Has anyone living in the South struggled with finding other people in the LGBT community? I live in Athens, GA, a thriving college town for the University of Georgia, and I have yet to meet anyone. There's a huge downtown scene with bars and clubs, but no real designated "gay bar". Online dating apps like ****** and ******* are pretty weak, and most people i've met either identify as bi but are really just straight and slightly questioning or looking for a 3rd with their boyfriend. The LGBT resource center on campus is super cliquey and was not very friendly when I tried to visit this past Spring. I've just recently began to identify as lesbian, but i've never had any actual experience with another girl and I just feel so alone here. I don't want to uproot my entire life after I graduate next year to places like San Francisco or New York, because I love Georgia, but I feel like I might have to if I ever want to meet anyone. Anyone else have this same struggle? Like where my Texans/Mississippi/Alabama/Georgia people?
Texas I love Tx too, in a very hateful way I cant stand the politics, religion, or culture... But everyone I know is here lol, been here over 25 years... Plus I cant stand the cold... and 50 is cold to me... really cold lol... Now then, I have only met 2 people who were LGBT in my life, of course I have not really looking so much... I unfortunately had decided to just live like im sraight (im bi), and I figured it would be too easy to be outed.. so I was never terribly concerned with meeting more LGBT people.. I am fortunate enough to live near a big city though where we have several gay bars. I have just not gone yet... Been more focused on coming out first.. As for suggestions, Im not real sure... You might consider going back to the LGBT center, maybe it will be better than last time... You might also consider going out to Atlanta... Its a little further away than my big city, but an hour or so (i believe from Atlanta to Athens) is manageable.... Try this: https://www.reddit.com/r/UGA/comments/2gqkk4/being_gay_in_athens/ Hope you have some luck... The south tends to add unique issues others dont always fully get.. its kinda.... different living in the bible belt/deep south....
I've actually used this exact Reddt haha, but yeah, i'll be 21 in a few months and my friend and I have already made plans to spend a night hittin up all the gay bars of Atlanta since Athens is so dead, I just hate how there's nothing that great for the LGBT community in a thriving college town..
I'm from Arkansas. There's really nothing here, and I'm not super out either. I'm 24 and have never dated or even kissed anyone. Oh well, guess I'll die alone.
I'm from a small city in Louisiana and just graduated from an even smaller town. I'm having a little more trouble making friends in my city while not being in college, but had a little bit more luck when in school. Our pride group at school was actually the worst (bunch of dudes who used women like props and liked to exclude "straight" people from activities, when in reality all they were hurting were bisexual, pansexual, or genderqueer people), but one thing I can suggest is trying other groups. I met more wonderful gay people in our feminist group than I ever did at pride events. Getting involved in activism is a very convenient way to make friends and when you do make them, they're usually AT LEAST very progressive and also very often gay as could be. As for your resource center, I totally understand what you mean. I don't know if it's just me or what, but I feel like lesbians often seem really mean or standoffish! I don't think that they really are mean or intend to exclude you, but they could just come across that way or be bad at making friends themselves. I would try to get involved in events and meet people at those, or attend meetings. Then it should be pretty easy to slip into conversations and find someone you click with. Often times the gayest events are hosted by friends rather than at gay clubs or bars. (As a side note, when I think someone's cute I tend to clam up and be really rude AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. Maybe they're just totally awed by how cute you are ). As the other commenter suggested, give Atlanta a shot too. They surely have queer book clubs or queer knitting groups or something similar that you can get involved with. Hope things work out!!
Stuck in GA, the state feels like a mental prison but has a few "OK zones" like Atlanta and Savannah here and there. Due to the mostly crazy population I'm trying to move. It might be another year or two until I get out so I'm just hiding at home and avoiding contact, as I fear if I were to spend too long in public I'd end up another forgotten hate crime. They keep telling me nothing will happen if I go out and live my life here, but I know just how wrong they are. My plan is to go to Canada first, then live my life.
I grew up deep in the Appalachian mountains. I understand all too well. I had to remove myself from that environment to allow myself to grow as a person.
Having lived in Alabama until recently, it's seemed to me that not being able to find other LGBT folks is the biggest difficulty of living in the south/deep south/etc. But I also found that where you are can make a huge difference, even within the same state, but certainly throughout the region. There are some incredibly gay-friendly smaller cities and towns, and of course in Georgia there's Atlanta. Out of curiosity I googled gay-friendly cities in Georgia, and found that the whole list I got consisted entirely of Atlanta and its suburbs. (You'd think there'd be more in Savannah but I never really found it.) So I really don't think you'd need to leave Georgia if you didn't want to. Other than that, if anyone's curious, places like Asheville, NC, the Triangle (Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, in NC also), and Eureka Springs, AR are all really gay friendly. I've heard good things about Nashville and Charleston, SC also. And there's always New Orleans.
