Macon’s Hidden history: Lgbtq
For our first Macon’s “Hidden History” series, we featured stories about Macon’s LGBTQ community, culture and history. We sat down with a few of Macon’s living legends, barrier breakers and activists for one-on-one interviews, aiming to preserve this important part of Macon’s narrative.
In honor of LGBTQ History Month, there was a new episode each week during the month of October.
And on Nov. 12, a free screening of all the videos — merged into one — was held at the Grand Opera House.
Featured Bios
Elliot James, host
Elliot James is a writer, journalist and performing artist whose professional work has involved sociopolitical matters and cross-cultural relations, arts and lifestyle, as well as international affairs. As a Southern storyteller, his multimedia and journalistic work is committed to telling stories with a focus on depicting the American South in an accurate and historical manner. He holds a B.A. in political science from California State University, Fullerton and a B.A. in journalism from Mercer University.
Carey Pickard, Interviewee
A native Maconite, Carey Pickard has served the nonprofit community for more than 25 years, working with a wide range of organizations across the sectors of conservation and environment, history and culture, visual and performing arts, education, human services and neighborhood revitalization.
Before joining The Compass Group in 2005, Carey served as director and chief executive officer of The Tubman Museum in Macon for more than 12 years. Under his leadership, the museum grew from a small, grass-roots organization into one of the largest cultural institutions in Georgia. Besides his senior staff positions, Carey’s volunteer and trustee roles underscore his nonprofit leadership. He is a board member of the Ocmulgee National Park and Preserve Initiative and the McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, and he serves on the board of advisers for the Henry Green Center at the Georgia Museum of Art. Carey is also a member of the Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority.
Yvonne Miller, Interviewee
After leaving a career in law to attend seminary and pursue the ministry, the Rev. Yvonne Miller was invited to meet the congregation of High Street Unitarian Universalist Church in Macon. When Yvonne preached her “candidating sermons” in spring 1998, members of the congregation voted unanimously to call her to service as their minister. The Rev. Miller earned her master of divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School.
The hallmarks of Yvonne’s ministry at High Street were her finely crafted sermons and her compelling presence in the pulpit. The first openly lesbian minister in the state of Georgia, she also became heavily invested in the congregation’s social justice work in the Macon community.
Yvonne and her wife, Jenny Zimmerman, live in a historic Macon home, and their two children graduated from Bibb County public schools.
DeMarcus Beckham, Interviewee
Photo by Jessica Whitley
DeMarcus Beckham is the Southern field organizer for Georgia Equality. He is passionate about civic engagement and advocacy for underserved communities everywhere. His latest focus has been working to advance justice for the LGBTQIA+ community through lobbying, campaigning for and achieving policy changes regarding workplace discrimination protections, harm reduction ordinances, and ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic. With roots in the town of Zebulon, DeMarcus set his sights on gaining an education in a community with a need for progress and potential for growth. With this in mind, he has earned dual bachelors of arts degrees in history and political science from Middle Georgia State University. During this time working and learning in his secondary home community in Macon, DeMarcus created and managed social advocacy and voting rights education efforts in a grassroots organizational setting. He has included community-based lobbying for issues such as limiting penalties for marijuana offenses, working toward paid maternity and paternity leave, political event planning, providing free and accessible HIV/AIDS testing, and student advocacy.
DeMarcus is a resident of Macon and, in addition to his work for Georgia Equality, he is a former member of Middle Georgia State University’s Diversity Committee of Academic Assembly and Policy. He is a member of Macon Pride and a risk reduction and prevention counselor for Fort Valley State University’s PRIDE Navigator Coalition, an organization created to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Macon and Middle Georgia.
Jim Crisp, Interviewee
Jim Crisp is the retired founding artistic director of Theatre Macon, which he helped establish in 1986. He holds a master of fine arts from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, and he has worked professionally in New York and Los Angeles, arriving in Macon in 1982. Jim has enjoyed being an adjunct professor at both Wesleyan College and Mercer University. In his career he has directed more than 300 productions, worked for 32 years on the producing team for the Macon Civic Club Show and partnered with numerous community arts organizations on various projects, and has served on various boards. Jim was the proud recipient of the Macon Arts Alliance Lifetime Cultural Arts Achievement Award and the Governor’s Award in the Arts and Humanities. He is passionate about the arts, building community and issues of equality. He and his partner, Roben, have made their home in the Shirley Hills neighborhood for the last 25 years. Macon is the place where he found home.
Tangerine Summers, Interviewee
Also known as Ray Grissett, local legend Tangerine Summers is Macon’s most well-known drag-queen artist. Summers has been living and performing in Macon for more than 50 years. Though recently retired, Summers shares with us her origin story, journey and local reception over the years.
Rachelle Wilson, director
Rachelle Wilson is a writer and storyteller committed to sharing the experiences of those who are historically marginalized and overlooked. From her hometown in Georgia to her Peace Corps host country of Morocco, Wilson has found her voice over the years by lending it to others.