Finding Your Queer Family in Small-Town Texas
Have you ever felt like you were the only queer person in a 50-mile radius? That's exactly how I felt when I first moved to Bryan, Texas three years ago.
My Bryan Beginning
I still remember that first week in Bryan - unpacking boxes in my little apartment near Texas A&M, wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake. The city seemed so different from the diverse Houston neighborhood I'd left behind. At the local grocery store, I caught myself code-switching, carefully monitoring my mannerisms as I asked where to find the produce section. I was back in the closet, if only temporarily.
The Isolation Challenge
The hardest part wasn't the occasional sideways glance or conservative bumper stickers - it was the profound loneliness:
- Dating apps showed matches 50+ miles away
- No visible queer spaces to gather
- The constant mental calculation of when/where it's safe to be yourself
- Finding healthcare providers who truly understand
Creating Space Where None Exists
What changed everything was stopping waiting for queer community to appear and starting to build it instead:
- Starting a monthly book club that "happened" to feature queer authors
- Connecting with the university's LGBTQ+ student group (they welcome non-students!)
- Finding the one coffee shop with a tiny pride flag in the window
- Volunteering with progressive causes where queer folks naturally gather
The beautiful truth is that we're already here in Bryan - we're just scattered, waiting to be found.
You Are Not Alone
Your queerness doesn't diminish in small spaces. The joy, authenticity and love you deserve exists here too, sometimes just below the surface.
What's your experience finding community in unexpected places? Share below or DM me if you're in the Bryan area and looking to connect. Our stories matter, especially here.