RFD 205 Spring 2026 1 Number 205Number 205 Spring 2026 Spring 2026 $11.95$11.95 HeartbreakIssue 206 / Summer 2026 NATURE Submission Deadline: May 15, 2026 www.rfdmag.org/upload “Nature”—what does it provoke, where do you find yourself? For many of us it was our happy/ safe place: exploring the wild flowers while the soccer ball rolled past. The birds, squirrels and flowers our constant conversationalists. Or maybe you’re a ‘nature-ist’ whose favorite activities (and more than a few stories) celebrate the feelings of wind on skin, the sun warming us, that naked dive into a lake. Or, sex outside. To riff on Joe Jackson: What’s nature/man now? What’s a nature/man mean? Is he/she rough or is he rugged? Is she/he/they cultural and clean? Or, perhaps, nature is just the neighborhood. Stories, artwork, thoughts, arguments invited. RFD 205 Spring 2026 1 Regrettable First Date Vol 52 No 3 #205 Spring 2026 Between the Lines First off, some RFD news—our printer of fifteen years seems to have gone bust. It happened in the middle of printing the winter issue. We managed to get most of the issue out except for forty-five subscribers. We humbly apologize for the delay. We’re hopefully on track with this issue with a new printer. Wish us luck! We’re heartbroken to be los- ing a connection, albeit a business one, with such a long-standing relationship but our goal is to serve you, our readers. But on to the theme of this issue—heartbreak— it’s a humbling time with war, economic uncertainty and the political climate challenging all of our com- munities hard fought strides. Yet we also live within our own human hearts, facing love, loss, and finding ways to stride forward ourselves hopefully hand in hand with others. Given the topic, we were swimming in submis- sions and we’re sorry we couldn’t use more of them but our dance card quickly filled. As ever we ap- preciate everyone’s submissions and heartily call for your submissions and ideas for future themes. —from someone on the RFD crew who thought there would be cider donuts at the maple sugaring event but alas no! —The RFD Collective2RFD 205 Spring 2026 RFD is a reader-written journal for gay people which focuses on country living and encourages alternative lifestyles. We foster community building and networking, explore the diverse expres- sions of our sexuality, care for the environment, Radical Faerie conscious- ness, and nature-centered spirituality, and share experiences of our lives. RFD is produced by volunteers. We welcome your participation. The business and general production are coordinated by a collective. Features and entire issues are prepared by different groups in vari- ous places. RFD (ISSN# 0149-709X) is published quarterly for $25 a year by RFD Press, PMB 329, 351 Pleasant St., Ste B, Northampton, MA 01060-3998. Postmaster: Send address changes to RFD Press, PMB 329, 351 Pleasant St., Ste B, Northampton, MA 01060-3998. Non-profit tax exempt #62-1723644, a function of RFD Press, Inc., with office of registration at 231 Ten Penny Rd., Woodbury, TN 37190. RFD Cover Price: $11.95. A regular subscription is the least expensive way to receive RFD four times a year. First class mailed is- sues will be forwarded. Others will not. Send address changes to submissions@ rfdmag.org or to our Northampton, MA address. Copyright © RFD Press, Inc. The records required by Title 18 U.S.D. Section 2257 and associated with respect to this magazine (and all graphic material associated therewith on which this label appears) are kept by the custodian of records at the fol- lowing location: RFD Press, 85 N Main St, Ste 200, White River Junction, VT 05001. Production Managing Editor: Bambi Gauthier Production Editor: Matt Bucy Submission Deadlines Summer–May 15, 2026 Fall–August 15, 2026 See inside covers for themes and specifics. For online issues, advertising, subscriptions, back orders and other information visit www.rfdmag.org. Visual Contributors Inside this Issue Artwork not directly associated with an article. Front Cover "maybe everything was different" by Jan Ziegler Back Cover "Coucou and Roxi in the greenhouse" by Ki McBride Shannon Hedges. .........................2, 14 Richard Vyse. ...........................18, 61 Gawain Geoffrey. ...........................20 Dragon (Art Durkee). .......................30 Duncan Hilton. .........................37, 43 Daniel "DanBoi" Hamilton.