every time I went out beyond Atlanta's periphery I felt like I was going to get whacked just for looking queer.

When were you last in Atlanta? If it's been ten years then boy the city has changed. The Midtown area is a LOT larger and most of the outlying communities now have a similar vibe. One of the many reasons I love it here. Although I consider myself straight people usually tag me as "ambiguously gay", so I tend to be sensitive to hostile vibes.