Some Strange Music Draws Me In

by Griffin Hansbury

This is why the leaders of small places are afraid of music and books. And queers. They offer another way. But they don’t convert. They awaken. Sending a signal to dormant cells, they rouse what’s already there. “It’s time,” they say. “Wake up.”

People don’t say this often, but queerness can save your life. It forces you outside, where you have no choice but to find other resources. When you come from a rough place, queerness can set you free. It’s the regular kids who stay stuck.

I did not yet understand that softness can be an irresistible magnet for hate.

Once you started to look for them, the world was full of hidden trails to follow.