Keffy Kehrli Talks About Gender on Writing Excuses September 23, 2011
Posted by juliarios in : links , 4commentsI’m super busy this week, but I thought I’d take a minute to point out something good:
OA member Keffy Kehrli was a guest on Writing Excuses during WorldCon, and the episode went live this week. It’s a short (about 20 minutes), but good discussion. All of the participants talk about different ways to think about (and write) gender, and Keffy patiently explains some of the unfortunate stereotypes that trans people face.
There are also some resources on the comments page (and some unfortunate comments, but surprisingly few of those, honestly).
Have you got any favorite examples of well-written trans characters to recommend? I’d love to hear about them!
Outer Alliance Spotlight #60: OA Podcast #2 December 17, 2010
Posted by juliarios in : interviews, links, news, Outer Alliance Podcast, publications , 4commentsWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #60. The Spotlight features news about (and sometimes interviews with) allies who are active in supporting and celebrating LGBTQI speculative fiction. This week we’ve got the second Outer Alliance Podcast episode for you!
In this episode, Natania Barron talks about her work and how she started the Outer Alliance, Lynn Flewelling talks about writing sex scenes and teaching a writing workshop on a cruise ship, and we have an excerpt of Georgina Bruce’s story from Aether Age: Helios.
You can subscribe to the podcast RSS feed here or use this link to subscribe with iTunes. You can also hit play on the embedded player in this post and listen to the podcast on the web, or visit the individual episode page to download this episode as an MP3 without subscribing.
Notes:
Gender Playful Marketplace is collecting startup funds over here.
Elisa Rolle hosted the 2010 Rainbow Awards, which recognized works by several Outer Alliance members. Congratulations, winners!
Hayden Thorne’s historical fantasy comedy (not a problem novel!) Desmond and Garrick Book One is available now at Prizm books.
Natania Barron’s website has all kinds of info about her fiction and non-fiction. Go there to find out all about stories available now and coming soon.
Lynn Flewelling has links to signups for the cruise workshop and place to buy her work (including the sexy Nightrunner short story collection that flustered prim and proper me in the interview) over on her website.
Aether Age: Helios is out now. You can find out more at Aether-Age.com. Author Georgina Bruce maintains a blog at thebeardedlady.wordpress.com, and you can learn more about narrator T.C. Parmalee at Aural Spice.
Thanks for listening, and please do feel free to leave feedback here, on the google group, or by e-mailing me at julia@juliarios.com. I’d love to hear from you.
Outer Alliance Spotlight #59: Gender Playful December 10, 2010
Posted by juliarios in : links, news , 4commentsWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #59. The Spotlight features news about (and sometimes interviews with) allies who are active in supporting and celebrating LGBTQI speculative fiction. This week our focus is on gender, and the ways people out there are trying to subvert expectations.
Jedi Girls and Princess Boys
If your internet reading list is anything like mine, you’ve probably heard all about the first grader named Katie who got bullied for carrying a Star Wars water bottle to school (the other kids told her it was “for boys”). In the few weeks since that essay was posted, people have poured virtual love all over that little girl, which is awesome. I fully support Katie’s choice to accessorize with whatever she likes, and not to conform to societally imposed gender norms. That she’s a fellow SF-lover is an added bonus.
Another kid whose fashion choices have garnered some attention lately is a little boy named Dyson, who likes to dress up as a princess. If you watch some of the videos linked from that page, you’ll see that Dyson’s family and school are supporting him on this, which is fantastic. One thing that caught my attention, though, was that although all the adults involved are trying to be openminded about things, at least at first they do seem to find it strange and to be a bit uncomfortable with it. It’s easier in mainstream USian culture to support a girl’s love of Star Wars than to support a boy’s love of tulle and satin because to some extent we’ve all internalized some majorly prescriptive ideas about gender roles.
As a kid, I was a lot like Katie. I wore glasses and had a lazy eye, which sometimes required me to wear a patch, and like Katie, I was acutely aware of how those thing marked me as different. I also really wanted to do “boy” stuff. I asked for things like constructions sets for Christmas, and played a lot of things like war games and yes, Star Wars (we’d pretend flashlights were lightsabers). I think at one point I even had a Return of the Jedi lunchbox. But I wasn’t just a tomboy. I was also into “girly” stuff, only I felt it wasn’t worth it unless I went all out. I had two preferred modes of dress: corduroy pants and shapeless tops, and OMG Ruffles! Unfortunately, ruffly things with iridescent beads and a thousand petticoats weren’t to my mother’s taste. She wanted to put me in simple sweet dresses, which usually had itchy smocking all over the front. I hated them, and fought really hard not to have to dress up even while I looked for every opportunity to wear costumes incorporating fluffy tutus. No one thought twice about a little girl liking to dress like a ballerina, though–even if I was about as coordinated as a drunken lemming.
