He discovered to his surprise that the number one thing that correlates with a region's high-tech success is the concentration of gay people living there. Close behind were concentrations of people with college degrees and people who fit into the Carnegie Mellon researchers' Bohemian index--people who identify themselves to the U.S. Census as artists, craftspersons and musicians.
One hypothesis is that a region's gay concentration is related to open-mindedness and flexibility, essential traits for the new economy.