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[quote=bbmeg;29772552]... trying to find a liberal, gay-friendly, and artsy city. I want to be somewhere with nature and a laid-back vibe, with young people, with things to do, and lots of public transit.
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I am still exploring NC and I am much older than you, but IMO Charlotte is not gay-friendly. NC is a politically conservative Red state with bouts of trying to come into the current era, but they don't stick. It is very religious - mostly strong Christian. NC passed constitutional legislation in 2012 to guarantee that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. So as far as being gay-friendly, I don't think so.
[quote=BraveHeart01;29786578][quote=bbmeg;29772552]... trying to find a liberal, gay-friendly, and artsy city. I want to be somewhere with nature and a laid-back vibe, with young people, with things to do, and lots of public transit.
Quote:
I am still exploring NC and I am much older than you, but IMO Charlotte is not gay-friendly. NC is a politically conservative Red state with bouts of trying to come into the current era, but they don't stick. It is very religious - mostly strong Christian. NC passed constitutional legislation in 2012 to guarantee that marriage can only be between a man and a woman. So as far as being gay-friendly, I don't think so.
You do realize Obama won NC in 2008 and lost by less than 100k votes in 2012; it is not a red state. Other than VA and FL, no other southern states are even close. I'm not sure what qualifies a city as gay-friendly but generally the larger the city, the more tolerant it becomes to gay issues as people seem to have more pressing matters. Charlotte has certainly become much larger and tolerant and changing quickly.
I don't think there are technically gay-friendly states but states with large urban centers and certain cities/towns known for being bastions of liberalism. Most small towns and cities in America are relatively comparable in mindset if you remove the license plates whether in rural small-town NY or rural small town NC.
So generalizing on an entire state anywhere is kind of ridiculous.
... You do realize Obama won NC in 2008 and lost by less than 100k votes in 2012; it is not a red state.
So generalizing on an entire state anywhere is kind of ridiculous.
Yes, I know Pres Obama won NC in 2008, but he didn't win the 2012 election. In 2012, NC also elected it's first Republican Gov in 28 years, and it's Republican controlled legislature has changed the ideology of the formerly politically moderate player in the South.
I don't like the generalization of a whole state either - but it is/has gone conservative and I think that change will be felt for some time.
Yes, I know Pres Obama won NC in 2008, but he didn't win the 2012 election. In 2012, NC also elected it's first Republican Gov in 28 years, and it's Republican controlled legislature has changed the ideology of the formerly politically moderate player in the South.
I don't like the generalization of a whole state either - but it is/has gone conservative and I think that change will be felt for some time.
My point was that rural areas tend to be more conservative like any other state, even so-called liberal states. However NC is more purple than red and now but could trend differently in the future:
The GOP had a very good plan for capturing the state houses and it wasn't too difficult given the negative public image some of the dems in state legislature and other offices had created (Jim Black, etc)....ditto for the governership and good ole Bev.
I've never thought of Charlotte as particularly artsy, but there are artists and I think you could find your niche here. To be honest, I think Asheville would be the ideal place in NC.
When I read the OP post I thought of Asheville as well. Very artsy, eclectic, and friendly. Cool downtown area and beautiful surroundings.
While the city isn't known as a place that gay folks migrate to, it is certainly an accepting community. Christianity and LGBT-inclusivity are not mutually exclusive in my experience.
While the city isn't known as a place that gay folks migrate to, it is certainly an accepting community. Christianity and LGBT-inclusivity are not mutually exclusive in my experience.
I agree
I wouldn't use any vote for or against it as a measuring stick for how accepting people are of gays. I know more than a few people who are against gay marriage but have no issue with gays in general.
Some of the comments here are very encouraging. I am glad to see Charlotte is more open than I've been exposed to to-date. It does have all the amenities of a big city in a small footprint and that made it attractive in the first place. I like the "purple" state idea better than "red". I am looking forward to more exploring. Thanks everyone.
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