The Bestest place

[Tammy Hope]

There might be a site out there which has attempted this, but if not maybe this will give someone an idea.

It seems to me that there are several considerations for what might be the best places for a transitioning TS to live.

i think it goes without saying that urban is better than rural, but beyond that, there are things like

Access to care
Access to support in the community
Local tolerance level

and lastly but perhaps most importantly, status with the government.

i'm thinking about the last one primarily because of a couple of things that have been in the news about Tennessee. I am beginning to consider the idea of relocating, if I can line up some opportunity to locate TO, and having a couple of friends in the Nashville area and having heard good things about the city, it's on my list. but i also know that TN is quite backward about revising your documents SO that provokes this thread and this question:

What states and localities are the easiest places to accomplish a legal transition (acknowledging that you can't change which state holds your birth certificate)


it seems to me that the "access to care" question is pretty easy to answer and the access to support consideration will have some obvious answers at the top of the list (but much more uncertainty down list) but the best way to find out the answers regarding the legalities is the voice of experience.

so what do you guys think about the process where you live? Is it possible to come up with a list of best places to legally transition?

[annette]

i think it goes without saying that urban is better than rural, but beyond that, there are things like

Access to care
Access to support in the community
Local tolerance level

and lastly but perhaps most importantly, status with the government.


Maybe, I shouldn't answer this questions, coz I'm not a citizen of the US but for me the place to be for a TS is Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Why? because of all above.

[V M]

I've heard some good things about the Portland, Oregon area

[Eve87]

I'm Belgian. I quite like it here.

-Access to care: A specialized genderteam in the university hospital in Ghent has psychiatrists, endocrinologists, SRS surgeons, voice coaching, etc. Very professional, smooth, and easy. They treat tons of trans people and I can't praise the individual doctors enough. Prof. Dr. Stan Monstrey is also very adept at SRS, including phalloplasty. Consultations are covered, hormones are covered, SRS is reconized as medically necessary and  90% covered.
-Community support: There's several trans support groups and we inevitably meet other trans people in the hospital.
-Local tolerance level: Belgium is very secularized and most people aren't religious. I'm not super anti-religion but I'm convinced this does wonders for our acceptance. I've never been treated as anything but a girl and never been disrespected. But, still, there's a lot of educating the masses left to do.

Legalities... are possible but I feel sometimes a bit medieval. Downsides I've encountered so far is needing two letters for a name change which then takes 4 months to realize, and the fact a trans person has to be completely sterile and post-srs to be able to change gender markers.

Netherlands is much the same, I think. Not sure.

[JenJen2011]

I think New York is a great place to be. Maybe Los Angeles? I live in the DC area and it's not too bad here either.

[Whitney]

I'm a fan of San Francisco; not because of any of the tolerance hootinany, but it certainly is a plus. It's been a long time goal of mine to live in the city one day; been on the other side of the bay my whole life.

[Tamaki]

I think Portland, Oregon is a pretty great place to be trans.

Access to care - There are a lot of provides (medical doctors, therapists, etc.) that specialize or at least a very familiar with transgender care. I know of at least one low cost clinic with a trans-friendly provider. http://www.centralcityconcern.org/changing-lives/old-town-clinic.html

Access to support in the community - Portland's Q Center is a great place that has several support and social meetings every month for the entire LGBTQ community. http://www.pdxqcenter.org/

They also have a great transgender resource list. http://www.resourcespdx.org/

Local tolerance level - People in Portland are either accepting or just don't care. Sure we have our share of problems but overall I feel quite accepted and safe here.

Status with the government - Transgender people in Portland have protections at the state, county and city levels. If you're lucky enough to work for the city you can even have your SRS paid for. Check out Basic Rights Oregon "Know Your Rights Guide" http://www.basicrights.org/resources/trans-justice-resources/know-your-rights-guide/

I personally feel very fortunate to live in the Portland area.

[tekla]

SF Bay Area

Access to care - lots, including sliding-scale clinics that do informed consent and lots of professionals with lots of trans experiences including the most renowned FFS guy, someone who is highly thought of for MtF top surgery, and now Dr. Marci Bowers.

Access to support in the community - More than you can stand really.  Lots of groups, social, political, support.  The Translaw center, the original Trans Day of Remembrance, the first Trans March, an LGBT Center where the T is really a major part not an afterthought and one of the worlds centers for the open celebration of the diversity of the human sexual experience.

Local tolerance level - one of the more tolerant places on the planet in all history - with all the good and bad that comes with that.

Climate - perfect, a lot warmer than Portland, less rain too

Housing/Jobs - absurd.  We don't have Real Estate, we have surreal estate, and one of the most competitive job markets in the world.

Cost of Living - how high the moon?

[Lynn]

I'm Belgian. I quite like it here.