But what does all that personal background have to do with LGBTQI speculative fiction? Well, it kind of doesn’t. Except it also kind of does. I’ve noticed speculative fiction is one of the genres where girls can dress like boys and boys can wear things like flowing robes with impunity, and that’s part of what drew me to it when I was young (of course the magic and super cool space travel and stuff also helped). Speculative fiction authors have been known to play with gender, alternative relationship formats, and even one of the things we often don’t talk a lot about, which is also part of the spectrum: asexuality. One of the things which first drew me to The Outer Alliance was the all inclusive attitude I encountered among the founding members. They wanted to support and celebrate the individual choices each person makes about sexuality and gender expression. I can really get behind that, because you know, I still like the iridescent ruffles, and I would like to live in a world where anyone could wear them without other people judging them for betraying their gender. I also sometimes like to shop in the men’s department (where denim isn’t stretchy and the sizes are measured in inches instead of obscure code), and I’d like that kind of behavior to be equally acceptable for everyone, too. Which is why this next thing is so exciting to me.
Genderplayful Marketplace
Sarah Dopp of Genderfork.com would like to start an ebay or etsy style marketplace specifically for clothing sold by and for people who want to play with gender norms. Here’s a video in which she explains the idea with visual aids. If you think this is an awesome thing, consider making a video or sharing a written testimonial to explain why. Sarah gives more info about where to post your feedback here.
For my part, I think it could be an excellent resource for everyday clothes, and for killer costume items for the times when I really want to be a dashing male character like Captain Jack Harkness. And I think if this exists and takes off and is successful, it’ll help kids like Katie and Dyson be more confident in expressing their genders as they see fit. What do you think? Tell me in the comments here, or make your own video, and definitely send me the link. I’d love to hear from you.
That’s all I’ve got for now, but join us next week for Outer Alliance Podcast episode #2!
Outer Alliance Spotlight #32: Kal Cobalt April 30, 2010
Posted by juliarios in : interviews , 2commentsWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #32. Each Friday, the Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction. Our guest this week is Kal Cobalt, author of Robotica.
Kal is a genderqueer, pansexual, kinky switch in a stable polyamorous triad, which makes him[1] pretty familiar with non-heteronormative sexual and gender identities, even before you factor robots in. He made his first queer speculative fiction sale three years ago when “The Lift” appeared in Circlet Press’s Best Fantastic Erotica collection. Since then, his stories have also been included in Richard Labonte’s Best Gay Romance and Boys in Heat, Queerpunk, and Circlet’s upcoming Best Erotic Fantasy and Science Fiction. Robotica is his first solo story collection.
On the non-fiction side of things, Kal writes essays and articles related to alternate gender and sexual lifestyles and identities. His essay, “Gender Evolution” is included in Toward 2012: Perspectives on the next age, and he also writes for edenfantasys.com and Reality Sandwich. His hobbies include knitting, playing Wii, and attending industrial and electronica shows. In addition to his personal site, Kal maintains a Twitter feed, and shares a food blog with his best friend at foodn00bs.typepad.com/.
Outer Alliance Spotlight #26: Katharine Beutner March 19, 2010
Posted by juliarios in : interviews , 2commentsWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #26. Each Friday, the Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction. Our guest this week is Katharine Beutner, author of Alcestis.
Katharine is currently a graduate student specializing in 18th century British Literature at the University of Texas in Austin, but her first novel, Alcestis, reflects her B.A. in Classical Studies from Smith College. Alcestis is a retelling of a Greek myth from the point of view of a woman who usually doesn’t get a voice. It explores the gender roles and sexual politics in Greek mythology, and the inherent power imbalance in relationships between mortals and gods.
Katharine has a short short in Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet #19, and She is currently working on another novel, Killingly. She identifies as bisexual, and appreciates the Outer Alliance for its ability to bring queer-friendly speculative fiction fans and writers together. In addition to her personal webpage, Katharine maintains a Twitter feed as @katharine_b. She lives with her husband and two cats.
Outer Alliance Spotlight #24: Djibril Alayad March 5, 2010
Posted by juliarios in : interviews, queer-friendly publishers, submissions , 1 comment so farWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #24. Each Friday, the Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction. Our guest this week is Djibril Alayad, editor of The Future Fire.
Djibril has always assumed that explorations of sexual difference were key to science fiction, so The Future Fire has welcomed queer fiction since it began in 2004. The most recent issue has a feminist theme, and Djibril is currently reading for a queer themed issue, which should be out soon. In addition to the magazine, The Future Fire also has a reviews blog, which focuses on reviews for small press publications.
Djibril has lived and worked on both sides of the Atlantic, and is currently based in London, UK. He is a formally trained historian with a collection of animal skulls. He maintains a Twitter feed as @thefuturefire.
