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For the fourth year, the Advocate has put together their list of the Gayest Cities in America, and, perhaps surprisingly local cities like Los Angeles and West Hollywood didn't make the cut.
The publication is unabashedly unapologetic about not favoring familiar bastions of gay lifestyle, and typically leave off cities like New York, San Francisco, and L.A. in favor of smaller, and arguably more progressive cities. Take the top pick, for example: Tacoma, Washington. Actually, Washington state and the Pacific Northwest seem to be where the boys-who-like-boys (and girls-who-like-girls) are most at home; Spokane, WA (#3), Seattle, WA (#5), Eugene, OR (#7), and Salem, OR (#14) were all included this year.
L.A. didn't make the list last year, either, though Long Beach did. Last year's top pick, Salt Lake City, dropped in favor to sixth place this year, and many of the cities on the list have surpassed 2012's selected cities. (L.A. or WeHo weren't gay enough in 2011, either.) If consolation is required, rest assured The Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index gave high to perfect marks to West Hollywood, Long Beach, and Los Angeles recently, thereby saving L.A. County's gay-friendly face.
Even though locally we had President Obama pay a visit to do some fundraising within the LGBT community, we light up L.A. City Hall in lavender, our inaugural Poet Laureate is gay, singer Pink thinks she's an honorary lesbian of L.A., we protest at Chick-fil-A, and WeHo is home to one of the world's most well-known Gay Pride parades, we're still not gay enough for the Advocate.
It's all about the methodology for the Advocate's ranking:
Here's the official list of the 15 Gayest Cities in America for 2013:
1. Tacoma, Wash.
2. Springfield, Mass.
3. Spokane, Wash.
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Seattle
6. Salt Lake City
7. Eugene, Ore.
8. Madison, Wis.
9. Atlanta
10. Twin Cities, Minn.
11. Oakland, Calif.
12. Providence, R.I.
13. Colorado Springs, Colo.
14. Salem, Ore.
15. St. Louis