Rae Spoon Tumblr

The Realm Outside of “He” and “She” - Response to being on the cover of the Toronto Star

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:08:13 -0400

The process of being interviewed by a journalist is a very vulnerable one. As a subject I answer questions, and then the journalist selects certain quotes to use when it comes to the topic they are investigating. Recently I was in an article in the Toronto Star about gender non-conforming people:

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2013/04/27/the_realm_between_he_and_she.html

There were some parts of this article that I didn’t feel were fully explained for whatever reason. I’m writing this because I have more agency when I get to choose my own words when it comes to both my identity and my perspective on the recent history of the ‘they’ pronoun being used in popular media.

The journalist from the Toronto Star contacted me and quoted some excerpts to me that I had written. They were from a tumblr post I made in January 2012 coming out as preferring the pronoun ‘they’ and about the reason why I was boycotting being interviewed by Toronto’s Gay and Lesbian paper Xtra at the time:

http://raespoon.tumblr.com/post/15242754277/instead-of-an-interview-with-xtra

In the article in the Star, Xtra’s managing editor Danny Glenwright (who was also responsible for posting Lexi Sanfino’s legal name on his Facebook page, and who has not publically apologized for doing so) is quoted as saying that the situation was caused by a misunderstanding about Xtra’s use of the pronoun ‘they.’ It has been well documented that Toronto artist Elisha Lim (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elisha-Lim/104527506295114?fref=ts) requested that the ‘they’ pronoun be used for an article about them, but this request was denied by the journalists and editors at Xtra. For me, the fact that Elisha was denied the use of their preferred pronoun was and is enough evidence that someone was denied pronoun usage by the paper. Elisha Lim was the first person that I knew of going by the ‘they’ pronoun in the media, and seeing them stand up for themselves inspired me to do the same.

I think there are as many different kinds of ways of being trans as there are trans people. Every trans person (every person, actually) has a different way that they need to be treated to feel respected, so it would be impossible for an article to completely educate anyone on everyone’s gender preferences. In the future I hope that the mainstream media will move to cover more diverse stories about trans people and move away from favouring those who are white and on the trans-masculine spectrum. I also hope that writers, editors and copy editors take more care in using the preferred pronouns of subjects.

Rihanna cover in the bathtub as promised

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:20:05 -0400

Rihanna cover in the bathtub as promised

Call for support (please share)

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 10:28:04 -0500

After many clear requests for no contact, my biological father has been making efforts to contact me and my siblings. He has mental health issues and has a history of abusive behaviour. We have had restraining orders against him in the past. We are in the process of taking legal action again, but we are also asking for wider community support.

We are asking that no one give him any information about us and to notify us if he shows up anywhere. His name is Gregory A Wilson. He is about 5’10, balding, 250lbs and 54 years old. He is often visibly struggling with mental health issues.

He has repeatedly attempted to come into my shows despite having been escorted out in the past. Since my book came out he has been emailing me regularly. I have replied only to request that he cease to contact me. Last week he went to my brother Dan’s place of employment, at the Calgary Public Library, to try to make contact. During the incident, Gregory threatened to destroy my book (as documented in a formal incident report there).

His efforts to see us have been escalating and left me feeling very unsafe. Being a touring performer makes it pretty easy to track me down. As you can imagine, this has caused a lot of stress in regards to upcoming performances.

Most immediately, it would be great if some people could attend my upcoming public appearances in Calgary on February 12th, including a speaking engagement at Mount Royal University and an evening show at the Hub. It would be helpful to have some extra eyes and bodies around should he attempt to contact us in during one of these occasions.

Please contact me at raespoon@gmail.com if you are available to come to either of those performances.

Thanks a lot,

Rae

And it begins

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 13:04:36 -0500

And it begins

This color is called “lazy green” it matches my...

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 01:05:12 -0500

This color is called “lazy green” it matches my chinos

To? #fixyourlights

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:54:39 -0500

To? #fixyourlights

Miss Fluffy Soufflé as Jann Arden

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:45:49 -0500

Miss Fluffy Soufflé as Jann Arden

@vivekshraya with Miss Fluffy Soufflé as Jann Arden

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:45:26 -0500

@vivekshraya with Miss Fluffy Soufflé as Jann Arden

Me caressing Fluffy Soufflé as Jann Arden

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:30:00 -0500

Me caressing Fluffy Soufflé as Jann Arden

Jann Arden’s Insensitive (Rae Spoon, Vivek Shraya and...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:21:39 -0500

Jann Arden’s Insensitive (Rae Spoon, Vivek Shraya and Fluffy Souffle)

My first magazine cover Broken Pencil Magazine issue 58

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:42:32 -0500

My first magazine cover Broken Pencil Magazine issue 58

On our way to filming #toronto

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 09:14:00 -0500

On our way to filming #toronto

Adele Cover by Rae Spoon “One And Only”

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 15:45:34 -0500

Adele Cover by Rae Spoon “One And Only”

Haus of CPI DJ school

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 15:50:36 -0500

Haus of CPI DJ school

Sheryl Crow cover with a small dog I’m taking care of.

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:43:56 -0500

Sheryl Crow cover with a small dog I’m taking care of.

Gender Failure Poster by ckyma

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:13:37 -0500

Gender Failure Poster by ckyma

Photo

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 11:16:43 -0400

Obviously I need a latte before I go into the woods. (Taken with...

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 05:18:17 -0400

Obviously I need a latte before I go into the woods. (Taken with Instagram)

Poster by Akbar Ahmed

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:31:58 -0400

Poster by Akbar Ahmed

New trailer for my book First Spring Grass Fire made by the...

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:22:51 -0400

New trailer for my book First Spring Grass Fire made by the amazing Kerri Lauren Flannigan. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press. Out in September!