Pasadena Named “2nd Gayest City” in America

Pasadena was named the “2nd gayest city in America” by national magazine “The Advocate” in an annual survey released yesterday.

The article released Monday, January 6 said Pasadena’s high rank is primarily due to having “two gay elected city officials for its relatively small population, and a fractional boost from California’s many statewide elected LGBTs.” The names of the two gay officials were not mentioned in the story.

The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)-interest magazine said the city, which it considered as “a kind of bedroom community for gays who like to garden,” has two gay bars: the Boulevard and Club Caution.

Pasadena is also home to a number of LGBT-welcoming churches and the thriving Pasadena Lesbian Book Club, the magazine said.

Patti Loitz, the president of the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Pasadena chapter, said Pasadena is a gay-friendly place to live as evidenced by the number of gay families in the city who are able to live regular lives.

“There are a lot of gay families that are embedded in the neighborhood,” Loitz said. “Gay families and individuals are so accepted here. There are so many under the radar that are living regular, simple lives and are fully accepted by their neighbors.”

Loitz said Pasadena has “evidently reached the level of acceptance” for the members of the gay community.

“[Having LGBT in the city is] a non-issue most of the times, which is how it should be,” Loitz said. “I think it reached that point where it’s no big deal and people have just accepted them as neighbors and part and members of the community, which is ideal.”

Although several homosexual students in some Pasadena schools were allegedly being bullied because of their sexual preferences, Loitz said the Pasadena LGBT community in general does not experience prejudice by fellow residents.

“They’re not that many [cases] wherein LGBT kids feel threatened or not accepted. On the whole, there are many gay-straight alliances in most schools now,” she said. “More and more of the younger generation are being accepting.”

“For Pasadena being such a conservative city, it’s wonderful to know that the people are that accepting,” Loitz said.

She also noted that the city has so-called “Meet the Gay” groups which organizes regular gatherings for LGBT people living in the area.

The magazine’s criteria in choosing the gayest cities in America include the city’s and the state’s LGBT elected officials, the population comprised of lesbian-coupled households, gay rodeo associations, bars listed in Out magazine’s 200 Best Bars list, the number of women’s college and the number of concert performances by Mariah Carey, Pink, Lady Gaga or the Jonas Brothers in the cities.

The raw score is divided by the population to provide a ranking based on a per capita LGBT quotient, according to the magazine.

Washington D.C. topped the list for having 17 gay elected officials and for having multiple “gay-friendly” neighborhoods.

The Advocate and its website have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people. The magazine is also one of the oldest and largest LGBT publication in the United States and the only surviving one of its kind that was founded before the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City, an incident that is generally credited as the beginning of the LGBT rights movement.

For a complete list of The Advocate’s gayest cities in America, Visit http://www.advocate.com.