Political Geography by Neighborhood (Birmingham: violent crime, house, neighborhoods)

[erwint.2021]

In general how LGBT friendly is Birmingham, which areas are the most friendly?

[TimCity2000]

i live in crestwood, which quite possibly is the "gayest" neighborhood in the state. in general, the east and south neighborhoods right around the city center (crestwood, avondale, lakeview, southside / five points, parkside) will be the most gay-friendly. homewood as well.

but in general, i don't think you'll have much of an issue anywhere, even in the redder parts of the metro area. rural areas might be a different story.

[TimCity2000]

also note that birmingham has scored a 100 on the HRC Municipal Equality Index for the past 3 years... something no other city in the state has come close to.

[Alabama211]

I’m new-ish to B’ham and not LGBT, so take this FWIW, but I’ve seen openly LGBT couples in various parts throughout the metro. Not saying they don’t get occasional dirty looks or what not, but it’s seemed no different than any other mid/big city I’ve lived in.

[erwint.2021]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

i live in crestwood, which quite possibly is the "gayest" neighborhood in the state. in general, the east and south neighborhoods right around the city center (crestwood, avondale, lakeview, southside / five points, parkside) will be the most gay-friendly. homewood as well.

but in general, i don't think you'll have much of an issue anywhere, even in the redder parts of the metro area. rural areas might be a different story.

According to the NYT precinct map, this area is definitely a blue area that is trending blue and mostly white. Is the political scene here pretty progressive in general around Downtown and the University?

[BamaDave]

Originally Posted by erwint.2021

According to the NYT precinct map, this area is definitely a blue area that is trending blue and mostly white. Is the political scene here pretty progressive in general around Downtown and the University?

Yes, and I wouldn't necessarily say trending, as those areas have been blue, or at least much less red, for a long time. My wife and I bought our first house 30 years ago in Crestwood North. Even back then, lots of LGBT couples were buying homes (and increasing property values quickly - thank you!).

As far as gay-friendliness, it would be best to hear from LGBT people about their own experiences in the area. Straight people chiming in with, "Oh, yes, gay people will be fine here...no one cares" sounds a lot like White people claiming that no one cares about race. I would rather hear it from the people who are actually living the experiences.

[TimCity2000]

Originally Posted by BamaDave

As far as gay-friendliness, it would be best to hear from LGBT people about their own experiences in the area. Straight people chiming in with, "Oh, yes, gay people will be fine here...no one cares" sounds a lot like White people claiming that no one cares about race. I would rather hear it from the people who are actually living the experiences.

guess i should've mentioned i'm one of the gays in crestwood haha.

never had a problem, and have always felt accepted throughout the city. however, as a white male who works in the design industry, my experience may not be the same as others.

[erwint.2021]

Originally Posted by TimCity2000

guess i should've mentioned i'm one of the gays in crestwood haha.

never had a problem, and have always felt accepted throughout the city. however, as a white male who works in the design industry, my experience may not be the same as others.

How about the rest of the city?

[JuicyFredda]

What exactly is homosexual 'friendly'? I'm not homosexual, I'm heterosexual. I'm not 'straight' or crooked. I lived in the area and it's not San Francisco. I don't know what homosexuals in Bham expect. Most people mind their own business. Believe it or not, you can't force people to endorse and embrace certain human behaviors. You would like to believe that all people should be unmolested. You simply can't expect or demand everyone think, or automatically agree with, or more importantly 'accept', adopt or be necessarily supportive of behavior created by another that might be foreign to another's nature or values. You should however be civil and not hostile.


Similarly, it's not 'neanderthal' thinking to believe in your own set of foundational values. Just treat people justly and civilly. That doesn't mean you must 'celebrate' someone else's.


Birmingham's future success will not be measured by the measure of homosexual neighborhoods or zipcodes. Let's start with improving public education, and economic development and reduction of violent crime.


~juicy

[bfmx1]

Birmingham is one of the only cities in the country to start offering an LGBQ+ safe space high school. I'm really not sure there is another one in the country. I think 99% of people think this is ridiculous they'd be shamed for saying it. So the city itself is very pro LGBQ+ but the people really are not.

Bham proper is pretty progressive but the metro as a whole does not want it in their community and at parks where their kids play. Often, they'll site statistics on homosexual's high rate of child crime (you know what I mean). If the stats are true, it's a reasonable assertion.

But yes, the pockets mentioned are very gay friendly and you'd be fine there. But if you go to the Summit or most places over the mountain, expect stares and eye rolls. But it's like that most everywhere. Get out of the pocket and you're not warmly welcomed.