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adoredontour · 5 years ago

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every fic that left a lasting impression with me this year. sorted in order of when i read them!!

buckle up lads, it’s a long one

nicotine by krisstylinson 32k

"We're two different types of people, Liam. He likes sex and drugs, I like theater and tea. Trust me, we'd never date." Except they would, they do, and neither of them plans on letting go anytime soon.

"Just because you can get me hard doesn't mean I like you," Louis whispered. The fact was, he didn't like Harry right now, not at all. Not even a bit.

"Yeah, yeah," Harry murmured, his breath fanning over Louis' cock as he spoke. "You done telling me how much you hate me so I can suck you off?"

like candy in my veins by littlelouishiccups 31k @littlelouishiccups

Basically the A/B/O, enemies to lovers, fake relationship, Christmas AU that nobody asked for

worth dying for by whoknows

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Louis says, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. In the center of the table, a set of three glossy photos stares up at him, mocking him.

“A security detail is non-negotiable, Louis, you know this,” his mum reminds him, tapping the middle photo with two fingers.

Louis doesn’t look back down at the pictures, gesturing towards them wildly, over-dramatically. “This is not a security detail!” he protests. “This is a lanky college student. In what world do you hire someone like this kid to protect me?”

damn your love, damn your lies by ifthat

“Of course you’d use your free time to go to the gym.”

“Your idea of the best way to spend your free time is annoying your neighbors,” he laughs, dimples carved into his cheeks like marble.

No, Louis likes to annoy Harry. Everyone else on this floor is just an unfortunate casualty.

“No one has complained except for you,” Louis informs him smartly. Which is actually a good thing. If someone other than Harry had complained to him long ago, he would have unfortunately had to stop.

you came into my life by disgruntledkittenface @disgruntledkittenface

When the Queer Eye cast and crew sweep into Louis’ small town and fire station to make over his best friend and coworker Liam, Louis’ carefully constructed walls start to fall down and he has to face his fears – and the only guy he’s ever been able to see a future with.

a thousand miles from comfort by littlelouishiccups

In which Louis is a closeted gay actor and a recovering addict with a troubled past. Harry is the personal trainer who helps him get his life back in shape.

smaller than me by checkthemargins

Harry's just finished his first year of uni on his way to becoming Dr. Harry Styles, Neurosurgeon. He's young, he has endless potential, three amazing best mates, a new love and the world at his fingertips. The fact that his new boyfriend may or may not be a sex-worker, of course, throws a wrench into the works. But it's not true. Really.

Probably.

It most definitely might not be entirely true. And that's all Harry needs to know.

escapade (i was late to the game shut up) by dolce_piccante

In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

soft hands, fast feet, can’t lose by dolce_piccante

American Uni AU. Harry Styles is a frat boy football star from the wealthy Styles Family athletic dynasty. A celebrity among football fans, he knows how to play, he knows how to party, and he knows how to fuck (all of which is well known among his legion of admirers).

Louis Tomlinson is a student and an athlete, but his similarities to Harry end there. Intelligent, focused, independent, and completely uninterested in Harry’s charms, Louis is an anomaly in a world ruled by football.

A bet about the pair, who might be more similar than they originally thought, brings them together. Shakespeare, ballet, Disney, football, library chats, running, accidental spooning, Daredevil and Domino’s Pizza all blend into one big friendship Frappucino, but who will win in the end?

oh glory by alivingfire @alivingfire

Harry Styles is Team Great Britain's newest swimmer, and has spent his whole life training for this moment, a chance at the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. All his training, hard work, and dedication to no distractions is tested when he's assigned to the same Rio apartment as Louis Tomlinson, British gymnast and Harry's childhood crush.

it’s all brand new because of you by supernope

AKA, Louis starts a new job as a summer camp counselor at the local aquarium and Harry is a biologist who really likes teaching people about the ocean.

this wicked game by cherrystreet @cherrystreet

An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

do not go gentle by afirethatcannotdie @afirethatcannotdie

When Harry Styles starts his first day as a surgical intern, he expects a lot of things: to treat patients, to observe a surgery, to feel a bit overwhelmed. What he definitely doesn't expect, however, is that the handsome guy he kicked out of his bed this morning is also an intern.

