Looking for something to do this weekend? Don’t take it from us, Philadelphia Weekly has got the answer for you. This Sunday, Sweet Tea is an event not to be missed. E. Patrick Johnson, who will be speaking, signing books and answering questions, gives his unique insight into the culture of black gay men in the south. His work began at Northwestern University, and lead him to research the oral histories of men in all of the states in the confederacy. His results, written in his newest book Sweet Tea, are fascinating.

Read the mention, titled Sweet Tea, written by Gerald Johnson in the Philadelphia Weekly below:
“Light years away from the clubs, cafes and queens of Philly’s Gayborhood, a love that dares not speak its name flourishes alongside chitlins, cornfields and conservative religious values. Many vilify the South’s red state repression, while others celebrate its old-fashioned charm. Virtually no one, however, writes about its queer black culture. Except Northwestern University scholar E. Patrick Johnson. “I interviewed gay black men in every state of the Confederacy,” Johnson says of the research he did for his book Sweet Tea, which records the accounts of men who juggle their blackness, Southernness and homosexuality. In his performance at the First Person Arts Festival, he restages select interviews. When pressed to pick a favorite, Johnson is at a loss, but he fondly remembers his oldest interviewee, the fabulous Countess Vivian, who came of age in 1930s New Orleans. “We lost touch after Katrina,” Johnson says. “But I had a reunion with him last month. Not only did he survive, but he never left. He‘ll be 98 years old.” Gerald Johnson
6pm. $12-$20. Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St. 267.402.2055. firstpersonarts.org.”