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I'm 22 years old and openly gay. I currently live in the suburbs of Seattle. I enjoy Seattle and think it's a great city, but as I've gotten older I've felt like I'd rather live in a small town once I get older and find a mate. I don't like the gay life in the city, and the whole 'scene' pisses me off. For now, I enjoy the city because it would be easier to find a mate here than in the country.
I love country music, farm work, traditional American foods. I would love to be able to enjoy a nice piece of Americana life without being harassed for my sexuality. I would prefer a place that's cooler and in/near mountains. I don't care about politics or religion, just as long as people don't try to convert me or harass me for thinking differently. I'd prefer to stay in Oregon/Washington, but I'm willing to go to other states as well.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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How small of a town would you prefer to be in? In the Northwest gay friendly small cities that come to mind are Bellingham or Olympia. For small towns perhaps Bend, Cannon Beach, or other various towns along the Oregon Coast might fit the bill.
If you're open to exploring back east, most any town in rural New England would be gay friendly, particularly in Vermont and Western Mass. If you like mountains Colorado has a lot of cool and beautiful mountain towns like Durango, Nederland, Telluride, and Breckenridge are very live and let live. In the Southwest, Taos, NM or Flagstaff, AZ are in nice rural mountain areas.
Last edited by Champ le monstre du lac; 08-19-2014 at 07:44 PM..
New Paltz, Trumansburg(and other small towns outside of Ithaca), Hamilton, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, Clinton, Brockport, Plattsburgh, Glens Falls, Potsdam, Canton and some others in NY could fit.
Perhaps State College PA, Blacksburg/Harrisburg/Radford/Staunton in VA or Morgantown WV are others that could work.
You're 22 and you are already annoyed by the scene? Wow. I guess I could say it gets a bit annoying for me at times in my late 20's, but those were the times I was sober. LOL
Anyway, look into Savannah. It isn't a "small" town per se, but compared to Seattle, it's quite small. Very accepting town. Funky, unique vibe. Lots of history and culture.
If you want country Americana and a gay-friendly attitude, try:
Lawrence, KS
Norman, OK
Iowa City, IA
Moscow, ID
Billings, MT
Missoula, MT
Galina, IL
Here are some other gay-friendly smaller towns and cities, but they lack a country vibe:
Saugatuck, MI
Provicetown, MA
Northampton, MA
Key West, FL
Lewes, DE
Santa Fe, NM
Eureka, CA
I was going to say maybe the Asheville area, but that's a long ways from OR.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mutiny77
Asheville, NC
Eureka Springs, AR
I too would recommend Asheville. As a gay male myself I cannot recommend it enough for those over the "gay scene" and for those seeking the attributes you mention. Employment can be a difficult proposition due to it's popularity, but otherwise wouldn't hesitate to move there.
How small of a town would you prefer to be in? In the Northwest gay friendly small cities that come to mind are Bellingham or Olympia. For small towns perhaps Bend, Cannon Beach, or other various towns along the Oregon Coast might fit the bill.
I was thinking Corvallis, but it's not "cooler" than Seattle -- quite the opposite, at least in summer.
Port Townsend and Port Angeles might work too. Port Angeles is a bit more "country" than Port Townsend, and there's a road from there that goes right up to Hurricane Ridge, featuring snow almost year-round. I imagine the employment situation is rather dismal there, though.
I notice that a lot of places people have mentioned are college towns. Those probably provide the best combination of small-town ambiance and tolerance, though of course there are exceptions.
Just last night, Fayetteville, Arkansas passed a city-wide Non-Discrimination ordinance protecting all LBGT from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation. You might check us out. We're very gay-friendly for a town this size. Local foods and hobby-farming are huge here. We have a few farmer's markets, clean air & water, and a good growing season for gardens.
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