Finding Your Rainbow in Small-Town Wisconsin
Have you ever felt like the only queer person in your entire zip code? That was me three years ago when I moved to Sheboygan, trading Chicago's Boystown for Lake Michigan's western shore.
My Sheboygan Story
Winter's first snow had just fallen when I arrived. While unpacking boxes in my downtown apartment, I wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake. Where were the rainbow flags? The queer-owned cafés? The knowing glances from others like me? Sheboygan's beauty was undeniable, but I felt invisible in ways I hadn't experienced since high school.
When You're "The Only One"
The struggle is real when:
- Dating apps show the nearest match is 45+ minutes away
- Well-meaning neighbors keep trying to set you up with their opposite-gender relatives
- You've memorized every LGBTQ+ book in the local library (all twelve of them)
- You constantly calculate which parts of yourself to reveal in new friendships
Building Your Queer Community Here
What I've learned is that queer community in smaller cities like ours requires intentional cultivation. Start by:
- Connecting with the Sheboygan PFLAG chapter—they meet monthly at the Mead Library
- Joining the "Queer Wisconsin" Facebook groups where locals organize meetups
- Visiting Plymouth Arts Center events, which surprisingly attracts diverse crowds
- Creating the space you wish existed (my monthly queer book club started with just 3 people!)
Remember, your queerness isn't diminished by geography. Sometimes our most authentic connections happen in unexpected places—like the barista who quietly added a tiny pride flag to my latte art after overhearing my phone conversation.
What's your Sheboygan queer experience? Drop a comment below—you might just find your community starting right here in this thread.