Everyone and their pet poodle are moving to the Texas Capital but it’s not just young urban hipsters who find life here very inviting. Austin is a very progressive city where tolerance is the norm. Over 5% of the population identify as gay and there is a thriving social scene to go along with this… Read more »
When people think of LGBT-friendly South Florida cities, Miami probably pops to mind first. But Fort Lauderdale has most of the same gay-friendly accommodations and nightlife in a more laid back and affordable environment. The city also has the highest concentration of gay couples of any major American city, with about 3% of all households…. Read more »
The Twin Cities scored so similarly across categories we decided to include them together. Both cities have high populations of LGBT residents (just under 4%) and both offer a progressive, tolerant environment. Beyond that, they have thriving restaurant and bar scenes, with a good number of gay-friendly establishments to be found. The Advocate even went… Read more »
Atlanta is the gay capital of the South and for good reason. The city is generally tolerant and has LGBT-owned businesses scattered throughout the Midtown, Kirkwood, and Candler Park neighborhoods. They also have the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce that helps promote gay- and lesbian-owned businesses around the city. Atlanta even has one of the… Read more »
Phoenix has long been a popular destination for retirees. With 300 days of sunshine each year and all the amenities seniors generally value, there is never a shortage of fun social activities to enjoy. It’s also an affordable place to live, with reasonable tax rates and property values that have remained a bargain years after… Read more »
The second Florida city to make the list, Orlando has a large and vibrant gay population with considerable community support. The horrifying events at Pulse Night Club earlier this year illustrate the general threat of violence and discrimination that the LGBT community still often face, but it shouldn’t be an indictment of this otherwise tolerant… Read more »
Tampa and the surrounding cities of St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Sarasota, among others, have long been top destinations for seniors looking for a comfortable place to retire. The area is widely known for its warm and sunny climate, it’s beautiful sandy beaches, and its world-class golf courses. But it’s also great for anyone living on… Read more »
Portland is a center of progressivism and tolerance and is home to the second largest per capita LGBT population in the country, behind only San Francisco. The city has long protected its gay and lesbian residents from discrimination and it has for many years been known as a warm and welcoming place for same-sex families… Read more »
Beautiful Seattle is another one of the progressive hubs of America so it’s no surprise that it’s also one of the most gay-friendly cities in the country. At almost 5% of the overall population, it has one of the most concentrated LGBT communities of any large city. Also, Seattle has been on the leading edge… Read more »
Columbus may not stand out as a place with a thriving gay scene, but it’s actually one of the best places in the Midwest for members of the LGBT community to call home. The city has a large and active gay population focused largely in the vibrant Short North and German Village neighborhoods. It also… Read more »
It was a big surprise when the Utah capital started making lists of gay-friendly cities, but it is for good reason. Nearly 5% of the metro area population identify as gay and Salt Lake has been very progressive on employment and housing protection for LGBT residents in an otherwise conservative state. Salt Lake is also… Read more »
Dallas is affordable, has some of the best healthcare and senior living accommodations in the country, and has all the amenities one could ever need or want in retirement. It also has a strong and growing gay community. The gay culture in Dallas is centered around the Oak Lawn and Cedar Springs areas where many… Read more »
Sin City has always been a great place to retire. It’s warm and sunny most of the year and there are enough outdoor activities to make sure no one is ever bored. There is also access to world class healthcare and an abundance of quality senior-living facilities and home healthcare services. It’s also relatively… Read more »
Everyone knows this is America’s historical and cultural hub for the LGBT community and no list would be complete without it. It has the largest per capita gay population in the country and there simply isn’t another city on Earth that is more tolerant and accepting of gays and lesbians than San Francisco. In addition… Read more »
Los Angeles and New York City, which have two of the largest LGBTQ populations in the country, are about to welcome two exciting new facilities geared at those communities. In Los Angeles, not far from the iconic and soon-to-be-demolished Circus Disco gay club, the LGBT Center will build a new campus with 100 affordable housing… Read more »
