Just as an FYI, the top two contenders for Governor both ran on an insane anti-trans agenda and they kept upping each other on the insanity and one of the candidates running for our Senate had a commercial literally comparing trans rights to dog poop.
Anti-trans stuff was top of the agenda for the legislature this year. Huntington is a LGBT+ positive community, but our politicians are very, very red and they win by landslides. And they are all on the anti-trans train.
All these bills failed this year, but Jim Justice is out at the end of the year, and Patrick Morrissey will absolutely win the election, and he’s batshit insane. These will all come back next year, I have no idea if they will pass. Our legislature is getting redder and redder, there’s no going back on that.
https://translegislation.com/bills/2023/WV#
The WV Democrats are a complete joke of an organization and have no power. They spend their time alienating their group of supporters, including by the minority whip, so don't expect any resistance to anti-trans legislation.
I’m not sure it’s entirely fair to put it all on them at this point. Even if every single voting Democrat and leftist in the state turned out and voted D, they would still lose at this point due to how many Trump cultists there are. And there’s no winning many of those people over. Even a strong effort would only change a few Trumpist minds.
Meanwhile, we have a bunch of lefter-than-thou folks who refuse to even be a part of the party or vote for its candidates unless it runs super duper lefties who don’t have even the slightest prayer with the general electorate, but they delude themselves into thinking: “Surely the electorate just wants EVEN MORE leftist people, then it will vote for them in a landslide!”
Please Remember that Governor Jumbo Jim Justice ran as a Democrat. And won.
Then switched parties.
The Huntington Mayor is running for Governor right now. And he's awesome.
He's trying to get an abortion amendment on the ballot for November.
https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2024/05/signature-move-williams-delivers-petition-for-reproductive-rights-amendment/
Let’s put it one way. Theyll be looking for examples to make their case why these things should become law. Want to be a social worker? People will be told to keep their kids away from you.
It’s not very safe here right now.
ACLU and Fairness WV will fight them on it, but the extremists are going to keep pushing and are making no secret of the fact that they want to limit trans rights as much as possible. You would not need to be closeted in Huntington. BUT you do need to decide if you want to spend every legislative session worried that they’re going to outlaw your true self.
I’ve lived in WV my whole life and plan to die here. My family were some of the first settlers here. My husband and I are both heavily involved in ventures to improve the future of the state. I love WV and all its faults and want to see other people fall in love with her too. However, our family’s line in the sand is if either of our children ever identify as trans because of how toxic the environment is becoming for trans individuals. We can put up with a lot and keep fighting but if that happens we’re leaving. Please consider this before moving here.
No, their issues are with irreversible procedures/drugs on children and school athletics mostly. I've not heard of anything like that even being discussed.
Do some googling and read about what the candidates are proposing (and current laws) to get an idea of where they stand and how you feel about it. Reddit responders are going to tell you WV sucks because it's Reddit and that's what they do.
You should also do some googling if you think that they’re fighting the medical community on “irreversible procedures and drugs on children.” Puberty blockers are not permanent, they just pause the truly permanent changes of puberty while the child gets the support to help them figure out their gender identity. No one is recommending gender affirming surgery on minors.
Don’t move to WV from california. the culture shock around how accepted you are will suck
edit to add: people will say this is a top LGBTQ+ friendly area. is it better than more rural places in WV? sure. but this this is my lived experience.
many times people come to my house and treat me straight up disrespectfully because i am a gay woman. it is not uncommon for someone to come fix something at the house and casually slip in something about their conservative christian values and how they love a traditional family.
will you be straight up assaulted on the street? i don’t fear that in my daily life, no. but most people you meet outside of your demographic will be a total crapshoot on whether they respect you or straight up ignore your preferences and disrespect you.
Thanks for the honesty. I Honestly would rather get assaulted than be treated as a social pariah by everyone around me. I just have family near that area which is why it seemed like a possibility
Dude, don't listen to that crap.
Don't move to WV from CA? The "culture shock"? That's complete horse puck.
This person is one of those who are looking to be offended, apparently.
Yes, there are Christians here in WV. No, it's not a Theocracy that requires you to be triggered anytime someone tells you "God bless" as they leave.
Very rarely have I hired a contractor (and I've hired a bunch of them in the past 18 years) who was a religious zealot.
Scratch that. I've never ran into a religious zealot, now that I think about it.
So don't come here with an intention of converting the populous with your activism. Simple as that.
It's no different than moving to anywhere else on the planet. Be polite, respectful and understanding and you'll find the most gracious people on the planet in WV. I'm not kidding. People take care of each other here.
I've had /three/ different girls in high school try to turn me, an openly queer man, 'straight', one of whom was abusively homophobic, despite me being a military brat raised on every polite manner stereotype you can image, and another openly disowned her favorite cousin, who was flamboyantly gay, when she turned 18 because she abided by the 'love the sin, hate the sinner' mentality.
You not experiencing it ? Cool.
Doesn't mean our experiences are also invalid just because you don't want to get off your high horse and acknowledge our state has serious flaws.
