CA or bust

[Supposed Mocha]

Partner and I have gotten bored with the constant homebumming and drifting around the upper Midwest and now we're headed to LA and going to be finding our way in CA. We are unhoused and down to tent camping and the occasional luxury of a motel or couch for a couple nights, but looking to get back on our feet and travel around the region cuz fuck we ain't got nothing to do personal or organizing wise and we do better when in motion as a couple. I know we're going to hit up the Pride Center and human services to look for quick help like Medi-Cal and food stamps but where else in the area are there solidarity houses or otherwise community centers we can exist at and around to charge phones, rest, and network with others in the same situation? We're probably going to be camping out in a park or the national forest maybe even the beach if there aren't any Trans friendly shelters that'll respect who we are but really any shelters or places I'd take at this point to get us into while we look for work at temp agencies or under the table stuff. Can't be convinced to go elsewhere as our safety and dignity as Queer people means we are obligated to stay in more progressive cities and it's one of the few I got family and friends in that'll help with basic tasks. But tangents aside what are good safe places to look for, who's out there, and are there any safe places to sleep at night I don't know about? Gonna use the route to the Slabs after a minute of making money and getting by.

 

[Batsy]

The Bay Area is pretty progressive when it comes to trans and queer rights. I’m trans/queer and I’m originally from here, currently living out here in my van.

I was kicking it on Haight Street for a while in SF with a lot of dirty kid friends who were out here, and people would give us lots of food kick downs. They were telling me, if you look like a dirty kid and you sit around on Haight, people will just give you stuff. It also doesn’t hurt to ask people for leftovers when they walk by, plus some of my friends would busk on Haight and would get cash kick downs.

The north end of Telegraph Ave in Berkeley is known for having street vendors. If you make some kind of art/craft it might be a good place to set up. Not sure if you can get away with not having a permit there, but there’s also Pacific Ave in Santa Cruz that you can definitely vend on without a permit. Lots of buskers and spangers on Pacific too.

The places I know for sleeping are mostly vehicle-dweller specific, unfortunately.

But if you end up coming to the bay, hmu and I can give you info about the local punk scene too, like where to find shows, venues, promoters, etc.

 

[MetalBryan]

When traveling between the Bay and LA, travel as quickly as you can afford. Small-town Central California, and to some extent its cities, is chock full o' folks who want to live in Texas but the weather isn't as nice. Even the coastal area isn't that chill, politically speaking.