Mxing it up at… "Queers & Comics" 2017 Conference

Hann Lindahl ("Future Husband"), Jaina Bee (me), and Ryan Rose Aceae ("(Non)Binary Star") photo by Yoram

Zines and underground comics have been a lifelong passion for your quirky mxgender priestx reporter (that's me, Baba Bee). Bypassing the gatekeepers of mainstream media, self-published periodicals, cut-n-paste one-offs, and other xerographic tomes have taught me almost everything i know about the lives, loves, dreams, desires and needs of hundreds (possibly thousands!) of people who would otherwise be unheard or unseen in the world. I've been drawing, composing, and collecting comics and zines since i was a kid in the 1980's, and my appreciation for this medium only grows.

At one of the panels i attended at the 2017 Queers & Comics conference (April 14-16 at CCA SF) there was even a discussion about how the medium of comics itself is queer and binary-breaking, because it mixes words AND images in infinitely mutable ways. There was talk of comics as a vital form of queer self-care, as a way to explore alternative identies and expressions before transitioning or coming out, as a record of our ever-evolving LGBTQIA+ history, and as an especially fun way to network and meet new friends and fans.

This last bit cannot be overstated in its importance, especially when many panelists and attendees spoke of experiencing intense fears of leaving the house, of being (or speaking!) in public, and of interacting with strangers. It was a rare experience for most of us, to be in a crowded conference, where EVERYONE was queer—with a few friendly queer allies in the mix. The mention of pronouns did not bring a quizzical expression to anyone's face. (But seriously, where were all the straight comics geeks? Did they think they weren't welcome? Something to work on…)
I could go on and on about how much i enjoyed this conference— how it was the best of all that i have ever attended— however what i REALLY want to do is share with you some of my favorite creations—and creatrxes—of the weekend.

If you haven't yet encountered the graceful and elegant tales of Maia Kobabe, you're in for a treat. Though eir "Genderqueer" comics series was designed to be viewed on a phone (on eir Tumblr, Instagram or Patreon), e discovered that the three-panel sets fit perfectly into a mini 8-fold format! Effin' brilliant. (OK, full disclosure—i am not only a fan of Maia's, i feel a bit like an elder cousin to em as well. So, yes, i am fairly biased.) I dream of handing out to everyone these poignantly insightful glimpses into discovering and expressing one's genderqueerness. In the more Pagan realm, e is a contributor to the upcoming queer tarot-themed anthology, Tabula Idem, where e collaborated with our mutual friend, Alexandra Genetti (creatrix of the "Wheel of Change Tarot"), on a story about an annual Solstice-related ritual we have shared together many times. Genderqueer + paganism + art? Friends, this is my jam.

My most thrilling moment at the conference was when i was standing next to someone at a merchant table and they suddenly looked at my array of badges and bling and said, "Hey! Are you enby?! Here, have one of my comics!" And it was about mxgender witchcraft!!! "(Non)Binary Star" is about Ryan Rose Aceae's experience growing up in a Wiccan family, and the spiraling path they journeyed to find their own place in the binary-oriented worship of the God and the Goddess. Highly recommended for all folks exploring spirituality and religion beyond the binary.

Right as my jaw was hitting the floor, another excited person walked up to us and introduced herself (it really was quite the friendly conference). Hann Lindahl is a queer intersex activist and the creator of a beautiful two-color mini-comic, "Future Husband," about the effects of a doctor's casual presumption about why a teen-age Hann should start taking estrogen. She packs a heavy punch into that little 8-fold! She's one of the organizers for the 4th annual Queer Comix Expo in SF (July 8-9).

Anna Vo spoke in a couple of panels i attended.  I quickly noticed that i was trying to write down EVERYTHING they said, because they are able to articulate brilliant and radical social justice ideas in a righteous and hilarious manner. We traded zines, and i got "The Swan The Vulture" #6, which collects the prolific explosion of Anna's first year of making comics, which was, like, last year. Phenomenal.

Tittybar Tales is a gorgeous, full-color book by Alex L Combs, who is entering the CCA MFA in Comics program this summer. (Congratulations!) I first met him at the SF Zinefest last summer, and was enticed by the little preview of this comic which splays out the ups and downs and around-and-arounds of his experiences as a stripper, when he was still presenting as a woman. It's actually a lighthearted and funny collection, with no dreadful horror stories (other than razor burn and an aching body). Wow.

The most mesmerizing and beautiful comic i came home with was "Burning" by Bex (a surprise gift from a friend of mine who happened to be attending the con as a sign language interpreter for Bex). Dark, glowing, dreamy and visionary, she glides from her travels within the Arctic Circle on a sailboat full of artists and her travels into a richly detailed world within her mind.

Radical Faerie Church Funnies (2017 Special Edition for Q&C Con) is something i picked up in the merch area. I did not meet Vaughn Frick, the talented creator of this comic book satirizing the "Secret Gay Elite" that bunches up fundamentalist panties of all stripes. The disclaimer says it better than i ever could, "This Radical Faerie Comic Church is a fictional phantasm of dirty eunuch clowns, perverted fruit-bat capitalists, gender cyborgs, old gods, power-tripping ghouls, pagan fundamentalists, and whatever creature or thing I feel fit to draw. It's only about you if you so wish it."


And those are but a few of thedelights that came home with me. I hope to continue to compose reviews. And i am planning to have my own mxgender witch zine ready for the QCE this summer!

The rainbow sparkly tip of the queer comics iceburg!

