According to a study conducted by the Daily Beast.com, Honolulu is the second most tolerant country in the U.S. What does that really mean? Well, it could possibly mean that someone is more able to live in their environment in a way that is comfortable without fearing negative repercussions. Gay/lesbian couples, transgendered people, interracial couples, even those who express sexuality in ways that may be perceived as "unusual" can all live their lives in peace here.
Why is Honolulu different from other cities in the country?
Perhaps it's the live and let live attitude that allows people to just be who they are without the negatives that may happen on the mainland. Maybe it's the influx of people from all over the world who come and be part of our ohana, whether it's for a day, a week or the rest of their lives. It could be that feeling of Aloha that seems to permeate everything here, that I'm still not able to fully articulate. Regardless, it's here and a wonderful feeling, especially when you are from some of the less tolerant places in the world.
Here's some of the data the Daily Beast used to determine their Top 20 list.
- Hate crime incidents per 100,000 residents: 0.5
- State tolerance rank (out of 50): 16
- Same sex couples per 1,000 households: 6.2
- White percent of population: 20.8%
- Black percent of population: 2.0%
- Asian percent of population: 44.5%
- Most prevalent religion: Catholic, 17.5%
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