EZEtoGRU

I’d find him attractive if he were mute 

I don't get it.  Reasonably attractive guy posts a video about how easy it was for him to hook up with another attractive guy at a gay nude beach.  Is that supposed to surprise anyone?  It would be more interesting if someone not particularly physically attractive created a video about how he manages to hook up with attractive guys when cruising a public place like a nude beach.  At least that might be educational for some people. 
NB: When I used to visit Kauai regularly I always went to the unofficial nude beach there (Donkey beach) and typically had success hooking up with guys even though I didn't consider myself particularly sexy.  There were usually very few guys there looking for sex there so when there was someone who caught my eye it really took little effort on my part to find someone to blow.

Thank you for sharing.
I used to take my dogs to the gay beach at San Onofre.  So beautiful there and they loved it.
Anyone been to this video location?  I did some internet searching and found likely possibilities.
If anyone has actually visited this very spot where this vlog was recorded, would you please share the name of the beach?
As far as how easy to get with a stranger, his dogs and his personality helped.  I guess he could go to the next level and teach the pooches to sit up and beg. 😆
 

Bingo!

So these 2 moved out of Louisiana because the State passed a law banning gender-affirming care for minors?   Every state in these United States is going to pass such laws.  80% + of the population is firmly against this and the opposition is virulent even in CA, NY, NJ etc.   Anyone see the thousands of people protesting the Sister's of Perpetual Indulgence at Dodger stadium this past June??  
 

Racial minorities and immigrant groups are also feeling compelled to move (in cases where they are able) due to recently imposed legislation in their home state.  I guess it amazes me that in 2023 in the US,  minority groups in certain states feel they have to move to a new state in order to feel safe, accepted, and live an authentic life.  This is not a normal thing to be occurring in a developed nation in 2023.    

no - actually you jumped into this thread to respond to @mixer17
this is how trolls do it: manipulate the conversation to start the political controversy that you really want…..& is now banned here.  
have you ever been to São Paulo or Rio ?  Let’s hear about that & how it compares re: personal safety to other places.  Or, extra precautions that may need to taken, or places to avoid when in Brazil. 

this is a thread about São Paulo, Rio and attendant safety concerns.  But thanks for hijacking it to make your political talking points.  Well done 

That's because Shucked started out at Dallas Theater Center as Hee-Haw The Musical. 
It didn't run well and they took it back to the drawing board, but kept entirely too much of the yuk-yuk humor. 
The best part of the show is Newell's one big nunber. And they got a Tony for it. 
The rest I wouldn't wish to make my worst enemy sit through.

Some people just don't know how to travel safely I guess.  I've been to Brazil 15x now and I still don't get the draw of Favela tours. First why go to asking for trouble and secondly,  as I mentioned before If you have time to go to a favela tour with the sauna and nightlife taking up a significant portion of your time, you're just doing it wrong.  Brazil has been the most amazing place that's brought me the most joy compared to all the places I have travelled. 
You can get mugged anywhere careful or not. Take precautions and plan ahead. The way I dress I dress in Brasil is 90% different than at home. I do not flaunt anything. I carry a decoy wallet, with small bills and expired credit cards. My passport stays in the hotel safe and I have a spare phone. I have a $1,000,000 travel insurance policy with repatriation, I pay yearly and can use all-over the world. It's already paid for itself when I got COVID in Brazil. Top notch hospital , concierge service for international patients, 450$ fully reimbursed. Choice of hospital should also be known prior to traveling.  
There are many many many places in the US now that it is more dangerous than Sao Paolo or Zona Sul in Rio.  I am in the medical field and just today I treated someone that got randomly shot, in their car, driving on the freeway in a safe suburb.  
I feel are a lot safer now in the good parts of Sao Paolo than a lot of places in California now.  Nowadays I can't even go to any kind of minority focused event (e.g. gay pride) without the thought of a random mass gun violence in the back of my head.  Do a simple google of "mass shootings" for different countries and you will be surprised how much safer Brazil is than a lot of places. 
Big cities are all the same when you think of it.  Hotels, drug stores, groceries stores, places of work, malls etc etc; the surroundings and people just look different. If you think the safety of big cities in US vs Brasil is different, you might want to do some research. Europe is the same if you turn the wrong corner.  Athens: you will see as much drugs as Skid row in LA or that bad part of Vancouver. Montreal has a little homeless problem now too but that doesn't mean I am not going. I never come home from Italy without my backpack having a few slash marks.  My Travel bag specifically for Europe is slash-proof.  If you haven't things like this in the majority of the places you travel to, then you are probably a "resort" person who stays in their hotel or the places you travel to are totally sterile. 
ANYWHERE THERE ARE TOURISTS, THERE IS DANGER. If you can't accept this, don't travel.  If you are afraid, stay home.
 

