United States of Queerty: California
We here at Queerty are big fans of the United States, the nation that bore us, Celebrity Jeopardy, the hamburger and that whole representative democracy thing. It’s a nation rich in natural resources, can-do attitude and homosexuals, and each week, we’re visiting a new state to find out just what makes it so uniquely fabulous.
California
Marriageville U.S.A.
The world’s 5th largest economy despite a crippling budget deficit and skyrocketing unemployment, the Golden State is also Ground Zero for gay and lesbian rights at the moment. You may have heard about a little proposition that went through last November, stripping gays and lesbians of their right to marry. Next month, the California Supreme Court will make a decision on whether Prop. 8 is valid or not, but there’s more than marching and pretty sunsets to the nation’s most diverse and populous state.
The Fight For Your Rights
The biggest and most prominent battle in California remains Prop. 8. On March 4th, the California Supreme Court will hear arguments that the ballot initiative is invalid, as it did not follow the proper procedure for a major revision of the Constitution. In the meantime, LGBT activists are trying to build support for their case. On Tuesday, a Sacramento legislative committee voted 7-2 that the Proposition extended its reach and should be considered invalid. Major civil rights and labor leaders, including the AFL-CIO have denounced the Proposition on grounds that it represents a dangerous concession to majority rule, something the California Constitution was crafted to prevent.- The 2010 California governor’s race also promises to be momentous for gays and lesbians. Homophobe and Prop. 8 supporter Meg Whitman plans to run as a Republican while gay-rights leader and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom plans to run on the Democratic ticket, as does Attorney General (and former Governor) Jerry Brown, who did a surprising about-face on the Prop. 8 hearing, telling the court that he believed it ought to be invalidated. A dark horse in the race is U.S. House Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a conservative Democrat who’s muddled enough in her political stances to win over California’s broad electorate.
Local Hotspot
Toucan’s Tiki Lounge
2100 N Palm Canyon Dr # A100
Palm Springs, CA 92262
760/ 416-7584
When winter rains and cold hit the coasts, Californians from both the north and south beat a path to the desert retreat of Palm Springs. A mecca of mid-century modernism and lost Hollywood glamour, Palm Springs is also a gay haven, with dozens of locally-owned gay resorts. The most popular and least stuffy gay watering hole in town is Toucan’s, located just outside of downtown. It’s probably the only gay bar in America whose website plays a jaunty calypso version of “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” on its website, and the festive and cheeky atmosphere extends to the weekly drink nights, which include bingo, drag revues and an 80s night.
Model Citizen
You’ve seen 29-year-old J.B Ghuman Jr. in last year’s Prop 8: The Musical. Originally from Miami by way of New York City, he’s been a bartender/actor in L.A. for five years. He recently directed Perez Hilton’s first music video, The Clap, and will be starting principal photography on his first feature, Spork, next month.
What’s the best part about living in California?
Growing up in Miami Beach and living in New York for a few years, living in L.A completes the Bermuda Triangle of American cities and to be honest, it was my least favorite and now it’s running in a close two. It’s just the kind of city you have to find your groove in. [The best part] is the geography and the weather. Not to be cliche, but there’s a reason it’s repeated over and over again. The weather and the landscape here is beautiful
What’s the biggest problem facing gays and lesbians in California?
Gosh, I’m going to go ahead and make a stab at the fact that we live in a kind of pseudo-bubble. I think its harder for gays and lesbians and transgenders [in L.A] to grasp the concept of just how tough it is to be any of the above mentioned in a small town, because here, it’s so accepted. So maybe here, we’re sort of living in bliss, because we’re unaware of the struggle maybe most gay and lesbians have to go through.
Describe your average California gay.
I don’t know if I should be nice or mean! Because like everything, there’s a duality. So “averagely speaking,” uh, well. I used to DJ and bartend in WeHo … and I just have to be brutally honest: If I had to just pull an average gay dude out here, I would say it’s somebody in a really, really tight t-shirt who takes really good care of their body and, uh, who is socially trying to find their place on a professional ladder. What am I saying? I dunno. The average fag in L.A. is worked out and has really bright, white teeth and good skin and most of them don’t have much going on upstairs. That doesn’t mean everyone is like that, it just means, in WeHo, those are pretty much your options.
Are people in your circle still talking about Prop. 8?
It does here and there, but obviously, the fire’s lost a lot of wind. It’s still an issue, but it’s a lot less talked about. There’s not many gatherings and groups going out and petitioning and protesting. I feel like the majority of gays have gone back to the bars to drink or not stand outside protesting. It’s still a topic, but it’s probably 80 percent under the carpet now.