-Access to care: A specialized genderteam in the university hospital in Ghent has psychiatrists, endocrinologists, SRS surgeons, voice coaching, etc. Very professional, smooth, and easy. They treat tons of trans people and I can't praise the individual doctors enough. Prof. Dr. Stan Monstrey is also very adept at SRS, including phalloplasty. Consultations are covered, hormones are covered, SRS is reconized as medically necessary and  90% covered.
-Community support: There's several trans support groups and we inevitably meet other trans people in the hospital.
-Local tolerance level: Belgium is very secularized and most people aren't religious. I'm not super anti-religion but I'm convinced this does wonders for our acceptance. I've never been treated as anything but a girl and never been disrespected. But, still, there's a lot of educating the masses left to do.

Legalities... are possible but I feel sometimes a bit medieval. Downsides I've encountered so far is needing two letters for a name change which then takes 4 months to realize, and the fact a trans person has to be completely sterile and post-srs to be able to change gender markers.

Netherlands is much the same, I think. Not sure.

Oh hey I'm not the only Belgian person here! I agree with the above though, this is a great country when it comes to acceptance in a wide range of things that are out of the norm. I don't think it's limited to Belgium though, I'm pretty sure most of Western Europe is like this.

I've got a question for you though Eve, which psychiatrist did you see? I have an appointment with Els Elaut but can't really seem to find anyone who has experience with her or anything, so I have no idea what to expect ...

EDIT: maybe I should've sent that in a PM. Oh well lol.

[Eve87]

Lynn~
I was sent to Dr. Gunter Heylens @ Ghent. Wonderful guy, very comfortable and professional.
I see Els Elaut is a part of the same gender team so you're probably in good hands
Are you just starting the whole circuit?

[Lynn]

Lynn~
I was sent to Dr. Gunter Heylens @ Ghent. Wonderful guy, very comfortable and professional.
I see Els Elaut is a part of the same gender team so you're probably in good hands
Are you just starting the whole circuit?

I'll reply in a PM so I don't go and hijack this thread

[A]

Québec, Canada is probably an above average place. My standards are always high for everything, so it's not quite okay just yet, but it's way better than the US where you have to pay stupidly high amounts.

BasicSRS and hormones are covered, and you can get some kind of basic psychological support for free if you wait. You're often made to wait a lot before getting HRT, and you need SRS for a legal gender change. So accessibility is great as in free for everyone meeting the criteria, and bad because you can't get HRT easily. But that last point apparently depends on the psychiatrist, so...

Basically, acceptance seems to be quite good.

Support groups, well... I'm in a small, faraway city, so there aren't any here, but I hear there is a couple in the biggest cities.

[Felix]

I think Portland, Oregon is pretty good for trans people, if you're staying in the states. I have no clue about acceptance in most cities outside the US.

I'm pretty sure you'd be alright if you went to NY, San Francisco,  or LA as well. New Orleans had a great queer culture (and all its stratifications and divisions) last I was there, but that was long ago, before Katrina or the recession.

The state of Washington has some good protections, but I don't know about the culture in their major cities.

My sister lives in Tennessee, and I've been there, and I shudder to think about even moving to Nashville or Memphis. That's like going to Atlanta. Safe-ish havens in especially intolerant places.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

[Mahsa Tezani]

I'm a fan of San Francisco; not because of any of the tolerance hootinany, but it certainly is a plus. It's been a long time goal of mine to live in the city one day; been on the other side of the bay my whole life.

I stay in CASTRO VALLEY. Good times.

[Kim 526]

Let's not forget Boston.

[Felix]

Let's not forget Boston.

Right. Anybody know about Baltimore or Philadelphia?

[Tammy Hope]

i think it goes without saying that urban is better than rural, but beyond that, there are things like

Access to care
Access to support in the community
Local tolerance level

and lastly but perhaps most importantly, status with the government.


Maybe, I shouldn't answer this questions, coz I'm not a citizen of the US but for me the place to be for a TS is Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Why? because of all above.

Well, yes, I was thinking U.S.

[Tammy Hope]

Québec, Canada is probably an above average place. My standards are always high for everything, so it's not quite okay just yet, but it's way better than the US where you have to pay stupidly high amounts.

BasicSRS and hormones are covered, and you can get some kind of basic psychological support for free if you wait. You're often made to wait a lot before getting HRT, and you need SRS for a legal gender change. So accessibility is great as in free for everyone meeting the criteria, and bad because you can't get HRT easily. But that last point apparently depends on the psychiatrist, so...

Basically, acceptance seems to be quite good.

Support groups, well... I'm in a small, faraway city, so there aren't any here, but I hear there is a couple in the biggest cities.

I'd love to live in Toronto but I've always understood that an American re-locating to Canada was not that easy.

[JenJen2011]

Right. Anybody know about Baltimore or Philadelphia?

Baltimore is kinda ghetto and not really safe if you ask me.

[Anatta]

Kia Ora,

The Bestest Place? Where one 'is' right 'now' it's the only place one is ever going to be....

Metta Zenda