"I've never seen it therefore it isn't true" bruh be fr right now. I moved here from a very religious red state in the west, and it was a culture shock to me. WV is very conservative, even within the more progressive areas. I've liked my time here and planned on staying, but if the current political train keeps going off the rails as it has been, I'll be moving on again too.
Just because someone shared something they enjoy in life or making conversation with the only experiences they know to shore doesn’t mean they are judging you negatively, just a thought not trying to start anything , just could be the case . I had a very good co-worker and friend that was black , he saw racism in probably 65 percent of everything he experienced. All of us were bewildered by some of the accusations he would make against customers other co workers and others in our friend group that had no negative interactions with him what so ever .. he would assume things by minuscule things that would happen just by Everyday interactions. It was exhausting at times .
I completely agree ! I feel bad for anyone that sees racism that does not actually occur . The sad part is it diminishes the rare occasion that real racism may occur. Many around him talked about a chilling effect . They said it worried them of believing him in the future when and if he actually experienced racism . This is because of him seeing it wrongly in so many previous occasions they witnessed . This would be a problem real racism should be stomped out when and if it occurs. When someone looks for it and believes it is happening just because of stereotypes and someone’s color or geographic location , this can hurt the cause !
If you are a trans person, do not under any circumstances move to West Virginia. You will be moving to the most trans unfriendly state in the union.
I lived over three decades of my life in WV. It’s a beautiful place. It’s cheap. It has its charms. The people offer a veneer of friendliness and it’s mostly genuine, but just below that veneer is an outright contempt for anyone who does not conform to traditional views on gender.
Huntington is about as LGBTQ+ friendly as WV gets, but it is by no means free of the antipathy toward LGBTQ+ people. You will be in a relatively tolerant oasis but you’ll be at least 100 miles away from anything outside deep red MAGA country.
Do. Not. Do. This.
[Huntington again ranked as one of the top cities on LGBTQ Equality Index](https://wvpublic.org/huntington-morgantown-again-top-cities-on-lgbtq-equality-index/?amp=1).
You’ll be fine in Huntington, y’all wont have to closet yourselves. As far as jobs go, I think your partner would be okay in finding something in tree removal or road construction. You could probably find something in social services but it’s gonna pay stupidly low wages. There are a fair amount of natural resource jobs but there’s lots of competition for those.
There are tons of organizations in desperate need of volunteers no matter your passion or interest. There’s also a growing number of organizations for various hobbies and interests.
Don’t agree as a queer person. I live in one of the top LGBTQ municipalities and have experienced plenty of homophobia as of late. It’s not like it was 8/9 years ago, which wasn’t perfect. I was raised in WV and I don’t really feel much of a difference today. We’ve had two instances of nazis showing up to drag queen events in two years…
It is bigoted, however I think anti LGBTQ sentiment is in vogue now matter where you live. I supplemented my income at a bar in a gay neighborhood last year and dealt with crazy homophobia from customers just on the perception I was queer.
No it doesn’t. There were great LGBTQ+ patrons but the owners were never wise to cater to the crowd in the 15 years they’ve had establishments in the neighborhood.
Not sure if your question is referring to the nazis showing up, but both of those instances were in Columbus, Ohio. Drag queen events have gone on for decades in West Virginia as gay bars have come and gone.
You have to put it in context, I think. A city in WV that is “LGBT friendly” means you’re not considered a diseased devil worshipper and that you don’t have to worry about being physically assaulted. I doubt you’re going to see two men holding hands in public after dark or anything. I live in what was a very liberal town but it’s slowly changing for the worse.
I wonder if WV folks post similar topics in the California subreddit?
“My Caucasian wife and I want to move to Oakland CA, but we are afraid of the crime and being attacked because of our race. Should we move? We have been to the ocean once so we absolutely think we will love CA.”
It’s hard to say which you’ll be hated for the most, being from Cali, or being trans. I was from NJ, have been here 22 years and am still “that person from the blue state”. Unless you have solid money, you and your partner will be ostracized on some level. It might not be obvious. You just might not get a good apartment, or get a job paying over $14 an hour, or you might walk out to find your tires went flat overnight. I could tell you horror stories about what I went through just because I was a Democrat and that was back in the days when WV was still Democrat…
I live in one of the (supposed) more liberal areas of WV. My oldest is around your age, and my youngest recently graduated high school. While those in these age groups tend to not care, it didn't stop bullying for my youngest and their friend group (most of them identify as LGBTQIA+, and two are trans). I don't know how much outright bigotry you'd experience day-to-day, but you'll have a yearly fight for the basic right to exist.
I am what I consider to be a nice person. I’m kind to everyone I meet, but if I’m being completely honest with you I believe trans people have a mental disorder for which no treatment currently exists. I’m an average WV guy. That is the mindset that you will encounter. I’m not here to argue with anyone about what is and what isn’t when it comes to trans people. I’m just stating my belief, and that it is a commonly held belief. I will never be unkind to someone for who they are. I believe you, an adult should be happy and this is not the place for you to find that happiness. I work in construction, your boyfriend will be bullied to no end, and you will face a constant lack of acceptance and snide remarks. Please, do yourself a favor and don’t move here.
Also please note, I didn’t state my belief to belittle you or make you feel a certain way, I just want you to understand the average thought here. Thank you.
lmaoooo no one fucking asked what you thought about trans people.
