5 ⭐ CW: Homophobia/transphobia, discussions of violence, discussions of AIDS/HIV, suicide mentions, discussions of racism 

Country Queers: A Love Letter by Rae Garringer is a nonfiction collection that is the culmination of a multimedia oral history project.  I was lucky enough to attend a book event being hosted in my tiny rural town, where I got to meet Rae, hear their story, and listen to audio clips from a few of the interviews they did for the project. This was a book I didn't know I needed, and reaffirms how important the work I do with Downeast Rainbow Alliance is. 

Rae came from the country in West Virginia, and never really saw or talked about queerness until they moved away. Many people, including myself, who grow up and live in very rural areas never heard of queerness being talked about, and therefore didn't know it existed.  Country Queers was a way for Rae to find these people that very much do exist, and get their stories and perspectives. So much of queer representation and conversation happens in cities, and it can make those of us living rurally feel like we are alone. That we are the only ones. Country Queers shows us that that isn't true. 

Rae interviewed many people between 2013-2023 about their lives and experiences. I love that this wasn't just a book about queer suffering and how hard it is to be queer in a rural place. It showed how much joy there is in living in the country and among people you've known your whole life. There was such a love of place in this book. Rae also sprinkled in full color photos of people and landscapes along with bits of ephemera from their travels. It was so raw and emotional what these people shared. The ups and downs and mundanities of life. 

Rae was also honest about their own biases as a white documentarian. They made sure to acknowledge what they didn't know and what blind spots they had, and the inherent power dynamics therein. I thought this was handled with such respect and dignity. Though most of the people interviewed are from the rural South and southwest, and I am from Maine, I have never felt more seen. I would love to see more rural queerness depicted. We don't all live in cities, and we all don't want to move to cities. 

I highly encourage queer people to pick this book up, especially if you are a rural or country queer. I also encourage those that aren't queer to pick this up, especially if you think queer people don't exist or can't exist where you are. What a great book to end the year on. Thank you Rae Garringer. 

For more information on the oral history project, buy the book, or to listen to the Country Queers Podcast, visit https://www.countryqueers.com/ .