Gay Life in Northwest Ohio (Columbus, Cleveland: relocating, apartments, homes)

[ohithere]

Hi there,

My partner and I have started talking about relocating closer to his family in Northwest Ohio. My main concern is that as a gay person I may have a difficult time in this part of the country. The family lives in the Defiance area, and I know that Toledo is about 45 minutes away (which appears to have some gay scene, as well as gay friendly churches which are important to me) Can anyone tell me what GLBT life is like here? I know I'm moving to 'the country' but I'd appreciate any insights you could offer.


Thanks!

[jicle]

Lakewood has a high gay population, I know that...

[ytownlibrarian]

I think Lakewood is a bit far from where the OP is looking to relocate. Lakewood is a suburb of Cleveland and a bit of a hike from Defiance.

I can't speak to the experiences of living in NW Ohio as a gay man, and I had similar reservations about moving to NE Ohio before I moved here, but I was really glad that I did. I moved from DC to Youngstown, but found a small GLBT community here, and the resources of a bigger city like Cleveland

I did a quick search of the internet and found that Defiance has a GLBT friendly UCC church. The website is Home Page

Good luck and welcome to Ohio!

[streetcreed]

Generally, NE ohio and central (Columbus area) ohio have the strongest and most visible gay populations. In NE ohio even the smaller cities like Youngstown or medium sized like Akron have a sizeable gay population and gay business.

Columbus area has a strong and visible gay poplulation. Columbus and NE ohio are also the most "blue" areas of the state.

Now, once you get west of Columbus, you start to get much more conservative. The entire western side of Ohio is more like Indiana when it comes to politics, more conservative. This means that NW Ohio is not known for having a very strong gay population. Of course there is one, but I know very few gay people who live there or have moved to Columbus (where I live) and had much to bragging to do in regards to NW Ohio's gay population.

[summer22]

Bowling Green is a college town along I-75 that is a nice, safe, midwestern city, that is also very open to diversity (there is really good support for diversity issues at BGSU both students and faculty, and that carries over into the city). There is some GLBT night life in Bowling Green, but more in Toledo (older clubs that are not the greatest), Ann Arbor (1 hr north of BG), or Detroit (90 miles from BG.)

You might consider BG, the Old West End of Toledo, Sandusky (where Cedar Point is), or even think about Ann Arbor.

Findlay might be comfortable for you (its also a college town), but I think the other cities/towns of NW Ohio would be less than comfortable (but not impossible to live in.)

[Art1979]

Originally Posted by summer22

Findlay might be comfortable for you (its also a college town), but I think the other cities/towns of NW Ohio would be less than comfortable (but not impossible to live in.)

I'm very reluctant to agree with this statement. Is there a university here? Yes, the University of Findlay's been here since 1882. Is Findlay a "college town"? Eeeeeeeeee, no. Here's why: The University of Findlay's influence does not go beyond its campus. There are three college bars (two definite, and one debatable) and the campus (I'll even throw in the equestrians, but that doesn't run much past the farmsteads either).

Now, go to Bowling Green, Columbus, or Ann Arbor. They are, without a doubt, "college towns." The Falcons, Buckeyes, and Wolverines are a pervasive part of each city. They're everywhere. In fact, if BG were to lose BGSU, the city would lose a large chunk of its population.

While the U of F may think it's something else (always to my amusement), the residents of Findlay have their attention elsewhere. Mostly to the Buckeyes, and a few Wolverine fans that have trickled in from Michigan. It's like saying Pioneer Sugar is big business in Findlay. Yes, we have the towers, but their importance is nowhere close to what you'd imagine them to be.

As for a homosexual's comfort in Findlay, that too I'm reluctant to agree with. Again, are there gay people in Findlay? Yes, I'm on a first name basis with some (for quite some time, too). Is there a scene? Well, if there is, no one talks about it. In fact, the ones who should know are always giving me an earful on how there is none. I never really know what to tell them, because truth be told, there's not much of a scene for straight people here either. It's a family community, little more than that. ::shrug::

With that said, NWO's best bets are Bowling Green and Toledo. That's not leaving you with much, I understand, but I'm being objective with the observations I have. I was never one to sugar coat my synopses.

[arod0331]

The Old West End is like the San Francisco of Toledo lol. Seriously back in the 70's when crime spread thru the area and those beautiful historical homes were being torn up into crappy apartments, it took having the gays to move into the neighborhood to start fixing them up again.
I have a relative who owns a home in this area, and I swear he and his girlfriend are the only heteros in the area lol.
Not far away, the nightlife consists of Bretz bar and Caesars showplace for gays to socialize.

[ericmc783]

I don't recommend being openly gay in Northwestern OH.

Try the cleveland area, or columbus. You would likely have less issues there.

Indiana would be even worse.

[Cincy-Rise]

All of Ohio's major cities are usually ok for gay people (Obviously) ... As far as rural OH, that's going to be a little different.

[plantartist]

Originally Posted by summer22

You might consider BG, the Old West End of Toledo, Sandusky (where Cedar Point is), or even think about Ann Arbor.

Even though it's a cruise, Ann Arbor would be your best bet. It is a very cultural, diverse, and hip area. I know the Old West End of Toledo has a high gay population but I'm not really sure if there is a sense of community. Also, Toledo has a decent amount of GLBT bars. Cedar Point has a huge gay population as well. That might be worth checking into.