Las Vegas will keep your secrets; Austin will accept them under the guise of being weird.
Austin welcomes those who have the urge to “get their weird on” and offers venues for the diverse factions formed from the unique lifestyle.
Mayor of Weird, Leslie Cochran
Leslie is a cross-dressing homeless man that is frequently seen on Sixth Street. He is quite intelligent and kind according to most people that meet him. A close acquaintance of mine encountered him on a hot Austin day and decided to give him a beer and a freezer pack for his neck to help keep him cool. He was polite and thanked her for the gesture.
He is most famous for running for Mayor in 1999. He stood at the podium to give a speech decked in proper attire from the waist up but as he stepped down he revealed a pink tutu in full Leslie fashion.
Meeting Leslie always brings a story to “normal” lives and people post their encounters with him, like I just did. He definitely is in the running for most famous homeless man and helps keep Austin’s “weird” vibe solid.
The Museum of Weird on Sixth
Maybe it is not an accident Leslie frequents Sixth Street, he involuntarily advertises the relics of the Museum of Weird located there. It features shrunken heads, monstrosities, spook shows and magic acts. If you buy a t-shirt, your admission is free, but you may just see enough weird walking the streets of South Austin.