Why are we the gayest?

The Advocate is America’s leading gay publication.  Though many have disagreed with the Advocates designation of Atlanta as the gayest city in America (in February of 2010), I would argue great validity in their results due to the point system created for the article.  Let’s look at how we scored the highest.  The points given are based upon 7 categories:

1. Same-sex couple households per capita: based on statistics provided by the HRC and the Census, these numbers may be just as unreliable as they are accurate--it is largely based upon households with 2 members of the same sex who aren’t related.  We scored a measly 4 points on this category, being 11th out of the top 15.
2. Statewide marriage equality: we scored -2 points on this one because of our state’s statute that defines marriage between one man and one woman.  It should be noted that there are many businesses and major corporations (such as Turner Broadcasting and Coca-Cola) that provide equal benefits for same-sex couples.
3. Gay elected officials (U.S. representatives, senators, governors, and city officials):  we got 3 points for this category.  Atlanta, and the surrounding cities, have several gay political figures.
4. Gay dating/hookup profiles per single male population:  You probably wouldn’t believe how many of these profiles are made by “straight” men.  We scored a whopping 5 points, being 10th out of the top 15.
5. Gay bars per capita: with 30+ gay bars, Atlanta gets the highest score of all cities with 15 points for this category.
6. Cruising spots per capita: “cruising spots” refers to (mostly public) areas where (mostly male) gays meet to find sex.  What better way to judge how gay a city is?  Again, we achieved the highest score of 15 points for this category.  Though I will neither condone nor condemn this behavior, I am not sure how I feel about this score lending itself to our gay factor.
7. Gay films in Netflix favorites:  This makes perfect sense.  Using Netflix’s listings of the 25 most popular videos for every major city, we receive one point for every gay movie--and that doesn’t include Disney movies, Mommy Dearest, or Grease.  We scored 14 points in this category.  I believe this to be VERY indicative of the gay stature of Atlanta.

With a total score of 54 points, Atlanta achieved the title of gayest city in America.  If this doesn’t surprise you, take at look at #2, 3, and 4: Burlington, VT., Iowa City, IA., and Bloomington, IND.

And here is some other basic information about gay atlanta that you should know:

Highest density of gay population in Atl: Midtown.  If you didn’t know this already, notice how many of the men in midtown are attractive, well-dressed, and look like each other.

Other popular gay neighborhoods:  East Point, East Atlanta, Grant Park, and Decatur.  Gays are considered a valuable asset when it comes to the strength of a neighborhood community, the aesthetics of said communities, and most importantly the PROPERTY VALUES within these communities.  Its common for an “up and coming” areas to be littered with gay homeowners, or for the “gentrification” of otherwise unsavory neighborhoods to be accredited to gays.  These are what some people refer to as "Gayborhoods".  To be more accurate, one may refer to them as gay ghettos.

If you aren't convinced of how gay atlanta is, tune in next week to learn more about the history of Gay Atlanta--as well as some important historical notes on gay history in general.