Out There is a memoir about one man’s search to lead an authentic life, an adventure that takes him all over the world, and through some of the biggest societal changes of recent history. From a distance, this could be a typical American story: a boy grows up in a religious home, joins the military to defend his country, returns home to attend university, then becomes a firefighter. That would be typical, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s gay, and was open in places that historically excluded people like him.
As a 19-year-old from a fundamentalist religious upbringing, Lance worked hard to qualify for Navy SEAL training, then sailed across the Pacific Ocean on a warship where he met his first boyfriend. After his partner was sexually assaulted by a superior, the two men become witnesses in a Court Martial that is complicated by the law of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. After being discharged from the Navy, Lance discovers time in nature as a way to heal from the experiences of his youth. While sailing, backpacking and climbing in the Pacific Northwest, he navigates new challenges of becoming a first-generation college student, equal rights activist, and the first openly gay fireman in the Seattle Fire Department.
This is a memoir of a man out in the wilderness, both physically and socially, on a journey to find a place to call his own. This book is for anyone who’s felt like an outsider or hasn’t found their place yet. Out There, just beyond this vantage point, there’s a place that’s calling your name. Lance’s story is an example of that. This book is the trail map of how he found his place. Perhaps his exploration can be used as a support while you blaze a trail of your own.
