I am so glad that a book substantiates that the rainbow extends to us here in the Midwest. It is not New York City, then nothing, then San Francisco. However, this book won't feel as compelling as books on gay men and lesbians in the South because the Midwest is not as strongly red (I mean the 2000 election term, not the Lenin-inspired term) as those states.
The entries here are short. Half are from women; half are from men. With contributions from Kitty Tsui, Edward Thomas-Herrera, and Ricardo Garza, the book tries to be racially-diverse. Two major themes come up in this book: growing up gay/lesbian in conservative, rural areas, and first-time experiences now as openly gay adults, usually in a metropolis.
This book may feel too Chicago-centered to many. Those still in rural areas and others from Madison, Minneapolis, etc. may feel left out. One of the authors works in Chicago and naturally editors get contributions from those they know, in a snowball sample manner. Despite the logic here, this book may rub people the wrong way by implying that all or most Midwestern gays will eventually find their way to the Windy City. Still, perhaps gay denizenship is regional. Chicago might be the Midwest equivalent to the East Coast's NYC, the West Coast's SF, and the South's Atlanta. Fair enough.
I thank the editors and the contributors for their efforts in promoting a possibly needed dialogue.