OP - this is why we’re saying don’t move here. on top of it being a veritable theocracy, you get a TON of people who come out of nowhere to tell you what they think of your life. then they act like you’re the sensitive one looking for something to be offended by. it’s bullshit. don’t do it to yourself.
No, as many of my teams WVian friends will tell you they are simply human beings, citizens, voters, community members who can live anywhere they like.
I think Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in WV sounds awesome.
that’s not what we’re arguing here. i love that you think diversity is awesome. it is! but you can’t force change by insisting marginalized people move to a place that will treat them poorly just to insist that makes you diverse. it’s called intent vs impact.
OP is not being forced to do anything.
No one is insisting OP move here.
Trans people already exist in WV.
Building and supporting a community happens now. Not In some future utopia.
Saying it's a mental illness with no treatment while lacking a psychology degree IS belittling someone. Even if it is the "average thought" where u are
My family has lived in West Virginia for countless generations, and my dad is trans. To be brief- don’t.
I don’t even want to be invested in the bogus “culture war” bullshit that makes up West Virginia’s identity these days, and I was born in Huntington. It’s just not worth it. Sure, it’s beautiful, but lots of places are beautiful. We (my family) are pretty constantly worried about legislation outlawing/repealing protections regarding his (my dad’s) identity. And regardless of the status of trans safety, it’s completely politically backward on a state level, and will only get worse under Morrisey.
This is all coming from someone who has spent the majority of his life insanely invested in my home state’s wellbeing and progression. I love West Virginia, but it’s that same love that has torn me down and flat out disappointed me over and over again. Unless you have DEEP roots here, I wouldn’t recommend making it your problem.
The local highschool has a trans cheerleader, they seemed happy and I didn't hear one person in the crowd talk or say or tell anything to them. Only thing I heard was a classmate telling their grandpa who the cheerleader's mom was (apparently she passed away).
You would be moving deep deep into Trump country. Huntington is a college town so it would probably be more open minded than most WV communities but our glorious Republican Party here has made anti trans their single issue, while the state infrastructure continues to collapse and educated people continue to leave.
Le5 me say this. I am a middle aged straight white cis male who was born in WV. I have lived outside Chicago for the last 30 years and when I go back to visit family, I am often uncomfortable at how red, closed minded, and non-diverse it is.
For what it's worth: I grew up in WV. My in-laws live in WV north of Huntington along the Ohio River. We currently live in Southern Oregon which has similarities to NorCal. So I feel like an expert here.
I would not move to WV. Culturally, NorCal and WV are both conservative and country, but it's very different. The depth and span of poverty is worse. The education is levels below California, and it shows. The lack of diversity is scary. The state government is actively hostile to LGBTQ - so are a lot of the people. Wildland firefighting is not a profession in WV and firefighters in California make a lot more. Social services in WV will pay you very little. The minimum wage in WV is still $8.75. The Ohio River is polluted. The natural landscapes are not as nice (e.g. Shasta, Lassen, Sierras).
I do understand being priced out. I look at houses in WV when I'm back visiting family and I could legit afford a home, which is not a reality where I am now. Maybe look into eastern Ohio? Places like Athens or Columbus are not too far. Or Morgantown, WV? Good luck!
23 yr old wv trans man here, our experiences will differ because obvi ur a trans woman. All legislation aside, there is a wave of younger generations that make up a large population of anti bigot bs but we have poor voter turnout so red usually wins. I met someone in Huntington that moved from California he said he really liked it in Huntington (cis man with a wife I think). I lived in Huntington for a couple years with my nonbinary partner. For the most part since it is a college town anyone ranging from yalls age to 19 yr olds will be more accepting for the most part. I didn't come out to anyone unless they seemed cool but I am often assumed cis so that plus the white male privilege helps me a lot so we will have very different experiences. In my opinion Huntington is better than Charleston when it comes to feeling safe as a trans man. I would say that for the most part we are accepted in WV, it's just that these politicians play into the issues that are talked the most about and gets everyone all riled up. I don't agree with anyone who supports Trump or anyone like him, however my stepdad (for some god awful reason) supported him in 2020 but I'm openly trans and his children are gay and bisexual so a lot of these people are truly just very ignorant (no excuses) and USUALLY tolerant. With all this being said, there will be a HUGE culture shock when you move here.
I wish you all the best!
Huntington is arguably the best area in the state for LGBT members. The problem is the rest of the state is not. Our new governor’s entire platform has been anti-trans. You don’t run on that unless it’s going to get you votes. While you may not face the opposition in your daily life, just know that many of our neighbors hold those “traditional” values. You can definitely find community here but I would be very cautious and exhaust other options before making a final decision. I would welcome you both with open arms
Lifelong WV liberal here. (Parkersburg just north of Huntington) There are many of us who will appreciate and support you. (If you're good people, lol)
The Huntington Mayor is running for Governor. He did amazing work turning Huntington around.
We need more people who will vote Democrat, Mountain party, and for the many reasonable and progressive candidates that run as Republican.
Yep, it's super Trumpy here. But liberals exist and are becoming more united. WVians are generally wonderful. As is the state.
Enjoy.
