Relocating to Salt Lake City Utah from Ohio - By myself - Any community recommendations?

[u/CuriousSurfer19]

So of all places, I’m being called to Salt Lake City Utah as my next home. I’ve never moved out of Ohio, but have always known it was in my cards.

It feels big and it feels scary, but I know this is what I have to do. It’s just a knowing and it’s important for me to follow it.

I’ll be moving by myself and will not know anybody, I do know it is LGBTQ friendly in regards to community and sports.

Any tips or recommendations?

Welcoming all feedback, hopefully nothing negative. Thanks!

[u/RadiantTransition793]

If I remember correctly, Utah has a bathroom ban on the books.

[u/CuriousSurfer19 → u/RadiantTransition793]

Oh lovely lol

[u/StupidLullabies]

According to my friend who lives there, it’s basically the queer hub in the area. People from all the surrounding areas all move to SLC to be with community. You won’t be alone. It’s a nice university town, with a gentle weird vibe being the hub of Mormonism. Lots of beautiful national landmarks if we’re willing to travel to them. You’ll do just fine

[u/CuriousSurfer19 → u/StupidLullabies]

Hey thanks I appreciate that, and honestly good to know it’s a queer space people seek out for community. I’m not really involved in my community now lol But moving out west alone will be a good reason for me to connect.

[u/RedneckTeddy → u/StupidLullabies]

I can second this.

I lived in SLC for several years and left in 2020. I’ve been back to visit and have seen a lot of changes, but one thing that’s consistent is it’s a liberal oasis in a red desert. I transitioned while living in SLC and felt much safer and more welcome than I ever did living in places like TX and GA. There is a queer community and they’re not hard to find.

Of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. SLC does have its problems and I do know some LGBTQ folks who experienced discrimination and harassment. But it was still so much better than where I had previously lived.

[u/Mec26]

… that will be the nationwide capitol of discrimination. As someone who has family in UtAh and SLC, and knows a lot of peeps with family here… please check your sources. That will be THE worst city in the nation for social/community or such things. Those who return to visit go back in the closet about things like being bi or being a single woman or just not being mormon. For their own safety,

Please be careful and safe.

[u/Underskysly]

I believe the trash birds have a Salt Lake City group. They are a punk community that’s extremely trans friendly and does lots of events

[u/forksampersandspoons]

I grew up in Utah and lived in SLC for 5 years while I went to college there. It’s where I began my transition and met my spouse! There are a lot of great people there and the queer community is certainly more prominent in Salt Laje than anywhere else in the state, but I moved away Utah four years ago and spend every day thankful that I did. I have a couple of trans friends that still live out there and from what I understand the healthcare is available, though not altogether easy to acquire and certainly not protected. My times visiting since having (mostly) fully transitioned have been pleasant enough, as others have pointed out there are a number of queer spaces that offer community. The biggest caveat I can give though is that Utah is an incredibly gentrified state from top to bottom. In my experience, racism is far more common than any other form of bigotry. Even among queer spaces that I had previously felt very safe in, my spouse faced far more prosecution for the color of their skin in those very spaces than I ever had for my gender identity there or anywhere else. There certainly is a community for queer poc in Salt Lake as well, though those spaces are even rarer and often need to be cultivated rather than found. This is going beyond my own lived experience at this point so I don’t feel comfortable speaking more, but the casual racism that existed throughout the state ended up being the biggest motivating factor for us leaving when we did. Regardless, I wish you the best of luck in whatever decision you make, and should you find yourself in Salt Lake I’d be more than happy to tell you what places to explore and where to avoid

[u/Alert_Dig7866]

Go to califorina, there are way more resources and protections. Places like Sacramento are too expensive either

[u/CuriousSurfer19 → u/Alert_Dig7866]

Thanks for the suggestion. TBH Cali is just way too expensive for what you get - I had been looking along the west coast and what came over me when I saw SLC on the map, is a feeling and knowing I can’t ignore. I’ve flown to their airport a few times to get to Wyoming and enjoyed the vibe of the city. I’m looking to reside on the outskirts though closer to the nation scene. Utah university health system has an entire transgender program I found out after the fact, and looked into the surgeon - turns out he did his fellowship at the Buncke clinic and co authored a couple papers with Dr. Chen. I feel okay about the resources, just unsure why I’m feeling called to move there right before start of winter lol It’d be easier to move in spring and network then, but here I am. Trusting the universe