It's where kitschy theme nights feature the likes of a Double-Dutch jump rope battle or dressing up as your favorite Frenchie for Bastille Day. Mary's, named for the campy term of endearment among some gay men, is a self-described dive bar known mostly for its karaoke. Better than the New York clubs where Lindsay Lohan was known to jump on stage and sing (pre-breakdown, of course). with guest lists and lines of wannabes at the door. The best gay bar in the country? As in, better than the swank spots in L.A. Logo, a cable channel geared to the gay community, last month named Mary's the best gay bar in the country. The word about good times at Mary's has apparently gotten out. 'We're not here for the men, and they're not interested in us,' one woman says, explaining why she and her friends - all straight - headed out to a gay bar in the East Atlanta Village for the night.
They sidestep an East Atlanta local who walks down in a baseball cap to grab a beer. They push through a throng of white and black gay men deep in conversation about the presidential election. The women walk past a transgender woman waiting to sing Elton John at karaoke. It's nearing midnight on Saturday, and a gaggle of women in trendy dresses snake their way through Mary's bar in a cloud of perfume and make-up.
