An idea - the Queer State Project

[sophiaserpentia]

The Free State Project is a movement that is gathering the promises of 20,000 libertarians, to move to New Hampshire once enough people have been assembled.

The idea is that 20,000 libertarians converging on New Hampshire would create a large enough contingent to be able to affect the laws of the state.

Suppose... suppose a large number of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, intersex, pagan, and poly people all moved to the same state, until a saturation point was reached. At that point we woul be a large enough community to affect state policy, or were even a majority. A place where we knew that, no matter what, we were welcome and accepted, where we could live as we wish without fear of reprisal and bigotry.

By estimate, we make up 5-10% of the population. Heck, we could take over several states.

Comments

[erinlefey.livejournal.com]

This morning my thoughts are flowing along the same paths. Maybe the solution is NOT acceptance and diversity. Maybe humans only function effectively in groups smaller than USA sized. Maybe we should gather all of the like-minded people in one place, and say "This is ours. Do what you want out there."

I don't know that invading a state is the answer. Maybe we can talk the government into making a new state from some area no one else wants...

[drewfer.livejournal.com]

I'd suspect most Libertarians are highly tolerant/accepting of such lifestyles and a side effect of the FSP would be that such a community would be fairly unhindered.

Btw, I'm seriously considering signing my family up there for the FSP but my wife is not fond of colder climates so we're still in the negotiation stage ;)

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Or maybe the freaking bigots should just all move to the same damned place and stone each other to death for minor sexual dalliances and leave the rest of us alone to live our lives.

[galaxygrrl.livejournal.com]

Well, there is the issue of infighting. Take the Human Rights Campaign, for example. That organization purports to be fighting for GLBT rights. They have some good resources on transgender (T) issues, but when the exrement is about to hit the fan, HRC has historically jettisonned the T from legislation, etc. Recently, they endorsed the LLEEA (hate crimes bill) without "gender identity and expression" in it.

Santa Fe already IS a "gay mecca."

[publius-aelius.livejournal.com]

I don't think New Hampshire is the place (and, actually, I don't think any place in America is ideal), but I do think it'd make more sense to pick a state that is poor AND fairly liberal, since many gay folks are relatively better off than many straights. I'd like to suggest New Mexico, the state which surprised the rest of the country by beginning to approve gay marriages. (Though it didn't surprise me at all.)

But where?

[galaxygrrl.livejournal.com]

What state would we choose? What about jobs?

Some people won't want to move far from their families. Then again, many of our families have shunned us anyway.

San Francisco obviously comes to mind, but it's even more obviously not a state. I think California, as a whole, is too conservative to start with.

I think the path of least resistance would be to find a liberal state with a small population. CT? RI? MA?


On an unrelated note, I need that phone number and address again for tonight... couldja email me?

[novasoy.livejournal.com]

I say go for it. I want a liberal state too. Or maybe we breeder liberals can hang out with you folks. I'm sure the club scene will be better there than in Kentucky. We'll be nice, tolerant, AND we'll bring HUMMUS!

[azaz-al.livejournal.com]

Someone ELSE from your friends list added me after I've gone off and been an asshole all over your journal again.
This is getting to be a habit :))

[kerrizor.livejournal.com]

By some people's accounts, we've already taken over Vermont and Massachuesetts.. and let me tell you, being super-active in the queer communities, it often seems that way! ^_^

[logos801.livejournal.com]

A place where we knew that, no matter what, we were welcome and accepted, where we could live as we wish without fear of reprisal and bigotry.

That place already exists - Midtown Atlanta. I love the metro area because it's very diverse and very accepting. Sure, the ol' South has a reputation for wackieness - my current home Lawrenceville is best known for shooting Larry Flynt - but Midtown is great.