Texas native Ty Joerger, a 25-year-old multimedia producer, moved to Seattle in July. As far as he is concerned, “Texas has a lot to fix and resolve before I would even encourage anyone to move or live there.”
Joerger is a lifelong Texan. He was born in Houston, spent his early days in San Antonio as a child, and grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He moved away from Texas in July and did not stop going until he reached Seattle, Washington.
“I’m just one of about 10 to 12 friends who all moved from Texas to the Pacific Northwest over the past two years. Before 2021, I had a few friends who moved to Seattle. But the brunt of my friends ended up moving in late 2022,” he says.
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Joerger also says that he has several reasons that justify his exit from Texas. One that resonates among him and his friends is the “political climate.”
He says it’s just not conducive for them, especially since they are all members of the LGBTQ+ community. But above all, Joerger wants to be with his friends. After all, home is where the heart lies.
“I always say that was my No. 1 reason for coming here,” Joerger says. “My friends and I shared a pretty similar sentiment: That we didn’t feel safe in a state with more and more aggressive legislation targeting us.”
Joerger identifies as a gay man but does not feel safe or comfortable in Texas. He avoided pride parades during his days there out of fear. He was only too aware of the state’s lax gun laws.
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Since he grew up in Texas, Joerger was no stranger to mass shootings. It didn’t help that the state also kept passing laws that weakened gun control. Things were so bad that in Joerger’s final months in Texas, he barely went out because of leftover anxiety from the Allen Outlet shooting.
Another good reason he says he left was because of the extreme weather. According to Joerger, the state is getting hotter and colder. However, its electric grid is not able to keep up with that.
Joerger and his boyfriend now live in Seattle. Their new home is only a 10-minute walk from the rail station.
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The house is a 770-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment for which they pay $1,750. He says that’s about $350 more than what he was paying for his 950-square-foot Texas apartment.
Joerger praises Seattle for its robust transit system. He now drives less and spends less than $100 monthly. He also believes it’s a friendlier and safer place where he and his friends can be themselves.
I would love for the Lone Star State to change for the better as my parents and numerous friends still live there, but it has a lot to resolve before I would even encourage anyone to move or live there.
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