Josh, He/They
"I founded Fairy Forest to provide a sanctuary for childhood and a safe harbor for queer families and our allies. Play is a gift, it's an amazing thing hardwired into our brains as children that allows us to learn at a rapid pace and remain interested and focused. Our job as early ed teachers is to scaffold play experiences that allow children to dive further into their play. Many of us as young queer children were dismissed as "dramatic", "over the top", or told to "tone it down", "man up", or "act like a lady". Those homophobic messages often started young - when our brains were still developing. I want to help create a space where all children feel safe and secure to be themselves and explore all the facets of their infinitely complex selves - and have a lot of fun along the way."
Aru, She/Her
“To be “queer” was to be an anti-imperialist, and yet somewhere along the way “Queer” was stripped of its political content, left to stand as a mere personal identity. To “be queer” now means to be a particular kind of consumer; and while I’ve only lived in this country for three years, this transformed American “Queer” (one of your hottest cultural exports) is one that I’m deeply familiar with. To all abroad, this new “Queer” tries to convince us that liberation lies in the consumption of U.S products, and to us within, that to “liberate them” we ought to defend U.S and its allies’ interest everywhere in the world.
But this is not what “Queer” has always meant— and it is not what it has to keep on meaning. Leslie Feinberg reminds us that before the rainbow flag, The Gay Liberation Front flew the flag of North Vietnam. For them, anti-imperialism was part and parcel of queerness. The Palestinian cause has once again captured the attention of the world, and rightly so. Palestine and its people are bravely fighting against a settler colony— maintained by the one we pay taxes to— that has for decades sought to dispossess them of their land. We, in response, must stand in solidarity with them, and while we do so remember that this is but one of the many times we have done so, and one of the many times we will need to do so still.”
Samuel, He/Him
"Having recently turned 29 and entered the last year of my 20s, I have been reflecting on the past decade of my life. I started my 20s as a gay man who — having been raised on a small farm in rural Appalachia — slowly embraced his gay identity. In college, I found a community and family who loved and supported me — all of me. It changed my life, literally. What I suspected then I know with certainty now: New England is home. We are not bound to where we are from; we can choose where we call “home.” In January 2021, I said goodbye to the farm and threw my belongings into the bed of my Tacoma and drove North. I can vividly remember seeing the “Welcome Home” sign at the state line for the first time. Those two words are so powerful, and they have real meaning. I moved into the only available apartment in Gardiner, and then I started working for the Maine State Legislature. I eventually found a place in Augusta, which is where I live and work now. Maine is home. I belong here, and I belong to this beautiful queer community that I found on Instagram. During the darkest days of the pandemic, this community was a bright spot. It reminded me that we aren’t alone, even while we had to self-isolate and socially distance ourselves. In Maine, there are rainbow banners and flags in the small towns and the big cities — and everywhere in between. Just this year, I shared my personal story before the Augusta City Council so that we could have a Pride crosswalk in the capital city. Statewide, we have strong laws to protect us. We have representation in the State House. We have dignity and respect and worth. For these reasons, I am optimistic about the next decade of my life — in this place I choose to call “home.”
Lauren, She/They
“To be a queer Black woman & alive is an act of resistance. I have just swallowed the sun. I have just put the words Black and queer in my mouth at the same time. One of those words has been lodged in my throat for half a decade— they taste good together. They surprise me, by sharing the space in my smile.”
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Lauren is an engineer + poet living in Portland, ME. She loves her cats (Bean & Boone), her Subaru, and golfing. Lauren’s work is featured in Barrelhouse, Empty Mirror, Across the Margin, Homology Lit, and more. Her debut chapbook “You’re My Favorite” won the 2023 Maine Literary Award for Book of Poetry, and is out now with Thirty West Publishing.”
