Which city is the gay capital of the world? There are many correct answers to that question, Tel Aviv appears to be the frontrunner, according to a recent video making the rounds on TikTok.
The video showed a young man interviewing strangers on the street, asking them what they thought was the gay capital of the world.
Of the handful of respondents, almost half specifically mentioned Tel Aviv, with one saying "From what I understand, Tel Aviv has the biggest Gay Pride in the world. Although the rights aren't really there."
While his statement was vague, the interviewee touched on two very important points. First of all, Tel Aviv Pride is among the biggest annual pride events in the world and as of 2019, it is the biggest in Asia. Tourists travel from all over the world to attend pride events in Tel Aviv each summer.
And the city itself is, in the larger context of Israeli society, extremely LGBTQ+ friendly. Tel Aviv, known for being the most gay-friendly city in the Jewish state, came out on top in Aguda's 2022 annual rankings, released every June on the occasion of Pride Month.
Other cities mentioned in the TikTok video included San Francisco, California, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and New York City which is the first result shown by Google when one searches "gay capital of the world."
However, Tel Aviv's progressive atmosphere is hindered by what the TikTok interviewee described as "the rights aren't really there." In other words, LGBTQ+ rights in Israel leave more to be desired by the queer community.
Small-town honorable mention
Lots of major cities in Europe and North America have thriving gay communities today. However, few know of the smaller US cities that are very LGBT-friendly and have been thus for decades. Honorable mention goes to:
Missoula, Montana
Provincetown, Massachusetts
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Blue Ridge, Georgia