Country Queers: In Conversation with Rae Garringer

Despite what typical media may have you think, queer people have always been present in rural areas across the US. In 2013, Rae Garringer embarked on the Country Queers oral history project to find and elevate those stories. Part photo book, part memoir, part oral history project, Country Queers paints a vivid portrait of queer and trans experiences in rural areas and small towns across the US, with a special feature of Knoxville's own Elandria Williams. During this event you will be able to pre-order a signed copy of the book ahead of its release on October 8.

About Rae Garringer:

Rae Garringer (they/them) is a writer, oral historian, and audio producer who grew up on a sheep farm in southeastern West Virginia, and now lives a few counties away on S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) and Šaawanwaki (Shawnee) lands. They are the founder of Country Queers, a multimedia oral history project documenting rural and small-town LGBTQIA2S+ experiences since 2013. When not working with stories, Rae spends a lot of time failing at keeping goats in fences, swimming in the river, and two-stepping around their trailer.