Most people say that when they come out, regardless of where they live, they feel as if a big weight has been lifted. But there are certainly some areas of the country that have a precedent for making it harder for some than others.

After seeing this article form Avert about what it’s like to come out, I couldn’t help but think about how the experience differs based on a person’s location.

Now, full disclosure: I’m straight. So, given my limited knowledge and preconceived notions of other areas of the country, this is just what I would imagine would happen if I were coming out, and every area mentioned proved to be as they’re stereotyped.

The Midwest
The majority of my extended family comes from the Midwest. If I had to describe them in one word, it would be polite. They’re not particularly boisterous and they don’t typically express passionate opinions on social issues. I have to imagine that if I came out to them, they’d still love me of course, and that the rest of the population in the average-sized towns would be tolerable, but that’s about all the support I think would be mustered. The whole event would be swept under the rug, never to be mentioned again. I wouldn’t be shunned, but I certainly wouldn’t embraced.

Mountain West
I’ve never been anywhere in this region so my assumption based on research is that, outside of major cities like Denver, coming out here probably wouldn’t be terribly dramatic. In my head, you can go a couple days without even seeing your neighbors, so the first one you would say “I’m gay” out-loud to would probably be, like a deer or something.

Pacific West
I’d have to image states that line the Pacific would be some of the most accepting. Anywhere in California is likely to be especially reasonable. As Adam & Eve points out here, “California always seems to play significant roles in LGBT Civil Right Movements.” I sincerely hope that coming out there is like one of those gender reveal parties you see on Pinterest, but instead of the pink or blue balloons representing the sex of your baby, it’s which sex you’re attracted to…

Then there’s also places like Portland, which once held the title of the largest U.S. city with openly gay mayor, Sam Adams. Plus if the area is anything like it’s portrayed in Portlandia, all kinds seem welcome. All kinds.

New England
Given that the state was the first state to legalize gay marriage, Vermont (and the entire New England/Northeast area by association) has always been significantly connected with LGBT rights. That makes me think that if I were to tell the majority of people there that I was gay, they would say something like “that’s lovely, dear” and move on.

The Mid-Atlantic
This area is unique because it contains Washington D.C., which is home to one of the largest percentages of the population that identifies as LGBT, according to Slate. I imagine telling anyone you’re gay in D.C. would be the same as telling them that you had cereal for breakfast—they’d stare at you blankly and wait for you to finish the rest of your point.

But then again there’s also the rural areas of West Virginia. But because the stereotypes associated with those areas are just too easy, I’m choosing to skip them entirely.

The Southeast
Now, this is an area that I’ve grown up in. I live in a well built-up area, but it’s less than an hour drive from the sticks. One trend that I’ve seen, which you can likely associate with most other areas across the county, is that a majority of the discontent for people who identify as LGBT seems to come from an older generation, who usually aren’t found in the more heavily populated places of the cities. While I’m sure it’s hard for someone to come out in any small town, I’d guess it’s more difficult for those in areas below the Bible Belt that still house strong religious beliefs. It’s an assumption reiterated by politician Chad Griffin, who wrote about this experience for NPR.

In most cases the bigger the city, the more openminded and accepting the people are. However, when grandma comes around, I’d probably have to pretend that my partner is just a roommate—no point in having grandma’s unexpected heart attack on my conscience.

If you’ve stuck with the article this long, you might be feeling a few different things. If you can appreciate the humor, well, that’s. If you’re angry at the way that your area was portrayed, that’s even better. Let it serve as an example of what happens when people make assumptions on what they don’t know. If there’s anything that we should be able to learn from the progress of the LGBT community, it’s that you shouldn’t judge.

But better yet, educate me. Let me know if you believe that your coming out story was at all influenced by your area, otherwise I’m just going to continue believing that livestock are always the first to know if someone’s gay in the Mountain West.

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