The Most LGBTQ+ Friendly City in Every Red State in the U.S.

The state of the LGBTQ+ nation—much like the state of the rest of the nation—is quite precarious these days. On one hand, we’ve got swathes of motivated young elected officials and organizers committed to popping the over-inflated balloon of structural inequality by any means necessary. But on the other hand, we’ve got powerful lawmakers coming out against LGBTQ+ rights at an alarmingly rapid clip, throwing around bills that can make a huge impact on the lives of trans and queer people with just a single signature. 

Breaking things down into red states and blue states, especially at a time when the country is so politically and socially split, might seem like we’re reinforcing a problematic us vs. them, good vs. evil binary. But in reality, using hard numbers provided by the Human Rights Campaign's most recent Municipal Equality Index to determine the most LGBTQ+ friendly city in each state that went for the Republican candidate in 2020 can only help to strengthen the idea that we’re all in this together. And it might just help you find an unexpectedly queer-friendly enclave as you're planning your next trip.

States are hardly monoliths. In every one, cities are ahead of the curve in making life more welcoming—and more safe—for all residents regardless of sexuality or gender identity. “Cities are the most immediate iteration of democracy that we have,” says Xavier Persad, senior policy counsel at the ACLU, who also formerly worked for the HRC in Washington, DC. The trench work for equality is happening in cities many blue-staters couldn’t pinpoint on a map.

The cities on this list are strategically positioned to lead deep-red states toward broader acceptance. It's easy to sniff at the slow progress in Mississippi, but who in America is fighting the good fight like Jesse Pandolfo, who runs the only gay bar in Jackson? Likewise you might fault Iowa for flipping from blue back to red in 2016, but almost no one is pushing harder for broad civil equality than the people of Iowa City.

These 25 cities represent the most LGBTQ+ friendly locale in each of America's Republican-majority states, according to the HRC’s latest Municipal Equality Index. 

Population: 196,910
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Birmingham has a solid infrastructure of support for its LGBTQ+ population, even though gay sex was illegal in Alabama until 2014. In 2017, the state legislature moved to ban gays from adopting needy children, and the owner of a movie theater refused to show Beauty and the Beast because of a gay-coded character. Until 2019, state law dictated that teachers must tell students "that homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public." And a slew of anti-trans legislature has been proposed by the state government, banning trans kids from playing sports, mandating that school children only use the bathroom associated with the gender listed on their birth certificate, criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth, and barring teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in any context deemed developmentally or age-inappropriate. Earlier this year, state lawmakers even proposed their own "don't say gay" legislation. So that’s where we’re at with Alabama.

Regardless, all hope is not lost. Gina Mallisham, a member of the Pride advisory board in Birmingham, says wryly, "Adversity is nothing new to disenfranchised people in the South." Birmingham, she says, "is a very affirming city," with an LGBTQ+ community big and active enough to support a 10-day tri-county Pride celebration, a gay softball league, and a chapter of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (a protest/performance art troupe of queer "nuns"). There are also LGBTQ+ book clubs, church groups, and youth centers—check out the Magic City Acceptance Center, which hosts a number of affirming youth groups, particularly for QTPOC and trans kids under 14 along with their parents. B'ham's main queer bars—Al's on Seventh, Our Place, and Quest Club—all have their own cast of drag queens. "Showtimes are strategically launched," Mallisham says. "So if you want to catch all three in one night, you can!"

Population: 31,685
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
With no way to get there by car (unless you take a ferry, that is) and just 32,000 residents spread through the country’s second-largest city by area, Alaska’s capital might be the perfect place to get away from the crowds and live your life out loud. Since the early 1980s, it’s also been home to SEAGLA, or the Southeast Alaska LGBTQ+ Alliance, a community anchor dedicated to increasing queer visibility, promoting LGBTQ+ rights, and throwing the city’s robust Pride celebration, typically complete with trivia, a prom, queer film screenings, and even a pet parade (!).

The city regularly observes Transgender Day of Rememberance, and in 2016, they were the second major city in Alaska to pass a non-discrimination ordinance protecting LGBTQ+ citizens, after Anchorage. In a statement, SEAGLA chair Jenny Jahn, "This sends a clear message to Juneau residents, visitors, and those who are considering moving here: In Juneau, you will find a community that respects and values diversity, where you can attain whatever you dream, and where you will be judged based on your character, your behavior, and work ethic, not on the color of your skin, your age, or who you love."

