Episode 183: How Atlanta Became a Southern Hub For Vice

Although the Southern United States is often seen as a bastion for conservative sexual values, it has a very deep and rich sexual history worth exploring, especially when you consider a city like Atlanta. Often described as “the strip club capital of America,” Atlanta has long been a home to sex work, as well as LGBTQ nightlife. And these “vice” establishments actually played a vital role in the city’s tremendous growth, both as a place to live and visit. In today’s show, we’re going to pull back the cover on Atlanta’s fascinating sexual history.

I am joined once again by writer and historian Martin Padgett. His is the author of A Night at the Sweet Gum Head, which tells the story of Atlanta’s gay revolution in the 1970s. He is also working on a new book titled The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick, which tells the story of what is arguably the most important gay rights case in history.

Some of the topics we discuss include:

• How did a burgeoning sex scene develop in in the middle of what has historically been a very conservative state?
• How did the sex scene it Atlanta set the stage for the city’s growth?
• What made Atlanta a popular home and destination for the LGBTQ community?
• How did the nightlife scene in Atlanta help to galvanize the gay rights movement?
• How can visiting so-called “vice” establishments also be a virtue in terms of promoting self-acceptance and sex-positivity?

Find out more about Martin on his website.

Thank you to our sponsors!

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Visiting Miami? Check out two art exhibitions from the Kinsey Institute on display at the Wilzig Erotic Art Museum located in the heart of South Beach at 1205 S Washing Ave. Open Monday to Saturday 11am – 6pm. Also, on display now in the Kinsey Institute’s Beebe Gallery on the IU Bloomington campus: Universal Language: The Legacy of Sexual and Gender Diversity in the Kinsey Institute Collections. Open to the public on the 3rd floor of Lindley Hall 9:30am – 4pm Monday to Friday. Learn more about upcoming events at kinseyinstitute.org or follow the Kinsey Institute on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.