Rachel Skyhart and KC Norton are members of the Trans Rights Readathon’s volunteer management team. Rachel is a inc- owner of the Get Yourself Bookshop. Houston is an artist. Find out more about the Trans Rights Readathon on their website and on their resources.
What is the goal of the Trans Rights Readathon?
Rachel Skyhart: The Trans Rights Readathon is intended to serve as a platform and channel for raising money to support transgender organizations in light of the proliferating number of transgender bills in the US and the widespread hatred experienced by the transgender community worldwide. It supports the March 31 Trans Day of Visibility. This program operates in a distributed manner, giving our allies and the community the power to give donations to favored causes. In contrast to standard fundraisers that may restrict payment options, this inclusive method encourages broader participation and benefits a range of organizations.
Houston Norton: The readathon has two main goals: first, to boost stories and writers from the vast variety of names that fall under the transgender umbrella ( including nonbinary, two- nature, genderqueer, agender, etc. ), and next, to encourage members to donate for organizations that support these areas. In the year 2023, an incredible number of bills started appearing all over the US that specifically targeted this little percentage of the population. It’s portion of a growing anti- trans* pattern worldwide, which is what inspired Sim Kern to visit on the literary community next year.
Traditional printing also does n’t release a lot of trans* accents, and often allocates smaller costs to selling these “niche” narratives. Through the readathon, we can collectively exhibit some much-needed adore to both independently published and previously published names, and hopefully this will help other writers.
Why is trans picture a significant component of the struggle for trans rights in literature?
Houston: So much of public discussion around trans* problems comes from people who are not part of the community. As a result, there’s a lot of misconceptions out there, which can be very damaging on both personal and political rates. Reading trans* reports, particularly stories told by trans* artists, may help combat misconceptions and assumptions.
I’d like to think that things like this will motivate more trans* siblings to support their trans* siblings, and I genuinely think reading encourages emotion. For readers who do n’t know anyone from the trans* community, or at least do n’t know that they do, having a more accurate point of reference is really helpful. The vocal assistance from the literary community is very important for readers who are members of the trans* neighborhood. And for the artists who tell these narratives, such events might be able to reach audiences who might never otherwise know about their work.
Elizabeth: Literature has a fundamental place in our lives since childhood, with young children and infants receiving photograph books. These initial encounters with books influence our sense of identity and condition our outlooks on the world. Acceptance of several names and possibilities is encouraged by exposure to various representations in literature. By showcasing transgender stories, literature offers a view into the fulfilling life that can be lived when people are given the freedom to live authentically. By recognizing literature as a foundation, we can help to create a more positive and equitable future. Think if we were given this perception from childhood….
KC: On a side note, we’ve tried to steer clear of focusing on trans* authors in particular because it’s intrusive and potentially dangerous to ask authors to reveal their identities when they are n’t ready to do so. We hope that when visitors compile their TBRs, they will adhere to the author’s guidelines and protection.
What are some of the various ways people can participate?
Elizabeth: There are so many choices!
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choosing a book to read and choosing a charity to contribute to
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Donating to someone else’s charity
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Matching one’s contribution dollar for dollar
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raising funds up through a group effort like book clubs or social clubs where everyone reads a book.
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Creating a TBR and sharing about the readathon, even if you’re never donating
Members can also create their own way to participate. The options are endless.
Ks: The great thing about the readathon is that there are so many ways to get involved! The original concept was to ask literary users and bloggers for commitments based on the number of publications or webpages they read during the readathon’s year. Folks got really creative next year, though. We had something like 2, 500 participants from 43 nations, and people found various ways to drive their donations: giveaways, book auctions, fundraising groups, calls for flat funds … because this is a decentralized event, every student can tailor their approach to see what works for them.
Anyone who has n’t got time to read this week can help out with one of the fundraisers put together by other content creators. Alternatively, those who do n’t have the funds to spare ( trust me, we get it! ) can focus on reading and platforming books they’ve enjoyed. Even if you only read one book that you would n’t have picked up otherwise, you’re participating. And just to be clear, when I say read, I mean whatever’s accessible to you: audiobooks, graphic novels, print books, poetry collections, webcomics, whatever speaks to you. A few authors have even offered free digital copies of their books on request. We sincerely hope everyone can access this.
What material does TRR provide for participants?
KC: To help people find a variety of recommendations, we have a bingo card with a StoryGraph challenge that goes along with it. Participants can use this game as a way to offer prizes to their audience even though the organizers are n’t directly offering prizes. Our website also provides links to two different databases of eligible books, one of which concentrates solely on independent authors, and is expanding as more people send in their titles. Additionally, we’ve created targeted recommendation posts that we’re updating our social media accounts frequently. ]Rebecca adds: printables for libraries and bookstores. ]
One of our team members, Bee in particular, has created a ton of lovely graphics to facilitate the announcement of participation and posting updates on the blog. Through our website, all of those templates are accessible to the public. We’ve provided some resources that can assist those who do n’t know what kind of organization to fundraise for. We’ve made an effort to keep the website simple while allowing visitors to participate wherever they can.
What book( s ) do you find yourself particularly eager to read during the readathon?
Rebecca: I am very excited to read The Deep by Rivers Solomon, a novella that has been on my TBR for a while. The narrative takes place in an underwater society that was once home to enslaved, pregnant African women who were thrown overboard by slavers, who are now living peacefully in the depths. The historian, the only one who remembers their horrific past, safeguards their tranquility. Additionally, my family, including my wife and children, are each immersed in their chosen books, and we’re reading as a family.
KC: Because 2023’s readathon came together at the last minute, I ended up grabbing the first books I could find. That list was heavily biased toward works by white authors. Thanks to everyone’s amazing recommendations, not only during last year’s even but over the intervening year, I’ve got a much more diverse stack of books on hand this time around.
- Love After the End is a collection of two-soul and indigenous short fiction that Joshua Whitehead has created. Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time, edited by Hope Nicholson, has a similar theme. Although not every two-spirit person considers themselves to be a part of the trans* community, I am aware that there are trans- identifying characters and/or authors in both collections.
- We Have Always Been Here, a memoir by Samira Habib, explores both gender identity and sexuality in the context of the author’s life as a Pakistani Muslim.
- I already love Kai Cheng Thom’s writing, so I’ve got her essay collection Falling Back in Love With Being Human on standby. I have Candace Williams ‘ I Am the Most Dangerous Thing and Paul Tran’s All the Flowers Kneeling as other poetry books that Alice James Books has.
- Also, Gabe Cole Novoa’s new book The Diablo’s Curse just released, and I have had to actively restrain myself from reading it until the readathon.
I read a lot, and I never want to miss out on a book that sounds intriguing, which is obviously a dangerous question for me. The good news is that even when I do n’t finish my delusional 27- book TRRTBR, I can keep going. On the 30th, after the readathon is over, we do n’t want people to forget that these books exist. Ideally, we’ll all keep celebrating these books throughout the year and make it easier, and more rewarding, for trans* authors to tell their stories in the future.
