(GayWebSource.com – Gay Media & Press Network) – Posted by Michael Lamb – Echelon Magazine
The most LGBT-friendly places in America, according to The Advocate’s ever-rotating criteria, are some of what you expect, and a lot of what you don’t.
For the fifth year in a row The Advocate, the world’s leading gay news source, has compiled its annual list of the “Gayest Cities in America.” This time around it’s not all piano bars, gender-specific music festivals, and giant disco houses (although we all love some of those things) that make these cities the gayest in America. You say you’re shocked Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City aren’t at the top of the list, this year and every year? (Spoiler alert!)
“Don’t be so shocked. LGBT life comes in all flavors, some with sprinkles, some with a cherry on top,” said Matthew Breen, editor-in-chief of The Advocate. “We’re especially excited about our top pick this year—partly because it’s always a surprise to us until we crunch the numbers, but also because it inspires such patriotism. Each year this list reminds us that our experiences are diverse, that we inhabit every part of our country, and that there’s not just one way to evaluate our experiences.”
The Advocate again created an assorted and surprising list of honorees. This year’s criteria, designed to uncover the hidden factors that give a city its queer cred, include points for a city’s LGBT elected officials (and fractional points for statewide elected officials), points for the percentage of the population comprised by lesbian-coupled households, a point for a gay rodeo association, points for bars listed in OUT magazine’s 200 Best Bars list, a point per women’s college, and points for concert performances by Mariah Carey, Pink, Lady Gaga, or the Jonas Brothers. The raw score is divided by the population to provide a ranking based on a per capita LGBT quotient.
The 2014 “Gayest Cities in America” include:
15. Pittsburgh, PA
14. Long Beach, CA
13. Orlando, FL
12. Rochester, NY
11. San Francisco, CA
10. Arlington, VA
9. Oakland, CA
8. Salt Lake City, UT
7. Madison, WI
6. St. Louis, MO
5. Atlanta, GA
4. Cambridge, MA
3. Seattle, WA
2. Pasadena, CA
1. WASHINGTON, DC
Find out more about all the cities that made The Advocate’s top “Gayest Cities in America” this year at:
http://www.advocate.com/print-issue/current-issue/2014/01/06/2014s-gayest-cities-america
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