Red State vs Blue State - Try Pod AUDIO
Added 2025-05-21 12:00:14 +0000 UTCTry Pod is here!
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Yeah in my hometown NE, population dropping from 8000 the first two queer couples to get married in the entire state live there. There are gay people and you know who they are. And if they’ve lived there their whole lives you don’t really think anything of it. That doesn’t mean people don’t say off color things. The only time I ever saw a gay person be assaulted though was because HE was being racist (he was Republican and would get into bar fights regularly). But racial diversity is few and far between. Predominantly Mexican. Whether that’s families who have lived there for a few generations like mine and integrate more white with like every generation or say folks who work the local dairy farm who are likely undocumented. It’s not unsafe, you’re not being made othered by being these things overall but there’s no diversity. Everything homogenizes over time it feels like. I think there was a Dia de los Muertos display at the art guild or something like that just within the last year or two as they’ve made space for art. But properties are getting more and more expensive. That’s where it feels like it pushes out people more than anything. Why pay city prices for a home when you could do so and at least live in a city instead.
Danielle
2025-05-23 12:15:39 +0000 UTCI had an interesting thought about something Miles said. I grew up in and live in RI. Which is known as a very blue state. However, it’s mainly a “Joe Biden” Democrat area. However, RI is one of the safest areas to be Queer. Even more interesting is that RI is the most densely populated Catholic state. Miles pointed out that in a lot of small red states you’d never meet a queer person and Zach was talking about how you’d never speak to someone you don’t know in Coastal areas but discussing small towns you will. Rhode Island operates very much like a small town. Everyone knows everyone or it’s like 3 degrees of separation never 6. So even though it’s very religious, you have met a queer person. Even if you say the wrong thing you know so and so’s daughter is queer and she’s dating a lovely girl. Or Tom’s kid is a boy now did ya hear? No wonder she always hated dresses. My point being…knowledge and community can combat a lot of things including religious hatred. When I see someone around in RI even if I don’t know them but there’s a long line, you chat to them. And ask what city/town people are from and what part. Then oh do you know so and so? Oh my god that’s my best friend from high school…it’s a lot of that.
Lauren Mercer
2025-05-22 12:06:17 +0000 UTC