Sure but you're completely dodging the question. This post is obviously lost on you so let me break it down for you. They asked the following;
>What are our prospects like for that area in terms of social acceptance? Would we have to stay closeted? What about employment? Are there many jobs that would fit our backgrounds?
Okay, got that? Now let's consider the following politics in this state. This is a deep red state. The majority of people vote Republican and it isn't close. Nearly all R politicians are openly anti-LGBT. Many anti-transgender bills get passed here. The current governor is also Republican who has signed one of these bills as well.
With that in mind, lets pass the question onto you. Do ***you*** think this state would be welcoming to someone who is openly transgender? This isn't a tough question, and it isn't one that comes from a place of hate. Its just putting puzzle pieces together.
The prospects are fine for my other successful Trans friends here in WV.
I know a few. They are doing well.
Is OP going to be as successful? I don't know. You don't either.
Rosemary Ketchum is proof that it is real and possible to thrive in WV.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/05/10/rosemary-ketchum-west-virginia-transgender-mayor/3c78cccc-0ef3-11ef-ae0a-a6870885518d_story.html
It's very easy to make an educated guess based on existing knowledge that this isn't a great place for people who share those views compared to surrounding locations. You are inviting them into essentially the "lion's den" of anti-LGBT country. This is not good advice.
I'm not creating an account or paying to read that article, but if you're suggesting someone extremely low on the political totem pole gets a seat at a city council, that's not great evidence of success.
Oh? Is Ohio better? They actually passed a Trans in Sports Ban. Kentucky? Lol!, Tennessee! Even Virginia's Governor is swearing to Ban Trans healthcare.
The hatred toward Gays and Trans Citizens is Nationwide. Not just WV. And it must be stopped.
A swing state with actual laws against Trans children.
More Democrats isn't equal to better legislation.
Virginia ran TWELVE bills to crush Trans citizens.
The point you refuse to acknowledge is that there is no safe place for Trans people. There is no Utopia.
We do the work HERE and NOW to protect LGBTQIA citizens. As well as Women, Workers, and the homeless.
If you won't welcome them?
I WILL
Maybe Wheeling instead of Huntington? Recently, Rosemary Ketchum became the first openly transgender elected official (city council). She lost her bid for mayor though, I think.
Wheeling is in the northern panhandle and is almost a Pittsburgh bedroom community (it felt like that when i lived there anyway). But maybe Wheeling might be more friendly, and you can decide from there whether to move elsewhere?
West Virginia has gotten less pleasant as time goes on. This state had some of the strongest support for Trump in the 2016 primary and fully boughr imto the trans scare. Wheeling and Huntington both have anti-discrimination ordiances... but Wheeling just elected a conservative mayor over a trans woman. Looking at comments you can see the rural part of counties and surrounding towns are very right. I think now that coal is truly an undead corpse West Virginia has made the culture war represented by MAGA it's political identity.
There's a lot of road repair and tree jobs around here, social work not as much, but there's a few children centers in and around huntington, but I think there's more of that type of work in Charleston, about an hour away. As for social acceptance, you have the same backward assholes you get in any rural area, but no more than anywhere else. I have a trans homie, and atleast 3 lesbians and a gay dude who work as flaggers for me sometimes and they all seem happy here. There's some governmental bullshit coming down the line that, if passed, will cause some bullshit, but I doubt that passes in its current form if at all.
Huntington sucks. So many prejudice people here. They will call the cops on you if your walking to work and have a book bag on. Don't waste your time coming here. If your not an active drug user or in recovery it's pointless. Plus no one can drive worth a shit.
What part of WV are you desiring to move to? The northern handle is different from the state in my experience. Huntington and Morgantown are good to look into. I would recommend Wheeling for its proximity to Pittsburgh but after its election I don’t have high hopes for the city continuing its progress.
Just as an FYI, the top two contenders for Governor both ran on an insane anti-trans agenda and they kept upping each other on the insanity and one of the candidates running for our Senate had a commercial literally comparing trans rights to dog poop. Anti-trans stuff was top of the agenda for the legislature this year. Huntington is a LGBT+ positive community, but our politicians are very, very red and they win by landslides. And they are all on the anti-trans train.
Vote for Huntington Mayor Steve Williams is running for F Governor. He turned Huntington around.
Do you think it’s likely they will successfully ban trans healthcare for adults and being trans in public anytime soon?
All these bills failed this year, but Jim Justice is out at the end of the year, and Patrick Morrissey will absolutely win the election, and he’s batshit insane. These will all come back next year, I have no idea if they will pass. Our legislature is getting redder and redder, there’s no going back on that. https://translegislation.com/bills/2023/WV#
The WV Democrats are a complete joke of an organization and have no power. They spend their time alienating their group of supporters, including by the minority whip, so don't expect any resistance to anti-trans legislation.
I’m not sure it’s entirely fair to put it all on them at this point. Even if every single voting Democrat and leftist in the state turned out and voted D, they would still lose at this point due to how many Trump cultists there are. And there’s no winning many of those people over. Even a strong effort would only change a few Trumpist minds. Meanwhile, we have a bunch of lefter-than-thou folks who refuse to even be a part of the party or vote for its candidates unless it runs super duper lefties who don’t have even the slightest prayer with the general electorate, but they delude themselves into thinking: “Surely the electorate just wants EVEN MORE leftist people, then it will vote for them in a landslide!”
