# Political Correctness in Portugal



## Moretothestory (Jul 25, 2019)

Here is a fairly simple question about comparing current cultural norms in the U.S. vs Portugal. My city not only allows but welcomes people who "prefer a homeless lifestyle". As a result the city is full of homeless encampments, high crime areas, drug dealing and the whole lot. Add to it the recent fascination with bi-sex bathrooms and shower areas to name a few things. Has Portugal gone down this path? What kind of cultural norms does one encounter there?

Thank you,
MTTS


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## travelling-man (Jun 17, 2011)

I guess that probably varies by area & my part of rural Portugal in the central zone tends to take the attitude of 'live like you wanna live baby' (to quote Country Joe & the Fish) and we do have our fair share of halfwit hippies trying to live off grid, grow their own whatever & set up yoga retreats etc, they don't interfere with anyone & little if any homeless junkies wandering around & I've never seen a unsex bathroom anywhere in the area. 

Locals tend to be friendly, welcoming & generous.


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

For many reasons there’s almost no comparison, Here in Portugal (not on a gated ex-pat community which I can't comment about) people live as part of the community, they walk on the streets, kids play unaccompanied on streets in the towns, they walk to school or use public transport, people do not generally carry guns, doors are often left open. The average income is low compared to most of the EU, foreigners are (generally) welcomed with open arms, people seem to spend more time talking to each other then on the internet, sex is regarded as a normal adult activity, defalcating and urinating are normal human activities hence restaurants will have toilets not necessary "Ladies and Gents", being topless in the appropriate place is normal, giving a bit of cash to someone is common, being homeless and/or poor is NOT counted as a sin. I can show you some home made shacks built in a small historic town where families live as part of the community, I'll post a streetview later. The drug thing? Just read a bit of history and you'll find why there is no similarity with the US of A, basically here drug addiction is treated a medical issue and as the health service is (almost) free for residents "illegal" drugs do not exist - from experience I never saw this attitude in the States - making "illegal" drugs almost legal and medical stuff free has almost removed any drug related crime. etc.............


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

Here's a a longer drug related article and to give you some context remember that the "dictatorship" only ended here in 1974 so the modern society has developed from then. 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/20...licy-is-working-why-hasnt-the-world-copied-it


Here's some local shacks though they don't look like a tourist attraction they, and those living there, are accepted as a normal part of society.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.595...4!1sIuFkiPJNL5td3lh7tJGSIw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


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## JohnBoy (Oct 25, 2009)

What an interesting post MTTS. Would you care to share the name of the US city that you mentioned? It sounds like it's one to avoid.

Whilst I totally agree with previous posters about life here, there is one small matter that came to light last week that left me thinking, please NO! Schools have been told that in addition to male and female toilets, they must now introduce transgender toilets. Nobody has been able to tell me if there will need to be two; One for males trannying to female and another for females trannying to male. Perhaps MTTS can tell us how that works stateside. 

It left more questions than answers that's for sure. Is this all schools or just the more senior ones I wonder. That question sprung to mind thanks to a documentary about a London clinic counselling children as young as three for goodness sakes. It's becoming a funny old world.


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## Strontium (Sep 16, 2015)

Hi,

This school, and other places, toilet thing is just people making it into a problem when there is already non-problem in use. I was at a secure military place last week and all the toilets and showers were non-gender specific, so a single cubicle toilet was a toilet with TOILET written on the door and a single cubical shower was a shower. with SHOWER written on the door (obs in English so you can't start making up problems about nouns being masculine or feminine) Same as on an aeroplane or hotel room (other places are available) a toilet is a toilet is a WC.


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## garner (Mar 14, 2019)

I have lived in Portugal for a year, and the general attitude that I encountered was very flexible and welcoming.


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