Megan Bursey noticed something different about Columbus when she visited her girlfriend last December. People were very openly gay, which was very comforting, too. Why Columbus? The answer, for her, was pretty simple. As an out lesbian navigating her identity as a young adult, Applegate says she wanted to be surrounded by other people in the LGBTQ community.
I was drawn to knowing there was a community here. It was all queers, all day long, all the time," Applegate says, laughing. He says that the city was, in general, far ahead of the rest of the state.
He adds that cultural events like Pride and organizations like Stonewall Columbus earned the city a reputation. That, in turn, inspires others to come here.
Amin Ghaziani, a University of British Columbia sociologist who studies the intersection of geography and LGBTQ identities, says an out-and-proud culture leads to a snowball effect.
Ghaziani says cities with a high percentage of LGBTQ populations often share a few common factors - Democratic political leanings, good nightlife and social scene, major universities - all of which Columbus boasts. In Columbus, for example, the artsy Short North historically held a place as the city's " gayborhood. We are not in a completely safe environment. Have your own question about Columbus, its people or its history?
