I need some advice. turtle and I are taking a few weeks off and heading down south to do some camping. I don't shave anything and haven't for years, but I'm debating doing so so we won't get hassled. We don't necessarily register as lesbians unless you're very perceptive :loveeyes: and I'd really like to avoid getting crap if possible.

We're going to spend some time at a campground and set out from there to do some back-country stuff.

WWYD? Shave? Or no?

TIA.

Where exactly are you going to camp? It seems like in a big national park (i.e. Great Smoky Mountains) there will be lots of people from all over, so you'd probably stand out less. In a smaller park more peopled with locals, you might stand out more.

Go as yourself, I doubt you'll have any problems (I'm in Texas, and frequently visit relatives in Arkansas & Georgia). Besides, campgrounds/hiking trails are frequented by earthy, natural types, both het and homo! :wink

i say don't shave. but thats me and i don't shave.

Well I'm from "down south" and wouldn't bat an eye at someone unshaven. Neither would dh. And believe me its hot here and we see all types in all stages of dress/undressed.

I probably wouldn't shave myself, but I think you should if you think it would make you feel more comfortable. Dw drove across the country a few years ago with a friend of ours who had been harassed a lot as a young queer, and our friend was constantly giving dw a hard time about "flaunting" her unshaven self about. Dw later wished that she had just given in and shaved herself clean for the trip since it would have made it a much more enjoyable experience.

HTH!

Lex

Thanks for the input. We're going to be on some islands off the coast of Georgia, and spending some time in state and national parks (I think--turtle's planning the trip).

I lean heavily toward not shaving, myself, but wanted to check in with a wider group to see whether my gut's telling me the right thing to do or whether it's telling me that I need to get out of the pasty white north more often so I know what the heck to do for real. :lol

Hey, frog. I live here. Don't shave....the islands of Georgia are beautiful. Have fun.

If you go to the Florida beaches, there's kind of a beautiful people thing going on. So people might notice the not shaving, but won't necessarily associate it with dyke-li-ness.

Thanks, chfriend. :)

I'm from the south and I say Don't shave!!

I'm orig from the US South and I don't shave either. Neither did my mom's best friend when I was a kid. Don't worry about it, I say.

I received a PM about this thread, part of which I wanted to address here, just in case anyone else is wondering the same sorts of things:

I don't think southerners are "backwards" or "hicks" or fundamentally any more likely or unlikely to hassle us than anyone else. turtle and I have both vacationed in the south before and, clearly, loved it enough to want to do it again.

I'd ask these sorts of questions about any area where we were planning to do backcountry camping where neither turtle nor I have been before--it just happens that, this time, it's down south.

Sorry if I raised anyone else's hackles about this--that wasn't at all my intention.

No problem hon!

Hey frog, even if someone did misinterpret your question, I think you have every right to be concerned about traveling to any part of the US that has lots of conservative, anti-gay policies. And I'm saying this as someone crazy enough to live in VA. We actually have friends that live in MD, but won't spend any money in VA because of the laws. I can't blame them.
:duck: Meredith

There is a lovely lesbian/queer family friendly campground in North Georgia right on the Etowah River that's definitely worth checking out, and it's the sort of environment where you can take a break from worrying about any in-the-forest homophobes (not that I've ever encountered any in the woods, and I'm from Georgia). The campground's called Swiftwaters. They probably have a website.

Oh, and I'm with everyone else. Don't shave.

Hey, frog. I live here. Don't shave....the islands of Georgia are beautiful. Have fun.

If you go to the Florida beaches, there's kind of a beautiful people thing going on. So people might notice the not shaving, but won't necessarily associate it with dyke-li-ness.

Yeah :nod we just came back from Fla and ITA. No clue about the islands, though. I suppose I'd google the area and look at all the tourist propaganda to see how "natural" vs "pretty" it is.

have fun :)

I am Canadian, I don't shave either. I think I have always paired unshaven legs with that more earthy natural type girl, as oposed to immediately pairing it with lesbians. I think you should be just fine, not that I have ever been there or have a clue what I am talking about, or anything.

I should go to bed now.:o

Hey frog, even if someone did misinterpret your question, I think you have every right to be concerned about traveling to any part of the US that has lots of conservative, anti-gay policies. And I'm saying this as someone crazy enough to live in VA. We actually have friends that live in MD, but won't spend any money in VA because of the laws. I can't blame them.
:duck: Meredith

:yeah:

and I grew up and now live *south* of Virginia

I'm hetero and I don't shave much at all.

When I was not dating (there were NO good chioces available) at age 18 a friend asked me if maybe I was into woman? because I hadn't shaved all summer and had no man was her reasoning. I laughed sooooo hard, I said "thank you, no, I'm a hippie, and lazy, and like not having to deal with the long hour of work just to meet some silly beatification ritual."

I must say..I didn't remember until now that it is something people wonder about...I could care less.....european woman hardly ever wear bras, shave or wear perfume. I like europe:wink

Don't shave. Southern girl raised, and loving it, I like my hairy legs more then unhairy ones! ickk the hair gets so scruffy and uncomfy, hubby always tells me he prefers unshaven so he can rub legs because if I shave he gets scratched. Don't make your wife uncomfy over others perception..goodness no. I'd hate it if hubby shaved ....would be awful. especially on vacation when we're just relaxing and spending romance time together.

We had a FABULOUS time. I didn't shave and there weren't really any problems. We were once very carefully denied service at a restaurant, but it's hard to say WTH their problem was, exactly. We simply went to another place and had a great meal.

Thanks for your input and support! :thumb

ETA: There are photos and trip details (including the name of the place where we didn't get dinner--power to the people!) on the blog (and there are more to come), if you're interested.