The San Diego City Council voted 9-0 to approve a $7 million loan in order to start construction of an LGBT affirming senior apartment building in North Park. “I’m delighted to move approval,†said Third District Councilmember Todd Gloria, smiling. “It’s ground breaking.†Numerous councilmembers competed to second Gloria’s motion, and Council President Sherri Lightner… Read more »
The group Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE) has revealed plans for a national, multi-year LGBT elder housing initiative in the US. SAGE leaders and several major partners of the organization explained the details at an event on February 3. According to the press release, “LGBT older people often face unique challenges in finding… Read more »
San Diego nonprofit Community HousingWorks (CHW), presents its Arizona Street Development to the San Diego Planning Commission Thursday, Dec. 18. The proposed development features a 76-home senior apartment building on the northwest corner of Texas Street and Howard Avenue and a 118-home multifamily building on the northeast corner. The proposal has already generated significant support… Read more »
Center on Halsted and Heartland Housing officially opened Town Hall Apartments, the Midwest’s first LGBT-friendly affordable senior housing development, during a ribbon-cutting on Friday. “When Tom [Tunney] came to see me and I first got elected, I said ‘what’s our No. 1 goal?’ He said this building,” said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who spoke at… Read more »
A new residential complex designed to cater to the needs and issues of LGBT seniors is expected to open this summer in Palm Springs. Named Stonewall Gardens, the 24-unit assisted-living property will offer resort-style accommodations, a full-time licensed nurse, and a 24-hour professional care staff. With an emphasis on marketing to LGBT residents, but not… Read more »
The walls of Alice Herman’s home are covered in photographs. Herman and Sylvia Purdue, her partner of 45 years, smile in scenes from birthdays and hospital rooms. In black-and-white photos from their younger days, their hair is teased, their makeup flawless. After Purdue died a few years ago, Herman was left with two cats and… Read more »
A San Francisco panel reviewing LGBT aging issues has zeroed in on housing as the number one concern in its report it is preparing to send to city leaders at the end of March. According to a draft version of the LGBT Aging Policy Task Force’s 78-page report it shared with the Bay Area Reporter… Read more »
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held today to celebrate the opening of the John C. Anderson Apartments, a pioneering LGBT-friendly, low-income senior housing apartment complex. The apartments – named for John C. Anderson, a Philadelphia City Council member from 1979 until his death in 1983, instrumental in the passage of Philadelphia’s civil rights bill for sexual… Read more »
Jerry Zeft was so excited to move into his new apartment that he slept on an air mattress for nearly a week while he waited for his bed and other belongings to catch up with him. No matter that he’s 70 years old. Zeft had landed a coveted spot in a new affordable housing complex… Read more »
Filling a long-overdue need to provide the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community more retirement options, Fountaingrove Lodge, the nation’s first full-service LGBT retirement community to offer luxury living and continuing care services, will officially open in less than two weeks. Wednesday, Nov. 20 regional elected officials and LGBT leaders will join award-winning developer… Read more »
FaceLube’s ultra-masculine anti-aging line for men is reportedly pleased to further improve the mission of the Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing Organization (GLEH)–a non-profit, equal opportunity housing provider. The Annual GLEH Garden Party–the organization’s largest fundraiser and LGBT event of the year–will take place on October 6, 2013 at a private estate in Los Angeles…. Read more »
As rapidly as times are changing, the age group with the lowest acceptance for the LGBT community is inevitably seniors–which is especially difficult for those LGBT senior citizens in need of affordable housing. However, as of September 1, LGBT seniors now have an option custom-made for them: the newly opened Spirit on Lake apartments in… Read more »
Les Hommen will be glad to know that someone has finally figured out what to do with all the gays in France. The old gays, at least. Developers of a brand new “private oasis” retirement community near Perpignan in the south of France announced this week that their exclusive neighborhood will cater specifically to gays… Read more »
With LGBT seniors facing increased risks of poverty and poor health as well as a higher likelihood of living alone, the need for housing designed to their needs is dire. Cities including Los Angeles and Chicago are responding by building developments specifically geared to LGBT seniors, and now Philadelphia is joining the party, reaching out… Read more »
LGBT folks are getting older, just like everyone else – and there’s a need for housing that caters to their specific needs. The Wisconsin Gazette reports: More than 20 LGBT-focused retirement communities – homes, apartment buildings or resorts – are in various stages of development in the United States, some as private enterprises, some as… Read more »