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Share your interactions/involvement with the greater LGBT community.

Discussion in 'Chit Chat' started by SonicBoom, Aug 10, 2015.

  1. SonicBoom

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    Since we are such a diverse group here on EC and our experiences with the greater LGBT community differ WILDLY, I think it will be fun to share our experiences with the greater LGBT community.

    I'll start.

    I grew up in Los Angeles , CA.

    I first discovered the Gay and Lesbian community in Los Angeles when I was about 13.

    I went frequently to the Gay and Lesbian center quite often in my teens and early adult years. I frequently went to the youth group meetings there.

    I discovered West Hollywood when I was around 13 also and frequented West Hollywood often also.

    In West Hollywood, I would frequent coffee shops when I was under aged.

    As I got older I would hang out at some of the gay bars in West Hollywood.

    Now that I'm older and don't live in LA anymore and I live in a place where the gay community is much smaller than it was in LA, I don't have much face to face interactions with the greater LGBT community anymore.

    Now, my interactions with the greater LGBT community is just mainly here on EC and other gay related forums and websites.

    Throughout my life, I had 4 long term boyfriends.

    I've visited San Francisco once for a whole week . Love it.

    I've been to two pride marches.



    HOW ABOUT YOU?
     
  2. HM03

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    Well, I've joined EC. And umm posted on EC. I think that basically sums up all my involvement :lol:
     
  3. SonicBoom

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    :grin:
     
  4. Alder

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    Yup EC is the majority of my involvement. Outside I'm sort of in my school's GSA group, that's about it.

    I want to be more involved in other parts of the community once I move though!
     
  5. Lyana

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    Joining EC is already a great start... and actually, pretty much where I started. Since then, though, (so basically in the past, what, 8 months?) I have:

    - Attended university LGBT group meetings in two different countries, and joined one,
    - Through that, learned one of my classmates was gay, and got to know him better,
    - Started dating a girl,
    - Interviewed (hence met with several times) volunteers of an organization that fights against homophobia,
    - (which led to me contributing financially and still seriously considering volunteering for them),
    - Met volunteers of an organization that provides housing for LGBT youth who are kicked out of their homes,
    - Sold cookies and cakes to make money for my LGBT group,
    - (which led to me discussing LGBT issues with one of my professors, who had bought cookies),
    - Held a rainbow, totally gay stand at a small uni fair,
    - Dragged my best friend to a lesbian bar for about fifteen seconds (it was tiny and crowded),
    - Been to a gay-oriented bar/club/thing with other students, abroad,
    - Joined reddit and, through it, "met" a lesbian who is now my penpal,
    - Given advice in EC threads where it seemed like I might positively contribute, and talked more extensively to a few members. EC is great. ♥

    I don't feel like I actually have many interactions with the entire "community," in the sense that I don't frequent the bar/party scene at all, but the people I have met... well, they've just been awesome.

    I have yet to go to Pride in my city, and I'm not sure if I'll ever go, but if all goes right I will be in Prague during this year's Pride.
     
  6. Cedar

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    Welllll.... I've joined EC... I haven't really been a part of any LGBT support group offline since it's a bit of a drive from where I live(also lacking a driver's license and car kind of keep me in one place). It would be nice to do but I don't really feel like I can do all that much around here.
     
  7. C P

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    I have done next to nothing, in regards to the 'greater lgbt community', and, quite frankly, I don't want anything to do with it anyways.

    To anyone who's seen my rants about lgbt people around here, where I am, all they seem to 'accomplish' is alienating other minorities. This has completely turned me off to going to any sort of Pride nonsense, because I already know well in advance that someone like myself wouldn't be welcome.

    Perhaps, when and if I get the chance to get away from this shithole, I will give it a chance in other locations that aren't so hypocritical and ass-backwards.

    A number of people here on EC have pretty much been the only pieces of hope that I have that it is far more...accepting of others away from here.

    So, like HM03, EC is pretty much the only thing that is worth being a part of in regards to the 'greater community' for myself, for the time being.
     
  8. QueerTransEnby

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    Well, let's see...

    1. I have gotten counseling at my LGBT center locally.
    2. I attend the gay/bi men's group weekly also at the center.
    3. I went to the Pride Street Festival in July over here. No marching. We had pretty bad weather though.
    4. In late February this year, I attended the first annual LGBTQ job fair on the other side of town.

    The county I am in does next to nothing LGBT wise. Most of them are closeted people that seem to frequent a certain website that shall not be named. My LGBT center is in the next county over. Thankfully, it is still only 8 miles away.
     
  9. Invidia

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    EC.

    I've also visitied an LGBT+ cafe a few times. Very nice people. Many proper leftists.

    I joined a queer feminist band with people from there^
     
    #9 Invidia, Aug 10, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2015
  10. guitar

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    Really not a whole lot before this year. This year I went to several lgbt fundraisers, pride fest and marched in the parade.
     
  11. Bolt35

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    1) joined EC, i like helping people (if i helped people haha)
    2) gotten involved in the bear community
    3) went to several pride fests (few of em, not my cup of tea...)
    planning on doing more but that's just the gist of it.
     
