Is Nashville Gay Friendly?

[satalac]

maybe in Nashville that's considered a good time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

not the nashville that i know haha. i do find it funny how people don't think straight people do that stuff also. it happens a lot more than people are willing to admit. sure it's "taboo" but it still happens.

[nashvol85]

C'mon, this is an easy one. Of course some of them would think that the missionary position is a good time. Have you ever seen a Baptist dance? No? That's why...they don't know what a good time is...

[satalac]

C'mon, this is an easy one. Of course some of them would think that the missionary position is a good time. Have you ever seen a Baptist dance? No? That's why...they don't know what a good time is...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

lol

[it's just dave]

Having spent the Roaring Seventies as a man in his twenties, I'll mostly abstain from this discussion. I don't think even you guys are ready for my stories.

But think what you will about how and what gay people do. Chances are your imaginations are quite tame. Give it your best shot.

[monsoon]

Haha, Dave I can certainly identify.

[doormanpoet]

Actually the better the wine, the less alcohol content. Wine Spectator did an article once on beer verses wine and a lot of wine is less alcohol than beer.

In regards to the gay and sodomy thing, I am at a disadvantage because I do not know many gay men now; but when I worked at Dilliards, I was one of only two straight guys in our mens sportsware department. I don't know if the gay men were trying to impress or embarrass us straight guys, but they graphically talked about sodomy and gay orgies. They may have exaggerated a lot. I kind of do the same thing when a fundamentalist Christian tries to save me. I mention I like some of the wicca religion and they freak out.

Nashville has a long way to go before it is a cosmopolitan city. Minneapolis and Milwaukee are more cosmopolitan!

I could really care less what people do in their bedrooms. I know what I like with women, but yes; a lot of straights are into some pretty kinki stuff. The swingers club called Menages, I have been told, has some mind blowing stuff going on; and its not a gay club.

Nashville keeps it well hidden.

I will say this, I know some gays have been in longer monogomous relationships than some of the straights I know. I know some straights that have slept with dozens, even hundreds of people and they are barely 30 years old.

[monsoon]

Well said doormanpoet. There is inappropriate behavior in the workplace regardless if you are gay or a christian fundamentalist. Discussions of personal sex acts have no place in the workplace no matter what city you are in.

[satalac]

Having spent the Roaring Seventies as a man in his twenties, I'll mostly abstain from this discussion. I don't think even you guys are ready for my stories.

But think what you will about how and what gay people do. Chances are your imaginations are quite tame. Give it your best shot.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

i always thought you were a dirty old man dave

[doormanpoet]

Dave must have been a regular at studio 54.

[it's just dave]

It was our own version, Warehouse 28. It's a Firestone store now, ahhh, if the mechanics bays could only talk. lol

I wouldn't say I was ever a regular at any club. I followed my own personal, somewhat clandestine paths. Even as a gay man, I don't have that many gay friends "because" they're gay. I have good friends because they're good friends and include many of the neighborhood married couples with whom we (my partner and I) visit, have dinner, cook out and other such tame adventures. It suits me now. The neighborhood gay couples and straight couples intermingle as would any good community would.

But doorman, I can sure identify with those who are overzealous about their sexuality. Department stores and other such workplaces are populated with people who seem to want to impress their straight co-workers with their alleged escapades. It's those who stand quietly aside, smile coyly, and say little that have (probably) the most interesting lives. But inappropriate sharing of what amounts, usually, to not much more than unfulfilled fanstasies is a problem. I'm 52 and quite secure and settled, but do indeed have a history which precipitates some comments from time to time, but few details are ever offered.

In the case of workplace inappropriateness, I have a unique problem in that my boss is an openly gay man in our large corporate environment. I know he's spent the majority of his life way too sheltered (and afraid), unable to actually do even a fraction of the things he talks openly about at work. He does it to impress. I personally find it a bit pathetic and sad. I also find it a constant source of irritation in that many of the people at work formulate their opinions of the gay man on the nonsense that spills from this fool's mouth. I'm not closeted at work, and mostly incapable of acting like a stereotypical gay guy. It's just not gonna happen. Never has. But I see no need to hide my sexuality. I find it advantageous to be who I am, as I am. I'm sure many people know (especially since my boss saw fit to "out" me years ago when I started work there.) I'm gratified that I'm seen as a mature and somewhat dignified goofball instead of just a goofball in its purest sense. What really amazes me is that the boss, who often makes inappropriate comments to the cuter of the straight guys around, is still employed. I just can't understand it. He has some charm, but it's almost like working for an adolescent who's out to impress the cheerleaders and ends up looking pretty ridiculous.

