We Live Here : The MidWest …. how LGBTQ+ families quality of life is threatened in the US heartlands

 

At Queerguru we have always been very aware of the fact that the trio of places we are based/live i.e. Miami Beach, Provincetown, and London enables our queer lives to be both comfortable and overwhelmingly welcoming.  Even as the political climate seems to be shifting away at times now.  Even though we are aware of how extremely fortunate we are in being able to enjoy such a quality of queer life, it is still nevertheless shocking  to be reminded that not everyone in the LGBTQ+ community is no way as near as fortunate

This is exactly what a new upcoming documentary by Melinda Maerker does so eloquently.  “We Live Here: The Midwest.”  follows families from the Midwest who would like to stay but face challenges because of who they are. They are having to deal with a rising tide of discrimination and hate in their churches, schools, and even their own neighborhood,  They include a trans/queer family with five children in Iowa who must find a new community after being expelled from their church; a gay Black couple with a young daughter test the line of acceptance in Nebraska; a lesbian couple homeschool their bullied son on a farm in Kansas; a gay teacher in Ohio creates a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students; and a couple in Minnesota struggles to rebuild their families following both of their transitions\

This MUST SEE  film is a wake-up call for all of us who may have read in the media about issues like this but to see it up close like this is beyond scary. The documentary captures a crucial time when anti-queer legislation and sentiment is rapidly multiplying across the country, and the values of all midwestern families are put to the ultimate test.

Available on Hulu December 6, 2023