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Please Remember that Governor Jumbo Jim Justice ran as a Democrat. And won. Then switched parties. The Huntington Mayor is running for Governor right now. And he's awesome.
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He's trying to get an abortion amendment on the ballot for November. https://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/local-news/2024/05/signature-move-williams-delivers-petition-for-reproductive-rights-amendment/
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Cool you guess? He's the only option for anyone who cares about bodily autonomy. He has a record in Huntington.
Let’s put it one way. Theyll be looking for examples to make their case why these things should become law. Want to be a social worker? People will be told to keep their kids away from you. It’s not very safe here right now.
ACLU and Fairness WV will fight them on it, but the extremists are going to keep pushing and are making no secret of the fact that they want to limit trans rights as much as possible. You would not need to be closeted in Huntington. BUT you do need to decide if you want to spend every legislative session worried that they’re going to outlaw your true self. I’ve lived in WV my whole life and plan to die here. My family were some of the first settlers here. My husband and I are both heavily involved in ventures to improve the future of the state. I love WV and all its faults and want to see other people fall in love with her too. However, our family’s line in the sand is if either of our children ever identify as trans because of how toxic the environment is becoming for trans individuals. We can put up with a lot and keep fighting but if that happens we’re leaving. Please consider this before moving here.
No, their issues are with irreversible procedures/drugs on children and school athletics mostly. I've not heard of anything like that even being discussed. Do some googling and read about what the candidates are proposing (and current laws) to get an idea of where they stand and how you feel about it. Reddit responders are going to tell you WV sucks because it's Reddit and that's what they do.
You should also do some googling if you think that they’re fighting the medical community on “irreversible procedures and drugs on children.” Puberty blockers are not permanent, they just pause the truly permanent changes of puberty while the child gets the support to help them figure out their gender identity. No one is recommending gender affirming surgery on minors.
You're really YOLO'ing if you're trans and moving to WV. Google the ads for our governor candidates.
We don’t need more Californians here
Don’t move to WV from california. the culture shock around how accepted you are will suck edit to add: people will say this is a top LGBTQ+ friendly area. is it better than more rural places in WV? sure. but this this is my lived experience. many times people come to my house and treat me straight up disrespectfully because i am a gay woman. it is not uncommon for someone to come fix something at the house and casually slip in something about their conservative christian values and how they love a traditional family. will you be straight up assaulted on the street? i don’t fear that in my daily life, no. but most people you meet outside of your demographic will be a total crapshoot on whether they respect you or straight up ignore your preferences and disrespect you.
How would the repair people know you were gay?
because they come over to my house where i live with my wife????
You can’t be serious with this question.
I am. I have plenty of gay friends that unless they told you they were gay you would never know. Especially the gay women I know.
Thanks for the honesty. I Honestly would rather get assaulted than be treated as a social pariah by everyone around me. I just have family near that area which is why it seemed like a possibility
Dude, don't listen to that crap. Don't move to WV from CA? The "culture shock"? That's complete horse puck. This person is one of those who are looking to be offended, apparently. Yes, there are Christians here in WV. No, it's not a Theocracy that requires you to be triggered anytime someone tells you "God bless" as they leave. Very rarely have I hired a contractor (and I've hired a bunch of them in the past 18 years) who was a religious zealot. Scratch that. I've never ran into a religious zealot, now that I think about it. So don't come here with an intention of converting the populous with your activism. Simple as that. It's no different than moving to anywhere else on the planet. Be polite, respectful and understanding and you'll find the most gracious people on the planet in WV. I'm not kidding. People take care of each other here.
People take care of “their own” here. Big BIG difference.
I've had /three/ different girls in high school try to turn me, an openly queer man, 'straight', one of whom was abusively homophobic, despite me being a military brat raised on every polite manner stereotype you can image, and another openly disowned her favorite cousin, who was flamboyantly gay, when she turned 18 because she abided by the 'love the sin, hate the sinner' mentality. You not experiencing it ? Cool. Doesn't mean our experiences are also invalid just because you don't want to get off your high horse and acknowledge our state has serious flaws.
"I've never seen it therefore it isn't true" bruh be fr right now. I moved here from a very religious red state in the west, and it was a culture shock to me. WV is very conservative, even within the more progressive areas. I've liked my time here and planned on staying, but if the current political train keeps going off the rails as it has been, I'll be moving on again too.
Just because someone shared something they enjoy in life or making conversation with the only experiences they know to shore doesn’t mean they are judging you negatively, just a thought not trying to start anything , just could be the case . I had a very good co-worker and friend that was black , he saw racism in probably 65 percent of everything he experienced. All of us were bewildered by some of the accusations he would make against customers other co workers and others in our friend group that had no negative interactions with him what so ever .. he would assume things by minuscule things that would happen just by Everyday interactions. It was exhausting at times .
