Moving to AZ soon. Is Sierra Vista liberal enough? (Kingman: new home, high school)

[mcowgill1971]

My Partner and I are moving to AZ and looking for a gay friendly location, with land for horses and ATVs, etc. We have 3 teens( all ages) that are coming along as we have a blended, fostered, adopted family and want them to be comfortable in their new home. We would like acreage and nearby water, hence Sierra Vista? Any ideas on this or another location that might be better?
Thanks,
Michelle

[M_Martillo]

Don't know a lot about Sierra Vista except that it is kind of a military town and has had some environmental issues. Pretty limited little town.
Maybe you should look into Camp Verde and the surrounding area. Lots and lots of little ranches. Seems to be what that area is all about. You have the Verde River if that's enough water but no big lakes nearby. I guess the closest would be Mormon Lake.
I doubt you will find it unfriendly. Most anywhere in AZ people have a live and let live attitude.

[slackjaw]

For Southern AZ, Bisbee strikes me as far more liberal than Sierra Vista.

Good luck Michelle.

[Howard Roark]

I don't know any small town that is liberal enough, having been an atheist in a small town (28,000 population) for eleven years from the mid 1980s to mid 1990s. That town had (and probably still has) more churches per capita than any other town. Military town.

Stay safe. Lots of cro magnons out there still.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by Howard Roark

Stay safe. Lots of cro magnons out there still.

Let's not push the panic button here. Did you live in Sierra Vista, or are you extrapolating based upon your experiences in another small town? I think your last comment was a bit overwrought.

[M_Martillo]

I've had a professional relationship with two lesbian couples in central AZ. One couple in Lake Montezuma and one couple in Paulden. Both couples own horses and neither of them have encountered any kind of hostility since the 1980's

[Howard Roark]

No, I did not live in Sierra Vista. I lived in three small towns in California and Oregon.

I do know that in a small town, no matter what background, everyone seems to know your business, therefore most people can be your worst critics. In large metro areas, people ignore you. Yes, both ways are good and bad. The small town people (if they like you) will watch your back. The big city people (if they assume you are evil) will ignore criminals breaking in your property even if those who ignore them have been your next door neighbors for two decades.

In one small town, all of our neighbors were friends. We had nightly meetings in the cool summers in our front yard in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

In the desert of California I had Bible thumpers trying to force their pukey spaghetti monster terrorist on me. I could not stand them.

Originally Posted by Kimballette

Let's not push the panic button here. Did you live in Sierra Vista, or are you extrapolating based upon your experiences in another small town? I think your last comment was a bit overwrought.

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by Howard Roark

No, I did not live in Sierra Vista. I lived in three small towns in California and Oregon.

I do know that in a small town, no matter what background, everyone seems to know your business, theref.re most people can be your worst critics. In large metro areas, people ignore you. Yes, both ways are good and bad. The small town people (if they like you) will watch your back. The big city people (if they assume you are evil) will ignore criminals breaking in your property even if those who ignore them have been your next door neighbors for two decades.

In one small town, all of our neighbors were friends. We had nightly meetings in the cool summers in our front yard in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

In the desert of California I had Bible thumpers trying to force their pukey spaghetti monster terrorist on me. I could not stand them.

I lived in SV and never had the sense that it was that small that people knew or cared what you did. I have a bud who is an old hippie now who lives in Hereford, raises various animals and plants . His neighbors are an eclectic set of drifter types, homeschoolers, righties and lefties, farmers, and just plain regular folks who like a little space between them and the next guy. It is an interesting place and I think it would be pretty accepting of whatever lifestyle a person had.

[kdog]

Kingman is about half the size of Sierra Vista and I've never experienced the kind of small-town problems that Howard says he experienced. Sounds like he picked the wrong town.

[crazyme4878]

I agree, Sierra Vista is not that small of a town. Add in that half the town seems to be there temporarily due to the military. That said, you may be happier in Bisbee area. I haven't heard too good of things about SV's high school, but I can't say Bisbee is surperb in this area, either. There is open enrollment, so you can look at land/houses on the east end of Hereford and be more involved in the Bisbee life.

Anyhow, after living there for 1.5 years, I would lean more toward Bisbee than SV. That said, I really like SV's library and parks, as well as the easy shopping. I really like Bisbee's sense of community, the farmers' market, the artisan feel to downtown, and the co-op.