LGBTQIA+

Karl Allquist was diagnosed with HIV in 1989. He kept a journal documenting his life with HIV from 1989-1991. Karl died in 1992 from HIV/AIDs related complications. In 2004, Atlanta History Center interviewed Karl’s surviving partner, William “Bill” Penn. From Karl’s journal and Bill’s recounting of their relationship, we have a glimpse into life with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.

Second Sunday was an important discussion group in Atlanta. It was an affirming group for Atlanta’s Black gay and bisexual men who wanted to discuss issues unique to them in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 

The rebellion which reverberated from New York City down to Atlanta and the subsequent five days of protests jumpstarted the gay rights movement.

As Atlanta History Center works to make history available and accessible to all, a key component is women’s history. This initiative is made possible by Emily Bourne Grigsby whose bequest endows support for the research, interpretation, and presentation of the role of women in the South.

An unidentified performer in drag cabaret at the Cheshire Bridge Club in 1972.

Diamond Lil performs in a drag cabaret at an un identified Atlanta venue in 1971.

LGBTQ Section of Atlanta History Center’s Atlanta in 50 Objects exhibition.

The story of any Olympic Games includes the efforts of civic activism on the part of residents of the host city. Atlanta was no different.

Our city’s LGBTQIA+ history is nuanced and vast—and too complex to be contained in a single story. While this article provides an overview of more than half a century of activism in our city, it is by no means exhaustive.

2019 marked the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, which proved to be the catalyst for communities across the country. Within that environment, the Atlanta’s LBGTQIA+ organizers saw an opportunity for visibility and change. 

The Stonewall Uprising laid the groundwork for today’s gay pride movement. Two months after Stonewall, “anti-obscenity raids” targeted gay and lesbian establishments across Atlanta.