So when you think of the gay experience for many it is big city gay clubs pride marches and festivals. And for the life of an urban gay that is their Life but for many of us we don’t have that life.
Being a rural gay if you want to go clubbing you have to travel far if you want to date you need a dating app and not a pride parade insight.
Depending on the nature of your area you can either be out loud and proud or you have to hide it for your safety.
For me, I’m privileged enough to live in Darwen which tends to be more chill we’ve got bisexual flags flying outside nightclubs, trans flags hanging out of windows, and most of the businesses here are queer-friendly.
However, for many a rural gay that isn’t always the case sometimes being seen with a pride flag in your window could lead to your window getting bricked or you being attacked.
Even in Darwen which is relatively progressive and safe homophobic language is used very casually especially the F slur.
The issue comes is unlike with urban areas in rural towns there’s rarely a safe space or lgbt+ support group around.
Internalize homophobia is also too common among rural gays I can’t count how many dating matches often talk about “acting straight” and “acting normal”
My MP Jake berry has a horrible rep when it comes to supporting lgbt+ rights which many rural gays have awful MPs because sadly a lot of rural areas go tory cause of second homeowners.
Recently I spoke to a friend of mine who is from an urban area and he said there’s a privilege to being “gay in the city.
So my endpoint of this ramble is that gay culture isn’t just city-based.
Lancashire lad politics 