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CA: We're a big enough state that the answer can be meaningfully different for different demographics of LGBTQ+s.
SF from my forays up there seems to have a lot of middle-aged and older gay guys. LA is obviously more the younger, glamorous crowd. Oakland/Berkeley seem much more overtly leftist than SF (or LA for that matter), so I'd imagine are more desirable for people in smaller, more under-represented LGBTQ+ identities or who are more into the activist side of things. And then Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo (college towns) might be ideal if you want a smaller town with a sort of hippie-ish environment, although I don't know if they have "scenes" per se.
Worst among the bigger cities are probably Fresno and Bakersfield (the counties are red despite the cities being good-sized, and oil/agriculture don't typically attract progressive types).
1. Birmingham (by a mile). The ONLY city in the state with a perfect 100 scorecard from the HRC. Active organization (https://www.centralalabamapride.org/) with an annual Pride celebration and parade, going on 43 years... first festival was held in 1980, the longest in the state. First parade was held in 1989 (amazing YouTube video here: Out in the South -- First Gay Pride March in Birmingham, Alabama (1989). Also the only gay choir in the state (Steel City Mens Chorus). Strong ally in Mayor Randall Woodfin. Home of the Magic City Acceptance Academy, an LGBTQ-affirming charter school that just opened last year. Only openly-gay member of the state house (District 54) lives here in the city. Several neighborhoods with sizeable gay populations (Crestwood, Forest Park, Avondale, 5 Points / Southside). No specific gay nightlife district, although the 4 gay bars / clubs are relatively close to each other in and around Lakeview.
2. Mobile (just guessing here)
3 & 4. Auburn and Tuscaloosa? Mainly for their setting as large college towns.
5. Huntsville? (distant). Only putting it here since it's now the state's largest city. Quick Google search indicates that Rocket City Pride is celebrating its 10th year.
Disclaimer: Fellow Alabamans (or visitors), help me out here. Obviously I'm completely biased and my writeup focuses on the city I live in. I don't really experience LGBT culture in other areas of the state, so I'd love to find out I'm wrong about some of these.
I agree with the list, I hate to admit it lol but Birmingham probably does do better than Mobile when it comes to LGBTQ, though I don’t think Mobile is that far behind. Mobile does have several LGBTQ Mardi Gras organizations including the Order of Osiris, which has been around since 1982 and draws in 1000s every year for their large Mardi Gras Ball. Mobile also has the state’s only lesbian bar (can’t remember the name of it). Theres also LGBTQ members that have been looking to join Mobile politics, with I believe 3 of them trying to join the city council last year. The city has also been trying to put more attention on the LGBTQ community by hiring members as liaisons
I agree with the list, I hate to admit it lol but Birmingham probably does do better than Mobile when it comes to LGBTQ, though I don’t think Mobile is that far behind. Mobile does have several LGBTQ Mardi Gras organizations including the Order of Osiris, which has been around since 1982 and draws in 1000s every year for their large Mardi Gras Ball. Mobile also has the state’s only lesbian bar (can’t remember the name of it). Theres also LGBTQ members that have been looking to join Mobile politics, with I believe 3 of them trying to join the city council last year. The city has also been trying to put more attention on the LGBTQ community by hiring members as liaisons
Good stuff, IW. Yeah, Mardi Gras was a big reason I figured Mobile was #2, in addition to the bar scene.
Texas would probably be top heavy with DFW, Houston and Austin duking it out for the top.
DFW would probably win because of the bigger LGBT population. I think it has the best intact gay neighborhoods in the state
Houston used to have a strong gayberhood and an openly gay Mayor. For a while Houston had the biggest gay parade in the state but I don't know if that is still the case. Also, I'm not sure if they still have the splash festival in Galveston. It was especially popular for gay black folks.
Austin had the best gay PR for a while. Especially since it had the more urban, preppy, hippy scene. Very popular among Whites, but not the best among minorities.
San Antonio is a strong 4th and is the one in most certain of its ranking.
CA: We're a big enough state that the answer can be meaningfully different for different demographics of LGBTQ+s.
SF from my forays up there seems to have a lot of middle-aged and older gay guys. LA is obviously more the younger, glamorous crowd. Oakland/Berkeley seem much more overtly leftist than SF (or LA for that matter), so I'd imagine are more desirable for people in smaller, more under-represented LGBTQ+ identities or who are more into the activist side of things. And then Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo (college towns) might be ideal if you want a smaller town with a sort of hippie-ish environment, although I don't know if they have "scenes" per se.
Worst among the bigger cities are probably Fresno and Bakersfield (the counties are red despite the cities being good-sized, and oil/agriculture don't typically attract progressive types).
You forgot perhaps the biggest destination, pound for pound: Palm Springs
Texas would probably be top heavy with DFW, Houston and Austin duking it out for the top.
DFW would probably win because of the bigger LGBT population. I think it has the best intact gay neighborhoods in the state
Houston used to have a strong gayberhood and an openly gay Mayor. For a while Houston had the biggest gay parade in the state but I don't know if that is still the case. Also, I'm not sure if they still have the splash festival in Galveston. It was especially popular for gay black folks.
Austin had the best gay PR for a while. Especially since it had the more urban, preppy, hippy scene. Very popular among Whites, but not the best among minorities.
San Antonio is a strong 4th and is the one in most certain of its ranking.
I guess I should list Galveston as 5.
Dallas has the best intact gay neighborhood, not DFW broadly. I would never recommend Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, etc for visitors looking for LGBT establishments. Strictly Dallas.
I'll just add this for North Carolina, which is probably true elsewhere but here goes.
Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Wilmington, Asheville, Boone, Greenville, and apparently Nags Head (don't ask, I've just "heard", I'm guessing it's more the older/retiree crowd) are at worst, okay places to live if you are LGBTQ. I suppose places like Cullowhee (Western Carolina University), Davidson (Davidson College), Cary, and High Point are probably "okay" at worst as well. Some are better than others, but these are the population centers and/or college towns, which again ties in to the whole "same as every other state" mantra.
Anywhere else in the state not mentioned or not near the mentioned cities, is probably going to be at best, questionable. Sorry for not ranking these but I don't know how to. But anyone familiar with North Carolina should agree that this is a good starting point
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