You're GAY?!

[Johnboy976]

Okay, now that I have your attention, again, I want to bring up a topic of discussion that has been on my mind for a while. It's in regards to the gay population in Tulsa. I have heard for YEARS that Tulsa has one of the highest per capita gay population in the nation (even saying that it is THIRD). I've heard it, but I've never seen the proof. I've looked and looked and looked, but there is no statistical analysis, that I've come across, that says any such thing. Can someone help?

[FOTD]

Okay, now that I have your attention, again, I want to bring up a topic of discussion that has been on my mind for a while. It's in regards to the gay population in Tulsa. I have heard for YEARS that Tulsa has one of the highest per capita gay population in the nation (even saying that it is THIRD). I've heard it, but I've never seen the proof. I've looked and looked and looked, but there is no statistical analysis, that I've come across, that says any such thing. Can someone help?

Don't drink the water....stick to beer....just ask Conan

[FOTD]

You might try Coburn's office. No doubt, they have the best lists....

The Family: DC's C Street Group Tied To Proposed Death Penalty for Gays in Uganda

" But what many people may find surprising is that the Family has branches around the world. In fact, yesterday, Jeff Sharlet, author of "The Family: Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power," reported on NPR's "Fresh Air" that it was a Family member in the Ugandan parliament who introduced a bill that would increase the punishment for homosexuality from life imprisonment, which is the maximum sentence today, to death:"

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2009/11/25/the-family-c-street-group-tied-to-uganda-death-penalty-for-gays/

[RecycleMichael]

I googled gay population per capita and it had a dozen stories in the first few pages with different cities all claiming to be in the top three in gay population per capita. These cities ranged from Vermont to Florida to Georgia to Arizona.

[Conan71]

Don't drink the water....stick to beer....just ask Conan

That seems to have kept me from catching the gay so far.

[rwarn17588]

That seems to have kept me from catching the gay so far.

But I hear that you have a mancrush on Eric Marshall ... for purely alcohol-ic reasons. 

[TheArtist]

Okay, now that I have your attention, again, I want to bring up a topic of discussion that has been on my mind for a while. It's in regards to the gay population in Tulsa. I have heard for YEARS that Tulsa has one of the highest per capita gay population in the nation (even saying that it is THIRD). I've heard it, but I've never seen the proof. I've looked and looked and looked, but there is no statistical analysis, that I've come across, that says any such thing. Can someone help?

Its absurd to think Tulsa has a high population of gays.  Gays like a vibrant city, one with a lively urban lifestyle, lots of "creative class" people, a great arts scene, good jobs, lots of amenities, outdoor healthy educated lifestyle, etc. etc.... Thats not Tulsa lol.  Once upon a time when Tulsa was booming and we were the regions "go to" city,,,likely in the late 70s early 80s, and I would guess thats when the rumor started, we may have had a much higher percentage of gay people. But anymore, as soon as they are able, most gay people leave Tulsa and head to Dallas, Austin, Denver or other larger cities. What we do get moving to Tulsa are some of the folk from Arkansas, "Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers area" and the small towns nearby in Oklahoma.  Which slants the gay scene to the "podunk", closet case/mal-adjusted side of the equation lol.

Speaking of "podunk"  You can check your cities "Gay Index" on ePodunk.  Though not a perfect statistic by any means, it can give a general, Relative, idea of where your city ranks. And from what I can gather, it appears to be fairly accurate.

http://www.epodunk.com/

Start with a national average = 100  If your city has a number higher, then its likely that city has a higher number of gays, lower, a lower number of gays than average.

Tulsas "gay index" =   98
Denver  "one of the local, gay magnet cities" =  216
Dallas  "where most Tulsans go"   196
Austin =  169
San Francisco = 479
Omaha Nebraska = 80

Anyway, you get the gist. Tulsa is not high on the list lol.      



 

[pmcalk]

Okay, now that I have your attention, again, I want to bring up a topic of discussion that has been on my mind for a while. It's in regards to the gay population in Tulsa. I have heard for YEARS that Tulsa has one of the highest per capita gay population in the nation (even saying that it is THIRD). I've heard it, but I've never seen the proof. I've looked and looked and looked, but there is no statistical analysis, that I've come across, that says any such thing. Can someone help?

I have heard this story as well.  Someone I know that works with the gay population told me that, back in the 80s, a statistical analysis of the gay population in Tulsa was done that used bad numbers.  The results showed that Tulsa had one of the highest percentage of gays in the nation, but the percentage was simply incorrect.  However, the story has persisted.  I have heard many, many people insist that Tulsa has the highest gay population.  It isn't true.

