In the shadow of a national political climate that has left many LGBTQ+ families grappling with uncertainty and fear, a PFLAG chapter in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, has created something remarkable—a collection of anonymous community stories that grew from a single gathering into a published book.
Interview with Patty Schlafer and Brooke Running
The project began organically in June 2025, sparked by anxiety within Mount Horeb’s queer community following a presidential election that many described as creating “a lot of conversation about the fear and trepidation going on amongst our queer community,” according to Patty Schlafer of the local PFLAG chapter. Rather than simply hosting another discussion, chapter members decided to take action.
“We evolved from there into a plan instead of just a conversation,” Schlafer explained. “Why don’t we have people tell their stories? And then that evolved more so into, if we’re going to tell our stories, in what format do we want it?”
What emerged was a community-driven experiment in vulnerability and trust. Members of the Mount Horeb community were invited to submit written vignettes about their lived experiences—either as LGBTQ+ individuals or as family members and allies connected to the community. Everything was done anonymously.
“We understand how vulnerable this is,” said Brooke Running, another PFLAG member involved in organizing the event. “We understand how it can be scary, especially with the climate that we have currently.”
A Night to Remember
On June 29, 2025, the gathering took place at Brick Cider, a local business serving as a community resource and gathering space. What organizers expected to be a modest turnout quickly transformed into something far more significant.
“So many people were there,” Running recalled. “It became standing room only. So it was a very large audience that showed up, which is amazing. You could hear a pin drop. I mean, it was just nobody was eating.”
Volunteer allies from the community read the anonymized stories aloud. Some attendees didn’t know they were part of an historic gathering until afterward—one person who had been hidden behind a restaurant cooler only realized how packed the room had been when they emerged to see a standing ovation.
“My favorite real story was hearing from somebody that had been there that night,” Schlafer shared. “They had gotten tucked behind one of the coolers in a restaurant… The full hour transpired without this person knowing what was going on and being fearful that there was no one there asking her partner, ‘Did no one show up?’ And then things ended and she came out from behind and saw this room packed with community. It gives me chills now to think.”
The stories ranged widely—from a mother worried about her grown son being harassed by a pickup truck drive-by to a transgender person navigating hormone replacement therapy decisions. One particularly moving account detailed someone who was advised to freeze their sperm before starting estrogen, only to regret the decision two years later when they wanted to have children but faced a lengthy process to resume fertility treatments.
“I’m a white cisgender woman,” Running reflected on hearing such stories. “I’ve never had to consider that. So that’s not something that was ever on my radar.”
From Night to Page
The buzz following the event convinced the chapter that the stories deserved permanence. Three dedicated chapter members formed what Schlafer affectionately calls “the book committee,” and they moved quickly to publish the collection.
“It was quick,” Running noted. “This event happened a year ago yesterday.”
The book, published by Little Creek Press, released around June 30, 2026, with copies available through the publisher directly and via pflagmoho.org. Local bookstore sales are planned, with funds raised supporting PFLAG’s social justice award program.
One detail remained constant throughout: the anonymity that made the original event possible. When the decision to publish was made, all original submissions stayed exactly as submitted—”whatever they submitted is what we went with,” Running confirmed. No writers edited their stories based on hearing them read aloud, preserving the raw immediacy of the original submissions.
“Some of the authors were definitely in the room,” Running said, “but we don’t know how many. One person said, ‘You read my story,’ and just thanked me for that, which is also incredible because I had no idea that they were even in the room.”
Community Climate in the Driftless Area
Mount Horeb’s location in Wisconsin’s Driftless Area presents a particular dynamic—small-town America that Schlafer describes as “a bit of an anomaly.” She emphasizes that local institutions, particularly the school district, demonstrate genuine support for LGBTQ+ youth beyond symbolic gestures.
“They don’t just fly the pride flag in June,” Schlafer said. “They really reach out and show their inclusivity for the kids in the school district. So that starts there.”
The chapter participated in the town’s annual Frolet Parade weeks after the book launch, receiving overwhelming positive feedback. “We get 98% cheers and thanks and waves,” Running reported. “Very little pushback.”
Nevertheless, challenges remain. Parents face increasingly difficult decisions about their children’s safety and wellbeing, including whether to relocate to other states entirely.
“Our love is louder,” Running summarized. “That’s what we like to say.”
Resources for Other Communities
The chapter’s book committee has offered to assist any other PFLAG chapters or organizations interested in replicating this model. The key ingredients, according to Schlafer, begin with a simple invitation.
“It’s the invitation, I think, is the first step to your chapter,” she said. “It’s a simple email to all of the people on our current list… The invitation was extended to simply share your story. And from the outset, it was made clear that that would be an anonymous offer.”
Finding a supportive local venue proved crucial as well. “Anytime we’ve asked anything of them, they’ve always been a partner with us,” Running said about Brick Cider.
The chapter has no immediate plans for a second edition, though both leaders keep the door open. “Never say never,” Running said.
Looking Forward
Current activities continue the chapter’s regular rhythm—monthly meetings resuming in September after a July break, with “amazing speakers” planned. The book represents the latest evolution in advocacy and education work that remains central to PFLAG’s mission.
“The best part of our PFLAG is when you say what’s next? The answer is we’re not sure,” Schlafer admitted. “But we’re not sure… We have our basic structure of monthly chapter meetings, and we have a really wonderful board of directors. But the best part of the group is that everyone there is open to what’s new, what’s next.”
For communities seeking models for documenting LGBTQ+ voices during politically turbulent times, Mount Horeb’s experiment offers a roadmap grounded in anonymity, trust, and the fundamental belief that stories deserve to be heard.
