LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - A study by ‘The Trevor Project’ said LGBTQ youth in rural areas and small towns had slightly greater odds of experiencing symptoms of depression. Nearly half of those kids in rural areas and small towns stated their community was not very accepting of LGBTQ people compared to just over a quarter of those in urban and suburban areas.

One man moved from the Bahamas to the Four-Corners area, hoping to feel accepted in his new community, but he was met with the opposite. With the lack of resources in the area, he moved to Downtown Orlando to get a better quality of life.

Rediscovering a book off the shelf, Cristiano Basden rereads an old chapter from his past.

“The nostalgia is certainly setting in because these books, each one of these books was a world that I lived in [and] that I hid in,” said Basden.

Escaping reality for 17-year-old Basden meant going to the library, after leaving the Bahamas in search for an accepting community.

“I went to Lake County. I came to Lake County wide-eyed and wishful ready to go after the dream. Like life does, it smacked me upside the head. It was not the reality of 2008’s Lake County,” said Basden. 

In his dream, he wouldn’t be the elephant in the room and his sexuality wouldn’t be a topic of discussion. Instead, Basden was met with a similar feeling from his homeland.

“Just like the Bahamas where you don’t fit the mold, it starts to feel a little bit cold, a little bit cold outside, and it started getting a little bit lonely. That’s what it was for me,” said Basden.

And that fairytale for Cristiano soon ended. The closest he could get to that dream was flipping through these pages.

“Every now and again you would get a little bit of representation for the LGBT community or you’d find books like this where they crafted an entire world and narrative where we were a part of a functioning society,” said Basden.

But the lack of acceptance reflects the amount of resources within Lake County. Back in 2008, Basden said there were no resources within the area. Something he learns has changed little.

“It hits even twice as hard, when you think about the fact that we don’t have as much clinics available that are tailored to our communities,” said Basden.

He’s not alone. Danielle Olivani with Lake County PRIDE is setting out to be that change. She said they are the only organization linking the LGBTQ+ community to nearby resources.

“Lake County PRIDE really, really strives to connect people with different agencies, mostly in Orlando around Lake County,” said Olivani.

Olivani said the reason they send people out to Orlando is that there are no resources in Lake County and we checked.

Spectrum News 13 did a computer search looking up LGBTQ resources at Lake County Florida, nothing came up. So we tried LGBTQ clinics, the closest being in Orlando and Kissimmee.

So Basden made another change. Fast-forward three years, he moved to The City Beautiful where there are plenty of rainbows.

“It is a true feeling of not just being welcomed, but of normality. And I think that’s what’s most important,” said Basden.

Here, he has more access to social events, as well as mental and physical healthcare.

“In Orlando there are resources in every direction, literally. I can think of health clinics that are specifically caters to the LGBTQ community where you can go in an get private testing done and it wouldn’t cost you a dime,” said Basden.

As he reflects on his life, he can’t help but think there may be another 17-year-old getting lost in books, hoping to escape their reality.

“One key thing you notice in these stories that we read is that somebody, at some point, decides no more. Something gotta change. So for me, life is not perfect, but it’s certainly a lot better and I smile a lot more,” said Basden.

If you’re a resident in Lake County, reach out to Lake County Pride for resources and support groups.

Also, let your voice be heard at commissioners’ and city council meetings.