Pride in a Small Town: A Musing on Visibility

[princessbelle]

That is so sad Madusa. I've sat here thinking about this and it brings tears to my eyes. I live in a city, not that small, but in one that is not gay friendly at all. It is risky to even put a rainbow sticker on my car. This has always made me feel unsafe....but, geeze, what about these kids living here..

How do i, as a gay adult having to basically hide for risk of having my house burned down or worse....how do i reach out to these kids.

I wore purple that day it was all over the net and walked around the mall. Actually made eye contact with one young man and he smiled. I knew he knew. But, i pray that is not the extent of my "help" to these kids.

There isn't a gay "place" that anyone goes to aside from these tiny hole in the wall gay bars and you read about people being beat up on the way to their cars and such.

Since i'm a nurse, the opportunity has come up a couple of times that i've had seeminly young gay patients and tried to let them know i was here if they needed a friend...but it's never went past that.

I honestly wish there was some way i could reach out to these young kids and be there so they could just talk and be heard without calling so much attention to myself and my family that we are harmed.

K....just venting and thinking out loud. TY for bumping the thread.