Continuing on the theme of opening up some of the questions I get via email to my readers, I’ve listed another question and my response below. I’m definitely interested in hearing from anyone in the community who feels they can add something to my response.
Question: My partner and I are thinking of moving to Seattle. We both have professional jobs and would like to be somewhere with good schools for our two children. What neighborhoods do you recommend for families where both parents are the same-sex?
Answer: I’m of the option that just about any neighborhood in Seattle would be very welcoming of you and your partner. I’m aware of only a few gay parents in my neighborhood, but I would not be surprised to learn that there were many more who just blend in with all the other families.
In terms of schools, I would recommend checking out the school guide that is put out by the Seattle Times. Seattle has some really great schools and some schools that probably won’t meet your expectations. While high test scores probably shouldn’t be the only way a school is judged, knowing this information can help weed out the schools that you would find unacceptable.
In addition to finding an appropriate school, a very relevant question is how much you are willing to spend on a house. A starter home in most neighborhoods in the City start at around 350k-400k. If this seems reasonable to you, then you should have no problem finding an appropriate home in a wonderful neighborhood.
Do you have a better answer for this question? Are there any neighborhoods that this family should definitely be considering? Are there some special resources that might make the transition easier for this family should they move to Seattle? Please share your knowledge in the comments section!
My wife was talking to a lesbian (butch) woman this weekend who had just moved from Cap Hill to the U District. In Cap Hill, she said, she never had any problems. In the U, she said she’s constantly harrassed and followed. She fears for her physical safety in a way she never did on Broadway.
Not sure if that’s a universal experience, but it seems to contradict your contention that all areas of Seattle are GLBT-friendly.
Zero Boss,
Thanks for the input. I haven’t witnessed any harassment in Seattle (quite the opposite, I’ve seen people go out of their way to make same-sex couples feel welcome), but I’m not surprised to hear that gays and/or lesbians still get harassed in Seattle… I definitely should not have implied that Seattle has solved all of our biases… and you’re right that this contradicts the theme of my answer.
I did a quick google search to look for resources or organizations that same-sex parents in Seattle could turn to for support, but I didn’t find anything that would be obviously helpful. Are you (or anyone else) aware of any resources that would be helpful for same-sex couples moving to Seattle?
Zero Boss,
Thanks for the input. I haven’t witnessed any harassment in Seattle (quite the opposite, I’ve seen people go out of their way to make same-sex couples feel welcome), but I’m not surprised to hear that gays and/or lesbians still get harassed in Seattle… I definitely should not have implied that Seattle has solved all of our biases… and you’re right that this contradicts the theme of my answer.
I did a quick google search to look for resources or organizations that same-sex parents in Seattle could turn to for support, but I didn’t find anything that would be obviously helpful. Are you (or anyone else) aware of any resources that would be helpful for same-sex couples moving to Seattle?