Population: 202,864
Municipal Equality Index score: 72
In recent years, Arkansas lawmakers have advanced some of the most dramatically anti-LGBTQ+ legislation anywhere in the US. Some of these bills threaten the safety of LGBTQ+ youth at school—prohibiting staff from addressing transgender students by their preferred names and pronouns, and prohibiting students from using bathrooms consistent with their gender identity, as just a few examples. But over in Little Rock, locals celebrate a number of inclusive events, like the Central Arkansas Pride Fest, a parade and festival that takes over the capital city every October. The city also boasts a queer film festival, Reel Queer, as well as the state’s only gay rodeo, Diamond State Rodeo. All that plus business is booming at queer-owned food spots like El Sur Street Food Co and Lucky Lou’s, as well as gay nightclubs, Triniti and Sway.

Population: 11,342
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Scientists are still parsing through data to determine the gayest strip mall in America, but we're going to go ahead and call it: the Shoppes of Wilton Manors. This plaza is home to Java Boys, Hunters Nightclub, and Georgie's Alibi Monkey Bar. (Sadly, Humpy's Pizza closed a few years back.) There are no full-size hotels in Wilton Manors, but there is the clothing-optional Cabanas Guesthouse & Spa. Other evocatively named watering holes nearby include the Ramrod.

The double entendres are part of the fun in this small, subtropical city where queer households make up 14% of the population—that’s the second highest percentage in the country. A walkable mile and a half along Wilton Drive is the main attraction, says Gary Resnick, Wilton Manors’s former mayor. "We made a point of supporting independent businesses and not having chain stores or big-box stores. Every night it's packed."

Wilton Manors wasn't alone among the Florida cities scoring highly in the latest HRC Municipal Equality Index, too. Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Miami, Oakland Park, Orlando, St. Petersburg, and Tampa all earned 100 points as well, but we still had to hand it to Wilton Manors due to its undeniable legacy of queer inclusiveness.

Population: 236,634
Municipal Equality Index score: 73
Despite its majority-Republican legislature and a sizable Mormon population, Idaho lists 12 cities with non-discrimination ordinances in place—that’s in a state where just two cities top out at over 100,000 residents. This year, Boise beat out the humble university town of Moscow on the MEI index, scoring 73 to Moscow's 62.

Boise is home to Somewhere Bar, the city’s only LGBTQ+ owned community bar, and the Boise-based Community Center offers resources and support for queer folks living here. The city also celebrates an annual Pride festival each September. If you’re looking to step out on the town, Neurolux and The Balcony Club also have you covered. If you're looking, instead, for a queer-affirming church in town, consider the Boise First UCC.

Population: 79,107
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
If we’ve said it once, we’ve set it a thousand times: Bloomington is one of the Midwest’s most surprisingly awesome destinations. The idyllic college town fully embraces progressive thinking, from its bike-savvy downtown, farm-to-table dining, and shop-local mentality to its vibrant LGBTQ+ population, which makes itself known at regular queer-centric celebrations, protests, and other rainbow-strewn gatherings. B-town has scored 100 points or more on HRC’s Municipal Equality Index every year since 2015 and in 2010 was named the fourth gayest city in the country by LGBTQ+ publication The Advocate.

What else? They’ve got a killer and super-inclusive queer bar by way of the Back Door, resident distillery darling Cardinal Spirits gets in on the action with their PRIDE Vodka, PrideFest is a beloved mainstay, and for the last 75 years, the world-famous Kinsey Institute has kept Indiana University firmly entrenched in LGBTQ+ issues. All that plus a smattering of pro-LGBTQ+ local legislation—including openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leaders, robust anti-discrimination measures, trans-inclusive healthcare benefits, and a dedicated LGBTQ+ police liaison or task force—will have you saying, "Mike Pence, who?" in no time.

Population: 75,233
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Here's trivia that'll win you a bar bet: The first Midwestern state to legalize gay marriage? Iowa, via a 2008 state court decision. And out in front of this pioneering state is Iowa City. "The town has absolutely been a trailblazer for civil rights in Iowa," says Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel, former executive director of Des Moines-based One Iowa. "The first female attorney admitted to a state bar in America was in Iowa City, some of the first non-discrimination laws in Iowa were started there. It's just got a good legacy of advancement and it's been ahead of the curve for the LGBT movement."

