It seems like every time we read the news LGBTQ+ rights are under attack someplace. Yet, we always hear wonderful stories from queer people about how amazing the country, state, city, town, neighborhood, or cabin in the woods where they live really is.
This year’s IHS reading challenge will focus on books set in different parts of the world. We think it’s vital to show that sapphic people not only exist but are everywhere.
We also want to hear from authors and readers about where they live. If you’d like to share your experiences, click here for the interview form.
Today, Jackie L. Disch is here to tell us about Silver Bay, Minnesota.
Where in the world will you be taking us today?
Silver Bay, MN
Tell us in one sentence what’s so special about living in this place.
Silver Bay is along the North Shore of Lake Superior, which is a majestic, magical body of water.
How long have you lived there? Or, if you no longer live in this place, how long were you there and when did you leave?
I’ve lived here 2 1/2 years.
What is/was it like being a sapphic (or LGBTQ+) person living in this place?
I wanted to move to Grand Marais, a much more open and artistic community, but I couldn’t afford the cost of housing available at the time. I chose Silver Bay because I could afford the housing, plus it is midpoint between Grand Marias going one direction, and Duluth going the other. I can find most anything I need between those two cites. However, it’s a surprisingly uncomfortable place to live as a sapphic person, due to the current political atmosphere. I grew up in the ’70s and took part in the first wave of feminism and gay and lesbian rights (as it was referred to at that time). I’ve been “out” since my very early teens and although I experienced some name calling while walking down the street, I never felt as cautious as I do now, at 63. I had such high hopes moving up here because the North Shore has a strong creative community. Unfortunately, my little city does not participate in that community very much. Yet. I am hopeful, though. I see cracks in the old-school facade, both as a creative and as a sapphic person.
What about living in this place gives you hope?
Change is inevitable. Villages become towns, towns become cities, and any of them, with a limited population, either change or die out. I think Silver Bay is at that tipping point. The city is investing in new development, which will hopefully bring a more diverse group of people to the area. Not to mention new restaurants! Perhaps most importantly, a nearby town had its first gay pride rally 2 years ago. Love it!
Are there any challenges to living in this place, either as a queer person or more generally?
There are some challenges. Before moving here, I lived in the Minneapolis area for nearly 40 years. I got used to accessible healthcare, the convivence of almost any kind of shop or restaurant within minutes, and easy access to the LGBTQ+ communities. Now, healthcare is limited by the number of insurance options offered as well as physical location. I drive 30 minutes to my see my doctor. If I wanted to change to the other health system up here, I would have to drive over an hour to get to a clinic. Nice restaurants are harder to get to and are not very diverse. And I have yet to connect with the LBGTQ+ community. However, the drive to anywhere up here is fantastic! Driving 30 minutes to the grocery store now is a lovely journey vs. sitting in traffic for 30 minutes and getting nowhere.
For someone who has never been there, what’s the one thing that they must see or do if visiting your area?
Drive along the North Shore on Hwy 61 from Duluth up to Grand Portage. Take the North Shore Scenic Drive just as you leave Duluth. It runs closer along the shore of Lake Superior then meets back up with Hwy 61. Stop at a wayside or two, sit and listen to the lake. Stop at the scenic outlooks and historical places. Visit any number of shops and small towns and cities along the way. There are waterfalls to see that are within a short, accessible distance. At the end of the drive, go to Grand Portage State Park, you will find the state’s tallest waterfall (though it shares the border with Canada so it technically can’t be called the “state’s” tallest).
But if you only do ONE thing, just take the drive. You don’t have to stop at any of the above places. The drive alone will captivate you. A majestic body of water on one side (Lake Superior has been called an inland sea). State and national forests on the other. Magnificent glacier-made cliffs on either side. All in the middle of the United States. Beautiful.
What’s the one type of regional food and/or drink they absolutely must try?
Wild rice is big here. And there seems to be an obsession of sorts with wild rice cranberry bread. I’m not a fan of either. No offense.
Do you have a favorite local restaurant? What makes it special?
Up here, “local” is relative. I consider all of the North Shore local. Having said that, the Blue Water Cafe in Grand Marais is my favorite place to eat. It’s a small restaurant in a small city that has good food and a great atmosphere composed of locals and tourists alike.
Meet Jackie L. Disch
I was born and raised in a small city near Madison, WI. When I was 23, I moved to Minneapolis, MN, where I lived for 38 years. Three years after the death of my wife, Katy, I moved up to the North Shore. We had talked about living here, maybe retiring here. Lake Superior was one of our favorite places to vacation, often renting a cabin right on the shore. The story of how I came to be here, to this city, in this particular house, is a somewhat magical one. It was one of those things where all the pieces just fell into place. Maybe I will write about it someday.
