best US location to transition?

[sandra-leigh]

I recently met a young transwoman who is considering moving to USA, having been approved to live and work there. She is wondering though where best to move to.

She does not have any particular skills; she has been driving heavy trucks but her preference would be to switch out of that.

She would thus be looking for a place with accessible trans medical resources, in an area in which she would be more likely to be able to find work and affordable housing. So for example the San Francisco Bay area would be problematic because of the high housing costs.

This is not quite the more typical "where is an Accepting area" scenario.

Would there be any suggestions?

[mechamoose]

I'm just shooting from the hip here, but I'd say San Francisco, Seattle, Boston or New York.

[Megan Thomas]

I'd suggest she looks into the NW Pacific too, maybe Portland, OR.

[Cheyenne Skye]

Atlanta has a decent LGBT community but cost of living can be a bit high in certain areas.

[DebbieL]

Philadelphia has the Mazzoni Center, which has been helping people transition for about 20 years now. There is a large LGBT population in Center City which is quite accepting of the transgender and transsexual community.

New York City has a large LGBT population as well, with a large group of transgender and transsexual people, both MtF and FtM. There are also very good medical facilities there as well.

San Francisco has a famous LGBT population, but it's smaller than most people think. The Castro is only a few blocks long, mostly clubs and restaurants, and much of the transgender population are entertainers, often posing as drag queens.

Los Angeles is also known for it's diversity, especially along Hollywood Boulevard. Many work as models and in the adult film industry, but this can be a hard life, and is usually open to transsexuals who are young and well endowed.

Las Vegas also has a large transgender population, with many working as dancers and show girls. Again, very demanding work, you have to be in extremely good shape, and need to be young and feminine as well.

Large urban areas of most major cities have large gay communities. The Buckhead district in Atlanta, and the Georgetown area of DC, for example.

Best to stick with "Blue" states or "Purple" states. In states like Alabama and Mississippi, even major cities are only safe for those who have completed transition and can be perceived as women at all times.

Once transition is completed, the entire country is open, but it's still best to stay in a state where LGBT rights are protected.

Check out Lambda Legal - a great resource.
http://www.lambdalegal.org/

[DeeDee1974]

I have found Chicago to be a good place. There is a large LGBT community and resources as well. Plus the cost a living is better than a lot of big cities.

[mikiSJ]

I'm just shooting from the hip here, but I'd say San Francisco, Seattle, Boston or New York.

Ummm, Sandra did mention 'affordable housing' and I don't think any of those areas would count as 'affordable'. I have no substitute locations as I live in the Greater Bay Area in a house we can barely afford.

[traci_k]

Can't address work issues but Chicago is great with the Howard Brown Health Center, fairly easy access to hormones. They have an informed consent program. Good LGBT Community on Northside. Dr Zukowski (I think that how it's spelled) does FFS and BAs. Gay Pride Parade is huge.

Hugs,

[Starling]

The SF LGBTQ community is certainly not limited to the Castro District. That is merely the tip of the iceberg, like the Haight-Ashbury was for the hippies, who were spread all over the city. And to believe that LGBTQ folks in the SF Bay Area are relegated to work as "entertainers" is to ignore the generalized high level of acceptance. Not to say there aren't areas within that widespread region which might pose a problem for someone whose gender is not immediately identifiable, but I imagine those exist even in Heaven.

In LA, the same applies, and why one would suggest that Hollywood Blvd. is the place to find the mainstream LGBTQ population is beyond me. There is a really good clinic in downtown Hollywood, the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, but if you want to designate a community focus, so to speak, it would most likely be West Hollywood, whose ambiance is a far cry from the sleaze of the Walk of Fame. And like in SF, there are LGBTQ folks everywhere in Southern California, and they participate fully in community affairs.

Granted, we are relative newcomers on the scene, but there is greater acceptance for us in LA than any other place I can think of. Housing is not cheap, of course, but LA is much more reasonable than either SF or New York.

