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Okay it's a frequent idea/topic of mine, but what are some states in general that aren't as non-gay-friendly as they seem? For example, perhaps Arkansas is more gay friendly then you'd think.
I'm sick of looking at the typical gay mecca places -- they're overpriced and overcrowded. States like Arkansas or whatever at least are quieter, but on the downside probably hostile to gays. Anywhere I can find a good mix of gay friendly, with still having things to do? I mean just your basic shopping, movie theaters, etc, and perhaps a theme park or two if I'm lucky.
I just don't want California or some typical gay mecca. I heard that Lawrence Kansas is a good example of an off-the-wall gay friendly place. Any whole states that are better than they seem?
Supposedly the Lehigh Valley of PA (Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton) is becoming more and more tolerant of minorities as the years progress and more and more transplanted New Yorkers and New Jersians flood into the region with their diversity. Allentown has had a popular annual gay pride festival now for a number of years, and there are several gay night clubs throughout the Lehigh Valley.
Even my native Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Pocono area is starting to "heat up" in the gay sector, as more and more locals continue to "come out of the closet" and the natives opt to accept them for their differences instead of shunning them. We have a few gay night clubs in the region, gay book clubs, and gay publications. Just like the Lehigh Valley, some of this open-mindedness has been fueled by my region's appeal to new transplants from NY/NJ.
I wouldn't consider either of these two regions to be "pro-gay", but they're both certainly full of people with a "live and let live" attitude.
I worry about skyrocketing prices in Scranton though, SWB. I have a feeling it will become another New Jersey eventually. I don't want somewhere everyone is flocking to...it scares me.
Also, judging by my online searches on personal ads sites (Okay! So I AM desperate! LOL!), I've found there to be very large concentrations of the GLBT community in Columbus, OH and the Twin Cities of MN. Minneapolis/St. Paul is a very literate, artsy, well-read metropolitan area, and Columbus is a "boomtown." I'd also guess that the Pioneer Valley of MA (Amherst Area) would be rife with gays/lesbians, being home to a few colleges and a lot of Liberal activism.
I worry about skyrocketing prices in Scranton though, SWB. I have a feeling it will become another New Jersey eventually. I don't want somewhere everyone is flocking to...it scares me.
Very valid concerns, and I agree with you. I don't mean to portray Scranton as being the area that everyone is flooding into, as the city's population is continuing to drop. However, just a half-hour away from the city are massive planned communities in Monroe County filled with daily PA-NYC commuter transplants. As Monroe County continues to swell with growth, I foresee that spilling over into the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area in about 20 years or so, at which point we will become "the next North Jersey."
Okay it's a frequent idea/topic of mine, but what are some states in general that aren't as non-gay-friendly as they seem? For example, perhaps Arkansas is more gay friendly then you'd think.
I'm sick of looking at the typical gay mecca places -- they're overpriced and overcrowded. States like Arkansas or whatever at least are quieter, but on the downside probably hostile to gays. Anywhere I can find a good mix of gay friendly, with still having things to do? I mean just your basic shopping, movie theaters, etc, and perhaps a theme park or two if I'm lucky.
I just don't want California or some typical gay mecca. I heard that Lawrence Kansas is a good example of an off-the-wall gay friendly place. Any whole states that are better than they seem?
For Arkansas, there is one famous town that is extremely gay friendly. It's Eureka Springs, Arkansas, located in the Ozarks of northwest Arkansas I think... not too far from Branson if I recall correctly.
It's got lots of 19th century restored architecture, is filled with Bed and Breakfast Inns, art galleries, antique shops, specialty cafes, and many people in Springfield say it's a classic 19th century town with all the charm.
I've never been there, but I do know it's heavily gay and much of the business community there is gay-owned and run.
yeah, the pioneer valley of MA is a good choice, along with providence, RI, but that's probably way too obvious... how about salt lake city or atlanta?
Have you heard of the show "US of ANT", on the LOGO network? In case you haven't, Ant is a gay comedian (from "Last Comic Standing" originally), and he explores gay communities in small towns around the country. Some of what he found wasn't so good, like a hate-crime victim in North Carolina, but he was also pleasantly surprised in some places! You should check out the towns he visited, and see where he discovered "hidden gems": http://www.logoonline.com/shows/dyn/...t/series.jhtml
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Any other thoughts?
US of ANT