The town's progressive nature is intertwined with its largest employer, the University of Iowa. Among other things—like its robust and supportive Pride Alliance Center—the college was among the first to offer benefits to its staffers' partners. Incoming freshmen can choose both their preferred name and gender for their student record, and transgender students are housed according to their preferred gender. And while the town only has one gay bar in Studio 13, it has bragging rights as the launch stage for RuPaul's Drag Race alumna Sasha Belle/Frisbee Jenkins. Says Hoffman-Zinnel, "We surprise folks."

Perhaps surprisingly, Iowa is home to several other cities with a pro-LGBTQ+ reputation. Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Dubuque, and West Des Moines all also earned perfect scores on the HRC's latest Municipal Equality Index.

Population: 195,794
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Kansas, with its broadly conservative voting record, sparsely populated rural areas, and unfortunate association with the vehemently anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church, has never had a reputation as a gay mecca (Dorothy and co. excepted, of course). But Lawrence is hoping to give the Sunflower State a sparkly makeover, again squeaking past previous contender Topeka to claim the title of Kansas’s most queer-friendly city.

The college gem is the only city in Kansas with an equality ordinance prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Meanwhile, Lawrence Pride is always becoming bigger and better, with several events spread throughout the year, such as film screenings, parades, drag shows, and a queer prom. And while officially sanctioned LGBTQ+ bars aren’t exactly easy to come by in these parts, there are plenty of queer-owned and queer-friendly local businesses to choose from, including Henry's Upstairs and Replay Lounge.

Not to be outdone, Overland Park, Kansas also earned a perfect score in the HRC's index.

Population: 320,347
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Lexington, with its thriving arts scene and large university, has long been a magnet for LGBTQ+ Southerners from around the region. The fabulously eccentric 20th-century painter Henry Faulkner, gay rights advocate John E. Fryer, award-winning multidisciplinary artist Marlene McCarty, queer teen actor Miles Heizer, and Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in any major Christian denomination, have all called Lexington home. In 2010, the city made waves when it elected Jim Gray, its first openly gay mayor, a move that fell in line with more than a decade of pro-LGBTQ+ and anti-discrimination legislature dating back to 1999’s groundbreaking Fairness Ordinance. All that contributed to Lexington’s impressive Municipal Equality Index jump, rising from a score of 53 in 2013 to 100 most recently.

Visitors to Lexington can immerse themselves in the city’s queer history by following along the self-guided Pride of Place tour, available at the Visitors Center. The informative trek winds through 200 years of progress, including a three-story high mural depicting local Black trans icon Sweet Evening Breeze. The Lexington Pride Center takes care of advocacy, education, and Pride festivities, while LGBTQ+ nightlife abounds at local haunts Crossings and the Bar Complex, which has been thumping away since 1980.

If you're looking for other queer-friendly Kentucky enclaves, Covington and Louisville also scored a perfect 100 on the Municipal Equality Index.

Population: 369,749
Municipal Equality Index score: 93
Prior to the massacre at Orlando's Pulse nightclub, the 1973 arson fire at New Orleans' UpStairs Lounge was the deadliest attack on a gay club in US history. "The UpStairs Lounge fire is a part of why New Orleans has done some historic things prior to other areas," explains SarahJane Brady, executive director of Louisiana's Forum for Equality, who adds that the Big Easy became the first Louisiana city to pass a human rights ordinance back in 1991.

NOLA's LGBTQ+ community has historically been centered around the French Quarter and Treme, and the far end of Bourbon Street is still a mecca for queer nightlife, with bars and clubs like Oz, the Bourbon Pub, Napoleon’s Itch, Good Friends, and The Golden Lantern. Though there are a handful of gay Mardi Gras krewes and the annual Pride Parade is a beloved tradition, Southern Decadence is arguably the bigger party, attracting up to 200,000 revelers every Labor Day weekend.

Population: 145,995
Municipal Equality Index score: 79
Based on past precedent, it seems that if Mississippi legislators had their way, queer sex, queer adoption, and same-sex marriage would all be illegal. They're not—only because federal court decisions have superseded the discrimination that locals officials sought to codify. Jackson, though, is a bright spot.

