This New Jersey City Named Best LGBTQ-Friendly Town in U.S.
Travelers often seek the comfort of feeling welcomed, no matter their sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. Some of the best travel destinations for the LGBTQ community are those where they not only feel accepted but celebrated. These are places where they can engage with locals and other visitors, and enjoy their experience without fear of judgment, as everyone should be able to do wherever they go.
Ahead of Pride Month, Best Life, a lifestyle magazine compiled a list of the best LGBTQ-friendly towns in the U.S., where members of the community and allies will “feel right at home.”
A New Jersey city takes the top spot as the best LGBTQ-friendly town!
First up on their list is Asbury Park. It’s been crowned the best LGBTQ-friendly town in the U.S. “The LGBTQ community found a place for themselves in this coastal spot, which is now home to top-rated restaurants, bars, and hotels,” the outlet said. They also highlighted the annual Jersey Pride LGBTQ+ parade and festival that’s been held there since 1992.
This year, New Jersey’s 32nd Annual Statewide LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration will be held in person on Sunday, June 2. It’s the “largest, and oldest, LGBTQ Pride Celebration in the Garden State,” with attendance under normal circumstances surpassing 20,000, according to their website.
Best Life continued to talk about Asbury Park’s rich history with the LGBTQ community. “You had gay clubs in Asbury Park in the 1930s when you couldn’t have them,” Asbury Park historian and author Kathy Kelly told The Asbury Park Press, “and part of that was because we were a resort town. … [The current site of] Bond Street Bar was a women’s bar in the late 1930s.”
Even in the ’70s, amid violent race riots and when it was “the least safe place in New Jersey from a perception perspective,” Asbury was also a place of solace for the gay community, Kelly added.
Following behind Asbury Park is Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The outlet points out that this town has a “huge queer” population and representation. “Most of its population identifies as LGBTQIA+, and it’s such a progressive oasis in a red area. Rainbow flags all around the historic downtown, a rainbow staircase that’s popular for photos, and Eureka Live is a huge gay club right in the middle of it all, with drag queens regularly traveling from throughout the region to perform,” Matt Kirouac, a travel writer told the outlet.
Wrapping up the top three is New Hope, Pennsylvania. In Bucks County, the town promotes that they “welcome visitors of all backgrounds and sexual orientation to visit and we are committed to promoting diversity and inclusivity throughout the County.”
“Additionally, Lambertville, New Jersey, is another LBGTQ-friendly destination that you can walk to from New Hope. Both towns were dubbed ideal spots for a ‘gay getaway’ by The New York Times, pointed out by Best Life.
Take a look at their complete list of the best LGBTQ-friendly towns in the U.S. here.