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Gregory T. Wilkins (aka Equus). ..............51 "First Light" by Shannon Hedges. RFD 205 Spring 2026 3 CONTENTS Gathering Guide ...............................................................4 Eurofaeries Celebrate Thirty Years at a Reunion on Terschelling Island .........Frankin, Trish-Trash, Junis, Efthimios ....6 A Thousand Broken Pieces, and a Field ......Ki McBride / Féileacán Booshay ........10 My Stars…the Gifts! ......................Two Bears ...........................15 Billy’s Dream October 3, 1992 ..............David Weldon ........................17 Allan Bloom .............................Ayre Fromme-Diaz ...................19 Cupid’s Arrow or Poison Dart? .............Dan DeSantis ........................21 Man Trouble .............................Leo Racicot ..........................25 Love Hurts ..............................Stephen from Wonewoc (Weiser) ......31 A Hut In The Woods ......................Carter Beale .........................33 The Day He Left ..........................Sam Beal ............................34 Separation ...............................Ben Robertson .......................35 The Fifth Time ...........................Ben Robertson .......................35 My Grandmother’s Jewelry Box ............Tom Seidner .........................36 We Would Go To The Beach ...............Nathan Hoston .......................38 Yosemite ................................Trebor Healey ........................39 every night without you is another night without you ..............Sean Patrick Mulroy ..................40 1992, Ashes Action by ACT UP ............Dudgrick R. W. Bevins ................41 After the Load ...........................Jaime Rodríguez ......................42 The Poetry of Pause: Franklin Abbott’s My Ordinary Life and the Crisis as Suspending ...................Wendelin Küpers ....................44 Department of Silliness Radical Faerie Guidelines ...............James Ru ............................50 Surfacing ................................Daniel Stephens ......................52 Heart Circles .............................Meridian ............................54 In Which I Am Charlotte Charlaque ........Maria Laurids ........................55 a picture of him dancing at his brother’s wedding that i hadn’t seen before ........Sean Patrick Mulroy ..................59 Losing Superboy .........................David Milley .........................60 Myth of a Blood Covenant .................Jeffrey McCray .......................62 Nomad/Steve Schwartzberg ...............Jaybird Chirp / Jay Warren .............63TN Dance for All People Apr 9-12 Laverne TN danceforallpeople.com/calendar Spring Community Week Apr 10-19 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Beamsley Apr 20 -27 Beamsley, UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Beltane Apr 26-May 4 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Beltane: The Inner Fire & The Wild Bloom Apr 27-May 3 Girona, Spain www.terrarosa.org/faeriegatherings Beltane Apr 29-May 6 Vejer de la Frontera, Spain hadasdelsol.org Beltane ~May 1 Wolf Creek, OR www.nomenus.org Billys Spring Gathering May 6 -10 Upper Lake, CA www.thebillys.org Folklorikas May 7-15 Granada, Spain hadasdelsol.org Radical Rest May 8-17 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Beltane May 8-18 Glastonbury, UK albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings Spring Retreat May 15-17 Highlands, NC gayspiritvisions.org Utah Dance for All People May 15 -17 Spring City, UT danceforallpeople.com/calendar Spring Gathering May 15-18 Evans Lake, BC, Canada bcradfae.ca SoCal Spring Gathering May 22-25 Mountain Center, CA thecmg.org Kench Hill May 22-29 Tenterden, UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Dreamscape May 22-31 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Gavados Gathering May 29-Jun 7 Gavados, Greece efthimios@aol.com Southern Spring Gathering May 29-Jun 7 Hampshire, TN cmen.org Archiffoning Jun 5-14 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Welcome Home + Vienna Pride Gathering Jun 9 -17 Linz, Austria eurofaeries.eu/eurofaeries/gatherings Wolf Creek Dance for All People Jun 10-14 Wolf Creek, OR danceforallpeople.com/calendar Solistice Gathering Jun 19 -28 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Zanavania Jun 22 -28 Cobana, Romania www.radfae.org/gatherings 2026 Gatherings Here is RFD’s annual gathering guide. As always we appreciate the various commu- nities who host events around the world of interest to our readers. Please check with each community about registration and dates. Some communities which are not listed but may have gatherings listed later can be found at www.radfae.org (huge shoutout for their continued interest