I lived in Nashville for 16 years. There was a thriving LGBTQ community there within a relatively progressive populous. I was active in Music Row Democrats and had a good personal relationship with my Dem. U.S. Congressman, Jim Cooper.

Meanwhile, the state legislature took an entire session to pass a law to legalize open carry in bars and restaurants. This bill, which only affected the 3% of TN's population who wanted the freedom to pack heat into public places, was vetoed by Gov. Bredesen... and then the state legislature spent the rest of the session debating and ultimately overriding the Gov's veto.

So, yes, there are queer and trans folks in every state, and progressives, too... BTW, Jim Cooper's Nashville-centric congressional district was gerrymandered in 2020 to make it impossible for another Democrat to get elected in what had been a solidly Dem district for decades. And, as I'm sure you know, the TN state legislature is busy drafting and passing laws to further suppress and marginalize queer and trans folks from living their truth openly.