New country

It’s always a surprise to step inside somebody else’s reality. You don’t have to travel far to do this; you just have to make the effort to go somewhere you’ve never been, surround yourself with people whose lives and interests seem totally different from yours.

This week, SN&R’s Chrisanne Beckner helps us go somewhere we haven’t been by giving us a seat—front row center—in what seems like a new country. “Gritty in Pink” takes us into the rowdy, unexpected universe of the Sierra Stampede, Sacramento’s annual gay rodeo in Rio Linda. The story introduces us to the unruly authenticity of a gay rodeo—one that includes equal parts goofy contests designed for laughs (hint: one involving goats and men’s underwear) and dangerous events that involve huge aggressive animals (steers, bulls, horses) attempting to hurl riders into the dirt.

What’s really compelling about the story is the chance to get up close with one woman, Ann Kinney, the lone cowgirl who attempts to remain upright on a wild, bucking bronc as it tries like crazy to catapult her off its back. See SN&R photographer Jill Wagner’s potent shots of a doggedly determined Kinney as she puts herself on the line in hopes of taking home a rodeo trophy for her family.

It’s an event most of us have never been to. It’s a family of local gay cowboys and cowgirls (who even guessed they were there?) who crave the fun and danger of a good competition. It’s a lone woman rider who wants what we all do—to win without getting hurt, to secure the love and respect of her family and peers.

After an initial surprise at what’s different, other people’s realities can turn out feeling awfully familiar.