Now that gay marriage has become legal in the United States of America, it is interesting to note the 11 states with the biggest gay populations in America.
Homosexuality has been one of the biggest and most taboo topics in recent times. This, in turn, led to it becoming one of the biggest issues of the 20th and the 21st century, culminating in over 20 countries declaring gay marriage legal, with the United States of America joining the fray in 2015. To learn more about this, you can visit the 11 most gay friendly cities in the world.
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Of course, it is important to note that 2015 only saw gay marriage being allowed on a federal level. Previously, some states in the United States had already allowed gay marriage. However, the last of the outdated sodomy laws were only canceled in 2003, by the Supreme Court decision. Not that anyone was getting arrested for having gay sex, but having those laws on the books was rather unpleasant.
Some states have gone even further to protect the rights of homosexuals, with 22 states having enacted laws which protect homosexuals from discrimination based on their sexual orientation, with federal law introducing hate crimes as a category for assaults based on sexuality. Due to these reasons, it is no wonder that more people are embracing their sexuality and are open about their sexual orientation. Hence, we have a much better idea of the number of gay people in the country now than we did ever before.
Unfortunately, studies regarding the gay population are not carried out frequently. Hence, we had to rely on a study performed by Gallup to determine the percentage of people from each state who identified themselves as gay. We further also considered the total number of people in each stay who are gay. We did this by multiplying the total population at the time with the percentage who admitted being gay. This allowed us to determine more accurately, the 11 states with the biggest gay populations in America.
9. Ohio
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.6%
Total gay population in the state: 415,592
Ohio has come a long way since legalizing sexual activity between people of the same sex way back in 1972. Now, a family which is headed by a gay couple is even afforded the same protection that any other family would receive under the law of the state. Whether a homosexual person is in a relationship, married or even single, the person has the right of adoption as well. Unfortunately, despite these advances, Ohio is yet to enact statewide protection from discrimination against a person’s sexual orientation, with only state employment offering that kind of protection.
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9. Florida
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.5%
Total gay population in the state: 676,115
Florida turned out to not be as progressive as Ohio, for same-sex activities were only legalized in 2003 after the aforementioned Supreme Court decision. Even as late as 2015, the law which forbade sodomy had not yet been repealed in the state, even though it was impossible to enforce after the Supreme Court decision. The motion to repeal the law was made in 2016 and is expected to come into effect in July 2016.
While benefits may not be statewide, over thirty cities in Florida now offer domestic partner benefits to gay couples. Furthermore, while Florida banned gay couples from being able to adopt in 1977, this was shot down 33 years later after a verdict made by the appeals court in the state.
9. Arizona
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.9%
Total gay population in the state: 255,577
Arizona was ahead of the country as a whole in terms of its acceptance of homosexuals, as it repealed its sodomy laws in 2001, two years before they were repealed on a federal level. While same-sex couples can adopt children without any restrictions by the state, the state still asks adoption agencies to give preference to heterosexual married couples. Arizona has also gone one step further by prohibiting homosexual discrimination in public employment.
6. Washington
Percentage of people who are gay: 4.0%
Total gay population in the state: 275,880
One of the more liberal states in the country, Washington, has afforded more rights to its gay population than many other states. The state’s liberal outlook is evidenced by the fact that it had managed to repeal its sodomy laws back when Florida was still enacting new ones, in 1975.
Not only did Washington legalize gay marriage in 2012, but it also decreed that all registered unions between same-sex couples would be converted into marriage in 2014, unless of course, the union was dissolved before 2014. Washington also does not discriminate on adoption, allowing homosexual couples to adopt without any prejudice.
6. Texas
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.6%
Total gay population in the state: 938,131
It may come as a surprise to see Texas included in this list, considering the conservative stance of the state. However, it is not without its controversies, as gay people in the state do face discrimination that straight people do not have to live with. Even though gay marriage has been legalized in 2015 on a federal level, the ruling has been challenged in the state.
Employees or even people looking for public housing are not afforded any sort of protection from homosexual discrimination. Any bills that would prohibit such discrimination have never made it past their committee.
6. Oregon
Percentage of people who are gay: 4.9%
Total gay population in the state: 191,068
Oregon has provided significant protection to its gay population, with the gay population in the state being afforded the same rights as that of a straight person. The state legalized gay marriage in 2014 while the state previously offered partnerships for same-sex couples when gay marriage was not yet legal.
Oregon’s liberal approach to homosexuals can be seen in the fact that its governor, Kate Brown, turned out to be the first openly bisexual governor in the history of the country.
5. Michigan
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.8%
Total gay population in the state: 375,568
While Michigan has had no option but to legalize gay marriage and same-sex activities, gay couples still do not have the equal rights as straight couples do, and hence, they face many challenges.
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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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3. Illinois
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.8%
Total gay population in the state: 489,260
When it comes to LGBT rights in the US, Illinois is certainly one of the most liberal states, considering it was the first one to abolish the sodomy law. In addition, gay marriages are legal in the state since 2013, and homosexual couples can adopt children. With these rights in mind, it is no wonder why Illinois is one of the states with the biggest gay populations in America.
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2. New York
Percentage of people who are gay: 3.8%
Total gay population in the state: 743,670
Another open-minded state, New York, has been the center of the gay rights movement since 1969 when New York City was home to the Stonewall riots (famous violent protests by people belonging LGBT community, who aimed to stop police raid). New York was also one of the first states to legalize gay marriage back in 2011.
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1. California
Percentage of people who are gay: 4%
Total gay population in the state: 1,521,657
With 4% of the total population identifying as gay, California tops the list of 11 states with the biggest gay population in America. The state legalized same-sex sexual activity in the year 1976, while protection from discrimination against a person’s sexual orientation has been provided since 2003.
In California, the schools are required to teach the students about the LGBT population. Furthermore, it was the first state in the country to legalize domestic partnerships between same-sex people in 1999. It also legalized gay marriage in 2008, but severe opposition led to a ban, which was subsequently lifted in 2013.
