Um,
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Actually it was the, the aforementioned song,
Speaker:but I was, it was, but I wasn't going to bring it up, but yeah.
Speaker:And now you see why you acted a fool.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: You brought all that back.
Speaker:Here's the thing though, for the listeners that are out there.
Speaker:This night that he is talking about in particular was at the
Speaker:end of an academic semester,
Speaker:and
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: I was really str I was in the second year of seminary, I was in
Speaker:the first I was at the end of the first semester of my second year of seminary,
Speaker:and I was afraid that I was going to fuck out that semester, like, that That
Speaker:level of study was so rigorous, it was the hardest something I had ever done
Speaker:in my life, in my life at that time.
Speaker:And so, I was stressed.
Speaker:And on this night in particular, I let these people talk me into going out.
Speaker:I had just gotten my grades, I had just found out that I passed this
Speaker:class, this one class in particular.
Speaker:I had all these goals for my last year of seminary, I was scared.
Speaker:And so I got really drunk that night, me and B.
Speaker:Ford got really drunk that night and we let loose and
Speaker:it was, it was what I needed.
Speaker:It was a great evening.
Speaker:It was a great night.
Speaker:It was what I needed.
Speaker:Um, so I am grateful to have that.
Speaker:Um, but now these people will never let me live that down.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Um, Mashaun, what is your take on the disappearance of black
Speaker:owned queer clubs, bars in Atlanta?
Speaker:What is your take on that?
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: I think it is heartbreaking.
Speaker:Um, I think it is unfortunate.
Speaker:I think it is frustrating.
Speaker:I think it all speaks to the reality of access.
Speaker:I think it speaks to this divide, um, that we have in, in, in society overall.
Speaker:You know, now, now you, now you down my, you down my, you down my road.
Speaker:You're down my avenue.
Speaker:Um, 'cause I do a lot of work around equity.
Speaker:Mm-Hmm.
Speaker:and, and supremacy, white supremacy and the, and, and how it, how it,
Speaker:it is alive and well in our society from what we believe in religion
Speaker:to our economics, et cetera.
Speaker:And I think this is one example of that like.
Speaker:Part of the reason why we don't have these spaces is because we
Speaker:don't have access to have it.
Speaker:Like, the city is having a boom in its real estate and so it's hard to
Speaker:afford a space to do something like that and to create an environment.
Speaker:And we don't have that many people in our city who can afford to do it.
Speaker:Um, we don't have a lot of space to do it.
Speaker:Like, Because we're getting all these high rises and buildings and spaces
Speaker:being built, um, all of the property that could potentially be a space for
Speaker:us, um, is being smashed up very quickly.
Speaker:And so I think it is, it is heartbreaking and speaks to the problems in our society
Speaker:at times, to creating opportunity for such a thing and, and, and having the
Speaker:support, not just from the community.
Speaker:Um, but our, our political figures, our, our leaders in the city, um, and across
Speaker:the city to create opportunities for us to have these kind of, um, um, access points.
Speaker:I think, what I am experiencing is that a lot of us are creating it
Speaker:on our own, so we're having house parties and gang nights, you see.
Speaker:Organizing events for us to get together because we crave it so much and we
Speaker:don't really have somewhere that is our home to really do it at the caliber
Speaker:of what it once was some years ago.
Speaker:Trax is gone because of the Olympics.
Speaker:They bought up all that property to attract the Olympics and got rid
Speaker:of, uh, a pop, a popular thriving.
Speaker:Black club experience,
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: a historical landmark actually
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: in a historical landmark.
Speaker:And so now you have what available, you have bulldogs and what else?
Speaker:Um,
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: the new Eagle,
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: the new Eagle, which came out of that night of one
Speaker:night and it, and it died in the pandemic and it's not coming back.
Speaker:You have, um, mix
Speaker:mix.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: You
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: just dated yourself colors.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Um, but I don't know too many people who go to mix anymore.
Speaker:And I know that product is older.
Speaker:Um, so you don't have many of these spaces like you used to.
Speaker:And I think a part of it was because we don't have the support from our
Speaker:leadership or the financial ability.
Speaker:To create these spaces because they're concerned about
Speaker:making Atlanta something else
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: But there is that conversation happens though Like,
Speaker:you know, all of you rich gays need to get together and buy a
Speaker:building Is is it that simple?