A Grey’s Anatomy AU where tensions are high, Harry and Louis are hooking up in secret, and no one has time for love. Or do they?

to brim with fright by hereforlou @hereforlou

The only reason he’s here is because it’s tradition. And also, Harry said it’d be fun to make Liam wet himself in fear and Louis agreed. It’ll be hilarious. He’s not an insecure new transfer anymore, thank you very much. It took him no more than a week to insert himself into a group, to get invited to his first party, and to start crushing on someone—he’s not what anyone would call socially impaired. He doesn’t need validation.

have you coming back again by whoknows

It’s five o��clock in the morning. Louis has a lecture at half eight. He could be using this time to study or to do his readings or to go to the gym, but - well. He doesn’t have any exams coming up, he’s not going to his seminar today anyway and he hates the gym.

Instead he’s using this time to fuck with Harry Styles’ poor little brain.

Louis jogs across the street and jabs the key into the car door. It opens easily, not that he was expecting anything else. He copied the key for a reason, after all.

He’s got Harry’s schedule memorized, more because the guy keeps following him around than anything, so he doesn’t bother looking around before climbing behind the wheel and setting his bag on the passenger seat. It’s a Monday, which means that Harry doesn’t even get out of bed before noon unless he’s planning on harassing Louis.

i put a spell on you by bethaboo @bethaboolou

A BBC/Secret Santa mashup featuring Captain Niall, our intrepid weatherman/amateur matchmaker, rather clueless sports reporter Liam, charming political analyst Zayn, and cheeky entertainment reporter Louis. Harry is the new fashion correspondent who prefers to dress like a flamingo. And pining. There’s a lot of pining.

naked & proud by kiwikero

In which Harry runs an organic store, not a nudist colony, and Louis doesn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed.

take me under the blue by objectlesson

Louis hasn’t even seen his legs yet. He doesn’t know how they work or how long they’ll be. Maybe they won’t suit the rest of Harry at all, and he’ll have to grow into them or something. It doesn’t matter; Louis has loved Harry for a year with scales, so he can’t imagine wonky legs putting a damper on his attraction.

He supposes he’ll just have to find out. In the meantime, he wonders how the fuck he got here, in his squelching wellies about to save the love of his life from the sea and take him to bed and bang him for the very first time.

It’s sort of a long story.

paint the sky with stars by kiwikero

the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

truth be told i never was yours by justfortommo

(or the one where Louis and Harry have a complicated past, Louis is getting married to someone that’s not Harry, and the universe has decided to have a laugh and make Harry the wedding planner.)

into the badlands

Louis is Q. Harry is a double-oh agent who thinks that making knock-knock jokes around foreign embassy delegates mid-mission is a good idea.

swim in the smoke by whoknows

“What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth. He misses by a mile and tries again, just as ineffectively.

Harry looks down at him, at the way the sun streams over his face and shoulders, at the way the gag stretches his mouth, lips pink and chapped. He’s lithe and pretty, smudged all over with dirt. They had found him tied up below deck, mostly unconscious, next to a barrel full of gold. He’s clearly a prisoner, but there’s something familiar about him, something that niggles at Harry’s brain. Something he can’t quite put his finger on.

“Put him in my cabin,” Harry decides, turning back to deal with the rest of the loot. The boys screams out jumbled curse words at Harry’s back, muffled by the gag, and Harry can’t understand any of it.

resist everything except temptation by domesticharry @domestic-harry

The one where Louis is the commodore's son who is forced to become a part of Harry's crew when he is captured.

pray till i go blind by el_em_en_oh_pee

Louis is (kind of) a preacher. Harry is (probably) a demon. Of course, nothing's as simple as that.

This is not a love story.

