Tag: lgbtq

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What’s This? A Queer Nonfiction Book In the Works?

books used as jumping off points for my new nonfiction book's research

Last night, I got struck with an idea.

It came about because Star Prichard announced they’re making How to Webcomic version 2.0, a book they made about how to create and publish webcomics in 2023. (Go back it on KickStarter if this is something you’re interested in.)

The thing is, I had the thought of doing something like this before, but I’m glad that Star is doing the labor for that, not me.

But it got me thinking, “What can I offer that hasn’t been brought up before?”

Because here’s the thing – there are tutorials and how-to books all over the place about how to write stories. Heck, it’s not just How to Webcomic – There are also books about world-building, screenwriting, and the “hero’s journey.” Heck, I started drafting a book about how to write better characters. But I wanted to offer something else.

Then it hit me last night.

I thought, “Has anyone written a book about Queer Storytelling?”

A LOT of how-to books about writing focus on the same story beats and story types, claiming that they’re “universal.” But they’re “universal” to straight men. Stories made for women and LGBTQ+ people have different end goals, different story beats, and different aesthetics.

I thought about my own background in writing, especially in nonfiction. What I wrote in college focused a lot on social deviance (if it wasn’t focused on African Art History). And in our culture, LGBTQ+ people are considered social deviants, because they don’t fit the Straight mold.

That train of thought got me thinking – “A lot of stories exist to prop up OR challenge social expectations. So what do queer stories look like?”

Now I’m inspired to work on this book.

I’m gathering sources already, I have books from the library to start with, and I have an outline written.

This book is NOT going to be immediate. Heck, it will likely not come out for another year. I need to research, gather sources, and take lots of notes, and that’s even BEFORE writing the dang thing. It’s going to be like writing a research paper, but longer.

I’ve done it before, though. It’s been years since I did, but I think I can do it again.

If there are queer stories you would like me to look at (for research purposes, of course), shout them out in the comments, yo.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

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About the Nashville Shooting and Trans Folks

Well, after coming out as a trans man to friends and family, and making comics for the LGBTQ (and especially trans) community since 2013 – I guess I have to talk about the Nashville shooting.

It’s been all over the news, but for those who don’t know: as of this writing, a couple of days ago, a mass shooter went into a church and killed 3 adults and 3 children. The shooter was a trans person.

And I feel the need to comment on this because there has been a wave of anti-trans legislation across the United States at the state level. Hell, here in Ohio, there was a neo-Nazi branch that recently terrorized a drag show in broad daylight.

And after doom scrolling on Twitter to see other people’s hot takes, I feel like I have to write this because there’s more nuance than people want to talk about. So I’m going to talk about it. We’re going to break this down point by point.

Empathy is Not Endorsement.

First of all, mass shooters are highly motivated. They do what they do because they are driven by a particular goal. And the goal of this shooter was to target a church.

Speaking for myself: I get it. I get why this person would do the shooting. Religious and spiritual abuse is very much a thing, and I’ve known too many people who fly the rainbow flag and have been terrorized by abusers under the guise of religion. I mean, in the last week there were church attendees who chucked Molotov cocktails at a drag queen storytime. Religious abusers will absolutely target LGBTQ people just for who they are.

So, I get it. I get why the shooter did what they did. But I do not endorse it.

There are other ways to fight against bigots and religious abusers. But shooting children is not the way to go about it.

Adults? I mean, they’re often set in their ways. It can be hard to convince a religious adult to see the humanity of a gay, lesbian, bisexual, or especially transgender person. They have to put in the work, which most people are not willing to do. Should they be shot over it? On a battlefield, maybe. But not in a church.

Children? Children can learn to be better than the adults who raise them. If given the chance. The children shot at Nashville were not given that chance, and will never be given that chance. And that hurts.

“All trans people are terrorists and this proves it.”

What a broad generalization made because of one person. What about the fact that over 2000 mass shootings in the last year were done by cisgender, straight, white men? Are all white men mass shooters? Where’s the legislation saying that straight white men are not allowed to own guns? Oh right. There isn’t any.

This is an instance NOT of queer terrorism, but of The Exception That Proves the Rule. Mass shooters are all zealots of a particular idea, regardless of gender identity. And all of them are enabled by the NRA. This leads to my next point.

But what about the guns?

I fully expect a wave of legislation to hit the local and state level to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people owning guns. It’s the same reaction Reagan and his ilk had when the Black Panthers organized.

But there was no legislation proposed when the 2000+ cis-straight white men committed mass murder. There’s something to be said about the idea that owning a gun is a “god-given right” but only to rich white men. But I’m bringing up the guns because the NRA and the people who support them want the general public to be desensitized to gun violence.

These lobbyists want gun violence to be pervasive so they can push the idea that “there’s only one way to protect yourself from gun violence, and that’s with a gun.”

Which. No. The best way to end gun violence is to nip it in the bud and eliminate the guns.

“But what about the second amendment?!” says every libertarian who doesn’t know how to wipe his own ass.

