Rural communities are frequently imagined as incompatible with Queer identities, while urban spaces are framed as sites of safety, visibility, and belonging. Although millions of LGBTQ+ individuals live in rural regions, scholarship often focuses on the outcomes of migration rather than the social processes shaping movement and belonging across place. This study explores rural-to-urban migration through the lived experiences of Queer men raised in rural communities in the United States.

Using a qualitative narrative case study, the research draws on two semi-structured interviews with six participants who grew up in rural Wisconsin and later relocated to urban areas. Data were analyzed through the lens of Social Identity Theory to examine how identity development unfolds across time and geographic contexts.

Six themes emerged across the migration experience. Within rural contexts, participants described attachment and ambivalence toward rural life, navigating rural structures and norms, and mobility and search for belonging. Following migration, participants reflected on evolving identity across place and time, negotiating Queer community in urban contexts, and envisioning social sustainability for Queer life.

These findings informed a framework of Queer social sustainability consisting of three interconnected dimensions: individual belonging (the ability to feel safe, visible, and affirmed), community viability (the capacity of communities to retain and support Queer residents), and institutional responsibility (the role of healthcare, education, and policy in shaping inclusive environments). Together, the findings suggest that Queer migration reflects not only a search for belonging, but tied directly to a broader challenge for the social and economic sustainability of rural communities.