in showcasing our communities events). Meanwhille, if you know a gathering or event which RFD should highlight in an upcoming issue, please be in touch. Send an email to submissions@rfdmag. org with “Gathering Guide” listings in the header. Please include, name of the gathering, dates, location and the website for more details.Spritual Gathering of Radical Faeries Jun 22-Jul 5 Wolf Creek, OR www.nomenus.org Billys Summer Gathering Jul 1-5 Upper Lake, CA www.thebillys.org Faerie Magic Jul 3-12 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org One in All Colours Gathering Jul 6-17 Terchelling, Netherlands eurofaeries.eu/eurofaeries/gatherings Plas Ceiriog Jul 10-17 Llangollen, UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Sex Magick Jul 11 -18 Wolf Creek, OR faeriesexmagick.org Sussex Gathering Jul 19-26 Laughton Lodge, Lewes, UK albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings Summer Community Week Jul 17 -26 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Gayla Jul 18 -25 Saco, ME www.ferrybeach.org/gayla.html Northern California Gathering Jul 20-26 Northern CA cmen.org Monsoon Gathering Aug 1-21 Ramah, NM zms.org Lammas Aug 4-12 Kawashaway, MN www.facebook.com/groups/108043090235 Playground Aug 7-16 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Radical Faeries at Queer Spirit Festival Aug 13 -17 Bridwell Park, Devon, UK queerspirit.net Southern California Gathering Aug 14-23 Southern CA cmen.org High Close Aug 18 -25 Langdale, UK www.edwardcarpentercommunity.org.uk Breitenbush Summer Gathering Aug 19-23 Brietenbush, OR cascadiafaeries.org Montana Dance for All People Aug 21-23 Victor, MT danceforallpeople.com/calendar Gnomes Are Free Aug 21 -30 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Northern Gathering Aug 31-Sep 6 Pardshaw, Cumbria, UK albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings Billys Fall Gathering Sep 3-7 Upper Lake, CA www.thebillys.org NoCal Summer Gathering Sep 4-7 Napa, CA thecmg.org Anemone Coronaria Sep 4-13 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Midwest Men's Festival Sep 15 -24 McLouth, KS midwestmensfestival.com Wise Wild Sep 16 -27 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Fall Conference Sep 24-27 Highlands, NC gayspiritvisions.org New England Dance for All People Sep 24-27 Parsonsfield, ME danceforallpeople.com/calendar Starland Gathering Sep 30-Oct 4 Yucca Valley, CA www.thebillys.org SoCal Fall Gathering ~Oct Mountain Center, CA thecmg.org Tendernest Oct 2-11 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org CA Dance for All People Oct 8-12 Los Gatos, CA danceforallpeople.com/calendar Lumbers Community Week Oct 16 Nov 1 Folleterre, France www.folleterre.org Samhain Oct 17-26 Featherstone Castle, UK albionfaeries.org.uk/gatherings All Hallowed Eves Oct 31-Nov 8 Ramah, NM zms.org Billys Winter Gathering Dec 30-Jan 3 Upper Lake, CA www.thebillys.org6RFD 205 Spring 2026 Franklin Abbott Thirty years ago the call went out mainly through bookstores for the first gathering of the EuroFaer- ies. Thirty years later seven of the original Faeries returned along with twenty more to remember and re-create in the same place where we initially gathered. In that thirty years there have been Faerie gatherings all over Europe with new ones forming frequently. What began thirty years prior is well es- tablished and growing. Here are three perspectives from those attending and organizing Trish-Trash, T-T, a.k.a. Rushing Water and Sparkling Water I have a vivid memory of the first ritual of the Faeries in Europe on June 24, 1995, in “De Wier- schuur”, a farmhouse surrounded by bright green marsh meadows where cows, horses and sheep grazed, right next to the ebb and flow of the Wad- den Sea, a few minutes by bike from wide sandy beaches and the wild North Sea, in the midst of indescribably beautiful and rugged nature of the Dutch island of Terschelling. We sat in a large circle, full of excitement for what was to come. Looking through the open barn door at the bright blue sky, I can still feel the solemn atmosphere of this first Radical Faerie circle in Europe. Each Faerie placed something very per- sonal on the gathering altar and shared with the group what was in their heart at that moment. It was a very touching, magical ritual, the homecom- ing ritual of the Faeries to Europe. This wonderful energy has carried the Radical Faeries to this day. Since then, there have been many gatherings on Terschelling and elsewhere in Europe, we have founded a Faerie sanctuary in Folleterre in France, and every year there are more and more