Finding My Rainbow in the Heartland: A Queer Journey in Ankeny
Have you ever felt like the only crayon in the box coloring outside the lines? That was me three years ago when I first moved to Ankeny, Iowa—a place where cornfields stretch to the horizon and sometimes it feels like perspectives might be just as uniform.
My Ankeny Awakening
The first time I walked into Firetrucker Brewery on a Friday night, clutching my flannel shirt like armor, I was certain everyone could see right through me. Here I was, newly out, scanning the room for a friendly face that might understand what it meant to navigate queerness in a small Midwestern community. What I found instead was Jessica, who noticed my pride pin and immediately pulled me into her friend circle with an ease I'll never forget.