Hi Wendy,
I grew up in south Louisiana and lived in the New Orleans area until we moved to Dallas in '06. Gonzales is about ten miles east of Baton Rouge. It's gotten to be more relaxed than it was in the past, with a relatively open LGBT community from what I've heard.
New Orleans is about fifty miles east of Gonzales, and is most definitely a T-friendly place. I wrote a post (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124359) about my visit in January, you might take a lot at that. I spent a day in the French Quarter shopping and being a bit of a tourist and had no negative reactions at all. I have been out in much of the city and the suburbs and if you avoid the places you'd avoid regardless, you'll be just fine.
The main support group in the area closed down recently. The LGBT Community Center (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124359) hosts a couple of support programs that meet monthly there. Crystal Little is the contact person; her email is
[email protected].