what, Providence doesn't count?

[matt_rah]

From here:

"So when we kicked off 2009 by swearing in Sam Adams, as the first openly gay mayor of a major American city..."

Comments

[egowumpus]

Uh... not really. I mean, it's only the thirty sixth largest city in the US - Boston is three times as large, it's metro area four times the size of Providence's. Anyways, don't you know that Cianci is the Mayor, always was the Mayor, and always will be? He's the thirty sixth oldest lich in the country... ;)

[russiandude]

Whoa! Seriously? Most US cities are even smaller?
That's ... eyeopening...

[egowumpus]

Well, if you accept the definition that a 'city' is a population center that clearly dominates surrounding population centers ('towns'), there really aren't that many. Granted, it's clearly in the top 'half' (because you have to assume at least one city per state), but that hardly qualifies as 'Major'.

[tedshubris]

Providence mostly merits the title of "city" because we have the state capitol here. Population-wise, yeah, it's pretty small. If you're only looking at the city proper, and not the "metro area", Wikipedia has us at #131. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_cities_by_population

[tedshubris]

On the other hand, when Cicilline came in, *he* was hailed as the first openly gay mayor of a major city. So the definition of "major" creeps in order to keep being able to shout "It's a first!!".

Of course, I, along with probably over half of the "gay community" in RI now hate the man for riding in on gay dollars and support, then doing NOTHING for us since then. But that's neither here nor there.

[instigator_ash]

I was gonna say "Harvey Milk" but the board of supervisors isn't the same thing as mayor. Oh well.

[ornithoptercat]

Mm, nope. Looking at that wikilist Ted linked, I'd say "major" means something along the lines of half a million plus.

[ornithoptercat]

Also, I find it impossible not to picture them swearing in the Sam Adams of beer-and-patriotism fame.