More than 40 years ago, a young, free-spirited dairy farmer from rural Washington named Patrick Haggerty did something no one else had done up until that point—release a country record that dealt with being a gay male. It took a lot of courage for Haggerty to release an album that documented his life in closed-minded rural America in the years following the Stonewall Riots, let alone expressing it through the machismo-laden style of country music. Though his band Lavender Country’s 1973 self-titled debut was its only album, these days Haggerty’s biting social commentary—filled with naked truth and barbed humor (most notably on “Cryin’ These Cocksucking Tears”)—is rightfully recognized as being hugely important in the LGBTQ rights movement. To many, Haggerty is a hero, and that little country record from 1973 is a beautiful gem on so many levels. MARK LORE