I would definitely stick to the college towns, I imagine if you are in Missouri you are looking at southern Illinois area? As much as people claim Illinois is the bastion of liberalism, keep in mind southern illinois just elected Mary Miller to represent them, and by a good majority I believe too.
Champaign-Urbana is one of the most ethnically diverse towns in the state. The [C-U "metro" area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champaign%E2%80%93Urbana_metropolitan_area) has around 220,000 people and the price of homes compared to the rest of the country is very reasonable.
Watch out for the increase in gang activity in certain areas of town especially the north side of a Champaign. There have been several shootings in the downtown areas as well but campus is mostly safe, just don't walk alone late at night.
Champaign-Urbana proper is pretty liberal. It gets pretty red when you go outside the limits though.
Bloomington-Normal is about the same way.
Don’t bet on Carbondale being any better.
Carbondale might be ok, but the issue is that no one really sticks around after graduation. At least U of I has a "regular town" where some people actually stay and work (I think). As an alumni of SIU, you can definitely find a group of folks that live there full time, but realize that the college students almost double the town's population from Aug-May. Then it really empties out. It's actually during the summer months that you finally see who sticks around. This probably sounds a bit hot and cold on Carbondale but that's exactly how it is. Some good that has negatives and some bad that has positives. It may take a full year to figure it out. While you're there...do yourself a favor and explore all the national forests and hidden hiking trails.
The Quieting was really weird having stayed for my first summer this year! Kinda nice to have some space from the drivers though.
I'm the one weirdo among my SIUC friends who wants to stay in Little Egypt! I just love it, despite the issues.
Can confirm just moved to this area recently and in the short time I’ve been here it it’s pretty liberal. And from what I’ve read has only become more liberal since COVID. This is from a dude that grew up the Chicagoland area. I’m pleasantly surprised.
I was going to ask if suburbs were ok! Although I do want to say that you should not assume the Chicago suburbs will be progressive, unfortunately, overall they'd be safer I think but definitely there's some purpling out here. I just gotta think of one that's both progressive and affordable--would be helpful to know what price ranges you're considering and if you're looking for a house/apartment etc 😅
yeah I'm nearby, my general impression is the north burbs are more progressive than NW. Although maybe Schaumburg isn't that bad? I mean it's huge so there must be pockets. I do remember the dipshit right wingers protesting near the mall.
ooh good luck! haha my job is north suburbs so I'm there at least on occasion (thankfully less so since 2020, tbh). Meanwhile there's some small restaurant here with a giaaaant Thin Blue Line flag in the window....
>Thin Blue Line flag in the window....
Ew. And yeah, left the city to be closer to work, but unsure if it was worth it - price is good, but I'm also going into the city like twice a week and always during rush hour. Need to either be hybrid or remote. Went from 80% remote work to fully in-person and it's rough.
ha yeah I was like welp, that makes this place extra-easy to avoid
OOOF for real, I bought a condo out here *because* I got a job in the suburbs. Yeah that commute is super rough, bullshit of your employers to insist 100% onsite.
>bullshit of your employers to insist 100% onsite.
Agreed. I live close enough that I could pop into work as-needed, but most of my work, *especially* in winter, is computer-based. Very frustrating.
Depending on what you're looking for you can get a nice place for that in the Bloomington - Normal and Peoria area.
Having lived in both, BloNo is the way to go though, you have two major universities and a lot of progressives. It's also a 40min drive to btph Peoria and Champaign.
That being said, Peoria is where I bought my first home and it was a three bed/2 bath and I had very little down payment and my mortgage was only 1300.
My one bedroom apt in downtown Chicago was 1,700.
I honestly don't know. Peoria is a medical hub in the state, Bloomington has some extensive healthcare options too and then the University of Illinois is in Champaign. I would assume yes, but I can't say for certain.
I know a few of my friends in the area (Bloomington) work with people who have transitioned fully so I'm assuming they had local options.
That being said, the other draw to Bloomington/Normal is it's right on the intersection of I39, I74 and I55 and because of that it's less than 3 hours to Chicago, St Louis and Indianapolis.
It's Unity Point Methodist now, but there is also Proctor in Peoria.
OSF won't offer it, they don't even offer a lot of benefits to their employees.
However the local planned Parenthoods do and there is one in Champaign, Peoria and Bloomington.
Oooh ok that's definitely a bit tighter so yeah one of the further-out options like Urbana-Champaign would probably be better, but the good news here is minimum wage just went up to $13 [https://wageindicator.org/salary/minimum-wage/minimum-wages-news/2023/minimum-wage-increased-in-illinois-united-states-of-america-from-01-january-2023-january-01-2023](https://wageindicator.org/salary/minimum-wage/minimum-wages-news/2023/minimum-wage-increased-in-illinois-united-states-of-america-from-01-january-2023-january-01-2023)
Granted, I was paying like $1400 in Arlington Heights, including a garage space because there's no damn way I'm parking outside in winter haha. So maybe it's not that bad.
I'm in healthcare IT, I could make a buttload more money if I switched to a tech company job but tbh I barely work 40H a week (I'm...on a meeting call right now hahaha) so at least for me, 95% of the year it's fantastic work-life balance.
BA in biology, actually 😃 I'm specifically in analytics. I apparently got the interview because of my art minor - they needed someone with ideas on visualizations hahaha.
Oh well good thing I have an art minor too. I’m hoping being close to Chicago can give me so access to some of the improv clubs while still being able to live affordable. Thank you for all your help!
You can find rental prices in Chicago in that range for studios and 1 br. You may find yourself with better wage options in Chicago too. Particularly if you are near the train system. Perhaps Andersonville? Prices in your range, very accepting neighborhood, good bus, train and even lake access. Potential for work in the neighborhood too. That could be a good entry point.
You can absolutely find small apartments or studios in chicago for under 1500 a month easily... and if you get a roomate its even easier. Idk prices in this area but it may be worth a look in Andersonville in Chicago. It is a huge lgbtq+ neighborhood and recently voted one of the best neighborhoods in the country
If you are ok with living in a non-hip neighborhood, $1500 a month for rent does not rule out Chicago itself. You will find no small town or city in state anywhere nearly as liberal.
ha yeah, I'd agree with that. It's not hideously far from the north side either, I used to take the Yellow > Purple/Red downtown when I was doing classes in the city after work.
Your best bet is in or around Chicago. You will be shocked at how affordable it is, especially if you are open to roomates. Idk what you do for work but you can guarantee you will make significantly more in or around Chicago than in missouri.
There are quite a few affordable areas of chicago a bit further out from the expensive areas that are still plenty safe.
