In the spirit of Gay Pride Month, media organization Vocativ has released its first-ever "Queer Index," which uses a number of lifestyle factors to determine the most gay-friendly cities in the United States.The index looks at variables that influence where LGBT Americans live and work, including the number of "out" singles, hate-crime rates, and ease of casual hookups, using Vocativ's technology to search the "Deep Web" —the 80% of the Internet that search engines can't reach.
The Queer Index unearthed some interesting facts about major U.S. cities and their relationships with the LGBT community. For example:
· The Washington, D.C. metro area has the highest percentage of openly gay adults. At the same time, the nation’s capital has the highest number of anti-LGBT hate groups.
· Memphis, Tenn. has the highest percentage of single lesbians.
· Atlanta has the highest number of LGBT-friendly businesses in the country at 685—over three times more than the next highest city.
· Of the top 100 largest U.S. cities, Boston had the highest number of sexual-orientation hate crimes last year: 63.
· Four of the top ten U.S. cities by population did not make the list: Houston (#4 in population), Phoenix (#6), San Antonio (#7) and Dallas (#9).
These are the most gay-friendly U.S., according to the Queer Index:
1. Los Angeles, Calif.
2. New York, N.Y.
3. San Francisco, Calif.
4. Des Moines, Iowa
5. Chicago, Ill.
6. Seattle, Wash.
7. Albany, N.Y.
8. Rochester, N.Y.
9. Denver, Colo.
10. Madison, Wis.
11. Harrisburg, Pa.
12. Hartford, Conn.
13. Providence, R.I.
14. San Diego, Calif.
15. Washington, D.C.
16. Portland, Ore.
17. San Jose, Calif.
18. Boston, Mass.
19. Sacramento, Calif.
20. Minneapolis, Minn.
21. Chattanooga, Tenn.
22. Milwaukee, Wis.
23. Honolulu, Hawaii
24. Riverside, Calif.
25. Las Vegas, Nev.
26. Worcester, Mass.
27. Fresno, Calif.
28. Philadelphia, Pa.
29. Stockton, Calif.
30. Atlanta, Ga.
31. New Haven, Conn.
32. Syracuse, N.Y.
33. Bakersfield, Calif.
34. Buffalo, N.Y.
35. Oxnard, Calif.
*SEE ALSO: The 12 Best Honeymoon Destinations For Gay Couples*
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