You Belong Here

This autoethnography showcases the difficulty of trying to live in and eventually having to leave a rural community due to the destructive forces the Trump era has brought to these once “our children” communities. When we arrived in Atown in the early 2000s, the community was a welcoming if isolated place where Republicans and Democrats both served on the county board. By the time we left, as did many others who did not fit the community’s Trumpified ethos or lack thereof, the village no longer accepted those who were not adherents to the MAGA way of life. Over the years we watched, though not from afar as we were engaged with the state Democratic Party, as intolerance for outsiders and others grew. Our own safety was no longer assured when we hosted Democratic Party booths at local festivals. By 2022, it was clear we no longer belonged; we were no longer safe in our home. The struggles of living in this culture of grievance demanded we leave.