CINCINNATI -- The Queen City might be one of the most LGBTQ-friendly cities in the United States, according to The Advocate’s annual “Queerest Cities in America” feature.
The online publication, which focuses on political and social issues with gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender readers in mind, ranked Cincinnati at No. 7 on its list of 25 gay-friendly cities -- making it “queerer” than Seattle, San Francisco and Miami, Florida.
"It wouldn’t be a big surprise if college town Columbus scored well on HRC’s municipal equality index, for Kentucky-bordering Cincinnati to nab a 100 is kind of a shock," The Advocate wrote.
Cincinnati ranked highly because of its anti-discrimination ordinance, its gay and transgender pride events and the Cincinnati Opera’s adaptation of the historical novel "Fellow Travelers," which focuses on a romance between two men. The Advocate also pointed out that, while Ohio swung red during the 2016 presidential election, Hamilton County did not.
The Advocate’s other criteria for determining a city’s “queerness” included the number of gay and lesbian bars, LGBTQ centers, theaters screening Moonlight and, perhaps puzzlingly, gay bowling teams.
Toledo, Ohio, also made an appearance at No. 12 on the list for its Democratic leanings, its LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Toledo and its gay-friendly bar scene.
