OPs bio:
OP:
My wife (trans), my son, and myself (queer) are considering a huge move up to Vermont. We currently live near Savannah, Georgia. My wife has been a truck driver for 20 years and was recently assaulted at her job and had gay slurs used against her, I'm a retired/disabled former DoD/DoN and I've had my life threatened, and our son is currently in the 2nd grade and has been bullied relentlessly for simply liking his rainbow glasses. Our son was also assaulted by another student in the 1st grade for speaking out against a bully picking on another child who is Latinx and speaks primarily Spanish. The local high school's mascot is "The Rebel," yeahβ¦that kind of rebel. I'm just burnt out. I'm surrounded by red hats and it's exhausting.
Both my wife and I have lived in Georgia for the majority of our lives, but we no longer feel welcome in our own home communities. Basically, I'm asking if Vermont is a good place and what sections are most accepting. We really would like to be close to the border with Canada, so I know part of that is NEK, I just don't know anything about the communities or people.
If and when we do move, we are looking to buy a home, with or without renovation needs, but I'd really like a basement. The farthest north I've visited is Connecticut, but my father was born in New Hampshire and my Grandfather was from Machias, Maine. I know I most likely have extended family up there somewhere I've never met, so if you have the last name of Gendron, reach out!
Thanks yall.
If you're from a big city like Savanah, consider central or western MA! Vermont is very rural and cold.
Hello and I'm so sorry that your family is in this position. It's heartbreaking to need to move for your safety in this way. Some basics- Vermont is a lovely place to live overall. Challenges are housing and employment- lots of open jobs, but low wages and perhaps not in the desired sectors. Housing is nearly impossible right now. And Gendron is a super common last name in Maine! Southern Maine is also a nice spot, with similar challenges.
Child care is pretty expensive here and in short supply, generally. School districts are struggling financially and it's looking like ours is going to be making severe cuts, possibly to music/athletics and the already inadequate transportation services.
These are the main issues I wish I had known about before moving here with very young children.
It's been over a decade since I've lived in the NEK (lived there for 20 years)but I sincerely don't recommend northern small towns for LGBTQIA people based on my time there. It's very removed from the world and isn't open to evolving. It also has a bunch of issues that will complicate your life due to the remoteness, lack of resources, cost of living and weather. To give some perspective I've been in NC for the last decade and despite my love for the scenery and familiar faces, I wouldn't return to the NEK unless I had to
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All the
aside, as someone who has lived in both states, the idea of relocating from Georgia to Vermont sight unseen is completely batshit. Compared to Vermont, Georgia might as well be the Garden of Eden when it comes to QOL stuff like housing prices, quality of housing stock, infrastructure, services, climate, roads, geography, culture, taxes, I could go on almost infinitely, the only thing VT does better is snowsports. There are like two towns in VT that are more liberal than Savannah and they're both full.
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but they need to be close to CANADA!! the queer mecca, just incase they have to ESCAPE drmps wrath to NOVA SCOTIA just like in acclaimed vidya DUSTBORN!!!!
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Vermont no have black people
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Thats not true.
Dead frostbitten mayos in the snow turn black.
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What's the difference between a white person and a rotting banana?
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The Northeast attracts lolbertarians and hippie-types like the Northwest does, but the weather prevents the place from becoming overwhelmed with homeless people and the housing prices filter out riff-raff.
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Burlington is absolutely overrun with homeless.
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To the same degree as Portland?
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For a city less than a tenth the size of Portland, it has very similar issues, yes.
(For those unaware, Burlington has around 45,000 people and it's far and away the largest city in VT.)
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Yeah it's fricking wild they would even consider this without at least visiting the darned place. Plane tickets aren't that expensive, go for a weekend.
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A flight is expensive to this poorcel
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