Welcome AZ Butches, Femmes, Trans

[asphaltcowboi]

i disagree with this but only from my personal expierances.. i moved here from the san francisco bay area and was pleasantly suprised how friendly people were to me.. from the biker bars to strangers in the park. if i didnt push my bizz on them they didnt push theres on my and were very friendly. i never try to push my lifestyle-religon- or morals on anyone and if im treated with the same respect i consider it a grat day. no way would i expect a new aquintance to fully understand where ive been or what makes me who i am.

Originally Posted by apretty

I wouldn't say that this state is friendly to/for anyone other than white, middle-aged and hopefully male, straight-acting, republican mormons without a lot of university education and zero ecological or political concern.

There are a few less-hateful places in central phoenix (and definitely Tucson!) but nowhere welcoming if you're a POC.

Most of the gays that I've come across are content with a "lifestyle" that isn't officially recognized, or that is 'downlow' and are not out or just out to close friends or other gays in the community. (That I want and think everyone is deserving of human rights, like *yesterday* has/does put more than a few people off--but I am not *from* here. )

The phx GLBTIQ center is a tiny store front in a strip mall. The state just implemented a law that bans ethnic studies and also *requires* the police to stop and question anyone they suspect to be in arizona "illegally" --without any clear guidelines as how to enforce this law without 'racial profiling'. ...And today it's 115 degrees.

Where are you moving *from*?

[Queerasfck]

Originally Posted by cody

i disagree with this but only from my personal expierances.. i moved here from the san francisco bay area and was pleasantly suprised how friendly people were to me.. from the biker bars to strangers in the park. if i didnt push my bizz on them they didnt push theres on my and were very friendly. i never try to push my lifestyle-religon- or morals on anyone and if im treated with the same respect i consider it a grat day. no way would i expect a new aquintance to fully understand where ive been or what makes me who i am.

Hello Cody,

I'm not really sure what you mean about pushing your bizz, lifestyle, religion or morals on people. It sounds like you've had good experiences here in Arizona.

I guess for me it just depends on how far I want to take my head out of the sand. If I want to live and work in a place where I've seen strangers and co-workers openly mock gay people I'd stay in Phoenix. If I want to live in a place where I can be out and about all day long and rarely see a POC except in the poorest of neighborhoods or working out in a field I'd stay in Phoenix. If I want to stay in a place where my gf's 10 year old niece has a teacher who says that the most of the native kids are "bad" I'd stay here in Phoenix. If I want to stay in a place where in January the Governor declared a "day of prayer for the state budget" instead of actually doing her job, I'd stay in Arizona. And if I want to live in place that has the law in place to pull people over based on skin color I'd stay in Arizona. I've lived in four states since I've been an adult and honestly I've never lived in a place where hate is so VISIBLE and most people seem SO OKAY with it.

Arizona has beautiful sunsets and some wonderous and scenic places. It also has a low cost of living which in these tough times is rare.

So inconclusion Cody, if by you saying "no way would i expect a new aquintance to fully understand where ive been or what makes me who i am" I would agree. And please, correct me if I'm wrong here, you are saying that in AZ you perceive people being of tolerant of you. For me tolerance does not equal acceptance though. I've lived in AZ for nine months and I don't see a lot of acceptance of gays or people of color here. It really came down to that for my gf and I. We choose not to live here because of that.

[asphaltcowboi]

Originally Posted by EzeeTiger

Hello Cody,

I'm not really sure what you mean about pushing your bizz, lifestyle, religion or morals on people. It sounds like you've had good experiences here in Arizona.

I guess for me it just depends on how far I want to take my head out of the sand. If I want to live and work in a place where I've seen strangers and co-workers openly mock gay people I'd stay in Phoenix. If I want to live in a place where I can be out and about all day long and rarely see a POC except in the poorest of neighborhoods or working out in a field I'd stay in Phoenix. If I want to stay in a place where my gf's 10 year old niece has a teacher who says that the most of the native kids are "bad" I'd stay here in Phoenix. If I want to stay in a place where in January the Governor declared a "day of prayer for the state budget" instead of actually doing her job, I'd stay in Arizona. And if I want to live in place that has the law in place to pull people over based on skin color I'd stay in Arizona. I've lived in four states since I've been an adult and honestly I've never lived in a place where hate is so VISIBLE and most people seem SO OKAY with it.

Arizona has beautiful sunsets and some wonderous and scenic places. It also has a low cost of living which in these tough times is rare.

So inconclusion Cody, if by you saying "no way would i expect a new aquintance to fully understand where ive been or what makes me who i am" I would agree. And please, correct me if I'm wrong here, you are saying that in AZ you perceive people being of tolerant of you. For me tolerance does not equal acceptance though. I've lived in AZ for nine months and I don't see a lot of acceptance of gays or people of color here. It really came down to that for my gf and I. We choose not to live here because of that.

