Following the results of the 2024 election, a lot of my best frenbys have been very worried about the future of their country. Donald Trump said a lot of threatening things about transgender people, suggesting he would attempt to stop them from being able to get the medication they need to live their true lives. Whether he meant it or not, whether he is going to make good on his threats or not, the fear being felt by a lot of innocent citizens is real.
This is why I wanted to write an article about why my hometown of Tacoma, Washington is possibly one of the best places for transgender, non-binary, and the rest of the family to live in relative peace.
For context, I have been living in the Northwest most of my life, and I know a lot about the area. I would say that I’ve lived in Washington for a total of about 20 years of my life, and not only do I love it here, but things seem to be getting better all the time.
But before I get ahead of myself, let me explain how I’m going to make my case for specifically Tacoma. I’ll start off with some of the reasons why the state of Washington is safe for trans and non-binary peeps, and then move into details about both legal and cultural reasons to consider this particular city.
Finally, I’ll cover some very real and concerning problems with Tacoma that you might want to consider before making a final decision.
What makes Washington so great?
I get it, there are a lot of other choices to consider, but hear me out, because I have a few points to make:
Washington’s Voter Base Still Votes Mostly Blue
In areas like Eastern and Southern Washington, there is a pretty sizeable contingent of conservative voters, but pretty much the entire area from Olympia northward to Everett is full of very left-leaning voters. The major point I want to make here is that while most other states saw a rightward shift in voting behavior during the 2024 election, Washington State was the only state in the union to continue pushing left.
Our Governor is Bob Ferguson, and he has a Big Legal Team
Allow me to explain. Bob Ferguson was our Attorney General during Trump’s first term in office. In that time, Ferguson sued the Trump administration 97 times, 36 lawsuits leading to cases, and 22 of those cases being won. He has literal experience using the law to keep Donald Trump’s administration in check, and we just elected him to be our governor.
The week after his electoral win, Ferguson confirmed he already put together a legal team ahead of time to prepare for the possibility that Trump won in 2024. This legal team is comprised of over 20 legal experts, and will likely seek the help of even more legal experts.
Bob Ferguson didn’t come to play.
He’s ready to take on Trump and stop every attempt that his administration makes to limit or revoke the rights of Washingtonians.
Our Senator is Pramila Jayapal
As the proud parent of a trans daughter, Pramila has been a vocal proponent for trans rights both in the state of Washington and in the Senate. She is also on both the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus. She has more power than most in the state to effect real change across the country, and she’s on the right side of history.
A few more thoughts
These are just a few of the reasons I feel like the state of Washington is a (mostly) safe state where transgender and non-binary Americans can feel safe that their rights will be protected. Beyond that, I rarely ever see anyone say or do anything transphobic in the greater Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia area. If I had to describe the vibe, I’d say that normies here have a “live and let live” attitude, and most people keep to themselves otherwise.
Even when there are moments of abuse or harassment toward the LGBTQIA+ community, it usually comes in the form of stolen pride flags or bricks thrown in business windows. That’s not acceptable, but the point is that it’s the behavior of a group that is afraid or ashamed to show their faces in public, in the light. As they should be.
With that said, let me get into my thoughts on Tacoma.
What makes Tacoma so great?
There are a lot of things I love about this city, and it’s actually pretty cool how interwoven the LGBTQIA+ community has become. I mean, I regularly see people of all different genders just doing normal things like going for a walk in the park with their partners, and nobody pesters them or gives them any issues; it’s life the way it should be in America.
When I go out to spend time with trans friends, the experience I have is of being treated like a human being and not like an outcast. Now, that’s probably at least partially due to cis privilege, but there does seem to be a general sense in the air that we should all live and let live or at the very least not make anyone’s life more difficult than it needs to be for no logical reason.
My trans friends feels safe, and that’s important.
With that out of the way, let’s get down to brass tacks. The first item on my list of what makes Tacoma a great choice for refugees will undoubtedly be a selling point for most of you.
