Liberal Place: Missoula, MT

"I have a couple of comments on the liberal-ness (Is it even a word?!?) of the community of Missoula. I addition to Missoula being declared a hate free zone, there was a referendum passed recently that allows gay couples to register with the city and recieve most of the benifits of married couples. As well, we recently elected Diane Sands, Democrat, to the Montana Legislature. She is the first openly gay legislator in the state of Montana. As well, both the City and the County of Missoula offer benefits to partners of gay/lesbian employees, as does the University of Montana, located in Missoula.

Last year, the residents of Missoula voted on a 5 million dollar bond that would allow the city to purchase land to be reserved for Open Space. The land that was purchased is prime elk habitat and that habitat was being threatened by development.

Missoula is also the only place in Montana where i have been able to walk down the street with my partner and not be looked at in strange ways or whispered about. All in all, it is a lovely, liberal place to be...

...and another comment...

Yes it's easy to be out in Missoula, though it's the only place i've lived where i had a real physical threat (gun to my head. I was with a group of 5 other men leaving a queer friendly bar. However this was about 10 years ago).

On a recent visit back I thought most of the changes in the past 10 years have been for the better. It's more cosmopolitan, slightly more diverse (this is Montana afterall), and more good restaurants. The sprawl on the outskirts is horrible, though, and the city needs to consider zoning like Portland, Oregon's; that is in-fill oriented.

Still, it's one of the most friendly places i've ever lived.

...and another comment...

Arrived there in 1983. Rampant anti-California sentiment, and it's gotten worse over the years...now exacerbated by local hate-talk radio and militia activities. If you're a student or trust-fund hippie, Missoula can be pretty cool (you can get out), although if you're of the Blackfoot Indian persuasion, be careful in those "liberal" college watering holes....those drunk white boys like to rumble in great numbers. I worked in Missoula for several years. The university is a convenient excuse to keep wages incredibly low and rents incredibly high. A previous commenter may have been lucky parading around with her/his partner, but I recall several newsworthy gay bashings, and I once witnessed (at 4B's on Broadway) a young man get harassed nearly to the point of violence by the female half of a straight couple. His offense:wearing a pink shirt. A cop appeared before things really got ugly. I have many more stories.

...and another comment...

i have covered the missoula city council for two years for the local public access center and have never encountered the statute or the vote on a referundum enabling same sex city registration...is this really true, seems i would have noticed...