Three quarters of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people living in rural areas feel that they have to leave their hometown before they can come out.
Research by Stonewall Scotland and funded by the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission), showed that before LGB and T people moved from a rural area to a city, nearly nine in ten either weren’t out at all, or were only out to family and friends in their home town.
- A massive 68 per cent felt they did not “fit in” in their hometown – and of those, 86 per cent felt it was at least partially because they were LGB or T
- Three quarters of LGB and T Scots who moved from rural areas said that their sexual orientation or gender identity was a factor in their decision to leave
- 87 per cent also said it was difficult to be out in a rural area
“I wanted to move away from the people that knew me at home so that I could find out who I was. I didn’t call myself gay for a long time but I had a girlfriend at home. We had to keep it a secret and it was horrible hiding my life from everyone, it made me very depressed. I thought the city was my chance to start living as living at home felt like I was stalled."
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