Anyone from Ann Arbor, MI or Milwaukee, WI?

[Cameron James]

I ask because I'm going to be moving to one or the other come August for graduate school (UMich and UW-M) and one of the big things that I'm having a hard time finding out about is the degree of LGBTQ friendliness of the area.

So if anyone here lives in either place, I've got some questions for you!

How trans friendly is it?
How LGB friendly is it?
Are there trans resources in the area (ie. places for therapy, hormones, and support groups)?
What's the (LGBTQ) community like (ie. nice & friendly, active, or not a whole lot going on)?
What are some of your favorite things about the area (LGBTQ or otherwise)?
What are some things you hate?
What should someone who's looking to move there be on the lookout for?

Thanks everyone!

[Pinkfluff]

I don't currently live in Ann Arbor, but I grew up in the area. I'm not sure where you're from, but the area there is much better than I've found East Central Florida to be. It is an extremely diverse town, and I do mean extremely. U of M has a huge medical program too, so I'm sure you'd have no problem in that regard. I know there are support groups around too, though I can't give details since I haven't been there in awhile.

One thing you should look out for: the potholes lol. Maybe the roads are better these days, but I doubt it.

[Kay]

I'm about 80 miles away from Milwaukee, so I don't know much firsthand. 
Madison and Milwaukee are about the only two Trans-friendly cities in the state. 
(They're the only ones where anti-discrimination laws are on the books:)
http://cctv25.milwaukee.gov/netit-code81/volume1_/ch109/CH109.pdf
.
For LGBT events, you can look in a couple of places:
http://www.mkelgbt.org/        (all LGBT)
http://www.forge-forward.org/     (more specifically for FTM's)
.
There are other groups in the area (like racine http://www.lgbtsewisc.org/ ),
but it depends on how far you want to drive to get to them.
.
I've heard that there is one endocrinologist  in Milwaukee willing to do HRT for trans-individuals,
but haven't been able to find out his name.  (the above links may help finding someone who knows)
Though, I was told his waiting list is rather long (6 months).
The other option I know of in the regional area is in Chicago at the Howard Brown
LGBT center: http://www.howardbrown.org/hb_services.asp?id=37
Not particularly local (85 miles away), but you can get HRT there under informed consent,
and if you have a car (or don't mind taking the train), it's at least doable for a day trip. 
.
Let's see...what else?
There's an annual pridefest:  http://www.pridefest.com/
.
And that's about all I can think of at the moment.
.
Hope this helps,
.
Kay

[LordKAT]

Milwaukee also has a counseling center that will deal with trans patients. My therapist from there was able to refer me to a specific endo who then started my HRT.

[wheat thins are delicious]

http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Therapists_in_the_East_North_Central_States#Ann_Arbor
http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Therapists_in_the_East_North_Central_States#Wisconsin
http://www.t-vox.org/index.php?title=Physicians_in_the_United_States#Michigan

[Kay]

I think LordKat is probably referring to Pathways:
http://www.pathwayscounseling.com/transgender.html
.
I went there for a short time about 5 years ago when Gretchen was still active. 
She was good, but I don't know anything about the three main staff there now.

[Ender]

Hey, two places I know about.

I went to UMich for a year.  There are plenty of medical trans resources.  There are also several different LGBT student groups at the university.  The university is actually pretty good about trans students; it recognizes preferred names and there is a transgender-specific student group (Gender Explorers): http://spectrumcenter.umich.edu/resources/gender.  When I was working in Detroit, I could not find a trans-aware endo in the city.  So, I went to an endocrinologist (Dr. John Randolph) in Ann Arbor for hormones and blood tests.  He's also a gynecologist (board-certified for both endocrinology and obstetrics & gynecology), so he can do 'those exams' and perform a hysterectomy.  I found him to be knowledgeable and congenial.

Ann Arbor as a whole is rather tolerant of diversity, probably due to the university.  In general, Ann Arbor has a great college town atmosphere.  There's a fun, lively downtown (go to the Fleetwood Diner; check out a concert at the Blind Pig; grab a microbrew at the Ann Arbor Brewing Company, age pending).  There are a lot of good restaurants and plenty of concerts and plays--also, there's the yearly Ann Arbor Film Fest.  Kerrytown is designated as the 'lil "gay part" of town; it's just where the queer bookstore, queer-owned restuarant, and Farmers' Market are.  Finding parking downtown kind of sucks, but the bus system (both university and city) is great.  The only thing I would be on the lookout for is housing.  After April, it can be kind of difficult to find a place to live; not impossible, but the best places will probably be taken.

I never went to school in Milwaukee or spent much time in the city, so I can't comment on that.  About the coolest thing about Milwaukee that I've seen is the art museum.  However, Milwaukee is where I got my medical transition started.  I went through Pathways.  My therapist was from there (not Gretchen, but Patricia K. Connors), and she referred me to the doctor (Dr. Sylvia Meltzer) who prescribed T and monitored my blood work.  Both have been knowledgeable and kind.  My therapist kept saying that Forge (FtM specific support group) was a great resource, but I lived too far away to make it to any meetings.

Basically, you're well-covered in both places for trans-specific medical care and both places have some sort of trans-specific support group.

[LivingInGrey]

Wisconsin isn't bad as long as you stay away from the outer reaches of larger cities (and I don't mean Green Bay, I mean either Madison or Milwaukee). Once you get out into the smaller areas it's all Country Living or no living for these people.

I live right smack dab in the middle of Country Living. It's rough for those that are out about being LGBT (except for a small community in Appleton).

[Cameron James]

Thanks for all of the replies! I did some general research before asking, but it's nice to hear some personal experiences with the areas.

[BigDEvs]

I lived about an hour from Ann Arbor. If I had transportation, I would have gone to the UM Medical Center they have specifically for transgender people. They have therapists who work specifically with transgender issues and doctors who prescribe hormones, regulate them, and know about trans-friendly surgeries.

This page from UM may help:

http://www.med.umich.edu/pridenetwork/resources/fahp.htm

How trans friendly is it?

Ann Arbor is one of the most diverse cities in Michigan, not just for trans-issues. The town is known for its Hemp Festival. Oh, and it has the best deli ever, Zingermans!

How LGB friendly is it?

The school itself is friendly enough to have elected a gay student body president to the school.

Are there trans resources in the area (ie. places for therapy, hormones, and support groups)?

When I was starting to transition I was told to either go to Ann Arbor or Detroit as they are the two big areas in Michigan with trans resources.

What's the (LGBTQ) community like (ie. nice & friendly, active, or not a whole lot going on)?

Not sure on that, but Ann Arbor in general is very cool IMO.

What are some of your favorite things about the area (LGBTQ or otherwise)?

University of Michigan FOOTBALL - I love the old school feel of campus. I love the diversity of the area. It is a really nice college town. There are some fun places to go and the food there is amazing!


What are some things you hate?

Michigan's governor is a douche bag

What should someone who's looking to move there be on the lookout for?

Getting set up with the trans doctors and therapists long before you move as there can be a waiting list, at times.