![]() ![]() He was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and lived in Birmingham, Alabama, as a young man, making frequent trips to Atlanta to experiment with visits to gay clubs. He died March 9, 1980, of an overdose of Placidyl.Īll these events happened long before Padgett, 51, arrived in Atlanta. Explore Flashback photos: 50 years of Atlanta Prideīut behind his suit-and-tie appearance, Smith was living on the edge, abusing prescription drugs and operating a male escort service. In the meantime Bill Smith, who shielded his sexuality from his parents by maintaining a usually Platonic relationship with girlfriend Diane Hughes, represented a different approach.Ĭopying the tactics of the civil rights movement, he led the Gay Liberation Front, helped organize the city’s first Gay Pride march in 1971, organized protest gatherings, urged boycotts, wrote editorials and presented demands to the new African American mayor Maynard Jackson.
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