poet. survivor. educator. catalyst.
(Note: A slightly shortened version of this essay was given as a speech on May 06, 2022, at the Shabbat Itanu event held at the Danforth Jewish Circle congregation.)
Most of us have likely heard or seen some variation the saying: “Give a man a fish; he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish; he will feed himself for a lifetime.” There is a wealth of assumption and relentless social pressure present in that saying.
Let’s talk about cookies. Humans are social animals. We need an ongoing connection to others, and a sense of belonging in community in order to thrive. These needs are powerful enough, that if we’re not getting them met straight up,…
(I first wrote this piece in 2014, when I didn’t have a website and when there wasn’t (or, probably, I wasn’t aware of) much writing with this perspective — i.e. practical ideas on defeating rape culture — but am only publishing it…
If you are reading this, you are likely a well-meaning person who wants to treat trans and gender-non-binary folks with respect, and facilitate the inclusion of folks of all genders in your community. In which case, here are some important…
Liminal people Ever since I read Excommunicate Me from the Church of Social Justice — and then, a few weeks later, I’m a Transwoman, I Am in the Closet, I Am Not Coming Out — I’ve been thinking about how we…
Chag sameach to everyone celebrating Chanukah. And happy holidays to all of you celebrating whatever is meaningful to your heart this time of year. Especially marginalised queer & trans folks. May warmth & love & hope & kindness & gentleness…
(Notes for the Disability Justice Panel at the Third Annual Gender and Sexuality Alliance Forum for high school youth, held at Glendon College on May 14, 2016) The need for disability justice Our society treats disabled folks like trash, as…
This list is grounded in my experiences of several decades of living with chronic illnesses, which bring both chronic pain and short-term episodes of intense pain. During that time I’ve experienced some not-so-useful support, and a lot of quite excellent…