How is LGBT life for you where you live (country/state/city)?

Greetings from Latvia.

I wish to bee proud of my country, and i am, for some reasons, but LGBT life in Latvia isn't so easy. Attitude to LGBT persons is realy unfriendly (even violent).

I live in Riga, capital of Latvia. we have four gay clubs. And to see some gay people holding hands on street or even kissing is almost unreal.

Many gay people from our country moves to another places (like Sweden, UK, etc) to live they lives normaly (not all time fighting for they rights)


The good point is things are getting better here, but slowly (too slowly)

 

What he said =/.

 

I second that but I'm not from the south and I've been kicked out of two schools for being gay so yea.....

 

Well... if you're a gay/bi female who doesn't look butch around here, you're generally going to be fine in my high school (at least I have been so far). However, if you're a gay/bi male... well that's another story. Which is horribly unfair. The last gay guy we had out in our school had to move out of town to escape the constant insults/teasing/beatings he received.

With older people here, though... it's all equal. Most of them are pretty disgusted by same sex couples, female or male.

 

It's mostly ok. At least, on paper it is. I'm well aware that the Netherlands have this name of being very tollerant and for the most part that is true, nevertheless there are outbursts of violence and intollerance against minorities (LGBT amongst them)
I've been beaten up because some mental fossil and his pals didn't approve of me walking hand in hand with my BF.(we were 16 & 17, they 40-ish and 7 of them, rather drunk) I've been bullied in school, although less at college and even less in University. I've been ridiculed, denied job-oppertunities, been insulted and threatened.

I suppose it only takes a few bigots to undo all the tollerance in the world. Still, I'm quite happy where I am.

 

i live near liverpool and manchester in the uk so its preety much fine if you are LGBT but some people are still homophobic including one of my best m8s even tho there is 3 people in my group (7 in total) who are gay so it kinda depends what day it is and who u are talking to .

 

I totally agree with you Colbie there are a lot of Mormans here in Phoenix and there's also a lot that are here in Tempe, AZ where I live. I think it's pretty gay friendly here, but nothing like San Francisco.

 

I wouldnt know, becaus i'm not out. But generally its not too bad for LGbT people here in the north of sydney.

 

It's okay here. Not great but definitely not bad. I can wear my rainbow pin and not have anyone harass me. though ive gotten awkward glances before. living not too far from nyc does help. there was only one hate crime i've heard of, which was my friend getting beat up on his way back home for being gay. you hear the gay slurs (people calling others fag,dyke) but they dont bother me since me and my fellow gay friends call each other dykes and fags and queers, trying to reclaim the word kinda thing.

 

It's not bad here luckily the left side of the USA tends to be a little more gay friendly i'm not under any assumptions that i live in a magic rainbow land where gay's and straight's live side by side in equality and harmony

There are some biggoted people that can make life difficult but mostly people are very accepting and nice i havn't had any major problem's just the odd nasty comment and slight bullying but thing's are pretty good now and i actually feel quite lucky

 

I live in a fairly large republican suburb of cleveand and the community is ok. i mean we have a GSA but it really small and like if you join its like a social faux pas. The phrase "thats so gay" gets said a lot and fag is the favorite insult of all the guys it seems. but its not THAT bad i guess.

 

I live in the midwest - Wisconsin is a blue state but still very conservative. Chicago is (depending on traffic) is a 1 1/2 - 2 hour drive away. Chicago is pretty liberal in regards to GLBT people *I* think. My own is only 2000+ people, and sexuality isn't something discussed very much, though when it is, people are usually bigoted about it. There are no gay clubs or hangouts. I do not know any other openly gay people.

I pasted the laws for WI found on the HRC website, clearly transgender/transsexual people have less rights than gays/lesbians/bisexuals in my state.





What the HRC website says about GLBT rights in WI:

Permits a same-sex couple to jointly petition to adopt? Unclear.
Wisconsin courts have never precisely decided the issue, though they have strongly suggested that joint adoptions by unmarried individuals are not available under the current statutes.

Permits a same-sex partner to petition to adopt partner’s adopted child? No.

Custody and Visitation for Same-Sex Co-Parents
Wisconsin courts will allow a former same-sex partner (with no legal or biological relationship to the children) to petition for visitation.

