Tolerant places to live?

[LizSummers]

Hi all I'm still fairly new here and haven't been posting much, but I've been lurking for a looong time!

Anyway, my (ultra-supportive) wife and I are moving to San Francisco in the near future, and I'm hoping that it's as tolerant as I've heard so I can go out and about doing whatever in a skirt and maybe heels.

Do any of you have any experience in being dressed in SF? What was it like? What about other places?

Thanks!

[KateSpade83]

My aunt who lives in SF says there's too many gays and lesbians there. But SF is very expensive to live in! If you can pass very well, anyplace is just as good.

[Carroll]

Ithaca, NY is pretty good

[tamarav]

[SIZE="3"]I lived in San Francisco and worked at UC San Francisco for 6 years, six of the best years of my life. There is no more tolerant place anywhere as far as I am concerned. While working for the UC system working with 78 gay guys, it was nothing to have a bunch come in dressed, usually pretty out-there but it was great to see it. I did dress for a couple of parties there and retirement dinners and such and had a great time, with all the gay guys giving me pointers.

I also belonged to ETVC which met at Che Malae resturant. It had a meeting room in the back and different groups rented it out for meetings. One night it was Dykes on Bikes, then the S&M crowd and so on. Best prime rib and passing floor show you have ever had. Don't know if it is still around the but the ETVC people have morphed into some other group and are still available. You will see people at those meetings that you have never experienced before, at least I did and I still shake my head about some of them. Exotic Erotic Ball and the Black and White ball are two great big time dress-up events to go to, you won't be alone.

Plenty of clubs to go to and there isn't a glimmer of anything when you show your male ID while dressed. They just wave you in and tell you to have a good time.

Have a great time, there. I miss it but do spend time with my daughter who still lives in the City.

Your sis,

Tami[/SIZE]

[androgyne]

Southern California, plus the weather is great so you can dress year-round

[Mean Green Irene]

New Mexico has been good to me. Not a word, not a problem.

[Wendi {LI NY}]

I stay in San Franciso last year in march . I never enjoy my so much as that city . It was wonderful and even the panhandlers were nice, not like NYC.
I try to go back this year ,but my wife wants to go to tucson Az this year .So we are going to tucson and I am packing my bathing suit.
I hope I lose some weight by then ? I heard that tucson is very gender friendly too. We will see i guess?
hugs,Wendi

[AllieSF]

San Francisco as well as the general Bay Area is an expensive place to live. If you have a good job out here you will probably get paid more too. So that helps offset the high costs somewhat. The area is very tolerant of TGs/CDs and in general you will not be hassled. That doesn't mean someone will not make a few loud comments once in awhile. I have been out here a few times and have had no problems. Yes, I have been read and seen some of teh looks. But I was having such a great time, I just didn't care. There are a lot of CD organizations here, counseling, etc. Good luck on your move and please let us know when you get here.

[jennifer41356]

Dallas is no SF, but the weather is pretty good and there are two good spots to go, the gayborhood and Deep Ellum, never had any troubles here, though its a bit expensive, but gasoline is about 8-10 cents lower than the average

[Billijo49504]

Any place that doesn't have rednecks or teen aged girls!! BJ

[Laura Greenhall]

I always thought your (US) county of San Fansisco is fairly liberal.

As for us UKers, I'd suspect any districts of major cities that are full of the 'young and hip'

[Kathy Renee]

Denver has been good to me. Something about thin air I guess.

[trannie T]

San Francisco is known for its tolerant attitude. One can go out in the city and hardly be noticed. I get there once or twice a year and always have a good time. The culture is world class, there are music and art events constantly, the food is great, the climate is wonderful, the Giants have a great ballpark. The traffic is horrible, there is no parking and it is expensive as all hell. If I could afford it I'd be there!

[obsessedwithpantyhose]

PHOENIX

and it dont cost u an arm and a leg to live here

[LizSummers]

I always thought your (US) county of San Fansisco is fairly liberal.

As for us UKers, I'd suspect any districts of major cities that are full of the 'young and hip'

I actually recently moved here from London, where I never had a problem, though I was still terrified!

[Carol A]

Honey only in New Orleans, lived there 32 years

[Eugenie]

Thanks for the info about x-dressing in California. I would have guessed it was the case.

Most large cities are rather tolerant, at least more than smaller cities or small villages...

I've been a few times in Montreal, and it seems like a very friendly place for X-dressers.

In Europe Brussels and Paris are rather cool places for x-dressers.

I all cases, it is primarily a question of where you really go, even in those cities, and at what time of the night you go out...


Eugenie

[shirley1]

i live in birmingham england and its so much smaller i guess than any suburb in the states so can vary literally from a few miles apart either way - i used to live about 5 miles from where i'm livin now on a rough council estate - not good for walkin out the door dressed ! but where i live now its more cosmapoliton ie very mixed cultured and a lot of students well to do people with money - you just know it would be a lot safer round here - the people likely too have a go are the same people in this country who would break into your home - steal your car - intimidate anyone when theyre in gangs - bullies basically not happy with their own lives so have to take pleasure in trying to ruin other peoples lives - its that simple !

[chrissietoo]

San Francisco has a long history of gender-bending, going back to the Sixties, with the Cockettes, http://cockettes.com/index.html.org/
and as home to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence http://thesisters.org/

As a result, the population is tolerant. That tolerance has spread, mostly northward, to the North Bay counties and Mendocino, where kinks are accepted (but not flaunted), and the rent is cheaper. Elsewhere, smaller towns, like Spokane, have a reputation for intolerance, but for people who live a quiet life acceptance is often a reward of being a good member of the community. Many lesbian couples have moved to close-knit communities, outside of the limelight.

xoxo chrissie

[Sedona]

Yes, agree with S.F. Incredibly tolerant. I used to live there, and last time I visited, my girlfriend and I were in the financial district, walking around and down the street comes a business man, briefcase, tidy goatee, men's dress shirt and tie, black loafers, and a flowing gauze peach/burgundy silk skirt. I don't think you'd see that in most cities.

But, that said, even S.F. can be hazardous. There's the very occasional report of some clown from the sticks coming in to hassle the alterna-crowd, and unless you're very confident, I'd shy away from the touristy areas like Pier 39, unless you want people from the Midwest gawking, pointing and taking pictures.

And, another shout out for the Erotic/Exotic ball. A must attend.

Best,

[CaptLex]

My aunt who lives in SF says there's too many gays and lesbians there.

How many is "too many"?

[Cara Allen]

How many is "too many"?

I think that depends on who is doing the counting!

[CaptLex]

I think that depends on who is doing the counting!

I just thought that was an odd thing to say. I've never heard anyone say, "there's too many heteros there".