this post was submitted on 15 May 2024

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🏳️‍⚧️ trans girl in southeast Louisiana looking to make friends (fedia.io)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by -Emma-@fedia.io to c/lgbtq_plus

14 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Hi, I'm Emma (she/her).

So, long story short:

I am lonely
I wanna befriend some local LGBTQ+ people here in southeast Louisiana
I can't send/receive direct messages to/from Lemmy users with this Mbin account, but I have a Lemmy account I can use if necessary

About me:

I'm a 90s kid
I'm a trans girl
I began transition, including HRT, January of 2023
I suffer from OCD
I'm a Linux nerd, kinda
I use PureOS on my Librem 5
I use QubesOS on my Librem 14
I use pfSense on my firewall/router
I'd like to think that I'm somewhat good at writing

I'd love to meet some LGBTQ+ people, but I don't know how. The only support group I've found is exclusively online via Zoom, and only Facebook users are allowed. As a privacy and security obsessed person, I'm totally excluded, and I just feel so trapped right now. I want to meet people offline, and I just don't know how.

And I'm really sad right now thinking about how much I love the friends I've made online in the past few months and how I feel so isolated from them.

It hurts to post this, but I feel that I must. I don't expect to find anyone, but I have to try.

Edit:

DMs between Lemmy and Kbin/Mbin still do not work, so here is my Lemmy account:

@Emma0@lemmy.blahaj.zone

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[–] skulblaka@startrek.website 16 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Much love and good luck. I'm from Louisiana but I don't live down that way anymore. Been hearing a lot about what the local gov is up to recently though. Things are getting rough down there. Worried about you guys.

I don't want to up and tell you your home isn't safe for you, but I do advise keeping an eye open for opportunities elsewhere. There's a reason that it's difficult for you to find public LGBTQ+ groups down there. Don't get so tied down in the bayou that you're a sitting duck, know what I mean?

In the meantime, you're not going to be a fan of this advice, but discord is a good place to find communities. It's a long shot, but if you find a server you like with good folks in it you can ask around and see if someone knows someone who knows someone.

Good night, good luck 💜

[–] -Emma-@fedia.io 9 points 6 months ago

I do advise keeping an eye open for opportunities elsewhere.

I have been wanted to evacuate soon, but my heart is pulling me in lots of different directions, and I don't really know which path to follow.

In the meantime, you're not going to be a fan of this advice, but discord is a good place to find communities.

Yeah, that's what my friend Lacey was telling me. I just can't do that right now. Making these posts is difficult enough.

Thank you for the well wishes.

[–] autumn 11 points 6 months ago

is meetup.com an option?

[–] Lemongrab@lemmy.one 11 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Consider OPNSense as a more "free" feature-rich alternative to pfSense. Sorry I don't live near, good luck.

[–] Eryn6844 10 points 6 months ago (1 children)

HI EMMA! 90's/80's kid to who likes linux. sadly i am in Florida. we can be online buddies though. I will see if i can get mbin.

[–] -Emma-@fedia.io 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

Hiya. It's kinda hard for me to pulll away from Matrix and the friends that I've made there, and I've not been good about remembering to come back here to the fediverse. I really created this thread looking specifically for people to meet offline. If you're looking for more offine friends, you might want to join us on Matrix.

Also, thank you for saying my name 😊 It feels so nice to see.

[–] JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Hopefully some better advice comes along that doesn't involve compromising your ideals, which is what I'm about to suggest.

It seems to me the most likely way to meet likeminded people is to find groups and events in your area. And you're going to have the most luck with those big privacy invading social media services. It sucks, yes. But it also increases your chances of creating local friendships.

Up to you if it's worth it or not, of course.

[–] -Emma-@fedia.io 6 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I appreciate the advice, but I would sooner harm myself than go back to facebook (sorry if that's too dark). If my choices in life are between being surrounded by friends while all interactions are monitored closely by facebook, or being forever alone and disallowed from human experiences, then there's really nothing here for me anymore. I hope it doesn't come to that.

[–] JovialSodium@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 6 months ago

I was thinking more as a gateway to finding new people in person. Once established, you can choose a different means of staying in contact.

But if any amount of usage may lead to self harm then don't, of course.

[–] Mambert 7 points 6 months ago

Same here. I'd love to do the same just to not surround myself in a hivemind of friends. South Mississippi

[–] missmystique 6 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago)

If by southeast Louisiana you mean in or near New Orleans, you should come check out practice for my rugby team, the Halfmoons! No sports experience of any kind required. I'm currently the only trans woman on the team, but we're a very queer group of women and truly they've become family to me.

EDIT: Also, Crescent Care in New Orleans is doing a "make trans friends" event thing next Tuesday, May 21, if you can make it out!

EDIT: There's also a new LGBTQ2IA+ community center in New Orleans that opened up last month, they seem to be starting monthly community meetups with free food. Looks like they post their events on their website so you don't have to go on any socials:

https://nolapridecenter.org/events/list/

[–] cityboundforest 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Hiya, I sent you a DM but the long and short of it is that I'm also in the southeastern Louisiana area and am queer and would be down to get more queer friends in the area

[–] -Emma-@fedia.io 1 points 5 months ago

Hi 😊 Apparently DMs between Lemmy and Kbin/Mbin still do not work, so I can only see DMs from other Kbin/Mbin users.

I've sent you a DM from my Lemmy account.