Outer Alliance #15: Jarla Tangh December 25, 2009
Posted by juliarios in : interviews , 1 comment so farWelcome to Outer Alliance Spotlight #15. Each Friday the Spotlight features an ally who writes, reviews, publishes, or is in some other way involved with LGBTQI speculative fiction. Our guest this week is writer and activist, Jarla Tangh.
Her Tangh-i-ness is a Clarion West 2001 Graduate. She owes her pseudonym to a vocalist friend who gave her the first name, a faery godmother of an editor, who told her using just one name is pretentious, and the surname from the Turkey City Lexicon. She considers herself African Descended rather than African American, but will still answer to Black and Colored.
Her Tangh-i-ness is a writer of homoerotic, multicultural, and kinky romance, science fiction, fantasy, and horror featuring people of color as the protagonists. Her work has appeared in Afro-Future Females (edited by Marlene S. Barr) and Mojo Conjure Stories (edited by Nalo Hopkinson). As a straight, cisgender ally, she joined the Outer Alliance because she wants to make sure there are always books with delicious LGBT characters to fall in love with on shelves, eBooks, online, on Kindle, etc.
Her Tangh-i-ness lives in Boston, and maintains a Facebook page and a Yahoo group.
***
As one of the contributors to the Afro-Future Females collection, I suspect you’re in a great position to recommend some queer speculative fiction by or about people of color. Do you have any particular favorites?
I’m familiar with Jewelle Gomez; The Gilda Stories are on my to-read list. I’ve lucked out in knowing Nisi Shawl personally. “The Tawny Bitch”, her Gaylactic Spectrum Award nominated short story, is in the same anthology: Mojo Conjure Stories as my sadly unqueer offering.
But I cut my teeth on Samuel Delany‘s Nevèrÿon series and Heartspace by Steven Barnes shares the same magical volume as Nisi Shawl and I. Of course, read Cecilia Tan‘s short fiction. These are all people of color whose works touch upon queer lives and whom I heartily recommend.
What was your Clarion West experience like? Would you recommend the workshop to other aspiring writers?
Write a lot. Submit often. And go once accepted. I almost didn’t make it in my 2001 class. First, I was candidate number 19 out of 17 slots, but I asked to be put on standby and about a day later Leslie Howle called me to ask what kind of mojo I had because I was now going to Clarion! That year Octavia Butler, Nalo Hopkinson, Brad Denton, Connie Willis, Ellen Datlow, and Jack Womack were the instructors.
Our class brought us six weeks of intense camaraderie, weekly short story writing, and into close contact with more speculative professionals than you could ever get at any convention.
My Clarion West class is a 100% published class and I still keep in touch with them via email, Facebook, personal websites, and whenever they make it into my neck of the woods. We’ve critted each other’s works, congratulated each other on publications, babies, marriages, and other noteworthy accomplishments. I’ve standing invitations to crash with CW2K1 folks in Vancouver, Seattle, and in NYC.
I got a faery Godmother and a Literary Godfather out of it. That sense of community can last outside the actual experience.
Mainstream acceptance of kink has grown in the past couple of decades, but still has a long way to go. Why do you think some people are so scared of it, and are there any resources you’d recommend for promoting more kink acceptance?
The Puritanical element to American culture has its foot firmly on many people’s libidos. I think that’s the number one stigma that accompanies Kink. There’s nothing in the holybooks to say Kink is Good. Lots of people absorb messages all their lives about the sanctity and secrecy of sex. So it doesn’t occur to them that healthy sex includes Masturbation, Sex Toys, Leather, Latex, Rubber, Wet and Messy (thank you for introducing me to this term, Chewtoy!), Cross-dressing, or BDSM elements.
Gloria Brame‘s manual springs to mind as a resource along with the transman’s Pat Califia‘s. Check out Caryl’s BDSM & Fetish page and Tammad Rimilia has a BDSM Questionnaire that’s useful to both Dominants and Submissives. There’s the Deviant’s Dictionary and read Circlet Press’s pro-Kink collections on a regular basis.
How did you get the idea to start a Yahoo group for all things Tangh-y, and what is your vision for that?
I believe we have the ability to manifest things for ourselves. Say I’m currently living in a literary desert. I’ve dug a ditch and I’m waiting for it to fill with rain, so to speak. I figured once I have an audience, where in the heck do they go to find out what’s up with me and my work? If I could grow up to be the literary version of Margaret Cho, I think I’d used my time wisely upon the planet.
Can you tell us anything about your work in progress? What can we hope to see in the future?
Current Projects:
I’m looking for homes for several queer or kinky short stories that run the gamut from mildly perverse to extremely Not Safe For Work in various milieux. I’ve been collecting non-form rejections, which my writer friends remind me is good.
These are the novel projects that I’ve been juggling since I returned from Clarion West in 2001.
