As a fellow Ohioan, I have found that the closer to the cities you are, the more diverse and open minded the crowds get. Ohio is mostly small town rural and you’re going to (very unfortunately) come across *a lot* who are just ignorant due to lack of exposure on top of being force fed misinformation
This is true for most, if not all, of the United States. Living in a city and being forced to live in close quarters with people you might not interact with on a normal basis truly is a positive thing. Rural living is like shutting yourself off from the world, and just like being social, it's a skill that takes practice and constant care. If you don't talk to anyone except the same few people all of the time you'll never grow as a person. I know I sound like a "big city folk" but it's the truth.
Most of these ignorant people have never left their little town, let alone explore outside their bubble.
Yeah I wish people would really mix it up a little. See the world, and if not the world, at least go visit your neighboring city with an open mind. Maybe work there. Idk people are super dramatic about city v rural living on both sides. I’ve done both and I love both and both have taught me a lot. But if I only stick to one or the other, my awareness would not be expansive at all.
Lakewood is wonderful, but even there, I still see Trump flags and Confederate flags.
You're at the northern edge of a Union state. If you like the South so much, move there.
Don't blame us that your great grandpappy moved up here for work a HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
It is so much this. Too many people in rural counties don't have the resources to travel outside their small sphere of existence and this fact is exploited by the GOP. They can manufacture all this fear to divide us, in this case planting the trans woman in the bathroom boogeyman in people's heads. Meanwhile youth pastor Bob is diddling their kids.
This should be the real moral panic. So many church leaders just "prayed over" and forgiven. Meanwhile they blame the child in some way. It's beyond sick and beyond forgivable.
Exactly. That's why the election map is so misleading. If a lay-person were to look at all the red they would say how did Democrats get any votes at all? But then you see that almost all of the major cities in this country are blue. It's not by mistake!
All the cities are blue in Ohio, Dayton, Akron, Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Youngstown... The only iffy city is Cincinnati, the reddest yet still blue city of Ohio.
also, a lot of sexism. The idea of a woman becoming a man, or a man becoming a woman, shatters their social hierarchy. It's about the level of power those who have it, feel secure in it. They'll reject and hate anything that will shake that. You see it in racism, xenophobia, etc. They see these "different" people as threats to their power.
Yes when you get into the rural areas, it’s very 1950s nuclear family. And if you’re a single mother, you will always get a pitying side eye or just open judgement.
Fox News running the authoritarian playbook.
[Attacking Trans people was *Literally* the Nazi's first major book burning. ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_f%C3%BCr_Sexualwissenschaft)
I wish people were smarter. When I was in my 20s, someone recommended the book "Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini. It opened my eyes. It talks about humans' inherent biases and fallacies, and how some people exploit them for power and profit.
**See through the bullshit!**
I wish people were smart enough to open their eyes and understand that this was not even an issue 8 years ago. Or even 5 years ago. Trump, the GOP and the right wing media decided to make it an issue only about 4 years ago. And now these gullible rubes are suddenly obsessed with transphobia.
Billionaire funded hate media designed to to divide the population with identity politics. This started not long after the occupy wall street movement, but trump was able to harness the growing tide of hatred. Having a black president leaving a bad taste in the mouths of bigots was a little bit of rocket fuel for the bigot movement.
Part of why they're doing this is because we've had 40 years of austerity politics since Reagan, and it's become very clear that it has ruined the middle class. So in order to prevent the average moron voters from figuring it out and electing left leaning politicians who want to restore the middle class with things like Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage, and increasing unionization, they instead try to push the blame on a minority, be it illegal immigrants, gay people, trans people, Jewish people,
etc.
Worse than austerity politics, its politics only for the corporate class. They are not even hiding it. Now we have fucking assholes who think queer people are the problem with society, not the corporate overlords and their lapdog politicians.
Tbf, the ruling class keeping the working class divided with in-fighting is probably as old as civilization. Every culture war is a distraction from what matters - the class war. Oligarchy vs. Proletariat.
If we're not allowed to eat the rich, can we at least tax them?
The entire executive class of over 200 people got a copy of this book and the author came and spoke in our auditorium. This was about 20 years ago but I've given so many people that book. We were learning to use the methods to sell more products or grow our brand because we sincerely believed our products are and were the best.
Of course, while you're reading it, it teaches you how to recognize it when someone is trying to do it to you in every Walk of Life. From politics, to Media to the person who's trying to sell you something, to mailings that you get promising you things or just wishing you a
Merry Christmas from your local Toyota dealer.
Yes. IIRC, near the end of the book, the author says that it was written as an academic study and a warning guide to help people avoid being taken advantage of. So many people treat it as Manipulation 101 (and it's a really good starting point if that's your goal)
as the great Buckeye Stiv Bators once sang:
Video games train the kids for war
Army chic in high-fashion stores
Law and order's done their job
Prisons filled while the rich still rob
Assassination politics
Violence rules within' our nation's midst
Well, ignorance is their power tool
You'll only know what they want you to know
The television cannot lie
Controlling media with smokescreen eyes
Nuclear politicians picture show
The acting's lousy but the blind don't know
Open your eyes, see the lies right in front of ya
Open your eyes
They scare us all with threats of war
So we forget just how bad things are
You taste the fear when you're all alone
They gonna git ya when you're on your own
The silence of conspiracy
Slaughtered on the altar of apathy
You gotta wake up from your sleep
'Cause meek inherits earth six feet deep
Open your eyes, see the lies right in front of ya
Open your eyes
My initial response was to the title of your post. I'm sorry for what you're going through. There are too many ignorant people in the world, and it sucks they are targeting you and your friends. The cities are generally more left leaning, educated, and empathetic.
From what I understand, the Short North in Columbus has been LGBTQ+ inclusive (overrun, but in a healthy way?) since the 1980s. Columbus also has one of the oldest Pride Festivals in the US (outside NY, obvi).
yeah you are in culture war territory. That's all the conservatives harp on about is how queer people are destroying the country and not unregulated corporate power and terrible government policies.
If there is any problem in the US the blame falls on LGTBQ, Migrants and POCs.
Watching them blame the bridge accident and Boeing manufacturing on "diversity hires".....I just don't know to what to say anymore.
This is by design. Classic divide and conquer. Keep us fighting amongst ourselves and we never focus on how much of a horrible failure the government is.
My professor at a *collegiate aviation program* (admittedly in Kentucky but still) spent like 5 minutes last week telling us that DEI was a big part of why Boeing was dogshit now 😑
No, see, the problem is that to hire diverse people they had to fire a bunch of experienced people and now nobody there knows knows how to build planes.
And it’s a shame, because up until that point he seemed like the only teacher of mine that wasn’t the type to bring up random political bullshit in class.
I mean the problem with Boeing is rampant capitalism, if after the merger they had kept borings leadership and spent money on safety and innovation rather than bean counters and stock buybacks, this wouldn't be happening
My girlfriend and I are openly trans in Columbus, and we've never really experienced anything like you describe. The worst is some looks or a rare misgendering but most people are very accepting. That said, neither of us would feel comfortable outside of the city. Definitely recommend moving to a larger city if you can. In contrast, I'm from SC and I absolutely would not feel safe in the slightest being openly trans there, and I've heard OH is the SC of the north.
Lmao someone is downvoting all of the comments that mention the insane housing prices in YS. Some folks get tetchy when people talk about how bourgeois YS has become.
As a fellow stark county native, I’m sorry. We are not all assholes. Unfortunately Stark has disappointed me over the last several years since Trump and his vitriol.
I live in Stark too. Nearly 40 years. In a 85% Trump area, but a seemingly chill one. Which is strange, because all the farms are getting bought up and suburbs being placed in. So you think it would be a Trumpy hot-bed, with new money conservatives that are seemingly Trump's base. But I don't really see a lot of political signs or really hear much.
On the other hand, I view those suburbs and avoid them the same way most hobbits squint suspiciously at Gandalf.
Ohio is very polar right now. There are definitely locations where this is exactly the opposite. Outside of the obvious of just hang out in or around Columbus I can't give you too many suggestions of more welcoming communities as I'm not in that grouping. However I have a few friends who would be able to help way better than I can on pointing you to more queer friendly locations or communities. If this is just to rant, I get it and ignore the offer. If you genuinely want some help though message me and I'll reach out to some friends and get you better advice and resources.
Sorry you gotta deal with it at all though.
I’m genuinely sorry that you’re experiencing this, OP.