If there’s one thing a gay visiting California should do, what is it?
Well, what’s the difference between a gay person and a normal person? What would I think they can do in a gay world?
Well, that’s a fair criticism, actually, but you know, if you had a friend whose a gay tourist visiting L.A., what would you recommend?
If you have the time, I’d say don’t focus on West Holywood and stay in the bubble of gay. There are a lot of cool things about L.A. and it’s really big and spread out and that’s why people love it or hate it. Most of the haters haven’t really experienced L.A. and it’s not just about perfect teeth, hard bodies and perfect skin in WeHo. If you’re looking at a gay mag in L.A., you’re going to wind up in WeHo, but there’s so many other places to visit. Silver Lake, Malibu, there’s all these beautiful places to hike and see. Just to kick it back to what I said about geography, because it’s so gay-friendly, you can take advantage of all the stuff here in L.A. and you can go and walk on the beach holding your hands and take advantage of everything in the city and not just the one gay street full of fags.
What’s one misconception about the state you’d like to clear up?
My answer is so hypocritical, because I just talked about how WeHo is full of airheads and now I’m going to be a complete hypocrite and say on the flip side that the one biggest misinterpretation about L.A. is that it’s just Hollywood. L.A. County is huge. It has so many different work forces and walks of life; people who don’t make it to the big screen. I would say the biggest misconception with this town is that everyone here is fake and plastic. You can’t just run into it, but once you find your groove here, L.A. can be really rad. It’s not like Melrose Place is happening all the time here.
Each week until we’re done, Queerty will be traveling to a new state; next up is Massachusetts, because we didn’t find someone from there last week. What’s with that Massachusetts? If you’re from the Bay State and would like to be a “Model Citizen,” shoot us an email at holla@queerty.com. We’d love to hear from you.
California is not the 5th largest economy in the world.
The US, Japan, Germany, China, UK, France, Italy all have larger economies (and of course the European Union which would be number 1). Brazil and Russia are close, but not quite there yet. That said, still no small accomplishment what Cali has accomplished.
I like these interviews Japh. Although if you can’t find a gay to interview in Mass/Boston/Ptown/North Hampton I’m a little worried for the other states. I’ll put some feelers out there, but I’m not sure if any of my gays are worthy of the spotlight. You might want to consider Marc Soloman, the executive director of Mass Equality. Or of course, Barney Frank if you can get him.
Silver Lake is very nice and should be on anyone’s list while visiting LA imo like J.B. said.
I’d also suggest David Cicilline to start working on for RI, he is a very intriguing person. Was first out lgbt mayor elected of a state capital (possibly still the only one?) and likely to run for governor in 2010. Extremely popular in the Ocean State and Providence.
Gays in LA? WeHo? Shocking! Let’s hear about gays in Missippi or Idaho or Wyoming or Alabama or Texas.
Texas might (might?) have something to add, but I don’t envy Japh at having to write an article on Mississippi, Idaho, Wyoming or Alabama. Hell, who would want to write an article about those places in any context.
Sorry to pull you up on this but… the United States did not give birth to representative democracy. It was quite a big deal in Europe before then, although not universal. But then an American woman’s right to vote wasn’t cemented until 1920 and black Americans didn’t get the vote until… when was it? Apparently, blacks weren’t universally allowed to vote until the early 1970s. Is that picky and boring of me? It’s just a bit annoying that Americans think they invented democracy when they were actually quite late to the table.
@Eric James – It is what they are taught and constantly inundated with by scholars and the media. A more accurate description might be, the nation that made popular representative democracy.
Although one could also of course argue Greece, Rome, Phoenicians, in the middle ages the “things” of the Nordic countries, the Cossak republics, etc. etc. etc.
And of course the United States is actually a liberal democracy not a direct democracy as at least in “theory” there are constitutional protections of law from the majority.
This was just stupid.
Here I was about feeling confused thinking ‘hey I thought we’d been promised some Massachusetts’ but I see your clarification and raise you a go Bear flag republic.
@Sebbe: I take it you’ve never been to Austin? Not that there aren’t some nice spots in San Antonio and Dallas (sorry Houston you’re still built on a swamp… and it takes a lot to make up for that) but Austin is still where it’s at course it’s hard to compete with Austin having the only public nude ‘beach’ in the state, technically its not a beach, Hippie Hollow :) Somehow the fact that I woke up to can you come in on Monday and having a nice hair cut have made today awesome :)
@petted – That’s why I said Texas might be interesting depending on which angle you go.
