Rules:

I’m a student ambassador for Somethings - a state-endorsed, free mental health service for teens exclusively in North Carolina. We connect teens with trained young adult peer specialists who can provide guidance, empathy, and support during tough times.

I'm trying to as many parents and teens who might benefit from additional support as possible especially in the wake of Hurricane Helene, especially those navigating challenges like anxiety, depression, etc. Here's where we're mentioned on the NCDHHS site (check the second slide of the carousel), and additionally here's our website outlining our partnerships with the state: www.somethings.com/northcarolina

Please feel free to DM me if you have any questions!

My partner is trans masc and as a gift I wanted to get him a session with a massage therapist as he works a physically taxing job and I wanted to get him something to maybe ease a bit of the soreness he has (ok, what I really want is him to reach out to a physical therapist but they don't really sell gift cards for that).

I found an older post on here asking the same question, but it only got one response which wasn't very detailed, so I was hoping if anyone had any more input into trans positive massage therapists in the Triangle.

Hiya, due to some life stuff my partner is going to be in the Triangle through the holidays. She's feeling a little out of place being a queer trans femme and have some anxiety about being being out in public. Not specific to the area or anything, we're from Philly and she's just an anxious up here. She's down there spending some time with her parents who just moved down there to help with her mental health. I really want to be able to give her some ideas of cool stuff to do, see, and experience while she's down there and figured I'd turn to you all to see if you could help.

Her interests are punk music and culture, board games, labor history, model making, she collects eccentric musical instruments so that's definitely one, garbage food, cool art, bad B Horror movies, Americana stuff. Well she has a lot of interests lol. Any queer punk spaces would be great too!

Anyway I'd really love any help you all could give and anything cool she should see while she's down there.

Hi everyone, I am looking for a job in the Triangle that would allow me to be openly trans at work. I am a year on HRT and its becoming harder to hide my transness, as well as incredibly emotionally draining, because I get to be a pretty lady everywhere except for my blue-collar job with all these conservative fellas. I am open to pretty much anything and my resume consists of blue-collar jobs, customer service roles, and a real estate office internship. I would be very grateful for any pointers!

Hi Reddit. This is going to be a pretty heavy post, and a long read. Content warning for mentions of sexual assault, CSA, emotional abuse, and religious trauma.

I'm going to attempt to remain as psuedononymous as possible. I am in my early-to-mid twenties, a non-binary queer trans fem and I am very visibly so. I have been out socially for about a decade, and on hormones for 5 years. I was born into an incredibly evangelical, hard-right family; with pretty much all of my immediate family being religious activists who work in government and defense. I was kicked out when the pandemic began in April 2020 after my hormones were discovered by my father. I was taken in by my extended family, who while allowed me to continue transitioning, were apathetic at best and didn't entirely affirm my identity or recognize me as an abuse victim. They insisted I leave after six months- and a friend in the animation industry in Burbank, CA took me in. They attempted to coerce me under their wing, portraying themselves as my chosen parent- only to sit idly by and let their friends and peers in the industry sexually and emotionally abuse me. I moved to SoCal under the pretense of attending art school- however, due to both being drugged, sexually assaulted, coerced & being bullied; that fell apart after five months and my housing became unstable.

About a year ago, a harassment campaign was initiated. Rather than being the CSA and repeat sexual abuse victim that I am- I was and am portrayed as somehow a sexual abuser guilty of killing somebody in queer animation circles, (who sexually assaulted me); who was never dead. Somehow this abuser of mine was able to spread a narrative that they were dead; and that I was an agent to ruining this person's life alongside a powerful figure in the animation community. Due to strange oppression olympic dynamics within queer discourse online, me being uniquely transfem has lead to many people within my own community dismissing my abuse story, for what I can only presume is me being assigned male at birth and purity testing. As I don't have any resources, I attempted to compile a document clearing my name. The powerful figure in art/animation circles who I was accused of aiding in killing my abuser; ended up getting arrested with possession of CSAM- which was unbenknownst to the wider animation community. As a result, were all too quick to immediately believe the defamatory and libelous rumors spread about me at first glance; and in coordination with the animation industry imploding, I had to leave SoCal five months ago.

