Not everyone is a 20-minute drive from a queer café, a pride event, or a city full of sapphic social options. A lot of us live in towns where everyone knows everyone, where there's no obvious queer scene, and where the idea of being visibly out carries a different kind of weight.
If that's you, this is worth reading.
Small town doesn't have to mean alone
It would be dishonest to pretend that living rurally doesn't come with extra challenges. When community is tight-knit, the stakes of visibility can feel higher. There may be real and valid reasons you want to take things slowly, and that's entirely your call to make.
But isolation and remoteness are not the same thing. And these days, the gap between them is smaller than it used to be.
Online community is a genuine starting point
Before anything in person, there's the internet, and that's not a consolation prize. For a lot of people in smaller communities, online connection is where they first find language for their experience, meet others who relate, and start to feel less like they're the only one.
Girl Meet Girl is a free community for sapphic women, trans women, and non-binary folk aged 18 and over. It's a low-pressure space to read, ask questions, share, or simply exist among people who get it.
You don't have to introduce yourself straight away. There's no expectation to be outgoing or open before you're ready. Just being in the space is a start.
Join the Girl Meet Girl community here.
In-person events are growing, including in regional areas
Girl Meet Girl picnics are free, sober, low-key meetups held in parks and community spaces. They're already running across cities and regional towns around Australia, and that list keeps growing.
If there's nothing near you yet, it's worth keeping an eye on what's coming up. New locations get added regularly, often driven by where the community is.
No event near you? You could be the one to start it.
This is where it gets interesting.
Girl Meet Girl is built on local Ambassadors — community members who host picnic events in their area. You don't need experience running events. You don't need to be loud or outgoing. You just need to care about creating a space for people like you in your own backyard.
Ambassadors come from all over Australia, including regional towns and smaller communities. If you've ever thought "I wish something like this existed where I live," this is your answer.
All you need to do is fill out the application form.
Find out more and apply to become a GMG Ambassador here.
On being shy in a small town
Shyness and small-town life can make a complicated combination. You might worry about being seen, being recognised, or being the only one. Those feelings are valid.
A few things worth knowing: Girl Meet Girl events are designed to be low pressure. They're sober, held outdoors, and there's no expectation to stay for hours or be anyone other than yourself. A lot of the people who show up are also nervous. You won't be the only one.
And if you're not ready for in-person yet, the online community is there. Start there. Stay there as long as you need.
You don't have to wait for the community to come to you
The GMG community grows because people in towns and suburbs all over Australia decide to be part of it. Whether that means joining online, turning up to a picnic, or eventually hosting one yourself, every step counts.
Your town might be smaller than you'd like. But you don't have to figure this out alone.
Girl Meet Girl is a free sapphic community for women, trans women, and non-binary folk aged 18 and over. Join us here. Interested in hosting events in your area? Become a GMG Ambassador.
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