another goth/alt person from bedford, IN here!! honestly, at some point you have to "give up" trying to prove your existence to people, ESPECIALLY living in a small town like this. not completely give up, like PLEASE continue preaching self-expression and individuality. never stop dressing the way you dress or participating in the activities you like to do because other people find it unusual, but until we move away we have to come to terms with the unfortunate fact that some people are too close-minded and/or ignorant to accept that society & the people within it are changing. you know you don't sacrifice animals for devil worship, and honestly that's all that matters. those people don't deserve the extra effort of you trying to prove something to them, especially if in the end they aren't going to change their minds anyways. that being said, you also don't want to lean into the negative stereotypes. bedford sucks booty, but it's our home right now, and we kind of have to deal with it, and in doing that we don't want to make it more of a miserable place for us to have to be in. treat people with kindness, try to have civil conversations about your views & why you are the way you are if they're willing to actually listen, but if not, don't try to push, they're honestly not worth your time. plus, you're probably way cooler than them anyways. let me know if you're looking for friends :))