In this book gays anda lesbian from the Deep South to East Texas and Appalachia speak from vivid personal experience and turn an analytical eye on the South and its culture. Some contributors examine the power of traditional Southern attitudes toward race and religion, and consider the don't ask, don't tell attitude about homosexuality in some communities (the public secret). Other contributors show how gay culture is thriving in the form of women's festivals, gay bars, and unusual networks such as that of Asian and Pacific Islanders in Atlanta.
"Out in the South" is organized into sections that focus on a central metaphor of space and location. This grounds the book in the sense of the South as a special region and in the inside/outside dilemma faced by many gay and lesbian Southerners as they negotiate their place in an often-inhospitable homeland."