On a humid South Florida evening, the neon glow of Wilton Drive spills onto the pavement like a rainbow river. Music thumps from open-air bars, drag queens greet tourists with hugs, and couples stroll hand-in-hand beneath palm trees at times wrapped in Pride flags. Welcome to Wilton Manors — a two-square-mile city that has quietly become one of America’s most vibrant LGBTQ plus capitals.
Just north of Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors has the second-highest concentration of same-sex couples in the United States, trailing only Provincetown, Massachusetts. With a population of roughly 12,000, it’s a small town with a big personality — and a bigger message: that queer life can thrive, not just survive.
From Farmland to Pride Capital
Decades ago, Wilton Manors was a sleepy suburb, more farmland than nightlife. In the 1990s, as Fort Lauderdale’s gay bars began facing rising rents and social pushback, LGBTQ entrepreneurs saw opportunity in the cheap storefronts of Wilton Drive. The opening of Georgie’s Alibi by George Kessinger in 1997 became a turning point — transforming the street into a hub of queer nightlife, commerce, and community.
By the early 2000s, rainbow flags lined the main drag, and new businesses followed: restaurants, boutiques, real-estate offices, and cafés all owned or operated by members of the LGBTQ community.
A Political First
Wilton Manors isn’t just gay-friendly — it’s gay-run. In 2000, it became the second city in the nation to elect a majority LGBTQ city commission. Eighteen years later, it made history again as the first city in Florida with an all-LGBTQ governing body.
“It’s not just about nightlife or Pride parades,” one resident told Out South Florida. “It’s about creating a place where queer people can age, raise families, and lead.”
The Safe Space—and the Challenges Ahead
Wilton Manors officially declared itself a “Safe Space for the LGBTQ+ Community” in 2023, reaffirming its commitment to inclusion and protection. The Pride Center at Equality Park, one of the largest LGBTQ community centers in the Southeast, provides health care, counseling, and social services for thousands of residents and visitors each year.
But paradise has its growing pains. As property values have soared, long-time residents worry that the city’s success may price out the very people who built it. Some older community members, many living on fixed incomes, find themselves struggling to afford rent in a place they helped make famous.
A City That Refuses to Hide
Despite the pressures, the spirit of Wilton Manors remains defiantly joyful. Pride events fill the calendar year-round. Drag brunches spill out onto patios. Local organizations host senior socials, trans meetups, and queer sports leagues. Even the police cars are wrapped in rainbow graphics, a visible reminder that acceptance here isn’t a slogan — it’s policy.
Bobby Blair is an LGBTQ media pioneer and leader known for his philanthropic work on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community. A Florida native, he lives in Fort Lauderdale with his longtime partner, Brian Neal. Blair was inducted into the GLBT Hall of Fame in 2015.
