Being buried together as families is tradition within heterosexual families and having a gay section in the cemetery is another way for LGBT people to remain together as community, Suggs said.
“With so many people having children, adopting children, this seemed like a natural progression,” he said. “Being surrounded by family is important to many.”
Suggs said the only other known gay cemetery is in Denmark and was opened in 2008. Denmark was also the first country to legally recognize gay civil unions in 1989.
In Atlanta, the gay section of the Crest Lawn Memorial Park will include space for internment as well as urns of those who are cremated, Suggs said. How many plots will be available are now known yet.
Currently, an architect is making renderings for the section and once those are complete more information on how large and what the section will look like will be made known, Suggs said.
Top photo: Plans are underway to have a gay section of Crest Lawn cemetery in Atlanta that includes a view of the city’s skyline. (courtesy photo)