Diversity a point of pride for East Point

By April Hunt

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

City financial struggles and political infighting have tarnished East Point’s reputation in recent years.

But the south Fulton County city has drawn praise for its embrace of an influx of gay residents. Some even wonder if East Point is becoming the new Decatur: an intown community that is part metro-chic and part Mayberry.

“Politics are everywhere, but the people here are unique,” said Rick Westbrook, who moved to East Point with his partner 12 years ago. “I can pick up the phone at 3 a.m. and get a phone tree going because an elderly neighbor has a tree that needs to be chopped up. We are all neighbors.”

Some of those older, straight neighbors recently repaid the favor. They were among those cheering Westbrook on during his heavily made-up stint as Shenitta Lott, the drag alter ego he created as a founder of the East Point Possums show.

The four-hour drag show recently drew more than 1,500 people to East Point Commons -- some from as far away as Tennessee and Florida -- and raised more than $10,000 for charity.

“I can tell it’s different kinds of people here, but everybody is just here to have fun,” said Carol Paul, a retired nurse who watched the show with her husband, Paul, and their twin 20-month-old grandchildren, Shannon and Brandon. “You don’t have to worry about people judging.”

Such a sentiment wasn’t a foregone conclusion when young professionals -- many of them gay -- began moving into the city about 15 years ago.

Nearly 7,000 newcomers arrived over a decade, pushing the population to an estimated 43,000 people now.

The numbers helped elect two openly gay City Council members in the 1990s but also drew a backlash from mostly black, older residents who feared what the change would mean for a blue-collar city facing decline.

Those challenges helped unite residents in a way that nothing else could.

“The thing I noticed was you would see African-Americans, white, gay, straight people all concerned about their neighborhood and making the community a better place,” said state Sen. Vincent Fort, who represents the city. “People forgot their differences when they realized they had more in common.”

Urban planners long have theorized as much. Decatur put the theory to the test.

When that DeKalb County city hit a rough patch two decades ago, it responded by announcing that it wanted people to move in and feel comfortable, no matter how they defined their families.

Gays and lesbians got the message and moved to Decatur. The shift created some tension with longtime residents.

But just as planners predicted, the city also began to draw the attention of young professionals who valued change. And there followed an influx of businesses such as the now nationally known Brick Store Pub.

“In a lot of ways, it can be risky to embrace diversity because it means embracing new ways of doing things,” said Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss. “But that’s what draws in the risk takers who can change your whole city.”

The trickle-down effect has begun in East Point. Mike Rabb opened the East Point Corner Tavern downtown eight years ago as a place where the community could gather for a drink, a meal or a few games of pool.

Flanked by a soul food eatery and other shops, it has become a nightly hot spot for residents. And its tolerant attitude earned it a nomination by readers of the newspaper GA Voice as one of the best gay bars outside of Atlanta -- even though it's not a gay bar.

"If the economy hadn't gone down, East Point would be Decatur by now," Rabb said. "It has a great downtown, great people, MARTA line. It's all here."

Those factors lured Chris and Keri Bulloch to buy a home in East Point eight years ago.

Now parents to 2 ½-year-old Elliott, they worry only about the school system if they stay.

“I love the city. I love the location,” Chris Bulloch said. “We all want to see the city move forward.”

That falls to East Point leaders, who have adopted policies to try to catch up with residents’ attitudes.

East Point became the second city in Georgia to offer domestic partner benefits to those in both gay and heterosexual relationships in 2005.

The city charter says East Point will not adopt any laws that intentionally discriminate against gays and lesbians.

There are even some local laws that include protection for gay residents, such as a taxi ordinance that makes it unlawful for a hack not to pick up someone based on sexual orientation.

“There is no way I will ever vote for any legislation that discriminates against anyone, and for sure, most people in East Point feel that way,” Mayor Earnestine Pittman said. “People are fiercely proud of East Point for that.”

It also creates one of the few areas of political harmony. Pittman often finds herself at odds with openly gay Councilman Lance Rhodes, yet they were allies on the domestic partnership vote years ago.

The two are also the ones most likely to snipe at each other during meetings, yet Pittman recently asked where she could find a gay pride flag for her to fly.

“The citizens have started to dictate that inclusiveness to the council,” Rhodes said. “In a smaller community, people see the value of their neighbors.”