A MAGA stronghold. A queer baker. And the best cinnamon rolls in northern Arizona.

Although Kingman is in one of Arizona’s most reliably red districts, it’s also home to one of the state’s proudest LGBTQ+ businesses: The Bearded Baker. 

If you’re driving by en route to Las Vegas or other destinations, pull off and pick up some goodies from Gideon Freeman, whose inspiring backstory, unwavering queer advocacy and tempting baking prowess have made him popular among the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

A cottage business, The Bearded Baker doesn’t have its own brick-and-mortar. But you can find the products around town. Freeman’s extensive product line includes more than a dozen flavors of sourdough bread along with bagels, cinnamon rolls, cheesecake, cookies, cream puffs, croissants, donuts, eclairs, muffins, sponge cake and more. Almost everything is under $10.

The biggest selection is at West of 3rd, a woman-owned “regenerative lifestyle market” known for being a strong queer-friendly business, and Mudd on 66 (both in Kingman), as well as Oddly Classy Creations in Fort Mohave, farmers markets and the occasional pop-up.

“He's always made our space feel safe and welcoming for everyone, and we love that about him,” West of 3rd co-owner Sarah Ferry said of Freeman. “People tell us all the time that our shop feels like a sanctuary, and he's a huge part of why that's true.”

“It feels like I’m doing magic”

Born and raised in a conservative Baptist family in Kingman, Freeman began decorating cakes at age 15 and eventually got a job doing it for a major grocery chain. After he came out, his family wouldn’t talk to him for many years.

An unhealthy relationship in the mid-2010s led Freeman to drug addiction, homelessness, and a 10-month prison stint, which he credits for teaching him kindness and acceptance. He’s now openly polyamorous in a relationship with two partners—Lugh Deleeuw and Rowdy Short—who “fall under the trans umbrella,” as Freeman put it. They also help with The Bearded Baker.

Being forced to rebuild his life led Freeman to rediscover his love of learning to bake. After getting laid off from another bakery, he spent his last $40 on ingredients and started a Facebook page under the name That Bearded Baker (“The” Bearded Baker was already taken).

On July 1, 2019, Freeman got his official business tax ID number. Over time, he invested in equipment, bought a house and set up a room for baking. He credits friends and supporters for giving him a chance, including West of 3rd which provided shelf space and eventually a refrigerator in the store for treats like cheesecake and tiramisu.

Freeman said what he loves most about baking is learning new things and developing new recipes. “The science behind it, it feels like I’m doing magic and magic spells,” he said.

Local customer Rochelle Phillips said she doesn’t usually like sourdough, but says The Bearded Baker’s is “awesome.”  “He has so many different flavors and kinds,” she said. “I don’t know what he does to it, but I eat the whole loaf.”

But beyond the bread? There’s the community support, which Phillips said she also appreciates Freeman’s allieship of the LGBTQ+ community:he has a transgender son of her own.

Buy the cinnamon rolls

You’re much more likely to see a MAGA hat than a rainbow flag in Kingman. But it’s crucial for Freeman to be visible, because “other people being visible … and not being afraid has really opened the door for me to accept myself.

He has served on the local Pride board, which organized the city’s first festival in 2020, just before the pandemic. And Freeman’s bout with addiction and homelessness made him a fervent supporter of unhoused people in Kingman.

“After having been homeless, I couldn’t go anywhere in the city and see somebody on the side of the road and not take an extra look,” he said. “There are so many things that are not your fault.”

Though Freeman is vocal about LGBTQ+ issues and rights on his Facebook page, he said for every 10, 20 or 50 followers he loses, he eventually gains scores more. The posts are intended to promote “conversation rather than controversy,” he explained.

Freeman said when people clap back at him for his views, he asks questions like, “Do you have a personal experience of how a trans person has harmed you or why this policy would affect you negatively?” he said. “No one has ever been able to answer those questions for me.”

And ultimately, food is the great equalizer. Freeman said that even though some customers boycott his business after paying attention to his posts, they often relent:

“They will speak their shit and then still eventually come back and buy the cinnamon rolls, because they like them.”