Rural Education and Queer Identities

Rural Education and Queer Identities is a poignant anthology. It brings a queer sensibility to rural belonging, spotlighting schools’ role in queer worldmaking. Editors Clint Whitten and Amy Price Azano curate narratives that challenge stereotypes and advocate for inclusivity. This book offers a call to action for visibility and acceptance for queer identities in every educational landscape, making it a must-read that will inspire and ignite the pressing conversations every school should be having. Mary L. Gray, MacArthur Fellow Out in the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America I can’t think of a better, more important contribution to enhancing quality education in the nation than this on-the-ground exploration of being queer in rural America. Rural Education and Queer Identities shows, with equal parts heart and heft, that being queer and working with queer youth in the heartland is not what the stereotypes suggest. At a time when LGBTQ rights are being threatened, Confederate flags announce themselves with “I Ain’t Coming Down” banners, and school boards and libraries have turned into front lines in the culture wars, this is a necessary, urgent book. Beth Macy, Dopesick Rural Education and Queer Identities is a powerful and long overdue exploration of the diverse experiences of LGBTQIA2S+ students and teachers in rural school systems. From an island in rural Michigan to a small town in Alaska, from the deep South to rural Scotland, from the mountain West to central Appalachia these authors invite us into their lives, their educational experiences, and their teaching careers. They urge us to question our assumptions about rural communities and to full-heartedly support rural LGBTQIA2S+ youth and educators who are on the front lines of conservative political attacks against queer and trans people today. I wish I’d had this book to draw on when I taught in rural public schools in my home state of West Virginia years ago. I know it would have provided support and accompaniment I desperately needed. I can’t wait to send a copy to all the rural queer and trans teachers I know. Rae Garringer, Founder and Director of Country Queers Rural Education and Queer Identities is a critical, moving collection of research and narratives that center the intersection of queer identities and rurality. This book is a groundbreaking text that provides considerations and insights into how to advance equity and justice in rural education for LGBTQ+ educators and students. During a time of continued and increasing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and policies, this book provides hope for creating more liberating, transformative spaces for learning. Darris R. Means, Professor of Educational Leadership