But all in all, I keep my distance when he chooses to "go down" on a popcicle in the cafeteria to embarrass the IT guys. A long distance.

I don't have a problem with effeminate gay men at all. I look inside them, as I hope everyone would, to see who's in there. Most are genuine, caring people who I'm proud to know. It's the loudmouth intentionally exaggerated morons that bother me.

Now, I pass the podium to someone else. lol

[satalac]

It was our own version, Warehouse 28. It's a Firestone store now, ahhh, if the mechanics bays could only talk. lol

I wouldn't say I was ever a regular at any club. I followed my own personal, somewhat clandestine paths. Even as a gay man, I don't have that many gay friends "because" they're gay. I have good friends because they're good friends and include many of the neighborhood married couples with whom we (my partner and I) visit, have dinner, cook out and other such tame adventures. It suits me now. The neighborhood gay couples and straight couples intermingle as would any good community would.

But doorman, I can sure identify with those who are overzealous about their sexuality. Department stores and other such workplaces are populated with people who seem to want to impress their straight co-workers with their alleged escapades. It's those who stand quietly aside, smile coyly, and say little that have (probably) the most interesting lives. But inappropriate sharing of what amounts, usually, to not much more than unfulfilled fanstasies is a problem. I'm 52 and quite secure and settled, but do indeed have a history which precipitates some comments from time to time, but few details are ever offered.

In the case of workplace inappropriateness, I have a unique problem in that my boss is an openly gay man in our large corporate environment. I know he's spent the majority of his life way too sheltered (and afraid), unable to actually do even a fraction of the things he talks openly about at work. He does it to impress. I personally find it a bit pathetic and sad. I also find it a constant source of irritation in that many of the people at work formulate their opinions of the gay man on the nonsense that spills from this fool's mouth. I'm not closeted at work, and mostly incapable of acting like a stereotypical gay guy. It's just not gonna happen. Never has. But I see no need to hide my sexuality. I find it advantageous to be who I am, as I am. I'm sure many people know (especially since my boss saw fit to "out" me years ago when I started work there.) I'm gratified that I'm seen as a mature and somewhat dignified goofball instead of just a goofball in its purest sense. What really amazes me is that the boss, who often makes inappropriate comments to the cuter of the straight guys around, is still employed. I just can't understand it. He has some charm, but it's almost like working for an adolescent who's out to impress the cheerleaders and ends up looking pretty ridiculous.

But all in all, I keep my distance when he chooses to "go down" on a popcicle in the cafeteria to embarrass the IT guys. A long distance.

I don't have a problem with effeminate gay men at all. I look inside them, as I hope everyone would, to see who's in there. Most are genuine, caring people who I'm proud to know. It's the loudmouth intentionally exaggerated morons that bother me.

Now, I pass the podium to someone else. lol

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

excellent post dave.

[waccamatt]

Agreed. None of that stuff has a place at work. I'm sure alot of people are just talk anyway.

[doormanpoet]

I may start wearing a ball cap to work that says "I am a heterosexual and a non-virgin!"

I bet that will REALLY impress you gay guys huh!

[doormanpoet]

Actually I am from the planet Zorcon. Its on the otherside of Pluto. Lots of skyscrapers, no surface parking lots, and no-one asks what life in the bedroom is like for anyone else! No arguments over religion, politics and college football polls!

Our planet is gay friendly, but we don't quite get along with people on Pluto. They tend to block the sunlight.

[it's just dave]

I went out with someone from Pluto once. I did like the long, floppy ears, but he was a bit cold and dark for my tastes.

I've found the Zorcanians to be a friendly lot. But everyone looked like a smiley face with shoulders. Mercy. Everyone but you, doorman, you have a regular head....are you a mutant?

[doormanpoet]

shhhhhhh don't tell anyone but I am infiltrating your planet! We are gonna take over, but I can't say when!

[ariesjow]

I'm new to this site and I haven't read through all the posts so forgive me if I cover some ground that has already been touched upon.