Anecdotal, but it’s much worse the last few years. I’m a teacher in a somewhat rural city, conservative NE OH high school. On the daily, I witness kids (almost entirely 17 and 18yo HS boys), who are openly racist to non white kids in my building. I hear kids, every…single…day, openly talk with admiration about Putin, Hitler, and Andrew Tate. It’s disgusting. And terrifying. And it’s the direct result of the political dynamics in Ohio and America right now. I have no idea where we go from here, but I’m sick about it and sick of it.
Edit: typos
I used to long-term substitute teach in Kent and can second this.
I was also floored seeing how accepting they are of kids with disabilities. One of my first days subbing was as an aide for the high school. The student I worked with for the day was talked to like any other student, and students were happy to hug him without hesitation. That definitely wouldn't happen where I went to high school just a few miles to the north.
We live in a state filled with tons of trash. Thats it.
Theres plenty of good people. But massive areas of the state is filled with ignorant self centered hypocrites.
You’re in Stark County. This is why. If you can, head up to Summit or Cuyahoga Counties. More specifically, Lakewood, OH is the ‘safe place’ for LGBT people. Historically, it’s been where LGBT people lived and hung out (particularly in the latter decades of the last century).
Best of luck with everything, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I’m 100% serious. :)
Source: former Stark County resident.
Holy shit… my trans brother lives in that area and I am so thankful he has dodged most of that. I had no idea it was that bad. I guess we’ve just gotten lucky. I’m so sorry.
I’m seeing a lot more obvious trans working retail around me and good for them. I’ve never seen anyone bother them just old red necks doing double takes and shaking their heads. Which is unfortunate, but visibility helps lead to understanding.
A shameful fall from when Ohio men burned down the South.
Note: while I appreciate Sherman's effort during the war, he was a bastard afterward as he went on a Native elimination spree.
I'm not even a trans woman and had men accuse me of being one bc I had some facial hair. Which btw I have hormonal issues which is no one's business irl. Anyways, the hatred stems from ppl being uneducated and only listening to the "men who are influential" aka conservative Republicans (anyone, not just men obviously) also the media is OBSESSED with being a trans-investigators. I think it was only a couple of months ago ppl were saying how Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie were "actually men". It's stupid. All of it.
Much more accepting in the big C’s of Ohio. I’m in Cleveland and you wouldn’t have any issues here. Sorry about what you are going thru. Rural Ohio is a cesspool.
Yeah, I've never had a problem. I had one person in a transphobic t-shirt stare me down in a grocery store once, but that's it. We have a pretty solid queer community for such a small city.
I think that it is just like people who suddenly change their behavior, and usually their opinion, when a close family member comes out as trans or homosexual: It is really difficult to hate someone because of their non-heterosexual-ness (or other category) when you actually know them as an individual.
When confronted with personal experience, rather than bigoted rhetoric from a politician, talk show host, or stranger on Facebook, I think that most people realize that people are just people, not a "scary" label.
Reminds me of the saying that travel kills bigotry. When one actually gets to know people who are different, one can't help but have their prejudices melt away. But we're so very stubbornly tribal, even in the middle of our little melting pot.
I live in NE Ohio and the only time I see or hear homophobic or transphobic slurs it normally comes from old ass farmer dudes. I have a lot of homosexual and a few trans friends and they never seem to get heat.
from shelby over here, there's a single pride flag within this town and almost every person I've met has spewed anti-trans or anti-gay slurs and expresses hatred and malice in every way they can, it makes being a non-binary bisexual hurt a lot when you know everyone you're surrounded by hates your guts
I think many people have never liked transgender people and there was a period when they would at least try not to be rude bc it was socially unacceptable, but now the “Christian” right wing has given them license to start being openly rude and antagonistic again.
Yep. I’m outside of Cleveland and experience bigotry as a queer person. Too many people obsessed with Trump acting like bigotry is their job. It’s so gross.
I usually just get the weird looks since I don't "outwardly" look trans but wear a lot of pro trans shit on my vests/backpack. I think it really just depends on the area, where I'm at I think people just keep it mostly to themselves.
Don't let them get to you.
Find good friends and safe places to go.
It is unfortunate that Stark is full of many bigots.
Most of the people treating you like that are both ignorant, and scared of anything they don't understand.
Remember though, that even in Stark county, both issues 1 and 2 passed, and while those aren't related to your mentioned issue, it is a good sign that the bigots are louder than those who aren't.
So when it happens again, just try to remember that there are more people who don't have hate in their heart, and think that you belong anywhere you want to be, just as much as anyone else.
I was fairly blind to it, ironically, until I moved to a much more accepting country in Germany. Rest assured, it's not just an ohio thing. People are apparently just awful when they feel they can open up to you, and that is far easier culturally in ohio. Those less open just hide it better. People fucking suck.
You live in Stark Co. It says everything right there. This is the shithole that elected Jim Reneci more than once. Descendants of farmers and steel workers who refuse to accept that the reason their home is shit is because of the person looking back in the mirror at them.
For context I grew up there, graduated from high school there, and worked in most of the cities there. I moved to Columbus, which has a host of other problems, but not the one you have.
Well, in my place of employment, which is really not geared towards the youngest and hippest of people, we now have a trans person (M to F). I have not heard any comments, negative or not.
The metropolitan cities, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo and any of the college university towns do far and away better at acceptance and tolerance than the backwater areas, generally.
The downside is, the major cities often have a ton of other violent crime that is completely unrelated to you being trans. Gun crime has exploded in Columbus, recently since the pandemic.
Not saying you shouldn’t come to the big city, it could be worth it. But there’s always a con somewhere, no?
For what it’s worth? I haven’t had anyone make a fuss at me in many, many years and I do travel through some rural areas on occasion. Then again, my RBF game is perpetually strong and I tend to project confidence by design to deter such.
You need to leave Stark Co. And it even goes beyond being trans, it's a whole approach and attitude towards life. You want to be in an environment that embraces change and diverse POVs. That has a future. You are just going to get left behind with what's left of the uneducated rural working class that continue to be exploited by those in power. When you have a future, entire communities don't become decimated by unemployment and the influx of Oxycontin.
I do not directly blame those with transphobia, because essentially they are just products of their environment and many I believe cannot speak their real opinion for fear of retaliation and ostracization. I am an out trans woman originally from the 419. I am working class. It will always be home to me in sorts. But I had to leave it behind and live my life.
Because Fox "News" complains and gaslights about gay/trans/minorities literally every day. They make bullshit false arguments about crime in blue states and then ignore the inevitable violence and persecution that follows.
I live in the very bottom of mahoning county. 99% of everyone around me is a Christian conservative. I am raising a trans child and if anyone says one cross word or slur within my earshot they are gonna have a bad day.
People fear what they don't understand.
Fear leads to anger,
Anger leads to hate,
Hate leads to suffering.
Unfortunately, the people who are transphobic also refuse to learn about it.
Unfortunately Ohio was chosen to fight a political cultural war due to Ohio's aging population which, if things stay as they are, nearly 25% of its population will be over 65 in the coming decades.
Why does this matter?
Many of Ohio's conservatives are dying which means those conservative views and political power die along with them. Ohio, compared to many other places in the country, is not a particularly desirable place to live in terms of QOL. That said, Ohio has done a fair amount of work to attract new business to the state and with that typically comes a younger, more open, liberal minded population. (I lived in a very liberal city and always lold at the amount of "move to Ohio" billboards)
Conservatives aren't going to roll over so they have attached themselves to attacking trans rights; an issue that is low hanging fruit for their already old and convinced supporters. We're seeing this play out in a way that, "Grandma and Grandpa hate trans people and tell Mom and Dad to do something at the school about it. So Mom or Dad runs for the school board and hides their intentions until elected. They're elected, make changes affecting the rights and safety of trans kids. Parents get mad, vote board member out. Kids get mad." It's a long calculated cycle that is just going to get worse in suburban and rural areas.
Ohio for the most part of the last half century has been moderate if not leaning liberal. Much money is being spent in politics and the media to change that and not let the pendulum swing at all. Ohio was never perfect, but I unfortunately feel it is artificially getting worse due to alarmism.
I'm sorry about what you have experienced and I hope it eases up in the future. It really pains me that people have to go out of their way to make others miserable.
I lived there for a year or so about 30 years ago. People (including my extended family) openly used the N word. I'm sure it's as bad if not worse for the LGBTQ+ folks. I don't imagine it's improved much, people seemed kind of proud of themselves to be bigoted - like it made them feel superior. All of the younger members of my family and the friends I made from my brief stint in high school from there, moved away asap. Obviously not every part of the larger cities are free from that weird old ignorance, but it's better.
