Gay friendly cities

[thewack]

Cities in the Pacific Northwest to my knowledge are gay friendly. Portland and Seattle especially.

[waccamatt]

Thank you kindly for your feedback.  Is there a reason that a mostly "commercial" neighborhood could not be considered gay-friendly?  The statistics are built from the data that describe the residents of the neighborhood, even if they are close to (or even surrounded by) commercial development.  I am not sure one pours in and the other pours out.  Thank you again for your comments on it.  It is a work in progress.  Best,  Drew

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Well, typically, commercial areas are not really "neighborhoods".

[mjtinmemphis]

The midwest is a horrible place that is overwhelmingly conservative. Chicago is the only exception and it is a brilliant city, belongs on the East coast. Who brought St. Loius up, just another empty deserted conservative semi urban place, certainly not gay friendly at all. Speaking from experience. Aspirations in St. Louis are moving away to Chicago.

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The midwest is nothing like the east coast. Chicago belongs right where it is. People of Chicago lack the sophistication of the east coast so lets not go there.

St. Louis is pretty tollerant. It isn't the most liberal city. But to say that St. Louis is conservative is not true. The conservative title is something that was given to St. Louis by transplants from San Francisco, New York and Miami. A few natives just bought the label because they didn't know any better.

One of the things that I like about St. Louis it is a mind your own business type of town. People don't have to like you to give you respect. Everyone just goes on about their daily lives without caring about who you are sleeping with.

[murderingmouth]

I just recently built a search function for "Gay Friendly Neighborhoods." Here's a link to try it out: http://www.neighborhoodScout.com/option_10.jsp

Sincerely,  Drewtell

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Unfortunately, it seems there is a bug and if you are a subscriber you don't stay logged in when you attempt to access this "hidden" option10... Thus the subscriber-only features don't seem to work for this feature.

MM

[fritz]

East Coast: Boston, NYC, DC, Miami

Midwest: Minneapolis, Chicago

South: Atlanta

West Coast: SF, LA, SD, Seattle

Sometimes it is a big city such as Chicago or else a progressive educated population like Boston, Minneapolis or Seattle. I think the people in the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest tend to be the most tolerant - it must be the Scandinavian heritage?

[Chemmie]

I'm straight but often find myself living right in the center of "Gayborhoods". I've lived in a few.

Currently, I live in downtown Orlando and I will reiterate that Orlando is a great gay friendly city and is continuously growing in gay population. The downtown population of Orlando, I would guess, is near 40%. The families that live in the downtown area are very accepting. The parks, shops, clubs and cafes of downtown are also very accepting. And this isn't even talking about the tourist areas and the various gay friendly events they have going on throughout the year.

[AvianKeahi]

East Coast:  Boston, NYC, DC, Miami

Midwest:  Minneapolis, Chicago

South: Atlanta

West Coast:  SF, LA, SD, Seattle

Sometimes it is a big city such as Chicago or else a progressive educated population like Boston, Minneapolis or Seattle.  I think the people in the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest tend to be the most tolerant - it must be the Scandinavian heritage?

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Good list! I think the perception of the tolerant, generally liberal Scandinavian heritage is correct. However it also goes hand-in-hand with a stong socially "reserved" quality that is often mistaken for simple conservatism. It seems that Minneapolis-St. Paul is not perceived to be as gay-friendly as other cities on people's lists, but it certainly is.

What I think gives the MSP scene its character is that many of the GLBT activities don't center around bars and nightclubs or circuit parties, all of which tend to have a higher national profile among travelers. In the Twin Cities a lot of activity is focused on arts, social organizations and networks. There are several major GLBT arts organizations with budgets in the mid six-to-seven figures. The Twin Cities Gay Mens Chorus is among North America's largest gay choruses. The Minnesota Philharmonia (a GLBT symphony orchestra), One Voice Mixed Chorus, OutLoud!, Calliope Chorus, gay theaters, dance companies and even Miss Richfield 1981 (you may have seen her in P-Town or on gay cruises with her touring show) all contribute to the arts scene.

And the key here is that many of these arts organizations have a strong straight following. The gay community (if there really is such a thing anywhere) is fairly well integtrated into the city as a whole. As such, it probably doesn't stand out much from the larger culture. It's no big deal when the downtown business newspaper runs a feature on the drag shows at the Gay 90's nightclub or prints photos from the Pride Festival. Having anti-discrimination laws written into the City's books since 1971 has helped to make the place less volatile in dealing with hot-button issues.

Of course, that doesn't mean we can ever relax in the struggle for Equality.

Sorry, didn't mean to be long-winded!

[newdallas]

Believe it or not, Dallas is a very gay friendly city. Oak Lawn is a huge community of not only bars, but numerous gay organizations, sports clubs, AIDS/health services, and much more. The mayor was grand marshall of the pride parade a couple years ago (the year that the city passed the anti-discrimination ordinance), and she with most of the city coucil were participants this year. The mayor pro tem is openly gay, as well as one of the council members, and a transgendered woman is currently running for the city council (which she most likely will win) Dallas is also home to the Cathedral of Hope, the largest gay church in the world. I realize that Dallas is thought of as a hugely conservative city (and it is), but its always been a city that I've felt completely comfortable and accepted as a gay man.