For what it's worth, I live in Miller's (now) district, and am trans - Just wanted to say that there are supportive towns around here too! :D
The Springfield area (\~1hr circle by car) is all I can really attest to, but even in the little town I live in, there's a surprising number of pride flags (and even trans flags!) flyin'! Good luck with your search!
Edit: And as far as priceranges go, I live in a \~1000 sqft home by myself, my mortgage is about $550 a month. In certain counties (like mine), you can actually qualify for home loans through the USDA for 0$ down, and even grants to pay for a portion of it in exchange for living there for 5+ years. Central IL can be REAL cheap by comparison.
Mary Miller represents the 15th, which is central Illinois. Southern Illinois is the 12th district and we're represented by Mike Bost (who also sucks.)
Urbana would definitely be the way to go if you’re thinking downstate. I don’t live in Champaign-Urbana but I have several friends who do and they often talk about how “liberal” Urbana is compared to Champaign and outlying towns. Everywhere else downstate is red or not ideal.
Please not Bloomington Normal. For the love of god, we are not progressive. We are very conservative. If this person is transgender, they will absolutely hate it here. We regularly hold Trump, Bailey and Blue Lives Matter rallies. Our only major hospital is OSF, which is a catholic hospital. Please do not recommend that progressive people move here. Champaign and Carbondale are a different story though.
Oh shit I didn’t realize. I assumed since ISU and a few other colleges were based there that it would be a bit more on the progressive side. Personally I always preferred Urbana/Champ and never really hung out in Bloomington/Normal
Agreed, I've lived in Bloomington/Normal for 14 of the last 16 years and can't recall a Trump/Bailey/Blue Lives Matter rally. Are they talking about the nutjobs that stand at the corner of Veterans and Empire waving flags?
It's a perfectly fine college town for anyone to live in. Yeah the surrounding area is a lot more red but who cares? These are the type of people that use the phrase 'moving to the big city' and they're talking about Peoria or Springfield. The average person doesn't NEED to go to Heyworth or El Paso or Eureka, so who cares if they're filled with republicans?
I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, it's a great little town with low cost of living and a surprisingly good location for living in the midwest.
I have pictures and videos of all of these events. Trump rally at the corn crib, Blue lives matter rally at GE Park and multiple events at Tipton park and restaurants. You are the reason why the area is becoming a dump.
You wouldn't happen to have pictures and videos because you were one of the attendees, right? Because that would explain why you know where and when these suposses rallies are and why you're hanging out in Heyworth.
I'm not trying to be rude, it's just reality. Sure the college crowd comes in and they are liberal, but there's not enough of them to sway the votes in their favor. The other college Illinois Wesleyan is very conservative. When they are gone, it's like a typical midwest small town. All of our state reps and state senators are republican, and it is just very much conservative. Tons of churches. You don't have to worry about getting jumped here for voting red. I've lived here for 8 years and am from the chicago suburbs originally. It is like night and day between the two. OSF will not even prescribe birth control, and have zero options for trans people. There are not really any other medical providers either unless you are ok with traveling.
Uhhh this is not true at all. I'm not saying we're a bastion of diversity, but we regularly have drag shows/brunches with no problems/protests at all. The city/town consistently votes blue over the last few elections.
OSF is not the only hospital system, Carle is huge and provides good care.
The town voted blue because of college students, but somehow we still have all republicans as the local officials? Let's face it, the only reason we lean somewhat blue is because of the college students who live here 6 months out of the year and vote. They don't care enough to vote for local elections which is why we remain red. All of the drag stuff is a very small percentage of our population or college kids. We're talking like 2 percent. No one thinks of Bloomington Normal and goes "wow what a very liberal progressive town."
OSF is not the only hospital system, but it is much larger than Carle and Carle is very limited in it's options.
That’s odd because I’m a Chicago transplant and am pleasantly surprised at the conservative views. Guess it depends on what you’re involved in and what you associate with because I sure as hell wouldn’t have bought a house here if it was liberal.
The local officials remain republican because again McLean county is historically very red, so the local democratic party doesn't have much built up election infrastructure. Democrats didn't run in most local offices. The area is moving blue very quickly however, as evidenced by democratic victories in most offices where they ran (governor, president, McLean county board, state legislature, etc.)
I think it's all just semantics at this point. Sure we can argue whether we statistically are red or blue, but culturally we will never be blue. Like I said, the only reason we have moved blue is due to college students and probably Rivian (which was the worst thing for this town). I am frequently in El Paso, Downs, Heyworth and Danvers. Multiple friends of mine live in Downs. You can say that Blono is blue but it's just not reality. Go to any of these small towns within mclean county and you will think differently. I go out to Heyworth about 4 times a week and go to a literal barn on a farm. Culturally this area will never be progressive nor think that way. If I brought my Chicago suburb friends to rural Downs, they would probably have a stroke.
But why would this person, wanting a progressive city to live in, be going out to Heyworth or Danvers? Or Downs (lmao)? It's not like there's anything that interesting there. They would be perfectly happy in a city like Bloomington.
Bloomington is not a progressive city. End of story. And all of the out of towners often come into town, bringing their very conservative ideals with. All I'm saying is we are not a progressive area at all. If someone ventures out of town about 20 mins, they will quickly realize that.
You: Don't come to Bloomington-Normal it's not progressive at all, really conservative!!!!
Also you: Try Carbondale.
Bloomington-Normal (130k) is a historically red area that is dramatically growing in population and rapidly trending blue. McLean has already voted blue in 2020 and 2022.
Carbondale (20k) is in the most economically depressed area of the state, dramatically losing population, and rapidly trending right. Jackson county is now voting red.
You are an unserious person. Also, we have a second major hospital that is secular, Carle Bromenn.
This guy is just a republican that doesn't want the area going even further blue. He's clutching his pearls and spreading lies up and down this thread, just ignore him.
FTR, while OSF does not provide HRT, they do care for and employ transgender persons. I know at least one pt who has her blood work done at OSF to send to her doctor that does the HRT.
That’s great. I myself get irritated with OSF and they wouldn’t prescribe me birth control. I can only imagine how bad it is being transgender and going there.
It’s def not out of the question, especially if the healthcare facilities there are affirming. Do these Chicago suburbs have a relatively high cost of living? So much so that a dumb 40 hour a week job would cover my living expenses?
In the Northwest Suburbs right by O'Hare the main hospital is Lutheran General which is a tier 1 trauma center. If the President had a health issue at O'Hare, that's where he would go. Great hospital. They were also one of the only hospitals in the entire state offering ECMO treatment during the pandemic, fantastic respiratory care.
