Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Atlanta Tops Gayest-Cities List
Newser ^ | 1-21-10

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: atlanta; bluezones; chickenhawks; gayestcities; homosexualagenda; teabaggers; topten
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-43 next last
To: My Favorite Headache

They forgot one important “city” where the homosexual population is quite large: “The city of death”.

“As of December 31, 2000, 774,467 persons had been reported with AIDS in the United States; 448,060 of these had died...”
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5021a2.htm

How many more have “moved” that that city in the past 10 years?


21 posted on 01/21/2010 12:17:11 PM PST by aSeattleConservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Deb
And people wondered why Elton John moved there.

George Michael should be sashshaying down and checking out the city park restrooms.
22 posted on 01/21/2010 12:17:56 PM PST by Overtaxed Patriot (Lock and load.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: MHGinTN
That settles it, no restaurant dining while in the Hot-lanta area for this old homophobe.

And for sure, don't order the "ranch" dressing on the pre-meal salad.
23 posted on 01/21/2010 12:19:21 PM PST by Overtaxed Patriot (Lock and load.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache

Dirty little secrets:

1)Many of Atlanta’s gay population is African-American.

2) Austin is mostly a lesbian gym teachers gathering.

3) Asheville is full of wanna be granola crunching gay hippies.

I have lived in all three places.


24 posted on 01/21/2010 12:28:06 PM PST by Le Chien Rouge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache
Atlanta Tops Gayest-Cities List

That's so gay.

25 posted on 01/21/2010 12:32:14 PM PST by Isabel C.
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache

years ago a second cousin of mine who was a little....um, odd....announced that he was moving to Atlanta. None of us could believe it. We couldn’t figure out why anyone with his proclivities would want to move to the Deep South.

Guess a whole lot of ‘em decided to make the same move.


26 posted on 01/21/2010 12:33:01 PM PST by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: highlander_UW
This list was actually developed for secondary 'burbs that were not once considered "gay", so you wouldn't see San Francisco, New York, Chicago and other cities on there so much.

Check out the original Advocate article: Gayest Cities in America

27 posted on 01/21/2010 12:33:52 PM PST by cdbull23 (What's going on in my brain? Check it out: www.cainsbrain.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache

Geez, one more reason to live in the suburbs. Really surprised DC didn’t score in the top 10.


28 posted on 01/21/2010 12:35:36 PM PST by equalitybeforethelaw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: highlander_UW

I guess that explains why there are no Gerbils at the local pet shops in ATL.


29 posted on 01/21/2010 12:37:42 PM PST by arealconservativeforachange (Tell JD Hayworth to run for McCain's seat! http://www.jdhayworth.com/contact.php)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: highlander_UW

I wondered that too. Key West, FL and Provincetown, MA as well.


30 posted on 01/21/2010 12:38:55 PM PST by CholeraJoe (Deja Moo - The feeling that you have heard this BS before.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: trumandogz

Time to wear those tin foil hats !!!!


31 posted on 01/21/2010 12:40:00 PM PST by Kimmers (Be the kind of person when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, Oh crap, she's awake)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: trumandogz

BTW The tin foil hats will protect you from the gaydar so the the gay Martians won’t implant little electrodes into your .....not going there......


32 posted on 01/21/2010 12:42:09 PM PST by Kimmers (Be the kind of person when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says, Oh crap, she's awake)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio
I'll stay in Roswell. The probings are safer.

heh, heh...bingo....


33 posted on 01/21/2010 12:52:08 PM PST by Vaquero (BHO....'The Pretenda from Kenya')
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache
I think this article is talking about gay - FRIENDLY cities by what there is to offer. Scroll down on this wikipedia link to find out the truth about gay populations within cities, with stats on percentages of populations and total numbers.
34 posted on 01/21/2010 1:00:13 PM PST by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache

Surprised that Denver didn’t make the list.


35 posted on 01/21/2010 1:31:31 PM PST by greatplains
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: My Favorite Headache
Bear in mind that this list is compiled by a radically activist sodomite magazine, so the agenda can be expected to include making traditionally conservative localities look "gayer" than anyone could imagine. One of the Gaystapo's strategies is to lend the effect of conquest of our territory with the intent to demoralize normal Americans and to make the homofication of America seem inevitable.

Don't buy it.

36 posted on 01/22/2010 4:31:32 AM PST by fwdude (It is not the liberals who will destroy this country, but the "moderates.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: highlander_UW

Yeah, me neither.


37 posted on 01/23/2010 11:56:59 PM PST by Pinkbell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio
I'll stay in Roswell. The probings are safer...

Do you think some little "boi" somewhere heard about anal probes...?

38 posted on 01/24/2010 8:19:12 AM PST by gogeo ("Every one has a right to be an idiot. He abuses the privilege!" Groucho Marx)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: wku man
"gay" is a perfectly acceptable acronym. Got AIDS Yet?
39 posted on 01/27/2010 4:16:37 PM PST by Kenny Bunk (Go-Go Donofrio. get us that Writ of Quo Warranto!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: trumandogz
I love that song! Belzebubba was the Dead Milkmen's best album ever!

I guess no one else understood your reference, you know, they're fine people, but they're content to sit back, watch a little Mork and Mindy on Channel 57, crack open a cold Coors 16-ouncer...they're fine people, but they don't know what the queers are doing to our soil!

I first became aware of the problem...

Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!

40 posted on 01/27/2010 4:31:51 PM PST by wku man (Who says conservatives don't rock? Go to www.myspace.com/rockfromtheright)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-43 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson