Anybody know how *Friendly* NW Connecticut is?

[TAPat]

My partner and I are wanting to relocate for the second half of our lives and the north west corner of Connecticut seems like it has everything we want location-wise,

BUT

We have no idea how friendly this neck of the woods would be for us. Plus my partner and our daughter are Asian/Caucasian.

We are sort of narrowing in on Torrington and surrounding areas.

Now we know that Connecticut is a fine Blue state, but there are *toothless banjo pickers* everywhere (:)) and we're so hoping that there isn't some kind of weird enclave of said folks running around those parts...

So, what say you DU?

[LittleOne]

1. I lived in New England for 10 years

NH and RI. And even the toothless banjo pickers were no problem. I have a friend that calls New England the Brain Trust so even the idiots are smart enough to know that we do not choose to be gay. I live in the deep south now and they are way more homophobic.

[TAPat]

3. Thanks -

That's what I wanted to hear!

We lived in Atlanta for a number of years, but then that was Atlanta...

[LittleOne]

5. Good Luck with your move. Say hi to the snow for me.

[rox63]

2. Life-long New-Englander here

You'll be fine there. I've never lived in CT (I'm a Massole), but they legalized civil unions (signed by a GOP governor, no less), so the state as a whole is not homophobic. Also, you'll be close to western Massachusetts, which is fairly liberal. The only thing that I'd be worried about is having Joementum as my Senator. I don't know where you're coming from, but depending on where that is, that may be an improvement over what you have now.

[TAPat]

4. Not even an improvement!

We live in Southern Illinois now and Gov. Rod is the coolest.

Not happy about the Joementum thing, but we'd be adding a couple of anti-Joe votes now wouldn't we? :)

This probably won't happen for a few years anyhow so maybe he'll be gone by then...

Thanks for your input - exactly what I was wanting to hear!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. I have friends who live in Litchfield County

and I've visited there. The topography reminds me of S. Illinois and the Ozarks (I lived in SI for 17 years and now live in NW AR). People were friendly when I was there, and it looked like basically everyone minded their own business when it came to your partnership/household. Good luck there!

[grasswire]

6. lucky you

Lovely country, and I think the real estate is reasonably priced and even cheap in some areas (at least it was the last time I was there six years ago.) My mother's family left NW CT in 1924 after being there since the 1600s. I regret very much that they gave up their properties to move out west. It was a mistake on their part, but then many people were seduced by the idea of making a fortune in the golden west.

[Warpy]

8. There are plenty of toothless inbreds in northwestern Ct.

but there are no megachurches to give them permission to act out their hatred. Plus, I know gays who have retired there. It's some of the most beautiful country you'll find anywhere, but beware those New England winters.

Someone here mentioned the homophobic south. When I lived there (with Baptists, without megachurches), there was total acceptance of gays one knew and total condemnation of gays outside the social circle. The south is weird like that.

[meg]

9. Let us know what you find out

I grew up in a small town north of Torrington, but it's been years since I was there.