Looking for liberal areas in Austin area? (Bee Cave: estates, drive)

[homeinatx]

Artsyguy,

No-one is saying that gay bars make Austin gay friendly. Just that there is overall more gay tolerance in Austin, perhaps precisely because it lacks a central gay neighborhood. I see same-sex couples holding hands walking around in Barton Creek Mall - which really surprised me the first time, on the streets downtown, along Manor Road, on U.T. campus (try that at S.M.U), on North Loop, on West Lynn in Clarkesville- in a range of venues and neighborhoods and no-one pays any attention. I have only ever seen same-sex couples holding hands in Dallas in the heart of Oaklawn. I agree Dallas has a bigger and more vibrant gay scene, but in your own logic " gay bars don't make a city gay friendly." Why, if Dallas is so gay-friendly, did it vote for the state constitutional ban on same-sex marriages?

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by artsyguy

Are you gay or liberal? You say this as if you have a lot of experience in that community and as if you speak for them. There is absolutely nothing gay friendly about Austin, like I've said before almost every small or mid sized city has gay bars. Gay bars don't equal gay friendly.

I didn't say anything about UT making "profits", they have to pay salaries and bonuses, building costs, etc don't they? They gain revenue with tuition,State allocations,Private or corporate "donations",Investment interest on endowments,Grants ,Patents and royalties, University-related companies,Event revenues, and Licensing fees (merchandise), to "sustain itself" can be measured in so many ways

I'm a fiscal liberal, but less so socially. However, I know many gay people and consider them to be friends. Austin is not specifically gay friendly, you're right, but that's because it doesn't ostracize its homosexual population and includes them in the community more so than elsewhere. Dallas has a need for a strong gay community because gays have for so long been shunned and discriminated against. Austin doesn't have as strong of a specifically gay community because the city has been more tolerant of homosexuality for far longer than the rest of the South.

Until very, very, recently, being seen on Cedar Springs in Dallas could ruin your career--something that hasn't really been a problem in Austin.

[ladylonghorn2]

Originally Posted by theloneranger

Hispanics are not a majority in any suburb of Dallas. They are spread out throughout the city and suburbs.

Not true. Carrollton, TX has two big high schools, one is 69.4% hispanic, the other is 39%. Irving High is 67% Hispanic.

[love roses]

. You are far more likely to see gays walking hand in hand in Austin than in Dallas or Houston.


In my experience, this is totally untrue. And I actually know quite a few gay couples in Clear Lake and Galveston also, so it's not totally true that gays are stuck in one neighborhood. They live all around the city.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by ladylonghorn2

Not true. Carrollton, TX has two big high schools, one is 69.4% hispanic, the other is 39%. Irving High is 67% Hispanic.

That is because many, if not most, of the white homeowners send their children to private schools. Also, the Hispanic population is younger on the whole than the white population, so the numbers in high schools will be larger than those of the population as a whole. The city of Carrollton actually has three high schools, BTW. It looks like you completly ignored Creekview, which is largely white and Asian. Ranchview HS is also in the C-FB ISD and is also largely white and Asian. And Smith, which I believe is the school you listed at 39% Hispanic, isn't Hispanic-majority because 39% is not a majority. Carrollton as a whole is less than 20% Hispanic and Irving is 31%. Neither of those numbers are a majority.

However, you are absolutely right that the Hispanic population has exploded in Dallas of late. However, it isn't quite a majority yet and is still very far from being a majority in most of the northern suburbs.

[theloneranger]

Originally Posted by love roses

. You are far more likely to see gays walking hand in hand in Austin than in Dallas or Houston.


In my experience, this is totally untrue. And I actually know quite a few gay couples in Clear Lake and Galveston also, so it's not totally true that gays are stuck in one neighborhood. They live all around the city.

Well, I don't have much experience with Houston, and definitely not with Montrose, so I may be wrong there.

But in Dallas, unless you are in the Oak Lawn or Cedar Springs area, or perhaps some adjacent areas of Uptown, you are not very likely at all to see homosexuals being affectionate or particularly open about their homosexuality in public.

[Trainwreck20]

Can we get back to the posted topic? Just as a reminder....

We are looking for liberal thinking areas in Austin or a good mix of moderates who can discuss both sides. Any ideas? My husband would like to be on Lake Travis, but I don't know if that is right either.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by love roses

I'm going with artsyguy on this one. I disagree that Austin has either Dallas or Houston beat on that. Although Austin is gay friendly I actually think Houston and possibly even Dallas are even more gay friendly whether or not there are gayborhoods. Austin used to be the most "hippie" town in Texas and I think that's what a lot of longtime residents are missing when they talk about the Austin that used to be. It's still pretty laid back though but Houston and San Antonio are also pretty laid back. Dallas, not so much.

I also strongly disagree that Austin has a better race record than Dallas or Houston. Dallas and especially Houston aren't split down the middle by one freeway with wealthy, mainly white people to the west and hispanic and black people to the East. Austin isn't the only city in Texas with a university that contributes to racial diversity.

I'm going to agree with 'love roses' and 'artsyguy' on these points as well.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by Trainwreck20

Can we get back to the posted topic? Just as a reminder....

Sorry about that.

Back on topic, Lake Travis -- it always came off to me as more conservative than liberal (which I preferred), but maybe that's changed since I've been there.

[ILikeSmartHippies]

Originally Posted by jwobriant

We are looking for liberal thinking areas in Austin or a good mix of moderates who can discuss both sides. Any ideas? My husband would like to be on Lake Travis, but I don't know if that is right either. We live on the MS Gulf Coast now and are being killed by insurance since Katrina.

I'm totally lost on this question. Does this mean you want to have long political debates with your neighbors, or light up a doobie??

Otherwise why not go hang out at the capitol... they're 'paid' to debate both sides..?

Edit: you should hear some of the talk around the apt complex pool at my place in sw austin, everything from 18th century literature to how to self-inject drugs to where to go skinny dipping to the contrasts between french-canadian culture and parisian culture to forcing abortions for meth moms. Ok, the one thing not yet in the conversational air is various forms of gay penetrative sex, though I'm sure that liberal topic has been breached at some point not in my presence.. So there.

Edit 2: i didnt mention gun control, so I'll mention, from talking to girls here around austin, it seems pretty common that many know how to shoot since a young age (and some are pretty good at it), and I think concealed weapons are legal, so there you go - you are now armed, so to speak, to liberalize yourself with guns, drugs, rock 'n roll, and discuss both sides of the issue (perhaps not all at once lol).