Gay friendly towns in New Jersey (Trenton, Bergenfield: houses, taxes, suburban)

[bradykp]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

I couldn't have said it any better myself. For an overwhelmingly Democratic state, Pennsylvania is quite literally a living hell for not only gays, but also various other minorities as well. I'm only staying here to find my one true love and establish roots because I see potential in how the thousands of New Yorkers flooding into our area annually for relocation may hopefully someday outnumber the local, uneducated, native rednecks who have nothing better to do than go on "witch hunts" for "dem der ****." I can't tell you how many people would give my ex and I dirty looks when I'd treat him to a romantic dinner at nice restaurants here in Scranton, and while walking hand-in-hand along a romantic vista overlooking the Delaware River in Monroe County, we were scowled at by a passing straight couple (who were also holding hands ironically, furthermore proving that many straight people are the "do as I say; not as I do" crowd!)

I see how NY and NJ are so much more "Progressive" than PA, even banning cell phone usage while driving and banning smoking in public establishments (both of which would be shot down by 99% of voters if put on a ballot here in PA!) It seems anymore as if I'm the only "educated" person living here in Scranton; all of my gay intellectual comrades have fled to "safer" pastures, leaving the few open ones of us left here in the metro to contend with the pitchforks! Now that NJ has become the second state to permit gay marriage (behind MA), and the fourth to offer the same legal benefits to same-sex couples (behind MA, VT, and CT), I'm beginning to think more and more about ditching my plans to want to "bring Scranton back", in favor of moving to an area where people read, don't beat their wives every night, don't "hang out at da bar" everyday after work for hours (before driving home), and aren't so downright nasty!

I just don't know what to do; I'll be graduating college in two years with a highly-demanded degree, so the sky is the limit for relocation options. The only reason I'm staying in Scranton is because of my noble "those who have the power to rebuild a city should put their abilities to good use" type of mentality that basically forbids me from just "abandoning" it. It's always been a dream of mine to help re-invent our backwards city so that future generations of gay youth won't have to contend with the same depressing, self-loathing, rage-filled bouts that I often have towards the locals. However, I'm now starting to see that perhaps it's just not possible, given how "simple" my fellow local residents are overall.

PA did ban smoking at restaurants. there's some exceptions.

also - many towns in PA have hands-free laws for driving.

while NEPA isn't the most progressive area in the world, it's not nearly as conservative-red-neck as you paint it. Scranton is mostly dominated by Democrats to begin with (Casey family, Clinton's popularity, etc). It's just as you get further from scranton that it's bad.

And honestly, people in NEPA don't like any PDA really, not just gay PDA. and you have to take things with a grain of salt. sometimes people look because you're different from them, not because they hate your lifestyle. NEPA is like this. Where you go into a bar where they know nearly everyone that comes into that bar, when someone strange comes in, they gawk at the new guy.

I've spent my whole life there until I moved away. It's a great area. Just don't venture out too far into the farm countries...

[zedster]

It's almost 4 years since the creation of this thread with the original post about gay-friendly communities in New Jersey.

According to this poll (which has the original question posted so you can evaluate its bias), it seems that attitudes have changed a lot in America during the past four years:

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right: CNN Poll is First To Show Majority Support for Gay Marriage

Just to provide you with an international context, there are now 10 countries around the world with legalized gay marriage: Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, and Sweden, and the Federal District of Mexico City, Mexico.

Furthermore, there are 18 countries with civil unions that are equal (or nearly equal*) to heterosexual marriage: Andorra, Austria, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Slovenia, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Uruguay, in addition to a few Australian states.

And now that Ken Mehlman — former Republican National Committee chair— has stepped out of the closet (and despite his horrible and damaging hypocrisy in 2006), and statements by Laura Bush and Cindy and Meghan McCain on the inevitability of gay marriage, the line between acceptance of gays and political party affiliation is starting to blur.

I know America has a long way to go, but surely this shows that there must be a lot of towns in New Jersey that are gay-friendly these days?

Maybe even the poster from Scranton, PA has noticed more tolerance there?











(*Nearly equal usually means except for joint adoption rights. Which is silly because in most places individual gays can adopt, so why shouldn't couples?)

[Jay Birch]

why can't we start one. Boonton NJ is a small town with many vacancies, both in commercial real estate and homes and apartments. It has ample transportation to the city and is very old style town. Simply beautiful,

[Alicia Bradley]

Sort of timely (revival of this) thread, considering the Tyler Clementi incident at Rutgers.

Oh yes, here in NJ we're so highly intelligent and accepting, not like people in unnamed 'other' parts of the country... (In 2006 I moved to the quasi-NE [DC area] from Columbia, Missouri, where I more than once saw a gay kissing [tastefully] on a bench in a park near downtown commercial area. I'm so sick of hearing [in some NJ-type accent], 'We're the best, baby, not like you flyova fools, yada yada yada.' No, getting to experience the very definition of irony does *not* justify living here. )

[BPerone201]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

Sort of timely (revival of this) thread, considering the Tyler Clementi incident at Rutgers.

Oh yes, here in NJ we're so highly intelligent and accepting, not like people in unnamed 'other' parts of the country... (In 2006 I moved to the quasi-NE [DC area] from Columbia, Missouri, where I more than once saw a gay kissing [tastefully] on a bench in a park near downtown commercial area. I'm so sick of hearing [in some NJ-type accent], 'We're the best, baby, not like you flyova fools, yada yada yada.' No, getting to experience the very definition of irony does *not* justify living here. )

Suicide rates by state: NJ= Lowest, AK= highest
Are you seriously amplifying the news and bashing NJians right now? There was 6 gay teen (known) suicides nation wide during that same week- When someone jumps off the GWBridge, it just makes headlines.

At least NJ has Civil unions granting rights similar to same sex marriage.. As for VA and MO, constitution completely bans it.

Your inferiority complex is showing.

[Alicia Bradley]

Originally Posted by BPerone201

Suicide rates by state: NJ= Lowest, AK= highest
Are you seriously amplifying the news and bashing NJians right now? There was 6 gay teen (known) suicides nation wide during that same week- When someone jumps off the GWBridge, it just makes headlines.

At least NJ has Civil unions granting rights similar to same sex marriage.. As for VA and MO, constitution completely bans it.

Your inferiority complex is showing.

Heh... I'm certainly no fan of VA. NoVA feels like Joisey to me.

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

Heh... I'm certainly no fan of VA. NoVA feels like Joisey to me.

Is that how they say Jersey down there?

[openheads]

Originally Posted by Alicia Bradley

Heh... I'm certainly no fan of VA. NoVA feels like Joisey to me.

I didn't know Buggs Bunny lived in Virginia.

[cndjl]

I browsed through the entire thread and understood that NJ, in general, is gay-friendly. I'm considering buying a house, and wanted to see what people thought of

Bergenfield
and
Cresskill

in Bergen County.

Thanks a lot!!

[cyntmac]

NoVa and Scranton again?
At least try a newer approach.
A college town in MO wil not be similar to an NJ suburb. The comparison makes no sense.
Just stating that you are gay or Italian or whatever is not enough info to know which community is right for you. You have to be specific in order to be taken seriously. What does a person really want? Obviously not suburbia on most of these threads.