(your heartbeat) rang true inside my bones by flimsy @flimsi

Harry goes as Louis' date for a weekend wedding. He ends up taking the role a bit too seriously.

i love your demons (like devils can) by ariadne_odair

Harry didn’t plan to join the football team. She didn’t plan to sleep with the captain of the football team. She definitely didn’t plan to sleep with the closeted captain of the football team, who promptly acted as if nothing happened and left Harry a pathetic, pining mess.

alien roadtrip! by helloamhere @helloamhere

roadtrip with desert feelings, too much snack food, and empty motels. Harry is definitely absolutely not an alien. That would be ridiculous.

treat mothman with kindness by flowercrownfemme @lesbianiconharrystyles

In which Louis, Liam, Niall and Zayn are amateur cryptozoologists and Harry is the creature they find in the woods of a small north-western town. ft. lots of glitter and shrieking and a whole shed full of lesbian cats.

just me, you, and this box of matches by tomlinsunshine

Louis is fairly sure that his new neighbour is going to destroy him. And also their apartment building, and the dumpsters outside, and all the forests within a thirty mile radius. But. Mostly him.

close to nowhere by angelichl @angelichl

Louis and Harry are psychics who kind of hate each other. They go to Tennessee to investigate a haunting.

magical soup by gloria_andrews

Slytherin prefect Louis Tomlinson's seventh year at Hogwarts takes an immediate turn for the worse when he's made to be potions partners with Harry Styles, Hufflepuff's resident heartthrob and class clown. Louis has always considered Styles to be a terrible show-off who coasts by on his charm and good looks, but the more they work together, the more he questions that idea. As term goes on, will Louis be able to admit to himself that he might actually like Harry Styles after all... and maybe, just maybe, as more than a friend?

sainted taints and velvet vices by toomanytears

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

run like the devil by benzos

Supernatural AU. Louis hunts demons; Harry's the strangest demon he's ever met, and he keeps fucking meeting him.

be with me so happily by briamaria

[aka Louis is the director of the Styles Elephant Sanctuary and really doesn't want to babysit his funder's spoiled lay-about son for two months]

come together by bottomlinsons @bottomlinsons

Harry and Louis slept together three weeks ago, and haven't talked.

Their coming group project is gonna change that.

what this world is about by isntrio @bloubird

An eighties American high school AU; there are first times, football games, and feelings.

Alternatively titled: the beginning.

once upon a dream by thedeathchamber

Louis is psychic and gets caught in the middle of a murder investigation led by FBI Special Agent Harry Styles.

aka. the Medium/Criminal Minds-inspired AU no one ever asked for.

led by your beating heart by missandrogyny @missandrogyny

(Or: AU where Harry's in One Direction, Louis isn't, and they reconnect over a game of 'Call or Delete'.)

forever and always by jacaranda_bloom @jacaranda-bloom (again, thank you!!!!!!!)

OR the one where Harry’s neighbour is a crotchety old witch who hates vampires, Niall is the unsuspecting human who ends up inhabiting Harry’s body, and Louis is the caseworker who is assigned to swap them back. How it ends up a love story is anyone’s guess.

sail your sea, meet your storm by kiwikero

The strangers to enemies to friends to pining to lovers fic where Louis is cynical, Harry is charming, and they have seven days to get their shit together.

tangled up in you by missandrogyny

Harry blinks once. And blinks again. And says, his voice dangerous: “Niall, did you get me a mail-order bride?”

Because what the actual fuck. It kind of looks like Niall’s just purchased a person. For Harry.

Niall blinks back at him for a few moments, before throwing his head back and howling with laughter. Harry throws a pillow at him. Hard. “No, what the fuck, Harry.”

“A prostitute then?” Harry also doesn't want a prostitute.

“Of course not!”

“A stripper?”

“No!”

Damn, he’s running out of ideas. He settles for launching another pillow at Niall’s head. Niall bats it away easily, still laughing. “Stop!”

“What did you get me, then?!” Niall must hear the tinge of hysteria in his voice, because he’s pulling himself together, trying to stop himself from laughing.

There’s still a big grin on his face, though, when he says, “I got you a professional cuddler.”

