Stevens Point or Wasau for Gay couple? (Milwaukee, Wausau: how much, schools)

[Jmedina1279]

Hello, my husband and I are considering moving to either Stevens Point or Wassau. Can anyone recommend one of these cities to relocate to for a gay couple with kids? What are the people like? Is there any diversity?

[arosilus]

Originally Posted by Jmedina1279

Hello, my husband and I are considering moving to either Stevens Point or Wassau. Can anyone recommend one of these cities to relocate to for a gay couple with kids? What are the people like? Is there any diversity?

in all honesty i would not consider Wausau. I am black and i know there is (some diversity in stevens point). Wausau is basically at the top of the state and could be biased in some way. Good luck.

[EllieKay56]

There are many gay couples in Wausau. Some are business owners others are very prominent in the community. Seems to be no problems. Stevens Point is a college town and you would also be fine there.
Wausau is not at the top of the state but considered north central Wisconsin.

[CtrlEsc]

Thanks for chiming in EllieKay.

People assume rural Wisconsin is like the old south for some reason. Most of rural Wisconsin was settled by liberal German immigrants who failed to overthrow the monarchy and institute democracy in Germany in the mid-1800s. They came here to escape repression. Those same ideals have been passed down in family values over the years.

[losadair]

If you mean diversity in terms of people of color - not really. There are some Hmong communities in the area you're talking about, and a smattering of other folks.

If you are moving from a city, or a small town in a more diverse state, it may be hard to imagine how very very white that part of Wisconsin is. I myself am biracial but very light-skinned. I grew up in northern WI, and I can tell you that my darker-skinned family members still regularly experience the whole gamut from, "no but where are you FROM" to "I don't think of you as being (a person of color) at all, though" to being pulled over by cops. White people regularly made comments to me about "them" being on welfare, or how "they" talk too loud or make poor decisions or otherwise don't act like "us." When people are made aware of my ethnicity, the usual response is "But you seem so smart/normal/etc." I'm pretty laid back and willing to give people a chance to learn more and do better, but that stuff wears you down.

Smaller towns in northern WI are a lot more welcoming to GLBT folk than they were in the past, for whatever that's worth. It may depend a lot on how much you share interests with others in the community - if you're a cross-country skier, or a Lutheran, or a boater, or a local history buff, or an avid fisherman, it's going to be easier than if your interests are in big-city stuff.

If I had to pick between those two towns, I'd pick Stevens Point. But proceed with caution.

[Frostnip]

Point is a little more diverse and cosmopolitan because of the university, but it's still North/Central Wisconsin.

My experience of the region was that the biggest social sin you could commit was "making a spectacle." People were more-or-less fine with differences in color, origin, orientation, beliefs, etc. as long as one otherwise looked, sounded and behaved like the bulk of the local population, and didn't express any emotions or opinions too strongly in public.

If that sounds pretty stifling, it is! But it's also kind of relaxing to live somewhere were vehement disagreement is expressed with phrases like, "Well, I don't know about that," and a slight frown.

[Frostnip]

Originally Posted by losadair

White people regularly made comments to me about "them" being on welfare, or how "they" talk too loud or make poor decisions or otherwise don't act like "us." When people are made aware of my ethnicity, the usual response is "But you seem so smart/normal/etc."

My visibly Black sister got stuff like that pretty regularly, yeah. "Oh, I'm not talking about people like you. I'm talking about people like the ones down in Milwaukee," was a memorable one.

Also, "loud" was, like, the worst thing any person could possibly be, lol.

[EllieKay56]

I work with area schools. In Wausau I see children of many ethnic backgrounds. Some schools are more ethnic then others. It is much more then Hmong in the schools.

[homeschooldad1]

Originally Posted by Jmedina1279

Hello, my husband and I are considering moving to either Stevens Point or Wassau. Can anyone recommend one of these cities to relocate to for a gay couple with kids? What are the people like? Is there any diversity?

If you mean racial and ethnic diversity, go with Wausau. According to the census quick facts, Wausau is 80% white while Stevens Point is 87% white. That said, if you equate diversity with a larger LGBT population and more politically liberal city, then go with Stevens Point. Clinton won Stevens Point by 23pts but the city of Wausau by only 4pts.