Magazine ranks Atlanta as America's gayest city

**min0 lee** · 01-20-2010, 04:14 PM

By Christian Boone

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1:46 a.m. Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Gayer than Bloomington, Ind., and Iowa City, Iowa?

Yep. According to The Advocate magazine, Atlanta rates as the nation's gayest city, followed by Burlington, Vt., Iowa City, Bloomington and Madison, Wis. Don't bother looking for San Francisco, New York or Los Angeles -- those supposed gay meccas don't even place in the rankings compiled by the nation's oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender publication.

Though their research was admittedly unscientific, it's not without merit. Correspondent Mike Albo awarded points based on same-sex households per capita, statewide marriage equality, gay elected officials, gay dating and "hookup" profiles per single male population, gay bars per capita, cruising spots per capita, and gay films in Netflix favorites.

"I buy that," said Joe Pennington, 23, a barista at Outwrite Bookstore in Midtown. "Odds are 50 percent that if you're gay and lesbian, you'll eventually end up in Atlanta."
While Georgia has only a few gay elected officials and no laws endorsing same-sex marriage, social and cultural metrics vaulted Atlanta to the top of the Advocate's list.

"Atlanta is undoubtedly our gayest city -- with 29 gay bars here, there’s a reason it’s dubbed Hotlanta," Albo wrote. "Atlanta guys are hunky, the ladies are gracious, the gay sports leagues are seriously well organized, and its housewives (and their gay BFFs, complete with handbags and heels) are now camp icons. And who doesn’t love the sweet lilt of a Georgia accent on a knockout guy or gal?"

Pennington, who moved from Cincinnati six months ago, said the contrast between his adopted home and his birthplace is stark.
"I love Cincinnati, but for gay people, there's no comparison," he said.
Albo said the study reflects the mainstreaming of gay people into contemporary American life, noting that Iowa City, Austin, Texas; and Asheville, N.C., have more gays per capita than the major metropolises.
Click here for the complete rankings.

**min0 lee** · 01-20-2010, 04:18 PM

I thought it was home to the most successful African Americans.

**GeorgeForemanRules** · 01-20-2010, 04:21 PM

Me and my wife bio-chem are moving to Atlanta right away.

**DOMS** · 01-20-2010, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I thought it was home to the most successful African Americans.

Successful?

It had twice, yes twice, the crime of Los Angeles.

**GeorgeForemanRules** · 01-20-2010, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

successful African Americans.

Is that even possible?

**min0 lee** · 01-20-2010, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick Bateman

Me and my wife bio-chem are moving to Atlanta right away.

**bandaidwoman** · 01-20-2010, 05:42 PM

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I thought it was home to the most successful African Americans.

Coming from New York I have met more successful blacks here than in New York. My next door neighbor has a phd In pharmacology and owns 3 CVSfranchises, the black woman two doors down from me speaks fluent chinese and owns her own importing and exporting materials company, a black Stanford grad neurologist lives down the end of the street I could go on. The elite private school I send my daughter ( where she is learning mandarin) is almost a third black.

In my own practice one of my black partners graduated AOA ( top six in med school from Cornell and like me used to be a research inorganic chemist), and another black female, who was an ex molecular biologist ( she has an MD PhD from EMory)

Most of the gay patients I treat in Atlanta seem a majority white for some reason.

I can't believe Burlington vermont is the second gayest city.

**DOMS** · 01-20-2010, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by bandaidwoman

Most of the gay patients I treat in Atlanta seem a majority white for some reason.

They're the ones that can afford healthcare.

**bio-chem** · 01-20-2010, 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick Bateman

Me and my wife bio-chem are moving to Atlanta right away.

**maniclion** · 01-20-2010, 06:19 PM

Who'da figured Atlanta would have so much testicle patty cake going on, or is it more on the Queen Latifah side?

**KelJu** · 01-20-2010, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by DOMS

They're the ones that can afford healthcare.

**KelJu** · 01-20-2010, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by bandaidwoman

Coming from New York I have met more successful blacks here than in New York. My next door neighbor has a phd In pharmacology and owns 3 CVSfranchises, the black woman two doors down from me speaks fluent chinese and owns her own importing and exporting materials company, a black Stanford grad neurologist lives down the end of the street I could go on. The elite private school I send my daughter ( where she is learning mandarin) is almost a third black.

In my own practice one of my black partners graduated AOA ( top six in med school from Cornell and like me used to be a research inorganic chemist), and another black female, who was an ex molecular biologist ( she has an MD PhD from EMory)

Most of the gay patients I treat in Atlanta seem a majority white for some reason.

I can't believe Burlington vermont is the second gayest city.

Not trying to start any shit, or anything, but what is your point? You are a doctor, and a highly intelligent person. Of coarse the black people you know are successful. You probably make a point to hang around people you respect and respect you.

Go outside your social circle, and were there are lots of black people, there is a lot of crime. I don't think it is inherent to their skin color. I think it is cultural backlash from the conditions that Black Americans adapted to.

**GearsMcGilf** · 01-20-2010, 07:00 PM

Why does that Adrian Bartol advert show up everytime someone mentions fags in a thread?

**bandaidwoman** · 01-21-2010, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by DOMS

They're the ones that can afford healthcare.

actually many of them have no health insurance or are on medicaid

**bandaidwoman** · 01-21-2010, 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by KelJu

Not trying to start any shit, or anything, but what is your point? You are a doctor, and a highly intelligent person. Of coarse the black people you know are successful. You probably make a point to hang around people you respect and respect you.

Go outside your social circle, and were there are lots of black people, there is a lot of crime. I don't think it is inherent to their skin color. I think it is cultural backlash from the conditions that Black Americans adapted to.

