Leaving Houston isn't so simple for LGBTQ residents
Affordability and work are keeping some LGBTQ+ people in — and drawing others to — places that may be politically complicated but economically viable.
Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
LGBTQ+ Americans aren't just fleeing red states like Texas for blue enclaves. They are also building lives in cheaper, fast-growing metros where jobs, housing and politics collide.
Why it matters: The "red-state exodus" narrative misses a quieter reality.
- Affordability and work are keeping some LGBTQ+ people in — and drawing others to — places that may be politically complicated but economically viable.
What they're saying: For many LGBTQ+ Texans, leaving simply isn't financially or practically possible, Tammi Wallace, president and CEO of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, tells Axios.
- "That's not even an option for them to pick up, move their lives," Wallace says, noting that leaving also means rebuilding community and support systems.
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