Fargo

[lamb-on-easter]

im moving to fargo this aug.
only visited once, so i dont know what the gay scene is...

anybody out there know?

 

[G-Lexington]

Nice to see you again, LOE. Well, I guess that's a BIT bigger than the town you're in now, right?

Never been to Fargo, but a quick Google search turned up a couple matches. There's apparently a Pride event (but in June, so you'll miss it), so it can't be all that dead.

Lex

 

[lamb-on-easter]

hey! yes it is much better than this town of 1,500.

but hey, it is home to the worlds largest popcornball. hahahah (so lame)

ND is just so...well boring. not like i have the right to say from IA. but from what i have seen is that fargo doesnt have much diversity...

maybe june 2010 ... huh?

 

[G-Lexington]

So why Fargo? Job there? Why not Denver? We've got more sporting teams, tattoo parlors, pizza joints, and psychiatrists per capita than any other US city.

Lex

 

[lamb-on-easter]

lol well those are all very nice things, but i am moving to ND so i can get residency to lower tution at the university of north dakota in fall 2011

 

[G-Lexington]

Ah. Well, if that's your choice, fare thee well.

Lex

 

[rareboy]

The gay scene in Fargo?

You are kidding, right?

 

[Lube]

Look at it this way:

The Twin Cities are only 3.5 hours away.

 

[KaraBulut]

Fargo is a college town. In these sparsely-populated rural states, gay people move to the major cities, so Fargo does have a decent GLBT population.

But it's still Fargo and the winters are brutal. Given the choice of Ames or Des Moines, I would stay in Iowa.

 

[lamb-on-easter]

yeah i understand that. but im not moving just for a better social life, im moving so that i can good to a good college.

and with that information, i should add that i will not be moving to fargo. i will like in the twin cities for a year. after the year i will move to grand forks ND to attend UND.

gay scene is much better there huh?

 

[G-Lexington]

Twin cities of Ames/Des Moines? To me, twin cities means Minneapolis/St Paul, or Dallas/Ft Worth.

Lex

 

[bankside]

I think you would find that gay scene in Winnipeg. Get a passport, or the Americans won't let you back in.

Or maybe don't get a passport!

 

[lamb-on-easter]

sorry for the confusion lex.

i did mean minneapolis/ st paul.
i will apply for minnesota residency
which is much lower tution at UND vs iowa residency

 

[Georgiadude]

I grew up in Bismarck, North Dakota so I can give you some perspective.

First off. The movie Fargo is a joke. The people do NOT talk like that. Yes there is an accent but it was SO fucking over played it was beyond stupid.

As you know Fargo is on the far eastern edge of the state. Its part of the Red River Valley. The area is as flat as a table. The area outside of Fargo is very rural and has some of the best farmland in the world. The soil is very rich and even when dry looks like its wet. The main crops are sugar beets and potatoes. There are a lot of migrant workers that come into the area to help in the fields. Most of the farmers are very wealthy and they spend a lot of money in the community. If you need a job and don't mind some hard physical labor you could get hired doing some field work. It's usually paid in cash so you can get a "tax break".

NDSU (North Dakota State University) is a pretty large campus. I know you know about it otherwise you wouldn't have chosen to go there. They do have a LGBT student organization. I don't know how big it is and I'm sure in the summer it is not active. I haven't been to Fargo for several years but I seem to remember them having 1 gay or gay friendly bar. I want to say it was downtown but its been too long for me to remember accurately. Fargo is the largest and most tolerant cities in the area. I'm confident there is a gay social "lifestyle" for lack of a better word. You will just have to dig a bit and find it.

I lived in Grand Forks for 10 years in the 90's. UND is a very large campus as well. Lots of college sporting events to go to. Football, basketball, soccer, rugby and of course Division 1 hockey. Make sure to check out the Ralph Englestad Arena. It rivals alot of pro facilities. UND has a LGBT student organization as well. They do a lot of social functions, have a float in the homecoming parade, dances etc. G. F. is a pretty tolerant city. I was a paramedic and can't remember 1 incident of anyone being "bashed" or things like that. I'm not saying it doesn't or can't happen but I don't recall it happening in the 10 years I lived there. Someone said something about Winnipeg. It's about 150 miles north of G. F. They have a large gay community. Winnipeg is a beautiful city with a lot of fun things do to.

There definately are 4 seasons up there. Spring starts in late March and is a very welcomed time. Summer starts in late May and lasts until end of August. It can get into the low 100's and is very humid. The mosquitoes can get brutal in the summer so keep some OFF handy as well as sun screen. Fall is beautiful. Take a drive into northern Minnesota. The leaves on the trees are amazing. I saved the best for last. Winter is horrid at times. Temps of -30 and wind chills of -100 are not uncommon. Make sure you keep a winter survival kit in your car. Your car battery should be < 5 years old and you will need some good quality winter clothes. I have seen snow on the ground in every month except August. It didn't snow in July but there were some areas where it hadn't melted yet.

Ok. really sorry about how long this got but I just wanted to make sure I told you about the area. The answer to you original question is yes. There is a gay social network in Fargo and G. F. You will have to get out there and find it. The people are tolerant but it's not like the twin cities where it's out in the open. You will have to work a bit but I'm sure you will fit in. For the most part the people are very friendly and will go out of their way to welcome you.

Good luck with the move and in school. Both universities are great schools and the tuition isn't bad either. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll be happy to answer them.

Steven.