Since we posted my slideshow, and this photo feature online, I've been feeling a little sensitive. I wasn't taking photos so people could be downright mean (see also the "Best" Gathering photos on Buzzfeed). I try to keep a careful amount of humanity in my photography. Why? Because I'm a fucking dork.

Rewind to high school. I met my best friend 'cause she turned around in algebra class, and asked if I was "a farmer". I was mortified. See, we had two rival gangs at my school in Hillybillysville Northern Michigan—"The Farmers" and "The Leather Lads". The Farmers were the big tough farm boys, much like jocks, 'cept they didn't play sports and drove huge redneck monster trucks. The Leather Lads were much like every single character in the S.E. Hinton book The Outsiders. They were scrappy and tough, and drove huge muscle cars. I wanted to be in the Leather Lads gang (or better yet, one of their girlfriends, a Leather Laddie). Problem was, I was po' white trash from the country. I rode the bus for 2+ hours every day with all The Farmers. They all knew me. The day I got on the bus in a black leather jacket was the day I would NEVER live down. It got so bad, I had to start getting a ride to school from my mom.

What's my point? Even though some of the Juggalos were a bit scary, the campground was terrifying, and Tila Tequila really did get human turds thrown at her—people at The Gathering were extremely nice. Yes, they're a gang. But they're a gang that's constantly hugging, high-five-ing, and "whoop-whoop-ing" at each other with genuine affection. Aside from the initial stabbing when I first got there, I didn't see one single fight or argument. No violence at all. They consider themselves family—they really do. They knew I wasn't one of them. They could smell the white trash on me, sure, but they knew I wasn't there for "family". They were nice to me all the same. And for this, I respect and admire them.