If you watched Brokeback Mountain, you got a heartbreaking, fictional glimpse of what it was to be gay in an era and region that abhorred the thought--and arguably still does. Farm Boys, Lives of Gay Men in the Rural Midwest by Will Fellows happens to be one of the books that was used as reference on the rural-gay experience when creating the story of Brokeback Mountain. And it's eye opening to say the least. The book is a collection of stories from men who grew up in the American midwest, spanning ages 24 to 84. The age range makes a truly compelling read, from men living the in the turn of the century when the concept of homosexuality was still elusive or unspoken, to men growing up in the hey-day of the sexual revolution.
But before all of that, the book starts at the origin of early Yankee and Germanic settlements, and how the values and structures of these two communities shaped the mindset and reaction to homosexuals in their collective. Driven by a serious moral compass, men who were part of historically Yankee communities found themselves ostracized, living in fear or shame, driven into the city, solitude or into fake marriages. Those who were part of Germanic roots sometimes fared better, with a general looking the other way in order to preserve the handing-down of family farms and maintaining the fabric of the community. Those who moved to the city for acceptance found themselves struggling to reconcile their country roots and values, as well as discovering a new, complex education to their gay identity. The struggle plays a critical role in the conflicting sense of identity that stayed with many of these men.
It's a fine education into an area far less covered than the plight of urban gay men. Their unique and often oddly similar experiences are fascinating. The difficulties of having no one to relate to (many recollect not knowing what "gay" was, or having never heard the term), the oftentimes common and the sexual pains of puberty and identity. This is a great read for a more holistic look at gay identity and the LGBT experience.
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