Michigan's Cool Cities: BIRMINGHAM

The affluent suburb of Birmingham was the first city in Michigan to have an openly gay mayor, Seth Chavez. It also has a local ordinance protecting gays and lesbians against discrimination in housing.
Birmingham is located in the heart of the 9th Congressional District, which is represented by Republican Joe Knollenberg, who has a dreadful record on LGBT issues. Of Michigan's entire federal delegation, he earned the lowest rating from the Human Rights Campaign in their most recent Congressional Scorecard. Despite that, 898 same-sex couples reported that they live in his district in the U.S. Census 2000.
Shopping – and gay life – is the center of activity in Birmingham. The beautiful downtown-shopping district is loaded with gay-friendly shops, art galleries and restaurants.
The Robert Kidd Gallery features new shows regularly and the specialty clothing shops of This Is Me, Caruso Caruso and L'uomo Vogue, over on Telegraph, all cater to the hip and fashionable. Big Rock Chop House was the site of a successful Ties Like Me gatherings this year, hosting over 200 professional LGBT people. There are many out, LGBT professionals living and working in Birmingham, so you can get your tax planning, sell your home, do your legal papers, and secure a home mortgage all within Birmingham's professional LGBT community.
The Birmingham Yacht Club is an informal social group in Birmingham for the LGBT community. They have parties, gatherings and other social events that bring the LGBT residents together.