Which kind of gay person is happier? Your rural gays like Georgia boy Uncle Poodle, or your slick and pretty city boys like Atlanta’s recently released news hunk Brandon Rudat? 

If you go by a study cited in a recent Slate piece, it would be Honey Boo Boo's drag bingo lovin' Uncle Poodle, and not in spite of, but because he lives in the country. Does Rudat and the rest of intown need to find new motivation?

Slate cites a recent paper from this month's Journal of Homosexuality. It says there is “little support for the premise that rural living is incompatible with the needs and wants of gay men and lesbians.” FYI, the Journal of Heterosexuality changed names several years back and is now known as Maxim.

“Rural areas,” the study continues, “are no less conducive to gay people’s well being, as reflected in self-reports of happiness, health and work satisfaction, than are urban areas.”

However, some factors, including a small sample size, make the study's results slightly questionable. But as the Slate writer points out, “this research is useful at least as a challenge to the city>country assumption that prevails in the gay community.”

There is some credence disputing the notion that some have in Atlanta that all ITP folks are forward thinking, rainbow flag waving champions for gayness and all those OTP are backward, rebel flag waving warriors for heteronormality. Numbers from a Williams Institute analysis of the 2010 census showing that three of the top five Georgia counties with the highest ratio of same-sex households are in North Georgia: Fannin, Gilmer and Rabun.

There are plays with uppity gay kids in North Georgia. And gay campgrounds in South Georgia. And anyone who's been up to Blue Ridge will spot “family” left and right. Even if it's not exactly “The Fabulous Beekman Boys” meets “Green Acres” in a well-financed, highly produced dream sequence (photo), the new stats on country livin' could add yet another gay equality metro Atlanta fail.

So that shudder you city gays feel as you go outside the perimeter? Might want to consider tamping it down a scoach.