What's It Like To Be A Democrat Or Progressive Living In A Conservative State?

Recently, I've written a couple of pieces about people living in red states who oppose conservative policies, like this woman who's running for office after being denied an abortion and this immune-compromised woman who's speaking out about a proposed ban on medical masks in public. I feel really honored to share their stories with more people and show that red states aren't a monolith.

So, if you're a non-conservative who lives in a Republican-leaning state, I'd love to hear from you about your experiences and things you wish more people in blue states understood about your life.

Maybe you have a personal story about running up against a regressive law — like an anti-trans bathroom bill, abortion ban, drag ban, or voter's rights issue — that always shocks people in more Democratic-leaning states when you share it.

Or perhaps you're fed up to high heaven with people saying you should "just leave" your home state. It's not that simple or affordable for you to just pack up your whole life and move somewhere else, far away from everyone you love. Plus, even if you could leave, there are so many others who can't. It's not easy, but you're proud to stay in your state and fight for what you believe in.

Or maybe you wish more people understood that every state is more purple than it is wholly red or blue. There are cities in your state that lean largely to the left, and rural areas in states we think of as being more liberal that vote in very conservative ways. It's much more complicated and nuanced than the election night maps make it seem.

Share your experiences in the comments below or via this anonymous form, and you could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.