Know Your Instagrammer

Interview with Evan Ross Katz

What piece of writing of yours are you most proud of and why?

All my pieces have a special place in my heart. They all expand on different parts of my life, intellect and passions in unique ways. I’m in the midst of writing my book, Man of My Design, a memoir and an examination of system masculinity. It’s a challenge that has made me dive deep into my past and my future. It’s the most important piece of writing to date and I can’t wait for folks to read it next summer.

What differentiates activism and slacktivism?

I think this idea of slacktivism is messed up and a bit ableist. Real change happens through social media. Black Lives Matter started as a hashtag. Feminista Jones galvanized protests all over the country via Twitter. There is nuanced and radical information and calls to action being shared via these networks. Also, everyone physically can’t get out there and protest or disrupt traffic or press conferences. For some folks who are disabled or chronically ill their participation is from behind a keyboard. For working parents or folks who just have too much on their plate but they care about the issues, signing an online petition or retweeting is all they have space for. It’s completely unfair to invalidate that.

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Transgender in America - Harvard College Panel Reviews

Image Credit: Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer

"What responsibility do schools have to educate students about trans and other gender issues, Harris asked the panel? Children are sexual beings and start experimenting and exploring and playing around with their gender when they are very young, Milan said. They need to have a good foundation for how to negotiate their own desires. They don’t need to be shamed for that, but they may not have had the information needed to negotiate their own desires by the time they get to college..." - via Harvard Gazette

“When I look at my masculinity, it’s not about the traditional trajectories,” he said. “I want to become a man of my own design and the man of my dreams.” He added that the narrow definition of masculinity poses problems for gender inclusivity. “Limitations that we have placed on masculinity has a detrimental effect on how we relate to each other as human beings,” he said. “It’s a constant uphill battle for me when it comes to asserting myself in my identity.” - via The Harvard Crimson

He Said, She Said: Privilege Check On I Am Cait

BY TIQ MILAN AND DAWN ENNIS

DE: Yeah, I hear you. But overall, wasn't it wonderful seeing #reallivetransadults on this show? Although they only reflected the trans feminine experience, it was good to show cis [non-transgender] viewers we are not all Caitlyn Jenner. And she even explained what cis means this week! In other vocabulary news, she revealed she'd never heard of HRC. 

TM:  The road trip there was revealing. Solidarity among trans and cis women is key to progress, but Caitlyn’s conservative views are completely off base. The idea that people who utilize social programs are lazy, unmotivated or complacent is classist and racist propaganda that is used to further disenfranchise poor people. 

DE: That was both my fave moment, and also the one in which I cringed the hardest: the look on their faces, the raised eyebrows, the dropped jaws as they heard Cait's honest views on welfare programs and "handouts." Priceless. 

TM: And being cash poor effect intersects with trans identity as well as p.o.c identity more than anything. There are so many factors and "the bubble" that Caitlyn has been in has kept her misinformed about that. 

Read more via The Advocate

#ThisIsLuv: They Loved Me as a Daughter, They Love Me as a Son

"I came out twice. Both times were met with a bevy of emotions: shock and awe, sadness and curiosity but ultimately, love and acceptance. 

...I would be a shell of the man I am today without the love, support, and protection of my wonderful family. This group of working class church going folks from the Rust Belt, have proven to be some of the most compassionate, progressive and caring people I’ve ever been blessed to know and our communities are filled with millions of people just like them."

Read more via Ebony.com