Denver Ranks 13th Most Queer Friendly City in the US

On August 10, Insider Monkey published a list of the 23 most queer-friendly cities in the U.S. Denver came in at number 13, closely followed by Orlando, Florida. But is this number accurate, and does it reflect how the city feels?

The 2022 Human Rights Campaign’s Municipality Equality Index (MEI) says it is—Denver’s LGTBQ presence is loud and proud. The MEI gave Denver a final score of 100 (the highest score a city can get) after examining city policies for LGBTQ-friendly laws and services. The study examines non-discrimination laws, municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ equality. Denver was deducted two points for inclusivity in the workplace but regained its score in flex points. Flex points focus on specific areas like single occupancy, all-gender facilities, protection for youth against conversion therapy, and services for those with HIV or AIDS.

Same-gender households even appeared in the 2020 Colorado Census —for the first time. The report indicated 1% of all Colorado households are same-sgender. In Denver, that number rises to two percent of the 317,326 households, a high number considering other areas aren’t even keeping track of this information.

And let’s not forget about the cherry on top—Denver’s multitude of queer-owned businesses (including OFM and many of our supporters) and LGBTQ bars and clubs. One of Denver’s longstanding queer spaces, Blush and Blu, is one of only 27 lesbian bars in the U.S., and the last lesbian bar in Denver, down from a peak of seven at one time in the city. Other dedicated LGBTQ spaces include Tracks, Li’l Devils, and The Triangle Bar. Altogether, the total number of queer spaces in Denver tops 150, including social and recreational clubs like the Denver Gay and Lesbian Flag Football League and Babes Around Denver and other queer organizations.

So yes, Insider Monkey, Denver residents fly their Pride flags high and love to support the community.