June's rolled into town, and we're kicking things off with a celebration of community, belonging, and all the colorful folks that help make our little corner of the world feel like home.

As always, we’ve added a fresh track to this week’s issue purely for vibes as you read. Click the link below before ya start reading if you wanna listen!

This week’s Front Porch Partner is Lazarus Naturals. They ain’t local-local, but every lil’ click sends $1.50 jingle janglin’ straight into the Chattynooga coin purse. No forms or fuss, just a quick tap that helps keep this porch swing rockin’ and the stories flowin’.

So if you’ve got half a second between sips of coffee, give it a click and consider it your good deed for the day. Appreciate ya, neighbor.

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Got somethin’ cookin’ that the Scenic City oughta know about?

Tell us all about it with our new and improved events form, or just reply to this email with your event details and we’ll go from there!

If y’ain’t heard of the Chattanooga Queer Empowerment Collective yet, today's yer lucky day bucko. The Chattanooga Queer Empowerment Collective (or CQEC as they’ve so graciously shortened it down to) is a grassroots nonprofit right here in the Tennessee Valley that's been not-so-quietly building somethin' real nice.

They do mutual aid, resource sharing, skill-building, and community care for queer, trans, and gender-nonconformin’ folks throughout the Chattanooga area and beyond. The idea is simple enough: if somebody needs somethin', or to feel like they belong somewhere, the CQEC is a solid start. And from what we’ve been seein’ throughout this past yer, they're pretty dang good at it.

My favorite thing about the CQEC is that they sure know how to party with their folks, and this month ain’t no different. They've got an entire Pride calendar fulla events that you can jump right into! It kicks off tomorrow, June 2nd with Friend Request: a queer speed friending night (that's right, friending) at ClearStory Arts at 6:30 PM. Lookin' for a new hiking buddy, a movie watchin' companion, or just some new pals to meet that you can relate to? This might be your thing, and to sweeten the deal they’re even bringin' snacks!

The rest of June brings several other get-togethers, including queer community storytelling, a Pride T-Shirt Design Contest (the winning design gets printed for Pride in October!), a cozy lock-in movie night with pajamas and popcorn, a summer clothing swap, and a handful of other collaborations sprinkled throughout the month that you’re not gonna wanna miss.

Follow 'em on Instagram to see the full calendar and keep up to date with what’s happening for future meetups!

Growin’ up right here in the lovely little small town of Soddy-Daisy, "different" ain’t always been seen as a good thing, no matter what that change looks like in a community. An’ I’m quite guilty of bein’ a hater of change myself.

I didn't quite understand all of it when I was little, just knew that some kids — and even grown folk — got real quiet when certain things came up, and it carried heavy weight to it I couldn't name. I've gotten a tiny bit older, and I understand there's a lotta pain that comes with bein' different in a place that hasn't always made room for it. I don't think I'll ever fully understand what that's like, but I try to pay attention to the folks that’re livin’ that truth.

What I do know is what Meemaw taught me, and that in particular is lovin' on people with no conditions attached. Don’t matter who walks through our door, she'd have a plate ready and a story goin' before ya even sat down. She says somethin' like, "You can't go wrong lovin' somebody," I thought that was just something sweet old ladies said, but turns out she’s onto something.

I've made some of my very best friends just by tryin' to live that out in simple ways: Like showin' up curious instead of scared, and not needin' to understand everything about somebody before decidin’ they're worth knowin'. I feel like I’ve ended up richer every time for it, just maybe not in the way my pockets jingle when I leave the laundromat with a sack of unused quarters.

This Pride month, that's what I'm bringin' to the table within our lil’ internet community. Pride is a fantastic celebration of yourself, but it’s also a reminder to keep the door open and love a little more freely than what comes naturally.

Meemaw's been doin' it her whole life, I reckon the sooner ya start the fuller your porch gets once it’s your turn to have a home.

Can you guys believe it’s already June?! It hit me the other day that the year is almost half over. That’s when I got really introspective, put on my poetry beret, and decided to do a little writing. I ended up jotting down a couple of haikus, so enjoy!

such heat, rain, and mud
wherefore art thou, turkey leg?
I’ll just dance instead

firefly fly by
blink blink blink blink blink blink blink
light the night up bright

me and you and me
we all deserve the same joy
love is love is love

sun bakes down on me
I am turning red red red
well, I guess I’m cooked

all I want right now
a treat most delectable
I want a moonpie

Submit your own Haiku’s by replying to this email, they’re super duper fun and easy to make!

Remember: the best porches aren't the fanciest ones, but the ones with room for another chair to rock together in. Have a lovely week, pals!

— Bubby & Clementine