A professional…what. “What?”

i’d burn this city down to show you the light by you_explode

Harry's a sheltered rich kid and Louis's a punk with a heart of gold. They meet when Louis breaks into Harry's house, Harry obtains an instant and all-encompassing crush, and they spend the summer falling into a whirlwind romance.

sail your sea, meet your storm by kiwikero

Louis is thirty, single, and a bit of a workaholic. He's happy with his life, but then his mother decides to buy him tickets for a Singles Cruise. Appalled that his family thinks he can't handle his own love life, he steps aboard the ship determined to have a terrible time.

That is, of course, until a persistent brunet keeps offering him drinks.

The strangers to enemies to friends to pining to lovers fic where Louis is cynical, Harry is charming, and they have seven days to get their shit together.

bring out feelings in me i never show

“I really think you should stop reading,” Liam says, having moved to hover behind Louis’ back at some point. “I can already see the cogs turning in your head, Louis, and I don’t like this.”

“Shut up,” Louis waves him off and continues reading.

I can do these things, at your request: openly hit on other female guests while you act like you don’t notice; start instigative discussions about politics and/or religion; propose to you in front of everyone; pretend to be really drunk as the evening goes on (sorry I don’t drink, but I used to); start an actual, physical fight with a family member, either inside or on the front lawn for all the neighbors to see.

remember you well by fondleeds @fondleeds

“Um,” Harry starts. He looks out of place. Louis can’t really believe he’s seeing Harry like this, so unsettled, so unlike himself. He holds out his hands. “Should we–. Should I, um. Did you wanna, like, cuff me to the bed or something?”

Louis raises his eyebrows. “I don’t know. Do I need to?”

i love you most by stylinsoncity

friends with benefits has always been enough for louis. until, of course, it isn't.

ready to fall by whoknows

“Ninety and rising,” Nick says triumphantly, as though making Harry’s heartbeat pick up by thrusting an obscenely attractive person in front of his face is any kind of success. “Louis Tomlinson has just walked into our control room and suddenly our dear Harry Styles has lost all ability to speak. Could this be some kind of strange coincidence?”

“I hate you,” Harry hisses, forcing his eyes back into Nick’s direction, uncaring that the mic must have picked it up. “I thought we agreed that you were going to play fair.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nick denies, except he’s holding up a picture of Louis’ face now, sharp cheekbones prominent, soft lashes nearly sweeping against his cheeks as he looks down, and his fucking mouth –

“A hundred and two!” Nick crows, all but clapping his hands together in glee. “The highest it’s ever been!”

“To be fair, I did bend over the desk on purpose,” Louis’ voice comes crackling in the headphones. Harry practically breaks his neck whipping his head around at the sound of it, gaping at him through the glass panel. “You can’t really blame him for getting a little excited about that, can you?”

#rec

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spectraspecs-writes · 5 years ago

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Brief Trans thingy from a (technically) trans person. Edit after the fact: I’m sorry, but this is not brief.

I talk with my mom about trans stuff a lot. She’s in her sixties and wants to understand simply because a.) it’s me and it’s important to me b.) it comes up in the news a bit and she gets confused. Recently she read an article about a non-binary person who now has a difficult relationship with Harry Potter. Harry Potter kept them from suicide. Which mom thought was very sweet and she liked reading the article. Where she struggled was with this person’s identity. The writer of the article was AMAB, but felt more aligned with femininity, took estrogen, and all around presented as a woman. But used they/them pronouns. Mom couldn’t understand why you would go to that much trouble to present as female but still go by they/them. “It just brings the problem up again that you’re not really a girl.”

