The Advocate wants to know if you live in a gay-friendly city/town

[Sapphocrat]

Is your city or town a great place for gays and lesbians to live? Are your neighbors and co-workers gay friendly? Can you hold hands with your partner in public? Are there gay-friendly businesses and social events? ...

More:
http://www.advocate.com/exclusive_detail_ektid38667.asp

[cboy4]

1. BWA HAHAHAHA

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....:rofl:

Umm, No.

I live in a red city located in a blue state.

How EFFED up is that if you're me?

[MuseRider]

2. Well I would have to say NO!

Topeka, Kansas. Home of the Phelps cult. Actually, I think it is pretty friendly but since I am not gay I am not in the situations you speak about. Where and who I hang out with there is no problem with kissing and whatever someone wants to do.

[donco6]

17. You're in Topeka?

I grew up in Wamego.

[MuseRider]

19. I think we might have talked about

that once a long time ago in a Kansas (the band) thread. I remember that now, I am pretty certain it was you. I think Wamego is a pretty place. Nice drive up from 70, love the rocky hills.

[mitchtv]

3. Kind of, Cathedral City

depends on the neighborhood.Seniors, Gays, Canadians (in season),Latinos,
Gay mayor pro tem

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Seattle, most definitely

Home of the 43rd legislative district, which had one of the first openly gay state legislators in the country and has consistently had at least one gay legislator for the last 12 years. Not to mention, we are the core constituency for Jim McDermott.

[mondo joe]

9. Agreed. I remember once, years ago, reading a complaint that

Seattle had so few gay bars. And I remember thinking that might be because we don't need that much of an underground here.

[Duncan Grant]

5. All the gay people here are very friendly.

;)

[terrya]

6. Chicago? Yes, it is.

Chicago is quite gay friendly. I can hold hands with my partner in public, there are gay friendly businesses and social events (we hosted the Gay Games in July). Chicago is a great city for gay and lesbian folks to live.

[cboy4]

7. Oh sure, everyone rub it in that you live in a gay-friendly city!!

:wtf:

:rofl:

[Jamastiene]

15. We are opposites yet don't live in gay friendly cities.

By opposites I mean I live in a barely blue county in a red state and it is not gay friendly either. Even though this county is blue, it is still very anti-gay.

Weird, huh?
It looks like it would be grand here by comparison to your situation, but it's not. :wtf: Ya know?

[sui generis]

8. Dallas for sure

Although if you wander out too far into suburbia things can get iffy too, just like anywhere. I live in a cute little June and Ward Cleaver suburb (back when they had real yards in the front, back and sides of the house) that had forty gay couples living within a ten block area.

We've had minor stupid-teen vandalism but never any serious crime, and we know the names of every one of our neighbors up and down the block, their children and grandkids, their aging relatives, their pets, their hobbies.

It doesn't just happen - you have to work for it. Get cats out of trees. Offer to give a someone you recognize a ride to the grocery store. Ask for help with a project if you need it. Interact on a daily basis. Always wave and say hi, or stop to ask how they're doing.

Even the hard cases are won over when they realize you don't eat babies on the sabbath (or any other day).

[MuseRider]

12. You just nailed what I used

to talk to people during some of our campaigns. Most people who interacted just like you said with GLBT folks might say they don't like it personally but they would never consider voting or doing anything that would hurt them. It was the single best thing to use, in fact most of them volunteered that information. A few good stories like that under my belt and it was the gateway into a great conversation and hopefully more understanding.

[jgruhl]

10. Minneapolis Yes!

You can't spit without hitting a rainbow sticker on a car in my neighborhood. Minneapolis itself is very queer-friendly. My first day living here I witnessed two men kissing outside a popular breakfast restaurant, I see same-sex couples holding hands while walking around the lakes, we have had a "Flaming Film Festival" several years running, and overall, I feel comfortable being openly gay. Of course, as you move toward the suburbs or even in some inner city neighborhoods, you can still be assaulted and harassed. In general, the Twin Cities are live and let live areas.

[Duncan Grant]

11. Welcome to DU, jgruhl!

:hi:

[pepperbear]

13. Gay friendly city in VA (voted down amendment).....

Williamsburg, and the surrounding James City County (usually very red) passed it by a much slimmer margin than expected. city gov't has non discrimination laws. william and mary college has gay/straight alliances. used to be alot more rainbows, but now there are lots of HRC bumper stickers.
hopefully the rainbows will come back.

[Jamastiene]

14. Uhm, nope, definintely not.

Even my own stepfather cannot be in the room when someone talks about what celebrities might be gay. He actually leaves the room. Compared to others where I live, his reaction is mild, believe it or not. I live in a shit hole.

[TriMetFan]

16. Portland OR.

Heck my spouse and I are even out in our kids school which happens to be a Catholic School. Also we are not even the only out couple there too.

[donco6]

18. Denver - totally cool

I live in Stapleton (aka "Gaypleton"). That pretty much says it all.

[GymGeekAus]

20. Deep in the Heart of Texas, the answer is "yes."

Austin, Texas.

Great place for anyone to live.

[hyde]

21. Another Dallas area DUer here.

As it was explained above Dallas is very friendly to us. We've got 5 out gay or lesbian county wide elected officials in Dallas county. That's a big deal for Texas. We're the home of the original JR's, and even out in the suburbs it's not as bad as one would think.