<p>I’m gay and from the San Francisco Bay Area - and ended up going to school at the University of Idaho, which was plenty gay-friendly for my tastes. Never felt discriminated against or anything but welcomed. College towns for major public universities everywhere (except maybe the Bible Belt) tend to be liberal, tolerant and accepting.</p>
<p>Heck, I was looking at Mizzou for grad school and would have been quite happy at Columbia.</p>
<p>The fact is, without parental help, you won’t be able to afford any out-of-state public school except on a full-ride merit scholarship. You will not be eligible for any need-based aid because of your parents’ income. You need to talk with them and find out what they’re willing to contribute - because that’s going to be the baseline for what schools you can afford.</p>