This excerpt, as well as the acpanyg vio stills, centers the activism of Bill Smh, a central figure the foundg of Geia’s Gay Liberatn Front and a member of the Southeastern Gay Coaln. Smh served as the first out-gay man Atlanta cy ernment as Sam Massell’s appoted Communy Relatns Commissner (1973–1976) and played a key role the velopment of the Atlanta gay prs through his edorship and ownership of The Barb (1974–1977). Adapted om the book A Night at the Sweet Gum Head: Drag, Dgs, Dis, and Atlanta’s Gay Revolutn (New York: W.W. Norton, 2021). Reprted wh the permissn of W.W. Norton.
Contents:
- 50 YEARS AGO, ATLANTA’S GAY RIGHTS PH TOOK TO STREET FOR FIRST TIME
- GAY ATLANTA
- MARCHG FOR GAY RIGHTS ATLANTA, 1971: AN EXCERPT OM A NIGHT AT THE SWEET GUM HEAD
50 YEARS AGO, ATLANTA’S GAY RIGHTS PH TOOK TO STREET FOR FIRST TIME
June 27, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Atlanta’s first gay pri march. Here’s a look back at some key moments that shaped the cy’s LGBTQ mu * atlanta gay march *
Atlanta is often referred to as the gay pal of the South due to s progrsive reputatn, highly visible and robt LGBT muny, vibrant LGBT nightlife culture, and a growg number of LGBT people relotg to the cy.
Atlanta’s first gay pri march, on the bright Sunday afternoon of June 27, 1971, was virtually unregnizable om the 300, 000-person, multi-day celebratn has bee recent the Geia Gay Liberatn Front anized that first monstratn 50 years ago, there were no floats or cheerg spectators, no major rporate sponsors or ravans of panrg the cy that had jt birthed the civil rights movement, LGBTQ rights was nsired a radil issue that the polil tablishment, cludg many Atlanta progrsiv, wanted to stay away om. ” But for many the te tent was enforcement had long targeted the cy’s LGBTQ populatn, particularly gay men, hangout spots like Piedmont Park and along what was known as “the strip” on Peachtree Street.
GAY ATLANTA
The bt gay bars, dance clubs, gay-rated hotels, gay snas and gay cise clubs Atlanta. * atlanta gay march *
In 1953, police ed a two-way mirror before arrtg 20 men for havg sex the basement toilets of one of Atlanta’s public that time, many gay Atlantans were closeted, even enterg heterosexual marriag, fearful they uld lose their jobs and be shunned by their fai if they were found out.
MARCHG FOR GAY RIGHTS ATLANTA, 1971: AN EXCERPT OM A NIGHT AT THE SWEET GUM HEAD
”Fed upAfter the Ansley raid, a group of fed-up activists huddled at New Morng Cafe near Emory Universy and lnched the Geia chapter of the Gay Liberatn members, who were young and mostly whe, many had cut their teeth on the other social movements of the 1960s, cludg women’s liberatn, anti-war and civil rights fights.