How to Keep in Touch With the Gay Community if You Live in a Rural Area

Gays and lesbians in rural areas often find a simple, quiet life that many city dwellers envy, but they're sometimes isolated from others like them. In that situation, it's easy to forget that active communities of similar people are only a few miles - or a few clicks - away. Here's how to stay in touch with the gay community if you live in a rural area.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• GLBT Pride/support Products
• Alternative Lifestyle Magazines
• Internet Access
• Alternative Lifestyle Travel Services

1. Subscribe to a gay and lesbian newspaper or magazine from a nearby town. Search online for relevant keywords, like "lesbian" and "magazine," along with the name of your state, county, or closest city or town. Then call for information on getting a subscription by mail.
2. Subscribe to one of the national gay and lesbian magazines, such as the "Advocate" (advocate.com). Its Web site also provides a lot of original material that you won't find in the printed version - or anywhere else.
3. Amaze yourself with the amount of information you'll find at the community's major gay Web portals: PlanetOut.com and Gay.com. Both also offer message boards and chat rooms to help you stay in touch.
4. Consider making a weekly trek into the city. Some people go into town to visit a club on Friday night; others go to attend a gay-friendly church or synagogue.
5. Plan to be involved with the gay community in the city you choose as a vacation spot - by stopping in at a local gay restaurant or coffee shop, perhaps. While you probably won't be establishing any long-term relationships with the people you meet in a distant city, it can be nice to see and experience a community atmosphere even if you aren't fully part of it.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're considering a move from the country to the city - or the other way around - consider your personality. Perhaps you need to continue living right where you are and find a way to experience the other world without having to put up with it every day.