Maybe you’ve just graduated from college, or perhaps you’ve decided it’s time for a change. You might be looking at retirement destinations or have just lost your job and have nothing anchoring you to your current location. Regardless of what’s driving your plans to move, you do need to take some time and carefully decide where the next phase of your life will occur. This decision shouldn’t be made on a lark or by throwing a dart at a map. But where can you find information that will help you? Here are a few places where LGBTQ people can learn about their potential new homes.
The HRC
The Human Rights Campaign works to advance LGBTQ rights across the U.S. They offer many different resources, but one of their best is the Municipal Equality Index. This annual report scores many of the country’s largest cities on how well they support the LGBTQ community. It awards points for having city ordinances that protect workers, the city’s history as an employer, whether city officials are supportive, and more. It’s a great way of getting an overall idea of how accepting the city is before you move there.
Go Online
The internet is perhaps the biggest resource out there. If you do a search for the city name plus LGBTQ support, you’re likely to find a number of websites, blogs, and message boards discussing how supportive or unsupportive the city tends to be. This is a good way to hear directly from people who live there now. You can get an idea of how the average person in the city is likely to view LGBTQ individuals and couples.
Your Friends and Family
It’s possible you know people who currently live in the city or have lived there in the past. They can give you insight into what you can expect and may even be able to suggest certain neighborhoods or parts of the city over other areas. Of course, if it’s been a number of years since someone lived there, do keep in mind that the city may have changed since then.
GayRealEstate.com
Finally, this very website can help you learn more about other cities. We offer much more than just a way of finding a great gay or lesbian real estate professional. We’ve published a number of articles that provide useful information about cities across the U.S., including the average housing cost. Be sure to check them out so you can make an informed decision about your future.