:) Lallie

[Eryn]

When most folks speak of "LA" they are speaking of the entire SoCal coastal region. It's an incredibly diverse area and you will find every kind of community there. As Starling said, West Hollywood is known as an LGBT area, but so is Long Beach, Studio City, and many others. Even if it isn't listed as "friendly" there are very few places in SoCal that are less than friendly and those are places where even non-LGBT people wouldn't want to venture.

[LeaP]

IMHO, "LGBT" areas, also known colloquially as "gayborhoods" are a whole lot more L and G than T.

A lot of areas are perfectly fine. Among those with which I have some familiarity and would mention include almost all of Eastern MA, plus the Berkshires and CT River Valley, all of VT, most of CT, All of RI, the Maine Coast, all of NH from Conway south, upstate NY, NJ, Delaware, MD, DC, northern VA including Richmond and from Charlottesville east, Charlotte NC, Raleigh/Durham NC, Charleston SC, Atlanta, Savannah, the Florida coasts and greater Orlando area and Gainesville, coastal CA (good characterization, Eryn) from, say, Sonoma south, western WA, Salt Lake, portions of Colorado, Wisconsin, and others that will likely occur to me later.

You can stay out of the expensive areas in any of them.

[AllieSF]

Why not look at some good mid to large size university towns? The school tends to have LGBT support groups and good local references, their younger students tend to be more open and accepting to multiple diversities including LGBT, and the local residents can also be very accepting. It would also offer an opportunity to work and take night classes to improve her job skills. These larger more liberal schools are located in most states with cheaper housing and living costs.

[Angela Campbell]

Tampa , St pete, fl is a good place

[mikiSJ]

The Castro has been heading down hill for awhile with the more affluent residents selling with the market rebound and moving across The Bay to Oakland where the Jack London Square and other areas downtown is undergoing a sort of a renaissance.

If I were to move to San Francisco (when I win the lottery) I would choose Hayes Valley, Western Addition, Pacific Heights, the Marina, SOMA.

It has been a long time since I saw Hollywood Blvd, but the only reason I would go there is for young male pickup and I am not gay. Some of the SoCal girls here can give you a better description of the areas transgender tolerance/acceptance.

[Leah Lynn]

A little known town, Des Moines, Ia. Very diverse, economically. Cost of living is quite reasonable. A thriving LGBT community, and the "T" is well represented.

Leah

[caseyhot]

Hi everyone. My name is Casey. I'm that transsexual woman whom Sandra was spoken about. Thank you all very much for your advices and help. I'm 28 years old, living in Manitoba, Canada. I'm just a beginner. Decided to start my transition about a month ago. So I still look like a man. Started to loose weight and trying to work on my voice. I will need electrolysis, HRT, breast argumentation and probably facial surgeries. I won green card lottery and will have interview in May. So, trying to decide between Canada and US. I always dreamed to live in California and as I can see it could be a good choice. And actually I would like to try working in adult film industry, just afraid of my age and plus my transition would probably take few years. The most thing that concerns me is finding a job during my transition. I don't speak Spanish and my English isn't perfect, it's my second language. I drive a truck in Manitoba and could try to do the same in California but they don't accept my canadian CDL, so I will need to pass all the tests and exams again

[VanTG]

Out of Curiosity, if your a Canadian Citizen and live in Manitoba, the Province Covers the cost of SRS, last time I checked. Might be a better option, since you will have to pay a ton in the United States.

Just Saying.

[sandra-leigh]

Traditionally state and municipal employees get good job benefits that might include in some cases include insurance that covers SRS. However, California as a state is getting close to bankrupt, and a bunch of cities in California are literally bankrupt, so getting one of those jobs might be difficult in California.

The adult film industry has a tendency to concentrate on penis size for guys or "********", and on breast size and "beauty" for females. Increasing penis size is difficult; increasing beauty would likely call for a whole series of plastic surgeries, which would require a bunch of money. I am speaking in generalities, though; the appearance options might be different for some of the more specialized fetish varieties. Your age is also going to work against you: on the whole, viewers tend to prefer younger. A "well-equipped" male actor (or ******* too, I suppose) has a much longer career than the average actress, I read.

