7 Surprisingly LGBT Friendly Cities

These can be gems to live in or visit.

There are numerous cities in the USA that are famous for being LGBT friendly, like New York, LA, San Francisco, D.C., Seattle, and Chicago. But what if you don’t want to live in a big city? Or want to have a chiller vacation on the beach? Here are 7 surprisingly LGBT friendly cities, which can be gems to live in or visit.

To start, what was our official test of LGBT friendliness? No, it’s not just based on gay population demographics, though these towns do well by those numbers too. What we based this list on was on a few things such as walking down the street, holding hands, and getting a read on the vibe. How do strangers treat us? Do they stare? Do they make snarky comments? Or do they simply move on with their day as if it is no big deal (the best answer, of course!). Businesses also help express how gay-friendly the city is by hanging rainbow flags on their doors. Individuals also send those messages, via supportive or inclusive bumper stickers, lawn signs and the like. The best way of seeing if it is a gay friendly city is also seeing other gay people! Are there other same sex-couples out and about? Holding hands? Grabbing lunch together? These small cities surprised us.

1. Key West, Florida

Key West is the last island in the Florida Keys, the southernmost tip of the Continental US, and only 90 miles from Cuba. While it has some amazing Cuban food, it also has numerous gay bars, drag shows and LGBT businesses. Plus rainbow flags can be seen flying over every other building on Duval Street, the main street and venue for it’s annual Pride parade. According to some census’s, Key West also has a bigger same-sex couple per capita than San Francisco. It’s adoption of very pro-gay policies, including the One Human Family philosophy in 2000, has helped build this into an incredibly inclusive place.

2. Provincetown, Massachusetts

From an island in the keys, to coastal get-away, Provincetown is the crown jewel of Cape Cod. The Pilgrims, founders of Plymouth, MA, first set foot on North America in Provincetown in 1620, and it’s been ahead of it’s time ever sense. This tiny town has 16 gay clubs/bars, sports year-round, rainbow flags on many businesses and homes. In 1978, the town decided to promote gay tourism, and has been a top gay resort town ever sense. Even outside of the hopping holiday season, P-Town is a quaint village to settle in long term.

3. Taos, New Mexico

This little liberal mountain town was simply the cutest. It had a ton of art galleries, rainbow flags, and yoga- what’s not to love? With nearby skiing in the winter, and mountain activities like hiking and fishing in the summer, this is another excellent vacation town, as well as a lovely place to live. It also has one of the largest artist colonies in the USA; with a strong art market, and the price of housing reasonable, it’s no wonder it attracts an eclectic crowd.

4. Guerneville, California

California, like many states has very progressive and also conservative parts. Urban centers are famous for their inclusion, while some rural areas are less so. But not so is this sleepy mountain town, gay pride is all over. There are tons of gay bars, gay vacation packages, and well-established lesbian and trans events each year. This area is a hidden LGBT gem that only Californian’s know about.

5. St Petersburg, Florida

Miami is typically the LGBT mecca in Florida, but did you know St Petersburg is surprisingly LGBT-friendly? Across the bay from Tampa, this small city boasts a ton to queer bars, their main street has tons of rainbow flags hanging outside of businesses, and it also has a rather large Pride Parade every June. When we were there, we also found that we couldn’t go out dinner or lunch without seeing multiple gay people in the same restaurant. With revitalized historic districts, fabulous arts and food scenes, this city is a charming stop for an afternoon or to live in for a while.

6. Austin, Texas

Austin has become famous recently as a new hub of tech in Texas. It imports the hipsters, mustaches, coffee shops and queers from San Francisco, and mixes them with a hint of Texan charm. As travelers, we preferred San Antonio’s River Walk for a better night on the town & weekend get-away, but Austin is definitely the place to live longer term as a gay person. It’s been known to be the most liberal spot in Texas and it holds up to its reputation.

7. Ann Arbor, Michigan

Like Austin, Texas, Ann Arbor is a delightful small city, with a liberal lean. Of all the towns we’ve visited in the Mid West, this is our favorite. There is historic architecture, the University of Michigan, and extensive city parks. The college infuses the economy and culture, resulting in a very livable small gay-friendly city.

Article written by Happy Camper Wives.