Let me say this before going further. My mom is not transphobic. It might sound that way if you don’t know her and just hear her words but she’s not. She first looks at it biologically, because she’s autistic and a former nurse, that trans women can never be women. Meaning, trans women can never be female. But she’s not about to say they shouldn’t be in women’s spaces or call them men. On the level we all care about, she is accepting of trans people as the gender they say they are. Example: I talked about my friend Chris a lot before I actually brought him home. Chris is a demiboy - hi Chris, I know you’re here. And it took me a bit but I was able to fully refer to Chris by his preferred pronouns consistently. My parents therefore also referred to him with those pronouns, not knowing he ever had any others. When he came over, my mom noted that his voice is more... feminine. She didn’t even think trans, she thought “hmm. He must be smart to be in college when he hasn’t even gone through puberty yet.” Dad even asked mom in a whisper “is Chris short for a Christopher or Christina?” They were just confused. But that didn’t stop them from going “okay, Chris is a boy and that’s what matters. We are confused, but Chris is a boy.” Now that mom knows the score, she will often mention Chris in her questions as an example we both know. (Often in sexuality questions - for example, if Chris goes out with a girl is that straight or gay? It’s straight, but also queer. You can see why an Aspie would get confused. I had the same question a while ago.) To reiterate, Mom doesn’t care if a person is trans. They should go where they feel most comfortable. She might say things to me that are accidentally transphobic, but I tell her about it and she would never actually say them to another trans person. If she did, I would explain to the trans person in question and to my mom that it came out wrong and tell her why. We’re autistic. We much prefer to be told about our mistakes and how to correct them.

Anyway. She kept asking me “why go by they/them if you present as female?” And I told her “because she/her could hurt.” As a nurse she know how to respond to hurt. How do we stop the hurt? And in the case of this person, stopping the hurt is going by they/them. But mom wants to address the root of the hurt, not be palliative about it. She wants to know how to make she/her stop hurting, when it can’t. It’s not that kind of hurt. I ended up coming up with a metaphor, after all of my gender visualizations fell flat.

Let’s say you have a great job lined up in Kansas City. You have an apartment there, everything is set up for you to go to Kansas City. So you leave, going from St. Louis to Kansas City. On the way you stop off in Jefferson City. Jefferson City is great! You love Jefferson City! You have so much fun on your brief stop in Jefferson City. But you have to keep going, you have to see Kansas City, things are waiting for you there.

But when you get to Kansas City... you don’t like it. The job is fine, the apartment is fine, but you just... don’t like it. “Why don’t you like it?” She asks. I don’t know, that’s different from person to person. Maybe the aquarium isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Maybe the people are impolite. Maybe it just doesn’t vibe with you. But you can either stay unhappy in Kansas City, where things are certain. Which some people do for a while. Or you can start over in Jefferson City. Things will be new and uncertain, but you already know you love it. Sometimes being trans is going all the way to Kansas City and staying there. Sometimes you get to Jefferson City and decide screw Kansas City I’m going to stay here. And sometimes being trans is going all the way and deciding it’s not for you, so you go back. And maybe you don’t go all the way. Maybe you stop somewhere between Kansas City and Jefferson City, in some little nowhere town, because it makes you happy beyond words to be there. And the metaphor continues on. Cis people are happy to stay in St. Louis. Maybe they’ve explored elsewhere but found St. Louis is the best place for them. I’m genderfluid. St. Louis is fine but I like to get on a bus now and then.

The metaphor worked. But the question come up again. “So she’s happy in Jefferson City. Why does she care if other people know she’s there? She looks like she’s from Kansas City, why not say she is?” Still misgendering solely out of confusion. “Why use they/them if you’re happy looking like a girl?” And I finally was able to tell her, in a pride event or a safe place, this is what they prefer. This is what makes them happy. They are so proud of finding the best place, they are so proud of living in Jefferson City. But some people don’t accept that. Some people think it’s stupid. Some people, upon hearing the mere hint of transness, will lash out and even be violent. They would prefer to go by they/them, but if they don’t feel safe, they will accept being misgendered. They will accept Kansas City merch if it keeps them safe. But wherever they can, if they feel safe about it, they will tell people about their journey to Jefferson City. They’ll tell them all about the landmarks, the museums, the local cuisine, that one burger joint you should never go to. They appreciate Jefferson City guidebooks.