[Michelle789]

Even if it isn't listed as "friendly" there are very few places in SoCal that are less than friendly and those are places where even non-LGBT people wouldn't want to venture.

Like East LA or Watts. Some areas even a cis-gendered male can get murdered for wearing the wrong colors - the gang colors.

LA is expensive, but not as insanely expensive as San Francisco or NYC. You might find good deals in LA, depending on what your budget is. If you're looking for a reasonably priced apartment, consider a small studio or 1 bedroom in an older building - those are usually the cheapest. But whatever you do, do not find an apartment in gangland...Run from East or South LA. Like I said earlier, even cis-gendered macho males dare not go to some of these places. Long Beach is affordable and very LGBT friendly. Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Studio City are LGBT friendly but more pricey. Most of LA though is gender friendly so you might want to consider the West Valley (Encino - Northridge) which are more affordable.

LA is about as good as it gets. Keep in mind that no where is perfect - even in gender friendly LA you might still face discrimination - I have heard some horror stories about discrimination in California. In spite of this, LA is about as good as it gets in the USA.

[Ariamythe]

Just tell her to look at this map and avoid any area colored red. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_states_and_blue_states

[caseyhot]

Out of Curiosity, if your a Canadian Citizen and live in Manitoba, the Province Covers the cost of SRS, last time I checked. Might be a better option, since you will have to pay a ton in the United States.

Just Saying.

I'm just PR. I have to wait for citizenship from 3 to 4 years more.
VanTG, could you please tell me about BC if you know? What do they cover for PR and for citizens?

[caseyhot]

Does anyone know about Seattle or Minneapolis? In Minnesota they accept my Canadian CDL and I can easily change it to MN's one and start trucking to earn money for transition.

[sandra-leigh]

In Canada, Permanent Residents (PR) get the same health coverage as citizens, as far as I know. Citizen adds the right to vote, and the right to a passport.

[Michelletg]

This is a great Thread as I'm about to graduate from college and I'm looking for a job.

[Ann Thomas]

I live near Anaheim, and have chosen to transition here after living in Washington and Oregon for over 40 years.

Firstly, the job market is good here.

Second, as of last year, all medical insurance policies issued in this state are required to include full coverage of "Medically Necessary" transgender treatments - I get all my endo visits, therapy sessions, and hormones covered (reasonable copays required).

Third, there's plenty of trans community meetings, gatherings, and LGBT centers around to keep one quite busy.

The cost of living here is somewhat high, but not unreasonable. Start out renting a room from someone in the area, then progress to your own apartment later. The first post in the thread said it was for a truck driver wanting to change careers. There's plenty of truck driving jobs around, plus plenty of colleges and schools all over the place with great training options. Once you've established residency (one year - exactly 365 days by law) you get amazingly good deals on school, especially if you are low income. (My daughter graduates from UCSD in a couple of months with a degree in Chemistry and less debt compared to other students she knows.) I'm in career retraining as well, and due to my income level, it's free (I'm in Water Utility Science and have gotten a certificate in Water Treatment, and obtained state licenses in Water Treatment and Water Distribution as well.)

Hope that helps!

Ann

[caseyhot]

Thank you for information, Ann

[Ann Thomas]

In looking for some other information, I took a look at two web sites, and one it turns out, specifically does Immigration work with Transgender people coming to California: The Transgender Law Center - which has a page about Immigration (http://transgenderlawcenter.org/issues/immigration) and an overview page about LGBT State Laws (http://transgenderlawcenter.org/equalitymap).

Also, the Lambda Legal web site has a more thorough overview page about State Laws (http://www.lambdalegal.org/states-regions) that might be helpful.

Ann

[paulaloha]

For a southern state located in the Bible Belt, Atlanta is a pretty good place to be. And yes the cost can be high in some areas bit it can also be quite low. Much lower than many places in CA or up I. The Pacific NorthWest like Seattle or Portland. Those cities would be incredible to live in though!