I am considering moving to Germany and was told that regions in the south are more conservative, so much so that an acquaintance ex-pat said they would never want to live there. Looking online there are some sources to support this notion but nothing concrete. I am wanting to move mostly because I loved the country and the people I met while traveling (specifically in Munich and Freiburg) but was hoping to land somewhere that queer folks are more accepted. I didn’t get any bad vibes while traveling but that was nearly a decade ago now.
Another German friend recommended moving to Berlin for these reasons and I’m wondering if German conservative is anything remotely close to US conservative. The conservatives near where I live now fly Trump and confederate flags, love to put those “I did that” Biden stickers on the gas pumps when prices go up, and the local schoolboard managed to pass anti-trans bathroom policies that affected something like 5 students in the entire district. Is it anything like this in parts of Germany?
As a SW-German, I’d say it is way more a rural vs. urban thing. In the greater Stuttgart area f.i. don’t worry about openly living a gay lifestyle. If you live out in the woods, it might be different, but not necessarily so.
That being said, SW’eners are generally way more conservative towards any kind of “fun” or “flamboyant“ things - legacy of the very pietist history here.
I would say that around Fasching time, things get pretty fun & flamboyant, even in the rural areas of BW.
Well, that’s your opinion….
Well I have seen some pretty conservative farmer types get on the village stage and dance in drag, but maybe you have been to some Fasching celebrations that were tame?
I found Fasching - at least for me - had almost always had kind of a staged and unnatural feel to it. It definitely does not meet my expectations for a liberal, welcoming vibe that encourages self-love and -expression. But that maybe just me…
Thank you for that thoughtful explanation. It’s a perspective I hadn’t considered.