Political Crossfire Forums

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

I am really surprised that so many gay families [with their homosexual agenda] are living down in Houston, Texas. I really don't understand why they would live there and not in a more liberal state where they could get various benefits?

Quote: Texas Rounding Up Gay Families

Gay and looking for a good place to raise your kids? You might want to consider Texas.

It may sound crazy, but a study in The Gay and Lesbian Atlas concludes that San Antonio, a major Texas city, has the largest amount of queer couples with kids in America.

The subjects of the study were kids being brought up by at least one biological parent, and children who were adopted by gay couples, according to the Associated Press.

The Gay and Lesbian Atlas is “considered the most comprehensive demographic look at where same-sex couples are distributed across the nation.”

The AP also noted that The Gay and Lesbian Atlas study was based on the most current US census data.

But the big question is: why has Texas become such a hot spot for gay families? “One explanation is that minority same-sex couples are more likely to have children than white same-sex couples,” according to the AP.

“Study author Gary J. Gates says Texas’ large Hispanic population might partially explain why its gay couples are more likely to have children.”

The Chronicle spoke to members of several gay families in Houston. Baby Djojonegoro, a gay, partnered mother, told the paper that while Houston “does have the stereotype of the cowboy town… it has pockets of interesting, non-mainstream culture and people.”

Still, that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to raise kids in the state, the article also quoted a teen named Chloe Tippet, a child being raised by two lesbians, who has seen a peer’s sexuality questioned simply because he supports gay marriage. “I guess some people think that anybody who thinks that gays and lesbians should have rights must be a gay or lesbian person….” Tippet told the paper.

http://www.rainbownetwork.com/News/detail.asp?iData=26553&iCat=29&iChannel=2&nChannel=News

StrangerWitCandy · Joined: 02 Feb 2005 Posts: 4668 Location: Fairfax, VA

I think its mostly because the low cost of living.

However, now that this is gaining attention, I'm sure Texas will have to do something to push these families out or break them apart. Such publicity is not going to make Texans happy about this new reputation. Expect to see some stupid bill prohibiting same-sex households from raising children or something equally absurd at some point.

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

StrangerWitCandy wrote: I think its mostly because the low cost of living.

However, now that this is gaining attention, I'm sure Texas will have to do something to push these families out or break them apart. Such publicity is not going to make Texans happy about this new reputation. Expect to see some stupid bill prohibiting same-sex households from raising children or something equally absurd at some point.

The local "family" association is probably thinking about that already as we speak!!! After all, they need to "protect children" from these "f*lthy b*stards"! How dare they move to such a place and bring their sinful behaviour with them?!! :roll:

ChuckBerry · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 2184 Location: Lafayette, LA

I imagine that trends for all minority groups are going up in Texas. Austin especially is a pretty blue town, and San Antonio is a big college town (implying more liberal/gay friendly areas), so those cities will probably see the biggest uptick in gay move-ins, I guess.

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 14800

Houston has had a large, strong, and politically influential queer community for decades, y'all.

ChuckBerry · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 2184 Location: Lafayette, LA

Yeah, the ignorance in this thread is embarrassing. You are clearly using stereotypes and don't know the first thing about Texas.

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 14800

CCD wrote: Yeah, the ignorance in this thread is embarrassing. You are clearly using stereotypes and don't know the first thing about Texas.

CCD, let's just saddle up our ponies and ride off to check on our oil wells.

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

CCD wrote: Yeah, the ignorance in this thread is embarrassing. You are clearly using stereotypes and don't know the first thing about Texas.

How is that? You are admitting that places like Austin are fairly liberal, which is why the homosexual population is growing there:

CCD wrote: I imagine that trends for all minority groups are going up in Texas. Austin especially is a pretty blue town, and San Antonio is a big college town (implying more liberal/gay friendly areas), so those cities will probably see the biggest uptick in gay move-ins, I guess.

However, it still doesn't make Texas as a whole any less socially conservative than it already is.

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 14800

ToonArmyIsComing wrote: CCD wrote: Yeah, the ignorance in this thread is embarrassing. You are clearly using stereotypes and don't know the first thing about Texas.

How is that? You are admitting that places like Austin are fairly liberal, which is why the homosexual population is growing there:

CCD wrote: I imagine that trends for all minority groups are going up in Texas. Austin especially is a pretty blue town, and San Antonio is a big college town (implying more liberal/gay friendly areas), so those cities will probably see the biggest uptick in gay move-ins, I guess.

However, it still doesn't make Texas as a whole any less socially conservative than it already is.

Again, you don't seem to know much about Texas. If the gay population is growing in Austin, this isn't exactly a surprise. Please, this is the home of the "Berkeley of the South, LOL.

What matters, frankly, is that as "socially conservative" as you perceive Texas to be, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston have large, strong, politically powerful gay communities which enjoy great respect.

LOL, maybe the deal is that queer or straight, we all have our ponies and oil wells in common.

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

Lumina wrote: Again, you don't seem to know much about Texas. If the gay population is growing in Austin, this isn't exactly a surprise. Please, this is the home of the "Berkeley of the South, LOL.

What matters, frankly, is that as "socially conservative" as you perceive Texas to be, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston have large, strong, politically powerful gay communities which enjoy great respect.

LOL, maybe the deal is that queer or straight, we all have our ponies and oil wells in common.

