Quote:
Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc
As for the human element, Greenville has always had higher crime than Asheville, with the news down here having always been full of shootings, stabbings, and people and things being set afire or run over on purpose. We knew that coming in. However, Greenville is considerably more conservative than Asheville, and many of the more ardent right-wingers seem to view themselves as antibodies of a sort, and are constantly on the lookout for pathogens that might infect the body of real 'Murka. To that end, when my husband and I go out together we often get the shit eye from some patriot with too large a belt buckle and too small a brain. No one's done or said anything yet, but they look, and it's hard not to worry when one's going to snap. Also, up in Asheville the Bible-thumpers were present, but they'd leave you alone if you ignored them and walked on past. Down here the Bible-thumpers don't so much thump it as beat it like a timpani drum, and they will chase you and will corner you to tell you about all the torments and indignities you'll suffer in hell. And in Asheville we never thought a thing of holding hands in public, whereas down here that's not a good idea.
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I find this to be quite sad, and I'm sorry you have to deal with it. My parents are retiring to the Charleston, SC area, and whenever I visit, I feel a latent air of homophobia. It's enough to make me uncomfortable visiting, and I can't imagine living in a place like that.
Cincinnati is a pretty conservative metro, but I've never felt the same level of discomfort there as I have in Charleston. Cincy actually feels pretty queer friendly, oddly enough.