  12. Libra Neko

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    I've been to support groups for bisexuals and lesbians. My experiences haven't been that great. I feel like an outsider because I can't talk about my personal life without getting into my mental illness: I work for an organization for mental health and wouldn't have my job at all if I was a "normie." I don't feel that the LGBT community is that welcoming, at least it wasn't for me.
     
  13. KayJay

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    I've only contributed a little bit. I feel like my time here has been my greatest contribution. I've done a few other things in the past though! I went to an LGBT support group and shared my story which hopefully helped one person in a small way. I also went to a youth group here in my region that focuses on teaching youth the importance of all sorts of different topics. I was the guest speaker for their gender identity session, which I did twice in two different towns. Those kids were so fantastic and I really did enjoy sharing my experiences and answering their questions.
     
    #13 KayJay, Aug 10, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2015
  14. OGS

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    I sort of feel like this thread is more for people who are just starting to encounter the community, but I guess I will put in my two cents as a dinosaur.

    I've been out and active in the community for about 23 years. It pretty much started with wandering into my first gay bar after going to my first Pride parade. I met a ton of people that first time and sort of fell into a group of guys that were my main friend group for about the next ten years. There were about twenty of us that were the core of the group and then peripheral people that sort of rotated throughout the years. We went out together, threw parties, went dancing, saw each other through the highs and lows and generally looked after each other.

    I've done pretty much everything "gay" that you can do. The neighborhood I lived in for my twenties was at least half LGBT--there was a period in my twenties where it felt like I hardly even knew any straight people. I was a bar fly for several years--seriously like five or six nights a week, although I never really drank much I loved all the drama and camaraderie. I've done the parties and the "circuit." I led a gay book group for a couple years. I've volunteered for political and charitable groups. I've cheered on friends in gay sports leagues, gone to the concerts for their gay choirs and worked out together in largely gay gyms. I've played croquet in the park, been Olivia Newton John for Halloween twice (two different outfits from two different movies:lol:slight_smile: and had an awful lot of brunch. I've been to at least one Pride parade every year since that first one twenty-odd years ago and countless street fairs, rallies, marches...

    I've dated numerous men and "dated" numerous more.:lol: I've been with my partner (who I met in that same bar that I went to after that first Pride, although several years later) for over seventeen years now. When we bought our condo we moved out of the primary gayborhood here in Chicago into the secondary one--the one where the couples live.:lol: Our building's probably about half gay but the neighborhood is probably only about a third gay. We don't go out quite as often as we used to but we still like going out for drinks with friends, and unless I'm with people from work I pretty much only go to gay bars (I've managed to get my work friends to come along a few times, which is quite an accomplishment since I'm in private banking which tends to barely consider women let along LGBT people).

    We travel a fair amount and when we do we tend to try to find the community wherever we go. We generally stay in smaller gay-operated boutique hotels and find at least a few bars and restaurants in the gay area of town. It's not that we have any sort of problem with straight people. As they say, some of my best friends are straight people.:lol: But I just have always found a certain sense of belonging and siblinghood amongst LGBT people. There's that wonderful sense that you can be somewhere you've never been and find your people. I know it's not how everyone feels about the community but it's been my experience and it's been a real blessing in my life.
     
  15. Maddy

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    I'm completely out, worked with Minus18 for four years, worked at a queer radio station for a year or so, been to several Pride Marches and Midsumma Carnivals (biggest queer event of the year around here), was staff on EC for years, presented at poetry/prose slams at a queer bookstore, taken dance lessons at a queer dance studio, there's probably more. I live in a big city and have been completely out for a good eight or nine years.
     
  16. SonicBoom

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    Hey OGS, one of my original intentions with this thread was to show members that while EC is great place, please don't limit your interactions with the greater LGBT community to EC alone.

    When your old enough and when you have a chance, get out there and mingle with the people. :thumbsup:
     
  17. QueerTransEnby

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    I feel like I missed out on a lot in life. I wish I could have a story like OGS. My problem seems to be that there are few people in my age range. I am not Generation X but not a millenial either. I was born in the "gap" generation. It has been hard to click with people. I love my gay/bi men's group as the majority are 40+ and great to learn from. However, there are few people in the community around my age. The ones that come in around my age are married(bi people in opposite sex relationships and gay people in same sex ones). I feel left out. Our gay bookstore over here shut down. I feel too old for apps. yet too young to completely settle down as I just came out last year. Oh, and I am not a bar fly like some tend to be that are older than me here.
     
  18. kageshiro

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    If I were to judge it based off this website, I wouldn't even say I belong in the LGBT community.
     
  19. Randomcloud

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    Well I checked out the LGBT+ group on my campus but felt kind of like an outcast because everyone there was white and trans so that's the experience that was most discussed (or "queer theory" which I just did not understand)
     
  20. Burnedcloset

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    I've called the local LGBT+ youth center in charlotte. I'm about a hour fifteen from there. I've been building a Relationship with a very nice lady there. :slight_smile:
     
    #20 Burnedcloset, Aug 10, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2015