[byonex]

Can anyone offer an opinion on Denver? It's one of the cities I'm

considering relocating to next year. I was wondering if there's a sizeable gay

population there and what the social climate is like. Thanks!

[newdallas]

Dallas will soon be getting some recognition for being a gay friendly city. The Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau with the Dallas Tavern Guild hosted a GLBT media tour which impressed the visiting journalists. You will soon be reading about us in Out, Traveler, Curve, Genre, Instinct, and Passport as being one of the top gay vacation spots in the country. The following is from the Dallas Voice...Even I was surprised about hearing this

Matt Skullerud, publisher of Gay market Guide, said that based on his trip to Dallas he is upgrading Dallas from a secondary market to the primary list. It will share space with Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York

The rest of the article can be found here.

[KRC]

Can anyone offer an opinion on Denver?  It's one of the cities I'm

considering relocating to next year.  I was wondering if there's a sizeable gay

population there and what the social climate is like.  Thanks!

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Denver does have a good sized gay community. Overall, Denver is a very socially accepting society. As with any city, particularly out west and down south, the city is much more liberal than the suburbs, but even under those conditions Colorado is better than most. Denver is a lot of fun for the outdoor type. Enjoy, you'll like it.

[AmericanUrbanDesigner]

East Coast:  Boston, NYC, DC, Miami

Midwest:  Minneapolis, Chicago

South: Atlanta

West Coast:  SF, LA, SD, Seattle

Sometimes it is a big city such as Chicago or else a progressive educated population like Boston, Minneapolis or Seattle.  I think the people in the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest tend to be the most tolerant - it must be the Scandinavian heritage?

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Add Raleigh-Durham (Carrboro has had an openly gay mayor for years) and Charlotte to the list of Southern cities...

[socaguy]

Charlotte doesnt even come close to Atlanta in being Gay-friendly. Atlanta is By far the gayest city in the South. The only city in the SE that would compare in Miami with Fort lauderdale included.

[cityboi]

I agree that Atlanta is the gay capital of the south, particularly with gay African-Americans. Atlanta welcomes all kinds of cultures, beliefs and ideas and gays are more accepted there. Thats why many gays move to Atlanta. There are more opportunities for them and they are not descriminated as much like in other cities. places like Charlotte are more conservative and religious and arent as accepting of gays. I think Charlotte is like the religion capital of the south.

[DCMetroRaleigh]

I agree that Atlanta is the gay capital of the south, particularly with gay African-Americans. Atlanta welcomes all kinds of cultures, beliefs and ideas and gays are more accepted there. Thats why many gays move to Atlanta. There are more opportunities for them and they are not descriminated as much like in other cities. places like Charlotte are more conservative and religious and arent as accepting of gays. I think Charlotte is like the religion capital of the south.

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I think DC is the Black gay capital of the South. In fact, perhaps of the world. There are more openly gay blacks here than anywhere else on the planet. Moreover, we have a strong homothug culture here. Note that the biggest black gay event is held in DC during Memorial Day.

[AmericanUrbanDesigner]

Charlotte doesnt even come close to Atlanta in being Gay-friendly.

[wfdude]

Add Raleigh-Durham (Carrboro has had an openly gay mayor for years) and Charlotte to the list of Southern cities...

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Carrboro, NC still has an openly gay mayor. Carrboro is a wonderful example of how size does not necessarily equate with gay-friendliness. Carrboro is a super progressive and fairly well gay-populated town of about 15,000 nestled on the western end of the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill metro area. It is probably the most liberal part of our metro area (which is unique considering its not one of the four major municipalities that make up "the Triangle"). Carrboro was one of the earliest southern municipalities to offer domesic-partner benefits to its employees, and enact a sexual-orientation inclusive non-discrimination policy.

[wfdude]

I've lived in the Triad for years, mainly in Winston-Salem. There is NOTHING about it that is Gay-Friendly (in my opinion). Yes we have a larger gay population, but that's with a lot of metro areas. Chapel Hill would have to be the only "true" gay-friend city in NC...it's the only one with domestic partner registration. The rest should be labeled as gay tolerant (excluding Asheville...it's an exception and to an extent Charlotte as well).

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Carrboro and and the city and county of Durham also offer domestic partner benefits to city employees, as well as having inclusive non-discrim policies. I'd add those two, at least, to your assessment of the gay friendly cities/towns of NC.

I completely agree about Winston-Salem. Greensboro, on the other hand, has been a bit more gay-supportive (its city council and elected officials). The Guilford County school board recently added sexual-orientation to the school system's non-discrimination policy, which was pretty significant. I know that fact alone doesn't make it completely "gay-friendly", but I was able to assess its level of gay-friendliness from living there for four years. UNCG has a very large gay population in comparison to any other school in NC, and Guilford College and the large Quaker population also has an effect on its level of gay-friendliness. As with any southern city, it has its religious conservatives. A great topic for another thread would be "gay-friendly" southern cities, because of their generally diverse mix of progressives and religious conservatives.

