Finding Home in the "Old Dominion"?
The first time I saw rainbow flags lining the streets of Richmond, I nearly cried. After years of keeping my identity muted in rural Virginia, seeing that burst of color felt like permission to exhale.
My Virginia Story
Moving from Wise County to Richmond five years ago, I was terrified. The mountains had been my closet - beautiful but confining. I'd heard Richmond was "different," but different how? That first Pride where I held my girlfriend's hand in public answered that question. Virginia contains multitudes, y'all.
When the South Meets Queer
Let's be honest about our beautiful, complicated commonwealth:
- That moment when someone asks if your "roommate" is joining for dinner
- Dating apps showing the same 12 people within a 50-mile radius
- Finding yourself code-switching between queer spaces and family gatherings
- The internal GPS calculating which parts of the state feel safe to be visibly queer
Creating Your Virginia Queer Family
Here's what I've learned works:
- Find your pocket communities - Norfolk's Hershee Bar may be gone, but new spaces emerge
- Online groups specific to Virginia queer life connect us across distances
- Show up for local advocacy - it's how I met my closest friends
- Embrace the duality - you can love both country roads and drag brunches
Remember that Virginia's queer history runs deeper than most realize. When it feels lonely, you're standing in footprints left by generations before you.
What's your Virginia queer experience? Share below - this thread is your community potluck, and everyone's invited to bring their story to the table. 💜