What surprises did we find from the most affordable LGBTQ friendly cities
What are the surprises we found in the most affordable, LGBQ-friendly cities? Find out here on this episode. Then download your FREE Queer Money Kickstarter, a 9-step Guide to Kickstart Your Journey to Financial Independence.
Watch more on the most affordable LGBTQ+-friendly cities
What were the surprises from the most affordable, LGBTQ+-friendly Cities?
On this Queer Money®, we’re sharing our biggest takeaways and surprises from the most affordable, LGBTQ+-friendly city series.
One of the biggest surprises we found is we are reminded queer people are living in every single state in this country, whether it is a red or blue state. There are queer people finding ways to live happy and enjoyable, fulfilling lives in every single state in this country. And there are people who are putting in really hard work to try to prevent or limit how red some states are getting. It is important to remember there are millions of LGBT people living in red states, and we can not dismiss them. These are our brothers and sisters, our queer family, and many times doing more work in these states when it comes to upholding our rights and the values of our community.
We were surprised how many red states have a city with a 100 in HRC MEI. One of the key indicators we used to determine whether the city was LGBTQ-friendly is the Municipal Equality Index that HRC does. That indicates how strong the LGBTQ community and the allies that support the LGBTQ community are in that city. Without those individuals, those laws or ordinances would even come close to being put on the books if it wasn’t for people who are really trying to make those cities welcoming for LGBTQ folks.
Some surprising red states with cities that received a 100 on the HRC MEI are Florida with eight cities, Ohio with six cities, Iowa with three cities, and Texas with three cities. There are lots of cities in red states that got 100, and there are cities in blue states that got really low scores.
We were surprised that some small towns with 100K or fewer that received 100 on the HRC MEI were Brooking, Erie PA, and Norman. They usually had. a university or college presence.
There are many more options than we let ourselves believe. There are various levels of privilege within the community. Some privileges are financial, racial, gender expression, and health or well-being. We’re taking all the data we’ve acquired over the last year and breaking it down further to help people narrow down regions of the country to consider the most affordable, LGBTQ+-friendly cities for people with pets, singles, couples, and more. Lotsa fun is coming your way!
If you’d like to see the results of all the cities in each state we’re analyzing, get the dynamic list of Affordable LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities in the U.S. here. or click the link in your podcast player for a growing analysis.
For the resources and to connect with our guests, get the show notes at: https://queermoneypodcast.com/subscribe.
Previous Bonus Podcast Episodes
- Top 10 Affordable, LGBTQ+ Friendly Cities, So Far Part II
- The Best Gay City to Live in Alabama
- The Best Gay City to Live in Alaska
Click below to listen to this bonus episode.