Custody and Visitation for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Parents
Wisconsin courts typically will not consider a parent’s sexual orientation in custody and visitation determinations unless it is shown to adversely affect or harm the child(ren).

Issues a new or amended birth certificate? Yes.
The state registrar will issue a new birth certificate upon receipt of a court order verifying that the individual has undergone sex-reassignment surgery and that the individual’s name has been changed.

Wisconsin law allows a woman to obtain semen from a licensed physician for artificial insemination and strips the donor in that situation of any legal relationship to the resulting child.

Wisconsin Hate Crimes Law

Gender identity protected? No
No provision of Wisconsin law explicitly addresses violence based on gender identity.
Sexual orientation protected? Yes



Wisconsin Healthcare Laws
An adult may, by advance directive, designate his or her same-sex partner as having the authority to make medical decisions on their behalf. An advance directive must be in writing, dated and signed by the principal or by an individual who has attained age 18, at the express direction and in the presence of the principal and signed in the presence of two witnesses. § 155.10. An adult may also designate those individuals which they grant access to visit them in the hospital. § 146.95.


Licenses marriages for same-sex couples? No.

Honors marriages of same-sex couples from other jurisdictions? No.

Any form of statewide relationship recognition for same-sex couples? Yes.
Effective at the end of July 2009, same-sex couples can register as domestic partners and receive limited rights and responsibilities under state law (not all the rights and responsibilities available to spouses). These rights and responsibilities include hospital visitation and the ability to take Family Medical Leave to care for a sick partner.



Wisconsin Non-Discrimination Law
Gender identity protected? No
No provision of Wisconsin law prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression.

Sexual orientation protected? Yes
Wisconsin law explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, public education, credit and public accommodations.

Wisconsin School Laws
Protects transgender students? No
No provision of Wisconsin law explicitly addresses gender identity-based violence in schools.

Protects gay and lesbian students? Yes
Wisconsin law specifically prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation in schools. Wis. Stat. § 118.13 (2001).

Wisconsin Sodomy Law
The Wisconsin sodomy law was repealed in 1983.

Wisconsin Surrogacy Law
Wisconsin law does not directly address the legality of surrogacy contracts.
In the statute pertaining to the collection of vital statistics, the law states that the surrogate mother’s name is to be added to the birth certificate until “a court determines parental rights,” at which time a new birth certificate with names of the intended parents may be issued, but the statute does not lay out the factors a court should consider in making that decision.

 

I live in Massachusetts...enough said. And Provincetown, the gay capital of the Northeast, is just a short drive away. It's pretty nice, although I've never actually been to Provincetown

 

i live in new york of the USA. this state is pretty good about LBGT ppl/rights. the only thing that all of us here r rooting for is the passing of the gay marriage bill. its been post poned till september, but im crossing my fingers and toes that we get it when they finally vote on it. it helps that the democrats r in control once again in the state senate

 

I live in Houston. And, where I live...it really isn't uncommon for someone to be gay or bisexual (a lot of my friends turned out to be), but it's more like something unspoken or underground. We know, we just don't talk about it. The glbt club at school was very secret. And I think me and my girlfriend were part of the very few (maybe just like one other person) who were really out. If we got any shit for it, it was just from immature underclassmen. But the upperclassmen we met were totally cool with it. Even supportive. And some just curious. It was defenitely more of an open atmosphere for a girl. I can't blame the boys for wanting to stay in the closet. It's a shitty double standard.

 

ehh arkansas isnt the best nor the worst but it has ups and downs about being open like i get pushed in the halls and called a f@gg()t at school and well just take the high road which is hard but it is better than sinking to there lvl but more people are accepting than non .... so i guess it is ok

sadly other school have gay straight alliances , but ima talk to our new principal this year about one

 

Canada seems ok. There are some looks, a couple insults hurled on occasion but nothing major so far... Housing and most work places I know don't descriminate either. Oh and we can marry here. <3

 

You have to admit though, that is one HELL of a step for this state. I have a friend at UW-Madison who wants to register. Maybe this will lead the way for a less homophobic state.....maybe not, but we can only hope.

 

I am the only gay in the village.

 

"Bacardi and Coke please, Myfanwy" :icon_wink