That leads me to where I am today. I lost all of my friends, close associates and IRL support group as a result of this character smear. I moved in with extremely religious family in a rural pocket of Northern Florida, who, again- while continuing to allow me to medically transition, are not particularly sympathetic to me, and at best are implicitly encouraging me to detransition and become religious. I have two months to relocate; or risk moving back in with my parents, who would force me to detransition- and sexually, emotionally, physically and verbally abused me. I have no driver's license, no car, absolutely no credit, no credit card (and cannot get approved for one), $20k in medical debt & $10k in student loan debt, no savings, no income- and can work in a limited area of industries given my lack of college degree, and physical disabilities (neuralgia, neuro-spinal issues, fibro) This means that I cannot get approved for any lease for a corporation-owned apartment, and I know nobody willing to co-sign my lease. As aforementioned, I have no partner, no friends, and no supportive family. With Trump winning the general election, it is clear Florida will no longer be safe for me, and I need to explore my options. One of the few aces in my sleeve is my supportive counselor, a queer/trans ally, who is working with me to assess my options. They suggested the Raleigh-Durham area as a potential haven for me; with rent far more affordable than SoCal or many areas of Florida; somewhat of a queer community; and some office/tech jobs. I've contacted the LGBT center and have been given some resources for employment and housing.

I've been advised to ask around the area, and discern whether it is viable for someone in my position to move here, and gain meaningful employment and housing given my complete lack of resources and the political landscape. It is my understanding that the state of NC is red, but democrat Stein is governor (or soon to be) and the senate and makeup lean democratic. Is NC going to be safe for me, as a visible trans woman and sexual minority- during a Trump second term? Apologies for the breadth, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to those who read the entire post- I think it is vital to give as comprehensive an understanding of my situation as possible, despite how convoluted it is. I wanted to also mention before I sign off; that yes, I've been provided with legal resources and am in the process of contacting them to assess my options with regards to the online harassment campaign against me.

Thank you all, and stay safe.

Looking for some fun tonight 🤗

See the description for research below. Just want to first say that I am part of the community and think this research could really help, so please take a few minutes to help if you are 18+, in therapy, and identify as a sexual and/or gender minority. My deadline is pretty much up and any last minute participants I can get will be so helpful!!!

My name is Hannah Gibson and I am a fifth year doctoral student at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. I am currently working on my dissertation and would love your help with my research! I hope to learn more about how a therapist can best help their clients who identify as sexual and/or gender minorities. If you are 18 years or older, see a therapist, and identify as a sexual and/or gender minority (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, etc.), please help by completing the study at the link below! It should only take you about 10-15 minutes. This is such important research, and I need so many more people to participate, so please help if you can.

Link to survey: https://spalding.questionpro.com/t/AaxiFZ3Bz0

Hello everyone! My name is Hannah Gibson and I am a fifth year doctoral student at Spalding University in Louisville, KY. I am currently working on my dissertation and would love your help with my research! I hope to learn more about how a therapist can best help their clients who identify as sexual and/or gender minorities. If you are 18 years or older, see a therapist, and identify as a sexual and/or gender minority (e.g. lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, non-binary, etc.), please help by completing the study at the link below! It should only take you about 10-15 minutes. This is such important research, and I need so many more people to participate, so please help if you can.

Link to survey: https://spalding.questionpro.com/t/AaxiFZ3Bz0

I'm a 22F and have been considering moving to NC for quite some time now. I've been to VA many times as we have family there, but this time I'm planning on visiting the triangle as well. I understand it's mostly suburbs, but I strangely enjoy them and want to live somewhere that I can settle down in the near future. I plan on spending about five days here, and my goal is to gauge what it's like living in the area, specifically Durham, so I can make a decision.

I'm a lesbian, so I'm wondering what the dating scene is like. It's important to me that I can find a community and make some friends as I'd be moving alone. Plus, there's not a lot of opportunity in my hometown. What are some of the best places to meet people, specifically other queer people? I'm into running, lifting, basketball, and not a fan of going out at night. What is your favourite gym or rec centre in the area? Any sports leagues I can try out? Any idea on what parts of Durham or neighbourhoods are the best to live in? Maybe I can get an AirBnB there to check it out? Finally, any recommendations for the best food spots are greatly appreciated!