But maybe if we pretend, more gays will move here.

[Conan71]

But I hear that you have a mancrush on Eric Marshall ... for purely alcohol-ic reasons. 

Well there is that.  Can you blame me?

[Hometown]

When I was here in Tulsa visiting my hometown back in the early 80s the Tulsa World ran a story that claimed Tulsa had the highest percentage of gay folks, second only to San Francisco.  It struck me an overstatement at that time.

It hadn't been that long since I was part of Tulsa's Gay Scene, In fact I was a founder of Tulsa Gay Alliance back in 1972, and Tulsa's gay scene just never struck me as being that robust.  I moved back to Tulsa in 2005 and Tulsa has so few gay bars that the lesbians and gays share what few clubs there are.

Now I have also heard stories from straight friends about Tulsa having a huge number of homosexuals and I just recently listened to a neighbor tell me that there is a large, closeted and very right wing group of well-off gay men in Tulsa.

After the relentless attacks against gay people from the locals, it's amazing that any gays at all reside here.  But generally I believe Masters and Johnsons got it right and we constitute about 10 percent of all groups across the board.

You know like 10 percent of Oklahoma Republicans and 10 percent of Oklahoma's religious nuts and 10 percent of Oklahoma's red necks.

There sure a bunch of fine looking Billy Bobs hereabouts.

[SXSW]

The Tulsa GLBT community seems plenty organized with a nice community center near the Blue Dome district but no "strip" of gay-oriented bars/clubs and coffee houses/retail shops.  Oklahoma City has their NW 39 & Penn area but Tulsa doesn't have anything similar, maybe Brady?  I think if it's going to happen anywhere, a concentration of GLBT establishments, it would be in Brady.

[TheArtist]

Another example of Tulsa not having a concentration of a lot of things.  Where is the arts district?  That strip of galleries and studios that you can spend a few hours exploring?  Where are our urban neighborhoods?  That area you can go through which clearly says " this is a lively city/urban environment where a lot of people live (urban neighborhood), where I can look at and choose from a good selection of midrise or highrise, or contemporary, city living options". And I could go on (university, medical district, downtown club/entertainment district, river district, etc).  I know Tulsa is a small city and a young city, but we are not so small and young anymore as to have a reason why we do not have these things other than we dont seem to "get it", and or decide to take some coordinated action to make sure we do get them.

[Conan71]

Another example of Tulsa not having a concentration of a lot of things.  Where is the arts district?  That strip of galleries and studios that you can spend a few hours exploring?  Where are our urban neighborhoods?  That area you can go through which clearly says " this is a lively city/urban environment where a lot of people live (urban neighborhood), where I can look at and choose from a good selection of midrise or highrise, or contemporary, city living options". And I could go on (university, medical district, downtown club/entertainment district, river district, etc).  I know Tulsa is a small city and a young city, but we are not so small and young anymore as to have a reason why we do not have these things other than we dont seem to "get it", and or decide to take some coordinated action to make sure we do get them.

And we need an Art Deco museum, damnit!

Oh, wait I think someone I know is working on that.... 

[rwarn17588]

It may be a bit late to start a new gay district in Tulsa, mainly because homosexuals in America are mainstreaming themselves into larger society and will continue to do so.

There've been a several stories in the past year or so about a number of prominent gay bars in big cities closing. They attribute this development to gay people going to regular bars instead of gay bars. There's much greater acceptance overall for the gay community, and this will further dissipate the need for gay districts. It's pure assimilation.

As for whether Tulsa is more gay than most cities of its ilk, I don't know, mostly because I'm straight. Places such as Lortondale and the art deco districts might be attractive to gays. Homosexuals here might be more heavily closeted because of the strong fundamentalist strain here, and the numbers may be larger than we perceive. It's all speculation on my part with no hard evidence, so take it with a grain of salt.

[Conan71]

As for whether Tulsa is more gay than most cities of its ilk, I don't know, mostly because I'm straight. Places such as Lortondale and the art deco districts might be attractive to gays. Homosexuals here might be more heavily closeted because of the strong fundamentalist strain here, and the numbers may be larger than we perceive. It's all speculation on my part with no hard evidence, so take it with a grain of salt.

*ahem* The only thing you left out was a Yorkshire Terrier and Marshall's Beer reference.  It's okay though, I'm perfectly content with my flaming heterosexuality.

No "hard" evidence...LOL!