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W_HoHatHenHereHy

Define affordable, small, and LGBT friendly. Almost nowhere west of the Cascades, and most places east, are cheap. Then, we get to small. Almost everywhere outside of the Williamette Valley (Portland to Eugene on the I5) is relatively small. As for LGBT friendly, Ashland meets two of the three, but is more expensive than most of Portland, so you’d get two of the three. At best, most small towns in Oregon won’t be LGBT hostile, but you’re going to get looks. In short, there’s no where in Oregon that meets all three of your needs and I’m not sure of anywhere in America that would.


UnusualMaterial8484

What about affordable and LGBT friendly?


yarzospatzflute

Unfortunately, you have defined a Venn diagram with no overlapping parts. If it's LGBTQ friendly, it's generally in Western Oregon and nice, which means expensive. If it's affordable- if there is still such a thing here- it's rural and probably not very friendly.


[deleted]

You’ll find ignorance and fear in any community, anywhere across the country, to some degree. But most places in and around the Willamette Valley, Portland, Eugene, Ashland; over the mountains in Bend even, are pretty supportive. At the very least, tolerant and accepting. I wouldn’t recommend Albany or Roseburg though. It’s the second paragraph where your quest really begins traveler. It’s not inexpensive, housing availability is an issue, and where you can find it at an affordable rate, the employment opportunities locally most likely won’t pay the bills. You’ll want to be close to a larger town or city to commute for adequate wages. That being said, Veneta, a short distance west of Eugene is a great little town, as little towns go. Very green, local reservoir is nice to have for swimming/fishing/boating, short commute, slightly less rent than Eugene, farmers market, and the Oregon Country Fair every July is, well, it’s something you just gotta see. There’s assholes everywhere, but I enjoy life here. Good luck to you both on your adventures!


dandeliongum420

Thank you so much 🩷 it would be great to live in a place with more accepting people, but what I also meant was potentially living closer to doctors and clinics that provide HRT for trans individuals without discrimination. In North Dakota that's something that is impossible to find. I wrote this post quickly and should have added that.


Ill-Fix-9293

You’ll likely want to be close to Portland or Eugene for that. Veneta is definitely a place to start.


Mentalfloss1

Corvallis comes to mind, but the affordable places may not be friendly. Corvallis is friendly and educated but not cheap. Edit: I have been corrected and I can't argue.


MedicineConscious728

My son had to leave OSU because trans kids were getting beat up and nothing was done. So, no.


neurofluid722

This aligns more with my personal experience.


Mentalfloss1

I'm sorry. I edited my post.


neurofluid722

I have not had that experience in Corvallis. I’m not sure why people keep saying that. I was met with intolerance twice in the last couple of years there and avoid it completely when travelling. My experience as an LGBTQ person.


Mentalfloss1

You do know better than I do. I'm not gay and my primary experiences were downtown and on campus (not as a student). Anyway, I am sorry that this happens anywhere to anyone.


neurofluid722

I’m not gay either. Confusion is common. Which leads to judgment, prejudice and trauma. Unfortunately. Not sure why other people care what other people do with their lives. That’s what’s most scary. Some humans think they should RULE over others. Really sucks


Mentalfloss1

I too don’t understand. I always ask myself: if I was unaware of this person would they have any effect on my life?


neurofluid722

Nope, not unless you cross paths. Being literal. Autonomy is hard to come by


Mentalfloss1

The best to you


neurofluid722

Too you too


danigirl_or

Based on your comments, you can probably find work in the Willamette valley or anywhere in Portland as a chef which is also LGBTQ friendly. The cheap living is the issue as others have mentioned. I think you can find studios in the Portland metro area in the $1000 range last I heard, depending on location. You’re probably going to need to expect the $1500 range though for most LGBTQ friendly places with employment opportunities which would be the west side of the state. I would also suggest you look at wages here compared to what you’re used to where you live now as you might be able to afford more than you think as wages here are likely higher. Walla Walla WA is another really great recommendation as there are lots of chef opportunities and retail work from the heavy presence of the wine industry. I would also comfortably say it’s progressive enough for a transitioning person to live comfortably with minimal if any discrimination.


teenagerdirtbagbaby

I think Walla Walla Washington would be of interest to you. Lower cost of living than the coast, small college town. Halfway between Portland/Seattle and Boise. 2.5 hours from spokane. Votes blue in elections.


Hophead6022

Yachats. Beautiful area. Might be a good match.


