I Need Help!!!

[Jessica1984]

Ok so this may be in the wrong section so I apologize in advance if that is the case. A little background on me: I am transgender (MtF) and have been on HRT for almost 2 months now. I am married with a beautiful daughter whom is 1 and we have four dogs.

We have the option at the moment to move anywhere in the United States. We currently reside in Dayton, Ohio and are going to move ASAP. My question to you gals is WHERE SHOULD WE GO???? We were so close to choosing Seattle but the weather just scares me. I love all four seasons but I wouldn't be able to deal with the rain and clouds all the time. We want to know what city, preferably on the eastern side of Kansas, is the absolute best and safest for transgender folks. I would prefer a place with a large concentration of the LGBT community so we can make friends as we currently do not know any other transgender people. Any help will be appreciated and feel free to post your own experiences. Thanks!!!!

[Ashley D.]

I got to say it is nice here in the Atl.

[Tammy V]

Raleigh/Durham, NC ranks high on every scale of LGBT friendliness I have scene. They have a fairly large and active trans community with a number of experienced health care providers also. Unemployment is fairly low and the cost of living is not as high as many areas of the US. Because of all the universites and high tech industries there are people there with higher levels of education that originated from all areas of the country and world. Diversity is accepted and it is a generally tolerant community, insulated from the "redneck" environment that permeates most of North Carolina and the south. I live an hour away from there and spend a lot of time in the area. I will move there as soon as I can and all my doctors, therapists, friends and support groups are there. Lots of great shopping and night life too and the schools are supposed to be excellent. We have great weather here also, not too hot or too cold..:)

[dilane]

LA is very accepting. West Hollywood (next door to beverly hills and surrounded by LA) is basically a gay owed and operated city. I go everywhere in middle and upper-income areas. The weather is great, only about 20 days of some rain a year. But housing is expensive.

[BreenaDion]

Research massachusetts as the new enda law came into effect last july. We can marry same sex and new laws for discrimination against LBGT and what I like the most is us TS got more legislation. Only stumbler is the bathroom bill, but we get around that ok. Plenty of resources for mental and physical health without discrimination as you might have test the waters a bit. Those alpha male doctors still kinda frown on us but its improving. I have a wonderful re pour with my PCP. Support group for TG are available and growing. No Discrimination on housing thank god for that 1. I got blessed with affordable housing as I had to come out up front, pays dividends.

Also we have 4 seasons as the winters in southern part of the state is warming and less snow as I love the hot summers. South facing beaches are clean , gotta love Cape Cod.

As what you should do first is research any state for discrimination laws and matters of resources and support. We just about parallel Maine in TG laws and same sex. Vermont people as a rule don't like new comers, so ive heard and witnessed one friends account on retribution and burnt her barn full of animals .

Good luck.

[MonctonGirl]

Oh wait ... sorry ... perhaps the best answer would be to find a location where there are
doctors who are familiar with your issue, you are close to facilities where there is SRS done
and you can then be closer to "home" when / if the time comes. I'd figure the trans population
would be great in those locations since there is a market for such services to survive.

Just a though.

[ColleenA]

If you were close to choosing Seattle, I recommend you check out Portland, OR. It offers much the same, including an LGBT friendly environment, without such extreme weather. Tho the city doesn't get a lot of snow (when I lived there about 7 years ago, a rare 4 inches confounded the abilities of many drivers), you are near Mount Hood and other snowy regions.

[Jana]

How exciting! I'm happy for you!

Anyway, it would probably be very easy to blend in in NYC, as almost anything goes there. However, life in a big metro area can be difficult, and costly. Another place I'd look into is Providence, RI. It was the first state capital to elect an openly gay mayor, which tells you a little bit about the community's collective mindset. I hear there's an active lgbt scene, but in all fairness, I've never been there. It's a place I'd like to move to, one day, though.

Well, good luck!

[melissaK]

Dayton, one free move to anywhere, someone retiring from the USAF? Just curious.

