North Carolina has a mixed reputation when it comes to issues affecting the LGBTQ community. However, many cities in North Carolina are actually quite friendly to the queer community, including the 5 LGBT-friendly cities in this list.
In fact, when the state passed a misguided law restricting bathroom use for transgender people in 2016, it was because the city of Charlotte had just passed an ordinance that would have protected people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
While there are certainly some parts of the state that might be less welcoming to members of the LGBTQ community, out-of-staters might be surprised at how open and accepting these North Carolina communities can be. We take a look at the Human Rights Campaign’s equality index, as well as our own take on the most gay and queer friendly cities in North Carolina.
- 1. Chapel Hill is recognized as a leader in LGBTQ policies
- 2. Durham, NC is an educated, prosperous LGBTQ-friendly city
- 3. Charlotte, NC is a city of transplants, including queer transplants
- 4. Greensboro, NC is a focal point in civil rights history, including LGBTQ rights
- 5. Asheville, NC is a queer-friendly resort town in Western North Carolina
- Conclusion
- References
1. Chapel Hill is recognized as a leader in LGBTQ policies
Topping the list of LGBTQ- friendly cities in North Carolina is Chapel Hill, one of the three cities that make up North Carolina’s Research Triangle region. The Human Rights Campaign gave Chapel Hill high scores across the board when it comes to various areas of city government that affect LGBTQ people.
The organization gave Chapel Hill a perfect score on leadership in the category of LGBTQ equality for its leadership’s public positions and pro-equality policies.
Chapel Hill has had both an openly gay mayor and openly gay Town Council members. Joe Herzenberg, who served as council member in the 1970’s and 1980’s, is sometimes described as the first openly gay elected official in the South. Mark Kleinschmidt was the town’s first openly gay mayor, who served from 2009 to 2015.
The city is also home to UNC Chapel Hill, which attracts young and educated people to the city, further serving to make the city an LGBTQ-friendly place. The neighboring town of Carrboro, NC, which borders Chapel Hill to the west, also has a reputation of being very open to members of the LGBTQ community.
2. Durham, NC is an educated, prosperous LGBTQ-friendly city
Next on our list is Durham, NC, another point in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, and home to the prestigious Duke University. Durham received high scores in almost every category in the Human Rights Campaign equality index, although it lost points in the category of providing city services to LGBTQ youth and homeless citizens.
However, the LGBTQ Center of Durham provides support to young adults experiencing homelessness, as well as other members of the queer community.
We think Durham deserves credit for being a gay-friendly city. The universities and employment opportunities in the city attract highly educated and open-minded people from across the country and the world, contributing to the accepting nature of the city.
While nearby Raleigh, the state’s capital, generally has more nightlife than Durham or Chapel Hill, Raleigh’s gay bars and clubs are within reach from either city. (By the way, while Raleigh didn’t make this list, it was a close call – the entire Research Triangle Park, including Raleigh, is generally LGBTQ-friendly).
3. Charlotte, NC is a city of transplants, including queer transplants
North Carolina’s most populous city, Charlotte, is known as a banking and finance hub. It is home to many transplants from other cities and states, especially from New York. The city continues to grow and attract newcomers from across the country, including members of the queer community.
Like most of the cities on this list, Charlotte has passed city ordinances meant to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The city is also home to one of the state’s largest Pride celebrations, which takes place every year in August.
It also boasts a number of popular gay bars and clubs, and other gay-friendly businesses. There is a considerable gay community in Charlotte, and the city has had many former council members who identify as LGBTQ. There are dozens of organizations specifically supporting the LGBTQ community in Charlotte, with purposes ranging form business to health to simple fun.
To read more about whether Charlotte is LGBTQ-friendly, check out this article.
4. Greensboro, NC is a focal point in civil rights history, including LGBTQ rights
Perhaps surprisingly, Greensboro received very high scores across the board from Human Rights Campaign’s equality index. Greensboro, situated in North Carolina’s Piedmont region in the center of the state, received recognition for its expansive non-discrimination ordinance that protects LGBTQ people.
The city is home to former state representative Marcus Brandon, one of few openly gay representatives in the North Carolina legislature. Brandon is a former Boy Scout and advocated for that organization to allow gay leaders.
Greensboro has historically been at the center of major moments in civil rights history, including the sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter by black college students, and the “Greensboro massacre” involving the KKK and the Communist Workers Party. The Woolworth’s where black students were denied service is now the location of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.
Greensboro has had its ups and downs when it comes to civil rights, and the LGBTQ movement is no exception. In 2020, Brandon Gray, a gay political candidate, was assaulted in a Greensboro Walmart because of his sexual orientation.
Overall, however, Greensboro has made great strides in civil rights, including LGBTQ equality. The nearby city of Winston-Salem also scored high on HRC’s equality index.
5. Asheville, NC is a queer-friendly resort town in Western North Carolina
While Asheville, NC was not evaluated by the Human Rights Campaign, we think it deserves a space on this list. Asheville is home to Western North Carolina’s first Pride celebration, the Asheville Blue Ridge Pride Festival.
Western North Carolina is known for its mountains, and Asheville is a popular place for visitors to enjoy the scenic southern Appalachians. While the areas surrounding Asheville are rural, which may turn off some members of the LGBTQ community, the city itself has a lot to offer queer visitors. In addition to outdoor recreation, Asheville also has a number of great LGBTQ-friendly bars and venues.
The city is a progressive beacon in the western region of a state with a mixed history on LGTBQ issues.
Conclusion
Whether you are planning to live in North Carolina or just visit, you can definitely find parts of the state that are open and accepting of the LGBTQ community. We hope this guide serves as a useful starting point and offers some assurance if you are a queer person concerned about coming to the state of North Carolina.
References
- Human Rights Campaign Municipal Scorecard
- NPR – North Carolina Passes Law Blocking Measures to Protect LGBT People
- Washington Post – History of North Carolinas Bathroom Bill
- Chapel Hill Honoring First Openly Gay Town Council Member with Public Art Dedication – Chapelboro.com
- Greensboro politician says Boy Scouts should allow gay leaders | FOX8 WGHP (myfox8.com)
- Openly Gay NC House Candidate: I Was Attacked With Homophobic Slurs at a Greensboro Walmart – Cardinal & Pine (cardinalpine.com)
- LGBTQ Center of Durham
- Blue Ridge Pride Home – Blue Ridge Pride
