So, we doing this?

Compiled here is a brief guide on where and why to move to Colorado. This is by no means comprehensive and is just our opinions about our home state but hopefully its of use to you! Feel free to reach out with any questions!

Why Colorado?

We live here and we are biased but Colorado is pretty cool. We’ve got alright food, a decent music scene, good schools and great scenery! Most importantly, we also boast some of the best legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals in the country according to the Human Rights Campaign and the patron saint of trans journalism Erin Reed. 

Also something to consider: The Denver metro is cheaper than other accepting areas. The cost of living in Denver proper is about 11% higher than the national average, but thats not too bad. New York, Seattle, Los Angles, San Fransisco, Boston, DC are all 40%-60% over the average. Sure, you could move to a suburb a an hour or two outside of Chicago and have the same legal protections for cheaper cost of living but would you have a queer community?? and help getting there??? and big pointy rocks you can walk up for a sense of accomplishment????? We rest our case.

Speaking of pointy rocks, there’s also all the Tourist Economy Approved ™ reasons to move to Colorado. 300 days of sun, all 4 seasons, fittest state in the U.S., hiking, skiing, breweries, blah blah blah. Go google “move to Colorado” and we’re sure you can find all the normie reasons your little heart desires.

Legislative Climate

Currently, Colorado has a democratic super-majority in the legislature and a liberal Governor. Legislators from staunchly conservative areas ( such as Colorado Springs and Douglas County) have brought anti-LGBT and specifically anti-Trans bills in recent sessions, but all have been killed in committee. Legislative highlights include:

Location, Location, Location

Of course, where you move in Colorado is also important. We’re not saying nobody will be weird, but you can walk around some areas with a giant trans symbol on the back of your jacket and get nothing but compliments. Here is a brief discussion of areas:

Denver

TCP is based out of Denver, Colorado’s capital, and it’s as accepting as anyone could hope for. Denver boasts great (for the area) public transport, a slew of restaurants, music venues, and things to do! You can also be in the heart of the city, a 10 minute walk from restaurants and a park and still only a 30 minute drive from a decent hike and the famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre! The best neighborhoods for your average 20-something queer are Cap Hill, the Highlands, South Broadway, or anywhere around a few blocks of Colfax Ave (the main drag through town) west of Monaco. The best areas for families are Park Hill, City Park, Central Park, and Washington Park If you’re still in school, the Auraria Higher Education Campus is just west of the Lower Downtown or LODO area (they all have stupid abbreviations, don’t ask us). Auraria has 2 universities, a community college, and a brewery stuffed into it! 

Boulder

Boulder is…a weird place. Is it a college town? Is it a tech hub? Is a granola crunching base camp where hippies eat dandelions in the park? Yes. The city is more or less organized around the University of Colorado, a good school but our alums tell us the student body might leave something to be desired in terms of diversity. Being a college town/tech hub/base camp/shitshow, Boulder has a little bit of everything and is very close to the stereotypical outdoorsy stuff. Due to the university housing market and a limit on how tall buildings can be, Boulder rent is BAD.

The Denver/Boulder Burbs

If you want cornfields turned subdivisions, the Denver/Boulder suburbs are for you! The suburbs are more family centric, quieter, and car dependent. Each suburb has its own character but anywhere within 30 min of Denver or Boulder is a safe bet for cheaper rent, a cute main street and kitschy local events. The burbs tend to lean more conservative than the cities, but you likely won’t have issues past sideways glances at your pink hair in king soopers. The nicer burbs (in our opinion) are Arvada, Louisville, Broomfield, Longmont, Wheat Ridge, and Lafayette.

One might expect Golden to be on this list, but for some reason Golden is pretty conservative. Home to the Coors Brewery and Colorado School of Mines, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend Golden, but maybe stop by the Goldens in Golden festival.

Fort Collins

Fort Collins is like if Boulder was a little more suburban and a little more yeehaw. Home to Colorado State University, FOCO is also a college town, but much more spread out and more affordable than Boulder. Fort Collins has its own little scene and happenings but don’t be surprised when you have to drive the hour and a half to Denver for a night out.

Greeley, essentially a Fort Collins suburb, has the University of Northern Colorado, a model train museum….and that’s it. Maybe pick a different school? (not the University of Denver. bad, stop, no)

Colorado Springs

Don’t, look at me, DO NOT move to Colorado Springs. Fun facts: Colorado Springs has the fifth highest suicide rate in the US and is the headquarters for Focus on the Family. If you’re going to get hate crimed in a major city here, this is the one. Go feed the giraffes at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and GTFO.

Outside the Front Range/Western Slope

For the most part, everything outside of what is referred to as “the Front Range” is touristy ski towns or farming communities. On the other side of the mountains, where it gets flat again, is “the Western Slope”. None of us have lived experience with the Western Slope/Grand Junction. We’re not sure anyone lives there except the peach trees.

Additional Resources

Coming soon, if you feel soemthing should be here, please reach out!