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 Liberal Unfriendly Place: Colorado Springs, CO
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 One can bet any amount of money that Colorado Springs is THE most
conservative place in America. This city has become a mecca for the
religious right, as many of these organizations are headquartered here. It
was this city's evangelical religious (Focus on the Family) and
conservative business leaders (Wil Perkins) that, in 1992, crafted their
infamous and narrowminded Amendment Two, which was aimed at further eroding
the equal rights of gay and lesbian citizens in Colorado. To help their
amendment gain support, these so called moralists used lies, deceptions, and
hate language to convince Colorado voters that gays and lesbians were evil,
and that they should not be allowed to obtain "special rights", such as
nondiscrimination in employment and housing. Sadly, the Amendment passed by
a narrow margin, which started a long legal battle that was to end up in the
US Supreme Court. It was during this time that Colorado became known as the
"hate state", as many businesses and individuals boycotted the state.
Luckily, the US Supreme Court upheld the Colorado Supreme Court decision
that this Amendment was unconstitutional. Unfortunately, the religious right
continues to influence our political system with vast amounts of money and
ignorance.
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This conservative bastion is home to, not one, but TWO fundamentalist
Christian activist groups, Focus on the Family and the Center for Family
Values. The last one authored the pernicious anti-gay Amendment 2 here
in Colorado that was struck down as unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme
Court last year. They cloaked the whole thing as preventing special
rights for gays when it was actually designed to deprive them of civil
rights. Voters in Colorado didn't look closely at the language and
approved it. MCI moved their programming headquarters there from New
York and promptly lost over half their staff because they quit. They
found the atmosphere too homogenously white Anglo Republican
super-Chrisitian. Lovely place, but full of VERY conservative people.
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You can carry concealed weapons in the Springs. This adds a dimension of
the mythic wild west to CS.
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I was raised in the Springs and moved to California in the 80's. I
cann't hardly wait to get out there after visiting family members. Many
of whom have really gone overboard with their religious convictions.
The attitude is "live as I say, not as I live". It's pretty much
intolerable.
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colo.spgs. has deteriorated into a conservative stronghold in recent
years. this has been caused all the people who have moved here, mostly
from california and texas. those of us who are multi-generational
natives deplore this turn of events.if you are liberal minded person,we
would welcome you to our state. so far , we have managed to keep a leash
on colo.spgs. it has not been easy. we need your help! we cannot allow
the rest of the state to be overrun. there is much opportunity here,and
if you do come --PLEASE VOTE!!!
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In Colorado Springs, every radio talk show has a conservative or
ultra-conservative slant, except one local show (The Richard Randall
Show on KVOR-AM 1300). Randall is a Moderate Republican, who lets
everyone have their say. Needless to say, the ultra-conservatives in the
area have branded him a liberal, and are trying to get his show
cancelled. The funny thing is that Randall's show is the highest rated
talk show in the market -- but the locals claim that since the ratings
are controlled by the "liberal media." they are lying.
If a city ever needed a healthy dose of liberalism, it's Colorado
Springs.
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I moved from Minnesota to Colorado Springs 11 years ago. I found it to be quiet and peaceful, but a bit backwards. Now, with the huge influx of people from out of state moving in (from California and Texas), it is growing much too fast! I now live in Fountain, just south of CS. Just because we have Focus on the Family and Center for Family Values doesn't mean we are ALL straight-laced and uptight! I voted against amendment 2. I personally am not against anyone or judge anyone because of race, religion, sexual practices, etc. You must realize that we are not a large city! We do have diversity but it isn't going to be anything like New York or Los Angeles. Spending a few weeks here is not enough time to judge what we are like here in CS. I would like to know how the person who wrote the comment about MCI knows why the employees quit. Did s/he interview everyone of them? I think not. Just because we have the two religious headquarters here and amendment 2 passed you make the judgement that we are not liberal. You just didn't look in the right places!!!
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I just want to point out that these two right-wing religious organizations have not been in Colorado Springs for very long. I'm a Denver native who spent a considerable amount of time at the Olympic Training Center located in the Springs. When I was in high school (late eighties), it was a fun town and had a wonderful club scene the was extremely supportive of the gay and lesbien community. My mother listens to Focus on the Family, and when that organization was in process to "move" to the Springs they advised their listners to move as well. "In the granduer of God's majestic splendor, we can create a safe, Jesus centered community etc..." It's not safe to be gay in that town anymore.
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Im getting ready to leave Colorado Springs,after living here for 17 years.
In the last year we had a plan for home for people with disabilities the
people of El Paso County said no. And the people of the El Paso County. I
was also on the north side of town where all those religious right people
are. And I was oblivious before, but I noticed there weren't any African
Americans or Hispanics. I later went to the library Colorado Springs's
northside is 97% white. A small portion of south Colorado Springs is a tiny
bit diverse and that part of town lives in poverty. In my classes there are
usually two or three african americans and they sit in same eisle. In
addition, people in El Paso county dont blame the buisness owners who pay
5.15 for the low-mean wage. The blame minorities. Colorado Springs is about
79% repuiblican. Which makes Salt City and Provo "liberal".
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Colorado Springs has gotten much more conservative over the years...
In a county this large with 485,000 people
A democrat may get a couple thousand votes
Here are the sections of Colorado Springs and how conservative they are
North side: Is 97% white according to the census and has gotten even more
white over the last 8 years. Republican always elected. Strong
anti-goverment movement on this side of town, Charles Duke, a
republican,who sided with violent militia's was elected to the state
legislature, No democrat ever runs for county-commisioner or state
legislator here, they will be laughed at and persecuted. Often, people on
this side of the town will stop you and start about religion. They pressure
you to join there church. They get very angry if you say something
negative. This side of town is also very prosperous and filled with
arrogant,religious fanatics.Guys in a leisurely situation must wear blue,
if you wear red your made fun of
South-side: About 90% white,even with active military living here,still
democrats (on the big south-side that houses 100,000 people) may get 7,000
votes= yieding about 7% democrat and 93% republican the north-side is 95%
republican and about 5% democrat, thats right provo,utah seems
ultra-liberal compared to Colorado Springs
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