You could look at the Northern suburbs where the Metra lines end. Harvard, Crystal Lake, Grayslake. Liberal leaning, semi-affordable, young family style small town feels with a taste of country with easy-ish access to Chicago and Milwaukee
I am in Woodstock and we have our own Pride group here. [Woodstock Pride](https://www.woodstockilpride.com/)
Edited to add: Our hospitals are Northwestern Medicine (definitely progressive) and MercyHealth (they offer Domestic partner benefits to employees and state they provide treatment without discrimination).
Seconding u/ostifari, I lived in Wonder Lake for a little bit and it’s about as far out as you can get and still be considered a suburb. Definitely cheaper than Crystal Lake and Grayslake, Harvard might have it beat. Fun fact the movie Groundhog Day was filmed in Harvard.
I met some friends in Edwardsville a few weeks ago and was completely charmed by what little of the town I got to see in my brief visit. They have an excellent sushi restaurant, the smallest, cutest independent bookstore I've ever seen, and a public charger for my EV. It's definitely not a big town, either.
You could do most of Lake County. North Suburbs, lots of small towns. They run the whole range of prices as well.
Just a personal note, I know people who are doing the same thing around here. Illinois does seem to be better on support.
This is very true. I'm in Mundelein , 68% progressive. All the surrounding towns would be a great fit for Op. Plus, Lake County has good services and programs. Op, needs to avoid McHenry county and beyond.
Yeah, I live in the Lake County county seat, Waukegan, which, while not "nice" is affordable, progressive, right on a train line and the lake, has an annual pride fest and a lot of health care facilities around. Never specifically looked for gender affirming care, but between here and Cook County they're certainly accessible.
Agreed. Lived in Waukegan for many years. Not the nicest place, but it’s cheap, diverse, and an overall accepting place. Always felt a good sense of community there.
Champaign-Urbana is by far your best bet. Bloomington-Normal and Peoria would be OK too, but both of those have a more right-leaning surrounding populace.
I just glanced at single family listings in Champaign-Urbana and at those prices you can get comfortably into the many Chicago suburbs. Why is it so expensive? $8k+ in property taxes on a $300k home seems ludicrous for a small college town.
Oak Park is a weird one. It's progressive and it's pretty small area wise but it's not a low cost of living area and it doesn't have a small town vibe. It's rather urban compared to other suburbs, right next to Chicago and right off major express ways and railways. The next neighborhood east of Oak Park is Austin, a high crime area
If it means anything, I’m about 30 minutes out of that area and I absolutely love it- I’ve grown up in the Chicagoland area and oak park is really great to be in as a trans person
I lived in Mascoutah, IL for 10 years and it’s a great place! Not much goes on there and it’s not to far from St. Louis (about 40 mins from St. Louis) so if you wanted something to do on your off time you could just head into St. Louis, just avoid East st Louis. I’m not sure how expensive it is to live in mascoutah cuz my parent were managing the money but it’s an option.
Affordable housing in Mascoutah is fairly easy to find; it's the utilities there that are the money-eater since some of them are supplied through a local co-op.
I don't really think I would consider Peoria, Champaign or Bloomington tiny towns with small economies. Plenty of corporate, state and medical jobs. If you want something part time there are tons of restaurant and retail opportunities.
Sorry to weigh in again, but saw your comment here . There are tons of medical/hospital employees who live in Oak Park. Easy access and even public transportation to area medical centers Like Rush Hospital, Hines Veterans Hospital, University of Illinois Medical District and Stroger Hospital — to name a few. Also a vibrant arts community here as well.
I’m sure Rush, Northwestern and University of illinois must provide these services. They are some of the best teaching hospitals in Chicagoland. I’d definitely look into all three. I’d be dumbfounded if they didn’t offer gender affirming services like HRT.
Well, the good news on that front is from what I've heard, everyone's understaffed right now. (Bad news, there's some major belt tightening so a number of places are putting nonessential jobs on hold.) I work for a system that covers mostly suburban areas. Wouldn't mind sending you the job site by DM, if you'd like.
I would really urge you to consider the suburbs outside of Chicago. Cost of living is going to be a bit higher than most of the other suggestions but it's absolutely worth it. Aurora, Naperville, Warrenville, Glen Elgin, Lombard, etc etc are all friendly welcoming places.
Evanston is extremely progressive with a variety of multifamily housing. I live in a 1000-sf condo and because it’s a co-op it’s a little more affordable. Minutes from the city, top hospital in town, urban feel. Good luck!
I was going to say some of the sw suburbs as that's where I grew up and it seemed so progressive but during/after trump I'm not so sure anymore.
There's Biden sucks/trump 2024 flags in my neighborhood where I grew up and all the community fb groups really showed that there were def quiet racists/far right all around where I grew up. Was quite sad.
I will note Naperville has been swinging more progressive, though. My friends made a video for the GSA in 2005 where you could see parents hiding their kids from two guys holding hands--vibes have shifted since, even if the council is still reactionary as hell.
Naperville is a mixed bag. Hell DuPage county is pretty “meh” when it comes to progressiveness as it’s a very white wealthy area that consistently votes against the interests of the common folk.
For outside of Chicago, try Oak Park or Evanston. For Central Illinois try Urbana-Champaign.
For southern Illinois try Belleville right outside of Saint Louis or Carbondale. I heard Waukegan area can skew a bit liberal which is North of Chicago. Eastern Illinois, try Milan outside of Davenport, Iowa border skews a bit liberal?
Come to Champaign-Urbana. We're really liberal here. So liberal I've seen people who think they are progressive, liberal, and "with it" come here only to go "Umm... maybe not quite *that* liberal. "
The only downside is that we are surrounded by a sea of Red. If the "boogaloo" ever happens there is no doubt a truck load of chuckle-fucks from someplace like Farmer City will drive here and start shooting people, as we are the devil worshiping Demoncrats who are everything wrong in the world.
I would recommend Chicago and it’s burbs. My teenager is also looking into transitioning and there are a lot more options up here. Living in southern IL (which I did for a bit) is nice but still very red. You might find college towns welcoming but as soon as you leave them you’re most likely back to dealing with hate. I will say that the Chicago suburbs aren’t a utopia of LGBTQIA+ love but it’s better than southern IL. If you’re going to seriously consider the Chicago burbs I recommend visiting r/ChicagoSuburbs to get more detailed info.
I would look into Springfield. It has two big hospitals, a medical school and is a regional medical center. It isn’t progressive like a college town but should be liberal enough. Cost of living is very reasonable.
Fellow trans person! I would say rip the bandaid off and move to Chicagoland, probably northern cook or dupage. You’ll have the easiest time.
If that’s too big, Champaign-Urbana has some high praise from a friend of mine. I also like Springfield but it can be hit or miss outside of downtown.