"The crowd is much bigger than what you would think for a Southern area," says Jesse Pandolfo, who owned Jackson's late-great LGBTQ+ dance club WonderLust. "I can't go to the mall without running into 15 gay people I know." Since Pandolfo's beloved bar sadly shuttered during the pandemic, another remaining hangout SHADE Pub and Nightclub has kept Jackson's queer nightlife alive. She also recommends visitors check out the walkable neighborhood of Fondren, "a super-kitschy, hippie, gay-friendly shopping and restaurant area"—especially coffee hangout The Bean and Saltine Oyster Bar. There is charm here, even if it has limits. "Most people smile to your face," Pandolfo says. "They just vote against you behind your back." Meanwhile, local groups like the Jackson Pride Center and MS Capital City Pride ensure the least represented members of the LGBTQ+ rainbow—namely youth, trans, veterans, and seniors—have access to healthcare and community-building resources.

Population: 286,578
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Missouri’s second largest metropolis tied with Kansas City in the latest HRC index. And while both cities are more than worthy of the LGBTQ+ friendly moniker, we’re giving the Lou the nod here thanks to slightly more protective anti-discrimination laws, the presence of openly LGBTQ+ political leaders, and a higher pre-flex points showing.

St. Louis’ queer history is as deeply rooted as it is diverse. HIV/AIDS advocacy group the St. Louis Gender Foundation came on the scene in 1990, and we have University of Missouri at St. Louis grad student Rodney Wilson to thank for LGBT History Month, which he founded in 1994. St. Louis Black Pride has been celebrated each year since 1995 and remains vital to local culture, while Downtown’s PrideFest rages on as one of the largest in the region, buttressed by smaller nearby bashes like Tower Grove Pride, Metro East PrideFest, and Pride St. Charles. Still curious? Sign up for Gay Liberation in the Gateway City from See STL Tours (FKA Renegade STL), where pros from the Missouri Historical Society lead groups through St. Louis’ richly historic Central West End.

Population: 76,955
Municipal Equality Index score: 99
David Herrera will be the first one to tell you Missoula's nightlife could improve. It's true that the last local gay bar turned off its taps years ago and has yet to be replaced, a dry spell that Herrera, the co-founder and executive director of the Montana Two Spirit Society and the former treasurer for the city’s LGBTQ+ Center, blames more on Montana's scarce liquor licenses than he does on any lack of tolerance. “We don't have a gay bar per se, but several bars downtown are certainly friendly and welcoming to the community,” he says. “So I don't know that we even need one."

It's true that extracurricular groups—such as an LGBTQ+ spiritual group—rise and fall as their founders move in and out of town. But like so many of these entries, what Missoula does have is the bedrock of a progressive college like the University of Montana that gives the mid-sized town a permanent (if shifting) community of civic-minded folk. They elected leaders to make Missoula the first city in Montana to pass municipal anti-discrimination laws as protections at the state level continue to flounder, and also founded the Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center as a local hub for LGBTQ+ groups a full 15 years before Great Falls opened its own in 2015. The city also is home to an annual Missoula Pride celebration.

Population: 485,153
Municipal Equality Index score: 83
Omaha narrowly defeated Lincoln for the title of Nebraska's most queer-friendly city as far as Municipal Equality Index scores go. The city received high marks in terms of its anti-discrimination laws, trans-inclusive healthcare, and inclusive workplace laws for city workers, city-provided services for people living with HIV or AIDS and trans residents, a dedicated LGBTQ+ police liaison, and openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed officials.

However, things aren’t always peachy in the Cornhusker State. Nebraska, like many others, has been busy advancing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to make the lives of queer and trans people more difficult. But don't tell that to anybody in Omaha, which has a bustling queer scene. The city is home to Heartland Pride, which runs the city’s Pride festivities and other events, in addition to offering a community director and other resources for other residents and visitors to the city. The city is also home to the University of Nebraska Omaha, which offers its own LGBTQ+ inclusive resources, as well as the Omaha ForUs LGBTQ+ Center. If you’re looking for a refreshment and a queer crowd, check out Flixx, The Maxx, or Omaha Mining Co.

Population: 62,098
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Tying with fellow college town contender Greensboro on the latest Municipal Equality Index, Chapel Hill is doing its best to keep the great state of North Carolina as queer as can be (again, they didn’t rate Asheville, so jury’s out on the true NC queen), "don't say gay" legislation be damned. Here, local leadership aced both evaluative categories—public position on LGBTQ+ equality and pro-equality legislative or policy efforts—while also collecting a host of extra points thanks to city-run services specifically catered toward LGBTQ+ youth, people experiencing homelessness, older adults, people living with HIV or AIDS, and transgender residents.

