The beginning of February signals both the pinnacle and the finale of football here in the United States. While the regular season brought us many surprises (My Packers not making it anywhere close to the playoffs), the post-season was even more tumultuous. Everything comes down to a single game; this year held in the beautiful city of Atlanta. Did you know that this game almost didn’t happen? In 2016, Georgia legislators introduced HB757, a “Religious Liberty” bill that aimed to limit LGBT rights in the state. Thankfully, many different organizations stood up to supporters of this bill. Hollywood, the NBA, and the Human Rights Campaign all voiced their opposition to such legislation. The NFL even threatened to pull the 2019 Super Bowl from the state if the legislation passed. The threats worked and the Governor of Georgia vetoed the bill. As a gay man and an avid sports lover, it excites and empowers me to see the organizations that I love stand up to hate and make a direct difference in our lives.

This year should be a very exciting Super Bowl. While neither the Patriots or the Rams feature any “out” LGBT players, there are many NFL players who have previously voiced their support for having an LGBT teammate. I can’t see very many more years passing without the NFL having multiple proud-and-out LGBT players. In addition to the game, the halftime show features Maroon 5 and guests. Heartthrob Adam Levine is a known LGBT ally (as if he could be any more attractive) and Maroon 5 famously cancelled shows in North Carolina after a similar discrimination law was passed. The 2019 Super Bowl is not free of its own controversy, but seeing large organizations such as the NFL and NBA stand up to LGBT discrimination is a step in the right direction to end homophobia in sports and sport culture. I wish everyone an enjoyable Super Bowl week. May your team be victorious, may your commercials be funny, and may your halftime show be entertaining. For those of you in the City of Atlanta during the game, here’s some of my favorite places to visit.

Best Place for Brunch:

Henry’s Midtown Tavern

132 10th Street NE

Henry’s has an amazing brunch and an even better patio (for before or after the game). They have all of the classic brunch staples and many other options to fill you up. Definitely try the parmesan fries if you get the chance. This place also has plenty of drinks to start your day off right. Henry’s is located just a few blocks from Piedmont Park, which is a great place to walk around after a lengthy brunch.

Best Place to Get Outdoors:

Piedmont Park

400 Park Drive NE

Piedmont Park is a beautiful area with wide open space for getting active. There are plenty of open fields for a pickup football game, plenty of trails for a quick run, and even a dog park for your furry friend. Piedmont Park is a fantastic place to burn off that brunch and make up for all that food you’ll eat during the big game.

Best Place to Watch the Game:

Woofs on Piedmont

2524 Piedmont Road NE

This is the best gay sports bar I’ve ever visited. The atmosphere at Woofs is great for the avid sports lover and they have plenty of screens to watch the big game. They have a large selection of food and plenty of drink specials to make sure you and your team are highly satisfied. Having attractive bartenders doesn’t hurt either 😉

Steven Twidwell

Super Bowl LIII | Get It Hotlanta