DATES: Friday-Saturday, August 1-2, 2025
LOCATION: Agnes Scott College (Dana Fine Arts Building) - 137 South McDonough Street, Decatur, GA 30030
PRICE: $30 - $75 (Scholarships Available)
As part of our 55th anniversary celebration, Atlanta Pride is partnering with Out on Film for REEL RESISTANCE: How the Lonesome Cowboys Raid Sparked the Southern Queer Rights Movement. Join us for a two-day film screening and community summit exploring the powerful legacy of queer resistance in the South, featuring a special screening of Lonesome Cowboys—Andy Warhol’s provocative 1968 underground film.
On August 5, 1969, just weeks after the Stonewall Uprising, Atlanta police raided the Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema, which was showing Lonesome Cowboys, targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community in what would become a galvanizing moment for queer resistance in the South. The aftermath of the raid led to the formation of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front, laying the groundwork for the first Atlanta Pride Festival and the broader Southern queer liberation movement.
Through film, discussion, and collective reflection, REEL RESISTANCE will explore how this moment helped spark decades of activism, art, and community building in Georgia and beyond.
A limited number of comp tickets are available—submit a scholarship application here.
This project is funded in part by grants from The Community Corps, Larch Creative Fund, and South Arts, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and Georgia Council for the Arts.
FRIDAY (Film Screening)
7:00 PM - 9:10 PM
Film Screening: LONESOME COWBOYS
Enjoy a rare screening of Lonesome Cowboys (1968), an underground film by Andy Warhol that satirizes Westerns through a campy, homoerotic lens. Blending improvisation with countercultural themes, it critiques American masculinity and traditional genre tropes.
9:10 PM - 9:30 PM
Firsthand Reflections – Abby Drue
Hear the firsthand experience of local activist, Abby Drue, who was in attendance on August 5, 1969, when Atlanta police raided the Ansley Mall Mini-Cinema. You won't want to miss this!
9:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Reception
Chat about the film while enjoying light bites, as well as alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages.
SATURDAY (Community Summit)
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM
Welcome & Framing
10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Opening Session: “From Moment to Movement” – Martin Padgett & Abby Drue
How does a flashpoint become a movement? Author and historian Martin Padgett joins longtime activist Abby Drue—who was present at the infamous 1969 raid of the Lonesome Cowboys screening—for a conversation that grounds the day’s summit in lived experience. Together, they’ll explore the roots of queer resistance in the South, the political and cultural shifts that defined our past, and what it takes to sustain momentum across generations. This dialogue invites us to consider how we carry history forward, together. Martin Padgett is actively preserving our history as a journalist, author, historian, and audiobook narrator. His book A Night at the Sweet Gum Head was published by W.W. Norton in June 2021. His latest work, The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick, about the Supreme Court’s Bowers v. Hardwick 1986 decision, was published in June 2025. Abby Drue is a self-described social justice visionary and empathetic schemer who has committed her life to quiet activism. As the last known survivor of the Lonesome Cowboys raid, she brings invaluable perspective and insight. Today, she serves as Executive Director and CEO of the Ben Marion Institute for Social Justice, Inc.
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM
Breakout Sessions I
“Reflections on the Early Years” – Rich Eldridge & Wes Nimmo
Embark on a journey through the foundational years of Southern queer organizing, examining it from both historical and cultural perspectives. Rich Eldridge, a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Atlanta magazine, has covered Atlanta since 1990 and co-authored the autobiography of Atlanta drag legend Charlie Brown. Wes Nimmo, a historian with New South Associates, served as one of the primary authors of the Atlanta LGBTQ+ Historic Context Statement. Together, they will reflect on the moments, movements, and personal memories that shaped LGBTQ+ resistance in Atlanta and the South. Learn how local activism took root and laid the groundwork for the fights we’re still waging today.
“Drag as Resistance” – TAYLOR ALXNDR & Mr. Elle Aye
Drag has long been a tool of rebellion, creativity, and cultural transformation. Join Atlanta’s Drag Power Couple, TAYLOR ALXNDR and Mr. Elle Aye, for a conversation on how drag challenges systems of power, centers queer joy, and remains a powerful form of protest—from the ballroom to the ballot box. TAYLOR ALXNDR is Mother of the House of ALXNDR, social activist, community organizer, entertainer, drag queen, and founder of Southern Fried Queer Pride. Mr. Elle Aye is Atlanta’s premier Latinx Drag King and pageant royalty, having won titles such as Mx. Macon Pride and Lil Mx. Wussy.
“ACT UP & Film” – Mark S. King & Craig Hardesty
Explore the intersection of activism and art during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. Mark S. King and Craig Hardesty revisit the urgency of HIV/AIDS activism and the role that film, media, and storytelling played in amplifying the fight for survival, visibility, and dignity. Mark S. King is a GLAAD Award-winning writer and creator of the highly influential online platform, My Fabulous Disease. King was diagnosed with HIV in 1985 and has spent the last 40 years writing and speaking on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS. His most recent book is a collection of essays, My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor. Craig Hardesty is a longtime activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ arts and filmmaking. He currently serves as a senior programmer for Atlanta’s Oscar-qualifying Out On Film festival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and one of the most acclaimed and respected LGBTQ+ film festivals worldwide.
2:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Breakout Sessions II
“Legal Advocacy in Action” – Michael Shutt & Vandy Beth Glenn
LGBTQ+ rights are often won—and lost—in the courts. In this session, Michael Shutt and Vandy Beth Glenn discuss the personal and political impact of legal battles for workplace protections, gender identity rights, and broader civil liberties. Learn how legal advocacy remains a vital front in the fight for equity and justice. In addition to his duties as Southern Regional Director for Lambda Legal, Michael Shutt has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Equality Foundation of Georgia and is a member of the LGBTQ Institute Advisory Board at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. Vandy Beth Glenn is a Georgia native, comedian, storyteller, screenwriter, and civil rights pioneer. She was the plaintiff in the landmark court case, Glenn v. Brumby et. al.
“Activism through Social Media” – Siufung Law & Tony Talks
In the age of algorithms, hashtags can spark revolutions. This panel examines how queer activists use social media to educate, mobilize, and build community. Hear from digital strategists and content creators who are leveraging platforms to center queer and trans voices, shift narratives, and create change in real time. As a Chinese and genderfluid/nonbinary advocate, sports activist, TEDx speaker, scholar, poet, and professional bodybuilder, Siufung Law (they/them) understands the power of social media. They are currently doing their Ph.D. studies at the Department of Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Emory University in Atlanta. Antonio Baldwin (he/him), AKA Tony Talks, is an internet sensation whose viral comedy and gender-bending content have engaged millions of viewers. In 2025, he released Boss Up: The Musical, his first-ever feature film, which featured his widely-loved character, Cassandra.
“Navigating Current Politics” – Rep. Park Cannon & Bentley Hudgins
With a record-breaking wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping the country, political engagement is more urgent than ever. Georgia State Rep. Park Cannon and activist Bentley Hudgins break down today’s legislative landscape and offer insight into organizing, resisting, and staying hopeful in the fight for queer liberation. State Representative Park Cannon, who represents the people of Georgia's House District 58, is a seasoned coalition builder and one of the youngest lawmakers serving in the General Assembly. Her legislative priorities include maternal health, HIV prevention, economic equity, and protections for LGBTQ+ communities, older adults, women, and children. Bentley Hudgins leads as Georgia State Director for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Closing Session: "From REEL Resistance to REAL Resistance”
***Looking to register for the event at no cost? Apply for a scholarship.***