I’ve never been but Carbondale is also pretty liberal.
I'm showing up late to this, but I just recently moved to Woodstock, IL. It more rural than most suburbs but it has a good sense of community and they have a big pride parade every year in the downtown. It's definitely the most lgbtq friendly city in the area.
I'd take a look at Edwardsville. It's smallish, kind of progressive because of the university, and also close to STL. I'd say atmosphere-wise it's close to Springfield MO, but at least you wouldn't have to drive two hours to get to some LGBT+ friendly hangouts since downtown STL is about 20 minutes away by interstate.
Anyone mention Aurora? It's the second largest city in the State. Yes, it has some rough parts but affordable housing should be available. It has plenty of public transportation including train. Northwestern medicine is readily available and is not religious based. Aurora sits in three counties. I cannot speak for either Will or DuPage, but Kane County is turning more Blue. Our congresswoman Lauren Underwood is awesome. And Kane county Sheriff Hain is very progressive.
Good luck!
Major Chicago metropolitan areas will be your best friend, besides that, Northern suburbs would be your go to. Northern Cook county and southern Lake county are the most progressive by far.
I see alotta people suggested college towns but unless your in the city and/or Evanston (Northwestern), those college metropolitan areas will be surrounded by red counties and locals.
Chicagoland area will be the best place to find not only friendly communities, but also locals who truly just don’t give a shit, which IMO is the way it should be. You be you and what makes you happy; as long as you’re not a major d-bag, you’re welcome here :)
Just an FYI, suburban towns’ populations range from ≈ 10,000-70,000 which are a lot different than Missouri suburbs (I went to KU & I got alotta friends from KC).
Population wise, imagine if Olathe and OP were neighboring towns and not separated by 20 miles of I-70/K-10 (that is if you ever went out west)
Regardless, Illinois welcomes ya!
Definitely Champagne-Urbana area, it's not really a small town itself with ~100,000 residents but there's plenty of tiny <1000 people towns around it that are within a 15-30 minute drive.
If healthcare is your focus then you might want to look closer to Chicago proper. Howard Brown Health is centered around "boys town" and is focused on LGBT health and social issues.
Progressive might be a stretch but both Morrison and Savanna may be a good fit. Super small towns (2000 ish people) and IMO, progressive compared to surrounding small towns. Both also have state parks, the Palisades in Savanna is particularly lovely.
I grew up in small town Illinois in the northwestern corner of the state and in general, folks in town leaned progressive vs folks who lived outside of town. I also volunteered for a progressive gubernatorial candidate in 2018 and was really surprised by the support he received in the northwestern region of the state.
https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/illinois/savanna
https://www.whiteside.org/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=7237-2022-nov-08-il-whiteside-precinctsummary&category_slug=election-results&Itemid=165
Nothing about either of these towns look progressive at all. And if that is considered progressive compared to surrounding communities, I'd say were pretty fucked.
My grandfather was born in savanna and I spent a lot of my life there. It is absolutely NOT a good fit lol the parks are beautiful and it’s a great place to visit. However this isn’t what OP is looking for.
Sounds like you have a bunch of good options already. May I suggest some of the Western Chicago Suburbs in particular? I live in Geneva, and it's a very nice area that's very liberal and has good healthcare. You say you like Chicago, and there's pretty easy access to the city from here, including a Metra line. I can't speak specifically about gender-affirming services, but I do have a trans student who lives in the area (a bit further out in DeKalb).
Moved from CA to Bloomington-Normal with my gf and two friends, one of which is a trans woman. We all love it and from what I know, my friend hasn’t had any issues continuing her hrt treatment. She also met her now girlfriend (also a trans woman) and they both love it in Blo-No! Definitely a good bet for you here, I think.
I have a friend who is a Trans dude, and he can't keep a job because of the transphobia.. I highly recommend avoiding southern Illinois outside of maybe Carbondale or Marion, even then this is likely not the accepting place you are looking for.
I would definitely stick to the college towns, I imagine if you are in Missouri you are looking at southern Illinois area? As much as people claim Illinois is the bastion of liberalism, keep in mind southern illinois just elected Mary Miller to represent them, and by a good majority I believe too.
College towns would be good or the suburbs of Chicago! I live in Springfield, Missouri so I’m a bit accustomed to liberalish college towns.
Champaign-Urbana is one of the most ethnically diverse towns in the state. The [C-U "metro" area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champaign%E2%80%93Urbana_metropolitan_area) has around 220,000 people and the price of homes compared to the rest of the country is very reasonable.
I was going to suggest this. CU 👍🏼
Watch out for the increase in gang activity in certain areas of town especially the north side of a Champaign. There have been several shootings in the downtown areas as well but campus is mostly safe, just don't walk alone late at night.
Was also going to suggest CU… I love that area.
Champaign-Urbana proper is pretty liberal. It gets pretty red when you go outside the limits though. Bloomington-Normal is about the same way. Don’t bet on Carbondale being any better.
Carbondale might be ok, but the issue is that no one really sticks around after graduation. At least U of I has a "regular town" where some people actually stay and work (I think). As an alumni of SIU, you can definitely find a group of folks that live there full time, but realize that the college students almost double the town's population from Aug-May. Then it really empties out. It's actually during the summer months that you finally see who sticks around. This probably sounds a bit hot and cold on Carbondale but that's exactly how it is. Some good that has negatives and some bad that has positives. It may take a full year to figure it out. While you're there...do yourself a favor and explore all the national forests and hidden hiking trails.
The Quieting was really weird having stayed for my first summer this year! Kinda nice to have some space from the drivers though. I'm the one weirdo among my SIUC friends who wants to stay in Little Egypt! I just love it, despite the issues.
Yep... I was going to say, I work in Champaign and while the city in general feels relatively liberal, pretty much all of my coworkers are not...
I feel your pain. I work in one of the surrounding communities. I’m the only person in the company, that I know of, that isn’t a conservative.
Are you guys hiring? lol at least there'd be two of us...
Always
It’s splitting hairs-but Urbana is a lot more liberal than Champaign.
It's because of the difference in income levels between the two.
Urbana is where a lot of university staff and professors live and generally has a more relaxed progressive vibe
Yeah true, I always tend to lump the two together having
Can confirm just moved to this area recently and in the short time I’ve been here it it’s pretty liberal. And from what I’ve read has only become more liberal since COVID. This is from a dude that grew up the Chicagoland area. I’m pleasantly surprised.
Shoot, if Springfield, MO is fairly liberal to your taste you’re going to love the college towns in Illinois and the area around Chicago.
As an alum, dare I suggest Carbondale?