Tacoma has a form of rent control
In 2023, the fine people of Tacoma voted to pass a proposition to cap rent hikes at just 5% per year. This keeps the cost of rent relatively low in comparison to other cities in Washington. Even so, rent prices can still be pretty high in this area, so even at the cheapest rates you can typically expect to pay about $800 for a room to rent, $1,000 for a studio apartment, $1,200-$1,300 for a 1 bedroom apartment, and $1,400-$1,500 for a 2-bedroom apartment.
Of course, it’s also important to note that landlords here are still allowed to charge things like pet rent, and most of them will require at least 2.5x-3x income to sign a lease. This can be a problem for a lot of people, but the reason I mention a room to rent is that there are ways around some of these problems even if you don’t have a lot of money.
The even better news is that the city of Tacoma is leading the effort to build more low-income housing, which should make it even easier to find a place to stay here in the coming years.
It’s easy to get to Seattle
We all know the big city everyone wants to visit in the PNW is Seattle, and there’s good reason for that. Luckily, the Sounder Train is a train that runs from the southern end of Tacoma to Seattle. There are also plans for a lightrail line which will take you to SeaTac Airport, where you can then travel just about anywhere you might want to go with ease, and for the moment there is at least a bus line (574) that will get you there.
In other words, you won’t be limited to just the activities in Tacoma, you’ll have easy access to Seattle and other nearby cities. Want to see a Seahawks game? Go for it. Always wanted to do some shopping at Pike Place Market? It’s within your reach. Best of all, Seattle is also a safe area for LGBTQIA+ communities.
Surprisingly Good Food
I honestly believe there are some restaurants in Tacoma that rival anything you’ll find in Seattle. The absolute best food to get here is Mexican/Central American/South American cuisine, because even the worst taco joint is still better than anything you can get at Taco Bell. I’d make a specific restaurant recommendation, but I actually think it’s better to just try out a bunch of different places until you find your favorite.
I’m also pretty surprised by the quality of Tacoma’s pizza. My favorite spots are Salamone’s, a restaurant run by a man who literally learned the ropes in an actual Brooklyn pizzeria. When I say this is the closest thing to authentic Brooklyn style pizza within a 500 mile radius, I am not kidding. Another excellent choice is Puget Sound Pizza, and I’m pretty sure they put literal crack cocaine in the sauce, because it’s extremely addictive and tasty.
Tacoma is similar to a 15-Minute City
Tacoma has their own light rail train which runs through the downtown areas of the city; it connects with the Tacoma Dome station where you can take the Link north to Seattle. They recently expanded the service so that it reaches even further out into the area. When I say that you can reach pretty much anything you want or need within 15 minutes using this service, I am not kidding.
There’s a major hospital right in the center of the city, and the newest light rail line takes you right past it. If you’re worried about healthcare costs, it is nice knowing that most times you won’t need an ambulance or even an Uber ride. Furthermore, it is perfectly legal to transition here, and it’s very unlikely you’ll run into any trouble getting the medication and treatment necessary.
There’s also a fairly decent sized grocery store within 15 minutes of most locations in the city, and plenty of things to see and do, but we’ll get into that a bit later. As long as you stick to Tacoma, chances are you’ll be able to reach just about any destination in less than 30 minutes, and most places are going to be much closer than that.
TIP: The cheapest spots for groceries are usually Winco and Grocery Outlet.
Great Local Cinema
There are actually only a few movie theaters left in Tacoma nowadays, but the few that remain are run by locals and tend to be a bit smaller. This doesn’t stop them from getting major films from all the big studios, and while their screens tend to be smaller, the theatrical experience is cozy and unique.
My favorite spot is The Grand Cinema, which I believe is actually under queer ownership, but I am not entirely sure. One thing I can say for certain is that they are very welcoming to the queer community, and it’s always inviting whenever you’re there. Depending on which screen they are projecting to, you might even have the opportunity to see their back room, filled with random chairs, chez lounges, and other comfy little spots to relax before the movie starts. Wait in line? Screw that!