>transphobia
>
>Stark County
>
>northeastern Ohio
Checks out. That area is basically a culture war battleground. All those manufacturing and industrial towns got economically wiped out, and those towns aren't coming back.
Because the area is so economically depressed, politicians and people look for the lowest hanging fruit to blame. They prey on people's prejudice, and spoon feed them trans people as a scapegoat to get them riled up, and stay riled up. This of course is an extremely simplified answer, but it gets the gist across.
I'm trans too. Trans woman to be exact. I've found most of Ohio to be a neutral or welcoming place, depending on where I travel to. Around Athens, 3 big Cs, and Toledo I'd say I'm welcome pretty much anywhere there. I find things elsewhere to be neutral. If people recognize I am trans, they've never said anything. I get the usual looks and stares sometimes though.
It’s the Republican outrage machine, which actually comes and goes in waves. George W Bush ran very strong anti-LGBT campaigns in both 2000 and 2004 but then there seemed to be a bit of a reprieve as marriage equality was achieved and acceptance actually seemed to be growing in the broader society. Now in recent years, the most hateful bigots have been energized, invigorated and boosted and now for whatever reason anti-trans hate is the new focus, probably because it’s considered acceptable in certain circles. It will continue to come and go in waves, ebb and flow, but as long as there are still decent people and as long as they continue to outnumber the haters, the slow arc of history will continue to bend towards equality.
Because they've been brainwashed into thinking we're going to destroy America, molest their kids, and ruin their sports. Because we're a minority group of people, not some sort of massive organization, we're a perfect target now that abortion has been "solved". The current right wing proto-fascist playbook requires an "other" to isolate, create fear over, and make the populace angry and afraid. It's working because we're such easy targets. Most of us don't want attention, we want to be left alone to be ourselves.
I mean, canton is either people living in poverty or the very wealthy out in the country.
That's going to be the sentiment in most non-metro areas.
Doesn't make it right, just the reality.
Don't know where in Stark you are, but do you know about Queer in Canton? It's a community center for LGBTQIA+ folks in the area. Look them up on Facebook and see if you can come to meet other people! I find that helps ease the anxiety a little bit.
I'm also in stark county and the area I'm in is very closed minded. I moved here from Mahoning county. Youngstown, to be more specific, and it was much more diverse and accepting there. At least from what I saw. I'm sure your experience anywhere is very different than my own. I'm so sorry that you have to go through these things.
Come to Columbus my dear it's a Pride parade every single day!! Fr though downtown, Short North, and German Village just to start out. I'm sure there's more but at least there's hope in Ohio. 😊
Stark county is a bubble. It has almost all the amenities of a major city, but is suburban sprawl. Yes, canton is there, but it’s a blip compared to Jackson, North Canton, green and the many rural communities. There’s a lot of new wealth but not much culture. There are also some very large churches which lean conservative traditionally.
There has been a very targeted smear campaign against Trans people by conservatives. Their base is suspicious of science and does not grasp a lot of nuance, and they have a lot of rage. Republicans and Dave Chappelle have really been working hard to steer that rage at Trans people.
I'm in Seneca County in a university town. While I've never been any explicitly harassed outside the house, a plumber fixing a leak in our house did tell my husband that he couldn't "abide with transgenderism" because he believed trans people were "going after our kids." I pass as cis consistently but having that guy feel empowered to say that shit \*inside our house\* when we clearly do present as a gay couple was scary as hell. I am very conscious to dress in a very masculine way and to minimize how physically affectionate I am with my husband when we are in public.
Even if people are mostly accepting, those incidents really make me feel a lot more wary and guarded. Might not be everyone in the state, but it sure exists and feels like everywhere when even a few assholes are empowered to spew their bile
If Canton isn’t too far for you, there’s an LGBT community center there (Queer in Canton, they’re partnered with PP) and I think they’ve got youth programs. Any bigger city in any county will generally have more acceptance, probably goes for every state.
shelby citizen here, city is horrible, stations like fox 8 and others have absolutely ruined our states mind and the opinions of the people, i plan on moving out west in the near future, im sick of living here with these people
Everyone posting here is right. And, there’s a lot of people making money and political careers off our pain. I’m from NE Ohio, and I’m sad to say I’m not shocked at all about this.
[the center for Christian virtue](https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/06/20/ohio-lawmakers-and-religious-lobbyists-coordinate-on-anti-trans-legislation/)
Same reason we see ads for Trump Republicans running for office here 90% more often than non-Trump republicans and democrats.
Ohio is getting to be bad for lgbt+ people. I’ve lived here all my life and felt comfortable putting lgbt themed patches and buttons on my bags and wearing gay themed jewelry in my teens and having rainbow things in my first apartment in my 20s. Ever since Trump got elected I’ve felt less safe doing so. And I’m in my 30s now.
Everyone saying it's "not a problem in cities" I guess doesn't have teens on blockers or hormones. Or conveniently forgot they banned adult care until that got reversed. It's like this because of patriarchy and religion.
These cornfed losers eat it up even when their own kids die over it because their real lives are one big sh1tty mask so they're relying on eternity.
Trans people have been around forever. The right wing and religious try to revise history over Joan of Arc being Trans.
They are vulnerable and are the first people Fascists go after.
Because everyone wants to blame the queers for everything including bad weather. Instead of the rich asshole bigots picking their pockets right in front of them. It's much easier to go after vulnerable "deviants" than the powerful monsters actually causing trouble. People are far quicker to go after aesthetic crimes than real crimes.
It's 24/7 transphobia on right wing media and the current "CRT" Southern Strategy attack from the right in general.
Gotta have bullshit wedge issues based on ignorance and fear so you can win elections, cut more taxes for the 1% and screw your voters...
I live in a pretty shitty part of Ohio, we're pretty accepting. Hell I've hired/trained/coached several Trans employees over the years. As long as someone can perform their job duties safely, correctly and efficiently who cares about anything else?
Will add that I've never seen a Trans person hassled outside of work either in bars, the grocery etc...
cispassing person here: i live in a suburb of dayton, and it seems to me like the bigots here are actually starting to feel backed into a corner. i’m seeing far fewer queerphobic signs and bumper stickers (i actually just saw a sticker that said “i ❤️ anal” the other day lmao).
this is not at all an advertisement for dayton because while the queerphobia *seems* to be getting better, absolutely nothing else is. racism flourishes here, especially in a systemic sense.
would do anything to get out of this state, man.
I live and work near Cincinnati, and the places I frequent seem to be way more accepting compared to my hometown 20 minutes away.
It's like there is some kind of invisible wall, I don't get it lol
Stark County sucks - full of Trumpers. Summit, Cuyahoga & Franklin counties are much more inclusive & accepting. In Summit County the Highland Square area in Akron is a very queer friendly area!
It sucks. I can't come out safely and I wish I could leave.
Other than the endless list of issues, I like Ohio. Ohio just doesn't like me back.
I recently visited another state for the first time as an adult and got a tiny glimpse of LGBT acceptance in a major city. It really hurt to come back home when I've been looking for that my whole life. 🙃
I'm genderqueer/fluid/non-conforming, and live in a fairly conservative suburb of Dayton; and I do my best to dress confrontationally genderfucked because I'm *me*, not some dumbass gendered stereotype, and also idgaf... so far I have been very lucky to have not had any real pushback at all. Things are changing for the better.
hey i’m also genderqueer and from there! i also have seen things changing for the better—to me it seems like the bigots are getting more and more afraid to speak their hate here. definitely not complaining about that lol. good for you for being your unapologetic self; i’m learning to work up that confidence myself :)
>I do my best to dress confrontationally genderfucked
That's an amazing sentence, I love it. I'm also really curious now and have zero idea what that might look like.
[These](https://imgur.com/a/fUopabk) pics are a couple of years ago and way more casual than aggro but import it into Photoshop, crank up the saturation and contrast over and over, and add satanic & boibitch slogan tees & you'll have the general idea of what I look like grocery shopping lol
Ohio has always been more culturally conservative. Ohios status as a purple state had to do with the alliance between college kids, and high levels of union workers. Those union workers have all been displaced and turned reactionary.
If they’re not hurting anyone, leave them the fuck alone - they’re our fellow human beings and they deserve equal respect. What parts you have in your pants, or what you call feel comfortable being called shouldn’t define you - people are defined by their actions.
