Nova, you should really move to Maine or Vermont or Massachussetts. The amount of shit trans have to face up here is waaay less. And Maine does have spelled out anti-discrimination laws about gender identity/presentation. So far every time those ridiculous bathroom laws are attempted here they have been tossed out. I just really wish you could find the means and get out of that hole you currently reside in.
I don't really know about whether Nova's transition is right or wrong or whatever. All I can do is show love to her as the Bible teaches. I certainly don't show love to everyone here, I'll be the first to admit, but for the ones that I have the ability to, I'll give it my best shot. If that means referring to Nova as 'her' then so be it. It's not my place to judge, since I've done much worse in my own life anyways. God, at the end, will determine whether her conscience is clear or not, and at the end, it'll still be none of my damn business.
This thread's gotten to eight pages? Fuck all y'all. Life's too short to get judgmental on what someone's doing with their life in their pursuit of happiness. If Nova's pursuit of happiness involves transition, more power to her. She's got her family situ figured out? Bonus. I know of at least one person here in Portland, a grocery front end manager, going through the transition, and the first time I saw her, yeah, I was caught a bit off guard. But I wouldn't have it different, because she's happy. So who cares that people feel like they're trapped in the wrong body? If you know someone like that, just tip them the hat and wish them Good day if you aren't willing to do anything else. Their life. Oy. 8 pages of trolling and asinine asshatery over a non-issue, despite what the Bible thumpers would like to claim. Nova, go for it, girl.
Maryland - at least the Eastern side - seems to be doing well also. And I have a lot of friends that rave about the other Portland and Seattle. I keep waiting for someone to recommend a spot that's not an absolute icebox for 1/3 of the year though. i have no frame of reference for dealing with yall's winters!
Im with ya on that cold thing. I moved to the coast of North Carolina, and thought it was to cold Give me some Georgia heat index above 110
Seattle and Portland are both Temperate Mediterranean Climates. Even though its further north Seattle is a bit milder, but either one has winters less harsh than what I've dealt wih in NC or Northwest GA.
You're probably aware of this site already, but anyway: http://www.transgenderlaw.org/ndlaws/index.htm
I was just in Miami Beach and it looked like just about every store and restaurant is hiring. Those jobs might be of a seasonal/temporary nature however. Plus that place is full of freaks, a regular old transsexual would be well within the bounds of ordinary.
Okay, if I had only read the thread title and not the threads, I would think this - and I'm no "gender expert" but I'm pretty sure Nova is a girl. I must admit though, I don't have an HD television. Anyway, why all the bathroom troubles? Transgenders will cause perverts in the bathrooms. Gay military will cause pervert in the showers. Talk about wrapped around the axle over what are obviously not problems....damn.
isn't the COL outrageous in a place like that? I understand Key West is of a similar nature though, now that you mention it. The only potential drawback is whether or not Tallahassee would take a cue from Tennessee (as Nebraska has) and start squashing local equality ordinances.
It looked like the rents were just a little bit lower than where I live, which is still probably much higher than what you're used to. None of the prices struck me as totally outrageous (aside from the obvious touristy crap) but I guess I must live in a pretty high COL area myself.
On the right of the main page it has the price range for each location, includes all utilities and broadband.
Jesus. Some of those actually cost more than I pay for a one-bedroom with dining room, dishwasher, washer/dryer, porch, deck, garage, lawn, and a kitchen and bathroom that I don't have to share with anyone. Remind me not to leave the Midwest.
Shit, not one of them exceeds $675 per month. That's a cut rate bargain if I ever heard of it. My first one bedroom apartment was ~$700 a month, didn't have a dishwasher, and that was considered a hell of a deal. Did I mention that was getting close to 20 years ago? Around here a place like Tafkats describes would go for between $800-$2200 depending on if you want to live some where ghetto or in a new highrise in a desirable part of town.
I'm similar to tafkat's situation, living in the midwest, but prices have climbed considerably here, to where a one bedroom apartment is about $615 a month. Doesn't sound like a lot, but when you adjust for wages, it's too high for this region.
When I lived in Iowa, I rented a nice little one-bedroom apartment for $245, and a two-bedroom house with garage and washer/dryer for $345.
Around here a late 70's to early 00's suburban townhome with 3bd/2.5 bath and a garage would go for between $1800-$3200 depending on the neighborhood, the school district, and how close to the beach you want to be. There are relative bargains to be found if one moves out to east county but then the weather gets more variable outside of the coastal zone (hotter in the day, colder at night). In the coastal zone the weather doesn't get to far from ~70 degrees most times of the year.
See, now to me that sounds about right. A nice little one bedroom apartment here was about $325, which wasn't bad at all, but now if you want that price it's next to a crack house, the windows are stuck to the sill, you have plenty of "pets" to keep you company, there are no appliances, and the landlord doesn't really "like" receipts.
Depends on what you want in life. Seattle also has some of the highest wages in the country (and the highest State Minimum Wage IIRC). Also those apodments are all in dense mixed use communities where most trips can be taken care of through walking and the rest through frequent and comprehensive transit. How much do you spent on your vehicle a month, gas, maintenance, insurance, tags, ect? One problems many in the middleclass who fled to the sunbelt for cheap housing have found is that most savings made in housing were eaten up by lower wages and higher transportation cost. The wages were already factored into their decision-making but for many the high transportation costs blindsided them.
I can say all kinds of shit about Birmingham, but at least the housing is cheap. Plenty of 2-bedroom houses with garages for $500/month 15-year mortgage. My apartment is a 2-bedroom with washer/dryer connections, off-street parking and a kickass dishwasher that could scrape the sin off Hell itself. $570/month.
