What we’re about
Mission Statement:
This book club exists to create a supportive, affirming space for nonbinary and transmasc adults (over 30) to gather in community, explore literature that resonates with our lived experiences, and reflect on identity, power, and possibility through story.
As a collective, we actively engage in creating space for connection, curiosity, and care. A space where we can show up fully, be witnessed, and engage with books that challenge, comfort, or inspire us.
Rooted in collective liberation, queer joy, and a love of words, this group is for anyone seeking thoughtful conversation and a place to belong.
Audience:
This book club is for nonbinary and transmasc adults - especially those who are in their 30s or 40s, with an understanding that, for some, gender and the labels we assign it are a fluid and ongoing journey.
This space is envisioned as a place to build community with other transmasc/nonbinary folks. A place to engage with literature that de-centers cishet normativity, amplifies trans and nonbinary folks sharing their own stories, and that explore gender as a major theme.
Book Club Origin Story:
We started this book club to co-create a space for “older” trans and nonbinary folks to gather in community - to reflect on what we are reading, laugh, and simply show up and be seen wherever we are in our journeys because it was a space we both felt we needed but had trouble finding.
We both come with extensive experience facilitating groups and community spaces and deeply value experiencing books through many lenses and learning from others’ perspectives. More about each of us below!
About the Facilitators:
Hi all! I’m EJ (they/them), a white, queer, transmac, AuDHD person who has a lifelong love of finding new worlds, hope, and possibility through immersion in books and stories.
I am deeply drawn towards collective care, queer literature, and disrupting systems that weren’t built for us. I am probably a little over-educated by academic standards, and can be a bit “heady” in my book reviews, but really value experiencing books through many lenses and learning from others’ perspectives.
I live in St. Paul and share my home with two middle schoolers (half time) and two extraordinary kitties (full time!). I’m currently obsessed with speculative fiction, doing minimal maintenance in my garden that actually looks like me laying in a hammock, and anything I can do on or in the water.
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Hello! I’m Annie (she/they? they/them? It’s evolving.), a white, queer, nonbinary, ADHD person with a love for building community through books and story telling. As someone who came out as queer “later” in life and is now navigating gender journeys even later in life, it has often been hard to find community and stories that reflect some of the unique perspectives, experiences, joys, and challenges of queerness, gender exploration, and gender expression at my age. Exploring queerness through literature has always been an important vehicle for my self-understanding and creating community connections - even before I understood or named my own identities and their influences in my life. In both my work life and personal life, I enjoy engaging with different perspectives and lived experiences in a way that both deepens both understanding and connection.
I live in Saint Paul with my spouse and two dogs - and will probably tell you more about the dogs than you really want to know (okay that’s probably true about a lot of topics - but I do take feedback graciously when I inadvertently hyperfixate a little too hard). I really love reading all genres and especially love when someone suggests a book to me that I would never pick up on my own. I am looking forward to being in community with and learning from all of you!
Group Norms:
- Honor self-identification. Everyone has the right to define their own gender, name, pronouns, and relationship to transition or presentation. We will not question of police anyone’s identity.
- Respect pronouns and names - we will use the name and pronouns someone shares. If you mess up, correct yourself, move on, and do better next time.
- Listen to understand not to debate
- Consent is essential - ask!
- You don’t have to be “out”, eloquent, well read, or an expert. This is a space for curiosity, care, and community.
- No hate, harassment, or transphobia - racism, ableism, transphobia, fatphobia, misogyny, and any form of harm will not be tolerated, whether it is overt or subtle, interpersonal, or structural.
- Share space. Aim for balance. Share your thoughts and leave room for others, particularly multiply marginalized voices (e.g., BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent folks).