There is no LGBT community

[kindy64]

I've never liked this term and try to ignore it but it's everywhere now, with varying other letters and identities added on to it which makes it even worse

My community is my boyfriend and the people who care about me. I will be honest I've never met a lesbian I liked and I've known a few, being told I'm in a community with them or any other random ambiguous sexuality every five seconds is insulting

A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values, or that is situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a village or town). It is a group of people who are connected by durable relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who usually define that relationship as important to their social identity and practice.[1][need quotation to verify][2] Although communities are usually small, "community" may also refer to large groups, such as national communities, international communities, and virtual communities.
The word "community" derives from the Old French comuneté which comes from the Latin communitas (from Latin communis, things held in common).[3]
Human communities may share intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, and risks in common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness.[citation needed]

So the people fighting for equal rights in other states and your state aren't part of your immediate community, but they are part of the overall community. Things held in common like: identity erasure, harassment, abuse, & hate, isolation, unequal rights

My boyfriend brings up now and then that things are different for him, that I was able to pass as straight heterosexual all these years, was in a marriage to a woman for 21 years, never faced the discrimination he does. Sure people don't give me a second look because I'm purposely "the gray man" I do my best to blend in, not make waves. Granted, I'm slowly changing that, with an eyebrow piercing and a unique haircut (and sometimes holding hands with my 20 year old boyfriend in public when he lets me.) What he forgets is the deep secret I've kept all these years, and how that has affected me.

My boyfriend isn't afraid to be who he wants to be, long hair, makeup, long nails. He is a glam-boy straight from the 70's (though I wish I would have met him back then.)

Despite our differences in growing up, coming out, and living our authentic lives, we do share enough with the struggles of all people hiding their sexuality, living in fear of coming out, and feeling beaten down by a society that misunderstands us.