Mainstream framings often equate being LGBTQ+ with being urban, but queer people have always existed in areas of the country considered “rural.” Now, the idealized American value of “rugged individualism” is actively being challenged by diverse queer rural Americans through vibrant community-building.
Author: Rachel M. Schmitz
Rachel M. Schmitz, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of sociology at Oklahoma State University. Her research interests include gender and sexuality, the family, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, and qualitative methods. Her current work emphasizes the voices of multiple marginalized LGBTQ+ young people living in rural regions and their understandings of health.