well all i can say is i dont have kids in the school system but i did work the first three years i lived here i was fairly lucky with the work i found other then a couple places that were way under paid due to the alility to hire cheap labor in this state. i am retired now and have ssdi an a full pension from a union job in calif.. the one thing i do not like about this state is that it is a right to work state and i strongly believe in the unions.
i am out 24/7 where ever i go and have had no problems here. i have been in what were suposed to be openly gay state and have been beat, knived shot at and yelled at from car windows just for my appearance. being very much male id ed.. with my driver lisence showing my true name that is very girly my trouble usually will start at that point when i have to show id.. but i have never thought or even tried to pull of the male roll and im sure people are not just always assuming im male... all i can say is that i have never encountered the same problems like i have in san francisco, chiago, bronx, portland.= or other larger citys i have lived in or worked in. but then i also got along well in oklahoma city and tulsa. people have the right to live where ever they want.
as far as what i mean by pushing my bizz on others.. it was meant as i do not go into a straight bar and make out with my girl friend.... i dont do that in public ever not matter where im at. but i do introduce my date or g/f as such i dont hide it but i dont push it either.. introduction and let it be. if someone is allowed to act an ass i let them unless i have femme company then i simply take myself and her elsewhere. am i afraid .. no way at 5'10 225 lbs mostly muscel and have obviously walked alot of roads people dont generaly fuck with me. if i am missing you point please excuse me .. grrr i have been taking pain killers for dental work.. but i think im responding correctly. i also believe people have the right to there opinions.. all i can say when i hear people complain about where they live then move! for me i love it here.. all except the "to hot to even ride days"
i may have been very lucky in my employment one of my employers was a trucking company that had two tg- mtf's driving for them and had no problem with them wearinf there female id to any company funtions or anywhere else they were not treated any diffrently then anyone else.. yes some of the other drivers disc'd them but only under there breath. if they want to continue work there they had to keep it to themselfs. and this is one of the largest companys in az. every state is going to have its good and bad just like every employer is going to have its workers and its slackers. it all part of life and being able to accept other for who they are with out judgement. yes az has a problem with illeagles and the crime that is brought from it. but they are trying to find ways to deal with it. i dont alway agree with the way the state handles it but sometimes i do. i am not at that level politicly and i am glad those decisions are not made my just one person but made by votes and majority feelings of the people that live here. do i agree maybe,, do i disagree maybe. some yes and some no. i do vote and that is my part of the job.. am i going to toss fits because things are not how i want them no i will either learn to live with majority, keep my mouth shut or leave.

[Queerasfck]

Originally Posted by cody

well all i can say is i dont have kids in the school system but i did work the first three years i lived here i was fairly lucky with the work i found other then a couple places that were way under paid due to the alility to hire cheap labor in this state. i am retired now and have ssdi an a full pension from a union job in calif.. the one thing i do not like about this state is that it is a right to work state and i strongly believe in the unions.
i am out 24/7 where ever i go and have had no problems here. i have been in what were suposed to be openly gay state and have been beat, knived shot at and yelled at from car windows just for my appearance. being very much male id ed.. with my driver lisence showing my true name that is very girly my trouble usually will start at that point when i have to show id.. but i have never thought or even tried to pull of the male roll and im sure people are not just always assuming im male... all i can say is that i have never encountered the same problems like i have in san francisco, chiago, bronx, portland.= or other larger citys i have lived in or worked in. but then i also got along well in oklahoma city and tulsa. people have the right to live where ever they want.
as far as what i mean by pushing my bizz on others.. it was meant as i do not go into a straight bar and make out with my girl friend.... i dont do that in public ever not matter where im at. but i do introduce my date or g/f as such i dont hide it but i dont push it either.. introduction and let it be. if someone is allowed to act an ass i let them unless i have femme company then i simply take myself and her elsewhere. am i afraid .. no way at 5'10 225 lbs mostly muscel and have obviously walked alot of roads people dont generaly fuck with me. if i am missing you point please excuse me .. grrr i have been taking pain killers for dental work.. but i think im responding correctly. i also believe people have the right to there opinions.. all i can say when i hear people complain about where they live then move! for me i love it here.. all except the "to hot to even ride days"
i may have been very lucky in my employment one of my employers was a trucking company that had two tg- mtf's driving for them and had no problem with them wearinf there female id to any company funtions or anywhere else they were not treated any diffrently then anyone else.. yes some of the other drivers disc'd them but only under there breath. if they want to continue work there they had to keep it to themselfs. and this is one of the largest companys in az. every state is going to have its good and bad just like every employer is going to have its workers and its slackers. it all part of life and being able to accept other for who they are with out judgement. yes az has a problem with illeagles and the crime that is brought from it. but they are trying to find ways to deal with it. i dont alway agree with the way the state handles it but sometimes i do. i am not at that level politicly and i am glad those decisions are not made my just one person but made by votes and majority feelings of the people that live here. do i agree maybe,, do i disagree maybe. some yes and some no. i do vote and that is my part of the job.. am i going to toss fits because things are not how i want them no i will either learn to live with majority, keep my mouth shut or leave.

Thanks for responding Cody, I appreciate you taking the time even though we don't agree.

[friskyfemme]

EzeeTiger and pretty,

Have a safe trip. Much happinees in your new beginning. May the winds be behind you and the sun kiss our faces.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by friskyfemme

EzeeTiger and pretty,

Have a safe trip. Much happinees in your new beginning. May the winds be behind you and the sun kiss our faces.

thanks very much!!!

(if only everything would FIT in our relo-cubes)

[Soon]

Judge Blocks Arizona Law That Would Eliminate Domestic Partner Benefits For Gay State Workers