Nathan, Any Pronouns
“I was raised by a large community of family, friends, teachers, and community members. They each instilled different virtues that I carry with me today. The overarching theme of their wisdom was that of unwavering support for one another. Having a community to fall back on and help you through life is an invaluable asset that I will forever cherish. There is power in this type of community, both small and big. I think that’s what lead me to idealize government. The collective notion that we can work together to support one another through victories and losses. While I’m not blind to money, political games, and general greed working against this system, I still see hope. I envision a democracy that can lift all boats, that can protect those most vulnerable, that can work toward recognizing and repairing the harms that the whole system has been built on. I truly believe this is all possible. I think to make these ideals a reality we must be compassionate to one another. We must rally and uplift those unheard and left out. We must act on our values and be part of the moving the needle forward. We can do better. We must do better. We can do it, together.”
Mark, He/Him
I've been a full-time Mainer now for 3.5 years, after vacationing here for almost 10 years prior, and I haven't missed my past city life that much. Maine is an inspiring state with so much to see, and New England helps my creative juices flow. I've worked in entertainment my whole life, so I luckily have been around queer people for years, but I didn't become fully settled with my sexuality until my mid 20s, once I was in a committed, loving, supportive relationship that led to marriage, and now I can't imagine not being part of the queer club. I'm an indie filmmaker and casting director based in Kittery, and I like to include queer characters in my short films and often push for queer actors to audition for roles I'm casting. My latest short film Your Last Summer is very queer, coastal, and creepy, and I have ideas for more queer-centric horror films to make in the area. I'm also a podcaster and host a show called Release Date Rewind that you can find on your favorite podcast app, on YouTube, and on Portland Media Center's Channel 5. I'm happy to add my trivia-loving gay perspective to the film podcast community as friends and I discuss favorite movies and TV series of any genre from the past that are celebrating milestone anniversaries. My years in casting led me to also become an acting coach, so I teach classes and workshops all over southern Maine and online. Some of my acting students have not only secured an agent or manager after working with me, but went on to book roles in films and TV series throughout the east coast, from Apple TV+ to Nickelodeon, from Saturday Night Live to Sesame Street, which makes me even more proud. You can support my work at linktr.ee/mjp_pov.
Hale, They/Them
“I studied and started a career in public health and quickly learned my passion for healthy communities is better served through making art. I make paintings and sculptures of ppl and am curious about increasing opportunities for collaboration in my creative practice. My greatest interest rn is building community and manifesting a better future through collaborative art making. When im not creating, i can be found teaching yoga or hiking/rock climbing. Rock climbing and yoga can be intimidating spaces to access, if you want to try these out with a friendly face present, pls reach out! I feel so lucky to have landed in a place with a vibrant creative and queer community, within easy access of wilderness.”
Marianne, She/Her
"I feel like I'm going through two transitions at the same time--becoming a woman and becoming a mother. My partner and I decided to have a child shortly after I accepted myself as trans, at the age of 33, and came out. When our baby was born, I had been on hormones for five months. Transition, in my experience, vastly expands your world. It opens new possibilities, of the person you can be, the things you can do, and the relationships you can form. Parenthood, on the other hand, dramatically narrows the scope of your life down to a focus on one tiny, amazing person. These two experiences can be incredibly difficult to reconcile, but I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I am so proud to be a trans mama and to discover what motherhood, as well as womanhood, means to me. I'm grateful that I can share this discovery with my incredible wife who brought our child into the world, and I am more motivated than ever to make a better world for our little one to grow up in."
George, He/Him and Howard, He/Him
“George, he/him, 77 & Howard, he/him, 81. Yin–Yang meets introvert–extrovert: cook–artist, scientist–jokester, dancer–tai chi practitioner, linguist–historian, New Orleans Italian–Western PA Jew. We met each other late in life, navigating our aging selves apart and then together—winked online in 2009, married since 2020. Each year we get closer to our truth as individuals and as a couple. George wants to create community through the synchronous movement of line dancing and preparing food at community meals; Howard wants to move a community emotionally through his collage art as well as his gay activism and knowledge of Jewish history. We move each other through love and devotion. The luck and privilege of our personal lives, and our many years as teachers, demand that we support equality and justice. We’re heartened by the current generations’ activism and commitment.”