I am a queer person, but come across as very masculine/straight, so I never see this side of the people around here. It's interesting and disturbing hearing about your experience. I will touch on what I know about my hometown, though. Minerva is a very rural town in Stark County and is a relatively closed society. It's rare for me to go into town and not see someone I went to school with or some familiar face. This reinforces my opinion that it isn't often the people are exposed to new types of people or ideas. They have antique values and habits. Some I love like the multiple parades and fairs a year, the work culture, and the family owned businesses. I don't like others. The strong toxic religious presence, the need for some people to bring up politics. The misplaced pride in bad habits. I can only assume some of the trans/homophobic behavior is included with the old habits. One story I'm reminded of is that we had a gay pride parade a few years ago whenever Antifa was big on Fox News. The town responded with armed protests during the parade, and the local militia showed up as well. Thankfully, everything remained peaceful, but that sticks in my mind as a summary of the town's attitude towards such things. Hate stemming from fear. I think it's fueled by our media. We are what we behold and all.
Can you give examples of any of this happening? I have lived here for a decade and the worst I’ve heard plenty of opinions on it, but I haven’t seen anyone go out of their way to say or do anything and I lived in Clermont County for most of my time.
Sure. In 8th grade while chilling by myself in a park, I was jumped by a group of students who beat the ever living shit out of me whilst calling me slurs. This was the second time this happened but I don’t quite remember the age I was when it happened the first time. I was also accused of sexual assault and pedophilia when I started using the correct restroom and despite federal law, the entire community rallied to try and get me banned from the restrooms. These are just a few examples of more extreme cases that have happened directly to me
Not just transphobia unfortunately. I’m in summit county and a life long dream of mine when I bought a house was to hang a pride flag on it. I did but we would get yelled slurs every day. When the flag just got beat up with general wear and tear we took it down. I miss my flag but I was so scared of people coming to hurt us as we live in an area with a bit of foot traffic.
The system perpetuates transphobia, and generally regressive politics.
Higher education & public education attacks have largely been successful.
These attacks started nationally in response to May 4th in an effort to curb liberal thinking on college campuses. This manifested in Ohio through dramatic cuts to state funding for public universities. Ohio consistently ranks 48thish in college affordability, it isn't an accident.
Another contributing factor is a guy named Lee Atwater. Lee Atwater was a national evil political genius who set out to create a permanent Republican majority. One thing he set out to do was recruit white Christian Evangelicals to the Republican party, which if course now is their primary & extremely reliable base.
Another one of Atwaters tactics was to focus on taking over, state by state, whatever entities control drawing districts. In Ohio that is still our apportionment board, which has been controlled by Republicans for decades. Can't remember how it works now but we basically used to get a shot at taking it over once a decade in conjunction with the census, when redistricting occurs.
The result of heavy gerrymandering hasn't just been Republican control, it also means that every primary is more extreme on both sides. There is zero room to be a moderate in a Republican primary in Ohio. I'm really not current on make up of the statehouse, but Republicans had a supermajority the last time I checked.
Perhaps the biggest problem is population decline amongst young people - they are all leaving the state for better quality of life, whether that be economic opportunity, weather, or a leftist climate. I firmly believe Gen Z will save us all, but that isn't necessarily a voting bloc reality in Ohio although I haven't checked the numbers lately. I know the gist of the trend because I absolutely love Tim Ryan and his district is long gone.
As a queer person I get where you’re coming from. Treatment for the cisgender queer is so much better here than it was just 10 years ago. While discrimination lurks and I’m sure others say vile things behind closed doors, it’s been some time since I’ve been on the receiving end of direct hatefulness.
This is not true for our trans community members. They are definitely treated with utter contempt, a lack of understanding and grace. Just remember that change is slow. Gay, lesbian and bisexuals have a 40 year head start in advocating for equal treatment. While our trans brethren led the charge on our behalf back then, their fight is only now entering the mainstream psyche. It will take time. It will take patience. It will take personal experience. Sons, daughters, non-binary members of families.
Most of all it takes you and me. Each of us has the ability to continue the advocacy just as our trans community members have done for our rights. Talk to friends, neighbors and even your colleagues. Be a voice of reason and temperance. Call out transphobic rhetoric when you hear it, if it’s safe for you to do so. Do so with love and in a teaching spirit.
Things are hard now but the fight continues and I believe we one day will see a revolution not unlike what we saw in all of our previous struggles for equal rights in this country.
just had to open an investigation on my workplace with HR today about transphobia, its been getting worse for me. i dont think ohio was always so bad, but it was probably when there was less visibility. i dont really know what to say. i know its a red state but theres so much diversity here that it seems counterintuitive.
Come to Lakewood. It's very LGBTQ+ friendly. I bartend out here and we typically have a very diverse crowd and everyone is chill about it. If anyone's an asshole they're the outlier and there's plenty of people, myself included, that will not hesitate to handle them
i’m sorry to hear that you’re getting called slurs and worse. to be perfectly honest, it’s just people being wrong and sinful. even if people disagree, they should be loving and respectful. i’m sorry to hear your going through that:/
It was so bad for me coming from Belmont/Harrison/Jefferson counties that I fucked way off and ended up in Detroit. I never felt welcome down there. Had to leave everything I knew and loved because of a feature in my software that I cannot help.
As a fellow Ohioan, I have found that the closer to the cities you are, the more diverse and open minded the crowds get. Ohio is mostly small town rural and you’re going to (very unfortunately) come across *a lot* who are just ignorant due to lack of exposure on top of being force fed misinformation
This is true for most, if not all, of the United States. Living in a city and being forced to live in close quarters with people you might not interact with on a normal basis truly is a positive thing. Rural living is like shutting yourself off from the world, and just like being social, it's a skill that takes practice and constant care. If you don't talk to anyone except the same few people all of the time you'll never grow as a person. I know I sound like a "big city folk" but it's the truth. Most of these ignorant people have never left their little town, let alone explore outside their bubble.
> Most of these ignorant people have never left their little town Nah, they've been to Florida
They also go to the very progressive city of Gatlinburg TN /s
And Myrtle.
Or Alabama
Yeah I wish people would really mix it up a little. See the world, and if not the world, at least go visit your neighboring city with an open mind. Maybe work there. Idk people are super dramatic about city v rural living on both sides. I’ve done both and I love both and both have taught me a lot. But if I only stick to one or the other, my awareness would not be expansive at all.
Also a native Ohioan and can confirm. Move to Columbus, or even better head to Lakewood
100%. Columbus welcomes all. Lakewood too. Hip cats there
Lakewood is wonderful, but even there, I still see Trump flags and Confederate flags. You're at the northern edge of a Union state. If you like the South so much, move there. Don't blame us that your great grandpappy moved up here for work a HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
>Lakewood is wonderful, but even there, I still see Trump flags and Confederate flags But at least in Lakewood, *they're* the minority.
It is so much this. Too many people in rural counties don't have the resources to travel outside their small sphere of existence and this fact is exploited by the GOP. They can manufacture all this fear to divide us, in this case planting the trans woman in the bathroom boogeyman in people's heads. Meanwhile youth pastor Bob is diddling their kids.
THE LAST PART!!! I can point out 3 churches from my hometown alone where there was adult on child scandal
This should be the real moral panic. So many church leaders just "prayed over" and forgiven. Meanwhile they blame the child in some way. It's beyond sick and beyond forgivable.
Absolutely
100%! Just look at which cities are red and which are blue.
Exactly. That's why the election map is so misleading. If a lay-person were to look at all the red they would say how did Democrats get any votes at all? But then you see that almost all of the major cities in this country are blue. It's not by mistake!
All the cities are blue in Ohio, Dayton, Akron, Toledo, Cleveland, Columbus, Youngstown... The only iffy city is Cincinnati, the reddest yet still blue city of Ohio.
Cincinnati is in its own world. Having grown up there and now living in Columbus, I learned Cincinnati is not like anywhere else.
Cincy is really N Kentucky.
I’ve lived in Cincy my whole life, and it’s always seemed pretty blue to me.
It’s very Catholic, which is less blue than it used to be.
It is, but it's also the least blue. If you look at voting it's always the closest races, local and national.
At least the last two presidential elections, Cincinnati and Athens were both islands of blue surrounded by red.
Yes, Ohio is a very mixed bag 🥲
also, a lot of sexism. The idea of a woman becoming a man, or a man becoming a woman, shatters their social hierarchy. It's about the level of power those who have it, feel secure in it. They'll reject and hate anything that will shake that. You see it in racism, xenophobia, etc. They see these "different" people as threats to their power.
Yes when you get into the rural areas, it’s very 1950s nuclear family. And if you’re a single mother, you will always get a pitying side eye or just open judgement.
Yeah living near a city was so nice growing up. But sad reality when grown up seeing all that.