Dysphoria comes into play, too. Some people absolutely hate that they look like they’re from St. Louis. They want to be associated with Kansas City at all costs. They’ve thrown out all their Cardinals merch - it’s the Royals or nothing! Some are cool with it sometimes and not at others. Some like myself don’t mind it at all. St. Louis is still a part of them, and it was fun while it lasted. They still like the Cardinals but they cheer for the Royals too. And when they play each other - well, I can’t take the metaphor there. And euphoria! You tolerate Cardinals merch but when someone gives you a Royals shirt you wear it all the time!! Kansas City stickers make you so excited!

I don’t remember where I was going with this. But either way I think I stumbled into a great metaphor.

#trans #transgender

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topfygad · 5 years ago

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LGBTQ Atlanta – A Gay Guy’s Weekend Guide to Atlanta

SPONSORED — Often cited as a capital of the gay Southern USA, Atlanta has a lot to offer LGBTQ travelers. As the Georgia state capital and the home to important civil rights milestones, Atlanta is “the city too busy to hate.” It’s a city of love and passion, represented by its commitment to be an open, friendly, and welcoming destination. So welcoming, in fact, Atlanta is home to North America’s largest airport!

When Queer Eye rebooted in 2018, Atlanta popped up on the gay travel radar once again. As a culturally diverse capital, the city has all the charm of a southern city with all the amenities of a big metropolis. Rather than the two divergent themes clashing, it all comes together in Atlanta to make it an equal-parts interesting, entertaining, and vibrant city. One with a lot of love and life.

Check out my gay guide to Atlanta below.

—AD—

Plan a trip to Atlanta during Atlanta Pride!

Atlanta Pride weekend is Oct 11-13, following a week of LGBTQ events and activities. Join thousands of participants in one of the largest pride festivals in the USA. Pride events include a kick-off ceremony at the Georgia Aquarium, a Tea Dance in Piedmont Park, a Stonewall art exhibition, and a pride parade through the city.

Stay at The American Hotel Atlanta Downtown – a DoubleTree by Hilton to be close to all the action.

What to do in Atlanta

The home to major corporations and the biggest airport in the USA, there’s understandably a lot to see and do in Atlanta. Georgia was one of the original 13 colonies, so there’s a lot of history here. The city played an important role in American history, especially during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. But even to this day, thanks to its relevance in pop culture and across many industries, there’s no shortage of cool things to do in Atlanta.

Most of the tourist things to do in Atlanta are located in Downtown Atlanta in and around Centennial Olympic Park. The park was built for the 1996 Olympics and the main entrance is marked by the iconic five interlocking rings. Across the street, a 20-story Ferris wheel (the SkyView Atlanta) offers a panoramic view over Downtown Atlanta.

But the museums and sites around the park offer some of the best experiences in Atlanta. Home to the CNN headquarters, it’s possible to take a studio tour through CNN. As a city with so much history, it’s no wonder CNN has their headquarters here, and the studio tour offers a glimpse into how one of the world’s largest news organization works.

Celebrating pride at the World of Coca-Cola gift shop #loveislove

Nearby, another brand found around the world which originated in Atlanta, Coca-Cola, has a museum. The World of Coca-Cola is a fun, family-friendly experience where you can learn about the iconic brand’s history, watch some of its most iconic advertising, and even taste-test Coca-Cola products from around the world. It’s a surprisingly fun tour through the brand’s history.

Up close and personal with a whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium

In a city of so many superlatives, it’s no surprise that Atlanta is also home to America’s largest aquarium, and one of the most important in the world. The Georgia Aquarium is an impressive non-profit organization that’s home to tens of thousands of animals—from the beautifully mesmerizing jellyfish to beluga whales, whale sharks, and stingrays.

The Aquarium also participates in important conservation effort around the world; they are the only aquarium in North America to house rescued whale sharks.

Inside Atlanta’s museum for civil rights

And just across the Aquarium, in Pemberton Place, is the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The city where Martin Luther King, Jr. lived and preached, Atlanta was at the forefront of the civil rights movement. The museum documents the civil rights movement with important historical artifacts, letters, photographs, and videos. It’s an emotional journey and probably the most important site to see in Atlanta. There’s a lunch counter attraction inside where it’s possible to experience what some of our most important civil rights leaders had to endure before changes were slowly enacted.