Now, onto the fun stuff. Chapel Hill-Carrboro’s LGBTQ+ population has plenty of places to proudly strut their stuff, including queer-owned and -friendly hangouts Bowbarr, the Northside District, Cat’s Cradle, Orange County Social Club, and Local 506. Elsewhere, PlayMakers Repertory Company on UNC Chapel Hill’s campus hosts frequent drag shows, while June’s Small Town Pride celebration draws folks out with the annual Chapel Hill Pride Promenade, drag storytimes, art exhibits, and more.

Population: 131,444
Municipal Equality Index score: 76
Fargo gets the edge over Grand Forks, the first North Dakota city to pass anti-discrimination ordinances. Even former North Dakota State Senate District 18 candidate and Grand Forks Pride organizer, Kyle Thorson, points to Fargo’s more diverse population. “There are many, many areas across North Dakota which can be improved for LGBTQ folks,” he says, “but for the most part, Fargo and Grand Forks are two places that are willing to engage with the questions, try to work together, and bring a vibrancy to the state that is uniquely different than other cities.”

In Fargo’s case, that means supporting the state’s longest-running Pride Festival. And while there are no avowed gay bars in the city, the general atmosphere is calmly out of the closet. In 2015, the visitors bureau ran a North of Normal campaign video that featured shots of LGBTQ+ residents as not just a typical part of the city’s community, but one of its main selling points. It’s also unabashedly vocal. Ken Story, former president of the local Pride Collective, reports that activist events have gotten much more prominent in recent years. “We’ve changed,” he says. “Our mission is to reflect the world we live in today.”

Population: 309,513
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Sprawling Columbus, with its massive university, growing population, and renowned Pride celebration, might be the obvious choice for Ohio’s most LGBTQ+ friendly city. “Think again,” says good old Cinci-nasty, whose Municipal Equality Index score could not have been higher. Perched on the banks of the Ohio River and closer to Kentucky than any other major Ohio city, this southwestern staple’s stance on LGBTQ+ has evolved slowly but steadily over the past few decades. 2005 saw the repeal of Article XII, a 1994 city charter amendment that outlawed legal protection based on sexual orientation. Article XII’s demise paved the path for sweeping municipal non-discrimination laws, city-provided services for LGBTQ+ youth, LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness, and people living with HIV or AIDS, an LGBTQ+ police liaison or task force, and a local ban on conversion therapy.

Cincinnati’s LGBTQ+ cred also got a sizable PR boost when local civil rights activist Jim Obergefell took his fight for federal same-sex marriage recognition all the way to the Supreme Court. It was this course-altering 2015 decision that ultimately brought marriage equality to all 50 states, cementing Obergefell’s—and Cincinnati’s—rightful place in America’s queer history.

Cincinnati is not alone with its perfect score on the most recent index in Ohio. Akron, Dayton, Dublin, Cleveland, and Columbus also earned 100s on the MEI due to their queer inclusiveness.

Population: 129,627
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Oklahoma has experienced some rocky legislative changes in recent years, such as when the state’s governor signed an anti-trans bathroom bill into law, while over 50 anti-LGBTQ+ bills are being considered by the state legislature this year. But Norman, home to the University of Oklahoma, has always been a progressive star in a sea of red.

Since 2010, they’ve officially recognized LGBTQ+ History Month in October, which encompasses Coming Out day on October 11. In 2019, Norman was the first city in the state to pass an anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination ordinance, covering areas including private employment, housing, and public accommodations, and in 2021, they were the first in the state to ban conversion therapy. Though there are no official gay bars to speak of, rainbow stickers in many windows around signal LGBTQ+-friendly businesses. And they’re so into Pride, they kick things off a full month early—a kick-off party held earlier in May came complete with performances by local drag royalty. 

Population: 38,417
Municipal Equality Index score: 99
South Carolina elected its first openly gay state lawmaker in 2017—Greenville attorney Jason Elliott, a Republican. But this hasn’t kickstarted laws against discrimination of prospective LGBTQ+ parents, rolling back the criminalization of those who are HIV+, and riding the state of “don’t say gay” laws that bar LGBTQ+ topics taught in schools. However, state employees and folks associated with colleges and universities are protected by non-discrimination laws, and anti-bullying laws as well as suicide prevention policies are firmly in place within the state’s school system.

