The Oh, So, Selakoga is a small town in Central Alabama, nestled amid the rolling hills and forests of

Talladeka County.

Back in the 1990s, this tight-knit community was so diminutive that it lacked

fundamental establishments such as motels or restaurants. The town's

limited size fostered a culture where nearly everybody was familiar with each other.

Within the context of small town Alabama, individuals within the LGBTQ-plus community

often chose to conceal their identities. Many found solace in relocating to the more

embracing city of Birmingham. In 1990, the world would come to learn exactly why. It was

a quiet Saturday morning in Silacaga, Alabama on the 20th of February 1999.

The tranquility was shattered when a burning car was discovered alongside

Alabama 148. Firefighters and police were dispatched to the area and when the flames were extinguished they let out a collective sigh of relief

to find that the vehicle was empty. Detectives quickly discovered that the burning car

belonged to 39-year-old Billy Jack Gather.

Billy Jack Gather was born on the 21st of January 1960.

He was a member of a large family in central Alabama with Marion and Annie as his parents.

Growing up as one of seven siblings in a deeply religious household,

attending church was a weekly ritual for the Gaither family. Of the four boys

Billy Jack was known for his kindness and his devotion to reading the

illustrated Bible before bed as well as singing the church choir. With the bustling

household he always had somebody to play with often enjoying fishing trips with his

siblings on Lake Louise.

It was during his upbringing the Billy Jack came to terms with his sexual orientation. Despite being aware of his own truth,

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