Podcast | A journey into the queer communities of conservative America
Trans author Samantha Allen took to the road in search of LGBT communities in the American South. She found them.
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Samantha Allen talks with David Schmader about her book, “Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States.” (Photos by Stephanie McGuire/Aowyn Photography for Crosscut)
The movement for LGBT rights has gained a lot of traction around the country, but there are still some places that remain unfriendly or unsafe for the queer community. Often, those places are in the more conservative parts of America. But transgender author and journalist Samantha Allen found something different when she traveled through middle America in 2017. She discovered thriving communities and havens for people of all genders and orientations. For this episode of the Crosscut Talks podcast, we invited Allen to discuss her new book, Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States, as well as her journey from Mormon missionary to openly trans woman. She is joined by David Schmader, a Seattle-based writer and performer whose work often explores queer life. The conversation was recorded on May 4, 2019, at Seattle University as part of the Crosscut Festival.
Note: This episode contains adult language. A bleeped version is available below.
