We Love Our Nation’s Gay-Friendly Cities!
Sure, it makes sense that the big liberal cities like New York and San Francisco are havens for gay people, but I had no idea about these smaller cities!
The nationwide legalization of gay marriage, formation of anti-discrimination laws, and steady crumbling of homophobia have all contributed to making the U.S. more inclusive and a better place to live for everyone. All of this progress has led to a dramatic change in where gay people, couples, and communities choose to settle.
While we still might be struggling with pizza shops in Indiana refusing service to the LGBT community, bigoted politicians in Texas, or citizens like Kim Davis undermining the law and refusing marriage licenses to men and women in love, the nation as a whole has undergone massive adjustments when it comes to its perspective and understanding of equal rights. Some cities in our country have been more proactive than others in embracing the gay community, and these gay havens have reaped the benefits of diversity, the pink dollar, and (let’s be honest) some good taste.
Forget L.A. and the other run of the mill towns, there are a multitude of cities making progress and exhibiting surprisingly gay-friendly tendencies!
Don’t forget to SHARE your pride for these cities!
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Start the slideshow below to see if your hometown made the list.
1. Arlington, VA
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While Arlington will never be the gay mecca that is D.C., the neighboring city has its own special offerings for the LGBT community. Three LGBT elected officials AND a gay rodeo association? For these reasons and more, in 2014, the new gay favorite was rated number 10 on The Advocate‘s “Gayest Cities” in America.
2. Honolulu, HI
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Given the vistas and natural beauty of the archipelago, it’s no surprise that the island paradise would garner one of the biggest LGBT populations in the country. Statewide, Hawaii has one of the largest gay populations in the country, with 5.1 percent identifying as LGBT (the national average is about 3.5 percent). Honolulu also measured 4th in the nation for the fewest Anti-LGBT groups in their city. The city has also reported least number of hate crimes related to LGBT issues in the U.S. Maybe everyone’s just more relaxed out there?
3. Houston
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Houston may be a tiny blue dot in the sea of red that is Texas, but this multicultural city, now the 3rd largest in the nation, has an extremely strong gay population that continues to grow each year. Houston is currently the largest city with a lesbian mayor, incumbent Annise Parker. Houston also recently made NerdWallet’s top 20 LGBT-friendliest American cities, one of the reasons being that it has proven itself as the Texan city with the most gay-friendly employers. The city’s broad cultural intake and ethnic diversity also help to build a solid foundation of acceptance and eclecticism. Yee-haw, cowboy!
4. Dayton, OH
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Rated this year’s “Queerest City in America” by The Advocate, Dayton has plenty to offer the LGBT community in terms of culture and inclusion. Not only does Dayton provide trans-inclusive nondiscrimination laws, but the theatre scene in the city is hopping, with an impressive list of Broadway shows coming to town every year. The downtown and South Park neighborhoods of the city, locally described as “the fruit loop”, is where most of the action takes place and where many of the city’s gay bars are located. Allegedly people from all over the state to visit one of the city’s biggest clubs called Masque, named one of the top 50 in the U.S.
5. Atlanta, GA
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The gay epicenter of the South, ATL attracts all those below the Mason Dixon line looking for a truly cosmopolitan, gay-friendly home to call their own. Like Houston, its surroundings may be quite conservative, but Atlanta boasts one of the strongest infrastructures of gay rights organizations in the country. With the 19th largest gay population in the nation, a massive support system for people living with HIV/AIDS, two LGBT choirs, a gay gun club, incredible bars, festivals, arts districts and more, it’s no surprise this city has ended up on The Advocate‘s “gayest cities” list several times over.
6. Chattanooga, TN
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Not all of your southern stereotypes need apply when it comes to Chattanooga. With more of a large town feeling than that of a big city, Choo Choo has a sizable gay population, and for good reason, too. Chattanooga recently became the second city in Tennessee to approve benefits for employees in domestic partnerships, and they also have the nation’s highest number of LGBT local and state politicians relative to the city’s population.
7. Las Vegas, NV
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Vegas isn’t only a party paradise for the straight population; Sin City is also a veritable playground for all those in the LGBT community looking for some extra sunshine and some exciting times on the strip. Not only are they coming in droves to party from out of town, but they’re hanging their hats and buying the inexpensive real-estate. Las Vegas ties at #14 for gay population in the city with 4.3 percent of the residents reporting as gay or lesbian. Now that gay marriage is legalized, you can bet that those little white chapels will see their fair share of same-sex shotguns weddings!
8. Des Moines, IA
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The capital of Iowa and the most populated city in the state, many might be surprised to find that the nation’s “insurance centre” is also pretty hip, with progressive politics and an ever-growing gay population. The “dark horse” of their list, Des Moines was rated #4 on Vocativ’s “Queer Index” of most LGBT friendly cities in the U.S. based on everything from LGBT population and number of “gayborhood” businesses to their several openly gay politicians.
9. Worcester, MA
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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
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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.