Are you thinking about moving to Omaha, Nebraska? If you are, you may have already contacted a gay or lesbian real estate agent there and started looking at properties. Some people feel that Nebraska is a part of the Bible Belt and, thus, isn’t very welcoming to LGBT people. It’s true that same-sex marriage wasn’t legal in the state until Obergefell v. Hodges, but it’s also true that the Attorney General of that state made an immediate announcement stating that Nebraska would not challenge the ruling or enforce any laws that went against it.
The Nebraska state government may not have led the charge for same-sex rights, but they also often seem like they were trying to provide what they could for their LGBT citizens even when the people of Nebraska didn’t support gay rights. For example, in 2000, voters had passed a constitutional amendment restricting marriage to a man and a woman. Many other states did this in the form of a legislative statute. Shortly thereafter, the state provided same-sex couples with hospital visitation rights by passing a designated visitor statute.
LGBT couples in Omaha can adopt children following the August 2015 court decision that struck down state policy Memo 1-95. This policy was often only used to prevent same-sex or unmarried couples from adopting children, the plaintiffs argued, and the court agreed.
Omaha and Protections
While the state itself does not provide any legal protections against discrimination in employment based on orientation or identity, the city of Omaha has passed its own nondiscrimination ordinance. This ordinance covers both gender identity and sexual orientation.
The Old Market
If you’re considering a move to Omaha, one area of the city that tends to be very LGBT friendly is called the Old Market. This neighborhood is on the National Register of Historic Places and features many different restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries, and more. It’s right in the downtown of Omaha, and even has some properties on the Missouri River. Residents can walk to the Omaha Botanical Gardens, visit the Love’s Jazz and Art Center, or take in a show at the John Beasley Theater. Because it’s downtown, there are almost always at least a few events going on nearby.
While Nebraska may not have embraced the LGBT community, Omaha is certainly one of the more liberal parts of the state and offers more than some of the other cities there. It’s not a bad place to live if you want to move to this part of the country.
