Iowa City, given a score of 100 out of 100 by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation on their Municipal Equality Index Scorecard, has been added to the finalists for the Destination City of the Year by GayTravel.

One of just 88 cities nationwide to receive the score, Iowa City is well-regarded in the LGBTQ+ community due, in large part, to the following:

Iowa became the third state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage. The lead plaintiffs who successfully challenged the State are from Iowa City. Same-sex couples may adopt children. State laws ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Gaytravel.com continues:

From boutique sheik hotels to local gourmet dining options to live music venues to dive bars to breweries and wineries, gay Iowa City always surprises visitors! ... A bit of a bastion in the heartland as a liberal stronghold makes Iowa City a welcoming city for a diverse community.

The site lists summer as the best time to visit the city, referencing the Iowa Arts Festival, Pridefest, and Downtown Block Party in June. The Jazz Festival in July is added to the list of events happening. The subtraction of college students makes breweries and restaurants a little less busy, too.

For things to see and do, Gay Travel the Downtown Iowa City Mural WalkPrairie Lights BooksHamburg Inn #2, and being a part of "The Wave" at Kinnick Stadium for Iowa Hawkeye home football games for tis main attractions.

It continues:

With more than a dozen museums, nine programs offering literary readings, five writing outreach programs, and seven community and professional theatre companies, this united, diverse community is humble in its wide-ranging opportunities. More than 70 parks near rivers, ponds, lakes, and trials and nearly two dozen Big Ten sports add vibrancy to a place rich in recreation.

The bar scene is another big draw (no pun intended) for the LGBTQ+ community in Iowa City. There's only one bar that tabs itself as a gay-bar, Studio 13, but it's not the only welcoming establishment in town. Big Grove Brewery and George’s Buffet are right up there as well.

Iowa City is far and away the smallest community Gay Travel references, as it adds Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, and San Francisco to the potential nominees for "Your favorite #GayTravel U.S. City Destination."

If you'd like to vote, you can go here.

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