I feel like I am not queer enough to be in queer spaces. Is that a thing?

Question

I do not look the part, my story is quiet, and everyone seems to know each other. I keep standing at the edge of meetups wondering if someone is going to ask what I am doing here.

Devon · Accepted Answer

Everyone felt like the new person once — organizers especially love first-timers who show up at all. Try the sentence "this is my first time here" and watch doors open; it is the one thing you can say that nobody can misread as you claiming to be a regular.

Noor · Answer

Nobody handed me a credential either. You are not a guest in your own community — there is no bouncer checking how many years you have been here or how you dress. The feeling is real but it is imposter syndrome wearing a Pride lanyard, not a fact about you.