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The Advocate reports, “Logo’s A List is now extending its series to Dallas and a recent poll commissioned by Equality Texas found that 88 percent of registered voters in Texas support the expansion of gay rights including anti-bullying legislation, 69 percent support anti-discrimination measures for transgender citizens, and 42 percent support the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Austin’s often thought of as the most open-minded city in Texas, but according to a 2007 TIME magazine profile, the state’s “lavender heart” is actually found in Dallas. Website The Daily Beast also picked Dallas as one of the “top gayest cities” in the United States. Reasons include the fact that members of the LGBT community hold prominent positions (the county sheriff, Lupe Valdez, is a lesbian), as well as that the city hosts the Cathedral of Hope, the world’s biggest Christian congregation with mostly LGBT outreach.
Those are interesting facts about Dallas, but 42% in support of the legalization of same-sex marriage is actually far below the national average (which is at 54% now)
Those are interesting facts about Dallas, but 42% in support of the legalization of same-sex marriage is actually far below the national average (which is at 54% now)
We have one of the largest gay populations in the country living here. If that 50+% of support were a true number, we'd have nationwide gay marriage legalization by now. I think both of those stats are likely inflated.
What exactly do you find to be not gay friendly about Boston? Have you been here? I can get married here, but it seems to me I can't get married anywhere you listed except D.C.
To clarify: I don't think that Boston is gay UN-friendly. I just don't think it's in the top 3 of "gay friendliest". Yes, I've been to Boston as well as the other cities I mentioned.
In terms of "gay life", I just think that the others seem to have a more vibrant gay community (in my experience).
I know you can get married in Boston, and I think it is excellent (and I hope the courts soon overturn the odious Prop 8 here in California). But that (to me at least) is not the only test, or even primary test, of "gay-friendliest" cities.
Apologies for the confusion, Boston is a great city. When I think of gay communities, however, Boston does not rank in my top 3, although P-Town might.
To me, being gay friendly isn't about there just being a ton of gay people around or there being a marriage law.
It's about being able to just be who you are (amongst all kinds of people, not just all kinds of gay people or all kinds of liberals) and being left alone to live your life the way you see fit. That's what we've found here. We have only a couple of gay friends because our sexuality has nothing to do with who we are...we choose our friends based on interests, values, occupations, history...they are mostly conservative, many are very religious, some are older, some are younger, some are super liberal, some are bible beaters, some are divorced, most are married...we all love each other and get along.
THAT is a gay friendly area. To me. Bragging about being 'gay friendly' when it's wall-to-wall gay people everywhere is kinda silly.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Originally Posted by jfightin
I'm curious what everyone thinks are the most gay-friendly cities in the U.S. Three obvious contenders come to mind for me. Boston, NYC, and San Francisco.
The irony is if you switched the words around to Friendly Gays, Boston, NYC, San Francisco, and just throw in DC, Miami, and LA for good measure would have some of the most UNFriendly gays one could ever come across. There are of course some friendly gays in those cities, but very often there is an attitude so thick within the gay communities of these top tier cities, they seem to have an unfounded sense of entitlement. And some of the friendliest gays I've come across where one would walk into a gay bar and break the ice to make conversation without having standoffish spoiled queen look at you like you have 10 heads for having the nerve to engage conversation with them would be......
Atlanta (very very large gay community)
Austin
San Antonio
Denver
Of course these are my subjective opinions based on my own experiences and observations and there are some obvious exceptions to them but times are changing, and I even found cities like Albuquerque and Saint Louis to be gay friendly. I've found most major cities across the country to be accommodating as a gay man, and the ones that arn't the usual suspects tend to have some of the friendliest strangers I've encountered. To name off the usual suspects such as NY or SF is well "yawn", takes me back to the early 90's.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 07-06-2011 at 10:15 PM..
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jfightin
IBoston because I've lived here for 5 years as an openly gay male, and I've never had a problem with harassment or anything. It's not uncommon to see homosexual couples holding hands or embracing publicly in multiple neighborhoods. It also has two fairly well known gayborhoods (the South End and Jamaica Plan) where it is almost strange to NOT be gay. Massachusetts is also the first state to allow gay marriage and is a model for the entire country on LGBTQ rights.
I'm looking forward to hearing arguments for these or any other cities!
What I like about Massachusetts is my partner and I don't feel the need to live in Boston or a big city to feel we're in a safe environement. I could live in just about any small town, city, or suburb in Mass, even rural parts of Western Mass. and feel perfectly comfortable about being openly gay. One could find a a safe and inviting environment for gays to live in in pretty much any big city in the US, but I do like how places like Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont are collectively safe and open for the most part in rural, urban, and suburban areas.
To go a bit on the oddball Iowa City, Iowa. It's a college town, it's in a state that allows gay marriage, and it apparently has some percentage of gay couples.
Or maybe Santa Fe, New Mexico. It doesn't allow same-sex marriage, but it has no amendment against it and it apparently has a noteworthy gay population. Seattle is in a state that has "call it anything except marriage" which apparently gives about the same rights.
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Location: St Simons Island, GA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DynamoLA
Boston is not an "obvious contender" in my mind.
D.C., L.A., ATL, New Orleans, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale would all be more "gay-friendly" in my opinion (speaking as a gay male).
Of course I think the city with the highest percentage of gay people is actually Palm Springs.
This straight woman would agree with your list; I would say Fort Lauderdale in particular, as it has the Wilton Manors neighborhood. The city of WM has a gay mayor, and I recently read that of 100 businesses that line its' main drag (Wilton Manors Drive), 99 are gay owned.
I would add Portland, OR and Seattle, WA to the list.
How do you define gay "friendly"? I generally use the criterion that I don't see anyone flinch when they learn I am gay (in other words, where I feel very comfortable just living my normal every day life free of judgement). Using that criterion, with a couple of exceptions I have pretty much found the urban core of nearly every US city of any size is gay-friendly. There are parts of the country where I find this friendliness extends further from the core. For example, living in Philly, I find being gay is "no big deal" anywhere I go in the metro. In contrast, when in living Houston I saw less acceptance (i.e., not hostility but more "flinching") once I left the core and went into the suburbs. Although not always an accurate measure, I'd get ahold of one of those red/purple/blue county maps, as I believe there is a correlation in most instances between the depth of blue and gay-friendliness. Caveat: For those who disagree with my theory, feel free.
Finally, there is a threshold between gay-friendly and gay-centric places. These are the handful of towns where to me it feels glbt folks seem on pretty equal footing in terms of actually running the town. By running the town, I don't means places with "just" elected glbt officials. I mean places where there are a majority (or at least sizable) number of glbt business owners, developers. etc. who pull the strings. Based on my travels, these handful of places include P'town, Rehoboth Beach, Key West and Palm Springs. Again, just sharing perspective, so for anyone who cares to disagree, add more places, etc., feel free.
Last edited by Pine to Vine; 07-07-2011 at 08:04 AM..
Reason: correct typo
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