16 Aug 2009
First Impressions
I came to Dublin thinking how fantastic it would be to get out of Kansas, explore a vastly better gay community and to find the love of my life.
Let me give you a little background information. Kansas is right in the center of the United States, otherwise known as Tornado Alley. The gay population there is...minimal. Sure, Kansas City has a few gay bars, but I lived in Lawrence, about 45 minutes away from KC. It is an unpleasant drive, and getting back to Lawrence after a few drinks is not a good idea. (Mom, I promise I've never done that.) Lawrence itself has zero gay bars, and only one that had a gay night...just one night a week. It got shut down for serving too many minors. The gays had a couple of bars they preferred so you would always know where to find them, but nothing was official. The actual gay community was rather small too; almost everyone knew everyone else (aka: had fooled around with). If you didn't know them personally, you knew their name at the least. And as I'm constantly reminded by the many inquiries I get while abroad about Dorothy's health, Kansas is smack-dab in the middle of the Bible Belt and not anywhere near, under or over a rainbow. (An FYI: Kansas has more than just the Wizard of Oz, people. Barbeque and Jazz...and that's about it. Not much, but at least it's something.)
Now, before you start thinking: "Who is this country bumpkin?" ...I believe the Irish word is a knacker... "who is this knacker from the middle of nowhere?" I have spent a lot of time staying in NYC, visiting my mother in Southern Californian cities and traveling the world, gaining influence growing up from these bustling metropolises. I've got the polite courteous Midwestern attitude, mixed with the knowledge that there is indeed more out there than my farm. (I didn't really live on a farm.)
So here I am, living and working in Dublin, hoping for a not-so-contained gay community to become involved in. And already there has been so much more Pride than in Kansas. Parades and marches, a Pride week that actually hosts events and organized activities, and bars that are gay seven nights a week. Don't get me wrong, we tried back home. A friend of mine was the president of Queers and Allies and he did his best to get the whole community involved in gay rights. He did a pretty good job too, but the environment just wasn't ready for it.
Now, I'll be coming out among you, (that's not meant to be creepy) seeking new blog topics, crazy differences between American Gays and Irish Gays, and the love of my life, who simply has to have an Irish accent.
Looking forward to joining the gay community,
An American in Dublin