I grew up in Raleigh and live there now, and have found it to be fairly gay-friendly. As with most cities, the inner city neighborhoods are the most progressive and gay populated, while the suburbs are less progressive and gay-friendly. Raleigh is definately more gay friendly than Charlotte -- I always heard Charlotte referred to as the city of banks and churches. That being said, Charlotte is making up ground with its large influx of bank employees from other parts of the country.

Anyway, thats my four cents!

[AmericanUrbanDesigner]

Carrboro and and the city and county of Durham also offer domestic partner benefits to city employees, as well as having inclusive non-discrim policies.  I'd add those two, at least, to your assessment of the gay friendly cities/towns of NC. 

I completely agree about Winston-Salem.  Greensboro, on the other hand, has been a bit more gay-supportive (its city council and elected officials).  The Guilford County school board recently added sexual-orientation to the school system's non-discrimination policy, which was pretty significant.  I know that fact alone doesn't make it completely "gay-friendly", but I was able to assess its level of gay-friendliness from living there for four years.  UNCG has a very large gay population in comparison to any other school in NC, and Guilford College and the large Quaker population also has an effect on its level of gay-friendliness.  As with any southern city, it has its religious conservatives.  A great topic for another thread would be "gay-friendly" southern cities, because of their generally diverse mix of progressives and religious conservatives.

I grew up in Raleigh and live there now, and have found it to be fairly gay-friendly.  As with most cities, the inner city neighborhoods are the most progressive and gay populated, while the suburbs are less progressive and gay-friendly.  Raleigh is definately more gay friendly than Charlotte -- I always heard Charlotte referred to as the city of banks and churches.  That being said, Charlotte is making up ground with its large influx of bank employees from other parts of the country. 

Anyway, thats my four cents!

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I think Chapel Hill offers domestic partnership benefits...?

[ironchapman]

The thing is, they don't have nearly the population of ATL.

Also, most of ATL's friendliness is found only in the city. Most of the suburbs are filled with Conservatives. I think someone's said this before though.

[teshadoh]

But you can't always judge a city based on just total population, there is an intangible factor that can make other cities gay-friendly. Certainly a college town such as Chapel Hill or Carrboro is going to provide an environment that would rival larger cities. But it is relative - I don't know what criteria we should base 'friendliness' on, entertainment oriented towards gay people are perhaps just an overall acceptance of gay people.

Often the size or number of gay oriented venues is an indicator that possibly gay people feel the need to segregate themselves from the general society. This may be due to prejudice that limits their exposure to other neighborhoods.

But despite that all - Atlanta is relatively speaking a gay - friendly city, but I don't know if that makes it more gay friendly than other cities or towns.

[Topher1]

Often the size or number of gay oriented venues is an indicator that possibly gay people feel the need to segregate themselves from the general society.  This may be due to prejudice that limits their exposure to other neighborhoods.

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This is actually a quite astute observation. I used to despise going out in Miami Beach because of the scarcity of gay establishments. Its only since I've moved from Miami and visited several times that I've realized what a phenomenal gay city Miami Beach is. It's one of the most integrated (all around) gay cities I've been to. It doesn't matter that there are very few gay-only establishments; the whole city is gay-flavored.

As far as larger southern gay cities, I think Ft. Lauderdale really takes the cake. Atlanta is very gay friendly but FTL is very tough to beat (only San Francisco has a larger percentage of same-sex couples). It is a very accepting city, with actual gay-borhoods. In general, the suburbs (the rest of Broward county) are far more tolerant and diverse than Atlanta suburbs as well.

[ironchapman]

But you can't always judge a city based on just total population, there is an intangible factor that can make other cities gay-friendly.  Certainly a college town such as Chapel Hill or Carrboro is going to provide an environment that would rival larger cities. But it is relative - I don't know what criteria we should base 'friendliness' on, entertainment oriented towards gay people are perhaps just an overall acceptance of gay people.

Often the size or number of gay oriented venues is an indicator that possibly gay people feel the need to segregate themselves from the general society.  This may be due to prejudice that limits their exposure to other neighborhoods.

But despite that all - Atlanta is relatively speaking a gay - friendly city, but I don't know if that makes it more gay friendly than other cities or towns.

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What I meant was, there is a only a small chance that a city of 150,000-200,000 has a larger population of almost any group of people. (Atlanta, for example has at least 225,000 black people, a population larger than most cities' population all together.

Chapel Hill and its neighbors may have large gay populations, but there is a good chance that ATL gay pop. is bigger because ATL is a larger city. I wasn't trying to judge how friendly they were to gays.

[teshadoh]

Chapel Hill and its neighbors may have large gay populations, but there is a good chance that ATL gay pop. is bigger because ATL is a larger city. I wasn't trying to judge how friendly they were to gays.

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I understand

[wfdude]

I think Chapel Hill offers domestic partnership benefits...?

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yes, that was mentioned in the post i was responding to.

as of last week, add Mecklenburg County to that last.

the full NC list is:

Durham City

Durham County

Chapel Hill

Carrboro

Mecklenburg County