Gay retirement destinations

[Leyte2019]

I have a lot of relatives in Emporia KS-very pretty town. Pretty conservative, I suspect.

 

Yes, probably conservative. But conservative here tends to be a bit more subdued than Texas and much of the South. Fred Phelps and his ilk are very much the exception.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

You’re not allowed to have one-half year minus a day worth of Disney property, to prevent you from taking up residence there.

 

How’s the weather in Key West?

 

In DVC or in Golden Oak?

 

I know people who live in Golden Oak year-round. Those are full-on homes, not Disney timeshare.

 

KW is muggy as hell, making me strangely glad to be in Las Vegas at the moment

[+ E.T.Bass]

Gotta love Wichita! Every place has it's pluses. I've heard good things about Oklahoma City.

I have a coworker from Dodge City. That's the town where they moved the polling location so the only way to vote was to drive out of town if one had a car and time on their hands to do so. Worrisome. Still I remember fun times in Wichita.

[Guest]

I am torn about what to do, I split my time now between Canberra and my home town. Both would be nice as a retirement location, Canberra has the 'city' facilities that my home town does not, but it's nice living on country.

Your post made me want to read about the ACT on wikipedia, and I didn't realize how irreligious the people of Canberra are...

 

"The most common responses in the 2016 census for religion in the Territory were No Religion (36.2%), Catholic (22.3%), Anglican (10.8%), Not stated (9.2%) and Hinduism (2.6%).[7] In Australian Capital Territory, Christianity was the largest religious group reported overall (49.9%).[7]"

[RealAvalon]

Still I remember fun times in Wichita.

What happens in Wichita stays in Wichita …

[Guest]

I have been looking at Ecuador to see how that feels. It is fairly inexpensive for pretty much everything local. I still have not figured out how health insurance works, although health care itself is very good (better than the U.S. in some respects). I am trying to understand at what level of residency one qualifies for health insurance. Residency seems fairly easy to qualify for, particularly if you are retired and have a pension or plan to buy some sort of property....

 

I actually looked into that some years back. I was interested in becoming an Ecuadoran citizen, since Ecuadoran citizens have visa-free access to China and Russia. However, to be eligible for Ecuadorian citizenship, you have to actually live there and almost never leave there for several years. Not feasible for me. Interestingly, one can become a citizen of Dominica just by paying them some $175,000 (I don't think you even have to step foot on the island). That passport will get you into Russia visa-free (but not China).

Edited September 3, 2019 by Unicorn

[Sensualsmooth]

anyone know about the gay neighborhoods in Tampa or St.Pete?

[Guest]

I live in the ice world. But after this, if I ever end up moving, I don't know if I can deal with the northwest and constant rain/drizzle.

 

I like heat-dry heat. Humidity brings on another set of problems. I remember visiting Louisiana in the height of summer-I thought I had died and gone to hell.

 

I hear Los Angeles is perfect weather-though very unaffordable. Maybe Phoenix.

 

There are parts of LA county that are not that expensive. If a comfortable year-round weather is what's important, there probably aren't too many places to consider in the US outside of California. Arizona and Florida have pleasant winters, but really oppressive summers. The Pacific Northwest in beautiful in the summer, but the winters are cold, rainy, and really depressing for most people. The northern plains have nice summers, but bone-crushing cold winters. The northeast seems to be unpleasant most of the year (except for some weeks in the Spring and Autumn). Again, if having a climate which is nice year-round is a priority, there are still places in California which are not really expensive, such as San Luis Obispo. It's not exactly a cultural mecca, so if you need opera or a major symphony within driving distance, it's not for you. But weather-wise, it's great and affordable.

If you're willing to live abroad, and have a healthy cardiopulmonary system, yes, Quito, Ecuador has mild weather year-round. You might not be running around too fast, though, since the elevation there is 2850 meters (9350 feet). You'll have to factor in health care costs, though, since Medicare doesn't provide coverage abroad.