gatherings of the Radical Faeries across the continent, in Israel and Palestine. When we met again after thirty years for our reunion gathering on Terschelling, I felt a deep connection with people with whom I had only had correspondence over the years and with Faeries who I count among my closest friends, but who live scat- tered across Europe and elsewhere. Nevertheless, it Eurofaeries Celebrate Thirty Years at a Reunion on Terschelling Island Photographs courtesy Trish-Trash. RFD 205 Spring 2026 7 felt to me as if we had all met recently, including the newcomers! A circle of friends had come together! Amazing! What has created this amazing bond over so many years? I am convinced that a very important ingredient is that we have often, almost every day, come together in heart circles, shared our hearts, and listened to each other about what moves us most deeply, what may have hurt us in our child- hood, our exclusion from normal society, not belonging, but also the happy moments we have experienced because we are who we are. Inciden- tally, this is not only true for the older Faeries. Heart circles are one of the secret ingredients that make a gathering what it is, giving many the feeling of hav- ing come home. And there’s something else that has connected us for so many years, another important ingredient, I think: When I attended my first gathering with my partner at the time in the summer of 1989 at the Northwood Faeries in Wisconsin, and despite our initial shock at encountering a circle of over twenty naked, oiled-up men hugging each other, we stayed anyway. I had one of the best times of my life. There were the craziest workshops, such as braiding and dyeing each other’s pubic hair – which we still had back then—painting our naked bodies in the middle of the forest in the stream of a brook, having our hair, fingernails, and toenails dyed in a beauty salon that was open 24 hours a day, walking around wear- ing nothing but a children’s cowboy belt with a plastic revolver in a holster and a cowboy hat, experimenting with drag, hud- dling together in sweat lodges under plastic bags, paddling naked in a canoe on the St. Croix River, and much more. Things that I would never have been able to experience anywhere else as an adult. I was simply allowed to play again, to do the things that I would have enjoyed immensely as a child, but which were not considered appropriate for boys, which were forbidden for them and therefore not done. Enjoying this cre- ated a feeling of freedom, of lightness, of connection with others who were just as crazy as I was. Perhaps the headline “meet your inner child” fits here. In any case, I think there is something decidedly healing about it. Today, every gathering is like this or similar. We have glamorous (k)no(w)-talent shows, fabu- lous auctions, drag shows, etc., etc. Playfulness is certainly one of the key elements of a Radical Faerie gathering. And let’s not forget rituals. I will always remem- ber our homecoming ritual in June 1995 at the farmhouse “De Wierschuur.” It was a very powerful moment for me, something truly magical. I don’t know of any gathering where the Faeries don’t experience new things together through imaginative rituals, connecting with each other, with them- selves, with Mother Nature, and with the universe. All this and much more is what a Radical Faer- ies gathering means to me. Our reunion gathering on Terschelling last summer had all of this too. It was fabulous. This seems to me to be the reason why we have been coming together for Radical Fa- eries gatherings for so many years and have formed lifelong friendships. Junis From 1995 to 2005 the EuroFaeries gathered on the island of Terschelling, just an hour and a half on a ferry boat from the mainland in the north of the Netherlands. In 2005, after a three year land search, we found a big farmhouse and several hectares of forestland in the north eastern part of France to cre- ate our own sanctuary. We called it Folleterre (crazy land). It took a few years before the Faeries finally arrived in large enough numbers to sustain the property. Meanwhile the island kept attracting Faer- ies to organise another couple of gatherings. Years went by, Folleterre grew also in land area, today more than fourteen hectare, and in 2020 we were about to celebrate our twenty-five year jubileum when Covid broke out, only to create chaos and separation. It took until June 2025 when it became possible to reserve the farmhouse on the island again and bring a call out, also inviting those who were there at the very first gathering in 1995.Next >