Gay friendly cities

[marcelo]

I htink one of the most gay-friendly cities is Cologne in Germany! You see couples walking hand in hand there everywhere! This is pretty cool!

[DCMetroRaleigh]

In the US, you just can't beat New York Pride. It is by far the most diverse and the most fun. Hot muscular Dominican and Puerto Rican men flirting with you everywhere.

[GaryP]

Any gays from Grand Rapids? Just wondering how my city ranks against other second tier cities.

Also, I know that gays can do wonderful things for a city, but how does a city go about attracting them? Besides having Hot muscular Dominican and Puerto Rican men everywhere. We dont have many of those I dont think.

[PeninsulaKiddo]

Any gays from Grand Rapids?  Just wondering how my city ranks against other second tier cities.

Also, I know that gays can do wonderful things for a city, but how does a city go about attracting them?  Besides having Hot muscular Dominican and Puerto Rican men everywhere.  We dont have many of those I dont think.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hahaha. I think it's a collection of good colleges/universities, culture (arts, festivals, theatres), and overall diversity.

[alon504]

When I was in New Orleans it seemed like there were quite a few gays in the French Quarter.  I'm not totally sure but it's probably more open-minded there than most other southern cities..

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

New Orleans is different than the South in many ways...it is much more open and liberal. Gays are an important part of New Orleans and are recognized by many city leaders for their redevelopment contributions to the City of New Orleans, as well as their importance to the economy itselft (many are quite affluent). It is estimated that about 1/6 of the population (or about 75,000), gay individuals live in New Orleans proper. Metairie, a New Orleans suburb, has it's own gay identity from what I gather, but, it's not as large as New Orleans. Many live in the Bywater and the Marigny are and are lauded for bringing these areas back through extensive renovation on purchased properties.

[DJ BIG T]

Hehe,  I had some good times at the PH and Southern nights.  (except for the night I was throwing up in the parking lot from too many white russians,  and a few black ones too.      )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

now what were you doing in them places? you were what drunk at those places not good....lmao

[Choirboy622]

Does anyone have any opinions about Indianapolis, Louisville, Cinncinati, and Milwaukee?

Choirboy622

[TheBostonian]

Provincetown, MA. I heard one year there was only one birth in P-town. Perhaps there were many adoptions.

Northampton, MA. It is one big lesbian utopia.

Cambridge, MA. Just look around.

Boston.

Before Mitt Romney jumped into the 2002 gubernatorial race, leading acting governor Jane Swift to drop out, Swift chose Pat Guerriero as her running-mate. Guerriero is openly gay and now heads the Log Cabin Republicans. He was also the mayor of my hometown when he was only rumored to be gay.

One of Boston's most popular figures, David Brudnoy (a true local hero, since he never really become famous outside Boston), was openly gay.

Every Massachusetts city and town not listed above, because in Massachusetts we can legally marry.

[jayboy13]

One small haven in the midwest is the Saugatuck/Douglas area in West Michigan. It's a small gay resort area in the middle of a very conservative area. They claim to have the largest gay club in the midwest.

[Choirboy622]

What about Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Louisville? Anyone have an opinion on these areas?

[sunshine]

Way to attract gay people...

hmm....open a starbuck, crate and barrel and barnes and noble side by side.

[TennBear]

Sometimes places have their times. In the early 70's, Gatlinburg was like a small friendly village with six Gay bars and only 3,500 people. Time moved past it.

Knoxville had a store that advertised having clothes for men, women, and transvestites with woman's shoes to size 14. Of course the bigest Gay bar in town was and still is right across the street from the Graduate Library. I'll say this for East Tennessee, they had more drag queens and better one's per 1,000 people than anywhere else. Most be something about the mountains. I know that the South in general is and has always been big on Drag Queens. I've never understood it, but I say that if that is what they want to do, go for it.

There was talk about Winston-Salem-Greensboro. Let's not forget that they have one of the biggest Gay Owned/Gay Friendly businesses in the South, Replacements, LTD. It is a Disneyland for those of us who like to shop for china/silver/glassware. It is just fun to go. You can also see all the pictures of the Owners with their adopted children and with all the big NC politicians. I didn't even mention dog friendly.

Speaking of Outer Suburbs of Atlanta, went to a big wedding receiption for one of my best friends and her lover when they came back from SF in Villa Rica. I thought that she was way out when she lived in Woodstock. Home Depot, or as everyone who has ever been in one calls it, HOMODepot seems to be very Gay Freindly at the Main Office.

Other rants, I miss playing Volleyball on Sunday's in Westheimer. That was fun and seeing some of those Queens that had looked so hot the night before in their leather run away from the balls was too much fun.

Being 51 in three weeks most be doing something with my head.

[django-bop]

I am considering a move to Portland, Oregon.

Any ideas re good areas to look into for homes?

