Tag: Being Queer in Conservative States
This project is becoming a book.
Explore more of these journeys in Northern Lights, Northern Lives.
→ Pre-order on Kickstarter with a late pledge to be part of bringing it to life.
-
Shua’s Journey: From Conservative Politics to Building Queer Community in D.C.

Shua’s story traces an unexpected path from conservative politics in the South to opening Spark Social House, one of D.C.’s newest queer-centered hubs. Our conversation explored her growth, her embrace of being a trans female and her ongoing search for safety, authenticity, and community in a shifting political climate.
jaymedrew
All the Genders stories, LGBTQ+ Intersectional Experiences, LGBTQ+ Voices of Color, Transgender StoriesBeing Queer in Conservative States, LGBTQ D.C., LGBTQ in the South, LGBTQ People of Color, LGBTQ Voices of Color, LGBTQ Washington D.C., Queer Community, Queer D.C., Southern LGBTQ Voices, Trans Feminine, Trans Voices of Color, Transgender, Transgender Japanese American, Transgender Woman, Urban Queers -
The Queer Heart of Ohio: Why Columbus might be the Queerest MidWest City

Columbus, Ohio surprised me with its vibrant, deeply layered queer community. From crashing Pride parties to documenting radical self-love, I met people reshaping what it means to belong. This post explores faith, gender, sex work, and joy in one of the Midwest’s most unexpectedly queer and welcoming urban centers.
-
Tending the Hearth: A Nonbinary Life Rooted in Appalachian Pride and Self-Actualization

In the quiet mountains of southern West Virginia, Dakota is building a life that defies easy categories. Nonbinary, deeply Appalachian, and fiercely rooted in community, they have carved out a space where gender diversity is not just endured, but celebrated – sometimes in quietly content solitude. Dakota’s story is about more than survival — it’s…
-
Why Alaska to Start an LGBTQ Project Celebrating Gender?

More than once, I’ve been told that Alaska is where you go to get away from the rest of the world’s noise—its politics, its hustle, its expectations. It’s a place where people carve out space to live on their own terms. That’s exactly what drew me back here for a second time, not just for…