I have never made it to Austin. Dallas I hated and Houston I was actually pleasantly surprised, maybe because I wasn’t expecting much admittedly.
Austin – Beach? I’m glad you clarified, isn’t Austin like smack dab in the middle of Texas. I always find it amusing how people loosely use the word beach. Fresh water is not a beach, and no the “great lakes” don’t count either people.
@Sebbe: Yea Austin’s more or less in the middle of the state – I’ve lived here most of my life so I’m fairly partisan particularly after enduring 8 years of having to explain Bush – he’s from Connecticut and Travis county as I recall didn’t even swing his way when he ran for governor – after a certain point you just start to twitch a bit. Later Sebbe, have a good morning…. I just remembered I went to sleep after 5… why am I still up after that phone call?
@petted – get your ass to sleep
hope you had fun!!
I WANT to believe your heart is in the right place, Japhy, really I do. But everytime you propose discussing a serious topic, you make so many errors, leave so much key information out, and/or end up not actually discussing what you say you are that I invariably return to the same question: “How old IS this guy?” to fail to see how often his reach exceeds his grasp, resulting in introductions/OpEds that sound like a C-grade paper by an 8th grader.
1. This turned out to be the equivalent of putting a rolled up sock in your Levis—once opened, we see how little is really there! Forget the error in California’s economy ranking, what you describe as an analysis of the most populated state, the third largest in territory, immediately became nothing more than ONE person’s limited views of a CITY and an air kiss to ONE bar that could have been done via the Net. So, please, you need to change your title to something more honest like “The American CITIES of Queerty [with an occasional bar thrown in].”
2. Making it worse is that your “expert guide,” save for decent shout outs to other parts of the area, is guilty of what he admirably and accurately analysed as THE worst problem among gays in not just California but any densely gay-populated place: la bubble. His description of CA [only retards and Valley Girls call it "Cali"] is 99% the description of ONE NEIGHBORHOOD; perhaps even ONE BAR. Mary! Fucking please!
3. Having lived here for 30 years, let me fill in some of the blanks.
a. WEHO is not CA, not even LA, except in terms of representing vacuous gay men from anywhere.
b. LA is not CA. Generalizing, it is only the dominant population center of SOUTHERN California, and Southern California is as different from Northern California as East Germany was [and to a degree still is] from West Germany.
c. San Francisco is the dominant city in Northern California, save for its own share of vacuous gays as different from LA as Argentina is from Alaska. Like them, the cities are on the same planet, but just barely.
d. That’s the grade this paper gets; or, more appropriately, E for INCOMPLETE.
4. California is NOT just gay “Ground Zero” for the moment. Even with the defeat on marriage equality, save for MA’s law, it remains the center of more gay rights advances than any other state. The first continuing gay political group in the nation, the Mattachine Society started here, in LA, in fact—a point you indefensibly left out. [The first continuing NON political gay group, the Veteran's Benevolent Association, started in NYC in 1945.]
SF saw the first gay community center; had a gay rights ordinance and domestic partnerships years before most every other city; and CA was one of the first states. There are roughly half a dozen out gays in the state legislature.
The first lesbian group started in SF; the rainbow flag was created here, and, of course, the first non-incumbent gay elected to a major city office was Harvey Milk in SF. Even grade schools in SF include discussions of gays in their “celebrate diversity” programs. One would think you could have at least interviewed a SF bartender, too, for his northern bubble perspective.
Etc., etc., etc.
5. You left out two likely big players in the governor’s race: LA’s mayor [who shockingly just upped Obama by publicly rimming Rick Warren] and Sen. Dianne Feinstein. If she enters, the rest might as well immediately concede and not waste gazillions trying to defeat her. There are few things as certain in the world as her winning if she runs.
@Leeland – the appeal of a blog post is that it is not a book or academic paper or even an editorial in the New York Times (often well written btw), but often (and by definition possibly )a snapshot.
That said we do appreciate your insight.
I personally hope Dianne Feinstein continues to represent California on the national level, but agree that she would most likely have a relatively easy time winning and would do an excellent job for the state.
@drew:
This is a generalization, but it seems like gay guys from the deep south have enormous penis’. A guy from Alabama told me his penis was so big because he was fed olives when he was a child.