Myrtle Beach embodies this tug between entrenched Old South sensibilities and modern progressive influences. The city is home to plenty of conservative elements, but also more forward-thinking destinations. The tourist-favorite city is also home to an annual Pride celebration, two gay bars—Pulse Ultra Club and St. George’s—and a whole lot of coastal charm.

Population: 23,993
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
South Dakota hasn’t always been headed in a progressive direction, but things are changing. In February of 2019, LGBTQ+ newspaper The Washington Blade ran the headline "South Dakota leads the way in anti-LGBT bills for 2019 session." Yikes. In 2017, Governor Dennis Daugaard signed a bill allowing adoption and foster agencies to legally refuse working with gay couples, and in 2019, the legislature adopted a “Don’t Say Trans” bill. However, foster care non-discrimination laws are now on the books, coupled with a host of other anti-discrimination protections relating to LGBTQ+ individuals. Brookings—which earned a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's latest Municipal Equality Index—is a driving force behind South Dakota’s more accepting future.

Local elected officials have made a concerted effort to make the city more inclusive, says Lawrence Novotny, who serves as the LGBTQ+ liaison for the Brookings Human Rights Commission and secretary-treasurer for Equality South Dakota, a statewide LGBTQ+ advocacy group. “Some of these [changes] are: a Human Rights Commission, non-discrimination laws in city employment, an LGBTQ+ liaison to the city government, and LGBTQ+ liaison to the city police department, benefits for partners of city employees, and trans-inclusive health benefits,” Novotny explains. Brookings also benefits from being the home of South Dakota State University, whose on-campus gender and sexuality alliance hosts drag shows and other inclusive events.

Population: 683,622
Municipal Equality Index score: 77
When country starlet Chely Wright came out on the cover of People in 2010, the news hit with all the force of a 1,000-foot gong. At the time, Nashville, a city long synonymous with—let’s face it—campy flamboyance, was holding onto its cookie-cutter cowboy and cowgirl image by the skin of its teeth. Fast-forward a mere 14 years, and Music City is finally starting to lean into its fabulous true self, beating out fellow Tennessee cities like Memphis (76), Chattanooga (56), and Knoxville (54).

Nashville dropped the most points in the realm of non-discrimination laws, a fact that holds true throughout the historically conservative state. While city employees have access to anti-discrimination policies, domestic partner benefits, and inclusive worksplace measures, there’s nothing protecting the rest of Nashville’s LGBTQ+ population from suffering bias at work, in public, or when trying to secure housing. Municipal services gave Nashville a bump, thanks to LGBTQ+ youth programs, as did the presence of law enforcement liaisons and openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed officials.

Unfortunately, all that might not be enough to curb several anti-LGBTQ+ bills moving through the state legislature of late, including Tennessee's own version of the “don’t say gay” motion, which would prohibit any materials that “promote, normalize, support, or address controversial social issues, such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) lifestyles” from being discussed in public schools. Then there was that whole matter of a drag ban, which ultimately was ruled unconstitutional. That’s exactly why Nashville-based organizations like the Tennessee Equality Project, Nashville Pride, and Nashville Black Pride are so vital right now, alongside out-and-proud community spaces like Thrillist’s ShiftChange star the Lipstick Lounge, one of the country’s few surviving lesbian bars.

Population: 974,447
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
Less of a no-brainer than one might think, with Houston rapidly morphing into one of America’s most diverse cities, Dallas nipping at Austin’s heels with a strong slate of municipal protections, and even low-key LGBTQ+ hub San Antonio throwing its weight around, but the proverbial blueberry in the cherry pie has done it again. The MEI awarded Austin a perfect score, a telling accomplishment at a time when Texas’ LGBTQ+ population is staring down some of the most draconian and harmful statewide legislation this country has seen in a generation. More than 30 explicitly anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been proposed by Texas lawmakers in recent years, from criminalizing affirming healthcare for trans youth to actions preempting local nondiscrimination ordinances.

Queer Austinites are working hard to get the Lone Star State back on track, teaming up with organizations like Out Youth, The Q Austin, Central Texas Transgender Health Coalition, Austin Pride Foundation, and Equality Texas to aid in their efforts. They’re playing hard, too, making good use of local LGBTQ+ institutions like Cheer Up Charlies, Coconut Club, Barbarella, Rain on 4th, and more.