I’m assuming Shucked isn’t doing very well at the box office. I got a survey on-line from Shucked asking me what elements of the show I might like/dislike.  I’ve never looked at possibly going to the show so I’m not sure why I was a recipient of the survey…although I do attend theatre in Detroit, NYC, and London. 
 
They seemed to be looking for ways to make the show more appealing in order to sell more tickets. Multiple questions on how you feel about country music (I hate it).   Every time I see their advertising I think about that 1970’s show Hee Haw (I also disliked that). 
 
Anyways, Shucked wouldn’t be for me but I’m glad others get a kick out of it. 

Montreal 8/18/23 – 8/21/23
This post is way past due – Sorry.
 Hyatt Place (formerly The Gouverneur)
My husband and I have stayed here and its predecessor for many years.  The current incarnation is clean with modern somewhat cold décor. I don’t think we will be staying there again because the room design flaws got on our nerves this time. See https://www.companyofmen.org/topic/142770-hotels-montreal/?do=findComment&comment=2129974
 Breakfast room very crowded and lots of children.  Only one station to get coffee which creates a line.  Food just OK.
 Homeless situation
Homelessness is a problem in many cities in the U.S, and Canada so it is no shock to see it in Montreal.  Not only in the Village but in the old town as well.
 We didn’t see many homeless around the hotel.  The bank on the corner now has a guard which keeps them from sitting on the steps.  The city over the last few years has reconfigured the park across the street to make it more inviting to passersby. Fewer homeless are gathering there.  Don’t know why.  Perhaps increased police presence.
 We did encounter homeless on St. Catherine Street but no one bothered us.  Still, it is a real problem. The media reported in late July that several establishments closed their “terrasses” because patrons were harassed and afraid to eat outside. The mayor held a news conference and promised more police and social services so they reopened them. 
 https://montreal.citynews.ca/2023/06/22/village-issues-mayor-plan/
 Report of attack on shop owner September 2,2023
 https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/restaurant-owner-says-she-and-her-husband-were-attacked-on-their-terrace-in-montreal-s-village-1.6546254
 We did not see an increased police presence.  If anything, it seemed like fewer police then in past years.  We did not feel safe walking St. Catherine Street particularly the blocks just before Taboo and along the park next to it.
 There is no easy answer.
 The Village
The Village has not recovered from the disaster of Covid-19.  We found conditions have not improved in the year since our last visit.  Many restaurants and stores have not reopened.
 Here’s an article from the Dawson College Newsletter I found touching because we used to east in Mozza a lot:
 https://www.theplantnews.com/post/the-gay-village-no-longer-gay
 Something that I think would restore some of the joy would be the replacement of the overhead “18 Shades of Gay”.  Lots of tourists of all persuasions visited to take selfies.  There were plans for a replacement but I don’t know what happened.  Probably lack of funds.
 The Bars
We went to Taboo every night because we enjoy twink types.  There were 10-12 dancers Thursday-Saturday.  Sunday was absolutely dead only one dancer and maybe six patrons including us.
 Dancers were OK.  Some a little heavier than ideal. One blonde from Nova Scotia (I think) was spectacular.  He danced fully nude. The trend continues that the majority of dancers DID NOT dance fully nude. All that we chose for private lap dances were great.
 Stopped by Campus twice in the afternoon and there were no dancers each time and few patrons.  I wonder how it is worth their while to open in the afternoon.  Tried once at around 7 PM and there were still no dancers.  One we met outside was just arriving and said things got started around 8 PM.
 Will we be returning?
Probably, unless reports get worse.  We have been going every summer since 1989 and have so  many good memories of places, restaurants, and yes, dancers.  I hope that the Village will once again return to its vibrant self.
 