Speaker:I don't think it's that simple When you don't think it's
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: that simple, but I but I do think it is a start um But it there's
Speaker:something to be said for the fact that nobody is trying to do it And it makes
Speaker:me wonder why nobody wanted to do it.
Speaker:Do they, do we in the community ourselves even see any value in doing such a
Speaker:thing because it hasn't happened?
Speaker:Um, and so I don't know, but I, I, I do think it is unfortunate and disheartening
Speaker:because I am fully aware, especially in the work that I'm doing now, that
Speaker:there is a craving for someplace.
Speaker:to build community, interact, fellowship, hang out, meet up,
Speaker:date, drink, party, be free.
Speaker:Um, there's not that many options.
Speaker:I remember a point in time when a group of us were you a part of this conversation?
Speaker:When there were a group of us, um, we were talking about how we were going
Speaker:to get people together and we were going to take over the straight club
Speaker:and we were just going to make the straight clubs have like gay night.
Speaker:And we just don't get all of our friends together.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And go to the popular straight club and just party.
Speaker:I don't know if you were part of that conversation.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: I don't remember.
Speaker:I don't recall that.
Speaker:But so like a rave takeover where people would just, yeah, you know, they, I'll
Speaker:never, one night I was at, um, tracks and all of a sudden I just noticed like, This
Speaker:trickling in a trickling in in of white kids just young white kids coming over
Speaker:and next thing you know, it was a full on rave and the look of yeah the look of
Speaker:Confusement and yes, I did say confusement on everybody's faces was like what is
Speaker:going on, but it was an organized rave takeover and Huh, could that happen today?
Speaker:Well, see that's the thing You Because of progress and I raise air quotes when I
Speaker:say progress because of progress It feels like it looks like a lot of the young
Speaker:people Don't need anyone's permission to take up space Where they don't take
Speaker:up space and so A lot of places are integrated for lack of a better word with
Speaker:of both gay and straight patrons and it doesn't seem to be That big of a deal.
Speaker:So then it, maybe that is the question of, is it a big deal anymore?
Speaker:Because the younger, younger people who are really the ones that are going out
Speaker:aren't necessarily feeling the need to be sick, to have a safe space because they
Speaker:feel like they can go anywhere anyway.
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: Yeah.
Speaker:That's a good point.
Speaker:I hadn't thought about that.
Speaker:I don't really know where they go to be quite honest.
Speaker:Some of the young, some of the young ones who are younger than me, I
Speaker:associate with are the ones who will do the Bulldogs, the Eagle experiences.
Speaker:Um, there's another one that it was in my mind a few minutes
Speaker:ago and I completely forgot it.
Speaker:Um, it may come back to me.
Speaker:Um, but yeah, I don't know.
Speaker:I don't, I don't know.
Speaker:Oh, I don't know where the young people are these days.
Speaker:Um, so you, you make a great point.
Speaker:Some of them are probably hitting up the spots that they just consider to
Speaker:be the popular spots, regardless of if they are gay, straight or otherwise,
Speaker:and I'm perfectly okay with that.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: Yeah.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Interesting.
Speaker:It's a interesting and ongoing conversation, and I'm very honored
Speaker:that you took the time to share your point of view with me, to share
Speaker:your history with our listeners, and to give them a perspective of you.
Speaker:The quote unquote church boy, you know, because there is that church,
Speaker:that church person, um, arc of people here in Atlanta that have that same
Speaker:experience of wanting to be free, but having their, you know, their mores,
Speaker:their social mores and, and the, the people that they associate with them.
Speaker:Always staying, taking up residence in their brain and influencing those
Speaker:decisions of whether or not I'm going to socialize and be around other people that
Speaker:I identify with and can be free around.
Speaker:So I appreciate you sharing that because somebody is going to see themselves in
Speaker:you when they hear that conversation.
Speaker:So, yes, thank you.
Speaker:I appreciate it.
Speaker:You know, I
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: love you.
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: I love you too.
Speaker:You
Speaker:Mashaun D. Simon: know how I feel you and I would never part
Speaker:DJ Sir Daniel: And uh, hey now we will not
Speaker:Thank you for listening to I Come Alive: Stories of Black
Speaker:Gay Atlanta Nightlife brought to you by Queue Points Productions.
Speaker:Special thanks to the Counter Narrative Project 2024 Media
Speaker:Roundtable for their support as well.
Speaker:Make sure you become a Queue Points subscriber so that you don't miss
Speaker:the next episode of I Come Alive.
