MA will continue to be a trans friendly space in the future most likely. Even our previous republican governor didn’t veto bathroom bills some years ago. HOWEVER, there are some spots in the state that trans people do not want to live in. Anywhere in the Boston metro area will be fine though. Is moving to Boston a good idea? Depends how much money you have.

I would not recommend Boston proper if you can afford to go elsewhere - Cambridge and Somerville will definitely be the places with the strongest sense of community. On the whole as an LGBT person I feel incredibly safe in the greater Boston area.

That being said I can't predict the future. Eastern MA does have some suburbs where you won't be as comfortable or welcome.

Is moving here a good idea outside of the LGBT legal protections? Tough to say. We're having a massive cost of living crisis right now same as many other places.

I love it here. I pay way too much to live here - but I consider that an acceptable tradeoff, because I love it here.

I’d add anywhere around the 5 college area in Western Mass is probably great too. (E.g around Amherst).

[deleted]

I would be completely shocked if MA enacted any anti-trans bills or repealed any pro-trans bills in the near future, considering there was literally a ballot measure in 2018 attempting to repeal a previous pro-trans bill and the vote went overwhelmingly in favor of the existing measure.

The other commenter is correct that there are some areas of the state you'll definitely want to avoid, but I would disagree that Boston is the only city worth considering. Northampton/Amherst in the western part of the state is just as queer-friendly as Boston if not even more so. There are a lot of smaller colleges there like Smith and Hampshire that have historically been super progressive which definitely runs over into the surrounding area. It's also cheaper - note that you won't be able to move within 20-30 miles of Boston unless you can spend at least $2k a month on a studio or 1-bed and pay at least $8k in up-front moving costs (of course there are exceptions to this rule, but I wouldn't bank on exceptions).

>Eastern MA does have some suburbs where you won't be as comfortable or welcome.

Nobody feels comfortable in them except for the shitty closed minded shitheads that live in those towns.

MA will never stop being LGBTQ+ friendly.

Boston can vary wildly depending what section you’re in as to what kind of people you’ll run into. Ranging from the most loving and accepting people you’ll ever meet to the biggest bigot north of Delaware.

North shore (north of Boston) seems to lean more liberal/accepting.

South shore (south of Boston) tends to lean more conservative the further down you go.

Metro west (just west of Boston) I’ve never heard anything positive or negative about these people. As far as I can tell every road and highway out there has been under construction my entire adult life so everyone just stays home or takes the T into Boston.

Cape cod is very town specific, but the end of the cape p-town I remember being joked about as the gayest town in the US when we made gay marriage legal.

Everything west of 495 doesn’t actually exist.

You should be fine living just about anywhere in the state, especially in a town or city of any size. (if you are looking at smaller rural town, it may be more of an issue, but even those are generally considerably more liberal than the rest of the country as whole)

I would be mostly concerned with jobs and the general amenities of the area where you want to live. And of course the cost of living is high, so budget is always a big concern here.

Legislatively, you will be safe here. This is very expensive place to live. You need to look into that. Obviously, the closer to Boston, the more expensive. But even places in Western Mass get expensive. Will kids ever be in the picture? Childcare in Massachusetts is criminally expensive (we live an hour outside of the city and still pay $2500/month). Somerville, if you can afford it, would be such a wonderful place. Also, Salem. Good luck!

I'd think so; as others have mentioned, the cost of living issue is significant. In the city itself, I'd expect the most LGBT-friendly areas to be Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, the South End (haha $), and Allston-Brighton. For other areas, there's probably a pretty good correlation between the bluest parts of this map and where you'd feel most comfortable (sort by Biden %, the top thirty communities should be pretty good).

I think there's an incredibly low chance MA will, at a state level, diminish protections for trans people. Quite the opposite, now that we've finally got a Democratic trifecta (complete with lesbian governor--you can come complain that she's too cozy with finance and developers, maybe...).

Boston is one of the safest cities in the country overall. (Weirdly, NYC is doing even better on the violent crime.)

Right now? Can you find a place you can afford? If so, come on up.

Also: I glanced at your post history. Feel free to chat me if you want synagogue rec's.

/r/Boston may give you additional thoughts; its also a very active community.

If you can afford it you'll be just fine.

Second this. Northampton, Amherst, Hadley and surrounding towns are pretty liberal.

You should check out western mass. Specifically look in the Northampton area. It's cheaper than Boston and the area is very beautiful. Very trans friendly as well.

Yes, but it's a lot like San Francisco, which is very expensive.