[mike carey]

Your post made me want to read about the ACT on wikipedia, and I didn't realize how irreligious the people of Canberra are...

Australians are less religious in general than Americans and the ACT is not significantly less religious than the rest of the country, although it is small, homogenous and relatively progressive. 'No religion' scored higher in the last census than on previous ones, in part reflecting a long term trend but also in part because it was the first option on the form rather than the last.

[Bargara Leatherboy]

Recent polls show that 7% of the australian population attend a religious service each week. That is across all religions.

 

The Catholics say 2.5% of the population attend mass weekly.

 

Yet many more still claim to be Christian because that's what their ancestors were rather than what they practice.

[+ Italiano]

Yes, Wichita (or ICT as the boys there say) is a cool place. I'm about 2 hrs away, so I visit (or fly out of) regularly. Too bad they can't get better fares to Chicago, etc.

I visited Wichita for work 3 times few years ago (2/3 weeks each time) and found it one of the most boring and uninteresting places I have ever visited. And most of the people are TOO conservative for my taste.

[+ Charlie]

In the 1960s, my best friend was stationed at the Air Force base in Wichita. He loved the town and its gay community. Then he got caught up in an Air Force witch hunt for gay personnel in Wichita who were interacting with the local community, and was arrested by military police at the home of his civilian boyfriend. He was discharged, along with several of his comrades, and his boyfriend said he never wanted to see him again, because the exposure had ruined his life in Wichita. I have been to Kansas a few times, but I have never had any desire to visit Wichita.

[+ Charlie]

When looking for a new place to retire, one should also try to consider the possibility that you may be retired for a long time. When you are in your 70s and 80s, your wants and needs will probably turn out to be somewhat different from what you wanted and needed in your 60s, and you don't want to be stuck in the wrong place if you no longer have the means or energy to move again. When my parents retired at 65, they relocated to the perfect place for them. But as a new widow at 75, my mother realized that it no longer met her needs, and she relocated to yet another completely new area, which was just right--at that time. At 89, that place no longer worked for her, and she had to make another major relocation. Before retiring anywhere, it's worthwhile to project what your life is going to be like if you live there ten or twenty years from now.

[Leyte2019]

In the 1960s, my best friend was stationed at the Air Force base in Wichita. He loved the town and its gay community. Then he got caught up in an Air Force witch hunt for gay personnel in Wichita who were interacting with the local community, and was arrested by military police at the home of his civilian boyfriend. He was discharged, along with several of his comrades, and his boyfriend said he never wanted to see him again, because the exposure had ruined his life in Wichita. I have been to Kansas a few times, but I have never had any desire to visit Wichita.

 

So sorry to hear that. Must have been one of those post- WWII periods in which a)the military felt pressure to purge its ranks of perverts and b) it could spare the personnel.

[Leyte2019]

When looking for a new place to retire, one should also try to consider the possibility that you may be retired for a long time. When you are in your 70s and 80s, your wants and needs will probably turn out to be somewhat different from what you wanted and needed in your 60s, and you don't want to be stuck in the wrong place if you no longer have the means or energy to move again. When my parents retired at 65, they relocated to the perfect place for them. But as a new widow at 75, my mother realized that it no longer met her needs, and she relocated to yet another completely new area, which was just right--at that time. At 89, that place no longer worked for her, and she had to make another major relocation. Before retiring anywhere, it's worthwhile to project what your life is going to be like if you live there ten or twenty years from now.

 

And there's the dilemma for the few of us who, unless we win the lottery or inherit a windfall, may not have the luxury of fully retiring until our bodies retire. What then?

[RealAvalon]

In the 1960s, my best friend was stationed at the Air Force base in Wichita. He loved the town and its gay community. Then he got caught up in an Air Force witch hunt for gay personnel in Wichita who were interacting with the local community, and was arrested by military police at the home of his civilian boyfriend. He was discharged, along with several of his comrades, and his boyfriend said he never wanted to see him again, because the exposure had ruined his life in Wichita. I have been to Kansas a few times, but I have never had any desire to visit Wichita.

