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I replied to one of your comments, but I’ll give you more details
I live in Houston. It is the fourth largest, fourth most diverse city in the us. I find it to be very lgbtq friendly, and it has a large Mexican and Hispanic population. It is pretty good on affordability compared to the rest of the US, but expected income is lower than other parts of the US. As a trade off, no state income tax.
Houston is a very car-dependent city and is not easily walkable. The majority of parking is free, which is not a common luxury in other cities. There is lots of traffic every day. Green spaces are not overly common, but they are high quality.
Houston has a pride parade every year. The food is fantastic, and includes many cuisines from around the world. Lots and lots of Tex-Mex and Mexican food.
Houston is liberal-leaning (left-leaning). State politics as a whole are conservative (right-leaning). Gay rights have not come under fire here in Houston, but state officials are trying. Houston is happy to welcome immigrants, but there are many parts of Texas (mostly rural) that are unhappy with immigration policies, particularly from Mexico. State officials have recently tried to make it so they can override voting results from Houston on a number of key issues. Guns are a problem in the US, and that includes certain parts of Houston; there was recently state legislation that allowed anybody to concealed carry without a license.
Major industries are oil & gas, healthcare, biomedical, and aerospace. Law is also a great field to be in. If you plan on higher education, I recommend healthcare. There are lots of local things to do, but not a lot of tourism things to do. The weather is hot and residents spend the majority of their time indoors, unless they live near the bay or the gulf.
I think your biggest culture shock would be coming from a small town and living in a major city. It is a big adjustment. Don’t expect to own a house, expect to drive a lot, and even though there are a lot of job opportunities there is also a lot of competition and that can make it hard to get a job. Overall, Houston isn’t perfect but it’s pretty good.
California has liberal state politics, which leads to suburbs and rural towns that are lgbtq-friendly. But California also has one of the highest costs of living in the US, and has its own unique problems.
Here is the thing though: California and Texas are the two largest continental states in the US. They have different climates within their borders, and different ways of life depending on what part you are in. Texas is 800+ miles across. You have to narrow down your search. I also recommend looking at other states. You can find more acceptance and easier living. The Northeast, Northwest, and some Midwest states are liberal and some have a good and affordable quality of life, but it gets cold in the winter. And looking at a map of states’ political leanings will tell you who is lgbtq-friendly and who isn’t.