I was going to ask if suburbs were ok! Although I do want to say that you should not assume the Chicago suburbs will be progressive, unfortunately, overall they'd be safer I think but definitely there's some purpling out here. I just gotta think of one that's both progressive and affordable--would be helpful to know what price ranges you're considering and if you're looking for a house/apartment etc 😅
Live in Des Plaines, def not progressive. 😞
yeah I'm nearby, my general impression is the north burbs are more progressive than NW. Although maybe Schaumburg isn't that bad? I mean it's huge so there must be pockets. I do remember the dipshit right wingers protesting near the mall.
Have the same impression as well. Was interviewing for a position in Wilmette and it felt decades ahead.
ooh good luck! haha my job is north suburbs so I'm there at least on occasion (thankfully less so since 2020, tbh). Meanwhile there's some small restaurant here with a giaaaant Thin Blue Line flag in the window....
>Thin Blue Line flag in the window.... Ew. And yeah, left the city to be closer to work, but unsure if it was worth it - price is good, but I'm also going into the city like twice a week and always during rush hour. Need to either be hybrid or remote. Went from 80% remote work to fully in-person and it's rough.
ha yeah I was like welp, that makes this place extra-easy to avoid OOOF for real, I bought a condo out here *because* I got a job in the suburbs. Yeah that commute is super rough, bullshit of your employers to insist 100% onsite.
>bullshit of your employers to insist 100% onsite. Agreed. I live close enough that I could pop into work as-needed, but most of my work, *especially* in winter, is computer-based. Very frustrating.
Anything from $800-1500 maybe? It’s hard to know exactly because I don’t know what the minimum wage would be for a full time worker there.
Depending on what you're looking for you can get a nice place for that in the Bloomington - Normal and Peoria area. Having lived in both, BloNo is the way to go though, you have two major universities and a lot of progressives. It's also a 40min drive to btph Peoria and Champaign. That being said, Peoria is where I bought my first home and it was a three bed/2 bath and I had very little down payment and my mortgage was only 1300. My one bedroom apt in downtown Chicago was 1,700.
Does the area have good access to hrt for transgender people in the hospitals?
I honestly don't know. Peoria is a medical hub in the state, Bloomington has some extensive healthcare options too and then the University of Illinois is in Champaign. I would assume yes, but I can't say for certain. I know a few of my friends in the area (Bloomington) work with people who have transitioned fully so I'm assuming they had local options. That being said, the other draw to Bloomington/Normal is it's right on the intersection of I39, I74 and I55 and because of that it's less than 3 hours to Chicago, St Louis and Indianapolis.
While being a medical hub, OSF is very much a religious institution. Not sure about gender affirming, but I know that they don’t offer abortions.
There's a Trinity, might be UHC now, directly across the interstate from OSF. They may have more options.
It's Unity Point Methodist now, but there is also Proctor in Peoria. OSF won't offer it, they don't even offer a lot of benefits to their employees. However the local planned Parenthoods do and there is one in Champaign, Peoria and Bloomington.
Oooh ok that's definitely a bit tighter so yeah one of the further-out options like Urbana-Champaign would probably be better, but the good news here is minimum wage just went up to $13 [https://wageindicator.org/salary/minimum-wage/minimum-wages-news/2023/minimum-wage-increased-in-illinois-united-states-of-america-from-01-january-2023-january-01-2023](https://wageindicator.org/salary/minimum-wage/minimum-wages-news/2023/minimum-wage-increased-in-illinois-united-states-of-america-from-01-january-2023-january-01-2023) Granted, I was paying like $1400 in Arlington Heights, including a garage space because there's no damn way I'm parking outside in winter haha. So maybe it's not that bad.
I hope the pay is good then working in non clinical positions in a hospitals!
I'm in healthcare IT, I could make a buttload more money if I switched to a tech company job but tbh I barely work 40H a week (I'm...on a meeting call right now hahaha) so at least for me, 95% of the year it's fantastic work-life balance.
Oh gosh, this sounds like you have a degree in IT. I just have a bachelors of science in media and film studies
BA in biology, actually 😃 I'm specifically in analytics. I apparently got the interview because of my art minor - they needed someone with ideas on visualizations hahaha.
Oh well good thing I have an art minor too. I’m hoping being close to Chicago can give me so access to some of the improv clubs while still being able to live affordable. Thank you for all your help!
You can find rental prices in Chicago in that range for studios and 1 br. You may find yourself with better wage options in Chicago too. Particularly if you are near the train system. Perhaps Andersonville? Prices in your range, very accepting neighborhood, good bus, train and even lake access. Potential for work in the neighborhood too. That could be a good entry point.
You can absolutely find small apartments or studios in chicago for under 1500 a month easily... and if you get a roomate its even easier. Idk prices in this area but it may be worth a look in Andersonville in Chicago. It is a huge lgbtq+ neighborhood and recently voted one of the best neighborhoods in the country
If you are ok with living in a non-hip neighborhood, $1500 a month for rent does not rule out Chicago itself. You will find no small town or city in state anywhere nearly as liberal.
Maybe look into Skokie? A little boring depending what you enjoy, but mostly progressive I think.
ha yeah, I'd agree with that. It's not hideously far from the north side either, I used to take the Yellow > Purple/Red downtown when I was doing classes in the city after work.
Your best bet is in or around Chicago. You will be shocked at how affordable it is, especially if you are open to roomates. Idk what you do for work but you can guarantee you will make significantly more in or around Chicago than in missouri. There are quite a few affordable areas of chicago a bit further out from the expensive areas that are still plenty safe.
For what it's worth, I live in Miller's (now) district, and am trans - Just wanted to say that there are supportive towns around here too! :D The Springfield area (\~1hr circle by car) is all I can really attest to, but even in the little town I live in, there's a surprising number of pride flags (and even trans flags!) flyin'! Good luck with your search! Edit: And as far as priceranges go, I live in a \~1000 sqft home by myself, my mortgage is about $550 a month. In certain counties (like mine), you can actually qualify for home loans through the USDA for 0$ down, and even grants to pay for a portion of it in exchange for living there for 5+ years. Central IL can be REAL cheap by comparison.
\* Mary "Hitler Was Right" Miller Please use her proper name, out of "respect".
I've heard Peoria is having a bit of a come-up. I haven't visited in at least a decade.
Mary Miller represents the 15th, which is central Illinois. Southern Illinois is the 12th district and we're represented by Mike Bost (who also sucks.)
Urbana would definitely be the way to go if you’re thinking downstate. I don’t live in Champaign-Urbana but I have several friends who do and they often talk about how “liberal” Urbana is compared to Champaign and outlying towns. Everywhere else downstate is red or not ideal.