The Vibe of 6th Avenue
I think the funny thing about 6th Avenue today is that it mostly attracts an audience of millennials who have a decent enough job to afford going out to random bars. It’s almost like a lot of us are finally experiencing the 20s that were stolen from us by the Great Recession. That’s not to say there aren’t spots for the “youths,” but it’s just part of the current vibe of the area.
6th Avenue has its elements of grunge, its dirty back alleyways between old brick buildings, potholes and well-worn sidewalks, etc. However, you’ll also see a smattering of fantastic street art, several old record stores, popular local bars, clubs, and more. Oh, and did I mention several dispensaries as well?
Basically, this is the place to be, and if you live in Tacoma, there’s a strong chance you visit at least one of the shops on 6th Avenue every few weeks.
My favorite spots are Ms. Tricky’s Pop Culture Emporium and Mission Thrift — two separate businesses which just so happen to be right across the street from one another!
At Ms. Tricky’s, you’ll find a mostly vintage toy store, but they also have a lot of other random knickknacks. For example, I once found the stuff that dreams are made of — a prop replica of the Maltese Falcon. They also have some physical media in the back, so if you’re a video game or blu-ray/dvd collector, you might want to check and see what they have.
Mission Thrift is a small local thrift store, but I just heard that they’ve become so popular that they are expanding to another location, which will also be on 6th Avenue! I don’t want to give too much away about this place, but let’s just say I almost always find something interesting here.
Walk down Antique Row
You know how most cities with a “Broadway” tend to have a street lined with theaters? Well, in Tacoma, Broadway is Antique Row — a street filled with several unique antique stores. I think the reason this works is that they are all collected together, so locals are driven to visit because they know that if they don’t find what they want in one spot, they can always just walk right down the street to another antique store!
I’m honestly planning to do as much of my Christmas shopping as possible on Antique Row this year, because it feels like a fun way to find interesting items that my loved ones will appreciate. In other words, if you ever need to find a gift for someone, this is a great place to visit.
Alright, enough of the cozy shit
Yes, there are a lot of things I love about Tacoma that I also feel make it an ideal location for LGBTQIA+ Americans who just want to live a normal, healthy life with the freedom to be themselves without fear. On the other hand, it would be a lie to say that Tacoma is entirely safe. After all, Tacoma wept.
In addition to that not so subtle reference (iykyk), there are a few other issues that might be of concern if you’re considering moving here:
- Tacoma has a pretty high crime rate. Most of that crime is petty theft, but it would be entirely dishonest to give the impression that this is the safest city in the United States at the moment. In my experience, it’s best to make sure any activity after dark is planned for two, just to ensure you are not alone.
- There are a lot of homeless people in Tacoma. I speak from the perspective of a privileged white dude, so although I can tell you that I’ve never been harassed or bothered by anyone living on the street, that might not be the experience for everyone. For the most part, I just try to treat the homeless like my neighbors, because that’s essentially what they are, even if it makes everyone more comfortable to view it in any other way.
- While Tacoma does tend to be a “blue” area on electoral maps, not everyone in this city — or any city, sadly — is going to be respectful to the LGBTQIA+. What I will say is that there are several businesses with pride flags in their window, so you can usually feel a bit more safe in most neighborhoods.
- I’ve lived here a while and I’ve never once seen this fabled “Voosh” character everyone speaks of in hushed tones. I don’t think he even exists, to be honest. If he does, I doubt he ever goes anywhere in Tacoma, because I definitely would have seen him by now. I guess I’m just trying to reassure anyone who really doesn’t like that guy for one reason or another that you probably won’t even see him anywhere, so you’re safe. The horses on the other hand…
Sorry, I had to do it
Alright, that’s a lie, but I’m trying to cheer you up. We definitely have work to do before Tacoma is the perfect sanctuary city for the LGBTQIA+, but if you move here and help out, it’ll be even easier to make this place one of the last remaining vestiges of democracy and freedom within the United States.
If you have any questions or recommendations for details you’d like me to add to this article, please let me know via email at stoudman@gmail.com. If you’d like to support me, you can use that same email address to send any donations you’d like through Paypal.
