Being from Minnesota, our state is politically liberal. However, the politics become more conservative if you drive an hour outside of the Twin Cities, Duluth, or Rochester. I feel fortunate to live in Minnesota because while our taxes are high, our quality of life is good. I had Real Queer America LGBT Stories From Red States by Samantha Allen on my Goodreads to-be-read shelf for far too long. Samantha Allen takes readers on a road trip to the red states in the US and how there is hope for those states.

Samantha Allen is a journalist who is out and married to her wife. Samantha has spent a portion of her life living in what is known as “red states” meaning US states that lean conservative. There are a lot of stereotypes about living in red states. To break these stereotypes, Samantha and her friend, Billy, travel to Utah, Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Indiana to help highlight the LGBTQIA+ activists fighting for a better life in their home states.

I loved everything about this book. I have preconceived notions about some US states I haven’t been to. I think the way this book is written is delicate in the sense that these states are worth fighting for, but also recognizing that these states have a lot to do to make a safer community for LGBTQIA+ people. I liked the portion of the book where Samantha visits Mississippi. One of my favorite stories to read about was the woman who helped put on Jackson’s first Pride parade. This happened in 2016. This feels so late, yet, this shows that steps are being taken to make Mississippi more accepting and safe.

I feel biased towards this book because I love road trips. It’s one of my favorite ways to see the US. While this book deals with heavy subject matter, I like how Samantha documents her travels. She tends to find the hidden gems in some of these states that many would overlook.

Another thing I liked about this book is how concise this was. Reading non-fiction can be draining depending on the topic the book is covering. If a non-fiction book is longer, I sometimes struggle to stay engaged. At only 307 pages, I felt this book was easy to read and I found myself losing an hour or two at a time reading everyone’s stories.

Real Queer America LGBT Stories From Red States gives me hope. Hearing about how other people have stayed in these states because they want things to change, I have a lot of respect for them. I couldn’t imagine how difficult it must be to continue the fight. This book reminds me how important it is for Pride to exist.