Mass is fine with gay, but not trans people imo. My ftm friend recently moved because of it. He said anytime he goes to the doctor here they essentially question him sanity. Multiple docs. Restaurants will drag their feet seating him if they know. People constantly ask him dumb questions about parts. He said it’s pretty dreadful and is moving back to CA. He didn’t realize how socially conservative a lot of folks here are……he didn’t realize MA was so Catholic and conservative in many ways regarding alcohol, nudity, places closed on Sunday, people still go yo church, the cannabis places are forced to jump through hoops, the conservative manner in which gay folks dressed, and virtually no one gets divorced compared to what he was used to…..what shocked him the most was the ambivalence or even acceptance of all these things. People would say, that’s the way we do it and wouldn’t even try to change things because they seem to like it that way. Even gay allies most of who seemed like Pete Buttigieg clones.

Generally he felt marginalized and out of place here. (Edited correcting pronoun errors)

Boston is expensive, but north Hampton MA will welcome you, most parts of Worcester too. The state as a whole is not perfect though. It has its intolerant spots like everywhere

[deleted]

maybe ur friend doesn't care genuinely. but. if u meet another trans person they might, even if u knew them 'before.' if u had the foresight to say 'i know my pronouns r all over the place' then u have the ability to go back & edit ur message. It's part of practice & making it less confusing. And leaving a message like this where it comes across as misgendering & then excusing it on a trans safety specific question makes me genuinely uncomfy.

The cape is likely to be very friendly too

Somerville/Cambridge or Northampton/Amherst

Go to the Pioneer Valley. Amherst, Northampton, Easthampton. Very queer friendly.

If any state is safe from anti-trans legislation, it’s probably MA. And as others have said, while there are assholes everywhere, anywhere in Greater Boston is safe for LGBTQIA+ people.

You’re biggest hurdles will be the same as everyone else’s: housing and transportation.

You keep swapping genders for your friend…

And don't forget the neighboring Easthampton, which is smaller and more quaint. I get very progressive vibes in town without the crowds Noho brings.

A friend of mine works at GLAD in Boston. Send me a PM if you’re interested in being connected to discuss your concerns. ♥️

Massachusetts is certainly welcoming to the trans community. Something to take into consideration as you make a decision is cost of living. It is very expensive to live here especially if you would be considering purchasing a house. Western MA is a bit better but still higher then most parts of the country.

So here's the story. The environment is very progressive. Those who aren't cool might be open about not being cool. Assholes feel free to be assholes. The good news is people you don't want to associate with will out themselves very fast - and majority of people will give them heat for it.

Boston might be pro-trans but it is also extremely anti-wallet, keep that in mind.

It was Samuel Adams after all who said “give us your trans, your bi, your huddled gay asses.”

For real though you couldn’t do much better than Mass for finding a place to live and the Boston area especially if you’ve got the dough.

I live in the pioneer valley and it is a very welcoming community. Check out Hampshire County for housing, etc. way more bang for your buck out here than closer to Boston and the coastal towns.

Ehh, Maine can also be a little iffy, they did give us LePage for a while. [Minor sidepoint, I spaced on his named and had to Google "shitty governor maine." Came up right away].

MA won’t rescind trans protection.

A ballot question in 2018 included an attempt to repeal trans protections, and it was defeated by around 3:1

Boston is very expensive, even for MA which has a high cost of living.

There are towns outside Boston which are good, and others which aren’t. A general way to see good towns would be to look at how the town voted on that ballot question. (“Yes” is the good answer)

[deleted]

I'm cis and straight, but at least from my standpoint, it will continue to be a very LGBTQ-friendly city and I don't expect the pro-trans status of it to change at any point in the near future. We are perhaps the most deeply liberal state and have a very "live and let live" philosophy. There are certainly assholes like anywhere, but I feel like you'd come across far more people who are accepting and especially in comparison to other parts of the country (not sure where you'd be moving from).

I agree with other commenters that there are certain pockets of conservatism, but you'd be unlikely to end up in any of them. They're mostly small rural-ish towns. I also agree with other commenters that P-Town and some of the towns in Western MA are worth looking at from a cost perspective. Boston is where it's at culturally, though, so keep that in mind.

And although it is expensive AF to live in the Greater Boston area, salaries are also higher.

Western mass is queer as hell, and we love it here

Especially lower Cape (e.g, Provincetown)

Moved to Holyoke because it’s a few minutes drive from Northampton and real estate a lot more affordable. Great city all on its own, downtown mills coming back!

Lots of people moving to the state for the same reason. So demand for housing is high. goodluck finding anything reasonable anywhere near Boston. Check out western mass rent isn't as insane and the pioneervalley is very progressive.