The Nether Concern- a dark urban fantasy series set in 1915 Boston with a Gay, Black hero. Book One I’m closest to soon being at the shop around to an agent stage. I recently became acquainted with Boston author, Lewis Gannett, whose own Gay Gothic inspired it.
World Jumping- a multi-world urban fantasy series set in Boston with a Straight Black heroine. I’m deep in revision on this one. It features talking animals and vanished ancient cultures.
The Society for the Protection of Engineered Creatures- an alternate-world, sci-fi series with an African descended, intersexed, albino hero who is a poly. The protagonist enjoys lovers of both sexes. Mind you, I wrote this before Caster Semenya’s unfortunate ordeal came to light. I have two finished novels from SPEC series in revision and two others with a quarter written only.
The Caldlond Demon series- a multi-generational fantasy set in an alternate Ancient Britain. I wrote three first drafts in the series and am tinkering with these as well.
I’m an organic writer. My process is slower because I don’t plan everything out beforehand. I leave myself plenty of space to connect things in the right way. I’m fortunate in that I have a writing group and family who happily give me regular feedback.
***
Thank you, Jarla! Join us for another Spotlight next Friday, and in the meantime, check out Mojo Conjure Stories and Afro-Future Females!
Linkdump – the inaugural edition September 27, 2009
Posted by zeborah in : links , 1 comment so farGreetings all! Each week I’ll be compiling whatever links people bring to my attention as likely being of general interest to those following the Outer Alliance Blog. The links for the first linkdump are…
Benjamin Solah reviews Tom Cho’s short story collection Look Who’s Morphing.
As part of a series on American women athletes, the Angry Black Woman writes about transgender athletes.
- Benjamin Solah also blogs about the recent media circus surrounding Caster Semenya.
- On the same topic, Chris / M-Brane SF says Do we ask if Michael Phelps is really a human male and not half fish?
Anna Caro writes City of Possibilities as part of New Zealand Speculative Fiction Blogging Week.
The Lambda Literary Foundation has announced changes in its board of trustees and its executive director position. These have coincided with a clarification of the Lambda Literary Award guidelines (see the guidelines at the LLF website).
Coming Out in Middle School in the New York Times explores the trend of gay and bisexual middle-schoolers increasingly being able to come out to friends, family, and adults at school. Benoit Denizet-Lewis talks to students, parents, and educators:
Though many of the parents I spoke to needed a period of adjustment before accepting their children’s announcement that they were gay or bisexual, others offered immediate and unequivocal support. “The biggest difference I’ve seen in the last 10 years isn’t with gay kids — it’s with their families,” says Dan Woog, an openly gay varsity boys’ soccer coach at Staples High School in Westport, Conn., who helped found a gay-straight alliance at his school in 1993. “Many parents just don’t assume anymore that their kids will have a sad, difficult life just because they’re gay.”
If you come across any links to share for next week’s linkdump, please post them to the Outer Alliance forum or bookmark them on delicious or diigo with tag “outeralliancelinks”.
Sexism in Horror: Women Excluded from Anthology September 25, 2009
Posted by bsolah in : Uncategorized , 2commentsWhen Irish horror author Maura McHugh saw the line-up of authors interviewed in In Conversation: A Writer’s Perspective. Volume One: Horror, it was impossible for her to overlook the fact that, as she expressed, “Not a single woman is interviewed.”
McHugh continued:
There are no excuses for this omission. That it happens, and it was allowed to happen, speaks to the deeply cultured disregard for women’s opinion in the world. I see it every day. We are marginalised, silenced, side-lined, forgotten, conveniently dropped, patronised, under-represented, dismissed, subtly intimidated and ignored.
Indeed, sexism within horror and speculative fiction as a whole is an issue that is often overlooked. And if you look at the norms of the genre, it’s easy to see how gender roles with society are reflected in the genre.
One of the most obvious examples that come to mind are those of passive female victims in slasher films from the 90s such as Scream and Friday the 13th. In addition, I recently had a conversation with another writer about how horror has often fostered a sexist revulsion to women’s bodies, such as with the symbolism of menstrual blood in many books and movies.
The contradiction, of course, is that from Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein onward, women have made significant contributions to the horror genre. There are numerous female horror writers that easily match their male counterparts in their ability to scare and disturb their audiences. As David Barnett’s article in the Guardian points out, a quick visit to the book store easily demonstrate just how many women are writing horror.
While it’s still shocking that such an oversight happened, it is a sobering reminder for speculative fiction writers, as well. Sexism and homophobia are deep-seeded in our culture, and there is much work to be done to challenge these norms within the genre.
Benjamin Solah is a Marxist horror writer from Melbourne, Australia. He blogs his thoughts on writing and politics, including on gender and sexuality, and you can find these and other articles at Benjamin Solah, Marxist Horror Writer.