 

Is it just me or is this World Cup not generating the same level of interest that it normally would?  How full are the stands during the games?

Just back from a  four night trip to Montreal.  Weather was mostly good with the exception of some storms on Sunday and showers today Monday.   I noticed no smoke smell during my time there.  Things were active in The Village with lots of foot traffic.
I visited both Stock and Campus.  I was at Stock Thursday and Friday nights.  Stock is looking great with all the renovations.  Stock & Soda seems to be successful...at least now during the summer.  Plenty of folks sitting on the patio part on the street.  The inside VIP room (Stock Speakeasy?) was inaugurated on Friday.   Somehow, I managed not to check it out.  Oops!  I saw the new owner, Danny, who I remember from his bartender days.  He seemed really upbeat about everything.  DJ Anthony also made an appearance on Thursday for his hosting duties of the Studio Show.    Stock currently has more employees than I have ever seen previously.   The current level of business seems to support the increased number of staff.  Although, Thursday was relatively slow.  Things didn't really get going till after 11:00pm.  Note the weekly summer fireworks have been moved from Saturdays to Thursdays.  As a result, dancers and customers don't really start showing up to Stock till after 10:00.  They had 10-12 dancers there on Thursday and some didn't turn up till after 10:00pm.  So it was fairly slim pickings before 10:00pm.  Alex the bartender was on duty at the main bar by the shower stage.  He is always good fun.  I ended up hanging out with Jasper & Eric most of the evening.  It was good fun.  The crowd was mostly gay men.  Although there were a few ladies there, they did not make for an overpowering presence.
Friday was a very different night.  It  was, of course, much busier at Stock as a weekend night.  Also, the women were present in force.  It felt like a ladies night.  In fact, when I arrived around 8:30, I was advised that there was a special bachelorette-type party going on and that it would be over by 10:00pm.  It must have started at 6 or 7 cause at 8:30 it was already well underway.  Former Stock dancer Parker was the host and he had 2-3 non-Stock dancers plus Gatuso performing for the ladies.  Several of the bachelorettes were brought up on stage and given lap-dances.  It was kind of fun to watch from afar and I assumed they would clear out at 10:00pm.  Well this pre-show did end as scheduled  and the ladies were told that if they wanted to continue on at Stock, they would need to go out and pay the Stock cover-charge and re-enter.  It seems most of them did that and the female presence just grew larger as the night progressed.   All the chairs closest to the stage were occupied by females.  Men seemed to be in the minority in the bar.  The dancer line-up consisted of many attractive guys (Jo, Jasper, Vinny, Gatuso (from Tunisia), Barack (from Costa Rica), Bran, Denzel, Miguel, and Santiago).  There were a few others there as well which I would consider duds...at least for my taste.  Former Stock dancer Tyler also made an appearance as a customer.  We had a quick chance to catch-up since I had not seen him since before COVID.  He is not currently dancing anywhere.   I had fun both nights. at Stock.  
Thursday, I stopped in briefly at Campus between stays at Stock.  I seemed to be there during the transition from the day talent to the evening talent.  The daytime boys were largely forgettable in my view.  A few of the nighttime guys coming in looked interesting but I did not stay long enough to see any of them perform.  A couple of the daytime dancers were overly-aggressive which I did not appreciate.   Campus had roughly the same amount of clients on Thursday as Stock so , due to its smaller size, Campus appeared busier.  There was only a token presence of ladies at Campus on Thursday.
I returned to Campus on Saturday and what a difference.  It was packed with a whole lot more dancers.  Two very big body-builder types.  Also there were multiple muscular younger guys at Campus that seemed to be lacking at Stock.  I hung out with three dancers Saturday night and had great fun.   The bartender John was a hoot also.  He enjoyed gradually removing his clothes while working.    The former dancer red-headed Manager (I don't remember his name) was working Saturday and I had an opportunity to speak with him.  I told him I first saw him dancing way back when at West Side on Beaver Hall when they had strippers.  That's quite a few years ago now.  There were a few more women at Campus on Saturday than on Thursday but it did not feel overwhelming to me.
I did not go to the clubs on Sunday so nothing to report there.
My conclusions overall:
*  The Stock renovation looks wonderful and is bringing in increased business to Stock & Soda and also the main strip club.
*  Stock still has to work on getting the guys naked on stage.  There are multiple guys (mostly the newer ones) that do not get naked.  Some don't even flash their goods.
*  The dancer talent at Stock has improved over the last few months.  This is partially due to getting back some of the former Stock strippers that had stopped stripping or had moved to Campus.   That is all good, (and kudos to Stock management for achieving this) but Stock also needs to get some muscular younger talent .  We need to have some fresh younger faces to go along with the veterans.  
* Stock needs to get more dancers to come in earlier.  Many dancers not arriving till 10:00 or even 11:00pm  just doesn't work for me.  I like to start fairly early.  I really want to see most of the guys by 9:00pm so I can decide who to spend time with.  I would guess that most older customers 45+ (with bank in their pocket) would much prefer to have most dancers around  by 9:00pm rather than have to wait till 11:00pm to see the top guys.
*  The Women at Stock.  Something needs to be done about this.  I know it's a difficult issue as one cannot discriminate.   But the women on Friday (after the earlier bachelorette event)  were the dominant force for the entire night.  I wanted to tip one of the dancers on the stage and found it very difficult to even get close.  I was told Saturday night was similar at Stock.
I hope to return to Montreal this summer.  I really really don't want to be spending my gay dollars in Florida if I don't have to.  I am happy with the great progress at Stock in just three months but look for further improvements on the items highlighted above.  I really want to return more regularly if possible.
 