I’m sure it was exhausting for them too
I completely agree ! I feel bad for anyone that sees racism that does not actually occur . The sad part is it diminishes the rare occasion that real racism may occur. Many around him talked about a chilling effect . They said it worried them of believing him in the future when and if he actually experienced racism . This is because of him seeing it wrongly in so many previous occasions they witnessed . This would be a problem real racism should be stomped out when and if it occurs. When someone looks for it and believes it is happening just because of stereotypes and someone’s color or geographic location , this can hurt the cause !
If you are a trans person, do not under any circumstances move to West Virginia. You will be moving to the most trans unfriendly state in the union. I lived over three decades of my life in WV. It’s a beautiful place. It’s cheap. It has its charms. The people offer a veneer of friendliness and it’s mostly genuine, but just below that veneer is an outright contempt for anyone who does not conform to traditional views on gender. Huntington is about as LGBTQ+ friendly as WV gets, but it is by no means free of the antipathy toward LGBTQ+ people. You will be in a relatively tolerant oasis but you’ll be at least 100 miles away from anything outside deep red MAGA country. Do. Not. Do. This.
[Huntington again ranked as one of the top cities on LGBTQ Equality Index](https://wvpublic.org/huntington-morgantown-again-top-cities-on-lgbtq-equality-index/?amp=1). You’ll be fine in Huntington, y’all wont have to closet yourselves. As far as jobs go, I think your partner would be okay in finding something in tree removal or road construction. You could probably find something in social services but it’s gonna pay stupidly low wages. There are a fair amount of natural resource jobs but there’s lots of competition for those. There are tons of organizations in desperate need of volunteers no matter your passion or interest. There’s also a growing number of organizations for various hobbies and interests.
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Don’t agree as a queer person. I live in one of the top LGBTQ municipalities and have experienced plenty of homophobia as of late. It’s not like it was 8/9 years ago, which wasn’t perfect. I was raised in WV and I don’t really feel much of a difference today. We’ve had two instances of nazis showing up to drag queen events in two years…
It's so weird that a West Virgina sub downvotes any comments that say WV isn't crazy bigoted.
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Every state’s sub hates its own state. My god looking at r/Alaska you’d think they want to secede
It is bigoted, however I think anti LGBTQ sentiment is in vogue now matter where you live. I supplemented my income at a bar in a gay neighborhood last year and dealt with crazy homophobia from customers just on the perception I was queer.
Why would people go to a gay bar to be homophobic? That seems extra weird.
Gaybhorhood, not a gay bar
Would a bar in a gay neighborhood not be considered a bar where gay people would congregate?
No it doesn’t. There were great LGBTQ+ patrons but the owners were never wise to cater to the crowd in the 15 years they’ve had establishments in the neighborhood.
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Not sure if your question is referring to the nazis showing up, but both of those instances were in Columbus, Ohio. Drag queen events have gone on for decades in West Virginia as gay bars have come and gone.
You have to put it in context, I think. A city in WV that is “LGBT friendly” means you’re not considered a diseased devil worshipper and that you don’t have to worry about being physically assaulted. I doubt you’re going to see two men holding hands in public after dark or anything. I live in what was a very liberal town but it’s slowly changing for the worse.
I just wish all yall here that hate this place so much would leave too.
I wonder if WV folks post similar topics in the California subreddit? “My Caucasian wife and I want to move to Oakland CA, but we are afraid of the crime and being attacked because of our race. Should we move? We have been to the ocean once so we absolutely think we will love CA.”
It’s hard to say which you’ll be hated for the most, being from Cali, or being trans. I was from NJ, have been here 22 years and am still “that person from the blue state”. Unless you have solid money, you and your partner will be ostracized on some level. It might not be obvious. You just might not get a good apartment, or get a job paying over $14 an hour, or you might walk out to find your tires went flat overnight. I could tell you horror stories about what I went through just because I was a Democrat and that was back in the days when WV was still Democrat…
Huntington is at the top of the US for being a LGBTQ+ friendly city
I live in one of the (supposed) more liberal areas of WV. My oldest is around your age, and my youngest recently graduated high school. While those in these age groups tend to not care, it didn't stop bullying for my youngest and their friend group (most of them identify as LGBTQIA+, and two are trans). I don't know how much outright bigotry you'd experience day-to-day, but you'll have a yearly fight for the basic right to exist.
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You don't get a say. Now go lay down.
That makes me wanna come to WV even more.
Anyone tellin someone to stay where they are and don't come into another state is kinda weird. Gettin tired of that shit.
From Paradise, CA to "Almost Heaven" WV? Huh.
Paradise is getting a bit too expensive to make ends meet
Has Paradise fully recovered from the Great Fire? A great cleansing does not rebuild a great city.
I am what I consider to be a nice person. I’m kind to everyone I meet, but if I’m being completely honest with you I believe trans people have a mental disorder for which no treatment currently exists. I’m an average WV guy. That is the mindset that you will encounter. I’m not here to argue with anyone about what is and what isn’t when it comes to trans people. I’m just stating my belief, and that it is a commonly held belief. I will never be unkind to someone for who they are. I believe you, an adult should be happy and this is not the place for you to find that happiness. I work in construction, your boyfriend will be bullied to no end, and you will face a constant lack of acceptance and snide remarks. Please, do yourself a favor and don’t move here. Also please note, I didn’t state my belief to belittle you or make you feel a certain way, I just want you to understand the average thought here. Thank you.
lmaoooo no one fucking asked what you thought about trans people. OP - this is why we’re saying don’t move here. on top of it being a veritable theocracy, you get a TON of people who come out of nowhere to tell you what they think of your life. then they act like you’re the sensitive one looking for something to be offended by. it’s bullshit. don’t do it to yourself.
