I live in Central PA, in Harrisburg (state capital) about 45 minutes north of Lancaster.
Harrisburg city is actually very progressive, it was one of the first cities in the country to include transgender people under its sexual discrimination cause (waaaay back in 1983). Pretty much we are accepted anywhere in the city, and our support group is actually sponsored by some downtown restaurants, and we openly frequent them with our business. On meeting nights or for holiday dinners, usually one of them will take our 16-20 member party (many of who are noticeably trans) without any problems with anything at all, and they have bumped other groups in order to make room for us because they like us as people.
Which is hilarious, because we are surrounded by "red-state" thinking otherwise. Our elections before 2008 went Bush by at least 10% in our county. Lancaster is of course "Amish territory" and things are kinda hard down there for my trans brethren. The few trans people I know down there come up here for the support meetings.
Leaving the city and going into the suburbs, it gets a little weirder. I think how one is accepted depends on appearance, unfortunately. If you look good, even if you get read, then people just accept it; if you look bad, then they get testier. I've also seen transpeople working in various stores (Pennys, Lowe's, Home Depot, Pier One, etc.)
The one bad place is the churches. Individuals will accept you, if they know you; but I don't feel particuarly welcome in many churches. I attend MCC right now because I know I am accepted there with open arms. I left my old church because I knew it would cause a huge rift (I was prominent in the worship ministry). The few people I truly valued there are actually non-judging and have invited me over to see them, but other people I know would raise the roof if I showed up there. Disappointing.
I've actually had good experiences at the bank(s) and other places where I had to "come out" inadvertently (i.e., had to show my ID for some reason) -- I actually received words of encouragement from tellers and others, which I think is so positive. And at my workplace, despite all the religious people there, only 3-5 out of 80 or so have been "weird" around me, the rest were so accepting. So I inclined to think it's a few bad apples screwing up the community churches, while even most of the religious people -- if they know you and know you to be a decent person -- will try to accept you.
All in all, it has been far BETTER than I had ever hoped it would be.
