GAY & LESBIAN TRAVEL STORIES

The Gayest Places Down South

Although I grew up in the South—Mississippi to be specific—I didn’t come out until I was 16 and living in central Florida, so I didn’t learn much about the gay South until I’d moved to California and had the opportunity to go back as an adult and really explore. All of the gay bars I frequented as an under-aged teeny-bopper in Tampa are now gone, which really makes me sad as some of the best gay places in the South were hidden in the downtown corridors of Tampa, discovered during my early gay years. Now my list is comprised mostly of places I’ve seen while working. Between being on the road touring with Sordid Lives in 2006, raising funds for my next film Southern Baptist Sissies, and filming and then traveling the greater US of A promoting my new TV show, Sordid Lives: The Series (premiering on LOGO July, 23rd), I’ve had some fantastically gay times all around the South.

I’m usually one for randomization, but with a list of favorites, I’m putting these gay spots in order from nine to one, number one being my favorite!

#9) The Korner Lounge, Shreveport, LA
Just a bit smaller than my living room, the Korner Lounge sits modestly on the corner of a beat-up strip of downtown Shreveport. Low-key and intimate, the Korner Lounge was a cast favorite during the filming of Sordid Lives: The Series. An antique Coke-Cola refrigerator glows from behind the bar, a few dusty poker machines line the back wall near the bathrooms, and sweet Southern gentlemen sit at two-topped bar tables drinking, laughing and sharing their most fantastic tales with anyone, even a crew of out-of-towners like us.

The Korner Lounge, 800 Louisiana Ave., Shreveport, LA; tel. 318-221-2898; http://www.thekornerlounge.com/

#8) Georgie's Alibi, Wilton Manors (Fort Lauderdale), FL
I went on my first R.S.V.P. gay cruise two springs ago (and LOVED it!) out of Fort Lauderdale. The ship-off party was held the night before we left at Georgie's Alibi, a neighborhood bar with a full menu and several fully stocked bars. Video screens light up the inside, while a great mix of guys and gals, young and old, light up cigarettes on the huge outside patio area. When I was starring in and producing the national tour of Sordid Lives (and Southern Baptist Sissies) in 2006, Georgie's Alibi hosted a great party for us honoring our last tour stop and Sissies' leading lady Delta Burke's 50th birthday. I don't remember much from that night, but I do remember a worthwhile hangover from the next morning.
Georgie's Alibi, 2266 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, FL; tel. 954-565-2526; http://georgiesalibi.com/wiltonmanors.html

#7) Pineapple Point Guesthouse & Resort, Fort Lauderdale, FL
While we're in the area, let's move on down the street to my favorite American gay resort (that I've been to so far), Pineapple Point. The owners of Pineapple Point so kindly put Del Shores and myself up while we were in Fort Lauderdale both raising money for our film Southern Baptist Sissies and awaiting the departure of our R.S.V.P. cruise. My previous experiences in gay resorts were not good ones. From Palm Springs to the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, I have always had a sub-par experience when not staying at a mainstream hotel. That all changed during my visit to Pineapple Point. The food was delicious, the room - rather the cottage -was spectacular, the guests were cruisy in the right, non-threatening kind of way, our hosts were splendid and the numerous jacuzzis and pools kept you cooled off while the hot, Florida sun spilled even more heat onto the naked bodies lounged around the resort.
Pineapple Point Guesthouse & Resort, 315 N.E. 16th Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301; tel. 888-844-7295; http://www.pineapplepoint.com

#6) Tribe Bar, Nashville, TN
I'll be honest; I never thought I'd spend much time in gay bars in the South. Boy, was I wrong. Over several years and for many purposes, I've found myself at Tribe in Nashville. Some bars have an at home feel to them that, when mixed with the right music and people, leave you destined to have a good time. Tribe Bar is that bar. The boys are friendly, the drinks are strong and the times are good and ready to be had.
Tribe Bar, 1517A Church Street, Nashville, TN; tel. 615-329-2912; http://www.tribenashville.com/

#5) Buckhead, Atlanta, GA
Never mind gay bars, resorts or spas, Atlanta's Buckhead district is gay enough without listing any of the usual suspects. In these parts, gay men seem to display some Gone With the Wind drawl that is just peachy, and all the gorgeous Southern women leave gay men drooling in their wake as they pass by with only the newest and finest Louis Vuitton bags and Chanel clutches. Shopping in Buckhead is orgasmic. When you can walk half a block and go from the Rodeo Drive-esque Phipps Plaza where children's choirs and orchestras fill the walls with holiday tunes from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, to the monstrous Lenox Square Mall without even noticing how tired your arms are from carrying all those shopping bags, you know you are in gay heaven. It's said that all gay men dream of great head, well, this gay man dreams of Buckhead!