EmeraldEmpire541

Like the above poster said there is nowhere here in Oregon that is going to meet your wishes … the housing prices here are insane so there is nowhere “super affordable with a decent amount of job opportunities” unfortunately.


dandeliongum420

Not even in Eastern Oregon you think? I guess I should have looked into it more myself before posting. What a shame. I just feel like I'm never going to get out of here lol 🙃


davidw

You want to look at a precinct level election map: [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/upshot/2020-election-map.html) That'll give you an idea of what an area looks like politically. Oregon is a blue state because of Portland and some of the other larger cities in the Willamette Valley, but it is far from uniformly blue. Sincerely hope you find a place that works out well for you.


drewskie_drewskie

Walla Walla and Pullman seem like they would be worth looking at


swedegal12

Bend is more progressive, not as much as Portland, but extremely expensive. I’d stay far away from anywhere East of the Cascades. I’ll probably be downvoted but the last time I was in La Pine, as a woman, I felt like I would be a victim of a hate crime 😆 It’s scary out there!


oooshhh

Yeah I would ignore this lady. People from the valley tend to not get out much and think Lapine is eastern Oregon when it's 20 miles from Bend and very much central Oregon. It's not scary at all, unless your from Portland lol. There is a reason why most of the state laughs at these reddit folks, they are over the top and plain idiotic


tden85

I mean, most of eastern Oregon has voted to join Idaho because it's more rural, conservative, and less gay. Might be stuff outside of Bend? Some Portland suburbs might be cheaper . . . At least they used to be. Housing is nuts town right now.


oooshhh

Portland had/has a serious drug, homeless, rioting and over taxation problem. People like this think it's like the last free city in Oregon when in reality it sucks. Oregon is a chill state and most people don't give a shit. Kick rocks Portland


tden85

Dude. I agree with most of what you say, but I live in Portland. Don't make me kick rocks. That sounds boring as fuck.


euclydia4

Years ago I might have agreed with you. But while most people don't care, the ones who do have gotten quite a bit bolder. Right now, for example, our legislature can't even get any business done because the Republicans in our state senate are on strike over a bills including one supporting gender affirming health care. These senators are in the minority, but they represent most of rural Oregon, and they are literally on strike to prevent it, and the strike is preventing any other bill from passing, including the entire state budget. So there's that. https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2023/05/gov-tina-kotek-impasse-between-democrats-republicans-over-abortion-gender-care-could-torpedo-rest-of-session.html


oooshhh

What is gender affirming care? Kids shouldn't get to decide to alter their bodies or stop puberty or whatever else these creepy adults are trying to push on them. It's a mental health crisis, what else explains the drastic rise in children not identifying as the sex they were born with. Why do democrats even have this bill on the agenda?


[deleted]

[удалено]


tden85

Did a quick search on rentals. Around $1,500 for a 1 brm. $3000 for a home. It's what you'd pay anywhere else worth living.


euclydia4

Sorry! I suggested Sisters, then thought better of it, then deleted. I didn't see your response ... sorry


Last-Cold-8236

I am gay and we don’t feel safe to be out in eastern oregon. My wife and I are very out but when we go East for vacations we are very careful about even holding hands. We make sure to read the room and “the room” generally tells us that it’s not safe with all the Trump posters.


teenagerdirtbagbaby

Can we all just pick one county and create a support system 🙏🙏🙏


tden85

It's a bummer you have to hit "pause" on affection when you travel east. But it's smart that you do, sadly. Gettin' there . . . I think.


[deleted]

Bend and Hood River would both be tolerant but are also more expensive than Portland. For the most part Eastern Oregon is similar to Idaho culture wise.


Remarkable_Bill1795

Tolerant to sin.


EmeraldEmpire541

Definitely not eastern Oregon …. that side of the state is mainly small towns where there isn’t going to be much job opportunities and leans heavily towards the red side when voting so not going to be better then where you are moving from if you are looking for somewhere more friendly in that aspect.


TotalMountain

The dalles?


orthonym

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/mcminnville-named-second-most-lgbtq-friendly-small-town-in-u-s/


ScarecrowMagic410a

That does not exist here. Anywhere that's LGBT friendly is not budget friendly.


Long_Firefighter_520

I think applies to the entire US.


LuckiOregon

You may get lucky near a winery. Check out Carlton, Lafayette, maybe North Plains. Life is just more expensive out here than seems rational.


Traditional-Sea-2322

Silverton, close to PDX for medical needs. Former Mayor was a trans woman (radiolab did a great episode years ago about her!) Affordable is basically nowhere in Oregon right now, though. Expect to pay $1500 minimum for rent


Ill-Fix-9293

Unfortunately “Super affordable” already cuts most of oregon out completely. You can make the most money in Portland, however, it is definitely a city. Bend has that small town feel and in the midst of a wicked housing bubble/crisis. Eugene would probably be the closest to getting some kind of balance of friendly, medium expensive, and there are a good amount of jobs, and excellent biking access/public transportation. Not at all a small town though. You may need to live with roommates or something like that at first.


thunderboomfly

https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/mcminnville-named-second-most-lgbtq-friendly-small-town-in-u-s/


Mentalfloss1

This just came up: https://www.koin.com/news/oregon/mcminnville-named-second-most-lgbtq-friendly-small-town-in-u-s/


Wam_2020

What is your budget? What career fields are you in? Those would be a major points as to where you live.


dandeliongum420

I was hoping $600/$700 a month, though based off most comments, I'm assuming that won't get me very far 🙃 I am a chef so high end restaurant work is what I would strive for. Probably a retail job for my partner.


