Ever Felt Like You're Walking Between Two Worlds in the South?
I remember the first time I walked down Piedmont Avenue in Atlanta, rainbow flags swaying in the Georgia breeze. Such a stark contrast from my small hometown just 90 minutes away where I'd spent years hiding parts of myself.
Living Queer in the Peach State
Georgia contains multitudes. There's the progressive bubble of Atlanta, where I found my first queer family at a coffee shop poetry night, and then there are the rural corners where my partner and I still occasionally let go of each other's hands when we visit my grandma in Valdosta.
The Dance We All Know
Being queer here means navigating:
- The exhausting mental calculation of when and where it's safe to be yourself
- Finding community in unexpected places (shoutout to that secret queer book club in Savannah!)
- Balancing southern hospitality with protecting your heart
- Explaining to northern friends that yes, queer joy absolutely exists in Georgia
Creating Your Southern Queer Sanctuary
What's helped me most is building concentric circles of support. Start with safe digital spaces, then gradually find your people in physical spaces. The Athens farmers market led me to my closest friends. The Decatur library's LGBTQ+ section introduced me to my partner.
You're not alone in this beautiful, complicated journey through Georgia's red clay and rainbow sidewalks. Our resilience grows like kudzu here—unstoppable and everywhere, even when folks don't always see it.
What spaces have you carved out for yourself in Georgia? Share below—your story might be the map someone else needs.