North shore suburbs that are LGBT friendly (Evanston, Wheaton: house, employment)

[reppin_the_847]

Originally Posted by JONOV

Its really hard to put my finger on, and I don't mean to describe it as some conservative bastion. Just that it seems to be of the same vein as Winnetka, Wilmette, etc. Perhaps that so much of it seems "Newer" that it seems more suburban (Not that the other places aren't very suburban.) I think that has more to do with the redevelopment of the Naval Air Station, which lends to a newer conservative suburb vibe.

Also, how big of a lot/yard are you looking for? Is it completely impossible to find in Evanston or OP/RF? I mean, I grew up on a 1/3 acre lot and it was big enough that Dad bought a commercial mower to mow the lawn, certainly big enough for us kids to play in in with a big sandbox, swingset, climbing rope on tree, etc...

But that was in Lake County, so it may be that you CAN'T find it there.

Uh, modern day Glenview seems to have the European immigrant types, Asians (and Indians) almost outnumbering the classic WASP types of the true North Shore towns. It's gotten quite diverse with a lot of people taking their money out of the Skokie / Morton Grove / Niles areas and movin' on up into Glenview, Northbrook and its cheaper western alternatives such as Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, Buffalo Grove, etc.

[JONOV]

Originally Posted by chet everett

You grew up in Lake Co, at a time when it was possible to get a "commercial mower" to cut 1/3 acre lawn and now you're weighing in on how the redevelopment of Glenview Naval Station, that happened in the 90s, has made that town more conservative...

Beyond "subjective" and in the realm of something else.

What are you saying? All I said was that Glenview felt conservative like much of the rest of the North Shore, as opposed to HP, which does seem to be a bit more liberal. My friends from HP ARE more liberal, as a rule, than those from Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Wilmette, but most of them aren't in the settling down and child rearing stage of their lives at this point.

Originally Posted by chet everett

You grew up in Lake Co, at a time when it was possible to get a "commercial mower" to cut 1/3 acre lawn

I don't know what you mean by this. Gregg's in Lake Bluff will still sell you one, all you need is money. Its just a big mower..

It kind of sounds like OP wants to avoid being the "token Gay Couple." I don't know that HP would provide that.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by chitownperson

Your claim of what kinds of people my friend and her child is only shows the type of out of touch moral blank you are. You act like you know something about them and make a lot of assumptions about what they haven't done to rectify their situation, just because you can't accept that he's been around some truly horrible people.

I've made no claims or assumptions and I've fully accepted that his "friends" are horrible people. I even said they are moronic -- twice. I also said there are plenty more not horrible people in town, and I provided a broad range of places where said people can be found. A Mexican mother from a rough area of the city and her son should have no problem feeling comfortable and connecting. The countless success stories of Latinas like Evelyn, as well as immigrants and refugees who have found safety and happiness in Wheaton are a testament to that end. But it's obvious you have a chip on your shoulder and are using subterfuge to trivialize those experiences and the work of the organizations that form Wheaton's welcome mat. And that's truly unfortunate. Especially at a pivotal time when Mexicans, immigrants and refugees desperately need such organizations, and towns like Wheaton, to give them safe haven and a voice.

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Originally Posted by chitownperson

Wheaton North's white student population is 73%, OPRF's is 53%. That difference, in towns of their sizes, are not drops in the bucket. As for the low income student populations, you're over simplifying complex issues to make a point. The social and economic impacts of low income minority students is different in comparison to non-minority low-income students. Comparing them the way you're doing, as if they have the same hurdles, shows a complete lack of awareness of the issues… but I'm not surprised in the least. Do you live in Wheaton? If so, are you representative of the attitudes expressed there? All I can say is I hope you're not a school councilor.

Wheaton's CUSD 200 is 34.7% non-white. Oak Park's ESD 97 is 43.3% non-white.

Wheaton's CUSD 200 is 17.1% Hispanic. That means 2,242 Hispanic students in CUSD 200. Your friend is not "one of the few Latino families in her area." Oak Park's ESD 97 is 6.2% Hispanic.

I never drew a line connecting low income problems with anything. I objectively stated that Wheaton's schools are more economically diverse than Oak Park's schools.

[chet everett]

I am sure there are some various "ethnic studies professors" thrilled that some folks want to live an era that has not had any relevance for fifty years... The mindset of some folks want to perpuate obsolete stereotypes makes it sound like there are people with fabric badges sewn on their clothing -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_c..._coding_system


The reality is quite different. There are LOTS of suburban organizations that have ACTIVE outreach toward LGBT organization -- I have direct experience with these groups: PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois | Support – Education – Advocacy & http://uccdeerfield.org/ & First Congregational Church of La Grange & St. Luke Presbyterian Church - Mission

[Slate Moonstone]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

The central part of Highland Park is not particularly Hispanic, but Highwood is.

For decades, Highland Park has had lots of Mexican families living in the older, smaller houses located on the outskirts of downtown.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Slate Moonstone

For decades, Highland Park has had lots of Mexican families living in the older, smaller houses located on the outskirts of downtown.

I stand corrected.