 

Just back from a  four night trip to Montreal.  Weather was mostly good with the exception of some storms on Sunday and showers today Monday.   I noticed no smoke smell during my time there.  Things were active in The Village with lots of foot traffic.
I visited both Stock and Campus.  I was at Stock Thursday and Friday nights.  Stock is looking great with all the renovations.  Stock & Soda seems to be successful...at least now during the summer.  Plenty of folks sitting on the patio part on the street.  The inside VIP room (Stock Speakeasy?) was inaugurated on Friday.   Somehow, I managed not to check it out.  Oops!  I saw the new owner, Danny, who I remember from his bartender days.  He seemed really upbeat about everything.  DJ Anthony also made an appearance on Thursday for his hosting duties of the Studio Show.    Stock currently has more employees than I have ever seen previously.   The current level of business seems to support the increased number of staff.  Although, Thursday was relatively slow.  Things didn't really get going till after 11:00pm.  Note the weekly summer fireworks have been moved from Saturdays to Thursdays.  As a result, dancers and customers don't really start showing up to Stock till after 10:00.  They had 10-12 dancers there on Thursday and some didn't turn up till after 10:00pm.  So it was fairly slim pickings before 10:00pm.  Alex the bartender was on duty at the main bar by the shower stage.  He is always good fun.  I ended up hanging out with Jasper & Eric most of the evening.  It was good fun.  The crowd was mostly gay men.  Although there were a few ladies there, they did not make for an overpowering presence.
Friday was a very different night.  It  was, of course, much busier at Stock as a weekend night.  Also, the women were present in force.  It felt like a ladies night.  In fact, when I arrived around 8:30, I was advised that there was a special bachelorette-type party going on and that it would be over by 10:00pm.  It must have started at 6 or 7 cause at 8:30 it was already well underway.  Former Stock dancer Parker was the host and he had 2-3 non-Stock dancers plus Gatuso performing for the ladies.  Several of the bachelorettes were brought up on stage and given lap-dances.  It was kind of fun to watch from afar and I assumed they would clear out at 10:00pm.  Well this pre-show did end as scheduled  and the ladies were told that if they wanted to continue on at Stock, they would need to go out and pay the Stock cover-charge and re-enter.  It seems most of them did that and the female presence just grew larger as the night progressed.   All the chairs closest to the stage were occupied by females.  Men seemed to be in the minority in the bar.  The dancer line-up consisted of many attractive guys (Jo, Jasper, Vinny, Gatuso (from Tunisia), Barack (from Costa Rica), Bran, Denzel, Miguel, and Santiago).  There were a few others there as well which I would consider duds...at least for my taste.  Former Stock dancer Tyler also made an appearance as a customer.  We had a quick chance to catch-up since I had not seen him since before COVID.  He is not currently dancing anywhere.   I had fun both nights. at Stock.  