Check out Greenfield. https://thetakemagazine.com/lupinewood-collective/

MA is trans-friendly. It's by no means perfect (no place ever will be), but you'll find support here. I live in Plymouth, one of the few places to have a Republican representative in the State House, and yet I pass multiple LGBT+ flags on my 3 mile commute. The oldest church in town (and oldest Parish in the country) flys the same flag.

This is true ! Our daughter loves it here in western Mass. she is a young lesbian and we relocated from NW Georgia which is a hellhole . Actually no. Politically a hell hole would be a better place than living in a district that worships MTG and is still fighting the “yankees” in an imaginary civil war errr or as we were taught in school the war of northern aggression (this was the 90s🤦🏻‍♂️).

Watching our daughter become comfort and open with who she is has been worth the move in itself. Western Mass has been and is a great place .

And if I may add, if you two come to MA - welcome!

Lastly, enjoy this political ad from 2018:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aLcDQMQ3Urg

it’s getting weird out there. absolutely come to MA, we got your back homie. Personally I’d recommend Salem (bias: live there and love it).

Life long mass hole here: nobody cares who you want to be or who you like having sex with. Don’t commit crime (like actual crime, not republican morality “crime”) and help old people when it’s snowy. You’ll be fine. Laws won’t suddenly go rogue here. We’ve been progressive since Lexington and Concord and I don’t see that changing.

Overall MA is a liberal state so for laws I certainly feel safe. With that said, shitty people are everywhere. My partner knows I've been gradually getting more uncomfortable visiting his family (south of Boston) because a few members clearly don't think I have the right to exist.

A lot of people have said pioneer valley is good, which I think is accurate. I'm in the hilltowns so I probably have some neighbors who'd hate me if they knew but it's not like we talk much. My doctors are all okay with me, I feel safe picking up HRT, and I'm comfortable dealing with my customers so overall I'm happy with the state of things.

I was getting my Jeep worked on to make it Mass inspection ready when we moved here. We were in Holyoke and like 50 cops came from parked unmarked cars and stormed what I think was an apartment complex. The guys at the Jeep place said it was just another day. 😆😆

Other than that what we have experienced when in Holyoke has been nice. I

[deleted]

Maybe cannabis places have to jump through hoops but is there a place where they don’t? At least we have it available to anyone

Yes, Easthampton is also excellent. One of my favorite places I've lived and also very friendly towards the queer community from my experience!

[deleted]

Just wanted to say welcome to MA!

The biggest issue in MA is the cost of living. You need to be making +40 an hour full time to afford a "fair market value" rental near the city.

Depending where you end up, the cost will vary a little bit, but overall it's just a pricey state, and the cheap rents are going to be in dumpy places.

I dont see any legislation changing any time soon.

And as long as you're decent people you'll be fine.

And depending what you do foe work/hobbies/fun there isn't much night life outside of like Boston and Worcester. Springfield and Holyoke are pretty unpleasant areas. The cape is great if you can afford it.

It's a mixed bag state, there's some nice progressive aspects, and MA health is a cool program, but the cost of living, the housing market, the drug epidemic, winter, the very anti gun rights bs, all suck ass. Other parts of New England are better, some are worse (cough Connecticut cough) but overall I mean, a shitty part of mass is definitely way less violent than southern cities.

If you're in tech, or pursuing higher learning or in the medical fields there is lots to find up here.

Good luck on the move

[deleted]

Pretty liberal is an understatement

I’m a bisexual woman in an openly sapphic relationship with a lesbian and my found-brother is a trans man. I’ll actually tag him ( u/evan-unit-01) and he can talk more about trans healthcare in MA, because I know he really loved the resources he got here. And he could definitely touch on what being trans in MA is like.

Being openly queer has never caused a single issue for my gf and I. We can go anywhere and do anything a normal couple would and no body bats an eye.

The only caveat is that MA, and especially Boston is very very expensive to live in.

Not sure where you are, but moving to new england is expensive as hell

My wife and I bring in over 200k a year and moving there would be tough.

Just a thought

[removed]

I would say Lawrence, Brockton or Lynn would be ideal for you.

You will thrive in Massachusetts.

That ad is literally my favorite piece of masshole culture.

I want to meet the 8% of people in p town that voted against it lol.

Escaped from the Midwest last year. Even as a straight couple, we recognize that this place is safe for the LGBTQ+. No place is perfect, but...

Run. Run before it's too late. We will welcome you here. We're stronger with you.

No ! Boston will not.

