This is an amazing article, thank you for sharing. As someone who fled red-state rural America for blue-state urban living I can't put it better than this article. Everything was like reading from my own history.

I went to college to become more skilled in the labor force. I realized quickly that would give me the ability to move anywhere in the country and get a job.

The most welcoming place I've lived is my very blue state urban city. People here don't care who I am, what I'm into (as long as it doesn't hurt other people), what religion I am, or what my profession is. It's by far a lot nicer than "nice" rural small towns