Country Queers

Country Queers is a podcast featuring oral history interviews with rural and small-town LGBTQIA2S+ folks. We uplift often unheard stories of rural queer experiences across intersecting layers of identity including race, class, gender identity, age, religion, and occupation. Produced by and for country queers all over, we hope these stories help add more complexity to conversations and ideas about rural spaces and queer communities.

Trans People Belong in West Virginia 03/14/2023

Dorothy Allison 04/05/2022

KD Randle 03/22/2022

Dana Kaplan 03/08/2022

Dana Kaplan Dana Kaplan (he/him) is a white trans person and the Executive Director of Outright Vermont and he’s on a mission to make Vermont celebratory and affirming for all LGBTQ+ youth. When not working, Dana spends time making music, fermenting food, people watching, and hanging out with his spouse and their two kids. In this episode Zach Henningsen interviews Dana about living in Vermont as a NYC kid, music, finding a sense of home in ourselves, and the creativity of rural queer people. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Zach Henningsen (he/him) is a Junior in highschool with a passion for social justice and equity work. He served on a school board that oversaw- and ultimately suggested the removal of- the School Resource Officer position. He also volunteers at Planned Parenthood, and spends most of his time free either studying or playing music. Zach moved to Vermont in December of 2016 from Texas- and has lived in at least five different states over the span of his life. He believes that place and environment can shape identity to a great extent, and the shift from Texas to Vermont- while jarring- was a positive one. A supportive community fosters growth and comfort, and he believes that wherever you are, such community can be found. He is the producer and creator of this week’s episode featuring Dana Kaplan. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * For this episode, Dana is asking you to support The Root Social Justice Center. The Root is a Vermont-based,POC-led nonprofit organization focused on racial justice organizing, community advocacy, and relationship-building through their programming, actions, and local initiatives. The Root provides a physically and financially accessible space in Southern Vermont for social justice groups to meet AND is a hub for racial justice organizing. You can learn more and donate on their website: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To learn more about this collaboratively produced 2nd season check out our websites at and * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Created and produced by Zach Henningsen with support from HB Lozito from Out in the Open, and Rae Garringer of Sound Design by Hideo Tokui. Audio editing by Rae Garringer. Editorial advisory dream team: , , and Our featured song on this episode is “Simple Times” by Dana’s band Additional music is by One Man Book and Podington Bear. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If you'd like to support this rural queer and trans led project head on over to our page. /episode/index/show/countryqueers/id/21923180

Miguel Mendías 02/22/2022

Miguel Mendías Miguel Mendías is an interdisciplinary artist living in Marfa, Texas, occupied Jumano and Apache lands. He is Chicanx, Mexican-American, or Latinx (a term he dislikes). He is mestizo; of Czech, Basque, and Rarámuri (Tarahumara) descent. His father’s family has lived in Marfa, Texas for five generations. In this episode Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay (she/they) interviews Miguel about his work to restore the adobe home that's been in his family for generations, lessons his grandparents taught him, and his relationship to his father, his ancestry, and the land. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay (she/they) is a queer, mixed-Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) living in their ancestral lands in Mākaha, Hawaiʻi. She is an educator, learning experience designer, musician/creative and plant person. She is the interivewer and creator of this week’s episode featuring Miguel Mendías, and you can find his interview of her in Episode 2. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * For this episode, Miguel is asking you to support Ekvn-Yefolecv: an intentional ecovillage community of Indigenous Maskoke persons who, after 180 years of having been forcibly removed from traditional homelands - in what is commonly/colonially known as Alabama - have returned for the purpose of practicing linguistic, cultural and ecological sustainability. You can donate and learn more on their website: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To learn more about this collaboratively produced 2nd season check out our websites at and * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Created and produced by Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay, with support from HB Lozito from , and Rae Garringer of . Sound Design by Hideo Tokui. Audio editing by: Kūʻiʻolani Cotchay and Rae Garringer. Editorial advisory dream team: , , and Our Featured Song on this episode is “Surftastic” by Slutpilll. is a Whitesburg, Kentucky based band made up of Carrie Carter, Paulina Vasquez, and Mitchella Phipps. Additional music in this episode is by Tommy Anderson! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If you'd like to support this rural queer and trans led project head on over to our page. /episode/index/show/countryqueers/id/21922280