Gay (Friendly) Small Towns in the Deep South?? And don't you dare say Asheville!!! (Atlanta: living, price)

[Jimrob1]

Well is there a place?

[jburns1963]

Try Thomaston, GA I have lived here for 20 years and enjoy it and have never had any problems, everyone seems to have welcomed me

[MartyHam]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

I think the keywords there are "for North Georgia".

While there are a few gay people who apparently own and operate galleries in Dahlonega's town square, I don't think if I were gay I'd be comfortable living there. I suppose it would depend on how "out" someone is, though.

I remember a post in one of the forums a couple of years ago where a gay shop owner in Dahlonega talked about how groups of high school and/or college boys drove around the square and yelled "F*g" and threw bottles at a couple of the gay shop owners. Happened more than once to him but can't remember details on how long it happened or if it was just ONE roudy group of boys doing it. Also, during their yearly big arts festival, there have been floats with roudy evangelical preachers on top screaming scripture. Now, the fact that a town would even allow a guy on a float telling everyone they're going to burn in hell .. during a parade... that's kinda scary.

So, Dahlonega - really neat place to visit.. but....

I know the OP hates the idea of Asheville, but seriously, you should consider it. Lots of people (gay, straight, whatever) rant about how open and artsy the place is. A few hippies, sure, but hey, hippies are better than evangelical preachers on parade floats. LOL

This might offend a person or two and I'm sorry if it does, but a very good friend of mine who is gay did talk about Savannah once and he hated the "gay scene" there. Now granted, he's a career military person and of the ultra macho, Type A personality type. So he might have been overly critical. But he said he found the gay people in Savannah to be very effeminate and flakey - no details were given and I didn't ask, so I have no idea what's all involved in that judgement, but after having to spend a month there doing some military stuff, he came back with very negative views of the gay crowd there. But that's all I can add about Savannah gays, via his short viewpoint. LOL

I agree with a few different post here. If you are going to be gay in Dahlonega, you better make sure noone knows it. I had a similar incident happen to me as the one stated above. Only it wasn't bottles, it was urine. It happened this past summer. And more than once.And no, the police, nor anyone else cares.
The preachers on floats happens regularly, as well as flyers on your business door every morning wanting to "save" you. I have concluded that all of North Ga. is this way. We are moving closer to Atlanta. Where they have the 3rd largest gay population in the nation. But, when you get this far north in georgia, they are very racist. Can't wait to get out of Dahlonega and live again. Asheville, NC would be my second choice.

[WanderingImport]

The Savannah singles scene can be flaky on either side, whether hetero or homo. I welcome any one to give Savannah a try though, whether gay, straight, white, latin, whatever...

[KCofSavannah]

If you consider Savannah, you might want to stay within city limits. The suburb you mentioned, Wilmington Island, is a family oriented place. My friends who live there can't even "trick or treat" on WI because all their neighbors "trunk or treat" in their church parking lot. Yes, there are some open minded people there but I would say overall, it is quite conservative and traditional. I don't think you would be discriminated against, you just might not have much fun. If you are serious, you might want to rent first. Wilmington Island is where white people move so their kids can ride bicycles in the street. You might consider the traditional style neighborhoods of Ardsley Park, Parkside and Baldwin Park or Kensington Park for ranch style homes. The first three neighborhoods are walkable (with sidewalks) and loaded with gay people. Good Luck.

[B2Lane]

People in Savannah don't care if you're gay, I think you'd like it here. Look, anywhere you go, you will encounter jerks, but all in all, Savannah is very tolerant of whatever you're into. It's a very "live and let live" place. I agree with kcof and would avoid suburban areas, but even there, you might like it. Downtown and midtown (Ardsley area) would probably be good. I work at an historical house. Lots of gay people involved and also in the arts. Come visit.
Personally, I can't stand Asheville. My family is from the area but I grew up in Atlanta. Asheville seems to be full of poser hippies. Not sure when they landed there.

[ZimaWolf]

I do know that there are gay/lesbian shop owners here. They are friendly, professional, and low-key. I live in Dahlonega (raised here in North Georgia). I lived in San Francisco for many years because of my job and I hated every minute of it. I moved to Dahlonega and the N. Ga area because of the LACK of support for the gay/lesbian lifestyle here. I came here to raise a family and I intend to support traditional family values and lifestyles here. I do not believe that, in general, lesbians and gays would be comfortable here. Certainly there would not be a night life or organized events calendar dedicated to things homosexual. Should they ever contemplate such an idea, well, I guess I'll pick up my family and move again. I know it is popular to call individuals like me "homophobic", but that doesn't quite fit since a "phobia" indicates fear of something or a disorder. I don't fear homosexuals, and I don't have some disorder. I simply do not agree with it and prefer not to live in proximity of a supportive population of it. (Just as I prefer not to live around drugs, violence, etc.) Even so, I do not wish ill on those that choose to be in homosexual relationships.

[gentlearts]

Savannah historic district is very gay friendly.

[Newsboy]

Second to whoever said nobody in Savannah cares if you're gay. This place is very live-and-let-live. And BTW ... I live on Wilmington Island, in a complex that is half gay. So there.

As for the Dahlonega discussion, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Rome ... very gay friendly ... or better yet, Ellijay in Pickens County, which has the nickname ElliGAY among both locals and those in the LGTB community.

[912]

Originally Posted by Newsboy

Second to whoever said nobody in Savannah cares if you're gay. This place is very live-and-let-live. And BTW ... I live on Wilmington Island, in a complex that is half gay. So there.

Must call BS. After living out here for the vast majority of my life, I've never heard of any kind of "complex" that's half gay.