Keith, He/Him
“I think a lot about self-care these days. Like, what does it look like to have a relationship with yourself that feels grounded, safe, and fulfilled? To call in those moments and spaces that create a deeper sense of connection with your truly lovable self? I wouldn't be able to share love without giving it first to myself. Is this a sign that I'm finally growing up, me asking these questions of myself? Who knows. I just know that someone close to me once said, "growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional." So yea, don't let the world snuff out that inner child and your desire to play. We all deserve a chance to play and be joyful. And anyone who says otherwise isn't invited to my next animal onesie themed birthday party."
Victoria, She/Her
“As a movement guide, grief worker, dancer, lover, and disrupter, I take pride in creating and holding spaces where people feel like they can show up exactly as they are. Being queer, and a Black femme, is so much more than any one job I do or labor I create, but more about holding liberation and compassion at the center of how I live my life. When I’m teaching an asana class (as I do at both Portland Yoga Project and Portland Yoga Collective), or sitting in session with a grief client mapping their relationship with a dead loved one, my aim is to allow for the nuance and complication that can be present in group and 1:1 interactions, while considering the greater systemic injustices under which we all live. There is no one way, and embracing our individuality through playfulness is what makes me feel like our political and spiritual work is sustainable! That and pasta. Lots of pasta. Every shape of pasta.”
Charlie, He/Him
"To age gracefully, never turn down a chance to have a drink, make love, or use the bathroom."
Roenick, They/His
"Hi all! My name is Roenick, most call me Roe. I use They/Them/His pronouns and these are my kitties! Blanket (brown tabby) and Brisket (orange tabby) @blanketnbrisket. I live here in portland and go to school at MECA and have for 4 years now. You can find some of my work @roesbud_studio on instagram. I am excited to exist in such a queer friendly city and to meet such lovely queer souls,, it’s just so delightful. I have had the opportunity to sell at queer makers markets in congress square and everyone I have met there has been marvelous. Especially other vendors, making those connections is so beautiful and fulfilling every single time. Alas! Thank you Queerly ME!!"
Greg, He/Him
“I was born and raised on the coast of Belfast. After stints in Boston and Manhattan, I’ve been lucky enough to now call Kittery my home. I've always been a bit of an outsider as it relates to my identity. I was one of only two out gay people in my high school, one of only a dozen or so in college, usually the "only gay guy" at work, and now one of the very few queer business owners in Maine, and definitely the only queer male owner of a candle company in Maine (that I know of - if you're reading this and you fit this description, reach out, let's collab!). I started my own company, Nubble Light Candle, in 2018. I’ve developed my craft of candle-making over years of trial and error in an effort to create the best Maine-made candle. We are now Maine's largest queer-owned candle company! I find inspiration from the natural world, unique Maine experiences, and the culture and traditions of Maine and New England. You can support my queer-owned business by going to nubblelightcandle.com.”
Libby, She/Her
“Stay grateful and stay willing. A life better than we could even imagine is right around the corner. Be kind to yourself first, find something you’re passionate about, don’t be afraid to ask for help and keep showing up as your authentic self. We are worthy of our most expansive & magnetic life. This is our story - hit ‘em with a plot twist whenever we want.” CEO @ladyshuckers.
Thea, She/They
“I was born and raised in Maine and for a long time didn't have the language or space to come to terms with my queerness. Laughter and joy have been a big part of my never ending journey and I'm a firm believer in the healing power of laughter. I feel the most present and whole in my body when I am moving, creating and expressing myself in ways that feel joyful to me. I'm grateful for my amazing friends and community who help me feel free to be myself.”
Steve, He/Him
“Currently working on an event marking the 50th anniversary of the controversial founding of the Wilde-Stein Club at the University of Maine at Orono. We were a feisty group of small-town college students caught up in the wave of activism after Stonewall. Friday, October 13th at 2:00 p.m. in the McIntire Room of the Buchanan Alumni House at UMO. Wilde-Steiners and friends representing five decades of work will gather in celebration. Much accomplished, so much more to do.”
