This month alone, Supreme Court Justices rejected appeals to hear same-sex marriage cases out of Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin – all of which saw their bans fall in both federal district and appeals courts, immediately legalizing marriage equality in those five states. government to start recognizing same-sex marriages. The acquisition of equality for Americans has moved at a rapid pace since the Supreme Court struck down a key portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) last year, allowing the U.S. Tim's words today will help us in that mission." Our goal is to expand economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce praised Cook for coming out, writing in a statement that "The business voice of the LGBT community, commends Tim Cook for his moving and heartfelt coming out essay. RELATED: Apple CEO tells climate change deniers to sell their Apple shares It’s been tough and uncomfortable at times, but it has given me the confidence to be myself, to follow my own path, and to rise above adversity and bigotry." "Being gay has given me a deeper understanding of what it means to be in the minority and provided a window into the challenges that people in other minority groups deal with every day. It’s made me more empathetic, which has led to a richer life. (The averages account for the population of the places in each state."So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me," Cook said in Businessweek, becoming the first Fortune 500 chief executive to come out publicly.Ĭook, who took over the role in 2011 shortly before the death of Apple founder Steve Jobs, writes that he's been open about his sexuality with many people in his life, including "plenty" of his Apple colleagues, and that it hasn't changed the way he's been treated. Here’s each state’s average score, out of 10 possible points, for every metric. That said, we want to be transparent about the quiz’s biases. The quiz is designed to help a wide range of readers. There are scores of small towns in the Midwest and Northeast that we think will be a near-perfect match for you. Say you’re a lifelong Republican on a tight budget who loves the snow. That doesn’t mean that the West Coast is the best place to live. There’s a reason that California has some of the highest housing prices in the nation. It has mountains and trees for nature lovers, large cities with people from all walks of life, a lovely climate (for now) and progressive politics.
Select enough checkboxes and you’ll start to match with more and more places in California, the country’s most populous state. Our choices have led to a regional bias in the results. We’ve included a balance of metrics that people say are important when deciding where to live, like crime rates and school quality, along with qualities that we think people should celebrate, like racial diversity and transgender rights. You’ll likely disagree with some of the decisions we made. This is an Opinion section project numbers, maps and tables may give the quiz a veneer of objectivity, but our beliefs have informed every aspect of its design.
Below, we’ve explained our calculations at length and answered some questions we think people will have.Ībsolutely. But the data and methodologies are far from perfect. We’ve spent a lot of time testing and revising the quiz.
Places are shaped by the people who live in them, and people are full of surprises that no algorithm can capture. The quiz is a starting point, not a crystal ball.
And we’ve quantified health care quality, snowfall and crime rates - criteria that might be top of mind for retirees. We’ve included data on affordability, jobs and abortion rights, which could be relevant to young people deciding where to start their careers. We want the quiz to be useful to anyone who’s thinking about moving - not just affluent, highly educated people who are working remotely because of the Covid pandemic.