Thursday, I stopped in briefly at Campus between stays at Stock.  I seemed to be there during the transition from the day talent to the evening talent.  The daytime boys were largely forgettable in my view.  A few of the nighttime guys coming in looked interesting but I did not stay long enough to see any of them perform.  A couple of the daytime dancers were overly-aggressive which I did not appreciate.   Campus had roughly the same amount of clients on Thursday as Stock so , due to its smaller size, Campus appeared busier.  There was only a token presence of ladies at Campus on Thursday.
I returned to Campus on Saturday and what a difference.  It was packed with a whole lot more dancers.  Two very big body-builder types.  Also there were multiple muscular younger guys at Campus that seemed to be lacking at Stock.  I hung out with three dancers Saturday night and had great fun.   The bartender John was a hoot also.  He enjoyed gradually removing his clothes while working.    The former dancer red-headed Manager (I don't remember his name) was working Saturday and I had an opportunity to speak with him.  I told him I first saw him dancing way back when at West Side on Beaver Hall when they had strippers.  That's quite a few years ago now.  There were a few more women at Campus on Saturday than on Thursday but it did not feel overwhelming to me.
I did not go to the clubs on Sunday so nothing to report there.
My conclusions overall:
*  The Stock renovation looks wonderful and is bringing in increased business to Stock & Soda and also the main strip club.
*  Stock still has to work on getting the guys naked on stage.  There are multiple guys (mostly the newer ones) that do not get naked.  Some don't even flash their goods.
*  The dancer talent at Stock has improved over the last few months.  This is partially due to getting back some of the former Stock strippers that had stopped stripping or had moved to Campus.   That is all good, (and kudos to Stock management for achieving this) but Stock also needs to get some muscular younger talent .  We need to have some fresh younger faces to go along with the veterans.  
* Stock needs to get more dancers to come in earlier.  Many dancers not arriving till 10:00 or even 11:00pm  just doesn't work for me.  I like to start fairly early.  I really want to see most of the guys by 9:00pm so I can decide who to spend time with.  I would guess that most older customers 45+ (with bank in their pocket) would much prefer to have most dancers around  by 9:00pm rather than have to wait till 11:00pm to see the top guys.
*  The Women at Stock.  Something needs to be done about this.  I know it's a difficult issue as one cannot discriminate.   But the women on Friday (after the earlier bachelorette event)  were the dominant force for the entire night.  I wanted to tip one of the dancers on the stage and found it very difficult to even get close.  I was told Saturday night was similar at Stock.
I hope to return to Montreal this summer.  I really really don't want to be spending my gay dollars in Florida if I don't have to.  I am happy with the great progress at Stock in just three months but look for further improvements on the items highlighted above.  I really want to return more regularly if possible.
 
 

It's a relatively recent thing for Montreal.  For many years, women were not allowed into Stock or Campus except on the designated Ladies Night once per week at each club.  Both bars strictly enforced these rules.  Then the bars started relaxing the rules to allow ladies on other nights maybe a year before COVID.  Even then, it was nothing like what I just witnessed on Friday night.  So things certainly have evolved on this issue in Montreal.  

