At least here in The States, you can find Area's/Neighborhoods/ business districts/entertainment zones of most any mid sized to major metropolis that are LGBT Friendly/tolerant. And, you can probably find friendly establishments in most of the smaller area's too. But, you can also find plenty of opportunities to get in trouble in even the most liberal of cities and town's. You can go to N.Y.C. and find Redneck's and Religious Haters. Don't imagine you could go anywhere in "Accepting Massachusetts," and your person would always be safe. And Obviously, if you travel into town and you can see smoke from all The Whiskey Stills, up on The Mountainside on the way in, your chances of being non-hassled diminish.
And so, most of us Gurls who go out on a regular basis practice "situational defense methods." We prefer numbers, (at least two of us together....find a friend) we NEVER go into someplace unknown without a group of us, and we know when to leave if "The Vibes" ain't right. You have to develop a bit of Radar to pick up on direct animosity, but it's a very useful skill to cultivate. About 99% of the time, no hassles at all. No matter where you are, but you have to always be aware, and vigilant. Have a social drink or two, and then stop! If your being loud and belligerent, AND your not "aware" because your too drunk, it invites trouble. Same thing for back alleys, and dark parking lots. A lot of this is common sense!
The World isn't that evil or threatening. You just have to use some logic to stay out of bad situations. Could you get whacked on The Head for no reason, and it seems to come out of nowhere? Sure! But, it's not likely. You could miss a whole lifetime of good experiences, if you let minuscule probabilities rule your life.
Peace and Love, Joanie
