Stepping Into Community Without Leaving My Living Room
A few years ago, I was invited into an LGBTQ+ Christian Facebook group for people around my age. At this time, I was still in a private university that wasn’t very LGBTQ+ friendly, and I was craving a community of people who get it. So, when I got into this group and found over 1000 people who are a lot like me, even though we live all over the world.
Now that I’ve been in the group for a few years, I’ve gotten to meet up with some people from this group in-person, some are my penpals, and some are really close friends of mine. This group and others that are similar are the reasons I even open my Facebook anymore. I love that I have a place to vent, to support others, to ask questions, to give advice, and to just see how people in the community are doing.
I just joined a small group that’s entirely online. We meet on a video call once a week to talk, and we have a group chat for any other time we want to talk. I’ve only ever been part of small groups that are in-person, so this is pretty new to me, but I’m so grateful that I get to be part of a community like this.
These online friendships and communities are havens for people who might not be able to find connections to people who are experiencing similar things near them. These groups were a haven for me when I was at a private, queerphobic university, and they continue to be spaces of openness, growth, and safety for me now.
What does this have to do with anything? Why would I make a whole Medium post about this?
I know that this kind of community wouldn’t be possible a few decades ago, and it really highlights to me how much our culture keeps changing. I’m so grateful for the ability to be connected to so many people around the world, to know that even if we’re not in the same place, there are people out there who know us and who get it.