My Gender Sermon of the Moment

 I have recently had several interactions with a friend of mine who is currently offering generally wise and well-informed counseling to the public on matters of sex and relationships. After a few incidents in which I felt that her gender education wasn't up to speed, I sent this email. This seems like a fine introduction to my personal gender story, which is one of the subjects the Priest/esses of Beyond the Binary would like to share with the public. May it be received with the love and compassion with which it was composed.

I hope this missive finds you well and fine.

I have been wanting to touch in with you about something that hasn't settled well with me. I haven't spoken up before because I felt too upset to communicate clearly and compassionately, and, well, you know we discussed the difficulties in working against the conditioning not to speak up for oneself.

Lately, for me, it has been an interesting process of "coming out" as a gender variant individual. It has been a private affair for me, and one that has felt too unclear to share with others, similar to what I have heard shared by my friends of variant sexualities. I never had an issue with identifying my sexuality as "queer", though most people presume I am heterosexual (and my sig others tend to be straight white men). I have found it to be much more challenging to correct others when they presume I am a cisgendered woman.

It has been easy for me to pass as a woman because of my feminine gender expression, however I often feel more like a drag queen. I like being a drag queen. No one questions me when I use the women's room, (Try using the men's room in the city to get an idea of what it's like to be gender variant) I have been welcome in women's spaces (though with increasing discomfort for me. I wrote a blog post about it here: http://paradoxmysteryandawe.blogspot.com/2013/07/womens-rituals.html ), and no one (friends, family, strangers) feels entitled to ask me, "So what ARE you? A boy or a girl?" as they do many other gender outlaws.

This is important for me to share with you; a person who is offering counseling services to the public on matters of sex and relationships. Gender is a highly-charged topic these days, as it comes out of the cisgendered binary cage it has smothered in for so long.

We have spoken on this subject for three weeks in a row now. The first time, I told you I had a book to give you on the subject, and all was well. The second week, I paid for your counseling services, and in a moment of enthusiasm, you spoke very dismissively about "that gender stuff" as you literally waved your hands as if shooing it away, presuming you were talking to a cisgendered woman. I was in a bit of shock and found myself speechless. The next week, I brought you The Gender Book, hoping it would help you understand the vastness and beautiful nuances of this topic. Again, you said something dismissive about gender and again you waved your hand as if it were a fly in your face. It was then I came out to you as a person who does not identify within the gender binary. Though I sensed some mild resistance at first, you quickly began to adapt this new information to your understanding of gender. Right on!

When you complained of men being dismissive to women's issues, such as rape and sexual predation, you were expressing your own gender awareness and experience. Please consider showing other genders the care and support you want men to show women.

I found the topic of gender to be a serious area of insensitivity in your otherwise considerate and informed services. I have great confidence that you will inform yourself further on this subject, as every person you meet has a gender identity, whether they have explored this and defined it for themselves yet, whether it is static or fluid, whether it is cisgender or agender or the many countless and multiplying identities that people are claiming and reclaiming for themselves.

I am here for you if you have any questions, wish to discuss this further, want some recommendations on resources. There's a lot out there on this evolving issue, and I am grateful to be of service.

With love and respect, Jaina Bee

The Gender Book! Is Out! In the World! NOW!

Two faces smiled down from a large screen in a corner of San Francisco's Center for Sex and Culture. Jay Mays and Robin Mack, two if the three main creators of The Gender Book, had beamed their gleeful mugs across cyberspace to help celebrate the birth of this fine publication. "It's a book!" (That's a gender joke, get it?) The third creator, artist Mel Reiff Hill, stood on the low stage with a microphone, facilitating a Q&A.

"How did this book come to be?"

Mel described how their boyfriend "paid to teach his therapist about gender." After spending his session laying down the basics of this fundamental subject of life, he wished he could've simply handed the doctor a book and say, "Read chapter 6— see ya next week!" But that book on gender did not exist. So he brought this concern to his friends and the friends said, "Let's make one!"

And what a gorgeous book they've made. With it's large, slick, colorful pages and graphic novel design it looks a lot like a children's storybook. The team say they wrote it for the broadest range of ages possible, attempting to keep the language plain and simple. Indeed, this book is so attractive and friendly, I can imagine it crossing many thresholds into spaces that have never before questioned mainstream gender norms.

Attendees sat around the balloon-festooned room at tables covered with crayons and activity pages, munching on snacks segregated by glutenousness. The atmosphere was relaxed and playful—even slightly giddy—catalysing conversations amongst strangers expressing a wide range of genders. I wondered why the room wasn't packed to the brim, though, because I certainly felt like I was witnessing one of the most important moments in cultural history. Mel says the book's release is just the beginning, and now what they want to see is how people USE it. "Don't just put it on a shelf. Read it, give it away, talk about it."

In an OutSmart interview, Jay Mays reports that the Gender Book team will be participating in the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference this June, "to connect with others who also want to ease the burden of trans* folks having to educate their health professionals." Right on!

As a contributor to their wildly successful Indiegogo campaign, I had a stack of Gender Books waiting for me at the merch table. I nearly knocked Mel over in my eagerness to get mine all signed. They grinned calmly as I explained that I was a Priest/ess in a Bay Area coven and as I frothed all about our Beyond the Binary and Trans*/Pagan endeavors in a sort of star-struck way, and then they amiably signed one "To CAYA Coven." I even got a fancy creature in a shimmery outfit to snap this photo of Mel & I. Can you tell how excited I am?!?!?!?!

Gender Scouts unite!