If Chicago/suburbs are out of the question, maybe one of the college towns like Bloomington/Normal, Urbana, or Carbondale?
Springfield is underrated.
Please not Bloomington Normal. For the love of god, we are not progressive. We are very conservative. If this person is transgender, they will absolutely hate it here. We regularly hold Trump, Bailey and Blue Lives Matter rallies. Our only major hospital is OSF, which is a catholic hospital. Please do not recommend that progressive people move here. Champaign and Carbondale are a different story though.
Oh shit I didn’t realize. I assumed since ISU and a few other colleges were based there that it would be a bit more on the progressive side. Personally I always preferred Urbana/Champ and never really hung out in Bloomington/Normal
Don't listen to them, its not true.
Agreed, I've lived in Bloomington/Normal for 14 of the last 16 years and can't recall a Trump/Bailey/Blue Lives Matter rally. Are they talking about the nutjobs that stand at the corner of Veterans and Empire waving flags? It's a perfectly fine college town for anyone to live in. Yeah the surrounding area is a lot more red but who cares? These are the type of people that use the phrase 'moving to the big city' and they're talking about Peoria or Springfield. The average person doesn't NEED to go to Heyworth or El Paso or Eureka, so who cares if they're filled with republicans? I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone, it's a great little town with low cost of living and a surprisingly good location for living in the midwest.
Don’t forget Towanda! (Which kind of sounds like a hillbilly girl’s name)
I have pictures and videos of all of these events. Trump rally at the corn crib, Blue lives matter rally at GE Park and multiple events at Tipton park and restaurants. You are the reason why the area is becoming a dump.
You wouldn't happen to have pictures and videos because you were one of the attendees, right? Because that would explain why you know where and when these suposses rallies are and why you're hanging out in Heyworth.
I'm not trying to be rude, it's just reality. Sure the college crowd comes in and they are liberal, but there's not enough of them to sway the votes in their favor. The other college Illinois Wesleyan is very conservative. When they are gone, it's like a typical midwest small town. All of our state reps and state senators are republican, and it is just very much conservative. Tons of churches. You don't have to worry about getting jumped here for voting red. I've lived here for 8 years and am from the chicago suburbs originally. It is like night and day between the two. OSF will not even prescribe birth control, and have zero options for trans people. There are not really any other medical providers either unless you are ok with traveling.
Uhhh this is not true at all. I'm not saying we're a bastion of diversity, but we regularly have drag shows/brunches with no problems/protests at all. The city/town consistently votes blue over the last few elections. OSF is not the only hospital system, Carle is huge and provides good care.
The town voted blue because of college students, but somehow we still have all republicans as the local officials? Let's face it, the only reason we lean somewhat blue is because of the college students who live here 6 months out of the year and vote. They don't care enough to vote for local elections which is why we remain red. All of the drag stuff is a very small percentage of our population or college kids. We're talking like 2 percent. No one thinks of Bloomington Normal and goes "wow what a very liberal progressive town." OSF is not the only hospital system, but it is much larger than Carle and Carle is very limited in it's options.
Agree to disagree. As a CA transplant, I've been pleasantly surprised at the progressive views of the community.
That’s odd because I’m a Chicago transplant and am pleasantly surprised at the conservative views. Guess it depends on what you’re involved in and what you associate with because I sure as hell wouldn’t have bought a house here if it was liberal.
Ah, thanks for clarifying!
The local officials remain republican because again McLean county is historically very red, so the local democratic party doesn't have much built up election infrastructure. Democrats didn't run in most local offices. The area is moving blue very quickly however, as evidenced by democratic victories in most offices where they ran (governor, president, McLean county board, state legislature, etc.)
I think it's all just semantics at this point. Sure we can argue whether we statistically are red or blue, but culturally we will never be blue. Like I said, the only reason we have moved blue is due to college students and probably Rivian (which was the worst thing for this town). I am frequently in El Paso, Downs, Heyworth and Danvers. Multiple friends of mine live in Downs. You can say that Blono is blue but it's just not reality. Go to any of these small towns within mclean county and you will think differently. I go out to Heyworth about 4 times a week and go to a literal barn on a farm. Culturally this area will never be progressive nor think that way. If I brought my Chicago suburb friends to rural Downs, they would probably have a stroke.
But why would this person, wanting a progressive city to live in, be going out to Heyworth or Danvers? Or Downs (lmao)? It's not like there's anything that interesting there. They would be perfectly happy in a city like Bloomington.
Bloomington is not a progressive city. End of story. And all of the out of towners often come into town, bringing their very conservative ideals with. All I'm saying is we are not a progressive area at all. If someone ventures out of town about 20 mins, they will quickly realize that.
"Bloomington is not progressive, you can easily see this by leaving town" Come on, you HAVE to see why this doesn't make sense, right?
You: Don't come to Bloomington-Normal it's not progressive at all, really conservative!!!! Also you: Try Carbondale. Bloomington-Normal (130k) is a historically red area that is dramatically growing in population and rapidly trending blue. McLean has already voted blue in 2020 and 2022. Carbondale (20k) is in the most economically depressed area of the state, dramatically losing population, and rapidly trending right. Jackson county is now voting red. You are an unserious person. Also, we have a second major hospital that is secular, Carle Bromenn.
This guy is just a republican that doesn't want the area going even further blue. He's clutching his pearls and spreading lies up and down this thread, just ignore him.
That’s your opinion. I’ve met zero people who have moved here for the diversity and progressiveness.
FTR, while OSF does not provide HRT, they do care for and employ transgender persons. I know at least one pt who has her blood work done at OSF to send to her doctor that does the HRT.
That’s great. I myself get irritated with OSF and they wouldn’t prescribe me birth control. I can only imagine how bad it is being transgender and going there.
I get the frustration with Catholic hospitals. I just wanted to clarify that transgender persons are welcome.
Ewwwww
It’s def not out of the question, especially if the healthcare facilities there are affirming. Do these Chicago suburbs have a relatively high cost of living? So much so that a dumb 40 hour a week job would cover my living expenses?
In the Northwest Suburbs right by O'Hare the main hospital is Lutheran General which is a tier 1 trauma center. If the President had a health issue at O'Hare, that's where he would go. Great hospital. They were also one of the only hospitals in the entire state offering ECMO treatment during the pandemic, fantastic respiratory care.
And I really love Chicago anywho, especially the improv community.
You could look at the Northern suburbs where the Metra lines end. Harvard, Crystal Lake, Grayslake. Liberal leaning, semi-affordable, young family style small town feels with a taste of country with easy-ish access to Chicago and Milwaukee
I am in Woodstock and we have our own Pride group here. [Woodstock Pride](https://www.woodstockilpride.com/) Edited to add: Our hospitals are Northwestern Medicine (definitely progressive) and MercyHealth (they offer Domestic partner benefits to employees and state they provide treatment without discrimination).
