PLACES TO VISIT

Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse. A friendly gay and lesbian community bookstore in Midtown offering books, movies, music, gifts. The perfect hangout.

Piedmont Park. A centrally located park typically teeming with visitors who reflect the city's diversity, and a venue for musical performances, festivals and movies "screened on the green."

The Breaking Point. A new "alternative bar and grill" in Marietta; Bulldogs, a longtime men's bar in the heart of Atlanta; and My Sister's Room, a warm, roomy space for women in Decatur.

SERVICES AND SUPPORT

The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Center. The oldest such organization in Atlanta offers a wide range of services and resources. 170 11th Street, Atlanta, 30308. 404-874-9890, www.aglc.org

YouthPride. Focuses on help for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered teens. 302 E. Howard Ave., Decatur, 30030. 404-378-7722, www.youthpride.org

PFLAG (Parents-Families-Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Atlanta Chapter is a support group dedicated to helping parents who have lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered children. The group meets monthly, maintains a speakers bureau and provides scholarships to openly gay students. P.O. Box 8482, Atlanta, 31106. 770-662-6475, www.pflagatl.org

Atlanta Executive Network. Meets monthly for gay and lesbian businesspeople, with a speech by a political, arts or community leader. 1447 Peachtree St., Suite 300, Atlanta, 30309. 404-724-9008, www.aen.org

AID Atlanta Inc. Offers services for people with HIV, including those with addiction or mental health issues. 1438 W. Peachtree St. N.W., Suite 100, Atlanta, 30309. 404-870-7700, www.aidatlanta.org

NAGS - Northlake Alliance of Gays/Lesbians and Straights. A group of gay and straight Northlake Area residents holding social events and participating in some community action. NAGSAtlanta@yahoo.com or 404-327-9633, www.geocities.com/nagsatlanta

Georgia Equality. Statewide nonpartisan political lobbying group. P.O. Box 78351, Atlanta, 30357. 404-327-9898, www.georgiaequality.org

Atlanta Freethought Society. Nonprofit educational organization that exists to provide a community for nontheists in Atlanta. P.O. Box 813392, Smyrna, 30081. 770-641-2903, www.atlantafreethought.org

The Murphy-Hope House. Provides gay and lesbian wedding services and a religious retreat center. 2465 Nuckolls Road, Cumming 30041. 678-947-5002, www.weddingbellz.com