3. Massachusetts
Percentage of people who are gay: 4.4%
Total gay population in the state: 292,430
While gay rights in Massachusetts have only progressed in the last couple of decades, it is important to note that it was the first state in the country to legalize gay marriage, which happened in 2004, 11 years before the federal government followed the same course of action.
In 2008, the state repealed a 1913 law which stated that marriage would not take place in Massachusetts if it could not be recognized in the home state, which was another positive ruling for the gay population of the state. The state has also forbidden discrimination based on sexual orientation for both public and private employment since 1989.
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