Hi everyone, hope you're doing well. I am interested in hearing from people who are from rural or remote areas. If you're from a rural or remote area, what is your experiences with being LGBTIQ+ within your community? In what way does it affect your mental well-being? Are you out to others? What is your experience with mental health professionals with your sexuality or gender? What would you like to see change in your community that would improve your mental health? Thanks everyone
Okay different country here, but the view out of my window looks like a picture postcard and it could be an ad of what you get when you visit the Emerald Isle. I don’t know any LGBT+ people and attending the single sex schools in the nearest town Gay was synonymous with leper. I came out to a couple of friends my last year of school. One thought it was cool to have a lesbian friend. Another was uncomfortable with it. I saw a shrink who basically encouraged me to get out there and meet girls when I told her I’m a lesbian. At a later time I had a few sessions with a woman who worked for a youth mental health program. She was useless to me To improve the mental health in my area I would like a free program that goes past age 24.
Hello! Just to let you know that we’ve started a monthly discussion thread on a very similar topic! It’s in our new EC Monthly Spotlight forum so people are a bit scared of it, but maybe if you’re interested, you might want to stop by and post! https://forum.emptyclosets.com/index.php?threads/featured-discussion-rural-lgbt.484961/
Thanks for sharing some of your experience. I imagine it can be isolating to be non-heterosexual in certain rural or remote areas, especially if you do not know anyone like yourself. It seems like there is a gap in services then if you could only access one that is for youth at the time. Best wishes for you, stay well. Thanks for this link, I appreciate it I will check it out.