After a shower and rereading my post, I apologize for the extent of its harsh tone.
My point was, and is, that the popularity of your blog gives you the opportunity to genuinely educate, as well as entertain. Knowledge is STILL power and the gay community remains far too powerless for lack of it.
It wouldn’t require an “academic paper,” but when your self-chosen title suggests at least a small “photo album,” it’s fair to criticize when it turns out to be just a “snapshot,” and one taken at too close a range at that.
Well, for goodness’ sake, when you do New York (IF you use New York City) please choose somebody who was born here. The percentage of gay men who’ve moved here will always be visitors to us, and will never penetrate the mysteries of NYC (just as I would never be able to truly belong to New Orleans). .
I’m always amused when east coast folk turn to someone who has little experience in California to tell them what the state is like.
You never ever get it right.
As Leland said, CA is not LA. And LA is not WeHo. And WeHo is most certainly not the inside of one gay bar from the perspective of a bartender.
This state is diverse and full of history, gay and otherwise.
LA had a gay riot two years before Stonewall. One of the first openly gay mayors was of Laguna Beach. And the California legislature is to date the only one to voluntarily vote for marriage equality.
And you forgot to mention that the likely primary rivals of “homophobe and Prop. 8 supporter Meg Whitman” (who supports civil unions instead of marriage) are Representative Tom Campbell and Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner who both opposed Prop. 8. Campbell wrote an op-ed explaining why Californians should let their gay neighbors marry.
You also failed to mention much about the state itself. You can literally ski in the morning and sun at the beach in the afternoon. You can drive within an hour from where there are a millions of people to where there are virtually none. We’re a state known for high-tech and vinyards, for mega-churches and marijuana crops, for urban sprawl and tiny mountain villiages, for gold mines and hollywood props and palm trees and canneries and missions and golf tournaments and dams and ports and banking and oil fields and miles after miles after miles of agriculture.
None of which is found in a bar in West Hollywood.
Can I put in a plug for GASP..North Carolina? Our state went for Obama this year. We have a Democratic Gov who supports Civil Unions which is a big step for us. It’s all relative. We sent Do Nothing Dole packing and elected Dem Senator Kay Hagan who is the keynote speaker at the HRC Carolinas Dinner this weekend in Charlotte.
Asheville, The Triangle, and Charlotte all having thriving and active gay communities. We have a long way to go but are making progess!
@Flex – I’m not sure if the geography if where you are born has any influence on the size of your cock. Southerns are fun for a romp, but seriously, that accent gets old QUICK.
@Timothy – That’s because many native Californians are incapable of holding a conversation (not all but many), it is just that we have a stronger academic culture in the Northeast (generally speaking). Yes California is very diverse, a land of extremes and many of us from the East or Northeast are not used to such blatant right wingers next to our liberalism and progressiveness. That said, I love SF and the bay area, hate LA, and anywhere else in the state is really insignificant and not worth mentioning in my opinion.
@Forest – Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. You are coming into your own (finally) and we welcome you to join your brothers and sisters to the north. I imagine it is very exciting for natives of the state to see first hand the changes taking place.
@Ron – its almost expected, especially LA gays, I mean it calls for the beach, shallow crowd, I don’t think NYC and LA attract the same types of gays. I hope my east coasts gays in LA aren’t reading this. LOL – they already know I’m not a fan.
I think one important aspect is missing from this discussion: Architecture. The gays love their homes and funky little shacks. California has tons of them. Whether you are talking about the Googie architecture that dominates SoCal coffee shops and car washes, or the cute little boxes in Daly City, or the Victorians found all over this state, or the awesome Frank Lloyd Wright homes, bungaloes, adobe-style and Craftsman-style cottages…CA has it all.
Plus, the gays love their wine, art, and food….again, nothing beats CA in the US.
No wonder 1 out of every 8 Americans live in CA. The downside: overpopulation and drought.
@kevin (not that one) – California architecture, haha, you must be a native west coaster. I might be able to let you go with food and wine, but I definitely wouldn’t consider the often tacky architecture and almost non existent art scene a California plus. Further, the amount of museums for a state of that size and population is despicable.
I don’t think this is tacky, but you might:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/t.....53/detail/
http://totheweb.com/eichler/e_house/1_front.html
http://spaceagecity.com/googie/
I think the architecture is very cool and distinctive Americana. Though, perhaps it is our divergent tastes that separate us as East Coasters and West Coasters.