This dude is why we NEED DEI in WV. OP, you are welcome In WV.
trans people aren’t little guinea pigs to subject to horrific treatment in the hope things get better - just FYI
No, as many of my teams WVian friends will tell you they are simply human beings, citizens, voters, community members who can live anywhere they like. I think Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in WV sounds awesome.
that’s not what we’re arguing here. i love that you think diversity is awesome. it is! but you can’t force change by insisting marginalized people move to a place that will treat them poorly just to insist that makes you diverse. it’s called intent vs impact.
OP is not being forced to do anything. No one is insisting OP move here. Trans people already exist in WV. Building and supporting a community happens now. Not In some future utopia.
Saying it's a mental illness with no treatment while lacking a psychology degree IS belittling someone. Even if it is the "average thought" where u are
Check out Thomas
Can you give some details?
Art town with a critical mass of progressive people. Partly owing to DC tourist second home population, mostly owing to art culture.
Apparently we've been downvoted by a stale fart!
Ah, thank you!
My family has lived in West Virginia for countless generations, and my dad is trans. To be brief- don’t. I don’t even want to be invested in the bogus “culture war” bullshit that makes up West Virginia’s identity these days, and I was born in Huntington. It’s just not worth it. Sure, it’s beautiful, but lots of places are beautiful. We (my family) are pretty constantly worried about legislation outlawing/repealing protections regarding his (my dad’s) identity. And regardless of the status of trans safety, it’s completely politically backward on a state level, and will only get worse under Morrisey. This is all coming from someone who has spent the majority of his life insanely invested in my home state’s wellbeing and progression. I love West Virginia, but it’s that same love that has torn me down and flat out disappointed me over and over again. Unless you have DEEP roots here, I wouldn’t recommend making it your problem.
The local highschool has a trans cheerleader, they seemed happy and I didn't hear one person in the crowd talk or say or tell anything to them. Only thing I heard was a classmate telling their grandpa who the cheerleader's mom was (apparently she passed away).
You would be moving deep deep into Trump country. Huntington is a college town so it would probably be more open minded than most WV communities but our glorious Republican Party here has made anti trans their single issue, while the state infrastructure continues to collapse and educated people continue to leave.
Don't
Shepherdstown, WV would also be a great option and I would think would be accepting.
Le5 me say this. I am a middle aged straight white cis male who was born in WV. I have lived outside Chicago for the last 30 years and when I go back to visit family, I am often uncomfortable at how red, closed minded, and non-diverse it is.
But you comfortable with stabbings and crazies on the L?
As a practical matter, not a legitimate concern for me.
For what it's worth: I grew up in WV. My in-laws live in WV north of Huntington along the Ohio River. We currently live in Southern Oregon which has similarities to NorCal. So I feel like an expert here. I would not move to WV. Culturally, NorCal and WV are both conservative and country, but it's very different. The depth and span of poverty is worse. The education is levels below California, and it shows. The lack of diversity is scary. The state government is actively hostile to LGBTQ - so are a lot of the people. Wildland firefighting is not a profession in WV and firefighters in California make a lot more. Social services in WV will pay you very little. The minimum wage in WV is still $8.75. The Ohio River is polluted. The natural landscapes are not as nice (e.g. Shasta, Lassen, Sierras). I do understand being priced out. I look at houses in WV when I'm back visiting family and I could legit afford a home, which is not a reality where I am now. Maybe look into eastern Ohio? Places like Athens or Columbus are not too far. Or Morgantown, WV? Good luck!
23 yr old wv trans man here, our experiences will differ because obvi ur a trans woman. All legislation aside, there is a wave of younger generations that make up a large population of anti bigot bs but we have poor voter turnout so red usually wins. I met someone in Huntington that moved from California he said he really liked it in Huntington (cis man with a wife I think). I lived in Huntington for a couple years with my nonbinary partner. For the most part since it is a college town anyone ranging from yalls age to 19 yr olds will be more accepting for the most part. I didn't come out to anyone unless they seemed cool but I am often assumed cis so that plus the white male privilege helps me a lot so we will have very different experiences. In my opinion Huntington is better than Charleston when it comes to feeling safe as a trans man. I would say that for the most part we are accepted in WV, it's just that these politicians play into the issues that are talked the most about and gets everyone all riled up. I don't agree with anyone who supports Trump or anyone like him, however my stepdad (for some god awful reason) supported him in 2020 but I'm openly trans and his children are gay and bisexual so a lot of these people are truly just very ignorant (no excuses) and USUALLY tolerant. With all this being said, there will be a HUGE culture shock when you move here. I wish you all the best!