Alyson, She/Her
“Did you know that mice can fit through a hole the size of a pencil eraser? Now you do! Hi, I’m a queer creative who lives in Portland. When I’m not teaching preschool art I am either making my own art or modeling for photographers and figure drawing classes. I love connecting with new people and making weird art in this strange world.”
Lex
“Stereotypes and standards of heteronormativity through a white patriarchal gaze oftentimes limit our ideas of what femininity and queerness look like, while also resulting in feelings of isolation for Black folks in certain queer spaces. Black women, and Black queer women in particular, have historically been denied full access to our femininity. My lived experience—which is nestled at the unique intersection of Blackness, queerness, and femininity—inspires me to continually seek and curate spaces that allow the fullness of our Black queer selves to show up and thrive. The more spaces that we create with the intentional inclusivity of queer Black folks in mind, the more apparent it will become that not only are we welcome in these queer spaces but that we are meant to boldly occupy such carefully crafted spaces as well.”
Lauren, She/Her
“I joke that I had to come out twice: first as queer, then as an artist. I was entering college as my family was losing my childhood home in the midst of the last recession, and I felt the pressure of needing to provide for myself without any safety net. So I majored in business analytics and got a typical corporate job — I spent 5 years in the management consulting world, but had a creative energy inside me that was bursting at the seams. Coming out showed me that the world isn’t black and white. One of my favorite parts of being queer is that you can “choose your own adventure” — the typical societal expectations and timelines seem far less important. That helped me gain the confidence to quit my corporate job and pursue a more artistic life. First came @spacetothrivedesign, my interior decorating business. The silver lining of losing my family home was learning how to make any space feel like home. The outside world doesn’t always feel like a safe place as a queer person, so having a home where you feel safe & where you can fully express yourself is super important. Then came @underdogcandles, which started as a few Pride-themed candles that I sold to raise money for the LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund, but has now turned into a line of 20+ candles and reed diffusers! Whether it’s coming out or pursuing a new career, life feels so much more authentic when you’re following your own intuition and living for yourself, not just what others want for you. It’s been a difficult, up-and-down journey, but coming out has really helped me come home to myself.”
kef, She/Her
“kef is an artist from Vernon, Connecticut, currently based in the city of Portland, Maine— attempting to navigate her existence as an Asian American trans artist. kef is interested in how sense of identity and relationships to the world are constructed through encountered ideas and representations. Her work engages with themes such as gender and performativity, personal relationships, and the violence of the Western and cisnormative male gaze. In kef's work she identifies with a reality of being rejected by a world, in search of solidarity and connecting with others who contend with a similar existence. kef works closely with the notion of intercorporeality- the ensembles of touch, connection, embodied intimacy, and identification that circulate between subjects. The subversion that her practice performs is not in the image or in the representation, but in the simple act of being able to be next to one another. kef currently has her series Remember That I Am Thy Creature on display at Cocktail Mary in Portland, as well as shirts through Loquat Shop. On Wednesdays you can find her defying God’s plan and overdosing on estrogen.”
Nakia, She/Her
“I grew up in New Hampshire, but Maine has always felt like my home. I moved to Bangor in 2018, and Portland shortly thereafter, and now I don’t think I ever want to leave! I grew up surrounded by nature, playing in the mud, lying in the grass, and running through the trees. This helped me grow a deep love and respect for nature that lives within me to this day. As an illustrator, much of my work focuses on endangered species. I want to use my work to show anyone who reads it how lovable and amazing the creatures and ecosystems that surround us are, thus planting the seeds of passion for conserving them. I hope my work not only brings joy to myself and others, but also helps share my love and respect for nature with all who view it.”