Population: 204,657
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
We know what you're thinking: Isn't Salt Lake City the home base for Mormon-lead attacks on gay rights? Well, yes. But Troy Williams, executive director of Equality Utah, says that's exactly what spawned the changing of some hearts and minds and the reinvention of SLC as a great LGBTQ+ community.

"Prop 8 [passing] in California—and knowing that millions of dollars in protest money from the Church of LDS was flowing to California—was actually what led us to start protesting, but also reaching across to find common ground," Williams says. Since then, the LDS and LGBTQ+ communities haven't found middle ground around issues of sexuality or marriage, but they have found a powerful agreement in believing that people should not be discriminated against in housing or employment.

In 2015, a statewide anti-discrimination bill made it through a Republican super-majority in the state legislature. In 2019, the Utah Supreme Court ousted a law that previously barred same-sex couples from entering into surrogacy agreements, avowing that "same-sex couples must be afforded all of the benefits the state has linked to marriage.” Also in 2019, the state Senate passed a bill criminalizing hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender, while in 2021, the state’s Supreme Court voted 4 to 1 to give trans citizens the right to change their name and gender on their birth certificates. Governor Spencer Cox vetoed a looming trans sports ban in March 2022—sadly, the state legislature overrode the veto. In 2024, Utah earned the distinction of passing the nation's first anti-LGBTQ+ bathroom ban of the year. 

Salt Lake City, meanwhile, just cranks right along. In 2016, the city council unanimously rechristened 20 city blocks as Harvey Milk Boulevard (between Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks streets). There's an active queer nightlife scene, too, centered around places like Club Try-Angles and M I L K +. "We're a state of contradictions," Williams says. "We're a red state but not a redneck state—this is a place for unexpected victories.

Population: 45,746
Municipal Equality Index score: 100
West Virginia isn't as far behind the times as some other Southern states—not for nothing, it repealed its sodomy laws way back in 1976. Still, being gay here is enough of a novelty that when a high school athlete comes out or a gay couple goes to prom, it might make for a newspaper article.

Huntington staked a claim for progressiveness when it kicked off a 2019 pro-LGBTQ+ marketing campaign declaring that it's “Welcome to All.” The cute, livable city boasts a small college (Marshall University), an award-winning rose garden, and a few longstanding LGBTQ+ and queer-friendly bars, most notably Stonewall. Appreciate the history of Appalachia at the Heritage Farm Museum, which has a blacksmith shop and petting zoo. Pick up some local, organic foods at the Wild Ramp. Artisan shops, yoga classes, and baked goods are all on offer at Heritage Station, a converted train depot—all these spots embody the spirit of Appalachia at its come-as-you-are best.

Population: 32,035
Municipal Equality Index score: 89
Wyoming is not an easy place to be anything but heterosexual, but there's one decent, however complicated, respite amid this deeply red terrain: Laramie. Still known to many as the site of gay college student Matthew Shepard’s 1998 murder, Laramie is a surprisingly bohemian college town tucked 7,200 feet up in the Snowy Range—and in 2015, the town rallied to become the first city in Wyoming to pass an ordinance to protect LGBTQ+ citizens from job, housing, and service discrimination.

Erin Clingman, the former executive director of Wyoming Equality, says they plan to push for protective laws city by city in the coming years, while also acknowledging the uphill battle that lies ahead. Case in point? In early 2022, the state Senate passed a bill in favor of defunding the University of Wyoming's Gender and Women's Studies program, dubbing it "an extremely biased, ideologically driven program" with no "academic legitimacy." And while Laramie still retains much of the state's "Cowboy culture" that can often foster hostility toward queer people, the 2015 ordinance was a moving, momentous accomplishment for the city, and those who fought so hard to make it happen.

Laramie has no out-and-proud gay bars per se, but a number of local watering holes are welcoming and openly queer-friendly. Pop into Front Street Tavern—attached to Sweet Melissa's vegetarian cafe next door—on any given night and you'll find amiable Laramigos drinking the night away with anyone and everyone who walks through the door. Being out in Wyoming takes a measure of gumption, but like so many places across America, there are plenty of people fighting to make life better for folks representing all corners of the gender and sexuality spectrum.

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