Half kidding/day dreaming, half actually looking at options. If I get tired enough of America politically, where in the world might be better right now? Not learning a new language would be a big plus cause my brain no do that good.
Canada probably. It's close enough, so you wouldn't have to go far, and they speak English as well as French in certain provinces. I've visited Canada twice and thought it was a lovely country. And I may be wrong, but I think I've heard Canada is very LGBT friendly.
Yep, you are right, and generally speaking yes. There are some parts of the country that are not as LGBT friendly but the parts that are friendly and are as inclusive as can be make more than up for it. Our Prime Minister just recently apologised on behalf of the Canadian government to the LGBT community for the past wrongs and policies against LGBTs. I would agree that if you are looking for a place to immigrate to, Canada would be a good option to consider. Given the changing circumstances in Australia, and if you prefer a warmer climate, it might be a good place to look into too.
I agree with Canada. If I was to move to another country, I would choose Canada too. The people there are friendly and open, it’s a diverse country (like the US), it’s a beautiful country, and some of the larger cities (like Vancouver) are pretty LGBT+ friendly. It’s also fairly close to home, and since English is the main language there, you wouldn’t have to learn a new language. With the exception of some spelling being slightly different than American English spelling, the language is basically the same. There might be a slight accent in how some words are pronounced, but nothing major. If you chose to, you could learn some French though, as it’s probably the second most used language in Canada (Canadians, correct me if I’m wrong). I’ve been to Canada a few times, and each time I feel a little sad to leave.
Where you are sufficiently skilled not only to pass migration barriers but also to do well economically is the first disclaimer, obviously. Gay friendly places are still no fun if you're poor. For those suggesting Australia, I'll just note it is an extraordinarily expensive place to live in, and its cities' most LGBT-friendly areas require you to be fairly high up on the income ladder, even in comparison to rich countries like Canada or Britain. If job-seeking and financing yourself is no problem, then the Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, Centre, Inner-West and North Shore are fantastically gay-friendly, as is virtually all of Melbourne within 25km of the CBD, Canberra, and generally central Brisbane. All of the other capital cities are decent enough for gay people. Everywhere else you can easily make do but they're not really gay paradises. Migrating is a massive decision but not necessarily a bad one. It just has to be holistically feasible to make it worthwhile.
I've also thought of leaving the US from time to time, mostly because of stupid things like worrying about getting sick due to fear of medical debt. I understand that those other countries like Canada, Australia, and the UK have higher taxes to cover those things, but honestly I think the higher taxes are worth it.
I wouldn't recommend Australia. I mean, out of all the countries in the world, it is definitely one of the safest to live in. However, I've heard a lot of racism growing up (mostly towards the Aboriginal people and Asian immigrants). Furthermore, I don't think it's the most LGBT-friendly place to live in. I'd say the US is more liberal. I've encountered a lot of hostility, especially since the whole gay marriage vote but that might just be my city. I've also found there aren't many support groups or services (like the Trevor Project in the US). Like Aussie792 said, major cities are better and I'd definitely recommend Melbourne. Plus, the climate kind of sucks, haha. Where I'm living, it's nearing 40°C or 104°F. I'm staying because I can get jobs and an education in my city so it's more for convenience than anything. I wanted to move to Dublin and I still might if I can save up enough. But Ireland was going through a recession and from what I've heard it'd be very hard to make a living in a place like Dublin. I guess I'd recommend Canada or somewhere in the UK. If I were you, I'd wait until you're more financially stable (if you're not already) because I don't think moving to any first-world country is going to be cheap right now.
Oh except I'm in Melbourne now, just saw a pro-LGBT sign graffitied with the words "F*** Gays". Like, really? I guess it is one of the better ones though. Not good if you have clinically diagnosed agoraphobia (like myself) or dislike public transport. Honestly, I'd just stay in the US. We're lucky enough to be living in first-world countries and not going to find a lot better any time soon.
Given the current sociopolitical environment and the uncertainty of the economy, it's not a terrible idea to be thinking about emigrating from the US, especially for LGBT people. I haven't looked into things with any seriousness in almost 10 years, but given the progress that has been made in other countries and the seeming stability that most possess, it's very enticing to want to leave to be able to live a more stable and open life. My experience when I was seriously looking into emigrating was that unless you possess skills that are needed where you want to move to, already have a job lined up, or can prove beyond reasonable doubt that just by simply moving your life will be improved, it's going to be difficult to pull off. And that's not even setting up logistics to move, finding a place to live in your new country or any of that stuff. The countries I looked into were Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia, France and Germany just in case anyone was curious.