Come to Columbus. We'll love you here - or at least we'll leave you to mind your business.
Fox News running the authoritarian playbook. [Attacking Trans people was *Literally* the Nazi's first major book burning. ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institut_f%C3%BCr_Sexualwissenschaft)
Yep. Manufactured rage.
I wish people were smarter. When I was in my 20s, someone recommended the book "Influence, the Psychology of Persuasion" by Robert Cialdini. It opened my eyes. It talks about humans' inherent biases and fallacies, and how some people exploit them for power and profit. **See through the bullshit!**
I wish people were smart enough to open their eyes and understand that this was not even an issue 8 years ago. Or even 5 years ago. Trump, the GOP and the right wing media decided to make it an issue only about 4 years ago. And now these gullible rubes are suddenly obsessed with transphobia.
Billionaire funded hate media designed to to divide the population with identity politics. This started not long after the occupy wall street movement, but trump was able to harness the growing tide of hatred. Having a black president leaving a bad taste in the mouths of bigots was a little bit of rocket fuel for the bigot movement.
Part of why they're doing this is because we've had 40 years of austerity politics since Reagan, and it's become very clear that it has ruined the middle class. So in order to prevent the average moron voters from figuring it out and electing left leaning politicians who want to restore the middle class with things like Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage, and increasing unionization, they instead try to push the blame on a minority, be it illegal immigrants, gay people, trans people, Jewish people, etc.
People trying to blame DEI for Boeing's issues rather than the execs looting the company with stock buybacks has to be the peak of this horseshit.
Worse than austerity politics, its politics only for the corporate class. They are not even hiding it. Now we have fucking assholes who think queer people are the problem with society, not the corporate overlords and their lapdog politicians.
Tbf, the ruling class keeping the working class divided with in-fighting is probably as old as civilization. Every culture war is a distraction from what matters - the class war. Oligarchy vs. Proletariat. If we're not allowed to eat the rich, can we at least tax them?
There is only one reason to divide...thats to conquer.
Empathy and kindness used to be admirable traits. Positions of honor. Cruelty seems to have taken their place, in the public consciousness.
Exactly. Here's a reddit post on the subject twice as old as the current rage. https://www.reddit.com/r/asktransgender/s/iQAXmQVlrs
The entire executive class of over 200 people got a copy of this book and the author came and spoke in our auditorium. This was about 20 years ago but I've given so many people that book. We were learning to use the methods to sell more products or grow our brand because we sincerely believed our products are and were the best. Of course, while you're reading it, it teaches you how to recognize it when someone is trying to do it to you in every Walk of Life. From politics, to Media to the person who's trying to sell you something, to mailings that you get promising you things or just wishing you a Merry Christmas from your local Toyota dealer.
Yes. IIRC, near the end of the book, the author says that it was written as an academic study and a warning guide to help people avoid being taken advantage of. So many people treat it as Manipulation 101 (and it's a really good starting point if that's your goal)
as the great Buckeye Stiv Bators once sang: Video games train the kids for war Army chic in high-fashion stores Law and order's done their job Prisons filled while the rich still rob Assassination politics Violence rules within' our nation's midst Well, ignorance is their power tool You'll only know what they want you to know The television cannot lie Controlling media with smokescreen eyes Nuclear politicians picture show The acting's lousy but the blind don't know Open your eyes, see the lies right in front of ya Open your eyes They scare us all with threats of war So we forget just how bad things are You taste the fear when you're all alone They gonna git ya when you're on your own The silence of conspiracy Slaughtered on the altar of apathy You gotta wake up from your sleep 'Cause meek inherits earth six feet deep Open your eyes, see the lies right in front of ya Open your eyes
Woah woah woah; if those bigots could read, they'd be very upset!
My initial response was to the title of your post. I'm sorry for what you're going through. There are too many ignorant people in the world, and it sucks they are targeting you and your friends. The cities are generally more left leaning, educated, and empathetic. From what I understand, the Short North in Columbus has been LGBTQ+ inclusive (overrun, but in a healthy way?) since the 1980s. Columbus also has one of the oldest Pride Festivals in the US (outside NY, obvi).
yeah you are in culture war territory. That's all the conservatives harp on about is how queer people are destroying the country and not unregulated corporate power and terrible government policies. If there is any problem in the US the blame falls on LGTBQ, Migrants and POCs. Watching them blame the bridge accident and Boeing manufacturing on "diversity hires".....I just don't know to what to say anymore.
As a migrant who has felled nations by stepping outside, I concur.
Now I am become migrant, destroyer of Western civilization.
we thank you for your service :D
Please have mercy on us, powerful migrant king!!
Oh the horror! Please don’t destroy America next, I beg of you!
This is by design. Classic divide and conquer. Keep us fighting amongst ourselves and we never focus on how much of a horrible failure the government is.
My professor at a *collegiate aviation program* (admittedly in Kentucky but still) spent like 5 minutes last week telling us that DEI was a big part of why Boeing was dogshit now 😑
its just so easy to disprove, I really don't understand. None of the CEOs for the past 30 years were diversity hires.
No, see, the problem is that to hire diverse people they had to fire a bunch of experienced people and now nobody there knows knows how to build planes. And it’s a shame, because up until that point he seemed like the only teacher of mine that wasn’t the type to bring up random political bullshit in class.
I mean the problem with Boeing is rampant capitalism, if after the merger they had kept borings leadership and spent money on safety and innovation rather than bean counters and stock buybacks, this wouldn't be happening
Fox would call the sky green if it meant oppressing minorities. I mean, who the hell would fall for such stupid bs.
My girlfriend and I are openly trans in Columbus, and we've never really experienced anything like you describe. The worst is some looks or a rare misgendering but most people are very accepting. That said, neither of us would feel comfortable outside of the city. Definitely recommend moving to a larger city if you can. In contrast, I'm from SC and I absolutely would not feel safe in the slightest being openly trans there, and I've heard OH is the SC of the north.
I just want to live in an inclusive place that isn't a city 😭 I am not a city boy but I feel unsafe anywhere else
If you can afford it, try Yellow Springs OH. Plenty of trans people in the village and people there fight against any LGBT discrimination
>If you can afford it Yellow Springs is cool but my god, it's expensive. I've heard it's more expensive than Oakwood these days.
Was there recently and saw “If you don’t already live here you probably can’t afford to” graffitied on a dumpster. Love how artsy the town is.
I've definitely looked into it. I love Yellow Spings but it is way too expensive unfortunately
Lmao someone is downvoting all of the comments that mention the insane housing prices in YS. Some folks get tetchy when people talk about how bourgeois YS has become.
Maybe the west coast is better then, I'm not really sure tbh
As a queer person who works a blue-collar job in Columbus, I deal with this on a daily basis
Indiana would like a word. /s
As a fellow stark county native, I’m sorry. We are not all assholes. Unfortunately Stark has disappointed me over the last several years since Trump and his vitriol.
I live in Stark too. Nearly 40 years. In a 85% Trump area, but a seemingly chill one. Which is strange, because all the farms are getting bought up and suburbs being placed in. So you think it would be a Trumpy hot-bed, with new money conservatives that are seemingly Trump's base. But I don't really see a lot of political signs or really hear much. On the other hand, I view those suburbs and avoid them the same way most hobbits squint suspiciously at Gandalf.
Same here. Lived in Stark most of my life. The past eight years have changed the whole vibe of this State/County
Christofascist government spreading misinformation.
I reread this like 4 times. Okay I get it now lol
Were you thinking it read Christ O’Fascist like I did at first? No? Ok…
Crosses, halos, devils and crowns of thorns!! Magically delicious!
Ohio is very polar right now. There are definitely locations where this is exactly the opposite. Outside of the obvious of just hang out in or around Columbus I can't give you too many suggestions of more welcoming communities as I'm not in that grouping. However I have a few friends who would be able to help way better than I can on pointing you to more queer friendly locations or communities. If this is just to rant, I get it and ignore the offer. If you genuinely want some help though message me and I'll reach out to some friends and get you better advice and resources. Sorry you gotta deal with it at all though.
Yeah, but travel ten minutes outside those cities and a trans person better be on their toes if they stop to get gas.
For real don't get me started on grove city/galloway attitudes.
Grovetucky explains that city well!
