9. Worcester, MA
Source: Wikipedia/Terageorge
If Arlington is the gay little brother of D.C., then Worcester, MA is the lesbian little sister of Boston. If you still want the strong culture (and LGBT-friendly) vibe of Beantown, but would prefer some small-town beauty, the second-largest city in New England might be a perfect fit. With an LGBT population of 4.4%, this beautiful Boston suburb ranks high in the nation. Also, Massachusetts has been recognizing gay marriage since May 2004– the first state in the U.S. to do so, and about a decade ahead of the rest of the nation. The city of seven hills is also home to the LGBT Asylum Support Task Force, which helps those seeking political asylum in the U.S. who are at risk of harm in other countries due to their sexual orientation.
Although Worcester is more of a college town than a city, its real attraction is its New England beauty. In terms of a bumping gay scene, it won’t measure up to Boston, Providence, and Provincetown, three of the nation’s biggest gay meccas, but they’re just a hop, skip and a jump away. Be in the center of it all!
10. Salt Lake City, UT
Credit: Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Don’t let the last city on our list surprise you too much. While “jaws dropped” when The Advocate named this city their No. 1 “Gayest City in America” a few years back, there’s far more to Salt Lake than the Mormon church (they also don’t have the majority of the population there, unlike the rest of the state). With 4.7 percent of the city’s population now identifying as LGBT, the Utah state capital comes in number 7 in the U.S. according to a a Gallup poll released this year– and the population only seems to be growing.
Over the last 15 years since its inception, the gay pride parade has grown from 4,000 in attendance to over 35,000, becoming the 2nd largest parade in the state. Salt Lake City was also the first municipality in the state to pass anti-discrimination ordinances based on sexual orientation.