I grew up in a place similar to Lancaster - suburban/rural Pennsylvania. Although I always knew I was different, I didn’t have the words or representation for my queerness, but I continually found myself in queer characters and storylines in TV and media. I grew to resent how their stories always ended in heartache, illness, violence, or death. Everything I was internalizing told me that if I was going to be who I was and love who I did, I would need to leave. And so, as soon as I turned 18, I left my friends, family, and the only home I had ever known.

Finding Brady, learning about Lancaster’s queer community, and making Amish Country Queer has been a radically healing experience for myself and also for others. When we began production, I had no idea this story about resilience and authenticity would resonate with so many people. That’s the thing - we sorely underestimate the power of representation and positive depictions of queer life. When we never see it, it’s hard to imagine it for ourselves and others.

In today’s political climate, with unprecedented attacks on queer and trans healthcare, rights, and autonomy, it can be even harder to imagine. And yet, hope is all around us. It’s in queer parties and nightlife, in small get-togethers with friends; it’s in seeing someone who’s visibly queer walking down the street. We have always been here - in cities, in beachtowns, in the countryside, and just about anywhere you can imagine. And we always will be.

This shared hope empowers us to imagine a brighter and more equitable future for all, where it won’t be such a radical phrase to proclaim that queer joy belongs everywhere.

-Colleen C Brady