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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

District named eighth gayest city

D.C. may have recently legalized same-sex marriage, but the District was not named the gayest city in the country on a recent list by the Advocate, a national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender magazine.

The District was named the No. 8 gayest in the country, behind Minneapolis, Minn., which was named the gayest city in the nation, followed by Santa Fe, N.M., and Las Vegas.

Criteria like the number of Gay.com profiles, openly gay elected officials, and Tegan and Sara concerts in the last five years were assigned point values, summed up and divided by the total population within city limits.

“I don’t want to bash the criteria or anything, but it is strange that New York [City] and Boston aren’t mentioned,” Allied in Pride President Michael Komo said. “Especially considering the Stonewall riots in New York was really the starting point of the gay rights movement.”

Massachusetts also passed legislation granting gay marriage almost seven years ago, before D.C.

Others were more concerned that D.C. was ranked so highly when, they said, we could be doing so much more for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

“It prompts the question why can’t we take care of our youth and seniors with the level of support other cities provide if we’re ranked so high,” said The Center Director David Mariner. The Center is an LGBT community center in D.C. that serves as a support system and offers resources.

“Our budget [for The Center] was less than $200,000 but cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and New York have budgets between $2 million and $40 million,” Mariner said.

Mariner also pointed out that The Center “didn’t receive a penny,” from D.C.’s local government and “is disappointed that we [in D.C.] have not made that investment in the LGBT community.”

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