As far as art, Thomas Kincaid is probably not our favorite son. However, LA has the Guggenheim (and plenty others I’m sure) and SF has the De Young, MOMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the Cartoon Art Museum, the California History Museum, the Folk Art Museum, the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Legion of Honor, and the LGBT Historical Society museum just to name a few what’s available in 7×7 square miles. And Burlingame still has a Pez museum…so there’s your “tacky” California for you who are into such things.
California is a great place to visit, which is why San Francisco (a city of 750,000) had 16.1 million visitors last year alone, generating 8.24 billion dollars. If we were to put Solvang into the equation, the numbers would be mind-boggling.
@kevin (not that one) – I actually do find that architecture incredibly tacky mostly due to its reliance on 50-60s post war car culture and its distinct Americana. But to each his own.
I’m not one for low density and urban sprawl of which LA is the definition. Personally my ideal residential setting (if I had to live outside of a downtown) would be the quaint villages in say Connecticut. I will admit I am partial to the New England style since I grew up (partially/mostly) in Greenwich, CT.
There certainly are some museums that stand out, but I still don’t see how one could compare to a similar area in size of the Boswash corridor, including but not limited to D.C., Philadelphia, NYC and Boston among many others in regards to museums and art galleries.
Like I said, I am a fan of San Fransisco and have been traveling there since I was very young continuing up until now what is usually an annual pilgrimage. If I had to live in California there would be no choice for me but San Fran, but again, I am personally more into the city feel. The de young and Contemporary Jewish Museum are especially well done IMO. Solvang is also nice for a day quaint day trip like you mentioned.
I have many friends in LA and visit often and my first goal is always to get them out of la and head north to San Fran. I just don’t see how any could find sitting in a car for such a high percentage of their life in LA appealing.
But again, to each their own.
@Sebbe: Well, I will have to admit that I’m a sucker for 50s car-culture, space age, Americana. So it’s probably a good thing I’m able to tolerate such things. I actually am very much into high-density urban living, like you. However, if I were to move out of SF, I would probably prefer a ranch-style home in an isolated northern part of the Central Valley or a Craftsman cottage somewhere along the coast (not a big fan of the multi-story Victorians). I’m originally from the South and the only architecture I admire around those parts is what you find in the historic district of Charleston.
@Kevin – That historical district is a very pretty well preserved area.
The hips gays of LA are hanging out downtown more, or over in Silverlake, or even in the Valley for kicks.
Weho’s SM Blvd is as pedestrian/touristy as Hollywood & Highland, Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Pier.
Not all New Yorkers stay in the gay ghetto version of Chelsea
- and not all LA homos prefer to converge on Santa Monica Blvd & Robertson. Though it’s nice to know it’s there if you need it.
SF has its charms for a quaint small city. True enough.
LA is as sprawling as metro Chicago – and has a neighborhood for all interests – with a great downtown art scene. http://downtownartwalk.com/
Ugh, LA? Yawn. So much more to show from California. What a disappointment.
I’ve been all over California. From Mouth Shasta to Yosemite to Orange County, it’s a wonderful state. It’s definitely on my list of top five states in the USA (others are Arizona, Wyoming, Tennessee, and Colorado).
That having been said, I simply cannot stand LA. If it magically disappeared off the face of the Earth, I wouldn’t shed a tear. (All its residents safely being transported somewhere else first, of course.) The occasional site of interest does not make up for the general feel of the place.
On a more positive note, I used to go up to San Francisco a lot when I was at Stanford. Besides the beautiful architecture and places of cultural interest, I felt very comfortable walking a good portion of the streets day or night* which is more than I can say for places like LA or NYC. While people there are the usual city folk who don’t look at anyone else, don’t open doors, etc., once you actually engage someone in conversation the odds are pretty good that he/she will be friendly. Again, something that separates San Francisco from asshole-filled cities like LA or NYC or, if you want a city of similar size, Austin.
*No prostitution jokes, please.
@Forrest:
North Carolina is a beautiful state. I’ve not spent as much time there as I’d like, but I’ve visited the western half of the state several times. Based on my limited time there, my pick for best city is Asheville. Quite a bit of culture there for its location. Plus, correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t it relatively gay-friendly?
Oh, and South Carolina is a beautiful state, too, as I’m sure you’ll agree, but only if one ignores the middle third of the state, which in my experience offers almost nothing. For those who don’t know, it offers quite a bit. The Upstate of South Carolina, though quite conservative (home to Bob Jones University), is very scenic. Plus, the art museum at Bob Jones University is surprisingly good. If you’re into religious art, it’s worth a visit. And, of course, the Charleston area in the South offers historic homes and a lot of history. You can tour plantations, take a ferry to Fort Sumter, and visit the site of the first permanent settlement in Carolina (Charles Towne Landing). If you’re a history buff, it’s a must see.