Teo, They/Them
“My way of interfacing with the penal system has been informal and highly individual. About 4 years ago I had decided to reach out to incarcerated folks as a penpal. I picked a few different folks across the country and just started writing. I maintained 3-6 penpal dynamics at a time, as folks are released, or unfortunately, on the occasion that they transfer and we lose touch due to mailroom mixups or address losses (which thankfully is the more rare option). I’ve had some of my favorite conversations around religious texts via 20 page written letters where you run out of paper before you run out of things to say. It’s also been interesting learning from incarcerated queer folks, how tender dynamics and self knowledge can arise in the cracks of facilities that are so innately hostile. Particularly, one friend’s experience who started Estrogen after she had been put on death row— our discussions around fear and self actualization have been deeply impactful on me.”
Shosh, She/Her
“I think identity can be a curse and a blessing. As humans we yearn to find ways to explain and define our individuality. In the US it seems to be heavily pushed in society to define ourselves based on what we do for work and our overall productivity. For the last 6 months I’ve been dealing with post concussion syndrome. Concussions are no joke, and can be categorized as mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Dealing with a TBI has changed my life in so many ways, but identity is the biggest one. I have started to redefine who I am. I am more than the identity of a Special Education Teacher that I’ve held onto for the last 6 years. My work and my productivity do not define me. I am a Jewish Queer Poet with a passion for disability advocacy, now more than ever before. I am a friend, sister, and daughter. I am a human who cries at the ocean and sunsets, who feels deeply and fully without shame. I am learning to love this new version of myself through bittersweet duality- holding the pain and the beauty of this life within the same breath. If you’d like to read my poetry, you can find me at @shoshannahvioletpoetry.”
Letta Dicken, She/Her
“Letta Dicken is a plus size, up and coming Drag Queen entertainer in the Portland Area, representing all of the plus size beauties and showing that big is beautiful. Letta loves to inspire, bring joy and create meaningful and fun messages in her art and performances. As a pillar in the LGBTQIA+ community, she is proud to be out and support and advocate for her community; and continue to fight for equality and LGBTQIA+ rights. Letta was born and raised in Belfast, Maine and had her first Drag Performance in her senior year of high school in February of 2020. Over the past few years, Letta has cultivated an inclusive and vibrant drag community at the University of Southern Maine. Producing, hosting and performing in monthly drag shows with 10-14 regular USM Student Drag Performers and anywhere between 50-100 students in attendance. Letta even won 1st place at USM's 22nd Annual Royal Majesty Drag Show in 2022. She has restored and re-established USM's Queer Straight Alliance, after the pandemic had taken a big hit and temporarily ended many student organizations. Letta is on the QSA Student Board and helps run the organization for her second year in a row, still creating tons of queer programs and events at USM. She was also a resident assistant and was the RA for USMs residential LGBTQIA+ Floores and created queer programming for residential students before moving to the West End of Portland in April of 2023 to start her professional career as a Drag Queen!
Jax, She/Her
“Jax M White is a licensed massage therapist, ERYT500 yoga teacher and a thorough human being from York, ME. During one of her yoga training sessions, she discovered structural integration and that’s when it clicked: her mission is to help people find alignment with their own unique true north. Jax sees the body as an incredible reminder of our humanity, resilience, and innate capacity to forgive. She believes that by physically practicing connecting to the core, moving from a place of intention & compassion, and making that a habit- we can all move through this life, in a literal and spiritual way, with more lightness and more grace. Jax offers queer yoga specifically for LGBTQIA+ folks, and all of her classes are inclusive and accessible to all bodies.”
