Gay-iendly towns red stat draw LGBTQ tourists: 'We're here to be normal for a weekend'

Contents:

• 11 GAY-IENDLY SMALL CI BIG RED STAT
• GAY-IENDLY TOWNS RED STAT DRAW LGBTQ TOURISTS: 'WE'RE HERE TO BE NORMAL FOR A WEEKEND'
• BT AND WORST STAT FOR LGBTQ FOLKS? DIVI WORSENS AFTER 'DON'T SAY GAY,' REPORT SAYS

11 GAY-IENDLY SMALL CI BIG RED STAT

”This year’s report herald 88 ci wh a perfect sre of 100, and many of the x's high-srg municipali n be found stat not typilly thought of as beg clive to lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer are 11 small ci (ls than 200, 000 rints) red stat (those that haven’t voted for a Democrat for print the 21st Century) that sred at least an 80 on HRC’s Municipal Equaly Inx. -Columbia, MissouriMEI sre: 100, Populatn: 122, 000Downtown Columbia, Hawks / Getty ImagThe Midwtern town is home to the Universy of Missouri and has a btlg nightlife scene wh a multu of gay-iendly spots. ”-Norman, OklahomaMEI sre: 92, Populatn: 123, 000The Gaylord Fay Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman on Nov.

Norman’s progrsive polici toward gay rints is evint ’s x sre, which is 30 pots above the send-hight ranked Oklahoma cy the x.

GAY-IENDLY TOWNS RED STAT DRAW LGBTQ TOURISTS: 'WE'RE HERE TO BE NORMAL FOR A WEEKEND'

— On the unt of three, about 50 gay upl kissed their partners the public square of a small town the Ozark Wilks, the event’s anizer, told the crowd to do over. But Eureka Sprgs, Wilks, who ns Out Eureka, an LGBTQ event and rmatn anizatn, is workg to create what he se as an oasis: a space for LGBTQ people to explore a quat Southern town while beg weled exactly as they ci and towns red stat have also begun urtg lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer tourists, as a way of showg their openns and bee there’s money to be ma.

”Oklahoma Cy tri to entice LGBTQ tourists wh s annual Memorial Day gay roo and s small but thrivg southwt of Eureka Sprgs, Fayetteville is on a siar missn, tryg to appeal to LGBTQ people Arkansas and neighborg stat, for whom gog on vatn to a major cy is st prohibive — or not at all sirable. “Fire Island is fun, ” he add of the gay statn east of New York Cy, but Wilks wants to rema “te to who Eureka is” — a small town that’s wood, Southern and super gay.

BT AND WORST STAT FOR LGBTQ FOLKS? DIVI WORSENS AFTER 'DON'T SAY GAY,' REPORT SAYS

’Fayetteville recently beme the first cy Arkansas to jo the Internatnal Gay and Lbian Travel Associatn, which provis ee rourc, travel suggtns and safety tips to LGBTQ travelers.

Courty Vcent GriffExperience Fayetteville tak out ads gay newspapers nearby ci and neighborg stat toutg s attractns and makg sure queer and trans folks know they n vis whout worry. A lifelong Arkansan, she knows she’s fightg an uphill battle — while she lov the state, she acknowledg that isn’t always a great place to be LGBTQ, wh a lack of workplace discrimatn protectns and snt health re for trans, Fayetteville Pri, the biggt gay event of the year, has flourished, drawg visors om all over the regn. The first para 2005 drew about 200 atten; last year, had over 15, Tanzella, print and CEO of the Internatnal Gay and Lbian Travel Associatn, was thrilled when Fayetteville wanted to be promoted by his anizatn.

”Tanzella said that recent years, gay tourism has “evolved om a one-size-fs mol to all the different nich.