Being liberal in TX? (Houston, Dallas: rent, home, income)

[Artist83]

So how is it like being liberal in TX? I ask because it's come in my thoughts of a possible move there in the future. I'm liberal for my section of VA. I'm basically a prochoice feminist, proLGBTQ bisexual woman, UU-afiliated pagan/witch, and I believe in gun control. Outside of Austin, could I be welcomed or do I need to keep my opinions and life to myself?

[ILTXwhatnext]

I would say that you will be happiest if you stick to metro areas. Have you looked on FB etc.?

[As Above So Below...]

Originally Posted by Artist83

So how is it like being liberal in TX? I ask because it's come in my thoughts of a possible move there in the future. I'm liberal for my section of VA. I'm basically a prochoice feminist, proLGBTQ bisexual woman, UU-afiliated pagan/witch, and I believe in gun control. Outside of Austin, could I be welcomed or do I need to keep my opinions and life to myself?

Im a liberal with a libertarian streak. Im a Satanist (Satanic Temple), pro choice, and pro-LGBTQ rights.

Im not exactly silent about my beliefs and Ive never had trouble making friends and meeting like minds in Dallas or Houston. Those are the two cities Ive lived in Texas.

All in all Texas is a diverse place. No matter who you are, youll find people who think like you and share your values.

[Andtheblack]

If you stay in or closely adjacent to the state’s population centers, you’ll find plenty of good company.

[Gaylord_Focker]

Originally Posted by Artist83

So how is it like being liberal in TX? I ask because it's come in my thoughts of a possible move there in the future. I'm liberal for my section of VA. I'm basically a prochoice feminist, proLGBTQ bisexual woman, UU-afiliated pagan/witch, and I believe in gun control. Outside of Austin, could I be welcomed or do I need to keep my opinions and life to myself?

Why leave Austin? It's the most liberal city in Texas.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

I haven't ever of anybody in Texas being harassed for their politics. As long as you don't go around forcing your political views on others, you should be ok. Politics is like religion - it's a not good to idea to talk about either of those 2 subjects to other people outside of family and close friends, and even with them, tread lightly and proceed with caution. Many, if not most people, are turned off to people who are constantly talking their politics and/or their religion.

[Proud citizen]

I’m pretty conservative, Texas is a huge state with a diverse population. In the past three months, I have visited San Francisco, Seattle, and have made a weekend trip to Austin. Austin has a similar feel to SF and Seattle. If you are very liberal you will find it most welcoming. All-in-all, most Texans are live and let live, and not care how you choose to live your life.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Nothing wrong with what politics you believe in, no one harasses you, it is not Seattle, or San Francisco where any other thought not in the Liberal narrative is unacceptable. In Texas, it is 'live and let live' as was mentioned... BUT...

I've lived in Texas my whole life, and there is one area that is a problem... that is when Liberals come to Texas to escape the tax hell holes they are escaping from, whether the taxes are too high, or rent too high, or cost of living too high. That is usually because of Liberal Utopian ideas, which I have to admit sound great, but the way they are paid for is the problem for me. Too many Liberals come here and still vote to create this shyt environment they are now escaping, tax anyone making a decent living. So best if you are Liberal, but fiscally conservative. Texas is a great state, and afforded me 40 years of a great career, and income, but if we had the same Liberal policies of freebies, and handouts, I would not have done so well.

Many people are moving in, most Liberal, but if they continue to vote as if they were in their original state, Texas will not be the best place anymore, it will just be the same high tax, high cost of living state those people came from, with heat and humidity.

[texasdiver]

Relax. There are more liberals in Texas than in most other states. Biden got more votes in Texas than he did in New York.

I spent over a decade living in Waco which is not even one of the liberal urban areas of Texas and I knew plenty of Democrats and liberals. The difference between Waco and say Vancouver WA where I live now is that in Waco, Dems are outnumbered by Republicans by about 45% to 55% whereas in Vancouver it is the opposite. What that means is that unless you live in urban Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, or El Paso then your politicians are likely to be Republicans. But you'll still meet plenty of liberal people. You'll just be outvoted.

I taught at a big public HS in Waco. I had plenty of openly gay or LGBT students, I had trans students, I had kids with gay parents. No one cared and most were supportive. Some of their older Baptist parents were typical bigots. But the kids were mostly all right. It's not much different from anyplace else.

If you are in a profession that depends on support from the state government, like say, education or public health, then you are likely to be endlessly frustrated by GOP-dominated TX. Or if you want to move to some small town and run for office on a platform of pro-choice and gun control then you'll likely be frustrated as well. But if you just want to live an ordinary life in one of Texas' larger metro areas you won't notice much difference from anyplace else.

Some of the right wing folks here on this forum will be pissed off to see another liberal moving to Texas. But no one you actually meet in real life will care in the slightest.

[lonestar2007]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Some of the right wing folks here on this forum will be pissed off to see another liberal moving to Texas. But no one you actually meet in real life will care in the slightest.

That's (But no one you actually meet in real life will care in the slightest) a pretty bold statement. As usual it depends on circumstances. Overall I would say if you're looking at it from a standpoint of will there be a public display of contempt and dislike with the 'Yankee go home sentiments' hurled, I would say no (unless they are a truly obnoxious in your face type who simply can't shut it and deliberately pushes buttons and continuously draws negative attention to themselves.

I agree about Texans (for the most part) being a live and let live people but again, circumstances. No one likes an outsider coming into their home and trying to cram controversial beliefs upon them. They may not jump up and have a hissy fit, might never say one word but to take this as an indication they could care less would be a mistake.

Being a fish out of water is one thing, being a loudmouth, pushy fish out of water is something else and even then (depending on circumstances) while it might not evoke a public display, it will definitely draw plenty of cold shoulders. So the OP has done her homework and figured Austin correctly and hey that's good, birds of a feather yada yada. But the remark "Outside of Austin, could I be welcomed or do I need to keep my opinions and life to myself?" does raise a flag. I could be wrong but it sounds like OP is set to flaunt her lifestyle and opinions and just craving a good fight. Ugh, who needs this crap.

Another thing, while Texans, for the most part, don't make public scenes about the changes that are occurring in our state, please don't think we're too stupid to realize the consequences of these changes. Some of us have lived here our entire lives and enjoyed our way of life and you bet we are not so ignorant and backwards that we aren't aware this could very well become a thing of the past.