The center also features an exhibition on civil and human rights movements from around the world, touching on women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and other crises in modern human history.

Of course there are a lot of other things to see and do in Atlanta. Piedmont Park is the city’s largest green space, where the annual Atlanta Gay Pride is held each October (as well as the Atlanta Botanical Gardens). Other LGBTQ events in the city take place throughout the year, including a queer film festival in September, and the largest Black Gay Pride in the world.

See more recommendations on what to do in Atlanta in this helpful guide from Hilton.

Where to eat, drink, and party in Atlanta

Atlanta’s importance isn’t just in its historic attractions. Like all the best destinations, the city’s unique culture is closely intertwined with its food and culinary sites. There’s more than just Coca-Cola in Atlanta!

BBQ with all the fixin’s at Sweet Auburn BBQ

As the unofficial cultural capital of the south, Atlanta has some great BBQ restaurants—too many to recommend! Along Ponce De Leon Avenue and throughout the Old Fourth Ward are a number of great restaurants. Sweet Auburn BBQ (taking its name from the historic Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta) serves traditional BBQ such as brisket and pulled pork, but also features less-traditional menu options like a Korean steak salad. Visit on Thursday evenings when they offer happy hour specials on their extensive Bourbon menu.

Just down the road is the brunch hotspot 8ARM, serving New American fare. It’s alongside the Atlanta BeltLine—a trail that runs through the Old Fourth Ward along an old railway track. You’ll find lots of beer gardens, street art, cool shops, and great people-watching along the route, including the Ponce City Market shopping center and food hall.

Exploring the gayborhood of Atlanta

For a taste of LGBTQ Atlanta, visit the Midtown neighborhood. Einstein’s is a popular brunch restaurant serving Southern comfort food (what else?!) and Joe’s on Juniper has great bar bites in a very gay setting (including rainbow steps up to their breezy courtyard.

Just around the corner, the beautiful Joy Café serves classic brunch dishes like biscuits & gravy, but also more creative dishes such as their local favorite shrimp & grits. Locally-owned, it’s a great spot for a relaxing meal where you’re likely to meet the namesake owner. Try their homemade hot sauce and don’t miss their indoor bakery full of delicious, homemade cakes.

Biscuits & gravy for brunch at Joy Café

At night, the corner of Piedmont Ave and 10th Street is the hottest place to be. Gay bars such as Ten Atlanta and Blake’s on the Park are both a lot of fun, though you’ll find other LGBTQ-friendly bars and nightlife throughout the city. (Piedmont & 10th is where you’ll find the city’s rainbow crosswalk though—an important marker of the city’s Midtown gayborhood!)

Just east of Downtown Atlanta, Edgewood Avenue is home to a handful of trendy and fun bars and restaurants that are especially popular on nights and weekends. Sister Louisa’s (affectionally called Church by the locals) is a raucous Church-themed bar with karaoke, ping-pong tournaments, and other funky events. It feels a lot like a living room—but much more kitschy—and attracts a pretty queer crowd thanks to its irreverence.

A blurry night out at Sister Louisa’s queer bar

Where to stay

Out by the pool at The American Hotel

Atlanta’s best and most important tourist sites are located in the downtown city center. From downtown Atlanta, you’re well-connected to everywhere else in the city—whether it’s the hipster shopping in the Old Fourth Ward, the LGBTQ nightlife in Midtown, or the airport in the south. At the heart of Downtown Atlanta, The American Hotel is a great option for tourists.

As a Doubletree Hilton property, the hotel has all the amenities you’d expect from Hilton. But this property isn’t just your typical Hilton! The American Hotel is an important historical site in Atlanta. Recently renovated, the hotel was the city’s first modern hotel, opened originally in 1962 where it was the first hotel in downtown Atlanta to desegregate. The lobby of the hotel is dotted with historical photographs and memorabilia including copies of letters from its opening.