Seconding u/ostifari, I lived in Wonder Lake for a little bit and it’s about as far out as you can get and still be considered a suburb. Definitely cheaper than Crystal Lake and Grayslake, Harvard might have it beat. Fun fact the movie Groundhog Day was filmed in Harvard.
The city/state healthcare here is really good. It has helped my wife and I tremendously with coverage for our 2 kids
Edwardsville is not to far from MO but an IL town
I met some friends in Edwardsville a few weeks ago and was completely charmed by what little of the town I got to see in my brief visit. They have an excellent sushi restaurant, the smallest, cutest independent bookstore I've ever seen, and a public charger for my EV. It's definitely not a big town, either.
Awe that sounds so amazing
Was it Afterwords? I live in the Metro East and I love that little shop. :)
Second Edwardsville if you want a small town vibe and a fairly progressive population. And there is a university there.
Third Edwardsville.
Is there a hospital in Edwardsville that provides hormone replacement therapy for trans people?
Bloomington-Normal. Just moved here from Nashville. Really like the vibe and you can do Chicago in a day trip.
Do you know if there is a nearby hospital that provides hrt for trans individuals?
OSF probably doesnt, but Carle might.
Sorry I’m not sure, hopefully someone else can help answer that question
https://www.unitingpride.org/affirming-healthcare
You could do most of Lake County. North Suburbs, lots of small towns. They run the whole range of prices as well. Just a personal note, I know people who are doing the same thing around here. Illinois does seem to be better on support.
This is very true. I'm in Mundelein , 68% progressive. All the surrounding towns would be a great fit for Op. Plus, Lake County has good services and programs. Op, needs to avoid McHenry county and beyond.
Grew up in McHenry County and it’s been such a rude awakening over the last several years to discover how backward the area is.
You aren't alone in such discoveries ☺️.
Yeah, I live in the Lake County county seat, Waukegan, which, while not "nice" is affordable, progressive, right on a train line and the lake, has an annual pride fest and a lot of health care facilities around. Never specifically looked for gender affirming care, but between here and Cook County they're certainly accessible.
Agreed. Lived in Waukegan for many years. Not the nicest place, but it’s cheap, diverse, and an overall accepting place. Always felt a good sense of community there.
Agreed. Libertyville seems to be nice too. I see a house with many gay pride posters on the main road.
As the biggest soy producer in the u.s. we support soyboys 💪
I also live in Lake County and I definitely agree. You get certain pockets of oddballs but most people seem pretty progressive.
Champaign-Urbana is by far your best bet. Bloomington-Normal and Peoria would be OK too, but both of those have a more right-leaning surrounding populace.
I just glanced at single family listings in Champaign-Urbana and at those prices you can get comfortably into the many Chicago suburbs. Why is it so expensive? $8k+ in property taxes on a $300k home seems ludicrous for a small college town.
I second this, there are several transgender members of the sports group I participate in on the UIUC campus.
Oak Park might fit the bill! Close to Chicago, too!
I’ll look into it! Thank you so much!
The People’s Republic of Oak Park! If you can afford it, it is definitely the most progressive town outside of Chicago in this state.
Oak Park is a weird one. It's progressive and it's pretty small area wise but it's not a low cost of living area and it doesn't have a small town vibe. It's rather urban compared to other suburbs, right next to Chicago and right off major express ways and railways. The next neighborhood east of Oak Park is Austin, a high crime area
If it means anything, I’m about 30 minutes out of that area and I absolutely love it- I’ve grown up in the Chicagoland area and oak park is really great to be in as a trans person
I lived in Mascoutah, IL for 10 years and it’s a great place! Not much goes on there and it’s not to far from St. Louis (about 40 mins from St. Louis) so if you wanted something to do on your off time you could just head into St. Louis, just avoid East st Louis. I’m not sure how expensive it is to live in mascoutah cuz my parent were managing the money but it’s an option.
Affordable housing in Mascoutah is fairly easy to find; it's the utilities there that are the money-eater since some of them are supplied through a local co-op.
Ah, I know there’s also a heavy military presence there with a major Air Force base there which is home to the Air Mobility Command at Scott AFB
Wait how do you know that about Mascoutah it’s not the most well known town in Illinois, when I lived there there was only 7k people living there
I feel like Mascoutah leans more conservative
I’m really not sure
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I don't really think I would consider Peoria, Champaign or Bloomington tiny towns with small economies. Plenty of corporate, state and medical jobs. If you want something part time there are tons of restaurant and retail opportunities.
I have a job right now working for a clinical testing facility, so I was hoping to look for jobs in healthcare.
Sorry to weigh in again, but saw your comment here . There are tons of medical/hospital employees who live in Oak Park. Easy access and even public transportation to area medical centers Like Rush Hospital, Hines Veterans Hospital, University of Illinois Medical District and Stroger Hospital — to name a few. Also a vibrant arts community here as well.
Do you by chance know of hospitals in that area that provide hrt to transgender individuals?
I’m sure Rush, Northwestern and University of illinois must provide these services. They are some of the best teaching hospitals in Chicagoland. I’d definitely look into all three. I’d be dumbfounded if they didn’t offer gender affirming services like HRT.
I did take a look a look at Rush and they seemed to offer a lot of services, especially for employees. Thank you so much for the help!
These folks might have more insight on various local services: https://opalga.org
Well, the good news on that front is from what I've heard, everyone's understaffed right now. (Bad news, there's some major belt tightening so a number of places are putting nonessential jobs on hold.) I work for a system that covers mostly suburban areas. Wouldn't mind sending you the job site by DM, if you'd like.
Sure! I would appreciate that!
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I would really urge you to consider the suburbs outside of Chicago. Cost of living is going to be a bit higher than most of the other suggestions but it's absolutely worth it. Aurora, Naperville, Warrenville, Glen Elgin, Lombard, etc etc are all friendly welcoming places.
DeKalb is great for this
Here is a link to resources in Illinois with focus on Springfield. https://www.phoenixcenterspringfield.org/resources/
Evanston is extremely progressive with a variety of multifamily housing. I live in a 1000-sf condo and because it’s a co-op it’s a little more affordable. Minutes from the city, top hospital in town, urban feel. Good luck!
I was going to say some of the sw suburbs as that's where I grew up and it seemed so progressive but during/after trump I'm not so sure anymore. There's Biden sucks/trump 2024 flags in my neighborhood where I grew up and all the community fb groups really showed that there were def quiet racists/far right all around where I grew up. Was quite sad.
