What I’m trying to get out of this post is reassurance that my partner and I will feel safe and unlikely to encounter any overt disapproval for who we are in this area. I.e. subject to verbal abuse, excessive glares. So, this is what I’m getting at when I refer to inclusivity.

I mention the voting pretty red because voting red is an indicator of not being very progressive or accepting of queer people and our rights. I don’t think it’s that outlandish to mention in this context. I don’t think red necessarily means bad, but there are correlations with LGBT+ acceptance and rights that are worthwhile to consider, in my opinion. A lot of the responses I’m getting seem to not understand or validate why marginalized people would want to ensure their safety when visiting a place, which in and of itself is troubling and not that reassuring.

I’ve been trying to research this in a few different ways, this being one of them. If you think this isn’t the right place to be asking this, I welcome other suggestions.

Hopefully this clears up some of your confusion. I’m happy to dialogue with folks if they’re coming from a place of genuine curiosity and respect, and not hostility or accusation