You are welcome here. Boston will be the best overall (not counting cost), because of the large population, varied services, and diverse culture. We also have especially welcoming communities elsewhere, like out west in the Berkshires, and all the way east in Provincetown. There are surely others I don’t know about. State law is favorable.

I am a straight, white male and there’s a lot I don’t know. But I know this: we don’t tolerate bigotry. I’m very proud of our state. We were first in equal marriage. All humans are welcome, and are protected by our state law.

Join us.

[deleted]

Massachusetts welcomes you 🤗

1. No, definitely not.

2. Most of the state is, obviously there are smaller places with historically famous queer scenes as well (Provincetown for example).

3. I would consider Boston as an area for your purposes, Boston itself is very small for historical reasons. It is also very expensive, in a very expensive state. Youve said nothing about your finances but this might be a concern. MA is great in my view, outside of cost of living. You’ll like it.

you will never meet them as they will have nothing to do with you

Massachusetts will never betray you! Boston and the surrounding area is wonderful but expensive. As with anywhere, consider the local politics of the place you move. I live in a wonderful city, but a city nearby is full of awful local politics (racism, sexism, anti-trans rhetoric galore) so please be selective.

Come be one of us!

[removed]

I live in a rural red town with only a few liberal families like mine, and you would be very accepted here. Good luck in your relocation.

[removed]

Most of Western MA certainly is. There are a few hilltowns between the Berkshires and the Pioneer Valley that are not as tolerant as other areas.

There's no way our Governor would sign an anti-gay or anti-trans anything. Not gonna happen.

As far as the best place to live, there are a lot of great places to live. I love the cape, Boston/Cambridge/Somerville are all quite safe but $$$$$. Northampton/Amherst are amazing, a lot more affordable, and have really good access to New York City.

I am of no help but I do know of a wonderful trans advocate here in Massachusetts, that may be able to answer some of your questions. She has publicly spoken alongside Senator Warren, too.

Her Twitter bio and handle is below.

@mimislemay Mom x 3, trans rights advocate, author “What We Will Become: A Mother, A Son and a Journey of Transformation,” opinions mine

[removed]

Boston is great if you like not having money. On a serious note, I'd be in complete shock if the state did a 180 and became against trans.

I'm gonna preface with this I'm not from Boston, I'm from the western half of the state but have been out there a good amount times so I think I have a decent understanding of the city.

1. I don't think we're gonna see much of a change in the near future negatively for LGTBQ+ rights, so you're good (don't quote me on that, shit can happen fast but is extremely unlikely to)
2. I've never heard that it is, I thought it was Las Angeles, California, a better place to move, if you're moving for work, at least, would be somewhere on the outskirts of Boston, if you're not moving for work anywhere else other than like Springfield would be a good move.
3. Haven't heard anything bad or good about the city in recent years, traffic can get hairy though.

This is a very LGBT friendly place. I think the vast majority of the greater Boston area would love to have you. This is not going to change in the next four years, it's only getting better. Especially if you come and help.

Let me put in a pitch for my town, Somerville, which is a great place to live. We have a history of being extremely progressive and productive on protection for LGBT rights. We also just a few days also past a few bit of legislation protecting polyamorous family units as well. There are rainbow flags all over the place and businesses as well as homes.

Jamaica Plain and Cambridge are also pretty great but honestly I can't think of any place that would be a bad place to be queer in Boston.

One thing to know about Boston that most people don't know if they aren't from here is that we are a very old city and thus the town, city, district lines are drawn very small. This is a bit pedantic but it's worth understanding. It means that there are many places in Boston that are effectively part of the city (mid range urban, plenty of public transit, walkable, etc) that are technically different towns legally. So if you're thinking "oh we'd rather be in a city, not outside of Boston" just know that in most other American cities, Somerville, Cambridge, Watertown, Everett, Newtown, and a dozen others would all just be Boston.

If you like a quieter slower pace and more rural areas, western mass and places like north Hampton and Pittsfield are beautiful and very queer as well.

Anyway, welcome. You should come here. It's great and we will all probably like you.

You’ll be fine in most MA cities:

https://thisweekinworcester.com/worcester-top-25-cities-for-lgbtq-singles/

Somerville welcomes you. As long as you can somehow afford to live here.

The Mass Supreme Judicial Court found a right to gay marriage in our state constitution a decade before the Supreme Court found it in the US constitution. Things are unlikely to go backwards here.

