Elbows up for trans representation.
Transgender woman waving the Pride flag in Dolores Park during the Dyke March in San Francisco, 2009.
As trans-hatred is actively promoted by the U.S. White House, the Republican House and Senate, as well as by some Superior Court Justices, trans lives are in danger like never before. Trump and his acolytes beat the drum of anti-transgender sentiment because it serves as a red herring, a focus for their base while they commit crime after crime with impudence.
Trans lives are put in danger, their lives are upset through job loss, further discrimination and now, even their fundamental rights as citizens are being taken away. I observe some of this transphobic attitude here in Canada within the Conservative party, led by their version of the U.S. president. All of it is reminiscent of a time in Europe when most stood by and watched. At the same time, Nazis attacked minorities, one group at a time, removing them to camps and commiting atrocities in the name of “purity” and religion. Back then, they spouted hatefull ideas of how Jewish people were taking their jobs and stealing the money, that Gipsies were evil and LGBTQ people were degerates who were causing the downfall of German culture and ideals. Naturally, it was all a lie, but for a time, it was effective, and millions died.
Activism is needed more than ever to halt the madness that has infiltrated our politics and lives. For my part, it is through writing that I use my voice in support of freedom of speech and the right to identify and exist in the gender of one's choice, as best known by the individual living it. Marriage equality would soon fall by the wayside if we allow anti-trans attacks to continue unfettered, it would be among the next rights to be taken away, along with women’s rights.
Below is something I wrote many months ago:
Trans literature is not a new phenomenon; it has been a subject of interest for a long time, as evident in works such as Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Virginia Woolf’s Orlando. Then came the biographies and memoirs, Man into Woman by Lili Elbe, Kate Bornstein’s Gender Outlaw, Casey Plett’s A Safe Girl to Love, and many more that I could enumerate, but the list would be lengthy.
Suffice it to say that there is some Queer representation in literature, from biographies and memoirs to fiction, children’s books, and scientific and sociological books written by trans people. So I come into this world of trans literature, standing upon the shoulders of those who came before me.
For me, the journey as a writer began years ago when I decided to write down my thoughts and memories as notes, not realizing that one day I would gather them together and compile my memoir, “Breaking Free: 45 Years in the Wrong Body”. I want to acknowledge other writers of trans experiences, including Vivian Namaste, Trish Salah, Ivan Coyote, Alec Butler, Kai Cheng Thom, Charlie Jane Anders, Dharma Kelleher, Renee James, and Robyn Gigl. The last three because I view them as precursors in the genre I have now chosen to write in, the thriller novel. Dharma Kelleher has mentored me and made herself available when I feel like an impostor or need a reality check. Renee James generously gave her time and energy, providing critiques that took on an editorial quality. I have known only support and goodwill from each writer I’ve come in contact with.
As a youngster, I was also inspired by the dark poets: Émile Nelligan, Arthur Rimbaud, e.e. Cummings, Charles Baudelaire, and authors such as Poe and Mary Shelly. Where am I going with this, you may ask?
I suppose I try to convey to you, dear reader, that my influences come from various sources and that the fact that I am a trans woman and queer are parts of a whole which make me who I am. My path as an author followed my identity when I was painting professionally. I have been at my best when I listen to my inner voice. To be clear, I write as I once painted, topics I deem valuable and wish to share with you.
My memoir “Breaking free: 45 Years in the wrong body” was the beginning of dealing with how it was for me to live all those years in the wrong body and all that came along with it. Now unpublished by my choice, I intend to revisit and revise in the future. Today, I find that the psychological crime thriller genre calls to me, and it’s in this genre that I will bring you my next novel. Today, I join the broader trans body of literature with pride.
Book bans are a stain on culture, and as a writer, I will not let such repressive actions push me into a closet or discourage me from writing about topics near and dear to me. MY first novel, THE RAINBOW KILLER, a MARY DUBOIS THRILLER, is complete, and I’ve embarked on the second installment of the series, which presently has the title ZEALOT.
A special shout-out to Sisters In Crime and the Guppies group, Crime Writers of Canada, and all my dear friends with whom I've shared my thriller multiple times. You nurture me with patience. I am deeply indebted to you. Tara, our weekly Zooms were gold to me; more to the point, your insights, feedback and friendship. Mimi, thank you for your continued help. Finally, my wife, Dany, you allow for my flights of fancy, daydreaming, and absent-mindedness; you are my heroine, always!
love,
Joelle Circé
