Here's What I'm Reading for the March 2023 Trans Rights Readathon
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2023 has seen a massive and terrifying rise in anti-trans rhetoric and legislation. To show support for trans people and raise funds for trans rights organizations, author Sim Kern organized a Trans Rights Readathon that runs March 20-March 27. The goal is to read and uplift trans authors and stories and to donate to a cause based on how many pages, chapters, or books you read. I’ll be joining the readathon next week and wanted to share my reading list in case you’d like to join too!
If you decide to participate, be sure to fill out the Trans Rights Readathon Survey. For the fundraising component, I’ll be donating 10 cents per page read to the Transgender Law Center. Here’s what’s on my reading list:
1) Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke – This book has been on my radar for awhile and I’m excited to dive in! It’s written entirely in Slack messages and blurbed by Carmen Maria Machado, so I have high hopes.
2) Future Feeling by Joss Lake – When I saw that this novel is about a dog walker obsessed with a social media influencer and accidentally curses someone, I immediately placed it on hold at the library.
3) The Bride was a Boy by Chii – I’ve been reading more manga lately and was thrilled to discover this autobiographical manga about a trans woman getting ready for her wedding. The title initially seemed concerning, but other reviewers noted that the author chose it herself.
4) First Year Out: a Transition Story by Sabrina Symington – When I mentioned the Trans Rights Readathon to a friend, she told me, “Oh you’ve got to check out something by Life of Bria!” There were several of her graphic novels that caught my eye, but this one was the only one available in my library system, so onto the TBR it went.
5) Stone Fruit by Lee Lai – This graphic novel looks beautiful and poignant and full of vulnerability–right up my alley!
Also worth noting: Kern, the creator of this event, clarified that the readathon aims to uplift books by out trans authors and nonbinary authors as well. They’re asking that readers do not promote books by cis authors (even if they feature trans characters). Additionally, if an author has not publicly stated that they are trans, don’t out them.
For more recommendations, this BookRiot article and this piece from Shepherd are a great place to start. And the #transrightsreadathon hashtag across all social channels will be full of fantastic recommendations too. Happy reading!
3.27.23 Update
The Readathon has concluded! I read 7 books totaling 1,468 pages. My two last-minute additions were thanks to library holds that arrived just in time—The Moth Keeper by K. O’Neill and The Companion by E.E. Ottoman.
I donated $146.80 to the Transgender Law Center. This was a fun experience and I’m looking forward to continuing to read and uplift trans stories all year round!
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