I believe the Brits recently commuted all of these sorts of 'crimes.' Any word on how the USA government will deal with the historic wrongs? Apologies (but not necessarily commutations) to various groups seem to have become quite common place in Canada, Britain and Australia

Edited September 4, 2019 by RealAvalon

[+ bigjoey]

I have a lot of relatives in Emporia KS-very pretty town. Pretty conservative, I suspect.

 

Gays are well accepted around there. Just a few minutes away is Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. As you come into town, there is a florist with a big rainbow flag out front. In town, everyone knows everyone and who is partners with whom. Very live and let live.

[+ ArVaGuy]

I went home a few years ago to consider moving back to be closer to extended relatives upon retiring. I discovered after 30 plus years living in DC that the slow pace, the suburban sprawl, the crappy economy, and mentality ruled out the option for me. I’d likely die of boredom. So it’s back to the drawing board and the search is ongoing.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

When looking for a new place to retire, one should also try to consider the possibility that you may be retired for a long time. When you are in your 70s and 80s, your wants and needs will probably turn out to be somewhat different from what you wanted and needed in your 60s, and you don't want to be stuck in the wrong place if you no longer have the means or energy to move again. When my parents retired at 65, they relocated to the perfect place for them. But as a new widow at 75, my mother realized that it no longer met her needs, and she relocated to yet another completely new area, which was just right--at that time. At 89, that place no longer worked for her, and she had to make another major relocation. Before retiring anywhere, it's worthwhile to project what your life is going to be like if you live there ten or twenty years from now.

 

This is excellent advice. And thinking that far ahead not only impacts the "where" to retire, but also the "when" to retire. As both of my grandmothers lived into their late 90s, I need to factor the longevity of my life into the equation on the location. If I need to support another 40 years of life, maybe I cannot expect to retire in the same community if I assume I only need to budget for another 20 years.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I went home a few years ago to consider moving back to be closer to extended relatives upon retiring. I discovered after 30 plus years living in DC that the slow pace, the suburban sprawl, the crappy economy, and mentality ruled out the option for me. I’d likely die of boredom. So it’s back to the drawing board and the search is ongoing.

 

We'll need to go shopping together.

[+ ArVaGuy]

We'll need to go shopping together.

Excellent idea. LOL.

[Rudynate]

Gays are well accepted around there. Just a few minutes away is Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. As you come into town, there is a florist with a big rainbow flag out front. In town, everyone knows everyone and who is partners with whom. Very live and let live.

 

 

My father's cousin was Mayor of Emporia many years ago.

[Guest]

....When my parents retired at 65, they relocated to the perfect place for them. But as a new widow at 75, my mother realized that it no longer met her needs, and she relocated to yet another completely new area, which was just right--at that time. At 89, that place no longer worked for her, and she had to make another major relocation. Before retiring anywhere, it's worthwhile to project what your life is going to be like if you live there ten or twenty years from now.

 

It's difficult to predict what one's needs will be, how long one will live, and so forth. Yes, one should try to anticipate, but who knows if one's mind will go or what. So I may need assisted living at some point. I have long-term care insurance, so that I won't be a burden to my husband should the time come. But I might not need it. One also has to be happy in the here and now.

[RealAvalon]

My father's cousin was Mayor of Emporia many years ago.

American royalty

[Bargara Leatherboy]

I believe the Brits recently commuted all of these sorts of 'crimes.' Any word on how the USA government will deal with the historic wrongs? Apologies (but not necessarily commutations) to various groups seem to have become quite common place in Canada, Britain and Australia

 

Correct. New Zealand also.

 

Under Trump I cannot see the USA doing this.

 

It will take a change of President to make America Great Again