For Boston itself, i think you are totally fine anywhere. South end has historically been queer friendly, but honestly I think you’ll be welcome anywhere in the city. I was also raised in Tennessee, so my brain is always happy shocked when I see anyone not being a total ass

My partner and I make just over $120/year and we live quite comfortably in Worcester. Our mortgage is about equal to what we were paying for rent in Boston in 2013.

[removed]

I can't imagine things changing for the worse in MA, so you should be good. Hope you'll be happy here!

[deleted]

I'm trans and live in Central Mass. I feel safe at all times, I feel accepted and a sense of belonging at work (IT department of a large Boston based company) and I see people like us when I'm out in the world.

Last summer I was teaching my kid to swim at Walden and saw a group of twenty something trans folk having the time of their lives, swimming and laughing and filled with joy.

It was the moment I realized how much better my life had gotten since moving up here.

Dunno why you’re being downvoted, grew up in Walpole, can confirm.

I second this!

As a fellow trans and bi person who has lived here over 25 years and also spent some time in the South; I feel measurably safer. There are pockets of transphobia and bigotry but unfortunately that's the state of most places. I've managed to be safe here and find a community and friends.

As far as the future goes, I'm hopefully my girlfriend and I can one day raise a family. Massachusetts is not a perfect place but a better one for trans people than most other states.

As other commentors have said it is expensive and the closer you are to Boston, the more expensive it will be.

I'm all about that first sentence. Lucky enough to live in a state where I don't have to care.

[deleted]

Provincetown MA (eastern side on the ocean) and North Hampton MA (western side in a valley near the mountains) are both some of the most LGBTQ friendly places in the US. They are both insanely fun. I've lived in both throughout my life and I visit both often. They both have a great night life, restaurants, music, & theater scene. They both have bike trails and lots of dogs. North Hampton is more affordable but Provincetown is surrounded by beautiful beaches. You can't go wrong with either. If you need something more affordable I recommend one of the surrounding towns for either (Hadley or Amherst near North Hampton and Eastham Wellfleet or Truro near Provincetown).

Again you’re not coming from out of state

Or out of region for that matter

You have to start understanding, that relocating to New England, even as someone that grew up in private school country club CT (i went to pomfret, then Phillips) is VERY DIFFERENT than packing up and relocating there

It's probably the best place you can move, as fast as your rights. And there are a ton of other reasons, tbh. But it's also insanely expensive here. You should keep that in consideration.

Move to Northampton, it’s a little lesbian city in central MA. Massachusetts legalized gay marriage when I was 8yrs old and has never backslide on any protections for us. I’m 27 now

I lived in Salem for a year, less than a mile from the city center. If I could take the entire month of October to live anywhere else, I’d love it there.

Right? 🤣

Boston is pretty safe for our community HOWEVER the cost of living is outrageous.

[deleted]

The Boston area has cities that have some more progressive policies than Boston itself. For example, Somerville just passed non-discrimination protections for polyamorous relationships. So there are some areas that are more accepting and progressive than others, but I think that most of the Boston area will be trans inclusive

Provincetown is one of my favorite places ever. Famously a gay refuge when refuge was necessary. Now a party beach town. They should definitely visit. But that place had very few jobs and it's incredibly expensive. It's mostly a vacation town for extremely wealthy people.

It remains awesome, but somebody's gonna need to subtitle it for the OP. 🤣

Yeah wait wtf? 8% of p-town? Who the hell are those people? Why do they stay? That's like going to Fenway and asking them to stop playing baseball and put on a movie. Bro you don't like baseball, just leave.

It’s Boston. We don’t give a fuck about what anyone does, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. Now, I’m not saying you’ll feel welcomed with open arms—but that has nothing to do with your gender identity. We’re just prickly.

You and your partner will be/feel safe. The vast majority of people here, that don’t understand orientation and gender identity issues, still see you as humans. And because of our history pertaining to authoritative overreach, our population isn’t going to tolerate a society that legislates your humanity. That’s where our concept of “toleration” ends and begins.

Oh—and our love language is roasting the shit out of each other. If someone does that to you, roast yourself better than they did, then give it back. If it’s witty and said with a smile, you become one of the tribe. Self-deprecation and sarcasm are our native tongue. If we’re fucking with you, it’s bc that’s how we express camaraderie.

P.S. Vermont is for beer, crafts, antiques, skiing, and radical leftist protests. NH is for menthols, cheap booze (especially their amazing beer), and Trump voters too liberal for the south. Maine is for Lobstahs, Floridaman-North characters, and beer. Rhode Island is for Italian food, old New England grime, and killah beer. Connecticut (they’re dead to us) is finance bros, the best pizza on the planet, and beer. Mass…well, we’re the hub of the universe. You’ll understand after you get here, and have had a few beers (they’re amazing).