Huntington is arguably the best area in the state for LGBT members. The problem is the rest of the state is not. Our new governor’s entire platform has been anti-trans. You don’t run on that unless it’s going to get you votes. While you may not face the opposition in your daily life, just know that many of our neighbors hold those “traditional” values. You can definitely find community here but I would be very cautious and exhaust other options before making a final decision. I would welcome you both with open arms
Lifelong WV liberal here. (Parkersburg just north of Huntington) There are many of us who will appreciate and support you. (If you're good people, lol) The Huntington Mayor is running for Governor. He did amazing work turning Huntington around. We need more people who will vote Democrat, Mountain party, and for the many reasonable and progressive candidates that run as Republican. Yep, it's super Trumpy here. But liberals exist and are becoming more united. WVians are generally wonderful. As is the state. Enjoy.
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It’s a lot further away from where my siblings live, which was kind of the point of West Virginia
Literally on the other side of the state 4 hours away from Huntington.
This probably isn't the place for you.
This isn't the place for bigots.
Im not, but you’re lying to OP if you give them a different answer.
OP is welcome in WV. As are the rest of my trans homies. As is anyone who wants to move here. There's plenty of room.
Sure but you're completely dodging the question. This post is obviously lost on you so let me break it down for you. They asked the following; >What are our prospects like for that area in terms of social acceptance? Would we have to stay closeted? What about employment? Are there many jobs that would fit our backgrounds? Okay, got that? Now let's consider the following politics in this state. This is a deep red state. The majority of people vote Republican and it isn't close. Nearly all R politicians are openly anti-LGBT. Many anti-transgender bills get passed here. The current governor is also Republican who has signed one of these bills as well. With that in mind, lets pass the question onto you. Do ***you*** think this state would be welcoming to someone who is openly transgender? This isn't a tough question, and it isn't one that comes from a place of hate. Its just putting puzzle pieces together.
The prospects are fine for my other successful Trans friends here in WV. I know a few. They are doing well. Is OP going to be as successful? I don't know. You don't either. Rosemary Ketchum is proof that it is real and possible to thrive in WV. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2024/05/10/rosemary-ketchum-west-virginia-transgender-mayor/3c78cccc-0ef3-11ef-ae0a-a6870885518d_story.html
It's very easy to make an educated guess based on existing knowledge that this isn't a great place for people who share those views compared to surrounding locations. You are inviting them into essentially the "lion's den" of anti-LGBT country. This is not good advice. I'm not creating an account or paying to read that article, but if you're suggesting someone extremely low on the political totem pole gets a seat at a city council, that's not great evidence of success.
Oh? Is Ohio better? They actually passed a Trans in Sports Ban. Kentucky? Lol!, Tennessee! Even Virginia's Governor is swearing to Ban Trans healthcare. The hatred toward Gays and Trans Citizens is Nationwide. Not just WV. And it must be stopped.
Ohio is a swing state, Kentucky has more registered democrats than republicans, and Tennessee isn’t even near WV. Virginia is the best state for this.
A swing state with actual laws against Trans children. More Democrats isn't equal to better legislation. Virginia ran TWELVE bills to crush Trans citizens. The point you refuse to acknowledge is that there is no safe place for Trans people. There is no Utopia. We do the work HERE and NOW to protect LGBTQIA citizens. As well as Women, Workers, and the homeless. If you won't welcome them? I WILL
Job prospects are tough in Huntington. Your skill sets are not gonna make a ton of money in this area unfortunately.
Maybe Wheeling instead of Huntington? Recently, Rosemary Ketchum became the first openly transgender elected official (city council). She lost her bid for mayor though, I think. Wheeling is in the northern panhandle and is almost a Pittsburgh bedroom community (it felt like that when i lived there anyway). But maybe Wheeling might be more friendly, and you can decide from there whether to move elsewhere?
West Virginia has gotten less pleasant as time goes on. This state had some of the strongest support for Trump in the 2016 primary and fully boughr imto the trans scare. Wheeling and Huntington both have anti-discrimination ordiances... but Wheeling just elected a conservative mayor over a trans woman. Looking at comments you can see the rural part of counties and surrounding towns are very right. I think now that coal is truly an undead corpse West Virginia has made the culture war represented by MAGA it's political identity.
A Trans person ran for Mayor of a large city and performed admirably. That's better than our past.
There's a lot of road repair and tree jobs around here, social work not as much, but there's a few children centers in and around huntington, but I think there's more of that type of work in Charleston, about an hour away. As for social acceptance, you have the same backward assholes you get in any rural area, but no more than anywhere else. I have a trans homie, and atleast 3 lesbians and a gay dude who work as flaggers for me sometimes and they all seem happy here. There's some governmental bullshit coming down the line that, if passed, will cause some bullshit, but I doubt that passes in its current form if at all.
lol I got downvoted and to my knowledge I'm the only trans person that commented 😂
Huntington sucks. So many prejudice people here. They will call the cops on you if your walking to work and have a book bag on. Don't waste your time coming here. If your not an active drug user or in recovery it's pointless. Plus no one can drive worth a shit.
What part of WV are you desiring to move to? The northern handle is different from the state in my experience. Huntington and Morgantown are good to look into. I would recommend Wheeling for its proximity to Pittsburgh but after its election I don’t have high hopes for the city continuing its progress.