A PLACE FOR US

An account of how an activist’s search for community led him to experience a tragedy so profound it changed the course of his life forever.

Wolf’s first experience with death came when his fierce and beautiful mother died from cancer. The loss shattered him: As a “half-Black kid…[with] a knack for musical theater,” he always knew he was different, but his mother had always made him feel safe and accepted in the small Oregon town where they lived. The author’s dark skin and sensitivity made him a target for racist boys “desperate to prove their masculinity,” as they forced him into confrontation with White supremacist propaganda meant to belittle him. Feeling misunderstood by an otherwise sympathetic White stepfather and stifled by bigotry seemingly everywhere he went, Wolf moved to Florida and took a job as a costumed character at Disney World. Adjustment to an independent life, along with a terrifying experience with racial profiling by police, left him disoriented. Despite hardships, however, “the freedom of a new world was intoxicating,” and he found life-affirming camaraderie with other queer people, especially those at Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Through Drew, Wolf learned how to love another gay man as a “confidant…accomplice…[and] brother” and also to celebrate Drew’s passionate commitment to Juan. When a lone gunman killed Drew, Juan, and dozens of others on a June night in 2016, Wolf’s life was shattered again. He was assailed with guilt for having survived the massacre and for having been the one to invite both men to the club that night. Yet rather than allow himself to succumb to fear and grief, Wolf helped found the Dru Project, an organization dedicated to creating safe spaces for all queer youth. This heartfelt book will appeal not only to LGBTQ+ readers, but to anyone committed to the fight for social justice for any marginalized community.

Poignant, inspiring reading.