How come that people in the North of the USA think so differently from people in the South of the USA?
It really seems like two different worlds.

The South seems to hang onto traditional values, is more conservative,... while the North seems to look at things from a global point of view, rather than from a religious point of view.

I mean, take bathroom bills for example. Bathroom bills were only a discussion topic in the Southern states like North and South Carolina, Missouri, Massachussets. But not in Northern states like New-York for example?

How come that there is such a huge discrepancy between the North and the South regarding way of life, way of thinking,... ?

Also religion, why is the North of the USA less vocal about religious preferences, religious values, religious morals,..?

Does the fact that there is such a huge discrepancy between North and South, influence people in their decisions about where they want to live?

Also, is it unheard of for someone to be democrat but befriend someone who is republican, in the USA?

Is the North of the US safer to live in for LGBT people than the South of the US?

Can someone be a conservative living in the South and still support gay people, lesbian people and trans people or are those two mutually exclusive?

Would love to hear some explanations regarding these questions as it is difficult to understand for someone who is not American.
Please be respectful and don’t attack others when explaining. I would like to understand the reasons why, no condemning or things like that, rather looking for as much objectivity as possible.

Thanks.
Elissa

I've lived in both regions on the eastern side of the Mississippi River.
I grew up in NW Pennsylvania and have lived and worked in NY, VA, & OH.
I've also lived later in MO & MS.
I tried to move back to PA and found the attitudes incompatible with my preferences.

I find the people in the NE Colonial states as 'stuffy'. I refer to those as 'police states'. Not only do I find Southerners friendlier, they seem to be 'more alive'.
The NE states also seem to be stagnated. There isn't as many construction projects happening (by comparison), things stay the same longer and people seem to want it that way. In the South, something is always being built, there are a lot of new things happening at any given time. There are more festivals and public events year round.

I think this has to do with the fact that in the NE the winter season prevents activities. They have only 3 or 4 months of the year to finish off projects, have festivities, be sociable in open public venues. Much of the winter months are spent indoors.

In the South, the weather allows for more activities year round. People can easily go out and about and socialize. Construction projects happen year round. With more people socializing in public it opens more people to being sociable and friendly to others.

People stuck in their houses (inside) the majority of the year, year after year, causes them to be less open to new ideals. They get set in their isolation. They tend to trust within and are very opinionated.

People that are openly sociable the majority of the year, year after year, causes them to value others. They learn to trust outsiders and a more open to people's uniqueness. They are more 'approachable because they are friendlier.

Having lived for duration in both regions, I prefer the South because I feel 'more alive'. I tried going back to the North, I found it unbearable.

Thank you for taking the time to write such a respectful, well underbuilt comment.
This was the type of posts I was looking for.

Regards.
Elissa.

I'm from the south. I had a man who tried to kidnap my daughter from a Wal-Mart. I see the danger of letting males in the women's bathrooms.
We have plenty of gays here. I can tell you we are a lot friendlier in the south.

Edited for off-topic and baiting.

soufie
Site Admin

Culture, economy, anthropology, history, geography...all sorts of reasons.

Are you looking for one single thing you can point to?


That could be entirely due to media coverage.
I mean for all I know you only read things like washington times, wall street journal, and new york times, and news channels that are recorded in new york and los angeles.

There "could" be a bias of more "liberal" media ideologies wanting to paint the "south" in a certain light, so they focus on stories that promote that narrative.

Where maybe there were "bathroom bills" in many "northern" states, but the "media" only really focused on those in certain "southern" states that have certain connotations associated with those states, to promote a separate narrative.

Also...when did Massachusetts become a "southern state?"
It's east of New York...


Culture, economy, anthropology, history, geography...all sorts of reasons.
Might as well ask "how come that there is such a huge discrepancy between North China and Southern Russia regarding way of life, way of thinking,.... ?" or between Ireland and England and Scottland and France.

Each state is more like an individual country with a lot of legal and cultural reciprocity for the sake of economic collusion.
The U.S. wasn't founded by one small english colony that simply expanded.
There are all sorts of different cultures, families, races, creeds, etc. from many different countries, coming for all sorts of reasons, that set up territories, colonies, homesteads, towns, etc.


I don't know. Maybe.
Could be why most people are moving west, to get away from the northeast and south.
I think humidity, winter, and taxes influences the decision more.


No, but I think it would kinda depend on their level of belief or zealotry.


I think it depends on more detail.
I mean it's going to be less safe to move to Detroit or Chicago, more in the north, than any southern city, no matter what you are.

I think it's going to be more safe for a conservative, private, LGBT person to move anywhere, than a flamboyantly, in your face, make waves to change the local culture and status quo right now LGBT person.

I think it's more safe for LGBT to live in a larger city, especially where there are known LGBT communities, than in small rural towns with small populations, and they're the only LGBT in 100 miles.


Sure.
Just depends on a lot of things.
People aren't polarized solely by conservative/liberal with mandatory anti-whatever behavioral dictates enforced by the local militia.
There are different degrees and tolerances and beliefs in there.

