where the boys are

Shortly after moving into the Ponce area, someone told me that Midtown was the unofficial gay capital of the South. I wasn't sure about that claim, but the more I walked around the more surprised I was at the honesty and well, pride of the gay community here. For all the connotations of blind conservatism, racism, and homophobia that the South seems known for, Atlanta's pretty accepting (unless of course you're homeless).

I covered Pride last year at one of the bars and got a great vision of the weekend revelry that spans from the park to downtown and all spaces in between. Due to a ill-timed family visit, I missed most of the parade Sunday, which itself was marred by a downpour. By the time I returned the rain had stopped but so had the parade. All that was left were those stragglers trying to catch a ride over to the Civic Center and the police redirecting traffic.