@Forrest:
I somehow missed the part where you said Asheville had a thriving gay community. Guess that answers that question. ;)
I don’t even think San Francisco qualifies as “part of” California.
It has a distinct vibe and culture. There are plenty of old-school museums and theatres. Neo-classical government buildings and Victorian arthitecture predominate. There’s a well-worn subway and tram system that actually clutters along quite well. The overcast weather often bathes the city in wind and fog. And unlike in LA, you can actually walk around without feeling like you’re a freak of nature.
Frankly, San Francisco looks and feels like the East Coast. It is even ruled by a cadre of politicians (Fienstein, Pelosi, Brown) that are mostly from the East Coast. The place has much more in common with a Boston or Philadelphia than anything in California.
The rest of California is similar to Florida. Read into that what you will. Heh.
I love the Coachella Valley and I love going to Toucans!!!
@ConservativeRepublican – I really liked Southport (wasn’t those “I still know what you did last summer”…. movies filmed there?) and Bald Head Island (beautiful – and admittedly filled with other northerners), North Carolina.
@John in CA – Couldn’t agree more with everything you said.
1. California doesn’t have a unified culture. Instead, it’s got about two dozen of them. SoCal and NorCal come in urban, suburban, and rural varieties, of course. Then there’s the distinction between beach town, coastal-ish, and inland. And then there’s Newport Beach — about which the best thing I can say of its culture is, “it’s unlike any other place in the world. Thankfully.”
2. WeHo is perfectly good for what it is — a raunchy gay Disneyland. We all like to go to Disneyland from time to time, just not all of us want to be there all the time. :-)
3. I think any GLBT visitor to LA would be remiss if he or she didn’t check out Long Beach, which is laid-back and has (IMHO) some of the sexiest guys in SoCal. It’s also got a pretty thriving lesbian community, which is a rarity basically everywhere.
@John in CA: THANK YOU. I have often made the exact same observation, but for some reason it never resonates. I have *always* thought SF and its environs feel like should be annexed to the Northeast. SF is more like New York than any city on the West Coast. And a lot of the quaint artsy towns nearby — like Carmel and Sausalito — are filled with a certain breed of “old money” types, the kind who drape sweaters over their backs. Just like rich coastal enclaves in the Northeast.
hi im from the philippines…
my relatives is in la already and im planning to follow…
question: is california really open-minded about being gay or being a discreet gay ???
pls answer me…
thanks
cheers!!!
California is not very open-minded regarding gays outside of West side LA and the SF Bay area. I live in Orange County which is comparable to any southern state. I have been here for 20 years, originally from New England. I didn’t realize that religion like this existed outside of the American South. Very bigoted, literal, and extremely ugly. For the most part, outside of LA and SF, you must stay in the closet. You will rarely see gays hold hands or any closeness. The central valley is off the charts bigoted. If I were starting out and wanted to live equally and free I would go to the northeast, California is not gay friendly. When I travel and land in Canada or Europe, I can feel the difference right away. For a young gay person, try Canada. Best of luck.
@jon-of-philippines: I honestly think it is extremely gay friendly. I’ve lived in San Diego, and Orange County, and visit LA very frequently, and i’ve never had a problem anywhere.
I haven’t begun to read all these comments to your editorial but I would like to state in this comment that there are a lot of people who live here in California, who are gay, that came from other places of the planet, because of the difficulties that being gay presented to them when they were growing up. The place where I came from: CHICAGO, is a wonderfully gay accepting town overall, but it’s the memories of my youth that I choose not to remember, by not living there. Oddly enough, the fight that we gays are fighting for equality, I believe is better fought here, in San Francisco, by me and my peers, than in Chicago. If you ask me, the bubble, was/is where I come from because I am a Chicagoan first and everyone there accepts me NOW. But here in California, I was accepted NO matter what, so I am FREE to BE as GAY as I want to be, even if it’s against the law to marry a man. It’s ironic that there is so much opposition against gay marriage, since this isn’t about sodomy, it’s about unification. If California doesn’t want to be informed about sodomy, the best tool would BE to let us get married. We would all eventually stop having sex like the rest of the married people in the world. (exaggeration)
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