After World War II, Atlanta and Charlotte emerged as leading urban
centers in the South, redefining the region through their competing
metropolitan identities. Both cities also served as home to queer
communities who defined themselves in accordance with their urban
surroundings and profited to varying degrees from the emphasis on
economic growth. Uniting southern women's history with urban history,
La Shonda Mims considers an imaginatively constructed archive
including feminist newsletters and queer bar guides alongside sources
revealing corporate boosterism and political rhetoric to explore the
complex nature of lesbian life in the South.
Mims's
work reveals significant differences between gay men's and lesbian
women's lived experiences, with lesbians often missing out on the
promises of prosperity that benefitted some members of gay
communities. Money, class, and race were significant variables in
shaping the divergent life experiences for the lesbian communities of
Atlanta and Charlotte; whiteness especially bestowed certain
privileges. In Atlanta, an inclusive corporate culture bolstered the
city's queer community. In Charlotte, tenacious lesbian collectives
persevered, as many queer Charlotteans leaned on Atlanta's enormous
Pride celebrations for sanctuary when similar institutional community
supports were lacking at home.
