Posted on 01/21/2010 11:54:03 AM PST by My Favorite Headache
Newser) – Using criteria like the number of same-sex-couple households per capita, gay elected officials, gay bars and gay films among Netflix favorites, the Advocate crowns Atlanta as the gayest city in the US. Some reasons why, and the rest of the top five:
1. * Though “Georgia isn’t the most gay-friendly state,” Mike Albo writes, “Atlanta guys are hunky, the ladies are gracious, the gay sports leagues are seriously well organized, and its housewives (and their gay BFFs, complete with handbags and heels) are now camp icons.”
2. * Burlington, Vt.: Hub of the state’s gay-rights efforts, and “nearby Ben & Jerry’s renamed its Chubby Hubby flavor ‘Hubby Hubby’ to celebrate the state’s marriage-equality law.”
3. * Iowa City: “Where Brokeback Mountain’s Ennis and Jack would have bought a house and adopted kids, in the alternate ending of that romance.”
4. * Bloomington, Ind.: University town is home to the nation’s oldest on-campus, student-sponsored drag competition, and “the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction is also here, inspiring the entire town to be heteroflexible.
5. * Madison, Wis.: In “the Berkeley of the Midwest … heaps of cute blond dreadlocked nuevo organic farmer dudes can be found at the Willy Street Co-op or the Farmers’ Market drinking their own beer from mason jars.”
6. New Orleans With Southern Decadence, the Saints and Sinners LGBT writers conference, gay Mardi Gras krewes, the gay Easter Parade, and 18 gay bars within walking distance of each other in the Quarter, this unsinkable town has a tolerant attitude toward gayness that’s been in place since before the Civil War.
9. Austin This countercultural lefty Shangri-la in the middle of Texas has been going through a growth spurt. But no matter how cosmopolitan their home gets, gay and lesbian residents will always take their barbeque, two-stepping, and live music culture seriously. Many visitors say that this city’s sophisticated, lively lesbian social scene rivals those of New York and Los Angeles. And the clothing-optional swimming area Hippie Hollow attracts thousands of au naturel gays for the semiannual Splash Weekends.
8. Portland, Maine Maine may have lost its marriage law (for now, while it retains domestic partnerships) but the independent Maine mentality is alive and well in this picturesque city. It’s sweet, romantic, and too small for bitchy queens and their toxic attitudes. Energetic young businesses like fermented-honey booze-maker Maine Mead Works and the popular men’s clothing label Rogues Gallery have established it as a harbor for creativity as well as tolerance.
7. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In the late ’80s, Fort Lauderdale exorcised the college partiers and MTV’s Spring Break and transformed itself into a place for gays to vacation, indulge (there are more than 25 bars and clubs in the area), settle down, or escape South Beach. The suburb of Wilton Manors has 1,270% more gay men per capita than the national average, and Fort Lauderdale’s newly elected mayor, Jack Seiler, is vocally supportive of gay and lesbian equality.
8. Portland, Maine Maine may have lost its marriage law (for now, while it retains domestic partnerships) but the independent Maine mentality is alive and well in this picturesque city. It’s sweet, romantic, and too small for bitchy queens and their toxic attitudes. Energetic young businesses like fermented-honey booze-maker Maine Mead Works and the popular men’s clothing label Rogues Gallery have established it as a harbor for creativity as well as tolerance.
9. Austin This countercultural lefty Shangri-la in the middle of Texas has been going through a growth spurt. But no matter how cosmopolitan their home gets, gay and lesbian residents will always take their barbeque, two-stepping, and live music culture seriously. Many visitors say that this city’s sophisticated, lively lesbian social scene rivals those of New York and Los Angeles. And the clothing-optional swimming area Hippie Hollow attracts thousands of au naturel gays for the semiannual Splash Weekends.
10. Seattle The birthplace of grunge and upscale coffee, and home to numerous cute bois and dykes with piercings, Seattle has a gay scene that’s as comfortably inescapable as the Space Needle. Even as luxury condos and pricey wine bars sprout up, alternative venues like the newly renovated Pony in Cap Hill are keeping it real.
11. Gainesville, Fla. Anchored by the University of Florida, Gainesville is a surprisingly hospitable area for gay and lesbian Floridians who have no desire to work for Disney or deal with all that Miami nonsense. Queer college kids mix well with aging gays here. The city was also named by now-defunct Blender magazine in 2008 as the best place to start a band.
12. Asheville, N.C. With its thriving art scene and adorable homes, Asheville is a prime example of the new gay South. And it’s only getting gayer: Newly elected city councilman Gordon Smith says extending domestic-partner benefits to LGBT city employees will be among the council’s top priorities this year.
13. Springfield, Mass. When you think of gay Massachusetts, you may think Northampton or Provincetown. But now, thanks to a string of pro-gay municipal actions and progressive former mayor Michael Albano, Springfield has become an example of how a state’s pro-gay legislation can transform a city.
14. San Diego Why San Diego when L.A. is so close? (The question almost answers itself.) San Diego has always been more bi-friendly, mellower, less snooty, and a place to which L.A. gays frequently escape. Black’s Beach is a famous nude sunning spot, and there’s even an annual gay rodeo.
15. Albuquerque, N.M. This largest city in New Mexico has become a hotbed for Southwestern gays as well as space aliens (Roswell is an easy drive away). The hipster hood of Nob Hill, marked by neon signage, is its gayborhood, but gays are scattered throughout this expanding city. Exhale (formerly Renea’s) is the only lesbian bar between Dallas and Phoenix.
TIP: "Those aren't chocolate chips..."
Their parents must be so proud.
I look at this list as "Places I won't go to on vacation".
I’m happily surprised I didn’t see Ann Arbor on the list.
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