A reminder from a reader of the need to avoid generalization:
I actually laughed at that email from the South Shore only because of this perception that all tolerance for gay people only exists north of the Mason-Dixon line. Absolutely not true.
My partner and I live in Johnston County, NC. Go look it up. At one time not so long ago they proudly advertised they had the largest population of KKK members in the state of North Carolina. When we built our house out here, our friends in Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill thought we were insane.
But you know what? Every year, each kid in the neighborhood comes to our door for Halloween candy or hits us up for money for their sports team. We buy their crap and talk sports with them. Two girls in the neighborhood walk our dogs everyday. We get invited to the neighborhood parties and everyone wants our secret to having the best yard. And this is no liberal mecca, half of these people would qualify as "Christianists."
But they see us acting just like them and we are no threat to their kids. If anything we make sure every time a kid even come near our home, their parents know about it. And those parents notice and appreciate that. Yet, we live our lives and they live theirs.
I'll keep saying this until I am blue in the face to Gay, Inc. in this country. Get the hell out of the gay ghettos and come live near the people who don't know anyone who is gay and you'll change hearts and minds.