I’ll put in a shameless plug for CMU, aka “the nerd farm”. The school is strong in both Public Policy (#8) and Econ (#21). I was a double major in Public Policy and Management and Economics way back in the 80s, and there was a good deal of overlap in the course requirements for the the two majors. I don’t know if it is still on offer, but CMU used to have a 3-2 program in the public policy school where students can earn a BS and MS in five years. When I was there, CMU was all about the quant. It was the kind of place where even literature majors had to take a programming class, and the core philosophy class entailed mapping arguments using Boolean logic.
CMU is doing well financially, and that is reflected in the building boom on campus. Over the past few years they have doubled Science Hall and the computing center, razed and replaced Scaife Hall (science), replaced the athletic center with much improved facilities, and built new dorms. When my son toured the campus he was amazed at all the new labs in science hall.
The campus will be progressive and queer friendly. Because of the wide range of strong programs at CMU - drama, design, art, architecture, engineering, comp sci, business, PPM, etc. - the school attracts kids from all backgrounds. Pittsburgh is a pretty progressive city and the neighborhoods surrounding campus are nice. Being “progressive” however, is not a central part of its character like a UofM or UCBerkeley.
CMU is a hard admit, but you have a very strong record and a shot at getting in. Getting in for humanities is a lot easier than for engineering or comp sci.
Good luck.