I have no moving suggestions, but love all the insights. America really is changing.

[morgan51]

Life anywhere seems to be what you make it. I'd sugest visiting some areas and checking out support in each. M.

[Traci Elizabeth]

Dayton, one free move to anywhere, someone retiring from the USAF? Just curious.

I have no moving suggestions, but love all the insights. America really is changing.


YES! I had the same question - Wright-Patterson Air Force Base but the OP is way too young to be retiring.

North Carolina is a good choice as someone has suggested. Asheville, NC is a progressive little city that has a lot of artist activities. Nashville, Tennessee is another consideration. Of course Atlanta, GA is great but damn the traffic.

[Nicole Brown]

Two places that I can think of on the east coast which are nice and have rather large GLBT populations are New Hope, PA and Rohoboth Beach, DE. I would have also mentioned Asbury Park, NJ, but with the recent problems that the Jersey shore has encountered thanks to Sandy, I would leave this location off my list for now.

New Hope is the site of many TS gatherings and is totally open to our lifestyle. I have visited New Hope countless times for either the day or for overnights and find it to be a very warm and pleasant community. New Hope can be considered a destination during the warmer months so the downtown area can become rather crowded with tourists and visitors. Fortunately, the residential areas are removed from the downtown and therefore literally unaffected by these visitors.

Rohoboth Beach is a rather large and growing beach town with one of the largest GLBT communities around. It is the site of the annual Beauty and the Beach gathering and each time I have visited I have felt comfortable and welcomed. Being a beach town, summers can be a little challenging with the influx of visitors and tourists.

One final thought, I reside in New Jersey and while my state has some rather large challenges it is also one of the safest places for a girl to live. Many laws have been enacted here to protect us and they seems to be working. I live my life my way going where I want and not encountering any difficulties. This is not to say that every square mile is safe, quite the contrary, but there are places that you wouldn't be safe even if you weren't a girl. I just bought a new condo in a quite residential community, will move in in May and look forward to living and being accepted as just another single woman.

PM me if I can be of further assistance.

[kimdl93]

Minneapolis Minnesota

[Robbin_Sinclair]

Don't be tempted by a small place with wonderful weather. I'd give so much to live in a place with culture. Of course, that's easy to say for me when the weather is good. How important are social contacts for you? For me it is everything. Seattle? Ick. Chicago? I heart Chicago. Whatever, if it was me, I would demand that it be a blue state. But that's just me and my almost CD name was "Rachel" for MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.

[Michelle.M]

Raleigh/Durham, NC ranks high

I'd second that. I used to live nearby, and it's also down the road from Asheville which has a HUGE LGBT community. In the Raleigh area there are doctors (including endocrinologists), churches and therapists (one of whom is mine) who are all connected and experienced in helping the TG community. If I were to live anywhere except where I now live I'd probably go back to NC.

[Hope]

If you want to stay in the mid-west, it is hard to beat Madison WI... of course you have to like snow, cheese, and beer... but the culture is awesome, the LGBT community is great, we have the highest per-capita population of lesbians in the US... and there are trans protections in accommodations / housing / and employment within the city. Healthcare is a bit sketchy, but there are do-able options.

Though personally, if I could live in Seattle, I would do it in a heartbeat... of course I was born in Bremerton... so I'm not afraid of the grey.

[rybien]

Asheville NC would be my first choice. I have never been anywhere else like it in my travels. The only down side is everybody on the planet wants to live there.

[Karren H]

I'd move some where you could like get a job.... to support the daughter and dogs.... juts don't move to Pittsburgh.... we don't want to share our amazingness with anyone else! lol

[Angela Campbell]

Orlando has a large TG community. The weather is nice, and no state income tax.

[vikki2020]

Chicago has everything you might want--and the support and community for transgendered is well established. Now, the other thing is the political shenanigans, and a huge debt in Illinois. So, good, and bad.