Real Queer America

Real Queer America

Adult nonfiction
"Real Queer America is an attempt to document what's actually
happening in the 'real America' that more and more LGBT people are
calling home--to capture some of the progressive cultural shifts that
people on the coasts don't read enough about in a media environment
that focuses mostly on a handful of of horrific incidents and
regressive laws."
Not that there aren't horrific incidents and dumb ass regressive
laws in the states that many of us write off as flyovers. Samantha
Allen, journalist and author of Real Queer America, spends lots of
time covering crappy legislation like bathroom bills. What she'd like
us to realize is that states and cities aren't as monochromatically
red or blue as the press and politicians would have us think.
"We LGBT people are already everywhere. We are born at the same
unstoppable pace in every state--North, South, red, blue--and to every
household, religious or not...and not every LGBT person born into a
conservative part of America wants to get out."
Allen proves her hypothesis in the most delightful way. She
takes readers on a tour of some places in pretty conservative states
that have vibrant LGBT populations and introduces us to folks who have
no intention of fleeing for the bright lights (and higher costs) of
New York City or California.
*In Provo, Utah there's Encircle, a vibrant LGBT youth and family
center, partly funded by Mormans, in easy sight of a temple.
"Encircle is here only because people care enough Utah to stay--
or to come back. Adam Sims, a twenty-five-year-old gay Utahan and
natural-food-store owner who volunteers at Encircle in his spare time,
tells me he was born here and never wants to move."
*New Hope, Texas has an openly transgender mayor.
"Jess told me that the people of her town don't seem to care
about what name she goes by or what gender pronouns she uses; they
care about eliminating public eyesores, like the rusty cars sitting on
cinderblocks that some residents have left on their lawns."
And those are just two examples. I know from taking this
journey. I bet you will too.
On a purrrsonal note, for me, this long weekend was long. I had fun
Saturday working brunch shift--doing tables and talking to lots of new
students. Then I came back to a catless home (which was even emptier
because Eugene had gone to camp.) I slogged along cleaning and
writing. So many things brought back memories like when I put Joey's
toys in the shed. And today's rain brought back a day when Joey was
still doing really well and we spent much of it curled up on the bed
in Adam's old room. Honestly the only thing I looked forward to was
my nightly hard lemonade. I was totally ambushed by a few minutes of
happiness today, though, because of a surprise discovery. I found two
cross stitch pieces. One is a bear drinking coffee. The other is a
detailed cup of coffee and biscotti. They were made for coffee cups.
I had two plastic cups with room for art. I made them up and they
look lovely. After I was happy, though, I was exhausted, as if the
emotion had drained all the energy out of me.
I have the backpack Adam and Asia gave me all packed for tomorrow.
Great big shout outs go out to returning and new UMaine students, Adam
and Asia, and the best little cat in the world without whom I'm only
half me.
jules hathaway


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