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Hello there, and welcome to Midwest Fruit Salad, a little queer corner of the internet where we celebrate the weird, the wonderful, and the wildly underappreciated parts of being LGBTQ+ in the American Midwest.
🏳️🌈 So… what exactly is this?
This blog is:
- A travel-adjacent resource from a gay Midwesterner who loves exploring queer-friendly places, even if they’re just an hour away.
- A love letter to the region, written with both sarcasm and sincerity.
- A guide to places, events, people, and products that feel affirming, fun, or at least tolerably gay in the corn belt.
I’m here to dish up travel tips, road trip suggestions, local events, packing lists, maybe the occasional bar crawl breakdown—and whatever other flavors end up in this metaphorical fruit salad.
❌ What this blog isn’t:
- A comprehensive guide to the entire LGBTQ+ community. I’m a bi guy with a gay boyfriend and this is from that lens. I don’t speak for every identity under the rainbow, but I do believe in showing up for the full alphabet.
- A luxury travel blog. I don’t have a ring light, a drone, or a budget that includes “boutique everything.” Think more “queer road trip with gas station snacks” than “Mykonos on a yacht.”
- A place where I pretend to have all the answers. I’m learning, wandering, and writing it down as I go.
💡 Why “Midwest Fruit Salad”?
Well:
- I’m a fruit. 🌈
- I live in the Midwest. 🌽
- This blog is going to be a mix of things—like any good salad should be.
Plus, it made me laugh. If you’re from the Midwest, you know we have a special relationship with the word “salad,” in that almost anything can be called a salad. And I like that.
📬 What to Expect
If you stick around, you’ll find:
- LGBTQ+-friendly destinations in the Midwest and beyond
- Hidden gems (gay bars, drag shows, kitschy diners, road trip stops)
- Pride events you didn’t know existed
- Lists, roundups, and probably a few hot takes
And yes, some affiliate links—because capitalism is still a thing, and I like paying rent.
Thanks for stopping by. Drop me a comment or message if there’s a place I should cover, or if you just want to say “hi” from your part of the Salad Bowl.
Stay fruity!