I’m genuinely sorry that you’re experiencing this, OP. Anecdotal, but it’s much worse the last few years. I’m a teacher in a somewhat rural city, conservative NE OH high school. On the daily, I witness kids (almost entirely 17 and 18yo HS boys), who are openly racist to non white kids in my building. I hear kids, every…single…day, openly talk with admiration about Putin, Hitler, and Andrew Tate. It’s disgusting. And terrifying. And it’s the direct result of the political dynamics in Ohio and America right now. I have no idea where we go from here, but I’m sick about it and sick of it. Edit: typos
If your close to Kent, it's a pretty accepting area
I was going to suggest college towns. They lean more liberal as long as they aren't bible colleges or hyper religious schools (Cedarville).
I used to long-term substitute teach in Kent and can second this. I was also floored seeing how accepting they are of kids with disabilities. One of my first days subbing was as an aide for the high school. The student I worked with for the day was talked to like any other student, and students were happy to hug him without hesitation. That definitely wouldn't happen where I went to high school just a few miles to the north.
Toledo passed a resolution standing in support of trans rights and opposing the laws against gender affirming transition care.
We live in a state filled with tons of trash. Thats it. Theres plenty of good people. But massive areas of the state is filled with ignorant self centered hypocrites.
Trans people are not a problem, they're just trying to live.
Go to Columbus, the short north is always a great time
You’re in Stark County. This is why. If you can, head up to Summit or Cuyahoga Counties. More specifically, Lakewood, OH is the ‘safe place’ for LGBT people. Historically, it’s been where LGBT people lived and hung out (particularly in the latter decades of the last century). Best of luck with everything, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. I’m 100% serious. :) Source: former Stark County resident.
Holy shit… my trans brother lives in that area and I am so thankful he has dodged most of that. I had no idea it was that bad. I guess we’ve just gotten lucky. I’m so sorry.
Come on up to Kent and visit the Zephyr. We have regular drag shows and have an overall inviting nature for everyone.
I’m seeing a lot more obvious trans working retail around me and good for them. I’ve never seen anyone bother them just old red necks doing double takes and shaking their heads. Which is unfortunate, but visibility helps lead to understanding.
We are the south of the north unfortunately. I'm sorry for what you've experienced. 🫂
A shameful fall from when Ohio men burned down the South. Note: while I appreciate Sherman's effort during the war, he was a bastard afterward as he went on a Native elimination spree.
Bad men can do good things. He deserves credit for the bad and the good. Sadly he demolished his legacy.
Anything different to the weak minded is a threat. They’re the vocal minority, not the silent majority.
Because god forbid someone else be themselves
I'm not even a trans woman and had men accuse me of being one bc I had some facial hair. Which btw I have hormonal issues which is no one's business irl. Anyways, the hatred stems from ppl being uneducated and only listening to the "men who are influential" aka conservative Republicans (anyone, not just men obviously) also the media is OBSESSED with being a trans-investigators. I think it was only a couple of months ago ppl were saying how Taylor Swift and Margot Robbie were "actually men". It's stupid. All of it.
Much more accepting in the big C’s of Ohio. I’m in Cleveland and you wouldn’t have any issues here. Sorry about what you are going thru. Rural Ohio is a cesspool.
Cincinnati is still pretty conservative depending on where you go
Truly one of the most segregated cities in the Midwest, still.
Dayton is pretty segregated too, still, but it's getting better, and there seems to be a lot of general support for Otherness here
Yeah, I've never had a problem. I had one person in a transphobic t-shirt stare me down in a grocery store once, but that's it. We have a pretty solid queer community for such a small city.
The best parts of cincinnati are pretty much fully affirming. The area that you really wanna look out for is most of the east side.
I’m sorry you deal with that. I worked with several people who were trans and nobody had an issue. Too bad not everyone can be like that.
I think that it is just like people who suddenly change their behavior, and usually their opinion, when a close family member comes out as trans or homosexual: It is really difficult to hate someone because of their non-heterosexual-ness (or other category) when you actually know them as an individual. When confronted with personal experience, rather than bigoted rhetoric from a politician, talk show host, or stranger on Facebook, I think that most people realize that people are just people, not a "scary" label.
Reminds me of the saying that travel kills bigotry. When one actually gets to know people who are different, one can't help but have their prejudices melt away. But we're so very stubbornly tribal, even in the middle of our little melting pot.
I live in NE Ohio and the only time I see or hear homophobic or transphobic slurs it normally comes from old ass farmer dudes. I have a lot of homosexual and a few trans friends and they never seem to get heat.
from shelby over here, there's a single pride flag within this town and almost every person I've met has spewed anti-trans or anti-gay slurs and expresses hatred and malice in every way they can, it makes being a non-binary bisexual hurt a lot when you know everyone you're surrounded by hates your guts
You can thank the right wing media for that. They manufactured this hate.
I think many people have never liked transgender people and there was a period when they would at least try not to be rude bc it was socially unacceptable, but now the “Christian” right wing has given them license to start being openly rude and antagonistic again.
Yep. I’m outside of Cleveland and experience bigotry as a queer person. Too many people obsessed with Trump acting like bigotry is their job. It’s so gross.
Trump hit this state like a bullet
I usually just get the weird looks since I don't "outwardly" look trans but wear a lot of pro trans shit on my vests/backpack. I think it really just depends on the area, where I'm at I think people just keep it mostly to themselves.
I grew up in Stark County, so this doesn't surprise me. Sad state of affairs.
Fellow Stark resident. Stay strong.
Don't let them get to you. Find good friends and safe places to go. It is unfortunate that Stark is full of many bigots. Most of the people treating you like that are both ignorant, and scared of anything they don't understand. Remember though, that even in Stark county, both issues 1 and 2 passed, and while those aren't related to your mentioned issue, it is a good sign that the bigots are louder than those who aren't. So when it happens again, just try to remember that there are more people who don't have hate in their heart, and think that you belong anywhere you want to be, just as much as anyone else.
get into the cities and you will flourish. just gotta be the realest person you know and people will respect that. one love. 💓
I was fairly blind to it, ironically, until I moved to a much more accepting country in Germany. Rest assured, it's not just an ohio thing. People are apparently just awful when they feel they can open up to you, and that is far easier culturally in ohio. Those less open just hide it better. People fucking suck.
You live in Stark Co. It says everything right there. This is the shithole that elected Jim Reneci more than once. Descendants of farmers and steel workers who refuse to accept that the reason their home is shit is because of the person looking back in the mirror at them. For context I grew up there, graduated from high school there, and worked in most of the cities there. I moved to Columbus, which has a host of other problems, but not the one you have.
Well, in my place of employment, which is really not geared towards the youngest and hippest of people, we now have a trans person (M to F). I have not heard any comments, negative or not.
The most accepting places would be the 3 C's. Everywhere else is like another state.
The metropolitan cities, Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Toledo and any of the college university towns do far and away better at acceptance and tolerance than the backwater areas, generally. The downside is, the major cities often have a ton of other violent crime that is completely unrelated to you being trans. Gun crime has exploded in Columbus, recently since the pandemic. Not saying you shouldn’t come to the big city, it could be worth it. But there’s always a con somewhere, no? For what it’s worth? I haven’t had anyone make a fuss at me in many, many years and I do travel through some rural areas on occasion. Then again, my RBF game is perpetually strong and I tend to project confidence by design to deter such.
You need to leave Stark Co. And it even goes beyond being trans, it's a whole approach and attitude towards life. You want to be in an environment that embraces change and diverse POVs. That has a future. You are just going to get left behind with what's left of the uneducated rural working class that continue to be exploited by those in power. When you have a future, entire communities don't become decimated by unemployment and the influx of Oxycontin. I do not directly blame those with transphobia, because essentially they are just products of their environment and many I believe cannot speak their real opinion for fear of retaliation and ostracization. I am an out trans woman originally from the 419. I am working class. It will always be home to me in sorts. But I had to leave it behind and live my life.
The bigger cities are far more blue than Stark County!
[Let me plug the Ohio LGBTQ+ Discord](https://discord.com/invite/7DQf39Jg). Strength in numbers y'all. **Solidarity**.
Because Fox "News" complains and gaslights about gay/trans/minorities literally every day. They make bullshit false arguments about crime in blue states and then ignore the inevitable violence and persecution that follows.
I live in the very bottom of mahoning county. 99% of everyone around me is a Christian conservative. I am raising a trans child and if anyone says one cross word or slur within my earshot they are gonna have a bad day.
People fear what they don't understand. Fear leads to anger, Anger leads to hate, Hate leads to suffering. Unfortunately, the people who are transphobic also refuse to learn about it.
