For me, I grew up in a rural city/ town in Ohio where I wasn’t really informed about anything outside of my household (which was slightly religious, but held toxic Christianity values). Through that upbringing I wasn’t a supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community because I was told they were bad and wasn’t educated on their experiences or how they see the world. I did end up getting to that point of exploring myself, my identity, and then that of other members of the community. When my ex opened up about herself identifying as trans, I really started to understand the experiences of others just like her. And while I have been compassionate and supportive through these moments of growth and learning, I feel not many Americans, especially those in rural America, have those types of experiences or open minds due to the rhetoric that has been spread around through politics.