Memphis, Tennessee has been revealed as the least friendly city for LGBTQIA+ people in the US, according to research conducted by Clever.
This study comes after the Human Rights Campaign declared a “State of Emergency” for LGBTQIA+ Americans in June. The decision was made after more than 75 anti-LGBTQIA+ Bills were signed into law in 2023 and a “dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQIA+ legislative assaults sweeping into state houses,” was recorded.
The study used a 14 point criteria to establish the final ranking. Cities were placed in order based on a variety of factors including LGBTQIA+ population, access to LGBTQIA+ affirming healthcare, percentage of residents who oppose same sex marriage and the number of anti-trans legislation passed at the state level.
The full list is as follows:
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Houston, Texas
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Miami, Florida
- Dallas, Texas
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Tampa, Florida
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Kansas City, Missouri
Dissecting the findings of the research further, Clever noted trends that ran across the entire lowest ranking states: “What stands out in the bottom cities is that they all have particularly low state equality tally scores.
“The bottom 10 average a state equality tally score of -3.15, which is 119% lower than the average state’s score of 16.7. Seven out of the bottom 10 cities are also in states that have a “Don’t Say Gay” law, one of the most restrictive laws targeting LGBTQIA+ Americans.”
There are points of optimism to flag in these areas however, with Houston being the location of one of the last remaining lesbian bars in the country, called Pearl Bar. In addition, Jacksonville is “tied for the lowest percentage of residents opposing same sex marriage, along with Hartford at 11 per cent.”
Previous research from Clever has found that 38 per cent of Americans still oppose same-sex marriage. Promoting a conservative ideology, boomers are 68 per cent more likely than millennials to express their opposition to same sex marriage.
You can read their findings in full here.
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