I know I'm a bit late to this thread but I'm still new here so I wasn't around when it was first posted.
I live in the Cleveland area and I don't want to ignore your concerns, but I know a lot of other trans people in Cleveland and I never got the impression that we're not safe here. I could be wrong, so definitely be as careful as you feel the need to be. The LGBT center in Cleveland is really great; I've been going to programs there for a few weeks and I love it.