Wide-Open Desert: A Queer History of New Mexico

In the 20th century, LGBTQ+ residents of New Mexico created vibrant cultural communities in the wide-open desert, resisting marginalization and forging spaces of belonging through geographic migration and creative expression. Jordan Biro Walters' book explores how land communes, art circles, and university classrooms supported queer cultural expression and launched gay civil rights activism.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 304 pages
Publication date: 03 April 2023
Publisher: University of Washington Press

In the vibrant tapestry of the twentieth century, the LGBTQ+ community in New Mexico found solace and expression in a diverse array of spaces. From the burgeoning bohemian art scene in Santa Fe to the clandestine military developments at Los Alamos, their presence resonated across the state. This captivating documentary, Wide-Open Desert, shifts its focus away from the urban gay meccas that many out queer people called home, unveiling a rich tapestry of two-spirit, Chicana lesbian, and white queer cultural producers nestled in the heart of the US Southwest. Drawing upon oral histories, documentaries, poetry, and archival sources, Jordan Biro Walters meticulously showcases how geographic migration and creative expression became powerful tools for LGBTQ+ individuals to resist marginalization and carve out spaces of belonging. Among the notable figures profiled in this film are two-spirit Diné artist Hastíín Klah, literary magazine editor Spud Johnson, ranchera singer Genoveva Chávez, and Cherokee writer Rollie Lynn Riggs. Biro Walters delves into the intricate ways in which land communes, art circles, and university classrooms fostered communities that championed queer cultural expression and ignited the flames of gay civil rights activism in New Mexico. Throughout, Wide-Open Desert shines a spotlight on queer mobility and queer creative production as vital pathways toward political, cultural, and sexual freedom for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Weight: 438g
Dimension: 151 x 229 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780295751023