Online magazine ranks Vancouver 6th on ‘gayest city’ list

1. Minneapolis

2. Santa Fe, N.M.

3. Las Vegas

4. Orlando

5. Pittsburgh

6. Vancouver, Wash.

7. Atlanta

8. Washington, D.C.

9. Seattle

10. St. Louis

11. San Francisco

12. Cleveland

13. Denver

14. Oakland

15. Miami

16. Portland was among 10 “best of the rest” cities.

http://www.advocate.com/Print_

Issue/Travel/Gayest_Cities_in_America_February_2011/

America’s Vancouver:

Loathes bridge lifts, Oregon taxes.

Lukewarm on light rail.

Loves to wave the flag.

How many of you figured the rainbow flag?

The Advocate, the Los Angeles-based online magazine that chronicles gay and lesbian political and cultural affairs, ranks Vancouver as the country’s No. 6 “gayest city,” in a list posted Wednesday.

Our little Vancouver.

Three spots above Seattle; five ahead of San Francisco.

Trailing only the leader, Minneapolis, and four other cities. Smack between heavy-hitters like Pittsburgh (No. 5), Atlanta (No. 7) and Cleveland (No. 12).

Advocate reporter Mike Albo writes, in the magazine’s second annual travel guide ranking, “One gets the sense that a lot of those groovy gay and lesbian Portlanders are mellowing out and coming here to settle down.

“Friendly, low-key, neighborhoody Vancouver is right across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore., and has bars such as The Northbank (106 W. Sixth St.) with affordable happy hours and uncrowded pool tables. The city of around 165,000 has six gay-friendly churches, and its Skyview High School has a student-led gay-straight alliance.”

Albo insists this is no willy-nilly compilation.

“Using a completely unscientific — but still strangely accurate — statistical equation, The Advocate has come up with a diverse and surprising list of where gay people are living, loving, voting, and creating communities,” he writes.

The Advocate’s research staff used eight data points to establish a numerical matrix and final ranking, he writes.

Measures include:

• Number of Gay.com profiles.

• Listed officiants for gay weddings within 50 miles.

• Elected openly gay public officials.

• Tegan and Sara performances over the last five years.

• Lesbian bars.

• Gay and gay-friendly religious congregations.

• Entries in YellowPages.com with “gay” in the business name or description.

The sum of all above was then divided by city population to produce a final score.

Okay, so the list is somewhat “arbitrary,” Albo allows.

Canadian indie rockers and twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin have played here several times, at least once with Lillith Fair at the amphitheater. Vancouver rates just 1 point on the Yellow Pages list and has only two lesbian bars, researchers say.

Clearly, our burg leans on Portland’s caché: Our neighbor rates among Albo’s 10 “best of the rest” cities, “with the 11th highest number of same-sex couples among all U.S. cities, and the seventh highest as a share of the population, according to the American Community Survey for 2008, released this fall,” he writes.

But Vancouver’s “gay-friendly” churches and gay public officials — Democratic state Rep. Jim Moeller is worth 1 point on a sliding scale that also favors gay members of Congress, governors and mayors — and modest population help give it a boost over hundreds of contenders.

‘Welcoming’ community

Moeller himself was thrown by the listing.

“Are you sure Vancouver, Washington?” he responded Thursday by telephone from Olympia. Followed by seconds of bemused laughter.

“I’m a bit flabbergasted. The top 10, huh? Maybe we’ll make ‘David Letterman,’” Moeller said. “I’ve always thought we were a better place to live than Seattle, but not gayer.

“You made my day.”

Joking aside, Moeller was asked what the ranking, however arcane, might really mean.

“I’ve been an openly gay elected official in Vancouver since 1995,” Moeller said. “It wouldn’t have happened in a community that wasn’t open and welcoming and tolerant of its diverse citizens. For a town of our size, and it was far smaller (prior to annexation in 1997) when I was elected, it was quite an accomplishment.

“And I credit my community — the entire community — for keeping me there,” he said.

A ‘step forward’

Other leaders also were surprised, yet found affirmation in the unexpected recognition.

Mayor Tim Leavitt said the city’s relative cost of living, quality schools, low crime rate and favorable tax climate have helped to shape impressions.

“The word is getting out that Vancouver is a great place to live, regardless of your race, ethnicity or sexual persuasion,” he said.

“We’re starting to come into our own. There’s a lot of work still to do, but to be recognized by outside sources, whether it’s The Advocate or other organizations that rank quality of life, it’s a step forward,” Leavitt said. “Our community continues to mature and evolve into a sophisticated city on the West Coast. It bodes well.”

Two marketing representatives voiced a similar theme.

“If we’ve been ranked there because of our livability and business climate, that’s good news,” said Kelly Love Parker, head of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

Love said she doesn’t see the listing as “part of our marketing strategy.” However, “We like good momentum. We’re glad folks nationwide are looking at Vancouver,” she said.

Kim Bennett, president and CEO of the Visit Vancouver USA tourism office, said Albo’s story points more to livability than tourist attraction.

Even so, Vancouver “is a great tourism destination that appeals to a wide variety of people and different interest groups,” she said. “It’s great to hear that we’re viewed and ranked so highly as a very friendly, open community.”

Brent Bartling, current owner of The Northbank, for nearly 30 years a downtown fixture, said The Advocate story popped up on Facebook postings late Wednesday, but the recognition hadn’t really yet sunk in.

“It was kind of a surprise. It’s like, ‘Really?’” said Bartling, who hasn’t yet read the details. “It’ll be interesting to see what people will say, especially this weekend.”

Open hearts and minds

Two church leaders who embrace Vancouver’s open culture credit parishioners’ hearts and minds.

Celebrating “the inclusiveness of God’s love” shapes beliefs and values that “lead us to unconditionally accept persons who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender,” said the Rev. Brooks Berndt, leader of the First Congregational Church in Hazel Dell.

“It would be great if Vancouver continued to increase the number of churches who affirm gays. We could rise even higher for the rankings,” he said. “Let’s shoot for the top!”

The Rev. Shelly Fayette, of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Vancouver’s Ellsworth neighborhood, also laughed at the city rankings: “Are you serious? Not (Vancouver) B.C.? That’s pretty fascinating,” she responded.

But her flock’s adherence to its core principles are no small thing, Fayette said.

“Our church really does extend the spirit of welcome to all comers,” she said. “We’re proud to live in Vancouver. We’re proud to live out our faith calling, to be really loving and welcoming and caring people in this city.”

Carried out “in our daily lives and in our civic lives … hopefully that ‘radical welcome’ helps Vancouver be a really safe and peaceful place for all people,” Fayette said. “That is our desire for the city that we love.”