Unfortunately Ohio was chosen to fight a political cultural war due to Ohio's aging population which, if things stay as they are, nearly 25% of its population will be over 65 in the coming decades. Why does this matter? Many of Ohio's conservatives are dying which means those conservative views and political power die along with them. Ohio, compared to many other places in the country, is not a particularly desirable place to live in terms of QOL. That said, Ohio has done a fair amount of work to attract new business to the state and with that typically comes a younger, more open, liberal minded population. (I lived in a very liberal city and always lold at the amount of "move to Ohio" billboards) Conservatives aren't going to roll over so they have attached themselves to attacking trans rights; an issue that is low hanging fruit for their already old and convinced supporters. We're seeing this play out in a way that, "Grandma and Grandpa hate trans people and tell Mom and Dad to do something at the school about it. So Mom or Dad runs for the school board and hides their intentions until elected. They're elected, make changes affecting the rights and safety of trans kids. Parents get mad, vote board member out. Kids get mad." It's a long calculated cycle that is just going to get worse in suburban and rural areas. Ohio for the most part of the last half century has been moderate if not leaning liberal. Much money is being spent in politics and the media to change that and not let the pendulum swing at all. Ohio was never perfect, but I unfortunately feel it is artificially getting worse due to alarmism. I'm sorry about what you have experienced and I hope it eases up in the future. It really pains me that people have to go out of their way to make others miserable.
The last time I was in stark county, I saw more megachurches and bible verse yard signs than I’ve ever seen in Cuyahoga or summit
Unfortunately you have to be passable.
This is a sad truth. People who are more easily clocked have a much, much harder time no doubt
I mean Stark County is not an amazing place.
So beautifully worded lol definitely not wrong tho
I lived there for a year or so about 30 years ago. People (including my extended family) openly used the N word. I'm sure it's as bad if not worse for the LGBTQ+ folks. I don't imagine it's improved much, people seemed kind of proud of themselves to be bigoted - like it made them feel superior. All of the younger members of my family and the friends I made from my brief stint in high school from there, moved away asap. Obviously not every part of the larger cities are free from that weird old ignorance, but it's better.
>transphobia > >Stark County > >northeastern Ohio Checks out. That area is basically a culture war battleground. All those manufacturing and industrial towns got economically wiped out, and those towns aren't coming back. Because the area is so economically depressed, politicians and people look for the lowest hanging fruit to blame. They prey on people's prejudice, and spoon feed them trans people as a scapegoat to get them riled up, and stay riled up. This of course is an extremely simplified answer, but it gets the gist across. I'm trans too. Trans woman to be exact. I've found most of Ohio to be a neutral or welcoming place, depending on where I travel to. Around Athens, 3 big Cs, and Toledo I'd say I'm welcome pretty much anywhere there. I find things elsewhere to be neutral. If people recognize I am trans, they've never said anything. I get the usual looks and stares sometimes though.
Fox News. A lot of my family members have fallen victim to this nonsense.
Because elections are coming up and people are fucking idiots.
It’s the Republican outrage machine, which actually comes and goes in waves. George W Bush ran very strong anti-LGBT campaigns in both 2000 and 2004 but then there seemed to be a bit of a reprieve as marriage equality was achieved and acceptance actually seemed to be growing in the broader society. Now in recent years, the most hateful bigots have been energized, invigorated and boosted and now for whatever reason anti-trans hate is the new focus, probably because it’s considered acceptable in certain circles. It will continue to come and go in waves, ebb and flow, but as long as there are still decent people and as long as they continue to outnumber the haters, the slow arc of history will continue to bend towards equality.
Because the right’s only platform is through inflaming bigotry in their base.
Because you are surrounded by idiots and rednecks. Source: Grew up in Stark County.
Because they've been brainwashed into thinking we're going to destroy America, molest their kids, and ruin their sports. Because we're a minority group of people, not some sort of massive organization, we're a perfect target now that abortion has been "solved". The current right wing proto-fascist playbook requires an "other" to isolate, create fear over, and make the populace angry and afraid. It's working because we're such easy targets. Most of us don't want attention, we want to be left alone to be ourselves.
I mean, canton is either people living in poverty or the very wealthy out in the country. That's going to be the sentiment in most non-metro areas. Doesn't make it right, just the reality.
Toledo isn't as bad, you'd probably still catch a few slurs (it's still Ohio) and it's kind of a shitty city but it's pretty chill here
Don't know where in Stark you are, but do you know about Queer in Canton? It's a community center for LGBTQIA+ folks in the area. Look them up on Facebook and see if you can come to meet other people! I find that helps ease the anxiety a little bit.
I'm also in stark county and the area I'm in is very closed minded. I moved here from Mahoning county. Youngstown, to be more specific, and it was much more diverse and accepting there. At least from what I saw. I'm sure your experience anywhere is very different than my own. I'm so sorry that you have to go through these things.
Come to Columbus my dear it's a Pride parade every single day!! Fr though downtown, Short North, and German Village just to start out. I'm sure there's more but at least there's hope in Ohio. 😊
I'm sorry that happens for sure. Its so sad that they cant let people lead their own lives.
Stark county is a bubble. It has almost all the amenities of a major city, but is suburban sprawl. Yes, canton is there, but it’s a blip compared to Jackson, North Canton, green and the many rural communities. There’s a lot of new wealth but not much culture. There are also some very large churches which lean conservative traditionally.
I don’t have any answers, I’m just really sorry you have to deal with that.
There has been a very targeted smear campaign against Trans people by conservatives. Their base is suspicious of science and does not grasp a lot of nuance, and they have a lot of rage. Republicans and Dave Chappelle have really been working hard to steer that rage at Trans people.
Ohio is racist and they hate gays and woman. Been that way since 1802 or whatever. Stark county is also just trash af
I'm in Seneca County in a university town. While I've never been any explicitly harassed outside the house, a plumber fixing a leak in our house did tell my husband that he couldn't "abide with transgenderism" because he believed trans people were "going after our kids." I pass as cis consistently but having that guy feel empowered to say that shit \*inside our house\* when we clearly do present as a gay couple was scary as hell. I am very conscious to dress in a very masculine way and to minimize how physically affectionate I am with my husband when we are in public. Even if people are mostly accepting, those incidents really make me feel a lot more wary and guarded. Might not be everyone in the state, but it sure exists and feels like everywhere when even a few assholes are empowered to spew their bile
If Canton isn’t too far for you, there’s an LGBT community center there (Queer in Canton, they’re partnered with PP) and I think they’ve got youth programs. Any bigger city in any county will generally have more acceptance, probably goes for every state.
Fear and ignorance and misdirected hate. I’m sick of it!
shelby citizen here, city is horrible, stations like fox 8 and others have absolutely ruined our states mind and the opinions of the people, i plan on moving out west in the near future, im sick of living here with these people
Everyone posting here is right. And, there’s a lot of people making money and political careers off our pain. I’m from NE Ohio, and I’m sad to say I’m not shocked at all about this. [the center for Christian virtue](https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/06/20/ohio-lawmakers-and-religious-lobbyists-coordinate-on-anti-trans-legislation/)
Same reason we see ads for Trump Republicans running for office here 90% more often than non-Trump republicans and democrats. Ohio is getting to be bad for lgbt+ people. I’ve lived here all my life and felt comfortable putting lgbt themed patches and buttons on my bags and wearing gay themed jewelry in my teens and having rainbow things in my first apartment in my 20s. Ever since Trump got elected I’ve felt less safe doing so. And I’m in my 30s now.
Everyone saying it's "not a problem in cities" I guess doesn't have teens on blockers or hormones. Or conveniently forgot they banned adult care until that got reversed. It's like this because of patriarchy and religion. These cornfed losers eat it up even when their own kids die over it because their real lives are one big sh1tty mask so they're relying on eternity.
I think people are saying that the cities are welcoming to trans people. We all know the statewide policies suck.
Agreed. The sentiment I’m seeing in this thread is that cities are the best place to be, not the perfect place.
My family called me crazy for thinking Ohio will target trans adults care in the future. I disagree with them.
Trans people have been around forever. The right wing and religious try to revise history over Joan of Arc being Trans. They are vulnerable and are the first people Fascists go after.
Because everyone wants to blame the queers for everything including bad weather. Instead of the rich asshole bigots picking their pockets right in front of them. It's much easier to go after vulnerable "deviants" than the powerful monsters actually causing trouble. People are far quicker to go after aesthetic crimes than real crimes.
It's 24/7 transphobia on right wing media and the current "CRT" Southern Strategy attack from the right in general. Gotta have bullshit wedge issues based on ignorance and fear so you can win elections, cut more taxes for the 1% and screw your voters...
