LGBT millenials in South US

I’m in the southwest so I don’t think it counts but I’ll answer anyways.

1. Fine. I get looks once in a while but no one has actually said anything bad to me about it.

2. I don’t know if I count as millennial or not but I’m white lgbt and where I’m at it’s pretty diverse but I’ve never had an issue with it.

3. Big. Almost half a million.

4. I don’t go to school.

5. Out to some of my family possibly all. Out to most of my friends.

 

1. I live in the most progressive part of the most progressive city in an otherwise very conservative state. So the people I come into contact with on a regular basis are pretty open minded but as soon as I venture outside the city I'm much more guarded.

2. I'm an invisible minority twice over in that I'm Jewish and gay. People who see me just see a white dude and there's nothing about my physical appearance that would suggest I'm gay. Other than the super orthodox, which I'm not, the Jewish community is very open minded when it comes to LGBT issues.

3. It's surprisingly big for a smallish city in a conservative state

4. I've been out of school for awhile but my grad school has won accolades for being LGBT friendly. My undergrad school was welcoming too but I wasn't out at that point

5. I'm out except in my professional life. Two of my coworkers know but not my boss or anyone else at the company, and I don't mention being gay to people I meet through networking or in any kind of professional setting. All my friends and family have known for awhile

 

1. Pretty well overall, which surprised me a lot. Most people I know are cool with it. Except the alpha male fraternity types and old people.

2. I'm white. I get the impression I'm perceived the same way as usual by most guys, but like a fetishized fashion accessory by girls. I really don't understand it but it's gotten pretty annoying. Apparently a gay dude is like catnip to girls in their 20's and they just want me to follow them around being the token gay guy in a group of girls everywhere they go. I've noticed other groups of girls with an obviously gay guy or two mixed in also, I guess it's a competition to see who can collect the most gay friends like Pokemon or something.

Gay people of color aren't treated very well here. If you open up the most popular hookup app probably like half of the profiles say 'no blacks or Asians' on them somewhere. I mean it probably doesn't help that the next county over has one of the highest percentages of HIV anywhere in the country, and it's an 80% black county, but still... people are mean. Plus it's the deep south so it's not exactly tolerant to begin with.

3. Small, and nearly all of it is from the university. The extent of the LGBT scene here is one secret gay nightclub in the back of a bar and the university LGBT club. That's about it.

4. The school as an institution yes, the students mostly since a lot of them are from the liberal part of the state, female professors yes, male professors not so much, and the natives of the city definitely not.

5. Open but don't really advertise it unless someone asks or it comes up.

 

1. How are you treated in your community?

Fairly well both at home and at school all things considered. I live in the most liberal city in the state when I'm home but while I'm much more in the countryside for school, things have been relatively good. I haven't ran into any issues relating to me being gay in either place yet.

2. If you are a White LGBT millenial, how are you preceived in your community? If you are a person of color, how are you preceived by the White community and your own community?

hmm, I don't think I'm really perceived positively or negatively 9 times outta 10. I'm just kinda there.

3. Is the LGBT community in your town or city or parish small or large?

In the city that I call my home, it's fairly large. Back in where my college is at, it depends on how you look at it. My university probably has at least 60 or 70 LGBT people, if not more than that out of about 10,000.

4. Is your school welcoming to LGBT people?

It's fairly welcoming, we have rules in place specifically to protect LGBT people and as part of my school's GSA, I try to make it feel more friendly.

5. Are you open or closeted to your family or friends?

I'm out to most of my family and friends

 

1. How are you treated in your community?
Average. Treated basically the same as everyone else.

2. If you are a White LGBT millenial, how are you preceived in your community? If you are a person of color, how are you preceived by the White community and your own community?
I presume I'm perceived as average/basic, I don't really feel like I'm perceived any better or any less than anyone else based on my sexuality. I'm seen as hardworking and determined, reliable by people who actually know me.

3. Is the LGBT community in your town or city or parish small or large?
Small. So small it's almost nonexistent. haha

4. Is your school welcoming to LGBT people?
More so now I believe than when I attended. When I attended it didn't seem too bad for LGBT people, but I was also in the closet. I feel also like the city school system is more LGBT friendly than the like county school system.

5. Are you open or closeted to your family or friends?[/QUOTE]
Open. Very open, pretty sure everyone knows I'm a lesbian now. Which is totally cool, because I've found that even the people who I thought would think negative of my sexuality are cool with it and I feel my presence in their lives have sort of helped inform them on the matter. For the good. I've also been fortunate enough to have LGBT friendly bosses in every job I've had, which was always not as expected.​

Honestly I think the south gets labeled as more homophobic than it actually is. I think in part it's due to the large presence of religion, but also that it stems from lack of education/teachings and of course the vibes put off by leaders/politicians of those states. Really though or for me anyway I would say my chances of encountering a homophobic person on a daily basis are around 1 in 10. From my personal experience also it's always men who are very loudly and clearly homophobic (it's usually after they realize you're LGBT). Again that's from my personal experience, not saying anything bad about any human species there.

 

1. I'm Jewish and LGBT. Can be complex and awkward sometimes but Jews are accepting as a whole. I'm also politically conservative though and thats a much more complex experience

2. I don't really tell people I'm bisexual unless they are close friends or my immediate family so I can't answer this

3. It is big in the metropolitan area I currently live in

4. Wasn't out in high school. People I told in college were accepting for the most part. Not in school anymore.

5. Out to my parents and my sister. Out to my college friends and fraternity + also out to my current roommate.

 

Hi there! I live in the south so I count.
1. I am treated mostly well. I live in a small town, so everyone kinda knows everyone. I am not out though, and any mistreatment towards me has actually stemmed from my not being religious, (more importantly not christian), more than anything else. I live in a town where the number of churches is higher than the number of clothing stores if that gives you any indication. So a lot of people are christian and revolve their lives and friend circles around people who attend their church and church related functions.
2. I am white. I don't really feel that my skin color has had any effect on the way people treat me. Again, I am more likely to be judged by not being a church attendee than anything else.
3. It is small in my community. We had a small "Pride" event which from what I could tell by FB pictures really only consisted of like ten people who turned out in their pick up trucks and set up a small tent with pins, badges, etc. along the strip of one of the roads here near one of the bridges I guess. I have no idea what kind of reaction they received, but it was a really tiny group, and if our school had not started a GSA literally only two months ago I am not certain there would have even been an event at all. As for the GSA, it's also small and still finding its feet. Again, it is not a big group at all, maybe fifteen people on average at best at their meetings?
4. I think it tries to be. A teacher at the local cc college I attend just started the school's first GSA to help students have a better sense of community, and I am pretty sure it got approved because we elected a new president at the school who I think is trying to modernize and make some positive changes. I met several people who were out at school and I have not witnessed any harassment, bullying because of that.
5. I am not out. Not because my family will not accept me but because I think they would be confused and not get it. We don't know any bi people and somehow bisexuality is always harder for people to wrap their heads around. I also have never dated so it really hasn't been relevant. I would like to treat the gender of my choice of partner as being completely non applicable. Ideally, I would love to just bring a girl home and call it done but I know realistically I will have to call or something and prepare them before I just spring that on them. I am sure they will get used to it though.