I know because I asked. I had to be 7 or 8 My mom’s  fingers splay out over the blue and white checkered tablecloth that she kept meticulously clean while we lived on Alexander Street.  She seriously contemplates for a moment before looking at me and saying “I really don’t know why I kept having…

Being out here in all this heat is making me crave watermelon. And like most things felt thru this craving comes with its own memories. One summer I was sent to stay with some distant relatives in Opelousas Louisiana. I wasn’t ready. Like city folk need some education on the conTREE before we go and…

Between the Veils is this weekend. This event was built on the ashes of something I helped burn down. With the energy of the roots that I called to be pulled up. I wasn’t invited to participate in the creation of this new event, open,  keynote or teach. I was offered a ticket to attend…

22 years ago I gave the closing address to Xavier University Preparatory High School’s class of 1999 I was 17 years old I remember my rolling stone of a father showing up and when the parents were asked to stand for recognition my brother’s Godfather glared him down in a silent gay rage The thought…

A touch late on posting this here. The weeks leading up to Mother’s Day and the weeks after are still a fog. There is a lot happening in the world and even with all my grief over it and the ambient grief of others, there was still room for me to mourn my mother and…

When she spoke into the silence the sound of her voice shocked me so much that she had to repeat herself, loudly. “What’s wrong with your teeth? They look awfu!l” I fought the reflex to cover my mouth. “They’ve been like this since the braces came off mom. I haven’t had the money to get…

Not so long ago someone within the Burlesque community who had done some very toxic shit got totally called out.One of this person’s supporters came to me to explain their side of the situation. My response was fuck her the bitch is canceled. Her supporter tried to say how hard it is for this community…

I wrote this piece just about four years ago when asked to do a reading for Literary Pop: Apocalypse I wrote it because fuck! and I needed to remind myself of what we as Queer, Trans, Gender non-binary, Disabled, Black & Brown & Femme have already survived. I needed to remind myself of the skills…

New dayNew feelingsSame shitSo annoyed Even though I’m totally a Virgo I would have been okay about being wrong about this. This is why I and several people are saying we still got a lot to work through. This is why I and several people were saying stop harassing Black non men about voting. This…

I had such an amazing time moderating the Diversity & Inclusion Panel, facilitating the Opening & Closing Ritual and running the virtual chilllout room for the 2020 Modern Witches Confluence. As promised here is the benediction I gave at the end as well as links to the playlists I set up to hold the space….

Dear Blackwoman/femmes/non-men, I write this to you as earnestly as I write it to myself. Some people, systems, inner demons and internalized misogynoir may try to convince you that you are on some new and destructive shit by choosing you but I’m taking a moment to say to you and to myself that that is…

It’s wild that the wisdom I had at seventeen I had to relearn at 30. After a dance I was sucking face with this guy in the back of a car outside of a diner. I had announced that I needed to go back to the car “for my glasses” then hipchecked this guy, gave…

I was taught that no one can be gentle with me because I am some thing that is difficult to deal with.
Something so dark and tightly wound, something so coarse it requires refinement or a cure.

almost didn’t make it twice this year Every month something wild AF has happened. I had childhood abusive situations confirmed, almost died twice, lost my home and my business, ended longstanding relationships with people I shared love with and started the process of changing my name. This birthday is a 1st for me in many…

I deal with a lot of my shit through writing. Lately the things that have been coming out have been hard to re-read. I’m reminded by every breath that I am still so severely compromised and that it is going to take anywhere from 6 months to two years to recover. The most terrifying thing…