Dress in layers, expect autumn to blow your mind, order your Dunks iced…all year. If someone shovels out street parking in the winter, they will put a space saver in that spot—If you move it to park there, your car will be annihilated, and the community will turn against you. This isn’t an exaggeration-don’t do it. Avoid Greek pizza. North Shore Roast Beefs are the pinnacle of culinary expression, and are to be ordered as follows: Super Beef, 3-way, onion roll. Sox, Pats, Bruins, Celts; they are our religion.

Enjoy your new (England) home, in the best region in the US. Welcome to Boston, and go fuck yourself.

The Pioneer Valley (Hampshire & Franklin County) is wonderful EXCEPT that housing is disproportionately expensive both to rent and buy.

Dude, go live in any other region of the US. Eastern Mass might as well be Eden.

I grew up in Alabama. Some of y'all's sense of backwoods / scary areas are laughable. As a trans non-binary person, MA is the safest place I've felt in the US.

I think it's all relative based on where you are coming from. I was raised in AL. By comparison, anywhere in MA is paradise. I'm in the Merrimack Valley area and love it, I have never felt unsafe.

If you have an questions, hit me up. My partner & I made a similar move last year. Politically, I don't see anything changing in terms of LGBTQ rights; it's why we came here.

You will be safe here. Come! You’re welcome here. Western Mass is more affordable than Boston, but it depends on what you’re looking for. Take a peek at the Amherst/Northampton area and see what you think

I’m from here, and have lived across the US. Boston’s bigoted reputation is laughable if you’ve spent any time in almost any other state.

It’s mind-blowing to me that people actually have this take. The most conservative people I know from MA, still don’t hate the people they disagree with.

Some of Franklin County is a bit conservative leaning, to put it politely

"We're massholes...but we're no assholes"

Spot on!

I don't see any anti LGBTQ+ legislation happening here. We're quite progressive. We the first to legalize same sex marriage, we were early on decriminalizing then legalizing marijuana, our Governor is signing a pledge with other blue state governors to protect women's bodily autonomy, and we have Provincetown. You're going to love Provincetown.

Boston is a bit pricey but we also have the western part of the state with a few colleges that's a very progressive area. I loved out there for a year in the 90s and even back then, it was very welcoming.

This was fantastic. Wicked pissah. You made us proud, you beautiful asshole.

Edt to add: this is a map of how each town voted. Trump or Biden. This may be helpful. https://www.wbur.org/news/2020/11/03/2020-massachusetts-election-map

This doesn’t have the upvotes it deserves. Insanely well put.

Lots of conservative trash in MA, there are drooling idiot hillbillies and fascist bootlicker manbabies who have punisher stickers and confederate flags on their cars

Lots of trump trash too

At times parts of Boston would have gutted your good old boys not for the color of their skin but for existing in that space at that time. And some parts for color too.

"Safe" is relative.

You also realize this is a state that at one time made the south blush right? And that was the fucking 70s.

Are you from MA? I don't think you're from MA.

It's people not from MA and then the rose colored clowns who think our shit doesn't stink. It's fine. They can pretend.

Wicked Queer

Medfield

You may need to relearn to drive among the massholes, but outside the car you’ll be safe!

We have problems but not San Fran level problems.

Spent half of my growing up years in South Lancaster (which is probably one of the more conservative towns in the state), the other half in Warwick (it has a population of 750). My parents and their friends were mostly republican/conservative minded, but when we kids started noticing some of friends were LGBTQ+ our parents made it very clear that all people are people, and people love each other. That was pretty much it. In comparison I live in Indiana now and one of my republican coworkers participated in “gay hunts” as a teen (I didn’t ask for specifics on that; figured it was probably best not to know).

Massachusetts is one of the best places to live anyway, but it’s also very accepting of all people that can drive to our standards. The culture may be a little shocking; it’s been said that the west coast is polite but not nice and the east coast isn’t polite but is nice. We will help you with anything but will find every possible iteration of stupid known to humanity and call you it. Just brace yourself.

This is the most Massachusetts thing I've read today!

queer person and lifelong mass resident here. a few thoughts:

• some people will make comments to you that are offensive. most of the time they're trying to be funny and may not be educated enough on trans issues to know they're being genuinely hurtful. people in massachusetts speak in "go fuck yourself," and sometimes that involves punching down. don't take it as anything more than banter and throw it back in their face.

