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Ripley: Hey, I brought up your concerns about the youth in the area to the Community Trust, and they’re interested, but Tristan wants more info. I told him I would have you call him to go over everything. Do you have his cell?
Like there was any reason I’d have the mayor’s cell phone number saved in my phone.
Me: I don’t have it. I could call his office, though.
Ripley: Hold on, I’ll send it to you. He really wants to hear what you have to say.
Since I knew he was expecting my call, I shouldn’t have been nervous, especially since I’d met Tristan on more than one occasion, and he was a really nice guy, even if he was a little bit stiff and lawyer-y, but I was still a little anxious about calling.
I took a minute and reminded myself that during the elections last fall, there had been a lot of talk about his plans for River Gorge, and the issue surrounding the youth in the area fit very well with his overall agenda.
Plus, last summer when I was helping Nolan with the computer camp, Tristan had taken the time to stop by and check that things were running smoothly, and he’d interacted with the kids like he actually cared that they were having a good experience. A man who’d done that had to care about the teenagers in town.
When I’d told Tonya why I needed to take an extended break, she’d thought it was fantastic. As the mother of a soon-to-be teenager here in River Gorge, she knew how important this was, and she agreed that Tristan would be willing to hear me out, so I took my break and made the call.
The phone rang a few times, and then he answered, “Tristan Aguilar.”
“Tristan, it’s Spencer Reynolds. Ripley said you wanted me to call you.”
“Ah, yes, Spencer. Thanks for calling. Ripley told me about your concerns, and I’m eager to hear your thoughts on the matter.”
“Well, thanks for being willing to hear me out.” I said that like I had some big presentation planned. I didn’t, but I knew enough about being a kid with no place you belonged that I was sure I could wing it.
“I grew up here in River Gorge, so I’m well aware of how little there is for kids to do here in town. We’ve tried to remedy that over the summer with day camps that span a variety of interests. But I understand you feel like we could be doing more.”
He didn’t sound upset or angry, but I didn’t want him to think that I didn’t see the effort the town was putting forth because they were. They’d worked very hard last summer to make sure those camps were inclusive and that there was something for everyone, from rodeo camps to computer camps to an arts and crafts camp, not to mention various sports-themed ones.
“It’s not so much more as just something different. The summer program is great. If you remember, I helped Nolan with the computer program last summer, and I know participation was high, and the kids really enjoyed it.”
“I do remember you helping, and the camp program seemed to be very successful, but I’m open to any ideas you have for what else we could do. I’ve seen the numbers from the local sheriff’s office, and they go on way too many calls that pertain to the youth in the area.”
“That’s what I’ve heard, and we’ve had a few of them in the clinic as well because they were injured being in places they shouldn’t be,” I agreed. “But I don’t get the feeling the kids are troublemakers or anything. I think they’re just bored because there’s nothing to do, at least not if you don’t fit into the typical activities like football, basketball, or rodeo. And that’s especially true if you’re part of the queer community.”
“I would agree with that. I’m glad to see kids feeling more comfortable coming out nowadays. Back when I was a kid, it wasn’t very common, but even though it’s more accepted, that doesn’t mean it’s easy.”
“Right, especially without community.”
“So what do you think we should do about it?”
“I went to a youth center in Austin when I was a kid, but I don’t know enough about the demographics of River Gorge to know what’s possible in such a small town.”
“It isn’t the same, that’s true, but in some ways, it makes finding a solution even more important here. There are so many more kids in a large city that it’s easier to find your tribe. In a small town, every little thing about you that makes you different stands out.”
“I know a center like in Austin might not be possible, but it’d be really great if we could at least provide something on a smaller scale for the kids in the community.”
“From a financial standpoint, I’m not sure there are enough kids in the county period to justify a full-time youth center, much less an LGBT-focused one, but some things are more important than money. If having a safe space means even one of River Gorge’s teens doesn’t feel alone, it would be worth doing.”
It had been obvious to me during last fall’s election that the people of River Gorge liked Tristan, but hearing this from him made me wonder if they understood just how lucky they were to have him.
“Like you said, Tristan, what matters is that it’s a safe space. It doesn’t have to be only for queer kids, as long as it’s a space where they’re free to be themselves.”
“I agree, and as a community, we’ve made great strides over the last ten years or so. When I moved back home to River Gorge, the idea of a gay man as mayor wasn’t even imaginable, but just last month, I did an interview for a travel blog about the best small towns in the US to visit for LGBTQIA+ people.”
“That’s awesome, and River Gorge is a great place,” I agreed.
“I think so, too, and a lot of work has gone into making it that way, but our goal was never to make this a good place for tourists, although that’s a benefit. It was about making this a great place to live, and that includes our youth, so I agree we need to take action. The question is what.”
Over the last week, I’d done so much research into small-town youth centers, and I had some ideas, for sure, but I wasn’t going to win over the mayor with my half-formed thoughts. What I needed was a plan.
