The Most In-Demand Gay-Friendly Cities for the Holidays

Misterb&b, a travel and social networking site that showcases lodging for the LGBTQ community, has just released its Holiday LGBTQ Travel Index, an annual ranking of the cities that are most popular this holiday season for LGBTQ travelers. To compile the index misterb&b takes various factors into account including the volume of searches and bookings on the site for each city during the holidays, as well as each destination's marriage equality and anti-hate crime laws designed to protect LGBTQ folks. Read on to find out which cities around the globe are the top places to be this holiday season.

Part of the Miami metropolitan area, Wilton Manors has been named the "Second Gayest City in America." A large percentage of the population identifies as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. The city has been a progressive place to live and play for many years.

A wealthy desert retreat in southern California's Sonoran Desert, Palm Springs is known for its hot springs, stylish hotels, golf courses, and spas. The progressive desert community, long an LGBT haven, also recently ushered in America's first all-LGBT city council.

Located on Florida's southeastern coast, Fort Lauderdale is famous for its beaches (naturally) and boating canals. The Strip, meanwhile, is a promenade running along oceanside highway A1A that's lined with upscale outdoor restaurants, bars, boutiques, and luxury hotels. Greater Fort Lauderdale is home to hundreds of LGBTQ owned and operated businesses, including hotels, bars, restaurants and attractions.

One of nine cities in the Coachella Valley in Southern California, Cathedral City is between Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. The up and coming city hosts an annual LGBT festival the last weekend in March and is home to a long list of LGBTQ organizations, as well as CCBC, the largest LGBT resort hotel in Southern California. (It was voted BEST "Clothing Optional Resort" in the Greater Palm Springs area by the Desert Outlook readers.)

A city that hardly needs any introduction, Miami Beach is known for its nightlife, its international cachet with models and celebrities, and its early-20th-century architecture in the Art Deco Historic District. Miami hosts two of the country's largest events on the gay circuit-the White Party, which has been described as the world's sexiest HIV/AIDS fundraiser, (held around Thanksgiving,) and the Winter Party Week beach blowout.

Perched at the northern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, this seaside town is a haven for artists and the LGBTQ community. It is home to numerous galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, and cabarets.

A Hawaiian island with 30 miles of beaches, Maui is a stunning retreat. Each October the island hosts the Maui Pride Festival and since the 2013 passage of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act, the island has also become a top wedding destination for same-sex couples.

This sprawling seaside city in Brazil is famed for its Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, as well as its much photographed Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado. Rio de Janeiro was also named the Most Popular Gay Destination in the World by LGBTQ Magazine.

In addition to being the capital of England and the United Kingdom, London is home to outstanding museums, unforgettable foodie offerings and historic sites dating back to Roman times. The city also regularly tops the list of best LGBTQ destinations thanks to the many buzzing bars and restaurants in Soho, London's gay heartland.

A legendary country music capital, top sites here include the Grand Ole Opry House and The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The District is another popular haunt, with its honky-tonks with live music and the Johnny Cash Museum, celebrating the singer's life.

A city on Florida's Gulf coast, St. Petersburg is a popular destination for golfing, boating, fishing and lounging at the beach. There are also numerous museums including the Dali Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. The Mahaffey Theater, meanwhile, is home of the Florida Orchestra. The city describes itself as one of Florida's most LGBT-friendly destinations where visitors will find a variety of gay-owned businesses and gay-friendly accommodations. In June, the city hosts Florida's largest pride celebration - the St. Pete Pride Fest.

Yet another city that hardly needs an introduction, Las Vegas is legendary for its nightlife, 24-hour casinos and nearly endless entertainment options. The city is also home to numerous LGBTQ bars and clubs.

Denmark's charming and picturesque capital is located on the coastal islands of Zealand and Amager. It's linked to Malmo in southern Sweden by the Oresund Bridge. The city's famed historic center is home to an 18th-century rococo district and also the royal family's Amalienborg Palace. Long known for being an LGBTQ-friendly city, Copenhagen will continue its history of promoting gay rights and acceptance by hosting WorldPride in 2021.

An archipelago made up of four islands off the northwest coast of Africa, Madeira is famous for its wine, and a warm, subtropical climate. The island also boasts an extensive, if somewhat discreet, gay community.

Uruguay's capital is home to Plaza de la Independencia, once the site of a Spanish citadel. The city is also known for its Ciudad Vieja, or old town filled with art deco buildings, colonial homes and numerous landmarks including the towering Palacio Salvo and the neoclassical performance hall Solís Theatre. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Uruguay are among the most liberal in South America and the world. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1934. Anti-discrimination laws protecting LGBT people have been in place since 2004.