• there will always be transphobes, anywhere. massachusetts is safer than most other places for lgbt people, but don't get your hopes up that absolutely everybody in the state will be lovely to you all the time. generally speaking we keep to ourselves and don't care, but not always. it's easier to be queer in mass than anywhere else, but it will still be difficult at times. a lot of the comments here are about how wonderfully queer-friendly this state is - which is true! - but it's still good to approach it with at least some caution.

• as for legislation...you can relax on that front. even state republicans tend to be much more progressive than their counterparts anywhere else in the country.

• you will see republicans. you will see qanon nutjobs. you will see a discouraging number of thin blue line flags. there's lunatics anywhere. personally i think that the conservative lunatics tend to be loud with the pro-trump imagery in massachusetts to "own the libs", which gives the illusion that there are more right wingers than there actually are. there might be some people who swing more conservative than their neighbors, but the actual conspiracy theory lunatics tend to be clustered into little pockets. there are much less of those people here than there would be in somewhere like texas.

• boston is expensive. you might look at the northampton area. iirc there are a good amount of queer bars and basement bands in the worcester area.

the sad fact as a trans person is that nowhere is 100% safe, 100% accepting, or 100% free. but! massachusetts is much safer, much more accepting, and much freer on queer issues than the rest of the country. there's transphobic assholes just about anywhere, but you should not get discouraged by it if you move to massachusetts. here, at least, they don't speak for the rest of the state. it can be easy to get discouraged, but there are many things up here to love. and while you'll have to both work fairly hard for housing - shit's expensive up here - you can be happy and comfortable. good luck to both of you!! if you have questions, reach out i'll do my best to answer them. ❤️❤️

Others have done the heavy lifting but I'll add a few thoughts I haven't seen so far.

The governor is a married lesbian and it literally wasn't in the general conversation during the election. Maybe I live under a rock but I didn't know that about her until after the race was called.

We've been seeing periodic demonstrations by right-wing hate groups. Most memorably last year's Southie parade. They weren't welcome and importantly, someone tracked them down... They came from out-of-state. THEY ARE NOT US. Some asshole tried to start a rally on the Common (note: singular) a couple years ago and his crew of about 20 ran away when faced with thousands of angry counterprotestors. They lasted minutes. It would be laughable if it wasn't such a terrible cause.

We don't generally go for megachurches. Religion around here is something done privately if at all.

The most hate you're going to get is if you wear orange in a bar on March 17, wear a Yankees hat ever, or drive slowly, especially in the left lane. Avoid those behaviors and you'll be fine.

I definitely need to do better

The Catholic religion used to be huge here before the priests started diddling little boys. It’s dwindled to almost nothing in the last 15-20 years.

Avoid the Bridgewater area, aka the Deep South of Massachusetts.

As an alternative, Rhode Island, particularly Providence, is incredibly progressive and LGBTQIA+ friendly. It’s about an hour from Boston and has an MBTA commuter rail. It also has a significantly lower cost of living than the Greater Boston Areas in Massachusetts (it is still considered the GBA)

I'm trans (and bi) as well. I've worked as a volunteer of BAGLY back in 2017 (an LGBT youth group) and I'll say, I don't feel safer going anywhere else than this state. I love Massachusetts.

BAGLY was so closely tied with the Massachusetts government.... and they are run by a trans woman. I remember Elizabeth Warren marching with us in the Pride Parade. It was pretty rad. Our voting has only gotten more blue and the only changes I think that would occur would be at the national level.

We have a hospital here that is pretty much an LGBT hospital, not that all the hospitals here aren't. Fenway Health prides itself on being an LGBT healthcare facility, and it's really cool too.

The MassTPC (Trans political coalition) is a group that fights for our rights. Back when I came out 7-ish years ago, I kept in contact with the trans guy who ran it, and he helped me get the help I needed to transition. I marched with then in Pride one year and they had Sonia Chang-Diaz marching with us.... lesser known at a global level, but another state politician. The massTPC are a great resource for us and are very supported by the state.

First Event is a transgender convention we have in this state too, where people all over come, speak, and support one another.

My own personal experience has been that I go into Boston every so-amount of Tuesdays and I've never had any issues. Ever thankfully. When it comes down to it, we might be non-talkative assholes here, but we aren't hateful. I feel very comfortable here and I thank everyone that makes Massachusetts an amazing state.

Lastly, lol at the housing situation. I do hope you can afford it. This state's housing problem does kill the hope of a lot of migrating people to move here. It's very expensive.