The Constitution when it was written also made it legal to own slaves and protect the rights of the enslavers, and – for a short while, anyway – banned alcohol. The Constitution also had amendments saying that certain “races” were not allowed to vote until later amendments overruled them. The Constitution is an imperfect document that has to be revised CONSTANTLY in order to work as times change.

In the centuries that the Constitution has been around, I’m surprised there haven’t been any Amendments to address this fact: the second amendment was written for forming militias to stamp down slave revolts. It’s almost like the United States being founded by slave owners is something rooted in the very foundations of this nation. Weird.

I don’t know what’s going to happen in the coming weeks. But a lot of it is not going to be good for anyone, especially trans people.

To that end, here are some resources I want to share. Stick around: after the resources, I’m making an announcement.

This TikTok mentions the following crisis lines that are geared towards LGBTQ and especially trans people. Because they talk really fast, here are the resources typed out for you:

Trans Lifeline – 877-565-8860. Run by trans people, for trans people. They will not call protective services without your consent.

The Trevor Project 866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678. This organization is specifically geared towards suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth. They’re not a substitute for a therapist, but they’re there for young people who need help.

LGBT National Hotline 888-843-4654 

Black Line 800-604-5841. This is run by BIPOC people for BIPOC people. Like the Trans Lifeline, they will not call the police or protective services without your consent.

LGBT National Youth Talk Line 800-246-7743.

Thrive Lifeline 313-662-8209. This is a trans-led lifeline.

There is also this Emergency Resource list from TransOhio.

To all my trans folks out there – you are not a burden. There are people who will want to paint you as a monster. You are not a monster. You are worthy and deserve good things. More people (like me) want you to stick around because they care about you. So stick around.

To this end, I’m walking back an announcement from my last blog post.

My online shop will stay open through the weekend. And 15% of all sales – online and at RathaCon – will go towards TransOhio, Ohio’s only transgender-led organization providing advocacy, services, education, and support for trans folks.

If you prefer to support an organization in a different state, here’s a page with each state and the major LGBTQ organization within each state. Just be sure to do your research. There is also this list of trans rights organizations that could use support. Again, do your research.

And (this is unusual for me, but I feel the need to share this) – if you are a Christian, here is an article about one church that did the hard work of LGBTQ inclusion, the concerns that surfaced, and how the church addressed them. I want to share this because a lot of terrorist acts committed against LGBTQ+ people right now are being perpetrated by “people of faith.” I’m calling on you to set a more positive example. Healing can only be done when all parties put in the hard work.

That’s all I’ve got for now. Please share this with the folks whom you think need this.

Thanks for sticking around.

You. Are. Awesome.

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Introducing – Zine Club 2.0

characters from the Charlie & Clow adventures are celebrating the holidays - from the Fantasyville Holiday special zine

If you don’t know, I created an alternative to Patreon for my fans and myself – my Subscribe page. On this page are 3 different clubs, each with rewards that stack the more that you pledge.

Previously, one of these clubs was only for folks who lived in the United States: the Zine Club. As part of the rewards, I mailed physical zines to members each month. For the sake of how much postage costs, I kept the reward to only folks who were based in the US. International shipping just cost too much.

But now, things are DIFFERENT…

It started with the zine I made for February. I made THAT zine digital, because of how I formatted the pages. It just couldn’t work to make it a print book, so I made it a PDF download instead.

Then I thought, “What if I did that…EVERY month?”

Because here’s the thing – I’ve made a few comics exclusively for digital release, not print. Comics like PuzzleSpell, for instance.

So I did some poking around on the backend, updating the Stripe system, making a special segment of my newsletter, and now, we have…

ZINE CLUB 2.0!

By joining for a subscription of $5 a month, you get a new zine downloadable sent to your inbox before the end of the month. No shipping is necessary! Plus you get early webcomic updates and behind-the-scenes news in your inbox each week.

Here’s What’s Next

If you are currently a Zine Club member, you don’t have to do anything. Everything will continue as normal.

If you aren’t subscribed, use this link to sign up.

Are you a Pin Club member but wish to downsize? Here’s where you do that. (It’s also the place to go if you’re a Zine Club member and want to upgrade to the Pin Club.)

If you’re a Digital Club member and want to upgrade to the Zine Club 2.0, reach out to me directly. I have to make certain adjustments because of backend stuff.

Bottom Line…

I’m VERY excited about Zine Club 2.0. Now anybody worldwide can join – and I have SO MANY fun comics and zine Ideas!

That’s all for now. I appreciate your support!

You. Are. Awesome.

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I’m Coming Out (Again)

I have written blog posts before about being genderqueer – someone who does not fall into either the “woman” or “man” boxes. Someone who falls between the two.

I have also worked with a lot of transgender people and cisgender people, each with different gender expressions. Some trans folks fully embrace the binary, while others do not. Even some cisgender folks won’t fit neatly into the expectations of their gender.

For example, I know a lot of dudes, cis and trans, who bake, crochet, and raise children, and have no lack of masculinity.

