New study on gay life: Is Green Gaycres the place to be?

LOGO (our mother ship) has released the results of a months-long study that shows that a lot of younger gays are eschewing big city life in favor of joining smaller communities, while still living openly and maintaining their identities.

The project, which was completed earlier this year, raises some interesting points:

A vast majority (79 percent) of gay people think it’s important to integrate into the greater culture and 64 percent are open about their sexual orientation to at least their family members.

Less than half of gay people want to live in the city and a majority want to live in suburbia or small-town America. Regardless of where they want to live, 58 percent want to live closer to other gay people.

Two-thirds of younger gay people expect to be partnered with kids at some point in their adulthood, while less than a third of gays 35 and older expect the same.

Younger gay people have an even mix of gay and straight friends.

Overall, gay people rank marriage equality as the number one issue about which they’re passionate, followed by the environment, health care and the economy.

“We’re trading in West Hollywood for West Texas and big disposable incomes for disposable diapers,” said Lisa Sherman, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Logo. “Most important, we’re integrating without abandoning our community or sense of identity. These developments are good for LGBT people and good for America."

Speaking as someone who has lived in both the city and the boondocks (currently, I'm somewhere in-between), I've seen the good and bad in both.

We're interested to hear your thoughts. Does any of this "vast generational shift" surprise you? Have you (or your friends) made the move from the big city to Petticoat Junction, and if so, is it difficult to feel part of the "community"?