‘Queer drain’ being documented in Montana as legislature advances contentious bills

Home is more than a place—it’s a sense of belonging. For many in Montana’s LGBTQ+ community, that feeling is slipping away. As the state pushes forward with legislation affecting transgender residents, people like Charley Macorn are making the painful decision to leave. An oral history project at the University of Montana is capturing these stories, documenting a “queer drain” shaped by politics, fear, and a search for safety. What happens to a place when its own people no longer feel welcome? Montana is finding out.

Why does this matter in Minot? If you think Montana is all that different, we’d like to invite you to consider the news headlines out of the legislature over the past month. Bathroom bills, restrictions on health care, banning books and restricting librarians — and the list could go on. What impact do you think all this has on someone a little outside the standard definition of “normal?”

In a world where moving to a more accepting place has never been easier, where opportunities are everywhere, where would you want to be? In a place that was hostile to your lifestyle or a place that accepted it? This story from the Daily Montanan should be required reading for anyone stepping into public service.

Keila Szpaller

Daily Montanan

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