Me Time
April 5th Was Quite a Day!
Saturday April 5th in NYC had some amazing choices for how to spend your day. Of course, there was the Hands Off march down 5th Avenue, which took place in cities and small towns across the country and even outside the US.
Also, our friends at Bywater Books had a group of their authors reading at the NYC LGBTQ Center's bookstore. And, if that wasn't enough, there was Cass Con in Brooklyn, where fans and readers of Haley Cass were treated to her rare appearance, and of course, readings from her books, and an opportunity to buy them in paperback.
My day was spent marching down 5th Avenue holding the sign in the photo you see here. I walked over with a group from my synagogue but got separated from them in the crowd and proceeded on my own, reading all the wonderful signs and participating in the chants. I made it down to 34th street, when I returned to the synagogue and was soon joined by other stragglers from our group. We debriefed together and had coffee and cake. It was a memorable Shabbat in the streets.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
(8) A Pep Talk for Authors During Chaotic Times
I can’t emphasize this enough: authors should work on building community.
Can Male Authors Publish Books Under Female Names? - The New York Times
When men have written under female names, by contrast, the motive has often seemed tilted toward manipulation — a way to gain access to female readerships or to game the market. It can feel like stolen valor.
UK Publishers Association, Cambridge, Call out Meta and Piracy in Generative AI Training
“This is infringement of authors’ and publishers’ copyright on a massive scale, and should not go unchallenged. The Publishers Association and its members are actively considering their next steps in this regard.
How to Budget for Your Book Launch | Jane Friedman
Without a clear book launch budget, you may mistakenly spend too much money on the wrong things and not enough on the right things. And you’ll probably run out of money before you reach the end of the road.
101: Dialogue Mechanics - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
Dialogue: The actual words spoken by a character. (“I can’t believe it.“) Dialogue Tag: A phrase that identifies the speaker. (“I can’t believe it,” she said.) Dialogue Beat: An action that accompanies the words being spoken. (“I can’t believe it.” Becca threw the bag of chips in the trash.)
Five Ways to Get Your Protagonist to Realize They’re the Problem - WRITERS HELPING WRITERS®
Let’s look at a few ways to move your character from thinking their problem is about someone else to understanding that their own choices will deliver them what they need:
Organizing Your Novel on Google Docs | The Writing Cooperative
You can start by creating tabs that act like folders, such as Novel Name which will hold all your chapters, or Book Outline, which can include all your notes on setting, characters, plot, etc.
Then you can add subtabs that go into those folders, which you can collapse to hide all the clutter or keep open for easy navigation. I created subtabs for my chapters and character profiles.
Why All Authors Should Try Notion | Jane Friedman
Notion allows authors to keep all project-related documents, tasks, decisions, and communication in a single place. You name it. This consolidation can dramatically simplify your writing project.
We used to read more, scream less — Harvard Gazette
How has the internet changed fiction? 8 writers weigh in.
News For A Challenging Time
Pride month: Under financial and political pressure, the LGBTQ+ community is ‘putting the protest back’ in annual celebrations | CNN
Scrambling to fill the gap in funding, these groups are leaning on grassroots fundraising efforts and returning to that original spirit of resistance. This year, the organizers say, simply showing up will send an important message.
“We’re putting the protest back in Pride,”
Companies Pull Back From Pride Events as Trump Targets D.E.I. - The New York Times
“Supporting a Pride event is not a particularly expensive undertaking. This is a fear of potential reputational harm that might come from the administration turning its spotlight on them.”
Foreign Travelers Are Rethinking Travel to the U.S. - The New York Times
A growing number of travelers say they are worried about feeling unwelcome or unsafe in America and are reluctant to support the economy of a country that may be destabilizing other nations.
"I Want To Be Myself": Lesbian Tennis Star Daria Kasatkina Leaves Russia Behind For Good - GO Magazine
Australia welcomes Daria Kasatkina as she officially defects from Russia to live and compete freely.
Mississippi patrons reject cafe with heterosexual discount
Local restaurants are hosting drag shows and inclusive tours after Darwell’s Happiness Cafe claimed they "don’t do the trans or the lesbians or gays."
A Man Mistook Her For Being Trans In A Walmart Bathroom—Then She Got Fired - GO Magazine
Davis claims that she was told she’d failed to report the incident to a “salaried member of management,” which Walmart deemed a “security risk.” Her vest, badge, and work phone were confiscated, and she says she wasn’t even given termination paperwork.
“To me it sounds like they thought I was the security risk,” Davis wrote on Facebook, trying to make sense out of the confusing situation. “Because of my height and someone’s ignorance mistaking me for something I’m not, I was now a security risk and they terminated me for it.”
