The Closet
Door's Open
What's Behind Hartford's Surge In Gay
Population?
The Hartford Courant
By Gary J. Gates and M.V. Lee Badgett
November 5, 2006
Who knew? Our analyses of new data from the U.S.
Census Bureau show that in 2005, Hartford's
share of gay and lesbian couples in the
population placed the city 10th among America's
50 largest metropolitan areas. This Top 10
finish marks a jump in the past five years from
the city's 26th place showing in 2000. With an
estimated gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB)
population of nearly 5,300, or 6.8 percent of
the adult population, Hartford ranks among the
nation's gayest cities.
Why the quick jump in Hartford's ranking? With
all the romantic talk about same-sex marriage in
neighboring Massachusetts and, increasingly, in
the state Capitol in Hartford, maybe the city's
single gay people are more likely to pair off
and move in together than they were before. It's
hard to imagine such a big change in coupling
rates over a short five-year period, though.
Likewise, we don't think gay people from other
places were suddenly flocking to Hartford as a
new gay mecca of the Northeast. (It will take a
lot of global warming before Northern cities
rival the continuing appeal of the South and
West for mobile Americans.)
Greater openness of gay, lesbian, and bisexual
people is the more likely explanation for
Hartford's leap. Same-sex couples who were
afraid to put an X in the "unmarried partner"
box on their census forms in 2000 have
apparently decided to take a big step out of the
closet. Television shows such as "Will and
Grace," "The Ellen Show" and "Queer Eye" have
created cultural space for gays and lesbians
across the country to be more open and visible
in their families and communities.
But those forces are at work everywhere. In
Hartford - where state politics are local - a
heightened political debate about gay family
issues probably pulled even more same-sex
couples and single GLB people out of the closet,
leading to the city's boost in ranking. Well
after the census forms were filled out in 2000,
lesbian and gay couples won the right to
second-parent adoptions. Civil union and
marriage were the hot topics in 2005 as the most
recent survey was conducted.
As the local news media have begun to provide
more balanced reporting on gay family issues,
GLB people in Hartford have heard more about
their lives - repeatedly. More exposure and more
self-recognition, plus a political incentive to
acknowledge homosexuality and bisexuality
publicly, all create a path toward
self-acceptance and coming out.
And they're not just coming out on surveys. Love
Makes A Family's Anne Stanback reports that
plenty of same-sex couples with kids volunteered
to be photographed in newspapers for stories on
the recent first anniversary of civil unions.
Other signs confirm the increased visibility of
Hartford's lesbian, gay and bisexual community.
The West End thrives as a neighborhood known for
its high concentration of gay and lesbian
residents and supportive businesses. State
legislators Evelyn Mantilla, who is bisexual,
and Art Feldman, who is gay, represent parts of
the city. Add a supportive mayor and
increasingly open and fair coverage from the
local news media, and it's no wonder that
Hartford's same-sex couples feel safer coming
out.
Perhaps a more interesting question than why
more same-sex couples have come out is what this
trend means for Hartford's future. Heightened
visibility and activism among lesbians and gay
men might lead to some political change. Three
of Connecticut's five congressional districts
rank among the top 75 (out of 456) districts in
the size of their lesbian, gay and bisexual
populations. Hartford is in District 1, with an
estimated 30,600 GLB residents - the highest
rank in the state - but it is closely followed
by two districts where Republican incumbents are
in tight races in the upcoming election.
District 2 in the eastern part of the state has
an estimated 28,500 GLB residents, and District
4 in the southwest has an estimated 26,600 GLB.
Given that three-fourths of GLB Americans voted
for John Kerry in 2004, GLB voters could
constitute a critical bloc in this year's
election.
Economic guru Richard Florida's work on the
economic value of diversity suggests that
Hartford is on the right path. Already
Hartford-based Fortune 100 companies are leading
the way with policies that support lesbian and
ga employees. Aetna and Hartford Financial
Services have long offered health benefits to
same-sex couples.
Communities that encourage such policies create
an environment where talented people of all
stripes can feel welcome and supported. In turn,
employers can draw from a creative workforce
that maximizes innovation and productivity. In
short, everyone wins.
Hartford's gay community shows an unexpected
strength in the new census numbers. Such
strength suggests that Hartford is doing
something right in providing a supportive
environment for its lesbian and gay citizens.
The census results augur a dynamic political
environment and potential economic benefits for
all of the city's residents.
Gary J. Gates is a senior research fellow at
the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law
and Public Policy, a think tank at the UCLA
School of Law. M.V. Lee Badgett is an economist
and research director of the Williams Institute.
