So I got homework from my therapist for the week, she really wants me to connect with other queer people on a wider level, like going to pride or something like that. She also told me I should ask here, she thinks Hexbear is really cool. As someone who was raised as a christian in a heavy red state, I've never been socialized with other queer people. I have no idea where to go to meet more queer people. I feel like this is my entry stage into organizing. What do y'all do?
To add to the other advice here I'd also try events that either skew queer or that are specifically for queer people.
There is probably a social group or activity group near you that meets up regularly which is for queer people, it's just a matter of finding it.
If you can't find one the the next thing would be to look for events that attract queer people. Conventions tend to (not necessarily fandom cons either - I've never been to a tattoo convention or event but I would expect to find more openly queer people there than at a farmer's market [although you never know...]) You could also try roller derby or theatre groups and things like that which tend to attract a queer crowd. It's not guaranteed that you'll find a ton of queer people in these spaces but often when the community is smaller or underground then you usually only need one or two social connections to a queer person to have your foot in the door so you get invited along to informal meetups with other queer people in your region, so just be on the lookout for another queer person that you can strike up a conversation with to ask them where all the queers are hiding.
To expand on this a little, you could also try getting a bit more involved in a music scene that is either open to queer people (punk, lots of metal) or artists/bands that are queer because the community tends to turn out for them.
I'd also recommend flying the flag(s), stealthily if you need to keep yourself safe. But that T-shirt with the subtle rainbow on it or a bracelet/necklace with the right colour beads are going to signaling to the right people what's up. Also remember to be open to people who seem to approach you out of the blue to strike up a conversation with you because there's a chance they are also queer and they've clocked you as queer so they're trying to forge a connection. (My oblivious arse would immediately jump to "Who are you and why are you subjecting me to small talk??" in this situation lol.) There are also some cool stealth pride images you can get as bumper stickers or keychains and stuff. You could slap one of these on a laptop and leave it visible while you hang out in a cafe or similar public place and see if anyone strikes up a conversation with you, e.g.: