LGBT life in Colorado Springs

[nicolexanne]

Thank you Littlekw! I think we will probably plan a vacation for there soon so we can check it out. We've been dying to kayak the Colorado springs river. So it's a perfect excuse

Thanks so much for everyone's help!!

[shanen]

If you end up deciding to settle here, PM me and I'll put you in contact with a same-sex couple with kids that are pretty awesome people and involved in the LGBT community.

[CharlotteRJ]

You're going to be better off here than in a small southern town, but it's still pretty conservative. Sadly, my end of town is the most conservative, but there are also pockets of more open thinking people, even around here. I'd love to have you as my neighbor, but I can't promise that all of my current neighbors wouldn't be jerks. :/

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by Littlekw

Frankly, the LGBT community is not strong in Colorado Springs. Like I said in my previous post, we all kind of meld together here. Colorado Springs is also not known as being "diverse" but that's primarily because we don't split ourselves into groups here. We are all part of the same city and don't generally label each other or ourselves by our ethnic, racial, sexual or political differences. We do our best to function as a collaborative community, at least socially.

Colorado Springs is a live and let live city. It tends to be very libertarian in that regard and if our neighbor doesn't bother us, we won't bother them.

If you're looking for a strong LGBT community you won't find it here. What you'll find is a city of down to earth people that just want to live their lives in peace and enjoy their existence. The few rabble-rousers are only fodder for eye rolls from the majority of us.

OP, if you read between the lines here you're being told you have to keep a low profile. In other words "don't ask, don't tell". Not going to be much of an improvement from what you currently have.

You also need to realize that while you don't seem to like more populated areas, what you're looking for is going to be in more populated areas.

You should rethink Portland, it feels more like a large town than a city, you would find what you're looking for, yes it rains in the winter, but the spring and summer are gorgeous. And there are two rivers that you
could kayak on.

[CharlotteRJ]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

OP, if you read between the lines here you're being told you have to keep a low profile. In other words "don't ask, don't tell". Not going to be much of an improvement from what you currently have.

Unfortunately, this is true for many parts of town. But if you live closer to downtown, or better yet, in Manitou, I think you'll be fine. I've seen same sex couples holding hands all over, FWIW.

[JohnnyDenver]

Denver/Boulder probably more acceptable, but coming from OK, the cost of living will be a sticker shock.

[Littlekw]

Originally Posted by seain dublin

OP, if you read between the lines here you're being told you have to keep a low profile. In other words "don't ask, don't tell".

Not necessarily my intent in the post I made but you're analysis doesn't stray from the truth. "Don't ask, don't tell" is a good way of describing the situation but that holds true in other aspects of life here as well. I tend to vote Democrat and am a left-leaning moderate. In Republican dominated El Paso County, I keep a low profile in that regard. That doesn't mean it's an unfriendly place for my political views, it just means I don't openly advertise them.

As previous posters have noted, downtown, the west side and Manitou Springs tend to be the most open to LGBT (and Democrats ). I lived in a duplex in the Ivywild neighborhood and my neighbors were a married lesbian couple. A gal across the street was also gay. Great neighbors, we had barbeques together, enjoyed beers on the back porch and they had no issues in Colorado Springs. My current neighbors on the west side are a gay male couple. Our dogs play together and they're also not bothered being gay in Colorado Springs. Those are two of the more accepting areas of town, I would guess to say.

Be yourself, be happy and just live your life. It's unlikely many people will bother you about it. Oh, and coming out for a visit is a great idea. It'll give you a better perspective. The Springs ain't for everyone but it ain't bad, either.

[StarrySkiesAbove]

Originally Posted by nicolexanne

Thank you Littlekw! I think we will probably plan a vacation for there soon so we can check it out. We've been dying to kayak the Colorado springs river. So it's a perfect excuse

Thanks so much for everyone's help!!

We don't have a river in Colorado Springs. There are some creeks but they are not kayak/raftable. Perhaps you are thinking of the Arkansas River? That has excellent stretches of both white water and float. The best river running sections are about 45 minutes to an hour away (The Gorge, Parkdale, Browns Canyon, the Numbers which is mostly Class V Kayaking). The towns of Buena Vista, Salida, Canon City and Pueblo have developed some sections of the Arkansas through town as white water play parks.

Our kayaking here is almost exclusively whitewater and technical steep creek type. If you are thinking of the touring kayaks you would need to do that on a reservoir, we don't have those kinds of wide rivers like you find in Washington and Oregon here.

This link is to a photo of kayaking on The Numbers Section of the Arkansas River in the fall when the water is lower http://livefromsouthmain.com/wp-cont...s-River-16.jpg

And earlier in the season at higher water http://merelyafleshwound.com/render/...s/IMG_3646.jpg

[millcityleo79]

I agree with what has been posted. As a gay man who was married to a man, I lived in Colorado Springs without incident and seemingly without judgement. I am outspoken and not at all in the closet and had NO problems! I am sure you are used to living in an extremely conservative place coming from Southern OK. That was really the only issue I had being the loud and proud liberal I am. To be honest, though, no one ever really gave me a problem about that. They just voted differently than me in large numbers. So, I knew it wasn't really the place for me. But, if you can deal with that and the lack of a nearby body of water (my other issue), you will love it!

[toxicavenger]

Honestly I don't care what preference people have, good people are good people regardless of anything else.

So if you think people don't like you or care about what they think you won't fit in anywhere.