[holl1ngsworth]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

I stand corrected.

Neat tool, right? The colors are relative though. If the pale colored areas are approaching zero, the darkest colored areas could be just a few percent. You'd need to reference the scale at the bottom, which was cropped off your screen grab.

[chitownperson]

Originally Posted by chet everett

I am sure there are some various "ethnic studies professors" thrilled that some folks want to live an era that has not had any relevance for fifty years... The mindset of some folks want to perpuate obsolete stereotypes makes it sound like there are people with fabric badges sewn on their clothing -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_c..._coding_system


The reality is quite different. There are LOTS of suburban organizations that have ACTIVE outreach toward LGBT organization -- I have direct experience with these groups: PFLAG Council of Northern Illinois | Support – Education – Advocacy & http://uccdeerfield.org/ & First Congregational Church of La Grange & St. Luke Presbyterian Church - Mission

you mean like how some dude has stereotyped gay people in this thread?

[chitownperson]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Sure there are, but is the chasm really as big as people like to think it is? And the Wheaton/Oak Park differences may seem quite striking in this age of The Big Sort, but I would argue that two towns are actually quite a bit more similar than the common narrative suggests. And of course we aren't really talking about Wheaton here for the OP's situation... We are talking about Glencoe or Winnetka or Highland Park.

Now if I were a sexual or racial minority looking to reduce my risk of exposure to bigots, I would probably pick Evanston. But you can never truly eliminate this risk. The OP has already ruled out the density and small lot size of Evanston, so other suggestions are needed.



Gross. Maybe in Oak Park there would be more shame involved. Or at least humility.

Based on my years of living in Oak Park, and friends that have lived in Wheaton, I beg to differ regarding how similar you think the towns to be… But you have your perception and others have theirs. Since you allude to the "chasm" of those 2 towns not being as big as commonly suggested (again, I disagree, but i suppose the definition of "as big" is relatively subjective), doesn't that logic by extension suggest even more so that choosing a northern burb based off of the OPs criteria is a relatively moot point, cause if the "chasm" ain't that big between 2 historically polar towns, it must be even more marginal between towns that are historically a lot more similar… Like you said, you can never eliminate the risk of bigotry, and since there's no real "chasm", what possible advice could you give the OP in choosing a town based off of their criteria of finding a place with more tolerance of same sex couples…

Please let me know if you come across this mystical house wives of Oak Park group. I've never heard of them in all my time here (maybe I'm just not in the secret "select" crowd), but I am curious...

[chitownperson]

Again, I never said everyone there is horrible. I said this was specific to his experience, and it's painted the town in a certain light for my friends family. I'm sorry if it runs counter to the place you know, but their experience is real. Evelyn is one story, and her success, which ends in supporting someone like Rauner, runs counter to supposedly helping the Latino community. Rauner talks a big game in regards to supporting immigration, but his actions run counter to his rhetoric as he's systematically tried to make it harder for immigrants to assimilate. It's highly questionable to support someone like Rauner and talk about being inclusive of immigrants. It's funny that you say I have a chip on my shoulder in regards to trivializing success stories (I'd love to hear about all these success stories, and merely being able to land in a town is not the same as assimilation) while you trivialize my friend's and her child's story… I'm all for helping immigrants and those in need, and it would be interesting to see the number of low income properties in each town to see just how much money goes into helping those in need in each town (what's Wheaton's number of low income housing?).

Gov. Rauner's immigration message leaves advocates perplexed - Chicago Tribune

Originally Posted by holl1ngsworth

I've made no claims or assumptions and I've fully accepted that his "friends" are horrible people. I even said they are moronic -- twice. I also said there are plenty more not horrible people in town, and I provided a broad range of places where said people can be found. A Mexican mother from a rough area of the city and her son should have no problem feeling comfortable and connecting. The countless success stories of Latinas like Evelyn, as well as immigrants and refugees who have found safety and happiness in Wheaton are a testament to that end. But it's obvious you have a chip on your shoulder and are using subterfuge to trivialize those experiences and the work of the organizations that form Wheaton's welcome mat. And that's truly unfortunate. Especially at a pivotal time when Mexicans, immigrants and refugees desperately need such organizations, and towns like Wheaton, to give them safe haven and a voice.

Donald Trump Calls For 'Complete Shutdown' Of Muslims Entering U.S. | Huffington Post
Donald Trump is a scaremonger. And he’s bringing the most hateful strains of American politics back to life. | Slate
World Relief leader: Refugees are 'not terrorists' | Daily Herald
Pro-Amnesty Christian Groups Receiving $1 Billion From Feds Double-Down for Syrian Refugees | Breitbart



Wheaton's CUSD 200 is 34.7% non-white. Oak Park's ESD 97 is 43.3% non-white.

Wheaton's CUSD 200 is 17.1% Hispanic. That means 2,242 Hispanic students in CUSD 200. Your friend is not "one of the few Latino families in her area." Oak Park's ESD 97 is 6.2% Hispanic.

I never drew a line connecting low income problems with anything. I objectively stated that Wheaton's schools are more economically diverse than Oak Park's schools.