New Orleans

[Eli_]

I'm going to college next year, and I applied to schools all across the country.  One of my favorites that gave me the biggest scholarship is located in New Orleans, and as I've never been down south I was wondering if anyone here has experience with that area in terms of trans-friendliness.  I had originally written it off as being an impossible place to live because of the stereotypes of conservative religious southern states.  After reading a bit about New Orleans, I've gotten the impression that it's a much more open and tolerant area, but most of that has come from the LGB spectrum.  Having grown up in a small conservative town (in the northeast) I'm not expecting a San Francisco type of area, but just somewhere that's manageable and where I won't have to worry too much about harassment or intolerance.

So for those of you who have lived in New Orleans, how did you find the atmosphere?

[Shang]

I live close to New Orleans and there's a LGBT group in New Orleans.  It's supposed to be pretty LGBT friendly, at least from what I've heard.

[Jenna_Nicole105]

At the other forum I post on (Laura's) there's quite a few girls located in New Orleans and they have made mention on more than one occasion about it being trans friendly.

I think it would be a great place for you to end up!

Good luck with school by the way, always nice to see people continuing their education... wish I had done so myself and still may at some point.

[tekla]

New Orleans is in the South, and has it's Southern charms, but it's really not Southern per se.  It's it own place with its own culture most of it very un-Southern. 

[Robert Scott]

My experience of New Orleans and I have been several times is that it's a culture all it's own.  That it is far different than your typical southern town.  It has is a big tourist location so in the heart there is alot of different cultures and religions.  I think it would be an okay place to be trans.

[Eli_]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going down to visit in a couple weeks, and the admissions office just called me to ask if I'd be comfortable rooming with a male student (I indicated that I was ftm).  Hopefully that's a sign of the overall atmosphere!

[Robert Scott]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going down to visit in a couple weeks, and the admissions office just called me to ask if I'd be comfortable rooming with a male student (I indicated that I was ftm).  Hopefully that's a sign of the overall atmosphere!

That would totally help you pass .... personally I would ask if you could get a medical exemption to have a single room in a male dorm...hate to get a roommate that is tranphobic

[Radar]

I had originally written it off as being an impossible place to live because of the stereotypes of conservative religious southern states.

The Southern states have that stereotype for a reason. However, I too have heard that New Orleans isn't too bad. I have heard it's a high crime city and is still recovering from Katrina. Just things to think about.