The Triangle area is a progressive, dynamic and diverse place to live for the LGBTQ+ community. In particular, Chapel Hill/Carrboro and Durham provide an environment of acceptance, where queer activities are plentiful and the area supports diversity in sexual orientation and gender expression.
Chapel Hill and Carrboro boast one of the state’s premier school systems, as well as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the nation’s oldest public university (and one of its best.) For ten years Carrboro was led by a gay mayor, Mike Nelson, and more recently, Chapel Hill had its first gay mayor, Mike Kleinschmidt. Transgender individuals have run for town council, each high school supports an active Gay/Straight Alliance, and the school system’s gay teachers have formed a group for support and to help educate their students and foster understanding.
In addition, as of January 2024, the Chapel Hill/Carrboro school system is the only one in the Triangle to refuse to implement the state legislature’s “Parent Bill of Rights”, which requires schools to inform parents when their students ask to be identified by a different name or pronoun at school. The local school district’s new policy also bucks the law by allowing classroom instruction in kindergarten through fourth grade about gender identity, sexuality or sexual activity.
Chapel Hill and Carrboro, along with their sister city of Hillsborough, are the major towns in Orange County. Both Orange and Durham counties recognized partner rights in adoptions and survival rights in same-sex couples in advance of the Supreme Court ruling; buyers often moved to these counties before starting a family for this reason. In addition, Durham hosts the annual NC Pride Parade & Festival, which held its 39th celebration in September 2023. Over 2,000 marchers, and an untold number of spectators, flock to Duke’s East campus for the yearly event. The parade and festival are the culmination of a multi-day celebration that includes a drag show at a local bar, followed by receptions, happy hours and dance parties throughout the Triangle region, and concludes with church services, lunch and music concerts.
Durham is also home to the OutSouth Queer Film Festival, formerly the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Held each August at the Carolina Theatre, OutSouth is the second largest gay and lesbian film festival in the Southeast. The festival features a wide array of feature films, documentaries and shorts, and has been named a Signature Event for Durham by the Durham Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. In addition to films, the festival features comedians, parties, and an array of vendors.
Gay/lesbian clubs are also plentiful in the area, including such offerings as The Pinhook, Legends Nightclub, Flex, and The Velvet Hippo. Meet-Up groups for the queer community abound as well, from support groups to those for knitting, hiking, singing, parenting and more. A few popular interest groups in the area include the Common Women’s Chorus, Geeks & Gaymers, Triangle Gay Men’s Chorus, and the Triangle Area Gay Scientists Group.
The LGBTQ Center of Durham is a phenomenal resource for those moving to or living in the area. Creating community “where all LGBTQ+ lived experiences are affirmed, supported and celebrated”, the center offers a youth drop in center, Project FAM, an extensive library, a 50+ group, and a plethora of resources.
And speaking of the 50+ crowd, Durham boasts the very first queer senior co-housing community in the country. Called Village Hearth, it offers 28 attached cottages plus a common house and shared gardens, areas and events. It’s an intentional community for queer folx and their allies, set on 15 acres in North Durham.
This is of course just a snapshot of a thriving and growing community. The Orange/Durham areas of the Triangle offer vibrant, progressive and accepting communities for LGBTQ+ individuals and families. Combine this with very attractive area attributes such as great schools, wonderful weather, fantastic health care systems (UNC and Duke in particular), and an outstanding art scene, and you’ve got a quality of life that’s hard to beat.
— Wendy is a Broker with Nest Realty Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. With over 20 years in real estate and nearly three decades in the area, Wendy has the experience and local market knowledge to be a trusted partner in the home buying or selling process. To learn more about Wendy, visit her agent page.