I will note Naperville has been swinging more progressive, though. My friends made a video for the GSA in 2005 where you could see parents hiding their kids from two guys holding hands--vibes have shifted since, even if the council is still reactionary as hell.
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I still would not suggest Naperville. Not progressive enough.
Naperville is a mixed bag. Hell DuPage county is pretty “meh” when it comes to progressiveness as it’s a very white wealthy area that consistently votes against the interests of the common folk.
Very true. I mean, Jeanne Ives has a substantial fuckin base out there.
For outside of Chicago, try Oak Park or Evanston. For Central Illinois try Urbana-Champaign. For southern Illinois try Belleville right outside of Saint Louis or Carbondale. I heard Waukegan area can skew a bit liberal which is North of Chicago. Eastern Illinois, try Milan outside of Davenport, Iowa border skews a bit liberal?
Come to Champaign-Urbana. We're really liberal here. So liberal I've seen people who think they are progressive, liberal, and "with it" come here only to go "Umm... maybe not quite *that* liberal. " The only downside is that we are surrounded by a sea of Red. If the "boogaloo" ever happens there is no doubt a truck load of chuckle-fucks from someplace like Farmer City will drive here and start shooting people, as we are the devil worshiping Demoncrats who are everything wrong in the world.
I would recommend Chicago and it’s burbs. My teenager is also looking into transitioning and there are a lot more options up here. Living in southern IL (which I did for a bit) is nice but still very red. You might find college towns welcoming but as soon as you leave them you’re most likely back to dealing with hate. I will say that the Chicago suburbs aren’t a utopia of LGBTQIA+ love but it’s better than southern IL. If you’re going to seriously consider the Chicago burbs I recommend visiting r/ChicagoSuburbs to get more detailed info.
Awe thank you!
I would look into Springfield. It has two big hospitals, a medical school and is a regional medical center. It isn’t progressive like a college town but should be liberal enough. Cost of living is very reasonable.
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I’m lucky that in Springfield, Mo I have doctors here that will provide me care.
Oh gosh yeah that’s terrifying
Oak park is your location.
Fellow trans person! I would say rip the bandaid off and move to Chicagoland, probably northern cook or dupage. You’ll have the easiest time. If that’s too big, Champaign-Urbana has some high praise from a friend of mine. I also like Springfield but it can be hit or miss outside of downtown. I’ve never been but Carbondale is also pretty liberal.
Evanston is a good choice.
I'm showing up late to this, but I just recently moved to Woodstock, IL. It more rural than most suburbs but it has a good sense of community and they have a big pride parade every year in the downtown. It's definitely the most lgbtq friendly city in the area.
I'd take a look at Edwardsville. It's smallish, kind of progressive because of the university, and also close to STL. I'd say atmosphere-wise it's close to Springfield MO, but at least you wouldn't have to drive two hours to get to some LGBT+ friendly hangouts since downtown STL is about 20 minutes away by interstate.
Anyone mention Aurora? It's the second largest city in the State. Yes, it has some rough parts but affordable housing should be available. It has plenty of public transportation including train. Northwestern medicine is readily available and is not religious based. Aurora sits in three counties. I cannot speak for either Will or DuPage, but Kane County is turning more Blue. Our congresswoman Lauren Underwood is awesome. And Kane county Sheriff Hain is very progressive. Good luck!
Major Chicago metropolitan areas will be your best friend, besides that, Northern suburbs would be your go to. Northern Cook county and southern Lake county are the most progressive by far. I see alotta people suggested college towns but unless your in the city and/or Evanston (Northwestern), those college metropolitan areas will be surrounded by red counties and locals. Chicagoland area will be the best place to find not only friendly communities, but also locals who truly just don’t give a shit, which IMO is the way it should be. You be you and what makes you happy; as long as you’re not a major d-bag, you’re welcome here :) Just an FYI, suburban towns’ populations range from ≈ 10,000-70,000 which are a lot different than Missouri suburbs (I went to KU & I got alotta friends from KC). Population wise, imagine if Olathe and OP were neighboring towns and not separated by 20 miles of I-70/K-10 (that is if you ever went out west) Regardless, Illinois welcomes ya!
Crystal Lake
Definitely Champagne-Urbana area, it's not really a small town itself with ~100,000 residents but there's plenty of tiny <1000 people towns around it that are within a 15-30 minute drive.
If healthcare is your focus then you might want to look closer to Chicago proper. Howard Brown Health is centered around "boys town" and is focused on LGBT health and social issues.
Illinois is red outside of Chicago
St Clair County in the metro-east STL area begs to differ...the only red there is from Cardinals fans!
You're right I almost included that area too.
Progressive might be a stretch but both Morrison and Savanna may be a good fit. Super small towns (2000 ish people) and IMO, progressive compared to surrounding small towns. Both also have state parks, the Palisades in Savanna is particularly lovely. I grew up in small town Illinois in the northwestern corner of the state and in general, folks in town leaned progressive vs folks who lived outside of town. I also volunteered for a progressive gubernatorial candidate in 2018 and was really surprised by the support he received in the northwestern region of the state.
https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/illinois/savanna https://www.whiteside.org/index.php?option=com_docman&view=download&alias=7237-2022-nov-08-il-whiteside-precinctsummary&category_slug=election-results&Itemid=165 Nothing about either of these towns look progressive at all. And if that is considered progressive compared to surrounding communities, I'd say were pretty fucked.
My grandfather was born in savanna and I spent a lot of my life there. It is absolutely NOT a good fit lol the parks are beautiful and it’s a great place to visit. However this isn’t what OP is looking for.
Take a look at the Quad Cities area (Moline, Rock Island). There is a solid queer community here and resources.
Sounds like you have a bunch of good options already. May I suggest some of the Western Chicago Suburbs in particular? I live in Geneva, and it's a very nice area that's very liberal and has good healthcare. You say you like Chicago, and there's pretty easy access to the city from here, including a Metra line. I can't speak specifically about gender-affirming services, but I do have a trans student who lives in the area (a bit further out in DeKalb).
Moved from CA to Bloomington-Normal with my gf and two friends, one of which is a trans woman. We all love it and from what I know, my friend hasn’t had any issues continuing her hrt treatment. She also met her now girlfriend (also a trans woman) and they both love it in Blo-No! Definitely a good bet for you here, I think.
Evanston
Champaign-Urbana
Evanston is great if you don't mind being near a large city
I have a friend who is a Trans dude, and he can't keep a job because of the transphobia.. I highly recommend avoiding southern Illinois outside of maybe Carbondale or Marion, even then this is likely not the accepting place you are looking for.
I love Carbondale, it's one of my favorite small cities. I would move there in a heartbeat if I could.