where to go?

[Toni]

Well, hi gang.  I guess as we transition and go down the road, we find new interest in different discussion groups.  Long story short, probably by mid summer I will be forced to find a new place to live.  I have a few good friends in the small Texas town I currently live in, but otherwise this place is socially like living in the Sahara.  Knowing that I would have to move, I have been using some of my long recovery time after my surgeries to research possible places with good support and like minded people.  To date the front runners are the Portland, Oregon area or possibly the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.  Austin, Tx. doesn't seem out of the question, but Texas is not ID change friendly at all and the Austin area doesn't seem to have any really well developed support.  I may have some family contact in either Milw. or Portland area, but the jury's still out on that one.  Both M&P seem to have good support groups and about the same number of trans people from the stats I've seen.  Good group websites and what seems an active calendar of events.  Changing ID is a winner in Oregon, but Wi. seems pretty predictable and the support group there has a step by step to walk you through it with no real opposition.  Anyone have any experience or comments on either place trans wise?  Or another option?  Kind of have a blank sheet of paper here, wide open, but I don't want to waste time if I can help it, moves are expensive.  FWIW, after being in the totally accepting Buddhist Thai society, the US just seems so screwed.  Toni

[2.B.Dana]

Toni,

I live in Wisconsin and travel to MKE for some of my medical appointments at the VA hospital there. I would have never guessed MKE was high on anyone's list of places to move to but they do have good stats on LGB scene. I'm not sure how much the T part is really represented though. It seems the T is always the tag along in everything.

Not sure the climate you are looking for though. Its certainly not Texas. My wife's family is from Oregon and she won't go back because it rains so much and is cloudy much of the time. We lived in Florida and Hawaii so Wisconsin winters give her fits. The gray skies in winter really affect her. Madison may be a decent choice as well.

I am in process of getting my name change and all that follows. My hearing is on the 14th of this month and am doing a confidential name change so no advertising was necessary. You can get F on most documents with a letter of treatment from a physician but the sex on your birth certificate cannot change without surgery.

Hope this helps in some way.

[Toni]

Dana, yes, that helps a lot, thanks so much.  I was born there and been back and forth several times during the course of my life.  I agree there is a lot to dislike about Northern winters and vividly recall why I left the last time, but I have a son and grand daughter and old friends that make it worth consideration.  How do you find the VA.  I knew it as Woods VA Hospital years ago.  I am combat veteran and get primary care through VA here in Texas.  Does VA there have any trans resources?  A search on their website showed none listed.  Looking at LGBT resources, I see FORGE listed as trans resource, meets down by Summerfest and World Market.  Part of returning is for name and BC change, I'm post-op.  Thanks again for the response and I would greatly appreciate any other thoughts you might have.  Toni