Facebook data gives insight into gay marriage support

[Mr. Illini]

Facebook released a map showing data on which counties has the most profile changes to the red equal sign this week. Obviously not scientific, but pretty accurate by my reading. Austin looks pretty cool down there surrounded by white. Champaign stands out as a dark red in Illinois, as do other college towns around the country.

http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/streams/2013/March/130329/1C6694099-733793-10151529094558415-1606351704-n.streams_desktop_medium.png

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/facebook-data-shows-picture-same-sex-marriage-support-1C9146434

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

Is the county in Texas where Austin is?

[7,052,770]

Tiny map, but unsurprised that Oktibbeha, Forrest, and Lafayette - the college counties - are the counties in Mississippi.

[Old Man Svensson]

Wyoming is more pro-gay than Maryland, despite Maryland having SSM.

WYOMING.

WHAT.

[MaxQue]

Wyoming is more pro-gay than Maryland, despite Maryland having SSM.

WYOMING.

WHAT.

Well, Wyoming is wierd, gay marriage was never banned or anything, despite Republicans having huge majorities in Legislature.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

There's also all those gay cowboys.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I can see Charlottesville, which makes sense.

[Old Man Svensson]

Wyoming is more pro-gay than Maryland, despite Maryland having SSM.

WYOMING.

WHAT.

Well, Wyoming is wierd, gay marriage was never banned or anything, despite Republicans having huge majorities in Legislature.

In fairness, our Republicans tend to put as far between themselves and social issues as possible, to the point that our current Republican administration once mysteriously disappeared a bunch of anti-abortion road signs. Still, though, to know Wyoming is more pro-gay per capita than a state with gay marriage astonishes me.

[MaxQue]

Any reason for that behaviour, which is quite at the opposite of the direction of the federal party?

[Old Man Svensson]

Any reason for that behaviour, which is quite at the opposite of the direction of the federal party?

I would not be able to tell you, honestly. All I know is we kind of have a sore history with the anti-gay thing, what with what happened to Matthew Shepard. Westboro's been run out of the state by three different administrations over that.

[MaxQue]

Oh, true, it happened there.
It would be logical, that kind of event leave a profound trauma in a community.

And given the small population of the state and the heavy coverage it got, the trauma could have affected the whole state.

[fezzyfestoon]

Good for North Carolina for Raleigh and Asheville being among the most gay-friendly southern areas.

[Mr. Illini]

I have always felt that Wyoming is the most socially liberal red state. They were the first to give women suffrage way back when, and today they are the closest red state to legalizing gay marriage, as far as I know.

[Old Man Svensson]

I have always felt that Wyoming is the most socially liberal red state. They were the first to give women suffrage way back when, and today they are the closest red state to legalizing gay marriage, as far as I know.

Well, the current administration has signed some pretty anti-gay legislation, but the thing is...no one really likes it. In fact, the vast majority of its opposition comes from our Republicans, since Democrats here are few and far between. Our right is more libertarian than anything here.

Plus, the Mead administration is slowly but surely starting to turn out objectively horrible anyway, so they're not really much of a point of comparison.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

I have always felt that Wyoming is the most socially liberal red state. They were the first to give women suffrage way back when, and today they are the closest red state to legalizing gay marriage, as far as I know.

Not to mention the great Alan Simpson.

[dead0man]

Damn, Lancaster County (where the big Uni is) is a darker red than Douglas (where Omaha is) or Sarpy (where the big Air Force Base is).

[Benj]

It's clear that the college counties way out-"polled" their numbers on this. While most would clearly be in the top few counties in their state in favor of gay marriage, counties where the college does not completely dominate (Centre, PA; Champaign, IL; etc.) would obviously not do better than, say, Manhattan on gay marriage. There's just a stronger network effect to create profile picture changes on college campuses.

[Torie]

Why is Duluth gay friendly?

[TDAS04]

Why is Duluth gay friendly?

A heavily-Democratic, progressive, medium-sized city in Minnesota.  The religious people there tend to be mainstream Lutherans rather than holy-rollers.

[TDAS04]

I have always felt that Wyoming is the most socially liberal red state. They were the first to give women suffrage way back when, and today they are the closest red state to legalizing gay marriage, as far as I know.

Not to mention the great Alan Simpson.

Don't forget Dick Cheney.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

So the lighest states seem to be Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

[Brittain33]

Why is Duluth gay friendly?

A heavily-Democratic, progressive, medium-sized city in Minnesota.  The religious people there tend to be mainstream Lutherans rather than holy-rollers.

Is there a significant university there?

[MaxQue]

Why is Duluth gay friendly?

A heavily-Democratic, progressive, medium-sized city in Minnesota.  The religious people there tend to be mainstream Lutherans rather than holy-rollers.

Is there a significant university there?

There is an University of Minnesota Duluth with arond 10,000 students.

[Mr. Illini]

So the lighest states seem to be Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

I would not have guessed any differently prior to seeing the map.

[Lambsbread]

Looks like Montco isn't that bad