Being Queer in a Quarantined World

*This post contains quotes from queer Mississippians that I know personally. For a number of reasons, I decided to keep them all anonymous. Many of them requested this themselves as well.*

“Being queer in Mississippi is an experience. I remember thinking I was the only gay person in MS until my sophomore year of high school. From the outside of Mississippi, being gay sounds like complete torture, which isn’t completely true. You’ll have your people who love and support you, but you’ll also have your close-minded people who make it very difficult. The older I got the more I felt like I wasn’t alone. Personally, I haven’t faced any harsh discrimination, but I have witnessed it all around me. Overall, I wish the state would change some of its laws and views to help the LGBT community more.”

This was a story sent to me by one of my peers. I asked a few people to tell me what their experience being queer in Mississippi was, and I got three different answers. This one seems spot-on to me, however each person’s experience is very different. 

Currently, we’re all stuck at home. That’s more than apparent. However, this fact is definitely something that is difficult for some. For a lot of young LGBTQ+ individuals, being away at university is what allows them the space to be themselves. With most if not all universities telling students to go home for the duration of the current situation, that means that many of these individuals are going to have to go back to an environment they cannot be themselves in. Some are leaving behind their significant others, and may not see them again for a long time. They may not even be able to talk about their significant other with their family, which makes it worse. Who doesn’t like talking about the people they love? 

“Most of my friends in high school were straight but most of my college friends are queer. It took me until college to come to terms with my sexuality.” 

“I’m more accepted by my Reverend than my parents.”

So to that note, I say this. To the trans siblings who are struggling with being misgendered and dead-named day after day: I see you. I accept and acknowledge you, and you are amazing. To the queer folks that have left their open environment and gone immediately home to the closet: I see you. I am you. I have been you many times before, and I know that this is something that can be overcome. This is just a season of your life, not all of it. To anyone struggling at all: Seek support. Seek help if you need it, and don’t ever forget how valuable you truly are. Your struggle is valid. If you have a loved one you know who is going through this, don’t be the person that makes them feel as if they cannot be themselves around you. Being queer is not dangerous. 

“I know that my friends will be back when this is all over, and have been keeping in good touch with them. I can’t wait to have everyone back and get our positive space back open. We will all make it through this, queer or not. But for those of us that are queer- we just gotta keep sticking together. Keep it up.”

I don’t write this to make anyone sad. I write it for awareness. Realize that romanticizing the quarantine isn’t possible for everyone involved. Be kind to one another, because nobody knows for sure what the next person has been going through while they are stuck at home. If we can all support each other and continue to share love, we can get through this. Believing that you will see the other side is the base of making it out.