Hulu celebrates the release of the original documentary “We Live Here: The Midwest” from filmmakers Melinda Maerker and David Clayton Miller. The film follows families from the Midwest who would like to stay but face challenges because of who they are. The film is streaming now exclusively on Hulu (Photos by David Clayton Miller; Courtesy of Hulu).
In the newly released clip “Remember Coming Out To My Mom,” Monte, a married gay man living in Nebraska, opens up about when he first came out to his mother. He revisits that experience in conversation with her and his husband Mario.
In the clip “I Can Still Remember A Dinner,” Courtney and Denise, a lesbian couple living in Kansas, recall a memory of their son saying he didn’t approve of gay marriage when he was in elementary school. They share how this led to them changing his academic environment so he could better explore his own opinions and interests.
All families must confront challenges, every day. But many also face a rising tide of discrimination and hate in their churches, schools, and even their own neighborhoods. “We Live Here: The Midwest” profiles families who hope to stay in a part of the country they love, and where they have often established deep roots: a trans/queer family with five children in Iowa must find a new community after being expelled from their church; a gay Black couple with a young daughter test the line of acceptance in Nebraska; a lesbian couple homeschool their bullied son on a farm in Kansas; a gay teacher in Ohio creates a safe space for LGBTQIA+ students; and a couple in Minnesota struggles to rebuild their families following both of their transitions. Meanwhile, Minnesota State Representative and queer mother, Heather Keeler, brings LGBTQIA+ rights to the political forefront despite ongoing death threats. Fundamentally, the film captures a crucial time where anti-queer legislation and sentiment is rapidly multiplying across the country, and the values of all midwestern families are put to the ultimate test.
