Finding Your Rainbow in Rural Wisconsin: A Queer Journey
Have you ever felt like the only crayon in the box that doesn't quite match the others? That was me, standing in the frozen foods aisle at Woodman's, catching eyes with another queer person and doing that subtle nod of recognition we all know too well.
My Janesville Story
When I first moved to Janesville three years ago, I thought I'd made a terrible mistake. The city seemed to breathe heteronormativity from its factory smokestacks to its Friday fish fries. I spent my first winter hibernating in my apartment, watching Schitt's Creek reruns and wondering if I'd ever find my people.
The Small-Town Queer Struggle
Let's be honest about the challenges we face here:
- Dating apps where the same 10 profiles cycle endlessly
- The exhausting calculation of when and where it's safe to be visibly ourselves
- Finding queer-friendly healthcare providers who won't flinch at your pronouns
- The well-meaning but clueless questions from coworkers: "So where does your husband work?"
Creating Your Own Community
What saved me wasn't waiting for Janesville to change—it was finding the queer magic already hiding here:
- The monthly meetups at Bodacious Brew where I met my now-partner
- Joining the LGBTQ+ book club at Hedberg Public Library
- Finding allies at the UW-Whitewater Rainbow Alliance events
- Creating group chats for queer game nights
Remember: Small-town queerness isn't lesser queerness. Our visibility here matters more than it might in Madison or Milwaukee.
You Are Not Alone
On my darkest days, when Rock County feels too small, I remember that being queer here is its own kind of revolution. Every Pride flag on a porch, every hand held downtown, every honest conversation expands the possibilities for all of us.
What's your Janesville queer experience? Share below and help another person find their way home in our community. We're all building this together, one brave day at a time.