I know women, cis or trans, who are furniture makers, interested in cars, run banks and businesses, and have no lack of femininity.

I’m saying this because I still enjoy being nonbinary. I love the gray area between what’s expected of certain genders and what is actually put into practice.

That said…

I have noticed that when people say “she,” “her,” or “daughter” in my direction, it feels like they’re talking about someone else. They’re not addressing me, they’re addressing a disguise.

(Honestly, with how many people are declaring war against trans people, a cisgender disguise is making more and more sense.)

At some point, however, I would LOVE to be addressed as who I actually am, not the puppet that I walk around in sometimes.

For a while, I have asked close friends and family to call me “they” or “their.” English lacks a decent third-person gender-neutral word outside of s/he that’s not a plural. And people online can get NEEDLESSLY pedantic about the use of “they” when referring to a single person.

It’s obnoxious and I hate it.

At the same time, I think back to times when I’m called “he” or “sir.” This happened a lot when I wore gender-neutral work uniforms or wore clothes that weren’t coded as feminine.

And any time I got called “he” or “sir,” I realized…that felt right.

So I’m Coming Out

I’m coming out as a transgender man.

Now, I’m not going to be following all the “rules” of masculinity. I’m still going to cook and knit and have a “stereotypically feminine” side. I’m still nonbinary. Because fuck the idea that men and women have to act or behave in certain ways.

However, you might wonder, “Then why are you coming out as a man?”

Because when folks call me “he,” “sir,” or “my dude,” I feel like myself in a way that I haven’t felt in a VERY long time. If at all. It feels like when someone calls me a man, I feel SEEN. Like I don’t have to put on a cisgender disguise to fool the Straights.

So moving forward, I’m going by he/him/his as well as they/them/their.

My name is still the same: Kelci D Crawford. Historically, Kelci is a gender-neutral name. But if you nickname me Kel, that feels right, too.

I’m still the same person as before. The only things that have changed are my pronouns and the feelings I get when they’re used.

And to answer any other questions because I KNOW these will come up:

No, I’m not doing any surgeries. I HAVE been wanting to change hormones for a while, but for reasons outside of “becoming more of a man.” In my case, my hormones are not my gender. But I’m not going into my medical history with the internet unless I get terribly sick and am unable to keep up making comics, videos, etc.

No, I’m not changing my name. Good luck trying to “deadname” me, haters.

No, I’m not changing official documents unless I absolutely have to. Do you Straights have ANY idea how long it takes to get government paperwork to reflect your identity? And this is just on the LOCAL and STATE level, never mind the federal one.

Besides, with SOME politicians being allergic to trans people to the point of banning trans children, the government can think I’m a “cisgender woman” all they want. Not all laws are just or good. Like, just because some places are banning abortion does not mean all abortions have stopped. And historically, people have tried banning people of color from going to the same places as white people. But they still exist. These politicians can try to ban trans people but we will still be here, fighting for our rights.

I’m still going to fight for trans rights. I’m still going to depict trans people in my comics and games. That’s not changing.

Make of this announcement what you will. I’m not changing my mind. I’m here. I’m queer. And I’m here to make stories that matter.

Thanks for reading.

You. Are. Awesome.

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Failure To Launch is Looking for Support!

Failure to Launch, the latest comics anthology from Iron Circus, is now LIVE for crowdfunding and looking for backers!

Why should you back it? Well, they’ve got some great talent in this book – including me. Yep, I made a short story for this anthology!

Failure to Launch is a light-hearted, educational tour of the (so far!) unrealized technological and societal advances promised in years past, but which never came to be. What could have been, but wasn’t. It tells the tales of space utopias, incredible inventions, societal revolutions, robot pets, and even predictions of planet-wide Armageddon!

History is often written by the winners, but this time? Join us in spotlighting those whose dreams sputtered out, somewhere on the spectrum between disappointment and disaster. And we promise, it’s more fun than you think!

Failure to Launch’s Backerkit page

For this anthology, I made a semi-autobiographical comic called “Ninit’i, or The End.” It’s a story in two halves – the story of my time in the Navajo Nation, and the story of the world reacting to the Harold Camping prediction of the Rapture. As we see devout Christians panicking over the end of the world, we see how Navajo people (and everyone else) grapple with the notion that the end of the world has already happened, and how to best move forward anyway.

I have been wanting to make a comic about my time in Navajo Nation for YEARS. This anthology gave me the chance to finally make it happen. Not to mention that I’ve been wanting to make something with Iron Circus since I got into comics. Being part of this anthology is like a dream come true for me!

Plus, this anthology has a BUNCH of other creators – including hbomberguy, Evan Dahm, Blue Delliquanti, and a whole lot more.

The Backerkit campaign is NOW LIVE for Failure to Launch. If you have the means, go back it and claim a copy of the anthology!

If you’re broke, share this campaign – specifically with this link: https://tinyurl.com/kelci-ftl. This will make it easier for the organizers to know which creator you’re sharing with.

That’s all for now. Thank you so much for your support!

You. Are. Awesome.