"How Gay is Long Beach?" And Other Questions Answered in The Advocate's Annual Gayest Cities in America List

Los Angeles' boys' town is, of course, West Hollywood, and there are similar communities in cities all over the country. But just like last year, L.A., or WeHo, didn't make The Advocate's third annual list of the "Gayest Cities in America." The alternative publication takes an alternative look at the typical census data to make their rankings, by examining "the per capita queerness of some less expected locales."

The Advocate explains their methodology:

Using totally accurate (if decidedly subjective) criteria, The Advocate has created a diverse and somewhat surprising list of the metropolitan areas that are home to a bevy of LGBTs. The Advocate’s research team examined numerous factors—including out elected officials, WNBA teams, and nude yoga classes—in determining the gay-friendliness of each city. Those factors were then each assigned a point, the points were tallied, and the raw scores were divided by the population to calculate each city’s per capita homosexuality.

When it comes to Cali representing, it's all about Long Beach. Well, San Francisco (#18) and Oakland (#23) get honorable mentions. "How gay is Long Beach?" the mag asks itself. The answer:

Its pride celebration is one of the country’s biggest, and the Long Beach Pride float seems to make its way to every other Pride event within 500 miles! There are a ton of gay and lesbian bars, restaurants, a big boat suitably named the Queen Mary (QueenMary.com; it’s also haunted, and a hotel). The sunny, welcoming city provides a more relaxed alternative to nearby Los Angeles.

Other cities at the top of the list include Knoxville, TN, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Ann Arbor, MI, and, at the #1 spot, Salt Lake City, UT. Yep. SLC is the Gayest City in America.

Incidentally, here's their "equation" for the rankings: