[Bardy98]

Hello all! Yes I am gay and my partner has stage 4 breast cancer. We are wanting to move to the area and bring our horses and live what time we have left together in peace and in nature. We are not WILD women. Quiet, respectful. Just love nature and our horses and each other. Would the area be welcoming or would it be hostile? We are not "christians" per say, but have a great faith in God. How could we not under the circumstances. We don't view cancer as the evil one, but a blessing that has taught us how to really live each moment. We do not have many gay friends where we live now. Mostly wonderful farm people who share the same interests. We are not looking for a "gay" community. We just want to be accepted as a part of the community that exhists there.
Thanks to all in advance for taking the time to respond openly and honestly.

[Sam I Am]

As a fellow survivor, the best to your partner....and to you. It CAN be a growth experience but it's tough to make people believe that.

Go outside of Eureka....there is a very large gay contingent there and it is a very tolerant area of anyone and everyone - you will love it, you will love Arkansas, and you will have more friends than you could imagine in a short period of time. I call it the area for the "hippy chicks"....sort of the leftovers from Woodstock, or maybe those that weren't quite old enough? The artsy, folksy, dreamy, live-the-country life all come together in an amazingly unified spirit.

I don't know where you are from - but in Little Rock there is CARTI and UAMS ACRC for cancer treatment, and UAMS is well reknowned for it's work....

Good luck, and peace to you both.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

My heart goes out to you both...I hope you can find some peace and enjoy each others company.

[Bardy98]

I will look up the area you speak of. Patricia is ana artist, gave up painting along time ago. It would be good for her to get back to it. It has to be an area we can afford. We are quite limited in funds and want acreage for the horses. But it sounds wonderful. We see her doctor tomorrow to discuss the future a bit. It is tense here tonight. But I hope to convince her moving to Arkansas does not mean she is dying. She sort of sees it that way right now. Time I guess is needed for her get her head around the idea. Thank you for you kind words. And it is wonderful to meet a fellow survivor! I will tell her about you post! :-)

[Sam I Am]

Please feel free to PM me if I can be of any help in any way.....not sure where you are from, but try to make a visit to the area. I think you will be well pleased.......and Patricia would immediately be involved as much as she wanted to be as an artist - it's a really neat area of the state. People talk about it being more expensive there - I guess the question is, where are you coming from? We haven't found anyplace much cheaper or more diverse to live than Arkansas. You might also like the area around Fayetteville, although it's growing very rapidly and property prices are going up...

Tell Patricia to keep the faith - I'll light a candle for her tonite.

[glieberman]

Hi. Found your post while I was wandering around, looking for something completely different (of course....isn't that how it always goes?).

I don't know what your specific requirements are re: medical care, etc., but you should at least research Silver City, NM just a bit. They have a regional medical center here that is highly rated, and just today, I noticed a sign outside of it that says "cancer center", so that might help.

VERY gay-friendly. In fact, the community is VERY accepting of pretty much any ideology and lifestyle. Gays, vegetarians, misc. religious groups, hippies, eco-people, musicians, artists...you name it; we got it. Lots of folks here into yoga, aroma therapy, massage therapy, scent therapy...in fact, there seems to be a lot of people in therapy here!

The weather really can't be beat; 4 gentle seasons a year. Winter usually brings a little snow, but it's usually gone in a day or two and the streets remain navigable. Lots of critter folks here; lots of horses here. Town of 10,000, sits at 6,000 feet. I live in downtown SC and I can drive to the Gila Wilderness trailheads in about 10 minutes.

Some real estate and new homes are pretty pricey, but there are still some pieces of property that can be had reasonably.

Let me know if I can answer any questions for you. If you see my other posts, you can get a better idea of the town. (see http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-m...ght=glieberman for specifics)

Good luck.


p.s. I just noticed that you are moving TO North Central Arkansas! I guess you wouldn't want NM. Thought I'd leave the message, just in case, but sorry 'bout the error.

[kansaslady]

As far as I'm concerned, I could care less what anyone's lifestyle preferences are - as long as they are not hurting anyone else. I applaud you for living your life in a way that you choose, and is best for you. In my book, anyone who would be rude enough to judge you or throw stones isn't worth the time of day.

I detest labels that society places on people based on their lifestyle, race, etc. Maybe the word "gay" was selected because "gay" people are just that....happy.

When I hear that someone is "colored", my question is always, "Oh really, what color? Green, purple, blue?"

I wish the best for you and your partner. And I wish more people in this world were so down-to-earth and comfortable with themselves. Maybe if they were, they'd stop bashing others.

[pirate girl]

God Bless, Bardy. I'm not from Arkansas so I cannot answer your question, but I will keep you and your family in my prayers. I hope you find your little piece of heaven on earth and that it's everything you want it to be.

[massdane]

However, I live in Fayetteville, AR and know of several gay/lesbian couples living out in Newton and Madison counties. I work up in Eureka Springs (about an hour from here) and that area is also very open to diversity. There are numerous places throughout these areas where you could get property and enjoy nature and your horses.

Good luck to you both!

[JohnN]

I'd suggest RW, such as massdane says above. Eureka Springs is very nice, friendly and small. Best wishes and prayers to you both.