Orlando Pride Soccer Player Barbra Banda, Who Is Cis, Is Once Again Receiving Anti-Trans Abuse | Them
Banda has faced unfounded anti-trans vitriol over the past several months — including “hateful language” during the Orlando Pride’s March 23 match against Gotham at Gotham’s home field, the Sports Illustrated Stadium.
How a nonprofit, loan society and donor network launched a fund to help trans people relocate – eJewishPhilanthropy
Through Keshet, Hebrew Free Loan Society and the Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network, trans individuals or families can get a $10,000 no-interest loan if they need to move states
LGBTQ Rights Across All 50 States: Key Insights from PRRI’s 2024 American Values Atlas
LGBTQ Americans trend younger, more female, Democratic, and less religious than other Americans.
Trump administration cancels at least 68 grants focused on LGBTQ health questions
One canceled project at Vanderbilt University had been following the overall health of more than 1,200 LGBTQ people age 50 and older. Most of the money has been spent from the grant funding the project, but it was up for renewal in April, said Tara McKay, who leads Vanderbilt’s LGBTQ+ Policy Lab.
Culture and Joy
Tracy Chapman Wants to Speak for Herself - The New York Times
“This is an opportunity for me to be able to say why I wanted to do this project and what it means to me,” she said, “instead of letting the chatter speak for myself.”
(8) The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire Live with Rosie O’Donnell
In our conversation, Rosie and I talk about her recent move to Ireland and driving a car there when you’re used to driving on the left side of the car on the right side of the road; what it’s like for her to be in her 60s, and to have just turned 63; how losing her 39-year-old mother when she was just 10 impacted her life and her expectations of getting older; being a mother of five; growing up on Long Island; and so much more.
‘Think of those who have not been seen,' Cynthia Erivo’s powerful message at GLAAD Awards
“It isn’t easy. None of it is, waking up and choosing to be yourself, proclaiming a space belongs to you when you don’t feel welcomed,” said Erivo.
Chappell Roan Reveals Her Type: “Weird Art Girls,” Women Who Are Not Scared of Bugs or Snakes | Them
she’s been dating her secret boo for six months. “It’s serious,” she said. “I’m very in love.”
‘But I’m a Cheerleader’ Reunion, Tanner Adell Comes Out, Zolita Chaotic Queer Music Video, And Star-Studded Trans Fashion Show - GO Magazine
Over the weekend at the PaleyFest premiere of season 2 of Poker Face, cast members of the 1999 cult gay classic reunited. Melanie Lynskey, Clea Duvall, and Natasha Lyonne gagged fans of the film as they posed for photos with bright grins.
Women’s FEST – CAMP Rehoboth Community Center
Women's+ FEST Join us for another year of Women's+ FEST from April 10 -13 in Rehoboth Beach, celebrating community, sensational entertainment, sports, and much more! Catch headliners Be Steadwell and Gwen La Roka at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center, bringing the community together through the joy of music and comedy. Get ready to boogie at dances, meet new friends, and kick off spring with this unforgettable extravaganza!
Twenty-Five Years In, Ginger’s Bar Welcomes a New Generation of Queers | Autostraddle
Ginger’s is one of four lesbian bars remaining in New York City, and 34 across the US as of last year. Founded in 2000 by the red-haired Sheila Frayne, the cash-only, Irish-themed dive bar closed indefinitely during the pandemic, a wake-up call for its patrons, who rallied around the bar to prevent its closure.
Meet the Lesbian Couple Who Resolves All Their Arguments Using AI
Kara Wilson and Jen Titan are two lesbians who work in tech who are working on a new app to help sapphic couples better communicate. Called LezTalk, the app uses everything from past arguments to astrological placements to attaching styles to transcripts of therapy sessions to help queer women in relationships better talk to each other.
Lesbian penguin delivers toy to her partner's nest & melts all of our hearts - LGBTQ Nation
In the video, Green Bean can be seen waddling over to the nest holding a colorful plastic ball for Randi. When the ball rolls away, Green Bean is sure to chase after it and bring it back to the nest.
It is made even better by the fact that the video has been set to Chappell Roan’s The Giver.
Dr. Mimi Talks Bisexual+ Mental Health, Visibility, & Community -
When asked what she would say to folks struggling with biphobia, whether internal or external, Dr. Mimi encourages self-acceptance. “Your identity, your attractions, are inside you, and therefore it’s not up for debate,” she says.
Helpful Tools
MergeMail - Easy Gmail mail merge
Personalize, send, and track bulk emails within Gmail. Easy, free mail merge.
A Terrific Quote
Daily Inspiration | Inspiring Quotes
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.