I promise you, you're talking to someone who was in the same boat. I grew up in rural Tennessee, buckle of the bible belt, and I was an incredibly outspoken liberal. I thought everyone hated me, and to an extent quite a few did, but there are always kindred spirits if you're not completely on the fringe yourself.

It really wasn't until my last year of high school that I discovered Cookeville's not just a bunch of rednecks and bible-thumpers---there are a lot of truly GOOD PEOPLE HERE.

I think a big part of people's problems, beyond all that, is that they think they need to find peers with completely similar interests. None of my friends are in fandom, and it IS a thing I have to conceal with certain people, but honestly? That is life. I love my friends and would do anything for them, but no relationship is perfect.