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By Rebecca, May 21, 2012 10:45 am

This is an interview I recently conducted with Katherine Scott Nelson, author of Have You Seen Me, KSN’s debut novella. It’s available via an awesome ‘pay what you can’ system at the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography, and I highly recommend you check it out. In addition to getting consistently positive reviews, it’s a Lambda Literary Award finalist. Check out KSN’s website and, once again, download Have You seen Me. Hir bio is online here.

REBECCA KLING: How long have you been writing?

KATHERINE SCOTT NELSON: I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing, and I decided I was going to be a writer when I was pretty young – probably grade school, if not earlier. I also grew up in an unusual household – my parents ran a home-based graphic design business, back in the early 1980s, when nobody did this – and the house was always full of papers and inks and adhesives and stencils. So my sister and I grew up making our own picture books from scraps of material and old art supplies that were lying around. One of our grandparents was a working artist, and we watched our parents spend all day writing and drawing and making things, so “I want to be a writer when I grow up” didn’t seem that abstract or unattainable to me.

(It would as I got older, though. I’m still kind of stunned that all these things are actually happening.)

RK: How has growing up in/around Chicago impacted your experience as a queer person and/or as an author?

KSN: Being queer in and around Chicago is completely different now than it was 10 or 15 years ago. Fifteen years ago, when I lived in the semi-rural northern suburbs, I was really suffocating. I kind of wrote off the entire Midwest when I moved out to San Francisco. But every time I came back to visit, there’d be more visibly queer folks, more local advances in LGBT rights, and finally things reached a point where I started to wonder “Why am I in San Francisco again? What could I be doing there that I can’t do here?” Continue reading 'Interview with Katherine Scott Nelson, author of Have You Seen Me'»

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By Rebecca, May 17, 2012 3:46 pm

Originally posted at In Our Words, and crossposted with permission.

I read in cycles: for a few weeks, I’ll read constantly, plowing through book after book. Then I’ll pause, only to gorge myself on Netflix Streaming. I’m pretty predictable in that way, and take time to build up a list of to-read while I’m working my way through The Wonder Years or Scrubs. I’ve just finished my Netflix phase (and rewatching The Office was delightful), so here’s my book list:

I just started rereading Isaac Asimov’s Foundation trilogy. He, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert Heinlein, are the Big Three of classic science fiction, and Foundation doesn’t disappoint. It’s modeled after History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, following the waning days of the twelve thousand year Galactic Empire, and the scientists (the titular Foundation) attempting to avoid a dark ages expected to last thirty thousand years.Foundation is simply good fun: classic sci fi, galaxy-spanning conflicts, and – like most Asimov – full of intelligent and believable characters trying to do their best in an imperfect universe. Asimov kept adding to the Foundationseries, but start with Foundation, Foundation and Empire, and Second Foundation, in that order. If you’re dying to keep reading after that, you’ll still have lots more set in the Foundation universe to keep you happy. Continue reading 'Read These (someday…): What I’m putting on my summer reading list'»

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By Rebecca, May 13, 2012 8:49 pm

As you may be able to see on the righthand side of this page, I’ve launched a Kickstarter fundraiser for Storms Beneath Her Skin. 

I hope you’ll be able to chip in, even if it’s just a few dollars. Thanks!

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By Rebecca, May 6, 2012 6:37 pm

A found poem constructed from text from the WPATH Standards of Care and the ICHIP coverage guidelines.

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health is NOT an insurance company. It is subject to its own enabling Act, and is neither an entitlement nor a welfare program.

Gender dysphoria is broadly defined as Section 7, operated by a board of directors pursuant to the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan Act (215 ILCS 105/1 et seq.)

Discomfort or distress that is caused by a discrepancy between a person’s gender identity and that person’s sex assigned at birth must be eligible for this state program.

Transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming individuals who plan to change gender roles permanently will result in termination from the program as of the date required by state law.

The following is a brief description of the benefits provided by CHIP for covered services, drugs and supplies:

• surgeons
• patients
• mental healthcare professionals
• other health professionals
• clinical care

CHIP will not pay for any expense or charge set forth in more detail in any benefit plan booklet.

Transgender adjective must continue to meet all of the CHIP eligibility requirements.

Transsexual adjective must continue to meet all of the CHIP eligibility requirements.

Services, drugs or supplies that are for, or resulting from, surgery or surgeries performed in connection with sexual reassignment or gender transformation are often applied by the medical profession (referred to herein as Section 15).

Section 15 is neither an entitlement nor a welfare program.

Mental health professionals who plan to change gender roles permanently must be eligible for this state program before you can enroll.

The Illinois General Assembly- broadly defined as discomfort or distress – will not pay for any expense or charge.

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By Rebecca, April 29, 2012 9:10 pm

I just sent this to my senators and rep. Feel free to use it to talk to yours.

Senator Durbin,

I have lived in Illinois my entire life. I am almost always in agreement with your legislative viewpoints, and appreciate how accesible and responsive you are to your constituents. And so I ask you: Please raise my taxes.

I’m a freelancer. I make less than $20,000 a year. I work in the arts, with children, with colleges and universities, and receive most of my income as 1099. That means I feel the weight of my taxes directly – they aren’t split between myself and my employer. I have bills, rent, medical expenses. And yet, I want you to raise my taxes.

