Study Ranks Miami As One of the Least LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in U.S.

In the wake of the DeSantis administration's legislative crusade targeting the LGBTQ community, it may not come as a surprise that two Florida cities were ranked among the five least LGBTQ-friendly cities in the U.S.

According to a new study by real estate company Clever, Miami and Jacksonville are the fifth and third-least LGBTQ-friendly cities in the nation, respectively, among large municipalities. Orlando came in tenth on the rankings.

While Miami Beach has largely been considered a haven for the gay community and South Florida a bastion of LGBTQ-inclusivity, the state legislature's passage of bills like the Parental Rights in Education law, AKA "Don't Say Gay" bill, has thrust Miami to the bottom of the LGBTQ-averse rankings alongside cities like Birmingham, Alabama, and Memphis, Tennessee.

"Our study not only balances the fun aspects of the LGBTQ community but also the political realities necessary for LGBTQ Americans to thrive when they are moving across state lines for better futures amid rising costs of living," the report reads.

Stratton Pollitzer, cofounder and deputy director of advocacy group Equality Florida, places the blame on Gov. Ron DeSantis for Miami's ranking. As a longtime resident of Miami, he says he is heartbroken to see the "terrible damage" the governor has done to the city's image as a welcoming municipality.

"It's incredibly frustrating, especially for those of us who live in cities that have worked so hard to be on the leading edge of inclusion and support for LGBTQ residents," Pollitzer tells New Times. "I know that folks in other states look at this, and they think, 'How can that be happening in Florida? I'm used to reading about this in these headlines from deep red, southern states.'"

"I blame the state laws for damaging Miami's reputation," Pollitzer says. "We are part of Florida, and DeSantis has been a wrecking ball to Florida's reputation."

On the ground, gay residents and visitors may feel the Miami metro area is a world apart from more conservative, rural areas of north Florida, where two men kissing might draw stares. However, when factoring in empirical data, the study indicates statewide policy is overshadowing South Florida's reputation for embracing LGBTQ culture.

Clever, a real estate data company, ranked the nation's 50 most populous cities based on 14 weighted criteria, including the number of anti-trans and "Don't Say Gay" laws, the number of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) chapters per 100,000 residents, the total LGBTQ-affirming healthcare providers per capita, the state's LGBTQ population, the number of gay bars and pride events, and the percentage of residents opposing same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws, among other categories.

San Francisco; Hartford, Connecticut; Las Vegas; Portland, Oregon; and Denver sit atop the rankings for most LGBTQ-friendly cities. As outlined by the study, these cities are in states that have neither passed legislation targeting the gay and transgender communities nor created parental opt-out laws that allow parents to challenge classroom reading material. They also have LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum standards, according to the study.

The Magic City has one of the lowest "state equality tally scores" given by the Municipality Advancement Project, which scores state laws and policies that impact LGBTQ people's lives. The study says Florida has five laws on the books that qualify as anti-trans, including legislation that bars transgender people from using their preferred restrooms in public and prohibits public funds from being used to provide gender-affirming care.

Thirty-two percent of Miami residents oppose same-sex marriage, according to the study, in comparison to 11 percent of residents in Hartford. Although Miami is one of the top cities for most pride events per 100,000 residents, it is third on the list for the fewest number of gay bars. San Francisco, which the study considered the most gay-friendly city, has .68 gay bars per capita in comparison to Miami's .08.

Despite these statistics, Pollitzer says people in Miami are engaged in supporting the local LGBTQ community. He notes Equality Florida added 75,000 new supporters in one year — triple the group's yearly average — to fight back against the new legislation.

"Pride festivals are bursting at the seams," he tells New Times. "I understand that some people are going to make the decision to leave our state for reasons about their family's safety. I understand and respect that, but we're here to stay, our community is here to stay. We're here to fight, and I see evidence of that every day. I have never seen people as engaged in pushing back as they are right now."