[huesos]

I think that the bigger the city, the more gay-friendly it gets. Good examples will be NY or London. Then there are places like Madrid in Spain: the gay neighborhood of Chueca is an example of revitalization of an urban area. Less than 10 years ago this area was probably the shadiest part of Madrid downtown. Then gay people began to move in, took their business with them and now it is probably the trendiest area in Madrid (and one of the most expensive) and an example for other gay areas in Spain and Europe. For what I understand, I think that a somewhat similar example would be Hillcrest in San Diego.

[Choirboy622]

Does anyone have any opinions about Milwaukee, Indianapolis, and Lousiville? I have the impression that Lousiville is more gay-friendly than either Milwaukee or Indianapolis, but would be interested in hearing others' opinions.

[Gceres]

It's been my experience that a lot of people view SD as being gay-unfriendly because it is more conservative. The Hillcrest area seems to be the most gay-friendly neighborhood in the city....

Not true at all. I've lived in San Diego with my partner for 5 years...its very gay-friendly including two openly gay council members. Hillcrest is the "most gay" but North Park, University Heights and Normal Heights are also teeming with gays. Ocean Beach and Mission Hills also have large pockets of gays.

I think most people equate Republican with "anti-Gay" but that isn't true. San Diego is very Republican but is not gay un-friendly (hence a larger than usual Log Cabin or Gay Republican population). It's more of a libertarian Republican than social conservative Republican.

A small city I haven't seen mentioned is Wilmington, NC which I just love! Wilmington has a significant gay population for a small city due mostly to UNC Wilmington and the film studios. It's way more conservative than most other gay cities but is gay-friendly to an extent and has one of the better gay bars I've ever been to (Ibesa on the right night is AWESOME).

[Charlotteman]

In San Francisco, it's mainly the Castro area where "gay is open". Where same-sex couples hold hands etc. I understand that in San Francisco's business district and central business district, life is rather conservative. And I have also heard that seeing a same-sex couple in S.F. openly showing PDAs is rare outside the Castro.

Yes we all know that S.F.'s political culture is ultra-liberal, but I found individual gay people there extremely conservative and conformist. I found the Castro absolutely stifling. Seemed like every gay man was straining to look like everyone else. How boring it was. Same color and cut leather jacket, same style shoes; I couldn't believe it. After thinking about it, it makes sense though because most gays in S.F. moved there from conservative home towns. I guess they bring their conservative home-town sensibilities with them. I heard more Southern accents in S.F. than I heard in North Florida.

I liked Haight Ashbury much better, even though ya didn't see openly gay couples there.

In the Seattle metro region (5 counties) the entire area is gay-positive. Finding homophobia would be an effort, even 100+ miles from downtown Seattle.

Seattle's gay community is much more diverse, without people seeking so rigidly to conform. Seattle also had the first gay bar in the States, where men could actually (GASP!) dance together! When the gay marriage thing hit a while back, Seattle's mayor said he wanted gay marriage legal in Seattle, but wasn't able to do it re: Washington States constitutional constraints. Seattle's city council came out for gay marriage. The city of Seattle recognizes same-sex marriages in other states, and grants benefits to partners/spouses.

But even though it's so incredibly open and gay-positive, Seattle has no cohesive gay community whatsoever.

[pricemiller]

I just returned from a visit to Berlin and that is one phenomenal city that is very gay friendly! In the states, besides the usual gay meccas, I have found some citites I have visited to be rather gay friendly. Some cities that surprised me were Columbia, Sacramento, and Asheville. I live in Palm Springs and we are at least 1/3 gay full time and a gay holiday destination from people all over, especially the West Coast cities.

[bmorescottamanda]

Baltimore

[Recchia]

Sometimes I feel like every man in Providence, RI is gay, hence I'd say it's pretty gay-friendly. In some cases, overly friendly.

[Snowguy716]

Cologne, Germany is the most gay friendly city I've been to. There were gay couples all over the place, and we had a nice conversation with some guys dressed in drag going out to celebrate a friends birthday.

I know Minneapolis is pretty gay friendly, and more notably, Golden Valley, a western inner-ring suburb is one of the most gay friendly cities in the country.

[ZachariahDaMan]

I am in Ann Arbor (MI) quite often and it seems to be rather gay friendly.

[Carter711]

Portland, Maine and Burlington, Vermont are among the top ten US cities for highest concentration of gay couples. Portsmouth, NH, while a miniature city, is gay friendly as well.

[waccamatt]

Portland, Maine and Burlington, Vermont are among the top ten US cities for highest concentration of gay couples. Portsmouth, NH, while a miniature city, is gay friendly as well.

Portsmouth is beautiful, too, I might add.

[ChunkyMonkey]

How can all these cities be gay friendly when gays can't get married legally. It shows that the population in those cities or states are not ready for it, which is the definition of intolerance.

As of right now, there's really only 1 major gay friendly city in the U.S... and it's the city by the other Bay... Massachusetts Bay.