With all the talk of budget deficits, the worries about angering voters by even mentioning raising taxes, and obstinant insistance by the GOP to refuse to raise taxes, I want to make my voice heard, too. As an American, taxes are part of the responsibility I bear to pay for the government services I enjoy. When I fly to visit family in California, I want to know my planes are inspected by government officials, and airports protected by others. When I drink water, I want to know the tap water I enjoy in Chicago is held to the same basic standard as in Portland or New York. While I disagree with much of our current military policy, I am ready to help pay for the defense of the United States. Everyday I am aware of the countless ways in which government helps make my life easier and safer. And I want to help pay for it.

I’m ready to pay more, for a sane government hand in healthcare. I’m ready to pay more, for a substantial government hand in education. I’m ready to pay more for a government hand in highways, bridges, science research, space exploration, national security, and on and on and on.

Please, raise my taxes.
-Rebecca

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By Rebecca, April 27, 2012 1:38 pm

Thought Chicago folks might be interested.

Chicago Women’s Health Center (CWHC) is a non-profit health collective that provides sliding scale services including basic gynecological care, health education, counseling, massage, acupuncture and alternative insemination. The Trans Greater Access Project (TGAP) is an agency wide initiative to increase access to sliding scale health care services or trans individuals. As we look at ways we can better meet the health care needs of transfeminine communities, we are seeking input from trans women to inform our services.

The purpose of these focus groups is to:

• Assess how we can meet health care needs of transfeminine communities;
• Learn from transfeminine individuals’ experiences initiating hormone therapy in order to inform the development of our hormone administration services.

We are seeking both:

• Transfeminine individuals of any age who would like to share their thoughts and experiences regarding personal or community need for health care services.

AND

• Transfeminine individuals 18 years of age or older who have been on hormone therapy for a minimum of 6 months.

Focus groups will occur in May 2012.
As a participant, you will be provided with a cash incentive to thank you for your time.
Food provided.
If you are interested in participating, please call Jess at 773.935.6126 X222

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By Rebecca, April 21, 2012 5:20 pm

I’m gearing up for Storms Beneath Her Skin promo material for my summer tour. I was planning to do a generic “my photo with info about the performance” poster and postcard, but am playing with the idea of doing a stylized ‘to-do’ list, with some things checked off. As a general idea:

[X] – Pick up groceries
[X] – Do laundry
[X] – Get gas for car
[X] – Go to the gym
[   ] – Turn my penis into a vagina

With the last entry circled and underlined. I’m imagining the show title at the top and then ticket date/times/locations at the bottom. I like it, but also don’t want people to think it’s only about surgery.

Any thoughts?

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By Rebecca, April 20, 2012 9:22 pm

Free association from a writing prompt

As you can see, this emotional identity experience began as a low pressure system off the coast. While a close observer can note the swirling patterns of confusion and building frustration, most people would simply see a windy day.

As the system moves closer to land, its effects begin to become apparent. Heavy rainfall and high winds, coupled with personal doubt and suicidal tendencies, plague the area for months or years. Because these violent weather systems have no where to go as they beat themselves on the shore, it’s possible for them to last indefinitely. Continue reading 'Will as a weather system'»

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By Rebecca, April 17, 2012 3:13 pm

As I work on Storms Beneath Her Skin, I’ve had some fun writing exercises

The viewpoints of this artist do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of other transgender, transsexual, trans, genderqueer, or otherwise non-normatively gendered individuals. In addition, there is no hierarchy of gender. Any individual who places one’s gendered experience above another’s should be viewed with skepticism.

Common hierarchies include but are not limited to (in ascending order) fetish cross dresser, social cross dresser, private drag performer, public drag performer, closeted transgender, individual, out transgender individual not planning to have surgery or hormone replacement therapy, out transgender individual on hormone replacement therapy,  out transgender individual planning to have surgery, out transgender individual who has had surgery, or (in descending order) androgynous and gender fluid individuals, non-operative transgender individuals, drag performers, cross dressers of all types, and post-operative transgender individuals.

Side effects may include a wider world view, more inclusive attitude, questioning of self-identification, and erectile disfunction. In the event of a contradiction, please allow each individual to self-identify and self-define their life experience and their own identity.  Please consult any such individuals in your life before applying the viewpoints of this artist to them.

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By Rebecca, April 14, 2012 1:39 pm

At eighteen, I was required to register for Selective Service, more commonly known as the draft. The draft hasn’t been active for decades, and no one has been charged for refusing to register for almost as long, but – legally – I was still required to register. The consequences for refusal weren’t jail time or hard labor or even fines, but did include the inability to apply for federal college loans. So, after much discussion and deliberation and arguing with my parents, I registered for the draft. I even received a draft card, which I still have in a drawer somewhere.

Needless to say, the US Military probably wouldn’t want me, should they reinstate the draft. I’ve transitioned since turning eighteen: gotten hair removal, grown my hair own, grown breasts, legally changed my name from Jared to Rebecca. Repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell means gays can legally serve in the military, but being transgender is still considered cause for medical discharge, under the same clause which forbids servicemen and women from sexually abusing children. Which, not surprisingly, doesn’t prevent transgender people from existing in the military. There’s a slowly growing lobbying effort by trans veterans for better treatment while in the military and better healthcare once out. Transgender people are everywhere. Even a Miss Universe pageant. Continue reading 'Military drafting, beauty contests, surgery, and so on'»