Interesting! The West Virginia situation vis a vis queer people sounds like it might be somewhat analogous to rural New England.

It's sort of the opposite there, meaning that people often presume small-town New Englanders are traditionally liberal, quite progressive.

In my experience, this is not precisely true. Traditionally, New Englanders instead tend to be stubborn devotees of personal liberty. That can confuse outside political organizers, who tend not to understand the difference.

It sounds like you're saying West Virginia is a bit similar.

Thank you for writing this. I found it very illuminating!