Just back from a  four night trip to Montreal.  Weather was mostly good with the exception of some storms on Sunday and showers today Monday.   I noticed no smoke smell during my time there.  Things were active in The Village with lots of foot traffic.
I visited both Stock and Campus.  I was at Stock Thursday and Friday nights.  Stock is looking great with all the renovations.  Stock & Soda seems to be successful...at least now during the summer.  Plenty of folks sitting on the patio part on the street.  The inside VIP room (Stock Speakeasy?) was inaugurated on Friday.   Somehow, I managed not to check it out.  Oops!  I saw the new owner, Danny, who I remember from his bartender days.  He seemed really upbeat about everything.  DJ Anthony also made an appearance on Thursday for his hosting duties of the Studio Show.    Stock currently has more employees than I have ever seen previously.   The current level of business seems to support the increased number of staff.  Although, Thursday was relatively slow.  Things didn't really get going till after 11:00pm.  Note the weekly summer fireworks have been moved from Saturdays to Thursdays.  As a result, dancers and customers don't really start showing up to Stock till after 10:00.  They had 10-12 dancers there on Thursday and some didn't turn up till after 10:00pm.  So it was fairly slim pickings before 10:00pm.  Alex the bartender was on duty at the main bar by the shower stage.  He is always good fun.  I ended up hanging out with Jasper & Eric most of the evening.  It was good fun.  The crowd was mostly gay men.  Although there were a few ladies there, they did not make for an overpowering presence.
Friday was a very different night.  It  was, of course, much busier at Stock as a weekend night.  Also, the women were present in force.  It felt like a ladies night.  In fact, when I arrived around 8:30, I was advised that there was a special bachelorette-type party going on and that it would be over by 10:00pm.  It must have started at 6 or 7 cause at 8:30 it was already well underway.  Former Stock dancer Parker was the host and he had 2-3 non-Stock dancers plus Gatuso performing for the ladies.  Several of the bachelorettes were brought up on stage and given lap-dances.  It was kind of fun to watch from afar and I assumed they would clear out at 10:00pm.  Well this pre-show did end as scheduled  and the ladies were told that if they wanted to continue on at Stock, they would need to go out and pay the Stock cover-charge and re-enter.  It seems most of them did that and the female presence just grew larger as the night progressed.   All the chairs closest to the stage were occupied by females.  Men seemed to be in the minority in the bar.  The dancer line-up consisted of many attractive guys (Jo, Jasper, Vinny, Gatuso (from Tunisia), Barack (from Costa Rica), Bran, Denzel, Miguel, and Santiago).  There were a few others there as well which I would consider duds...at least for my taste.  Former Stock dancer Tyler also made an appearance as a customer.  We had a quick chance to catch-up since I had not seen him since before COVID.  He is not currently dancing anywhere.   I had fun both nights. at Stock.  
Thursday, I stopped in briefly at Campus between stays at Stock.  I seemed to be there during the transition from the day talent to the evening talent.  The daytime boys were largely forgettable in my view.  A few of the nighttime guys coming in looked interesting but I did not stay long enough to see any of them perform.  A couple of the daytime dancers were overly-aggressive which I did not appreciate.   Campus had roughly the same amount of clients on Thursday as Stock so , due to its smaller size, Campus appeared busier.  There was only a token presence of ladies at Campus on Thursday.
I returned to Campus on Saturday and what a difference.  It was packed with a whole lot more dancers.  Two very big body-builder types.  Also there were multiple muscular younger guys at Campus that seemed to be lacking at Stock.  I hung out with three dancers Saturday night and had great fun.   The bartender John was a hoot also.  He enjoyed gradually removing his clothes while working.    The former dancer red-headed Manager (I don't remember his name) was working Saturday and I had an opportunity to speak with him.  I told him I first saw him dancing way back when at West Side on Beaver Hall when they had strippers.  That's quite a few years ago now.  There were a few more women at Campus on Saturday than on Thursday but it did not feel overwhelming to me.
I did not go to the clubs on Sunday so nothing to report there.
My conclusions overall:
*  The Stock renovation looks wonderful and is bringing in increased business to Stock & Soda and also the main strip club.
*  Stock still has to work on getting the guys naked on stage.  There are multiple guys (mostly the newer ones) that do not get naked.  Some don't even flash their goods.
*  The dancer talent at Stock has improved over the last few months.  This is partially due to getting back some of the former Stock strippers that had stopped stripping or had moved to Campus.   That is all good, (and kudos to Stock management for achieving this) but Stock also needs to get some muscular younger talent .  We need to have some fresh younger faces to go along with the veterans.  
* Stock needs to get more dancers to come in earlier.  Many dancers not arriving till 10:00 or even 11:00pm  just doesn't work for me.  I like to start fairly early.  I really want to see most of the guys by 9:00pm so I can decide who to spend time with.  I would guess that most older customers 45+ (with bank in their pocket) would much prefer to have most dancers around  by 9:00pm rather than have to wait till 11:00pm to see the top guys.
*  The Women at Stock.  Something needs to be done about this.  I know it's a difficult issue as one cannot discriminate.   But the women on Friday (after the earlier bachelorette event)  were the dominant force for the entire night.  I wanted to tip one of the dancers on the stage and found it very difficult to even get close.  I was told Saturday night was similar at Stock.
I hope to return to Montreal this summer.  I really really don't want to be spending my gay dollars in Florida if I don't have to.  I am happy with the great progress at Stock in just three months but look for further improvements on the items highlighted above.  I really want to return more regularly if possible.
 