I'd really appreciate any advice on how I should plan my trip to make sure I can make the best decision on whether or not I can see myself living here. It's best to get input from the locals. So far, Durham seems like a beautiful city, and I can't wait to check it out! Looking for recommendations while visiting the area

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 Time: 10:00-2:00 Location: NC General Assembly Topic: A Civics Lesson in Equality Legislation Who organized this event: Rep. Maria Cervania & Trans Resource Collective

Details: On September 25th, many community leaders and activists will partner with the Trans Resource Collective for a Civics and Advocacy Training at the North Carolina General Assembly. This event is a unique opportunity for you to engage with the legislative process and learn how to advocate for issues that matter to you including disability rights, reproductive Justice, and LGBTQ rights.

RSVP here: https://jcgl9lfbb.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=00125HukNPp5pNYNOzQnCcRfXD0_f24kJ6i9zU7QMVwYOqfJsmYiZLUM_O9UKJXIjtP4zYBDB4SUzqUDWKXrScuKv6fStw8FY6PqYB4LhgT2IdUN76WsU8IP9BwoYb2a6NriyiRjVrVigR_36TqlBWN0URDwb4ulWd1_tt0VLESdh1zDA9LAeOde-cg7naDVz6GIl2MDAPxxpP20pIilVZZbT4X90xlIZJB55vcmC9rl28bXi13QxhD5hJspsxHAnD-bk2k1CDoU3w=&c=gUy76COuCew2Agu6nHAd9g2FA8-xa69cSVrAceJ1MmubhzmHCHiqQQ==&ch=5p-wdM93zJbB7TTnBkEdwq1nY96_nCll-uNgbH5GrrhPJjPZfn7OYg==

So in 2016 and 2020, Milo Yiannopoulos and Brandon Straka respectively emerged as that election season's homocon firebrand, and I'm wondering if there is a similar "personality" that has come up that I simply don't know about.

The closest I can come up with is Arielle Scarcella, but I don't know that she is well known enough to fit that bill. George Santos is mostly over. And perennial candidate Peter Boykin sure ain't it.

Thoughts?

I'm trans femme and looking to learn about makeup. I know nothing and want to get started on the basics. I am really bad at learning skills like this from online and nee in person instruction.

Are there any local places that are good for lessons? I would prefer to go to local people not national chains if possible.

Looking for a list— or to put together a list— of queer mental health clinicians. NOT ally/affirming therapists who aren’t LGBTQIA2S+ (even though I’m still grateful those exist).

Would love to find a variety of therapists in practice so that all kinds of folx— children and teens, adults, couples/relationship, older adults— have access to queer clinicians.

Triangle area only, please! 😊🏳️‍🌈

I know there's the virtual one hosted by someone at the LGBT center in Durham, but I'm an in person type of... person. I'm in Northern Orange County.

is there any queer music and / or punk scene in the area

“Brothers in Arms” at the Raleigh Fringe Festival: a story written and performed by two trans artists at the inaugural Raleigh Fringe Festival! This show tells the story of Evelyn "Eli" Thompson and Sarah "Sam" Whitaker, who disguised themselves as men to serve as soldiers in the Civil War.

Saturday, September 21, at 7:00 pm Location: Theatre Raleigh Tickets: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/raleighfringe/brothers-in-arms

*I think there are still some pay-what-you-can tickets available

Working on my list of programs to apply for medical residency and really liking some programs in NC, plus it is driveable to my family in VA and DC, but worried about the gay dating scene and community in NC just because I haven’t really seen it. What are your experiences?

I’ve heard there’s a lot of lack of trust, particularly around bi men in cishet relationships. The questions comes up, are they really bi? Are they gay in denial? Is bi simply a transition phase? What does the community think?

EDIT: It’s interesting how people downvoted my clarification/reply that said, “I never said bi men aren’t real.” Bi erasure is frequently discussed on podcasts such as Two Bi Guys, Bisexual Behavior, and Bisexual Brunch. It is experienced in both the straight and LGBT communities. I wanted to see what this community had to say. It’s sad to see the lack of response…. Btw I am a bi man.

Hey alll! Hope you all well. Looking to make some new friends in the Durham area :) just moved up here for Uni and feel losttt

40F, queer, looking for a place to hang out and work for a while today. Recommendations? Preferably in Durham or Chapel Hill.