Is Nashville gay-friendly relative to where? And what exactly makes a city gay-friendly? Lots of gay rights legislation? A sizeable gay community? A visible gay "ghetto?" I think it's really a matter of what one needs in a gay community. Outside of the larger cities, few US cities are very gay-friendly. As far as mid-sized towns are concerned, I think Nashville is fine. Of course, there are a lot of Christian fundamentalists in the area as there are throughout the Southeast , but I honestly don't think those strongly opposed to homosexuality are likely to bother you on a daily basis. It's no Austin or Minneapolis as far as having a cohesive gay community as well as the city itself having a progressive attitude towards social issues like homosexuality. However, it's definitely no worse than Cincinnati, Charlotte, KC, St. Louis, etc.

I live in Ann Arbor now but I used to live in Nashville. As a gay male, I'd personally rather be in Nashville than either Ann Arbor or the Detroit area and Ann Arbor definitely has more pro-gay legislation and the Detroit metro is considerably larger. But, suprisingly, I feel there's more for me to do as a mid-20's young gay male in Nashville than in either of these towns. Better venues and a less fragmented gay community. But my outlook would likely be different if I had a partner and I was looking to settle down and start a family. Again, I think it's very much a mtter of what one needs in a gay community. Too often Southern cities get the brand of being anti-gay simply because of the religious issues when, really, they're no worse or better than comparable cities elsewhere in the U.S. Gay rights is very much a large national issue at the moment.

[it's just dave]

I think things are considerably different than in the past. The "votes" on this poll are anything but scientific.

The Pride festival this weekend is expecting 10,000+ people. The first one I attended years ago had maybe 1000. Now it's like many other festivals touting booths about every topic under the sun and even special kids' areas. I remember when there were 2 or 3 bars/clubs, now there are 12. We have a prominent storefront on Church Street for gay patrons. And even NewsChannel 5+, a 24-hour local news and information cable channel is launching a new show next Saturday "Out & About Today" which will provide news, business and entertainment information for the gay and lesbian community. (9:30 p.m. Saturdays).

So, those of you who voted that Nashville is going back in time are ill-informed. Perhaps it's not perfect, but it works for me.

[doormanpoet]

Many years ago when my parents moved from NYC to Nashville via Houston Texas, they told me that Nashville was a culture shock. Not that they were gay!, they were Irish Catholics from New York City! Nashville was white, protestant and dealing with the throws of the civil rights movement. I say white because what THEY saw of Nashville was white and middle class. Nashville at that time was not too diverse. The hispanic community was very small. The Jewish community was almost hidden, and the Catholic community was quiet unless one wanted to be verbally abused because their beliefs were a little bit different. Persians, Arabs, and Indians were almost non existent.

Today, I ate at a middle eastern restaurant, I ate in a place where black, white, asian, hispanic, and Indian people were eating. Were any of them gay? Who knows. My waiter was gay last night. I ate at Rumba. Back in 1965 when I was two years old when we arrived in Nashville from Houston Texas, this would have been impossible.

My point being, everything changes and who one sleeps with may be known by others but it is not really important. Nashville has become friendly to ALL cultures and races. I am assuming it is that way for our gay and lesbian community.

As a striaght male who loves the female body, I admit I do not always understand same sex attraction, but I never chose to like breasts and vaginas, I just do. I assume gays and lesbians like the same sex for some unexplainable reason of which I have not discovered because I am not gay. Homosexuals have accepted me just fine. I try to do the same. At the hotel, I don't care who you have sex with; just tip me for my services. I don't care, just spend money downtown and help with the urban revival.

There is misunderstanding by some straight people about gay's and lesbians. I could probably list quite a few questions they may have, but it's pointless. A city is friendly if you let it be a friendly city. If I were gay, I would not go into a redneck bar and start making out with my boyfriend, I don't do that with my wife either. I don't go into a Baptist church screaming I am an agnostic liberal. People get into trouble when they bring attention to themselves in hopes of "converting" others to their lifestyle and ideas. There are appropriate places for such things, like the voting booth. If you are gay, enjoy being so. Be yourself. You don't have to explain yourself to anyone. For me, it is pointless to explain anything. I am not wanting to have sex with you! I like women, and that probably does not interest you either. Human beings need to focus on love and compassion. That is all that matters to me. Believe me, there some heterosexuals that really piss me off. I would rather be exposed to a happy gay person than a miserable straight person.

The kids at work ask me why I am a doorman for a living. I simply say: "to earn money to pay the bills."

Life can be complicated or simple, it's your choice. Live it well and when you live it well, you won't have to worry if something is friendly or not.

John