 

Let's see...(10 min/inch) x 8in x 60 min x $300/hour...ugh, I hate cooking.

OK folks.  Let's get back on topic:  LGBT people feeling compelled to move to a different state.  

Racial minorities and immigrant groups are also feeling compelled to move (in cases where they are able) due to recently imposed legislation in their home state.  I guess it amazes me that in 2023 in the US,  minority groups in certain states feel they have to move to a new state in order to feel safe, accepted, and live an authentic life.  This is not a normal thing to be occurring in a developed nation in 2023.    

This is an important article about the real life impact anti-LGBTQ legislation in various states is having on LGBTQ families and their decision to move to more accepting states.   There is also the critical angle of the professional void one of these moves can leave in the departed state. 
These are not rare or unique cases.  This article covers one family leaving Louisiana for New York and another leaving Missouri for Colorado.  However one only need to google the topic to find many instances of people choosing to move (or considering a move) from a less-tolerant state to a more accepting state due to recent legislative changes.  Not surprisingly, many of these stories cover LGBT folks having left or currently living in Florida.
The purpose of starting this thread is not to discuss the politics/legislation which was the impetus for these moves.   Instead we should focus on the impact on people's actual lives and folks feeling compelled to leave the state they once loved.  
One of Louisiana's only pediatric cardiologists has left the state over anti-LGBTQ legislation | CNN
WWW.CNN.COM When Jake Kleinmahon and his husband, Tom, decided to move back to New Orleans in 2018, they had plans to live there forever.  

I think most of those cities are not more gay-friendly, they're just equally hateful to everyone, gay and straight. 
 

So many things that start out small and become huge, expensive, debilitating during treatment might have been caught ahead of the first sign of the worst.
For anyone over 45, it’s risky to ignore basic preventative care, even if out of pocket 
Medicare covers annual wellness checks, but not annual physicals. Don’t know why.
Check w Drs office how they bill it and how the exams/tests differ. (For HIV treatment I get blood work 4x year billed as follow-up visits for which there is no copay)
We seniors also benefit from routine specialized visits for heart, skin, feet, gut, teeth, eyes…
Like Roxy Hart, I’m older than I ever intended to be
 

Thank you for that.  I will always get my annual physical.

Sure...I get all that.  Even with the current service, it only takes 20-23 minutes to get from DC to BWI on Acela and only about an additional 10 minutes to get to Baltimore city center.  The elevated rail would save what?  10 minutes?  
I seriously doubt there is a compelling & realistic business case to spend how many billions such a route.