Welcome to The Outfielder.

I write where the suburbs meet the farms. This newsletter explores American life and gay culture beyond the partisan extremes. I’m interested in how culture shapes us, how experiences drive our politics, and how ordinary people make sense of a country that keeps trying to sort us into teams.

I’m a gay Midwesterner who came out during the AIDS era, moved to the gayborhood, lived abroad for years, and returned to my hometown with a wider view. This publication is about what’s real: culture you can feel, politics that puts people first, and the stories that help us understand who we are.

Too often today, gay culture is flattened into hashtags and acronyms. Our national politics is pure performance, sacrificing substance to feed the rage machine. This newsletter is a place to build a better future. We’ll look at the history we’ve lived, what’s changed, what hasn’t – and how we can make a more perfect union.

The Outfielder values candor over outrage, context over slogans, and curiosity over allegiance. If that sounds good, stick around. There’s more to see when you step into the outfield.

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