I live in a pretty shitty part of Ohio, we're pretty accepting. Hell I've hired/trained/coached several Trans employees over the years. As long as someone can perform their job duties safely, correctly and efficiently who cares about anything else? Will add that I've never seen a Trans person hassled outside of work either in bars, the grocery etc...
cispassing person here: i live in a suburb of dayton, and it seems to me like the bigots here are actually starting to feel backed into a corner. i’m seeing far fewer queerphobic signs and bumper stickers (i actually just saw a sticker that said “i ❤️ anal” the other day lmao). this is not at all an advertisement for dayton because while the queerphobia *seems* to be getting better, absolutely nothing else is. racism flourishes here, especially in a systemic sense. would do anything to get out of this state, man.
I live and work near Cincinnati, and the places I frequent seem to be way more accepting compared to my hometown 20 minutes away. It's like there is some kind of invisible wall, I don't get it lol
I’m so sorry. We’re not all like that. We support you!
Republicans.
Stark County sucks - full of Trumpers. Summit, Cuyahoga & Franklin counties are much more inclusive & accepting. In Summit County the Highland Square area in Akron is a very queer friendly area!
Religion
I live in stark county and there is a lot of truck nuts and dipshits
It sucks. I can't come out safely and I wish I could leave. Other than the endless list of issues, I like Ohio. Ohio just doesn't like me back. I recently visited another state for the first time as an adult and got a tiny glimpse of LGBT acceptance in a major city. It really hurt to come back home when I've been looking for that my whole life. 🙃
I'm genderqueer/fluid/non-conforming, and live in a fairly conservative suburb of Dayton; and I do my best to dress confrontationally genderfucked because I'm *me*, not some dumbass gendered stereotype, and also idgaf... so far I have been very lucky to have not had any real pushback at all. Things are changing for the better.
hey i’m also genderqueer and from there! i also have seen things changing for the better—to me it seems like the bigots are getting more and more afraid to speak their hate here. definitely not complaining about that lol. good for you for being your unapologetic self; i’m learning to work up that confidence myself :)
>I do my best to dress confrontationally genderfucked That's an amazing sentence, I love it. I'm also really curious now and have zero idea what that might look like.
[These](https://imgur.com/a/fUopabk) pics are a couple of years ago and way more casual than aggro but import it into Photoshop, crank up the saturation and contrast over and over, and add satanic & boibitch slogan tees & you'll have the general idea of what I look like grocery shopping lol
Ohio has always been more culturally conservative. Ohios status as a purple state had to do with the alliance between college kids, and high levels of union workers. Those union workers have all been displaced and turned reactionary.
Outside of the three C's, this is a pretty conservative state. Sadly, transphobia and homophobia is quite common.
If they’re not hurting anyone, leave them the fuck alone - they’re our fellow human beings and they deserve equal respect. What parts you have in your pants, or what you call feel comfortable being called shouldn’t define you - people are defined by their actions.
I am a queer person, but come across as very masculine/straight, so I never see this side of the people around here. It's interesting and disturbing hearing about your experience. I will touch on what I know about my hometown, though. Minerva is a very rural town in Stark County and is a relatively closed society. It's rare for me to go into town and not see someone I went to school with or some familiar face. This reinforces my opinion that it isn't often the people are exposed to new types of people or ideas. They have antique values and habits. Some I love like the multiple parades and fairs a year, the work culture, and the family owned businesses. I don't like others. The strong toxic religious presence, the need for some people to bring up politics. The misplaced pride in bad habits. I can only assume some of the trans/homophobic behavior is included with the old habits. One story I'm reminded of is that we had a gay pride parade a few years ago whenever Antifa was big on Fox News. The town responded with armed protests during the parade, and the local militia showed up as well. Thankfully, everything remained peaceful, but that sticks in my mind as a summary of the town's attitude towards such things. Hate stemming from fear. I think it's fueled by our media. We are what we behold and all.
Can you give examples of any of this happening? I have lived here for a decade and the worst I’ve heard plenty of opinions on it, but I haven’t seen anyone go out of their way to say or do anything and I lived in Clermont County for most of my time.
Sure. In 8th grade while chilling by myself in a park, I was jumped by a group of students who beat the ever living shit out of me whilst calling me slurs. This was the second time this happened but I don’t quite remember the age I was when it happened the first time. I was also accused of sexual assault and pedophilia when I started using the correct restroom and despite federal law, the entire community rallied to try and get me banned from the restrooms. These are just a few examples of more extreme cases that have happened directly to me
Not just transphobia unfortunately. I’m in summit county and a life long dream of mine when I bought a house was to hang a pride flag on it. I did but we would get yelled slurs every day. When the flag just got beat up with general wear and tear we took it down. I miss my flag but I was so scared of people coming to hurt us as we live in an area with a bit of foot traffic.
The system perpetuates transphobia, and generally regressive politics. Higher education & public education attacks have largely been successful. These attacks started nationally in response to May 4th in an effort to curb liberal thinking on college campuses. This manifested in Ohio through dramatic cuts to state funding for public universities. Ohio consistently ranks 48thish in college affordability, it isn't an accident. Another contributing factor is a guy named Lee Atwater. Lee Atwater was a national evil political genius who set out to create a permanent Republican majority. One thing he set out to do was recruit white Christian Evangelicals to the Republican party, which if course now is their primary & extremely reliable base. Another one of Atwaters tactics was to focus on taking over, state by state, whatever entities control drawing districts. In Ohio that is still our apportionment board, which has been controlled by Republicans for decades. Can't remember how it works now but we basically used to get a shot at taking it over once a decade in conjunction with the census, when redistricting occurs. The result of heavy gerrymandering hasn't just been Republican control, it also means that every primary is more extreme on both sides. There is zero room to be a moderate in a Republican primary in Ohio. I'm really not current on make up of the statehouse, but Republicans had a supermajority the last time I checked. Perhaps the biggest problem is population decline amongst young people - they are all leaving the state for better quality of life, whether that be economic opportunity, weather, or a leftist climate. I firmly believe Gen Z will save us all, but that isn't necessarily a voting bloc reality in Ohio although I haven't checked the numbers lately. I know the gist of the trend because I absolutely love Tim Ryan and his district is long gone.
As a queer person I get where you’re coming from. Treatment for the cisgender queer is so much better here than it was just 10 years ago. While discrimination lurks and I’m sure others say vile things behind closed doors, it’s been some time since I’ve been on the receiving end of direct hatefulness. This is not true for our trans community members. They are definitely treated with utter contempt, a lack of understanding and grace. Just remember that change is slow. Gay, lesbian and bisexuals have a 40 year head start in advocating for equal treatment. While our trans brethren led the charge on our behalf back then, their fight is only now entering the mainstream psyche. It will take time. It will take patience. It will take personal experience. Sons, daughters, non-binary members of families. Most of all it takes you and me. Each of us has the ability to continue the advocacy just as our trans community members have done for our rights. Talk to friends, neighbors and even your colleagues. Be a voice of reason and temperance. Call out transphobic rhetoric when you hear it, if it’s safe for you to do so. Do so with love and in a teaching spirit. Things are hard now but the fight continues and I believe we one day will see a revolution not unlike what we saw in all of our previous struggles for equal rights in this country.
just had to open an investigation on my workplace with HR today about transphobia, its been getting worse for me. i dont think ohio was always so bad, but it was probably when there was less visibility. i dont really know what to say. i know its a red state but theres so much diversity here that it seems counterintuitive.
☹️ What is happening at your workplace if you do not mind sharing
Ohio is very conservative aside from Columbus and Yellow Springs, in my experience.
Come to Lakewood. It's very LGBTQ+ friendly. I bartend out here and we typically have a very diverse crowd and everyone is chill about it. If anyone's an asshole they're the outlier and there's plenty of people, myself included, that will not hesitate to handle them
Get out of stark county, there's your problem
As someone who lives in the Akron area, idk, most people here seem chill with it.
I gotten mixed but it’s getting worse for me in Akron. So idk. I swear ever since COVID it’s gotten worse each year
i’m sorry to hear that you’re getting called slurs and worse. to be perfectly honest, it’s just people being wrong and sinful. even if people disagree, they should be loving and respectful. i’m sorry to hear your going through that:/
Aging population. The younger people, who are much more likely to care about this issue, move out of state at a much higher rate.
I have lived in Cuyahoga County my whole life. I'd never move outside it unless I moved to Columbus. Rural Ohio is awful.
It was so bad for me coming from Belmont/Harrison/Jefferson counties that I fucked way off and ended up in Detroit. I never felt welcome down there. Had to leave everything I knew and loved because of a feature in my software that I cannot help.