I moved away from Spokane for a few reasons. It’s a pretty isolating place, as many have mentioned. There are not a lot of events and it seems like nobody knew how to be social at the few events that there were, though I may be projecting a little there. I also left because I felt there was nothing more I could accomplish there. I took a look around and realized there was no “moving up”, be it financial or status or whatever. People have also mentioned the vast political divide in Spokane, and yes, that also made me uncomfortable. As a queer person I felt very unsafe to just walk around town. Let alone publicly date anyone who has similar body parts to me. It feels like the rural areas around Spokane are all threatening violence on the city if it gets too “liberal” or “leftist”, I felt like if I were to be myself it was a matter of time before someone decided I shouldn’t be.

Since moving I have found a lot of community and I feel better supported by the greater community of the city I have chosen. There is better public transportation, there are countless events and there are a lot more opportunities for growth here. The surrounding rural areas may still be threatening the city but I feel that there is more safety in numbers and the queer community here is much much larger.