Texas cities rank high for gay

[cboy4]

couples with kids....stop the press!

HOUSTON -- Despite Texas' conservative reputation, gay couples living here are more likely to have children than in almost any other place in the country, according to a study published in "The Gay and Lesbian Atlas."

The study, based on the most recent U.S. Census data, found that San Antonio has the highest percentage of gay couples raising children in the nation. Houston is fourth and the Fort Worth-Arlington area is fifth.

<snip>

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/10085252/detail.html


This outta make Dubya crap his britches.
I can only imagine the look on his face when he heard about this!

[jhrobbins]

1. I think that Texas would surprise a lot of people in the things...

that we allow here. Certainly not in the Texas hinterlands, but in the large cities, there is a certain tolerance that would surprise non Texans. We have a long way to go, but I don't think I would recommend that gay men and women move from Texas to many of the towns in the mid-west or the South. (Besides, rich Texas women would then have to do their own hair and houses - sorry for the stereotype; I'm kidding)

[sui generis]

2. absolutely true - Dallas has the largest cohesive gay community

after San Francisco, and the largest Black Tie and DIFFA events (roughly 3000 guests at $300 a pop, plus silent auctions).

Also the community itself was originally the "gay ghetto" thirty years ago, and is now one of the highest per capita incomes in the city with real estate prices starting at 300K for a cracker box and flush with new high urban density living and stores.

With economic clout comes political clout - so the city of Dallas has to work with the community; we're on the judiciary, the police force, we man the fire stations, city council, own hundreds of businesses and hire fairly ourselves. If an ordinance didn't pass to promote non-discrimination, WE are the ones who could fire your ass for being straight. Or keep you out of our restaurants and stores.

Sometimes having a big political and economic stick encourages "fairness". . . .

[cboy4]

4. I think Austin is actually more gay than Dallas per capita!! Way to go TX!

Top ten metropolitan areas (among the fifty largest in the U.S.) ranked by the estimated percent of adults who are gay, lesbian or bisexual.

1 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont 8.2%

2 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 6.5%

3 Boston-Cambridge-Quincy 6.2%

4 Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton 6.1%

5 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater 5.9%

6 Austin-Round Rock 5.9%

7 Denver-Aurora 5.8%

8 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 5.7%

9 Orlando-Kissimmee 5.7%

10 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford 5.6%

Same-sex Couples and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Population: New Estimates from the American Community Survey
By Gary J. Gates, PhD
October, 2006
http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/Policy-Census-index.html
Page 12 of study

------------------------
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando metro area now ranks in the top 10 metro areas in population for gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

Nearly 6 percent of the adult population - more than 80,000 - in the Orlando-Kissimmee area are homosexual or bisexual, according to a new study out this week by an organization affiliated with the University of California at Los Angeles. San Francisco had the highest percentage of gays at 8.2 percent. Smaller metro areas such as Austin, Texas, (5.9 percent) and Hartford, Conn., (5.6 percent) also were in the top 10.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/myrtlebeachonline/news/nation/15760528.htm

[Maven]

5. The percentages can be a bit deceptive

For example, the same study indicates the while San Francisco has the highest percentage of GLB adults, NYC has the largest number of GLB adults in the nation.

But that's an interesting list, actually. My mom lives in the St. Pete/Clearwater area. Who knew?

[One Sweet World]

7. Don't forget

The BIG-D is home to the original JRs!

[KurtNYC]

3. Bush doesn't have a problem with gay people

They just use it as a political tool. The VP has a gay daughter. Bush has gay advisors and cabinet members.

The article struggles with the idea that monogamy and child rearing are NOT conservative values when one refers to same-sex couples.

[Anarcho-Socialist]

6. I think you have a point

Bush was happy to receive the endorsement of the Log Cabin Republicans in 2000. It was only when Rove pointed out that going homophobe could bring the evangelical vote into play (which had very much stayed at home in 2000) that Bush and his cronies had the political consideration that gays were the "threat to the American civilisation" that they were painted as from 2002 onwards.