I used to be a paramedic in spanish harlem, NY and a resident at inner city hospital like Grady in Atlanta I see the conditions blacks are still subjected to.

My point is ( and I did not make that clear) was that these successful blacks have told me they come to Atlanta because they have heard there is such a high concentration of successful blacks it is good for networking,

My neighbor who used to live in New York could not find a bank to give her the business loan to start her textile business, then when she came to atlanta, she had absolutely no problem. Now she is very successful, despite the recession. She felt that the business atmosphere was much more conducive towards black entreprenurialship here in Atlanta than in the relatively liberal New York. That was surprising to hear from blacks because you would associate the south with being adverse to black entreprise. My neighbor who owns the CVS franchises is also from New York, he described similar problems with launching his franchises and moved down here for the same reason. It is a very interesting dynamic here in Atlanta. Now if you go up into the mountains or deep south georgia.... that is another matter.

**maniclion** · 01-21-2010, 05:50 AM

Atlanta does draw in many successful or at least well adjusted black families. There are places in the US where white people live like they came from the ghetto, in Texas I knew black guys who owned small cattle ranches and rode horses, they would put most city slicker rednecks to shame. I've known black guys from Phoenix, Seattle and Denver who if you only heard them over the phone you'd swear you were talking to a white person. Having lived all over the place and having been in the military I was lucky to be exposed to such a diversity of our nation and see beyond the stereotypes. Now I live in Hawaii where white people are the minority and a lot of times I am conversing with people and not even realizing what ethnicity they are....

**I Are Baboon** · 01-21-2010, 06:27 AM

Originally Posted by bandaidwoman

I can't believe Burlington vermont is the second gayest city.

They have some sweet breweries though!

**tucker01** · 01-21-2010, 06:33 AM

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

They have some sweet breweries though!

figured you would be a regular in the 2nd gayest city.

**I Are Baboon** · 01-21-2010, 06:57 AM

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

figured you would be a regular in the 2nd gayest city.

"Canada" isn't a city, so technically it can't be listed as #1.

**tucker01** · 01-21-2010, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

"Canada" isn't a city, so technically it can't be listed as #1.

Good cause then you would be up here all the time. We don't need anymore yankee flamers here

**I Are Baboon** · 01-21-2010, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by IainDaniel

Good cause then you would be up here all the time. We don't need anymore yankee flamers here

Oh yeah, well you're the gay one, not me.

**tucker01** · 01-21-2010, 07:20 AM

Originally Posted by I Are Baboon

Oh yeah, well you're the gay one, not me.

Only on Thursdays.

Oh... hey big boy.

**soxmuscle** · 01-21-2010, 07:47 AM

Does that say Bloomington, Indiana is up there in overall gayness or Bloomington, Wisconsin?

The townies in this area are definitely outdoorsy, earthy (go green!), and other things I would consider gay but as far as being homosexual goes, I just don't see it.

**I Are Baboon** · 01-21-2010, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Does that say Bloomington, Indiana is up there in overall gayness or Bloomington, Wisconsin?

The townies in this area are definitely outdoorsy, earthy (go green!), and other things I would consider gay but as far as being homosexual goes, I just don't see it.

Homo.

**tucker01** · 01-21-2010, 07:58 AM

Originally Posted by soxmuscle

Does that say Bloomington, Indiana is up there in overall gayness or Bloomington, Wisconsin?

The townies in this area are definitely outdoorsy, earthy (go green!), and other things I would consider gay but as far as being homosexual goes, I just don't see it.

4. Bloomington, Ind.
This forward-thinking college town is a magnet city for gays in the Grain Belt. It’s also home to Indiana University, where Miss Gay IU—said to be the first student-sponsored drag competition held on any campus—is in its 20th year. The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction is also here, inspiring the entire town to be heteroflexible.

I always wondered about you

**soxmuscle** · 01-21-2010, 08:00 AM

Haha.

Miss Gay IU? I don't even know what the fuck that is.

Again, I just don't see it.

**soxmuscle** · 01-21-2010, 08:01 AM

I guess from a town standpoint, I can see where the article is coming from. Anything IU related though is just ridiculous.

**I Are Baboon** · 01-21-2010, 08:03 AM

Don't feel bad, sox...I work in Springfield, MA and we made the list too. No doubt I'm not really helping matters much.

**soxmuscle** · 01-21-2010, 08:06 AM

I find it amusing more than anything else.

Last summer, when the 40,000 students were gone and I stuck around for summer school, I got a totally different experience of Bloomington than I had at any other point in my college career.

Initially stubborn, I can see where the article is coming from but don't really understand the IU connection; it's the only thing keeping this city from being number one.

**min0 lee** · 01-21-2010, 04:10 PM

Originally Posted by bandaidwoman

My point is ( and I did not make that clear) was that these successful blacks have told me they come to Atlanta because they have heard there is such a high concentration of successful blacks it is good for networking,

She felt that the business atmosphere was much more conducive towards black entreprenurialship here in Atlanta than in the relatively liberal New York. That was surprising to hear from blacks because you would associate the south with being adverse to black entreprise. My neighbor who owns the CVS franchises is also from New York, he described similar problems with launching his franchises and moved down here for the same reason. It is a very interesting dynamic here in Atlanta. Now if you go up into the mountains or deep south georgia.... that is another matter.

Thread: Magazine ranks Atlanta as America's gayest city

Thread Tools

Display

Magazine ranks Atlanta as America's gayest city

Similar Threads

Oklahoma City mayor puts city on a diet (AP)

Oklahoma City mayor puts city on a diet (AP)

Who has the gayest Avatar ever?

Character ranks

ESPN ranks baseball top 100 home runs

Posting Permissions