Georgia is barely ahead of Mississippi as a top destination for gay travelers, and ranks behind such states as Alaska, Nebraska, West Virginia and both Dakotas, according to a list compiled by the gay travel franchise Spartacus.

The Peach State checks in at No. 41 on the Spartacus list, which grades states based on eight categories: anti-gay discrimination laws, marriage equality, adoption laws, LGBT marketing, the same age of consent for heteros and gays, religious influence, anti-gay laws and whether the locals are hostile.

Age of consent? Adoption laws? What kind of tourism is Spartacus promoting?

The Spartacus list hints at a larger issue: the tenets of the gay rights movement (marriage, anti-discrimination laws, adoption, etc.) don’t necessarily jive with the quality of life experienced by LGBT individuals across the country.

While Georgia might not be the most evolved state, anyone living in metro Atlanta would probably take offense with our bottom-of-the-barrel ranking. You might not be able to marry in the ATL, but you can have the time of your life while visiting and searching for Mr. Right (such as at next Saturday’s Fenuxe Best Bachelor Party!).

I have a hard time believing that a gay tourist would have a queerer time in Maryland or Iowa than he would in Midtown Atlanta.

The Spartacus Top 10 is weighted with east coast states, with New York leading the pack, followed by Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Oregon, Illinois, Maine, Maryland and California. Joining Georgia at the bottom of the list are Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Idaho, Montana, South Carolina, Utah, North Carolina and … drumroll for last place … Alabama.