Mid-century modern design in The American Hotel

The American Hotel was designed to reflect its place in history with mid-century modern design aesthetics—everything from the Airstream trailer by the pool to the houndstooth carpeting in the rooms and hallways. Funky design elements, including classic 1960s board games like Battleship and Connect Four are available for use in the spacious lobby. Colorful IGLOO mini-fridges in the mid-century style are also in each room.

Walking distance to the main tourist sites around Centennial Park, The American Hotel is both convenient and cool. There’s even a fitness suite on-site for those travelers who can’t miss a day at the gym (though the hotel’s on-site gym is also 24-hours!). Check rates and see more photos of the hotel (and other Hilton Atlanta properties) here.

Atlanta is a buzzing city with some of the region’s best LGBTQ nightlife, bars, and clubs. It’s a great weekend destination thanks to all the events.

Note: My trip to Atlanta was sponsored and supported by Hiltons of Atlanta. All opinions here, as always, are my own.

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from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/31GFtoZ via https://ift.tt/2NIqXKN

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topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

LGBTQ Atlanta – A Gay Guy’s Weekend Guide to Atlanta

Check out my gay guide to Atlanta below.

—AD—

Plan a trip to Atlanta during Atlanta Pride!

Stay at The American Hotel Atlanta Downtown – a DoubleTree by Hilton to be close to all the action.

What to do in Atlanta

Celebrating pride at the World of Coca-Cola gift shop #loveislove

Up close and personal with a whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium

The Aquarium also participates in important conservation effort around the world; they are the only aquarium in North America to house rescued whale sharks.

Inside Atlanta’s museum for civil rights

The center also features an exhibition on civil and human rights movements from around the world, touching on women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and other crises in modern human history.

See more recommendations on what to do in Atlanta in this helpful guide from Hilton.

Where to eat, drink, and party in Atlanta

BBQ with all the fixin’s at Sweet Auburn BBQ

Exploring the gayborhood of Atlanta

Biscuits & gravy for brunch at Joy Café

A blurry night out at Sister Louisa’s queer bar

Where to stay

Out by the pool at The American Hotel

Mid-century modern design in The American Hotel

Atlanta is a buzzing city with some of the region’s best LGBTQ nightlife, bars, and clubs. It’s a great weekend destination thanks to all the events.

Note: My trip to Atlanta was sponsored and supported by Hiltons of Atlanta. All opinions here, as always, are my own.

from Cheapr Travels https://ift.tt/31GFtoZ via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Cheapr Travels

0 notes

topfygad · 5 years ago

Text

LGBTQ Atlanta – A Gay Guy’s Weekend Guide to Atlanta

Check out my gay guide to Atlanta below.

—AD—

Plan a trip to Atlanta during Atlanta Pride!

Stay at The American Hotel Atlanta Downtown – a DoubleTree by Hilton to be close to all the action.

What to do in Atlanta

Celebrating pride at the World of Coca-Cola gift shop #loveislove

Up close and personal with a whale shark at the Georgia Aquarium

The Aquarium also participates in important conservation effort around the world; they are the only aquarium in North America to house rescued whale sharks.

Inside Atlanta’s museum for civil rights

The center also features an exhibition on civil and human rights movements from around the world, touching on women’s rights, LGBTQ equality, and other crises in modern human history.

See more recommendations on what to do in Atlanta in this helpful guide from Hilton.

Where to eat, drink, and party in Atlanta

BBQ with all the fixin’s at Sweet Auburn BBQ

Exploring the gayborhood of Atlanta

Biscuits & gravy for brunch at Joy Café

A blurry night out at Sister Louisa’s queer bar

Where to stay

Out by the pool at The American Hotel

Mid-century modern design in The American Hotel

Atlanta is a buzzing city with some of the region’s best LGBTQ nightlife, bars, and clubs. It’s a great weekend destination thanks to all the events.

Note: My trip to Atlanta was sponsored and supported by Hiltons of Atlanta. All opinions here, as always, are my own.

source http://cheaprtravels.com/lgbtq-atlanta-a-gay-guys-weekend-guide-to-atlanta/

0 notes