Maya, Ey/They/She
“I'm very grateful for the chosen family and the community I have built here since moving to Maine almost six years ago at the time of these photos. I'm very grateful for my first poetry collection coming out via @gameoverbooks, Judas & Suicide. I'm very grateful for continuing to choose to stay alive. Thank you, Kyle, for these photos and for the chosen family and community you have built in this series. Thank you for taking my photos again. :) <3”
Ari, She/Her
“My name is Ari Leach and I am a second generation registered Maine Guide. I grew up on the coast of Maine in Blue Hill and attended Unity College for both my undergrad and graduate degrees. I hold a BS in Wildlife Biology with a minor in Botany, and an MPS in Sustainable Natural Resource Management, completing my thesis on the softshell clam and marine bait worm conflict dynamic here in Maine. I have been deeply connected to the outdoors and nature since childhood and have continued to seek out ways to engage with my surroundings and share my passions with others. When I'm not working as a marine biologist for the state of Maine or wearing my Maine Guide hat, you can find me with my eyes glued to the skies in search of birds, on my mountain bike trying out new trails, or on the water wetting a line in hopes of a wild fish fight. I love any activity that gets me outside and closer to nature. I am also passionate about wilderness survival and ancestral skills, maintaining a wilderness first responder certification for over a decade. My hope is that I can impart a bit of knowledge, curiosity, and sense of adventure to those who join me in the wild, creating space to explore and ask questions in a safe and encouraging setting. Nature is for all, and we are all of nature.”
Amanda, She/They
“It’s beautiful out today or maybe they just how I walk through this world. My authentic code comes from my childlike curiosity. I obsess over ans gravitate toward things that bring me joy and comfort. My curiosity makes me want to experience all of the things, travel, good food, warm waters, 360 views. Maybe it’s because I am searching for my passion, or maybe my passion is just doing all the things. I was scared, fearful a lot growing up. I build a coping strategy to optimize my life to get to that comfort zone. I prepare for everything, every second of every day. Turning 40 I’ve realized this comfort has taken me out of the moment. Maybe now I’m trying to be a little less prepared, a little less predictable. I live in Dayton with my wife, Kristin, and our teenager 50% of the time. Traveling, exploring, and experiences are important to us. Beyond family and work, my friend and co-founder are close to launching a marketplace connecting consumers to queer brand and services. We want to make it easier to find and buy from our queer family. It’s time to lift each other up.” pinkrobinshop.com
Ainsley, She/Her
“I like to exist in the veils between reality. Magic and whimsy are core to my being. I find my queer joy in chosen family, poetry, community, storytelling, and art of all kinds. You can find me reading weird poetry at open mics or vibing at local queer haunts in Portland! Also, if you see a winged beast fly over the old port on a full moon, just give me a warm and friendly wave. It can get chilly up there at night. “
Red Tide, He/They
“When I moved back to Maine about ten years ago there weren’t many queer spaces so some friends and I started a party called sub/merge. We wanted to make a politicized queer dance party that raised money for rad organizing. I basically started DJing in order to thrown that party, but in the process I fell in love with dance music, particularly club sounds from micro pockets of cultural resistance & resilience all over the world. I love playing unknown and unexpected sounds & pop favorites to singing along too. There are more queer spaces now than there used to be, which is a welcome way Portland is evolving. I’m still contributing in my small way by throwing & DJing parties. I have some events I’m really excited about coming up: Each first Friday between May & July @discodungeon and I will be bringing you JUICED: a queer party at @citrusportland. For Pride on June 17 I’ll be throwing my semi regular QUEER AS IN… at @flasklounge. I’ve got a few more things in the works this summer, so follow me at @redtide207.”
Max, He/They
“I identify strongly as neuroqueer: my existence as a queer individual is intrinsically tied to my neurodivergence. As an autistic, non-binary, pansexual, polyamorous person, I exist outside of every box that society has attempted to place me within and I delight in finding community in the malleable in-between spaces. As queer people, the space we take up challenges societal views of what is, what should be, and what can be. My favorite autistic scholar, Robin Roscigno, said so perfectly that Queering is ‘the act of purposeful engagement with the non-normative… it is a form of political disruption, an exercise in radical visibility, and a subversion of state control.’ Our existence in the visible sphere demands recognition that any identity can be an infinite one. We all bring such beauty, diversity, and love to this world!”
