For the sixth consecutive year, The Advocate, the world’s leading gay news source, has compiled its annual list of the “Queerest Cities in America.” Previously known as the “Gayest Cities in America,” the name has been updated, but the goal remains the same: Find the most unexpected LGBT-friendly cities in America.
“LGBT-friendly metropolises like New York and Los Angeles are not the only places where we live and thrive—and nightlife and gay ghettos aren’t the only factors that make for great LGBT living,” says Matthew Breen, editor-in-chief of The Advocate. “We seek the unexpectedly queer-friendly places in America, using criteria that changes each year. The results are always a surprising, and this year’s list delivers some absolutely unexpected queerest cities.”
Using its own unique equation, The Advocate again created a diverse and surprising list. This year’s criteria designed to uncover less-than-obvious LGBT-friendly factors, include points for a city’s transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances; pro-equality Mosques; LGBT-friendly synagogues; Pink Pistol chapters; gay retirement communities; and tours of the Broadway shows Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and Kinky Boots.
The raw score is then divided by the population to provide a ranking based on a per capita LGBT quotient.
The 2015 “Queerest Cities in America” include:
15. Carlsbad, CA
14. Washington, DC
13. Cambridge, MA
12. Boise, ID
11. Spokane, WA
10. Boulder, CO
9. Davenport, IA
8. Tacoma, WA
7. Erie, PA
6. Salt Lake City, UT
5. Madison, WI
4. Lansing, MI
3. West Palm Beach, FL
2. Atlanta, GA
1. Dayton, OH