Tag: LGBTQ+ in Rural Areas
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Juxtapositions of West Virginia: From Ghost Towns to Quirky, Queer Corners
West Virginia is a wild and wonderful set of juxtapositions, from abandoned and active coal mining towns to quiet queer corners of small urban hubs…
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Whitehorse: The Center of Canada’s Most Trans-Inclusive 2SLGBTQ+ Rights
When I first pictured Canada’s most progressive places for 2SLGBTQ+ rights and healthcare, my mind didn’t jump to the Yukon. I imagined the urban sophistication of Vancouver, or the sprawling diversity of Toronto. But Whitehorse—tucked deep in the boreal heart of the North—quickly unraveled those assumptions. The Yukon Territory isn’t just breathtaking wilderness and wide…
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Dawson City: A Gold Rush Town with a Touch of Queer Magic
What’s a queer photographer doing chasing drag shows and northern lights just 150 miles shy of the Arctic Circle? I took a 600-mile detour to Dawson City, Yukon — a quirky, gold rush town with a surprisingly vibrant queer pulse, off-grid living, and a zero-bigots, lots-of-joy vibe.
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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…
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Quietly Queer in the Arctic
North of Fairbanks lies vast wilderness, quiet queerness, and the rugged road to the Arctic—where industry and isolation shape Alaska.
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Inside Fairbanks, Alaska: Queer Histories, Off-Grid Living, and a Moose/Car Collision
Fairbanks is a city of contradictions—military and tourism-driven, yet brimming with underground art and Native culture; a hub of environmental research with some of the worst air quality in the country; home to burlesque fire dancers and centuries-old queer identities reclaimed by Alaska Native people. In this post, I reflect on the wild beauty, culture…
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Being Queer in the Mat-Su Valley: “Be Careful Up There”
Just north of Anchorage, Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley and Eagle River are known for stunning landscapes—and a reputation for being less welcoming to LGBTQ+ folks. In this post, I share a tense encounter with a neighbor that reflects some of the hostility queer people still face in these regions. From rainbow flyers being torn down to…
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The Fairies Guarding Soldotna Pride: LGBTQ+ Visibility, Protest, and Community
Pride in small-town Alaska is never just a celebration—it’s also a protest and a powerful act of visibility. In the small town of Soldotna, I joined hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and allies for a joyful 1.7-mile march through town. It was beautiful—and at times tense. A local business owner attempted to antagonize Pride attendees, hoping…
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Homer, Alaska: A Queer Haven at the End of the Road
Alaska often feels like the biggest small town in the world—and nowhere is that more true than in Homer, a breathtaking coastal village at the southern tip of Alaska’s central road system. On my very first visit, I met a warm-hearted queer ally who became my first friend in Alaska. From that moment, Homer’s incredible…
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Underground Rainbows of SouthEast Alaska: LGBTQ+ Resilience in Remote Towns
In Haines, Alaska—a lush, postcard-perfect town nestled between glacier-fed inlets and dramatic peaks—I was met with surprising resistance. Rainbow flyers for the photo project promoting LGBTQ+ visibility were declined, and the community’s queer presence felt like a whispered secret. Still, even in this small town of 1,600, connection found a way: a hushed tip led…