In the Arms of Mountains: An Unexpected Story of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America
Idaho’s first out LGBTQ+ lawmaker’s journey through gender, power, and disobedience in one of the most beautiful and politically hostile states in the nation

Cole LeFavour was 11-years-old when their unconventional and loving parents uprooted their family and purchased a ranch in the rugged landscape of Idaho, known for its pristine lakes, emerald green hillsides, and towering pines. Set against the backdrop of brewing rural rebellion, Cole and their sister came of age in the remote and seemingly infinite wild of the backcountry.

By the time they left for college, Cole was beginning to grapple with their own queer and nonbinary identity and the grim trajectory they faced returning home to a rural and conservative red state. In the Arms of Mountains traces the contours of Cole’s unique life—from formative years connected to the land to working as a fire lookout and lone backcountry ranger to joining anti-apartheid protests in Berkely and later becoming Idaho’s first openly queer lawmaker. Haunting yet hopeful and full of fight, Cole recounts surprising relationships encountered in the marble halls of power and navigating the gravitational pull of a romantic relationship amidst the strain and stress of organizing masses of people fighting for the most basic of rights.

As extremism is on the rise, In the Arms of Mountains is a cautionary yet inspiring story of the power of political resistance in places you least expect it.
1148118284
In the Arms of Mountains: An Unexpected Story of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America
Idaho’s first out LGBTQ+ lawmaker’s journey through gender, power, and disobedience in one of the most beautiful and politically hostile states in the nation

Cole LeFavour was 11-years-old when their unconventional and loving parents uprooted their family and purchased a ranch in the rugged landscape of Idaho, known for its pristine lakes, emerald green hillsides, and towering pines. Set against the backdrop of brewing rural rebellion, Cole and their sister came of age in the remote and seemingly infinite wild of the backcountry.

By the time they left for college, Cole was beginning to grapple with their own queer and nonbinary identity and the grim trajectory they faced returning home to a rural and conservative red state. In the Arms of Mountains traces the contours of Cole’s unique life—from formative years connected to the land to working as a fire lookout and lone backcountry ranger to joining anti-apartheid protests in Berkely and later becoming Idaho’s first openly queer lawmaker. Haunting yet hopeful and full of fight, Cole recounts surprising relationships encountered in the marble halls of power and navigating the gravitational pull of a romantic relationship amidst the strain and stress of organizing masses of people fighting for the most basic of rights.

As extremism is on the rise, In the Arms of Mountains is a cautionary yet inspiring story of the power of political resistance in places you least expect it.
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In the Arms of Mountains: An Unexpected Story of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America

In the Arms of Mountains: An Unexpected Story of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America

by Cole Nicole LeFavour
In the Arms of Mountains: An Unexpected Story of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America

In the Arms of Mountains: An Unexpected Story of Land, Love, and Queer Resistance in Red America

by Cole Nicole LeFavour

Hardcover

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Overview

Idaho’s first out LGBTQ+ lawmaker’s journey through gender, power, and disobedience in one of the most beautiful and politically hostile states in the nation

Cole LeFavour was 11-years-old when their unconventional and loving parents uprooted their family and purchased a ranch in the rugged landscape of Idaho, known for its pristine lakes, emerald green hillsides, and towering pines. Set against the backdrop of brewing rural rebellion, Cole and their sister came of age in the remote and seemingly infinite wild of the backcountry.

By the time they left for college, Cole was beginning to grapple with their own queer and nonbinary identity and the grim trajectory they faced returning home to a rural and conservative red state. In the Arms of Mountains traces the contours of Cole’s unique life—from formative years connected to the land to working as a fire lookout and lone backcountry ranger to joining anti-apartheid protests in Berkely and later becoming Idaho’s first openly queer lawmaker. Haunting yet hopeful and full of fight, Cole recounts surprising relationships encountered in the marble halls of power and navigating the gravitational pull of a romantic relationship amidst the strain and stress of organizing masses of people fighting for the most basic of rights.

As extremism is on the rise, In the Arms of Mountains is a cautionary yet inspiring story of the power of political resistance in places you least expect it.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780807024188
Publisher: Beacon Press
Publication date: 05/26/2026
Pages: 248
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Cole Nicole LeFavour is an activist, award-winning journalist, andwriter whose stories and essays have appeared in The North American Review, Idaho Wilderness Considered, Confluence, Sawtooth-White Cloud, among others.In 2004, LeFavourbecame the first opening LGBTQ+ member of the Idaho Legislature, serving as an Idaho State Senator for eight years and leading multiple acts of civil disobedience at the State Capitol.
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