It has been quite a hectic couple of months over here at Trans & Caffeinated! Since I last wrote, I’ve taken on two new clients, submitted and been accepted to present workshops at Creating Change and SXSW on behalf of Transgender Law Center, and more.
It’s been a wild yet exciting ride! Here are some updates:
December Means Trans Santa
December’s a difficult time of year for many trans folks. I have the good fortune of being surrounded by an abundance of wonderful humans who love and support me for who I am, but many trans people—particularly trans youth—are not so lucky.
Every year in December, @TranSanta runs a mutual aid campaign to make sure no transgender young person goes without presents this holiday season. Though Christmas has already passed, there are still plenty of gifts left to claim on their page. Please give what you can.
Update: I’ve been asked to remind folks that your donation to TranSanta is tax-deductible and eligible for company matching, if your employer does that sort of thing. This is thanks to their parent company, Allies in Arts, a registered 501(c)3 organization. Check out their donation guidelines for more information.
Patreon
Folks often ask how they can support my work. I’ve been apprehensive to set up a Patreon until now, since the majority of my services are B2B rather than focused on individuals. However, as several folks have kindly and generously pointed out, my advocacy on my blog, social media, and out in the world have value and individuals can and do benefit from it.
Thus, I’ve decided to relaunch my Patreon. I’ve instituted a flat membership structure with the as-needed perk of booking time with me to pick my brain about business, project management, queer and trans advocacy, and more. Frankly, I would never hide this support behind a paywall, so even if you aren’t a contributor, I’m more than happy to meet with you! Patrons will however get first dibs if my schedule is full (along with my immense, immeasurable, endless gratitude and love).
T&C in the World
The focus of my 2024 contract with Transgender Law Center is operationalizing several of their resources, particularly their Journalist Resource Series. Comprised of 4 guides, which I co-wrote and project managed throughout my 3 year tenure with the organization, this series aims to help journalists and communities tell fuller, more humanizing stories about transgender people. I’ve spend the month of December doing a major update of these guides so they’re ready for re-launch. Along with an upcoming series of webinars TBA, this looks like submitting and presenting at workshops throughout the US.
SXSW
I shared a few months back that several colleagues and I proposed a panel to South by Southwest. Well… drumroll please… it was accepted! I will be joined by Serena Daniari, Eva Reign, and TransLash Media’s Imara Jones for Responsible Reporting on Anti-Trans Violence at SXSW this March. If you’re attending, please be sure to stop by!
Creating Change
Earlier in December, we also had a workshop accepted to Creating Change, the largest annual LGBTQ+ movement conference. Our workshop is called Trans Demands: Shifting the Narrative on Anti-Trans Violence. Here’s the abstract:
If you’re going to Creating Change in January are you’re not a ding dang cisgenderer, be sure to stop by our workshop!
New Clients
One of the main reasons I went freelance (almost exactly a year ago, wahoo!) was to have the ability to balance trans advocacy work with coffee projects. Predictably, my favorite projects are those that allow me to bring together my passion for both.
This quarter, I officially began working with The Barista League, which puts on parties disguised as fun and accessible coffee competitions. Their events are a blast, and I’ve had several friends work for them over the years.
Many of you have clocked this—I am hyperorganized, especially when it comes to my work. I take a lot of pride in being efficient and on top of my tasks, and always thinking one step ahead. Barista League is a company full of folks like that, so it’s proven quite a good fit.
Earlier this month, I put on my first event as a project manager for them – The Barista League: Atlanta. Check out highlights from the event, and stay tuned from my next project with TBL—an afterparty at Specialty Coffee Expo – Chicago in April 2024.
Additionally, I can’t say much at this juncture, but I’ve also just signed a contract with Fellow Products for a new project that will go live early in the new year. More to come!
Musical Pals
News flash: trans people are cool and talented as hell.
I’m several months late on this one, but my pal Mershauna released a 6-track New Age EP called Stonewall back in October. Mershauna is a trans musician based in LA, and she took a huge bet on herself by self-funding this EP. Please give it a listen—each stream goes a long way.
Also! My friend Marselle recently got back into performing, making what she describes as “super gay music.” Marselle is on the move—she’s put three singles out this year alone. Give them a listen!
Loading: New Logo and Branding…
With the help of my dear pal Zar, who I previously partnered with on the first iteration of Transgender Law Center’s Journalist Resource Series, Trans & Caffeinated is in the process of rebranding.
This will involve the “Starbucksification” of my logo (it’ll make sense when you see it lol), a new color scheme, new fonts, and more. I won’t share anything specific in an effort not to spoil the surprise, but needless to say I am extremely excited!
That’s all for now! Hope you’ve had a transgender holiday season, and a Happy New Queer.