Tanner, He/Him
“I moved to Portland near a decade ago from my childhood home of Vermont. I spent my 20s in Portland and I’ve seen the city change so much, but the one constant for me was our Queer community. The LGBTQ+ community here is why I stayed; I owe my friendships, my careers, my successes, and my happiness to the Queer network that we have in Maine! In my free time I organize Portland’s “GQB” Guerrilla Queer Bar. GQB is Portlands largest LGBTQ+ event series. One Friday each month we gather at a local bar venue and “take it over” and make it into a Queer space for the evening. Providing a space for our community to gather and grow together is what I want to give back to the Portland Queer community; a community that has given me so much to me. Find our events at @gqb.portland.maine. Hope to see you there!”
Tyler, He/Him
“I have lived in the North side of Bath practically all my life, and anytime I am overwhelmed I am thankful for my location. Just a 10 minute walk nearby are the woods. Ever since I was a child I found myself running through these woods, like it’s a magical land and I’m the first to explore it. Mushrooms were once the evidence of a fairies dance; now I can see them as a complex organism which composes a wide part of forests. As an adult I still explore and notice things that aren’t always there. This escapism directly influences my illustration work so anyone anywhere can create their own “woods”. I laugh from that last statement because most of my art is literally woods but I meant it metaphorically. My work is of a curious sort for the curious minds, for a big project of mine was a poster of 75 mushroom illustrations. Not just a pretty image but something people can learn from. It is important that where you live you are nurturing yourself and safe, like a plant! So creating rooms filled with art you like or even decorating your water bottle with stickers is always a healthy aspect of life. We should take care even if we can’t always visit the woods and I hope my art is something that can do that."
Avery, She/Her
“At a Queer Maker's Market event in Portland, I fell in love with a print by a nearby artist (@coyotesnout) that reads ‘Queer teachers are living proof of queer futures’. It hangs in my office now in honor of all of the teachers who have shown me the possibilities of my own future: my high school English teacher in Louisiana, who never said a word but quietly passed along the books that are now being banned; the first person I came out to, and the first person who came out to me; the poets who take the jumble in my mind and make it make sense, and more than that, make it *beautiful*; the kids walking out of unsafe classrooms, demanding better for themselves and their peers; the first queer character I ever saw on TV, before I'd ever known an openly queer person in my own life; my brothers; the people in my home community who struggle to reconcile what they've been taught with the diversity of the world but who do the work of learning and unlearning; the people I've never met and don't know but who share their experiences and their wisdom online and offer windows into ways of living so different than my own; the partners I've had, the families I've loved, the friends who carry me and let me bear their weight—every day, everywhere, queerness exists, as it always has and always will. We are the proof."
Kharma, She/Her
“A newcomer to Maine, I serve as the Minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick. So far, this is my favorite chapter in the as-yet-unwritten memoir of my life as a queer spiritual leader. When I first began serving as a minister in radically inclusive, queer-affirming spiritual communities (in MCC) twenty years ago, I had to spend a lot of time fighting for a place at the table. That was true as an LGBTQ+ person wanting to be included in ecumenical and interfaith groups not always inclusive of queer voices, and it was true as a spiritual person wanting to be included in queer spaces not always inclusive of religious voices. Gratefully, the world has shifted quite a lot since then, and so have I. These days, I'm really enjoying being in a theologically diverse community rooted in spiritual principles (like belief in the inherent worth and dignity of all people; justice, equity, and compassion in human relationships; and respect for the interdependent web of all life). I'm much more interested in talking about how your belief in love translates into your daily actions, for example, than I am about whether or not so-and-so is "sinning" because of whom/how they love or what personal pronouns they prefer. There is so much that is worthy of our attention, and the world needs us to bring the fullness of our queer and human gifts to that more important conversation about how we move ourselves and the world towards transformation. I'm so glad to be here in Maine to continue the revolution."
Dakota, He/Him
“When I was a teenager, I often cut and colored my hair as part of my journey in self creation. I found it to be a soothing but radical act, to change my hair to better reflect how I wanted to be perceived by others. Over the last 14 years since I started cutting hair, I’ve found a specific joy in helping others shape their hair to create the image of how they want to be seen in the world. It means the world to me to be trusted with that job and to give back to my community in such a personal, and intimate way. We all deserve to feel our best selves, and often, that starts with a good haircut.”