A trans woman is not a male though.
Once we physically transitioned, the penis doesn’t even function anymore.
Not every trans woman is attracted to women. I for example could never be attracted to a woman. This is common for the younger generations of trans women. Older transitioners are usually attracted to women, true.
But heterosexual trans women form no danger for heterosexual cis women. If we were forced to use male bathrooms, we would be in more danger than when using women’s bathrooms.
There is a difference between a man who dresses up as a woman and enters a bathroom to harrass women, or a young trans woman who has neurologically been female her entire life and has been treated with hormone replacement estrogen.

Gay people are indeed better accepted in the South than trans people. I have a gay friend who lives near Kissimee in Florida. He works at Disney, Orlando and his other gay colleagues get treated well too. They have a young trans woman working there, however she is less well accepted.

I know a post-op trans woman in her mid 30s, who had her bottom surgery in 2003, at age 19.
She lives in massachussets, she is married to a heterosexual male. She looks every bit of a woman. She is conservative and called Obama a b*tt pirate. She is a Trump supporter. She married in a clerical ceremony. In the South.
Would the people in the South accept someone like her if they knew of her history?
Or do you think she would also be discriminated against if her history got out?
Is it common for churches in the South to marry trans women with straight cis men?

Thanks.
Elissa

Thanks for this amazing answer.
:-)

Thanks for your detailed answer.

Men can indeed get very mad if they think that their sexual orientation is threatened.
And I can imagine that it wouldn’t be all that rosy for cis women if trans men were allowed to use female bathrooms.
After having been on testosterone for a while they develop muscle mass like any other man. So even though they have a vagina, their clitoris starts to grow as a mini-penis.
They are stronger than trans women after a few months of hormone therapy.
A trans woman on the other hand loses muscle mass after a few months of anti-androgens.

So it’s safer to arrange bathrooms based on gender identity than on biological sex.
I am of the opinion that hormone therapy should have been administered for a minimum of 6 months and that someone should be able to prove that though, since otherwise it would be indeed easy for crossdressers with bad intentions to use the women’s bathroom :)

Elissa.

On bathrooms I'll throw this out there.

Bathrooms are divided the way they are because people have a notion to accomodate the masses in public areas.
There isn't as many transgenders as one might think.
There are more wheel-chair bound handicapped than transgenders.
This is why public bathrooms have handicap friendly facilities.
This wasn't always the case. Handicap acceptance has only recently been public. Curbs at intersection sidewalks are still being retrofitted with ramps. In my lifetime I remember when bathrooms did not have handicap facilities. People are used to seeing them now, not strange like when they first started appearing.

As more and more people in our society exercise their transgender preferences it will become more commonplace. Its an issue right now but it may not be an issue forever. At some point in time public restrooms may not be marked with gender at all, just a sign locating them as restroom facilities. You might enter and walk an area to the stalls or turn and enter a different area with individual urinals.

I also remember when baby-changing stations first appeared in public facilities. First, solely in the women's facilities but gradually in the men's as well. People now accept them as commonplace.

I've also visited other countries that have no gender separation in their public bathrooms. People don't have men's and women's bathrooms in their houses either. Many gas stations have only one bathroom. Many small stores have only one bathroom. Especially ones of older construction.

Well, being from the North is all goes back to the civil war. We won and the South still doesn't like that. And we like to rub it in sometimes. We shouldn't ..of course, but being A holes.. we can't resist it.... sorry.

You have a lovely way of explaining things!
Always with a bit of humor and honesty :)

Womanhood is a word.

I think one of the reasons is population of areas. Down here in the south we don't have cities w/ millions of people, more people equals less space, crowded freeways , long waits for food and fun. Here in the south we drive, no running to flag a taxi to get whatever you need. Good weather, lots of space for outdoor activities, camping fishing hiking. Cheaper living conditions and cheaper property values not cheap but cheaper as in not way overpriced. More value for family and friends here.and Our faith in The Lord. All these things lead to a more laid back life style, less stress less headaches . As far as supporting LGBT people, why do we have to support them? Can't we just let you be and niether support or bash. Why are we called homophobes because we don't hold signs or march in your parade. Just my 2 cents worth.

I didn't know the US was only divided in north and south. I've live in the north east, the southeast, southwest and now northwest. I've traveled cross country by car at least 4 times. The west is a whole other story. I think a lot of the differences have to do with if your in a big city, suburbs, small town, or way out in the country.

This is not a reflection on the south in whole.. at all

but

I have been to the south many times, and many times as soon as I say a few words some don't like me.. why.. because the northern accent. They don't know the first thing about me.. but they don't like what they hear.

Not all of them.. at all... but it does happen

it's the same up north, some are rude a**holes not all but some

The closer they are to Canada, the better

I absolutely adore Canada. Canada is such an open minded and liberal country. Especially the Toronto area where multiple layers of society live together in harmony.