Being LGBT in the current political climate can already be pretty complicated. The situation is even more complicated when you have a child to think about. On top of thinking about things like school district funding and average college admission, you should also think about LGBT support groups and overall social climate.
Whether you’re a heterosexual couple with an LGBT child or a gay/lesbian/trans couple who’s adopted a child, here are some great places that go above and beyond in their support for LGBT associated children.
Los Angeles
LA has a very dense LGBT population, complete with support groups, pride events, and favorable legislation. Your child will almost never be made to feel “othered” here like they would in so many other places.
LA does have a pricey downside. Its price per square foot value is an expensive $347. It might be best to look elsewhere if you’re not already established.
The State Of Connecticut
The state of Connecticut is already very welcoming of LGBT people regardless of where you live. There are a great deal of support groups and other resources that you can easily find using the internet. In fact, many of them actually go to the kids themselves, and make their presence known in high schools and middle schools around the state.
Connecticut also contains a large amount of Ivy League schools, and even the community and state schools such as UCONN are top tier.
Connecticut has a pretty good breadth of options when it comes to housing. Depending on what area you choose to live in, the prices of homes can vary quite a bit. Shop around and see what you like!
San Francisco
This one is quite obvious. San Francisco has been a haven for gay culture for decades, and this shows no signs of changing. LGBT people are extremely common in San Francisco. In fact, it’s more common to see us than heterosexuals! San Francisco, LA, and Connecticut are alike in that their school system is covered in resources for gay teens and young adults. Every school has at least one GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) or other pride group.
San Francisco shares something else with LA. They’re both very expensive. However, San Francisco’s $847 per square foot is more than double the price of LA’s. A moderate sized home in San Francisco can run you over $800,000.
New York City
New York City is one of the most densely populated metropolitan centers in the country. There’s no shortage of diversity, which means that your child will be exposed to many opposing viewpoints. It’s also within range of Connecticut’s great Ivy League colleges, so you can take advantage of that when the time comes.
However, New York life can be somewhat cramped unless you have an above average income. The price per square foot is $585, and the public schooling system in New York City isn’t always the best. However, some of the private schools are fantastic if you want to go that route.
Ogden, Utah
Ogden Utah is great for several reasons. The first is that they have positive legislation to protect members of the LGBT community. This isn’t limited to gay marriage rights either; there are laws in place to protect against discrimination to LGBT and Trans individuals, as well as laws specifically made to discourage bullying in youth.
The price of living is fairly low, ranking 87.2 points versus the 100 point U.S. average. On top of that, worker’s earnings are fairly high. This means that Ogden residents get the most out of their salary here, which is important due to the expense of raising children.
Ogden has a large variety of activities, including those that bring you close to nature, making sure that you and your little ones will never be bored. There’s a lot in Ogden for children. So give it a chance.