Audiences worldwide will get a taste of LGBTQ+ life in the midwest when Hulu premieres “We Live Here: The Midwest” on December 6.
The film follows families from the midwest who would like to stay put geographically but face challenges because of who they are.
The diverse group highlighted includes: a trans/queer family with five children in Iowa must find a new community after being expelled from their church; a gay Black couple with a young daughter who must test the line of acceptance in Nebraska; a lesbian couple who homeschool their bullied son on a farm in Kansas; and a couple in Minnesota struggle to rebuild their families following both of their transitions.
Also featured in the documentary is Russ, a gay teacher in Ohio who creates a safe space for LGBTQ+ students, and his husband Mark. The two Fremont, Ohio residents are tireless advocates for LGBTQ+ youth in an area of the state where conservative voices can make that work quite difficult.
The Buckeye Flame chatted with Russ and Mark about living in Fremont and what participating in this documentary means to them. Click play directly below to listen to our interview or read our edited conversation underneath.
You both are in Fremont, Ohio. Tell us exactly where that is and what LGBTQ+ life is like there.
Russ: Fremont is geographically in northwest Ohio. We’re sort of situated between Toledo and Sandusky, just a little south.
I think people would be surprised by how positive gay life is in Fremont. I’m a vice chair for Fremont Ohio Pride. We have our own Pride organization and had our third Pride festival this past summer. We’ve hosted two queer proms and we’re just doing everything we can to support the community.
I have to highlight—and not that I want this to be a badge of distinction—but one of the only reasons that I know Fremont, Ohio is because that’s where Pastor Representative Gary Click has his church. He’s out there proposing a ton of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. I have to imagine he does not represent your community?
Russ: No, absolutely not. Several colleagues and I have discussed that exact situation. Clearly, even while there are positive things happening, we still have obstacles to face.
Mark, how did you two land there?
Mark: Well, actually, I’m from the Cleveland area. I grew up in Strongsville. When I met Russ, he was already established out here. And everybody was like, “Where are you moving?!” [laughs]
But actually, I absolutely love it here. I have met some of the nicest people I’ve ever known. Predominantly, we have a lot of support for us here. But like you had mentioned, representation needs to change in terms of this area and how we are evolving as a nation.
Russ, how did this documentary come into your life? I find it hard to believe you two woke up one day and said, “You know, we just really need a documentary about our lives.”
No, not at all. It was so completely out of the blue. I responded to an email that found its way to me and shared a little bit of our life together.
I was contacted by the documentarian and had some conversations with her. The next thing we knew, they were at our front door capturing our experience as a gay couple in Ohio and capturing my experience as an out gay teacher and the safe space that I try to provide for my students.
We hadn’t really heard anything about [the documentary] then for quite a while.
Mark: It was well over a year. We filmed it in like early 2022 and yes, a lot of it was filmed in our home here in Fremont. Then, we kind of left it for a while and didn’t hear anything.
And all of a sudden [director/producer] Melinda Maerker called Russ and said, “We have some news.”
Russ: And then to find out that it was being picked up by Hulu was just sort of shocking, but exciting.
Mark: And Hulu is actually owned by ABC, and ABC is owned by Disney, so they all have a vested interest in this, and they’ve all been very, very supportive.
What are we going to see when we all watch this on December 6th on Hulu?
Mark: You will find that all the stories are very, very intriguing. Each person’s situation is different. I am excited to meet all the other people because we’ve never actually met them. I’m very excited to hear their stories, see them in person, and talk to them about their experiences in their hometowns. And that way we can kind of get to know each other as friends. We all are so excited to meet each other because we are so impressed by what they’ve done as well.
Russ: One of the things that I took away from actually watching the documentary was that want to know these people. I want to know their experiences and I want to compare notes and I want to be a support system for them. It’s a very, very beautifully done film. I’m very excited about it.
Mark: It paints everybody in a very good light. We’re very happy with the way it came out and Melinda and [producer] David Clayton Miller have done a beautiful job.
We here at The Buckeye Flame are all about igniting action. After everybody finishes watching the documentary, what do you want them to actually do?
Russ: I want them to have a conversation. I’m actually hosting a private viewing party with family, with friends and with community leaders following the release on the 6th here in Fremont. I want to have a conversation about what our area of Ohio looks like in terms of support for LGBTQ students and youth. Are we moving in the right direction? What are the support systems that are out there for students? I want a more lengthy, in-depth conversation that then has action following it.
How about for you, Mark? They finish watching the film. What do you want people to do?
I want people to, like Russ said, to get out and have a conversation, but also to talk with their representatives.
I mean, we really need to spice up the situation within the small town communities where a lot of us live. There is a lot of gay culture in small towns and we want and need to be able to be heard. I think that still has not yet come around. We still have that fight. 🔥
Ignite action
- Watch “We Live Here: The Midwest” on December 6 on Hulu.
- Support Fremont Pride by following them on Facebook and Instagram.
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