Here’s where you can help… our community isn’t going to grow unless more LGBT people move here and/or come out and become active in the community. Any information you can contribute would be SUPER helpful.

• What neighborhoods would you recommend as gay friendly?
• What apt./condo complexes would you recommend?
• What businesses, companies, and retailers have you had positive experiences with?

Leave your comments and encourage others to do the same. Thanks for helping build this resource for people inquiring about our area!

In Augusta, you can’t walk around the streets and be gay, but in Atlanta … you can be you. You can be yourself. You can be gay. But in Augusta, you can be gay…in your house…or at a club.

I’d also add “in church” since there are some welcoming churches in our community. The New York Times published the same sentiment, singling out Augusta, GA as one example of cities where this is true.

In cities like Eureka Springs, Ark.; Augusta, Ga., and Biloxi, Miss., the church is often the sole public meeting place for homosexuals that is not a bar

Want to know when that New York Times article was published? November 10, 1996. Almost 12 years ago. It’s sad, but the point is still true – Augusta’s gay community exists but in small pockets and small groups. Within the protective confines of your friends and family or in a welcoming church or (sometimes) at a club, you can feel safe and accepted. Outside those walls, hostility and violence are very real and almost tangible in the air.

There are some friendly establishments (mainly in Downtown Augusta from what I’ve seen) that tend to have progressive clientèle and employees. (Note: If you consider your business to be gay-friendly, let us know so we can build a directory of local resources and welcoming businesses.)

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy going to clubs and I enjoy going to church. But mostly I like the feeling after spending time there – the feeling that I am loved and accepted for who I am. It’s a wonderful feeling and one that you shouldn’t have to wait until Friday night or Sunday morning to experience.

Since then I’ve found welcoming friends and some welcoming communities, but this still very much a closeted and oppressive city. I hope this site can reach out to those who haven’t found a welcoming community or don’t have friends they can talk to. I hope the site can bring you news, information, and stories that speak to you in some way.

I know very few people who live openly in Augusta. I applaud their bravery and their commitment to stand up for themselves and those of us who have a lot to lose. I hope that as the CSRA and our country begin affirming the equality that we all deserve, that we no longer have to live closeted lives for fear of violence or hostility.

If you have news or stories to share, please email editor@gayinaugusta.com. Feel free to be anonymous, use a pseudonym, or use all or part of your name. This site will never out anyone or any community; if you or your business or your group wishes to name itself here as a friend or a resource, you are welcomed and encouraged.

The Editor

We will be encouraging others to submit their own stories, experiences, and opinions on being gay in Augusta, either by registering or submitting to editor@gayinaugusta.com. The more voices we have, the better.

We hope the site will be a resource for the gay community in Augusta – entertaining, informative, and inspiring.

Stay tuned…