Gayest Cities in America, 2013

11. Oakland, Calif. (pop. 395,817) Cali’s seventh largest city is across the bay from “The City,” and while it’s seriously hard to compete with San Francisco’s LGBT cred, Oakland is no less vibrant yet more diverse and affordable. In fact, it boasts more lesbian couples per capita than any other major American city and ranks third in gay- and lesbian-headed households, after San Francisco and Seattle. This city has students, families, funky gays, an annual Black Pride and Black LGBT Film Festival (BlackLGBTFilmFest.com), and the East Bay Front Runners (EastBayFrontRunners.org), so you can see the scenic bay while burning off the calories consumed at the super-popular White Horse Bar (WhiteHorseBar.com) the night before.