Wendy, She/They
“As I approach 70, after more than a half-century of feminist, anti-racist, ecological, anti-capitalist, queer and gender radical activism, I’ve learned that my survival depends on celebrating each victory - no matter how small - honoring each moment of kindness and laughing whenever the opportunity arises. ‘Be joyful though you have considered all the facts’ (Wendell Berry).”
Ellis, He/They
“Trans joy is radical. I mean like wicked fucking awesome kind of radical. I wish more people could experience something like it. Maybe people need to look for their book nerd joy, their dog dad joy, their quilting, NASCAR, football joy. Maybe if more people found their joy they’d leave everyone else alone. Also, go adopt a pet. Then tag me in all the cute photos you post of them.”
Emmet, They/Them
“These past few years I have spent settling into my body and learning to feel good in it. Yoga and breathwork help, as does living with two cats and a very cuddly pitbull. I’m learning that asking for help is also a form of giving. Shameless plugs: My business is @loud.and.local and you can sometimes find me keeping shop @heritage.seaweed (come visit)! Hello to all friends who love Good-Bad Movies and plant medicine :)”
Gabrielle, She/Her
“I’m Gaby, and I’m a car girl.” Though officially retired, Gaby is an experienced car mechanic in Lisbon Falls, ME. offering repairs to LGBTQ+ folks through her shop. Keeping car costs affordable for the community and mentoring LGBTQ+ folks looking to enter a historically cisgender heterosexual male dominated field, she hopes to create a space where LGBTQ+ can feel empowered in their craft, and welcome. g-procustoms.com
Ross, He/Him
“After ten years of living in Portland (ME), I have found myself back in my home town of Brunswick. Being a queer person hasn’t always been the easiest or most comfortable thing while growing up in Brunswick, yet I find myself filled to the brim with queer joy on every corner now. Like many others I grew up with, I find my self driven and passionate about growing our small yet mighty community in Brunswick. Over the pandemic, I was able to shift gears and find work within my field of passion, which is the medical cannabis industry… in all honesty, I get to play in a lab and do fun things for work, it’s truly a blessing to my life. My true loves however, lie at home, with my husband, two cats, and dog….where we are happily buried in house projects, family get togethers, and a never ending stream of fetch and hikes in the woods. Given the whole mess the past few years have been, over all I find my self today, being thankful for those I have, thankful for the community I’m watching grow, and hopeful for each of our bright futures, not just in Brunswick, but everywhere and in each community in our lovely state we call home.”
Al, He/Him
“I was born and raised in Jamaica 🇯🇲. Growing up in a country where it wasn’t okay to be your authentic self was the hardest thing I’ve had to go through. I’m one of the fortunate few to now live in a country that I can be my authentic self. It might not always be easy here but compared to where I started it’s a lot better. I planted my roots in Maine after moving from Virginia 4 years ago. I have self-diagnosed OCD, I enjoy cleaning and organizing. When you have 2 cats and a dog you’re always cleaning. I WFH in the Finance field. I love to cook and try new recipes. I’m very much into fashion and dressing up. I love to decorate, I’m always changing my space for good Feng Shui. As new homeowners my husband and I enjoy doing diy projects around the house. I’m a pop culture content creator on TikTok, I enjoy reviewing reality shows , tv shows and music. I dabble in everything since pop culture is such a broad topic.”
River Nation, They/He
“River Nation (they/he) is a local artist who has operated their online store, @ThisIsRNation, since 2015, making clothes, accessories and art prints; as well as serving as a director of @QueerCraftMaine for the past year. Originally from Alabama, they graduated with a degree in biology in 2016 and found their new home in Portland, ME, in 2019. They have worked as a chemist for the past 2 years, while still participating in art events when time allowed.”