I’ve found all of MA, not just Boston, to be very accepting and pro queer. However, the cost of living is insane. Absolutely wild, and not affordable for most… If you don’t mind living in a less urban area I’d recommend the south coast due to cost of living. We have the same laws and you can always make a day trip to the city. Or if you really want a true semi walkable urban city, Providence in RI is much more affordable and has a lot of the same cultural and legislative protections, since they tend to pass laws a year or two after we do.

Somerville, MA right outside of Boston is very LGBTQ+ friendly and has a large social scene for the community

Fixed it

I live in between Boston and providence, with friends in providence, and I can tell you providence feels safer and more LGBT+ friendly. Boston is much bigger and has some areas where I wouldn't feel as safe. That's just my own opinion and experience, and I'm sure others feel differently.

Hampshire couny* as someone who is queer in the Berkshires it’s very much not.

As a queer in western mass, I feel more safe in Bridgewater than I do in my own area🤣

It’s really just Hampshire county. If you go to the Berkshires, it’s not that great.

Northampton is Western mass. It’s in Hampshire county which is one of the few counties in western mass lol

You’ve seen nothing until you’ve gone up against RI drivers.

Generally speaking, if you’re lgbtq and want to be treated normally, MA is about as good as it gets

Pls stop

[deleted]

You said it was in central mass it’s not… I would suggest opening your eyes in reading what you say🤣🤣🤣

Instead of deleting your comment where you’re very obviously wrong just edit your post bro

[removed]

Hi! Hi! HI!

Mom of a trans kid here. It’s amazing for trans people and trans kids. You will run into random bigots of course, because it’s not a utopia. But consider this: our trans protections came under a Republican Governor who supported it.

We do not fuck around with human rights here. And we will always have a dem legislature who will protect our people. And I’m in the burbs.

My kid is safe. The schools make it safe for them. I could ask for very little more.

> Massachusetts will never betray you!

Untrue. We have religious freedom enshrined in our constitution and yet they banned people from going to church in 2020. That was a betrayal.

> The Mass Supreme Judicial Court found created a right to gay marriage in our state constitution

FTFY

yet

No, you didn’t. It has always been in there, they just finally realized it. “Creating” a right would require changing the text via an amendment.

Like the entire west coast? Colorado?

Rightoids feel the need to be extra diligent and plaster thin blue line flags all over their property here because they know they're outnumbered.

Nah, it’s like when Roberts created the Obamacare mandate by saying it would be legal if they called it a tax. So they suddenly decided to call it a tax and bam we were saddled with unconstitutional extortion for decades.

Or when the House capped their number at 435 because it didn’t technically violate the text, while overlooking the whole spirit of representative government by population.

Or when SCOTUS created a right to abortion in Roe and later in Casey (which Dobbs has since stated was created, and thus struck down).

Agreed on the first two, except that the ACA was created by republicans.

And Dobbs reversed over a hundred years of precedent. It’s a bad decision, poorly reasoned, and will go down in history with Dred Scott.

[deleted]

Hmmm your politics seem like garbage.

Read Article II of the state constitution. It says explicitly that the government will not infringe on any man’s right to worship however he chooses. That’s not politics, it’s the blasted law.

Sorry can’t go fuck myself. I’m pretty tired after fucking your ma all night.

Great post!!

You seem lost.

Just here to echo what everyone else is saying. Any legislative backward movement on LGBTQ+ issues and Beacon Hill would burn to the ground within days.

Of course we have shitstick people too, but they’re generally self-confined to the kind of places you’d expect to find them. Any moderately sized population center is likely to be very welcoming, and politically, the fuckups have nowhere near the numbers needed to move the needle in the state house.

Also it really is expensive as fuck…like not-even-2 steps-behind-NYC-expensive.

Welcome ❤️💕

Are you insinuating they can’t afford housing?

About #3: Are you rich? That's really the main concern.

No I’m saying people moving here from out of state will take housing away from people already struggling. And the more demand surpasses supply the more prices will increase.

Well personally i’d rather someone move here to get out of a bad situation than have their rights stripped away so 2 less people move into a state of 7 million people

>1) if the pro-trans status is expected to change in the (especially near) future. In four years will this still be in place?

The only thing I can see impacting that is a major incident occurring in-state, like how California briefly flipped red after the PG&E scandal. You run that risk anywhere, though.

>2) if Boston is the most LGBT friendly city? is there a better place to move for safety or even just in general? 3) is moving to Boston right now a good idea?

Depends on the areas. You'd have better luck in Easthampton or Northampton, probably. But not Westhampton. Worcester County is not recommended. Worcester hates anything Boston likes, to a borderline irrational degree

Salem, Ma is a great location too!