You are ignoring the point I made in the opening post by thinking that I am attacking Texas for being what is, which is a socially conservative society. As I said, "I am really surprised that so many gay families [with their homosexual agenda] are living down in Houston, Texas. I really don't understand why they would live there and not in a more liberal state where they could get various benefits?" to which you replied they live in liberal uraban areas of Texas, but it still does not address why they are living in such a socially conservative state despite the fact that I recognize not ALL places in Texas are Conservative. Are you saying that Texas is not socially Conservative?

Because it seems this state as a whole is fairly socially conservative as others point out.

Do they live there just because of economic factors? And if they do, how do they contend with living in such a socially conservative state where the legal authorities are not really on their side?

PS: I don't intend to offend the Texans.

ChuckBerry · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 2184 Location: Lafayette, LA

You act as if thought gay people are some sort of oppressed minority in Texas. You really need to quite while you are behind ToonArmy. Visit Texas and ask the first gay man (or lesbian) you see if they are downtrodden.......

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

CCD wrote: You act as if thought gay people are some sort of oppressed minority in Texas. You really need to quite while you are behind ToonArmy. Visit Texas and ask the first gay man (or lesbian) you see if they are downtrodden.......

Why has this turned into ToonArmy vs. Texas?!!

I am simply asking why?

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 14800

ToonArmyIsComing wrote: CCD wrote: You act as if thought gay people are some sort of oppressed minority in Texas. You really need to quite while you are behind ToonArmy. Visit Texas and ask the first gay man (or lesbian) you see if they are downtrodden.......

Why has this turned into ToonArmy vs. Texas?!!

I am simply asking why?

Because what you've posted rather patronizingly assumes that you understand Texans' "social conservatism" when--obviously--you don't.

ToonArmyIsComing · Joined: 15 Feb 2005 Posts: 5888 Location: Ontario

Lumina wrote: ToonArmyIsComing wrote: CCD wrote: You act as if thought gay people are some sort of oppressed minority in Texas. You really need to quite while you are behind ToonArmy. Visit Texas and ask the first gay man (or lesbian) you see if they are downtrodden.......

Why has this turned into ToonArmy vs. Texas?!!

I am simply asking why?

Because what you've posted rather patronizingly assumes that you understand Texans' "social conservatism" when--obviously--you don't.

Ok, so let's try this again: Texas is socially conservative from my understanding with pockets of socially liberal urban areas within it. If you like to dispute that assertion, go ahead [I would love to be informed], but please present an actual argument.

And more importantly why are these homosexuals living in that place? Is it just because of economic factors or something else is involved?

agentkgb · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Posts: 2241 Location: US

Are they coming in from out-of-state or is it just that gays in Texas move to certain cities because they don't feel like moving out of state?
I don't live anywhere near Texas so please note that I phrased that as a question, I'm not stating anything because really I'm not entirely sure what I'm talking about.

Lumina · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 14800

In my experience, people go where the most job opportunities are.

cap'n queasy · Joined: 15 May 2004 Posts: 34968

ToonArmyIsComing wrote: CCD wrote: You act as if thought gay people are some sort of oppressed minority in Texas. You really need to quite while you are behind ToonArmy. Visit Texas and ask the first gay man (or lesbian) you see if they are downtrodden.......

Why has this turned into ToonArmy vs. Texas?!!

I am simply asking why?

They are moving to Westheimer.

toddytodd · Joined: 20 May 2006 Posts: 2736

Texas does seem to have an 'ultra-conservative' standing to many people. If that is actually a true fact or not I personally don't know. However, as has been said previously, there are some rather large cities in Texas and where there are large cities, there are normally high concentrations of gay population within those (and surrounding) cities. Combine a large gay community, potential job opportunities, warm (hot) weather, relative closeness to the Gulf and Mexico, Las Vegas and the west cost (which is a big draw to many of us east coasters), seems it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to consider....

F'losrix · Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:45 pm Post subject:

Lumina wrote: CCD wrote: Yeah, the ignorance in this thread is embarrassing. You are clearly using stereotypes and don't know the first thing about Texas.

CCD, let's just saddle up our ponies and ride off to check on our oil wells.

Quite frankly, I don't see where the original poster's comments rely on stereotyping at all. He asked a legitimate question regarding the desire of some gay families to live in a place which appears lacking when compared to other states with similarly large urban areas that might prove attractive both economically AND provide them & their families with more protections and benefits.

I think you embarassed yourselves by trotting out a stereotype that the original poster may not have even had in mind. You apparently decided to take offense at the portrayal of Texas as being not the most gay-friendly state, and then proceeded to attack the original poster by calling the thread's premise ignorant.

The only ignorance I see here are the knee-jerk responses to the original poster's question.

F'losrix · Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 2:08 pm Post subject:

toddytodd wrote: Texas does seem to have an 'ultra-conservative' standing to many people.
Myself included. I'm from a socially conservative northern state (Michigan), and I wouldn't even remotely entertain the idea of moving to Texas. If Michigan's high court upholds the decisions of lower courts, allowing my partner and I to keep the domestic partnership benefits we receive at the county level, that will probably be enough to keep us here, close to our families, despite the enticement of state recognition of same-sex marriage/civil unions/domestic partnerships elsewhere. If the court rules against us, we'll leave for a place that can offer us both economic opportunity AND recognition of our union. It's about balancing what we view as the priorities. Warm weather and a low cost of living aren't enough us, and we aren't wild about big cities, either.

I frankly don't get why other gay couples would flock to Texas, either. I have to content myself with the answer being that they simply have different priorities.