Probably be lonely for awhile
Abacad
August 20th, 2025
Unfortunately as a gay man in a rural area the gay scene is pretty much none existent. The closest metro area is over 2 hours away and being busy with work and my kids leaves no time for little else. I've come to realize that I'll likely not meet anyone for a long time as my children are still young and I'm not willing to separate myself from them and miss them growing up.
Amanda84
August 21st, 2025
@Abacad
Its lovely that you put your kids first.
That's paramount.
It will all fall into place in its own time.
Its clear you've navigated alot to even get to this point in your journey
Aayla
August 21st, 2025
@Abacad it's not easy to neglect a part of yourself to put your family's needs first, and if there's a way to find a balance between all your needs, I really hope you can find it. However, it seems like you're making this decision with a great amount of awareness and maturity, so you can definitely be proud of being such a great parent! Just remember that you're a person with needs of your own as well, and it's ok to feel frustrated or lonely sometimes. Even if you can't meet someone to have a relationship with, I still hope you can find supportive friends with whom you can share and express that part of your identity.
And who knows... Rural area may surprise you, sometimes! There could easily be other queer people feeling as lonely as you are. Meeting them might not be easy, and it may require a little extra help (like apps and stuff), but it's out of the table completely!