meet the roommates

Shannon (front) and Gillian (back)

S: Welcome to our blog! My name is Shannon, and I am half of this sweet, silly household. 

G: And I'm Gillian! We're so excited to use this space as a place to share our brainstorms, our adventures, and our goals.

how this blog got its name

G: As two afab people in a queer relationship, Shannon and I often are told that we look alike. We're both white and we have short brown hair, but the similarities end there! People like to ask if we get our haircut at the same place, if we are related, or if we are siblings. Plus, we like to dress alike (our styles are similar, and we even share some clothes). This onslaught of questions about our relationship to each other can run the gamut from funny to annoying to downright infuriating. Sometimes, the best thing to do is laugh it off! The name of this blog is a cheeky jab at these comments and also a reference to queer and lesbian relationships that historians reduce by calling queer people "roommates" or "very good friends."

S: The lovely side of this spectrum is being told by older couples we love that we are "already starting to look alike," just like any couple who has been together for a while. Sentiments like this feel wonderful and very special.

a brief history

G: I was born in Portland, Oregon, and spent my childhood years there before moving to Colorado. Living in the western half of the United States instilled in me a deep appreciation for nature, for fruit, and for sunsets. I studied Dance and English at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and then moved to Western Massachusetts (after a short COVID stint in Colorado again) to work for Jacob's Pillow. I now live and work in Berkshire County for a dance organization called Berkshire Pulse, choreograph and perform my own work, write poetry, and teach dance. 

S: I grew up in a tiny town in the Upper Peninsula of MI with my mom and dad, my two sisters, and a series of lovely pups and other critters. The area was beautiful and wild, close-knit and particular. I fell in love with movement in high school and ended up studying Dance at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After graduating, I moved sight unseen to MA (just like Gillian) to work at Jacob's Pillow. (Thank you Fate for bringing us together. We even would have been interns together at Jacob's Pillow in the lost summer of 2020, which makes me smile.) Since then, I have built my life in the Berkshires with Gillian, working with them at a local dance organization, teaching, dancing, and smiling daily.

zodiac signs

S: *double checks CoStar* Aquarius sun, Libra moon, Leo rising. CoStar assures me that Gillian and I are a great match. I agree.

G: Libra sun, Gemini moon, Libra rising. We've got a LOT of air in this household which lends to a lot of communication and deep conversations at any moment.

favorite musical artists

S: My mom downloaded Panic! At The Disco's debut album on her very first iPod (the very chunky kind with the spinny touch wheel) so I never really stood a chance there. (Her iPod also had the full Aquamarine soundtrack, which to this day feels like the soundtrack to my early childhood). Meanwhile, my father enjoyed the classics - The Beatles, Warren Zevon, Elton John, The Who, The Monkeys - and Taylor Swift. Regional musicians close to my heart are Oren Levin and Daphne Jane. When I want to scream-sing out the window on a drive through the MA mountains, Bleachers is my go-to. Other recent favorites include MUNA, Hozier, and Chappell Roan.

G: My mom presented me with the Target edition (iykyk) of Taylor Swift's Fearless after dance class one day. I've been a fan ever since, though I am more interested in her music and songwriting than the wild fandom and lore that surrounds her as a person. I'm a big fan of indie pop music (especially gay music). Longtime faves include Misterwives, MUNA, Winnetka Bowling League, King Princess, and Glass Animals. Recent listens are Chappell Roan, Shura, and Tegan and Sara (I know I'm late to the party there). I also love the genre of queer-people-discussing-religious-trauma - think Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and Semler.

3 things you love

S: Gillian. Winnie the Pooh. Ice cream.

G: Used bookstores. London Fogs. Shannon.

pet peeves

S: Drippy ice cream. Untied shoelaces. One napkin (I am a mess).

G: Missing Oxford commas. Misuse of the "reply all" function on emails. Being told Shannon and I look alike.

guilty pleasures

S: Reality TV. YouTube videos of people talking about the deep sea or deep space. Ketchup on anything.

G: Ariana Grande (Shannon is not a fan, so I often jam out in the car when I'm driving alone). The Bachelor Franchise. Stalking reality tv stars on Instagram.

favorite food

S: SOUP. Any day, any season, most soups. Also, ice cream.

G: Sushi or a good Thai coconut soup.

favorite books

S: My favorite books this year have been One Last Stop, Anxious People, and Station Eleven. Gillian recommended each of these to me. They all have had the exact dose of hopefulness that I needed in 2023. College plus COVID plus moving cross-country to a high-intensity job stalled my reading-for-pleasure habit, but I have been working hard this year to get back into it. 

G: I'm a voracious reader (I often go months without reading a book and then read a bunch in a very short period of time). Growing up, my favorite book was A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. More recent favorites include the books Shannon listed above, alongside anything by Hanif Abdurraqib. I use an app/website called StoryGraph to track all my books (it's like Goodreads but better and not owned by Amazon). 

favorite movies & tv

S: The Good Place, Atypical, Parks and Rec, Parasite

G: Schitt's Creek, the version of Nancy Drew with Emma Roberts, the 2005 Pride & Prejudice, But I'm a Cheerleader

parasocial relationships

S: As a kid, I was obsessed with StarKid, a rag-tag musical theater troupe that formed at the University of Michigan, my future alma mater. I didn't even do musical theater as a kid and yet their albums were my workout jams and emotional ballads. I had the pleasure of meeting many of the members throughout my childhood and even roomed with someone in college who was equally obsessed with the group and through theater connections in CA befriended a couple of the folks involved. In more recent years, my only real parasocial relationship would be Dr. Kirk Honda, a Marriage and Family Therapist who produces podcasts and YouTube reaction videos. I started watching his videos in the depths of COVID in 2020, and the way that he empathetically and calmly shared his thoughts on relationships and communication completely changed the way that I worked out problems with those close to me. He feels like my YouTube dad who reminds me to be vulnerable with those in my life, rise to the occasion for my loved ones, and take care of them when they need it. He also has a very soothing voice so sometimes when we are struggling to sleep, Gillian and I pop on a video of him and let him yammer until we snooze.

G: I discovered the music artist Semler during my senior year of college when I was really deeply mired in deconstructing my religious upbringing and coming to terms with my queer identity. Semler (named Grace Baldridge) is a nonbinary queer musician who writes and shares a lot about their experience with religion. They are married to Elizabeth (Lizzie), and the two of them share a podcast called Under Our Roof. I started listening to this when I lived in my first solo apartment and spent a lot of time alone. Over time (and many episodes), I have come to love these two people so so much. They feel like gay aunts or elders that I can look up to. Growing up, I didn't ever see people living a life I wanted for myself, and both Grace and Lizzie talk openly about queer domesticity in a way that feels real, attainable, and special. Their advice and guidance has helped me navigate so many moments in my adult life. Shannon and I listen to some of their episodes together, and we love to see photos of their two sweet pups (Bean and Bunny) on social media. 

xo 

the roommates