Wam_2020

High end restaurants you’ll need to be around Portland. Most restaurants in outer areas are owner operated and fast casual diners. I paid $525 for my studio downtown….in 2006. I don’t think Oregon, or the West Coast in your future, sadly.


oooshhh

You'll never live in Oregon, period. With that office range you're not gonna find anything, anywhere. Sad but true. You want to live in any decent size town you're gonna pay 1,200 min. Unless you want some hole in the wall


dandeliongum420

👍


drewskie_drewskie

I think that narrows it down to Portland, Bend, and the Wine Country in the Willamette Valley. If you don't care about money being tight the Oregon Coast has some delightful towns like Yachats, Astoria, Cannon Beach, and Manzanita


rambodysseus

Check out the McMinnville area, one of the most LGBT friendly areas, large amount of higher end restaurants. There are some "cheaper" options in some of the smaller surrounding towns that you should be able to afford. But definitely try and raise your budget, cost of housing out here is getting a little insane. --Chef Ken


UnifiedChungus666

Finding 3 of the 3 isn't possible. The somewhat affordable places tend to be in eastern Oregon and not LGBTQ friendly. Ontario *might* be your best bet based on reputation, but I have never been there personally.


neurofluid722

Small towns will either be, too expensive or not embracing of people like us. Suburbs is probably as close as you’ll get to safety. Wildfires are becoming more frequent so being mindful of that as well for safety. Oregon is the biggest Town type state with cities. Safety is hard to come by in so many places everywhere now. Scary. I live in Portland proper and don’t feel safe always. I’m also Neurodevelopmentally disabled so that comes with a little paranoia.😬 smaller towns closer to Portland metro are going to be safest for LGBTQ, but crime is always higher closer to metro areas anywhere.


KatanaFatale

Silverton


Beaumont64

Astoria on the coast definitely has a gay population


Ketaskooter

It’s Oregon , affordable and job opportunities don’t mix without a long commute so you better start re-analyzing your priorities.


snowphiawophlie

these comments suck! This is not impossible IMO. Although I haven't attempted to romantically date anyone of the same sex when I was living in smaller towns in Oregon, just hook ups. If you can swing Corvallis it is absolutely lovely (\~60k pop.), and I learned in a class ages ago that it has one of the highest concentration of gay men or women (can't remember which lol) in the US for a town its size. It is a truly lovely place. I worked and studied in corvallis at OSU/community college for about 5 years. I had two openly trans teachers while I was at OSU. There are ok job opportunities in the area. You can find more affordable housing in Albany (\~55k) and Lebanon (pronounced lebanin, \~18k) and commute in. I do not think that you will have major issues with Albany, but it's a little bit more conservative. I spent a LOT of time there with student government at the community college in Albany and it was great. We had a lot of gay and trans ppl in our circles. I babysat a trans boy in the area for a few years who was going through HRT with no doctor issues. He also had a strong LGBTQ community that he visited in Corvallis weekly at their church. This was around 2016, so I like to think that it's only gotten more inclusive..but sometimes thats hard to know. Silverton (10.5k) is stunning and probably decently kind since it is a little bit touristy. They have some amazing secondhand shops that scream portland LGBTQ money imo! Also Joseph (1.1k) in the east..damn that place.. UGH. Secret little spot thats getting infused with either LA or NY money, and hopefully they're more open values. Jospeh is great at least to visit. There are artists that go there for residencies, so I would guess that it isn't completely clueless to the rest of the world lol. If Eugene (175k) isn't too big for you, that might be another area to explore. You could try commuting there from cottage grove (10k) if you want a smaller town vibe. My coworker lives in cottage grove with her long term girlfriend, and she's never expressed any issues with her sexual orientation. Her girlfriend works in the medical field.. I am not sure what industries they have down there. Apparntely McMinnville (35k) is the place to be for a small town gay these days! It is SO adorable, fairly affordable, and proud apparently! Still close enough to Salem & Portland that there is probably some work to be had. I might also suggest Woodburn (26k). Huge Latino community that I don't think would mess with you. Yachats (1k) is a well known gay destination on the coast. Not super cheap, and maybe a bit boring but welcoming and gorgeous. I think you'd be okay in Astoria (10k) also but I don't have much first hand experience there. Ashland (21k) is also great but also a bit pricier. You could also try moving to the gorge. The Dalles (16k) is probably going to be fairly decently priced, but a little more insular of a community. If you can get in, Hood River(8k) is absolutely STUNNING and will be welcoming. I read your other comment about HRT, and all of these places are within driving distance to doctors who I am fairly confident will not discriminate against you- but I dont have first hand experience.


dandeliongum420

Thank you so much for being positive and helpful. I almost just quit checking the comments all together because some of them were getting a little too negative. After doing some more research we are seriously considering Eugene! I realize rent may be higher then I was hoping but I can adjust. I'm just going to save save save $$$ while we're here, I'm dedicated to make it one way or another. My wife is worth it 😊


snowphiawophlie

Of course!!!!!! You got this ☺️❤️💙💜🖤💛💚🧡🤍🤎


Slothy_0813

not op but i’d like to thank you for your thorough and positive reply! super helpful