VIEW MORE PHOTOS | Philip Rafshoon Celebrates His 50th Birthday @ Aurum
It’s going to be tough to top the buildup to Philip Rafshoon’s 50th birthday. No, not the party itself but rather the long list of accomplishments the community leader and Outwrite Bookstore owner ticked off his bucket list before the big day.
Rafshoon (top photo) celebrated his 50th birthday with partner Robert Gaul, family, friends and the tunes of powerhouse lesbian DJ Vicki Powell during a March 5 party at Aurum, which is just a few blocks from the LGBT bookstore and coffeehouse he launched in 1996.
But even before he blew out the candles – which, by the way, seemed a few shy of the requisite 50 – Rafshoon had plenty to celebrate. He’s served on Mayor Kasim Reed’s transition team and helped pick the city’s new top cop, hunkered down as one of nine members of the Atlanta Police Department’s LGBT Advisory Group, was named an honorary grand marshal for the Pride parade and scored a place on the Fenuxe 50.
How to top that in his new year? Rafshoon will try on March 15 when he becomes the first openly gay person to receive the Alumni Legacy Award from Georgia Tech’s Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.
Photos by Brent Corcoran, RNZ Photography
