Trans News That Doesn’t Suck
I accidentally went viral, y’all.
Lovers & friends,
Hey hey hey! It’s your beautiful Black trans friend, KB 🙂I haven’t sent you a newsletter since December 31 (and I am very sorry); however, I have good news! (?)
Laverne Cox posted me on her Instagram.
Listen. LISTEN. We all know that the first couple of months of the year have been stressful. Illegal. Something out of a horror movie, politically. Especially if you’re trans, of color, an immigrant, a drag artist — really any kind of marginalized & living in the U.S. So, I started this weekly (ish; y’all know I have a hard time adhering to schedules) video series called Trans News That Doesn’t Suck, where I give a synopsis of some positive trans news that’s happened in recent times.
Since then, the outpouring of support has been WILD. Many of my favorite internet people (including Laverne Cox!) have been following me. People from all over the world have been reaching out, sending me good news to post, saying they needed this. Tbh, I did too! It’s so easy to get caught up in the doom & gloom & think that everybody is out to get you. Turns out: some people are not transphobic! Some people are doing good work that supports trans futurity, and I’m here for putting positivity on these algorithms that love to rage-bait us!
This is all to say this: if you’d like to get a weekly dose of serotonin (in the form of Trans News That Doesn’t Suck), these are avenues:
Follow me on Instagram: @earthtokb
Follow me on TikTok: @earthtokb
Subscribe to my new newsletter called TRANS NEWS THAT DOESN’T SUCK, where I will send a video + some positive trans news I found around the web once a week. The URL is simply transnews.substack.com.
Before you get to worrying, let me make something clear: I will still be publishing this newsletter. It will just be covering all things KB (+ my writerly advice that I love to give). Speaking of this, lemme hit y’all with some updates.
KB’S UPDATES
On January 3, I had the honor of winning the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award in Creative Nonfiction. 🙂🎊After a rather tumultuous past year (I’ll write about it at some point, chile), it was great to start off the year with this good news. If you’d like to read an award-winning memoir (wow, I get to say that?!) order your copy here.
Speaking of awards, Austin just announced its first Poet Laureate: Zell Miller III ! After two years of grassroots advocacy and one year of intentional, community-engaged planning with the Austin Public Library, I’m really happy that what was once just a dream, my city having a poet laureate program, has come true. Also, not gon lie, it’s nice to be credited as the founder 😀
Over the next week, I will be BUSY, honey. If you’re in LA, New Orleans, or Fresno, I better see you at one of these events:
RSVP for all of these events at https://earthtokb.com/upcomingevents.
Because I didn’t want to make this newsletter a mile & a half long, I’m about to end it here. My writerly tip for today is:
Take a risk.
Truly, my best poems and essays and social media posts happen when I feel, in some way, out of my element. I’m nobody’s report, but people flocked to Trans News That Doesn’t Suck because it’s relevant, it’s something I care about, and I risked looking ridiculous to better the timeline in some way.
You will fail if you don’t try. Why not risk falling flat on your face? Write that sonnet, make that movie, write that book that feels impossible. I just spent a week editing a book that I was soooo sure was dead in the water and I feel GREAT. Reinvigorated, even. I moved through the feelings of “it’s impossible” and got out alive on the other side. Do something that terrifies you creatively today.
I hope that this pushes you to do something cool. If you’re a new subscriber (hello!) and you aren’t familiar with some sage advice that I’ve already shared, get acquainted below:
I hope this message finds you eating good and creating the best songs/sentences of your life. I hope you’re arms-length away from good news. Till next time.
Love, Peace, & Chicken Grease,
KB
A much needed series!!!
so happy that this exists!!!