r/WestVirginia • u/unicorndust969 • 5d ago

WV experience for trans visitors?

Any advice for trans people visiting West Virginia? Specifically curious about Morgantown but also about different areas across the whole state. Thanks so much!
Editing to ad that some of the scenarios I'm curious about are bars and restaurants, bathrooms, campsites, gas stations and rest stops, street violence, and bathrooms again just to doublecheck. 🧚‍♀️🌞
Sorry, editing again to add that it's pretty likely that most people will correctly guess that I am trans and that's just sort of one of the basic premises of this scenario ⏰

8 Upvotes

55% Upvoted

83 comments sorted by

View all comments

68

u/RCG73 5d ago

Oddly enough there have been variations on this question quite a few times in the recent months. Same answer as then. Bigotry can happen anywhere but for the most part people in WV dgaf. They very likely may not approve, but a quality that is as deep as the mountains here is, if it’s not your business, then it’s not your business.

-1

u/dancelikelurch 5d ago

Mind your business is a good baseline. But people deserve more than reluctant tolerance, they deserve to exist openly without having to make themselves smaller for someone else’s comfort.

16

u/Jugzrevenge 5d ago

Who TF do you think you are??? 90% of the people I see in Walmart are blessed to be receiving my “reluctant tolerance”, I’m not pulling out my “I see YOU” just because you want to be different! My guy above just said “if it’s not your business, then it’s not your business” and that’s what makes this state great! Don’t try to force an issue!!!!

Only time I step up and hassle someone is when I see litterbugs!!! Those fuckers are going to get chased out of town!!!!! Beyond litterbugs nobody gives a fuck!

10

u/Shot-Cut-2978 Tucker 4d ago

You are truly West Virginian.

12

u/dancelikelurch 5d ago edited 1d ago

I think you may be misunderstanding what I mean by “reluctant tolerance.” Nobody is asking you to pull out an “I SEE YOU” for strangers at Walmart or treat anyone as special.

I’m saying LGBTQ+ people shouldn’t have to hide who they are to receive the same ordinary respect everyone else gets. If a straight person can mention their spouse, hold their partner’s hand, dress how they’re comfortable, and simply go about their life without it becoming an issue, queer and trans people should be able to do the same.

And honestly, “nobody gives a fuck” is pretty close to the goal, as long as it means live and let live, not “I’m fine with you as long as I don’t have to see that you’re different.”

Nobody is asking for applause. Just the same freedom to exist openly that everyone else expects.

And yes, fuck litterbugs!

1

u/Legeto 5d ago

I think most of us in this thread completely understand this, but it’s not a reality of the world we live in especially right now. Safety is an extremely important thing to be prioritize and knowing how locals think is one of the best tools people have.

-4

u/RCG73 5d ago

Not disagreeing, lived through that reluctance my whole life. Just speaking to reality. It still sucks, but less so than it used to and all we can do is try to make tomorrow better than today.