The Gender Rebel's Guide to Oklahoma

2024 Mid-April Roundup

Welcome to Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma’s first Guidebook Zine, created by, for, and with all the Gender Rebels¹ —and all the folks who love us—all across Oklahoma

A lot of this is info the Algorithms DON'T want folks to see, so think about how you can make sure it gets around. Take a pic and share on social media, print a couple copies and leave them around, or just spread it via good old fashioned word of mouth.

This Guide contains:

• ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

• Community Calendar

• Community Needs

• FAQs & Reminders

And a special treat if you make it to the end ;)

Community is not a spectator sport. We need everyone to engage and contribute what you can. For some, that might be donating or fundraising, for others it might be event planning, contributing to zines, or helping our Outreach team get the word out. Whatever your skills or interests, there is something you can do to help gender diverse folks in Oklahoma survive and thrive.

Part 1: ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

TL;DR - TDoV, Leadership Changes, Trans Survival Program

TDOV

On Sat Mar 30, TACO co-hosted a Trans Day of Visibility event with Youth Services of Tulsa. We brought together youth, families, and community members of all ages to celebrate and affirm our gender diverse youth. With posters, zines, face paint, hair styling, and photos, and so much more, we had so much fun!!

If you attended and got any pictures, please send them to [email protected] or post them to social media and tag us @transadvocacyok!

^{Changes to TACO and OkEq leadership}

After just over a year with TACO, both Yonah and Asher are stepping down from the TACO Leadership Team. Yonah is joining Oklahomans for Equality as Secretary of the Board, and Asher is stepping down to focus on their career. Jayde is also stepping back to focus on her family.

We thank Yonah, Asher, and Jayde for their leadership and service and wish them all the best in their future projects!

If you want to learn more about our leadership structure or get more involved, join our Discord Server at transadvocacyok.org/discord 

^{Fern Galindo Trans Survival Program!}

The Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma, in partnership with the newly founded Gender Umbrella Assistance Collective, is launching a new program to support Two Spirit, Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, and Intersex individuals in Oklahoma. The Fern Galindo Trans Survival Program and their partners will provide eligible applicants with much needed support, including:

• Assistance updating identity documents

• Gender-affirming clothing and/or undergarments

• Laser hair removal or surgery scar revision

• Microgrants of up to $200 to avoid evictions, disconnections, or medication lapse

• Referrals to other support resources

If you, or anyone you know, has struggled with accessing essential needs like housing, finances, gender affirming, or mental health care, please know that you don’t have to do it alone. Visit http://transadvocacyok.org/guac to learn more about the Gender Umbrella Assistance Collective, and how you can give and get support.

The program is named in memory of Fern Galindo (they/him), a Chicano non-binary community leader, advocate, and friend from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fern emphasized organizing "from the margins out" by giving space to those with intersectional identities in activism and mutual aid.

Part 2: Community Calendar

TL;DR ASL Classes (Tulsa, Every Sat), Youth Program (Tulsa, Every Sat), Book Club (Online, every Sat), Gender Support Groups (Mon/Wed), Two Spirit Fest (OKC + Tulsa, Apr 18-20), 18+ Open Mic (Tulsa, Apr 20)

^{Free ASL Classes (Every Sat, 10am)}

"FREE, Queer ASL Classes are BACK for another semester! ASL (American Sign Language) is so important and it's fun too! It helps our community be more accessible to our Deaf and Hard of Hearing folks, offers an amazing tool to anyone with a hearing or speech related impairment, AND lets you communicate in a loud bar/club!" RSVP: https://fb.me/e/1NpkQmR8s 

^{OkEq Youth Program (Every Sat, 1-5pm)}

"OkEq is excited to have the return of weekly Saturday youth programming at the Equality Center! The program is for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth ages 12 to 19. It will involve opportunities for peer support, skill building, leadership learning, advocacy work, mutual-aid organizing, socializing, and fun! Participation is free, and a snack is provided." RSVP: [email protected]"

^{TACO Book Club (Every Sat, 6pm)}

We are so excited to be starting this new program! Join us online via discord month as we start our first book: Reclaiming Two Spirits: Sexuality, Spiritual Renewal & Sovereignty in Native America by Gregory D Smithers. Join at https://transadvocacyok.org/discord and click the Book Club event.

^{In Person Gender Support Group (Every Wed, 7pm)}

Join TACO and OkEq for support, education, and socializing with other 2STGNC+ and questioning individuals. If this is your first time, an interview is required. Please come 30 minutes early and ask to see a facilitator for a first time interview. For any questions, or to schedule your interview at another time, call: 918-743-4297

^{TACO x ODOT Online Support Group (1st/3rd Mon)}

Join TACO and ODOT for a virtual support group where we discuss and encourage each other through the difficulties and victories we face relating to gender non-conformance in our lives. 

18+, 1st & 3rd Monday each month 7-8:30pm. Join Oklahoma Department of Trans discord at http://odot.lgbt/

^{Two Spirit Fest (Apr 18-20)}

Join Two Spirit Fest in OKC and Tulsa for a celebration of everything Two Spirit and Indigequeer. Catch T.A.C.O. at WOMPA in Tulsa from 1-4 pm! For a detailed schedule and additional information, please visit: https://twistedfest.org/twospirit

^{Queer the Mic: After Dark (Sat Apr 20)}

Are you a Two Spirit, transgender, or GNC performer? Does your art explore potentially mature themes? Then come to T.A.C.O.'s Queer the Mic: After Dark, an event created by local trans artists, for local trans artists. Share with an adult audience of fellow compellingly gendered weirdos at Tulsa Artist Fellowship on Saturday April 20th at 7:30 P.M.! https://fb.me/e/3OzXXcGBh

Part 3: Community Needs

TL;DR - Central Chapter, Okla in Transition, LGBTPew, June Fundraiser, Book Club

^{TACO: Central (OKC) Chapter}

TACO is opening up another chapter in OKC! We’re looking to get the ball rolling after the Trans Resource Fair in OKC is over (Sunday, April 14th, 2-6 PM!) Anyone in OKC and the surrounding area is more than welcome to help coordinate the effort to get this started. There is a thread in the suggestions channel of the TACO discord, just hop in and say hello!

^{Oklahoma in Transition}

The crew for this wonderful project is off to a great start, but making a documentary is always hard work. If you’d like to help out, the two coordinators, Cat and Jayde are just a message away on the discord. If you have experience in photography or video work and want to help out, or are interested in giving an interview about yourself, just let them know!

^LGBTPew

^{Circle Cinema Fundraiser}

We’re planning a fundraiser alongside Black Queer Tulsa and All Nations Two Spirit Society some time in June! The exact specifics on dates, times, etc are still TBD, but we are planning on an event centering Queer + Trans BIPOC voices. If you want to help us make it happen, join our discord server - https://transadvocacyok.org/discord - and find our “Co-Fundraiser” working group!

Part 4: FAQs & Reminders

TL;DR - What is TACO? Where can I learn more? What does TACO Do? What is a Zine? How do I get something added?

Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma (TACO for short) is 100% run by community members like you chipping in a couple hours or a couple bucks. The more people contribute, the more we can do. Visit https://cashapp.com/$transadvocacyok to contribute financially, or https://bit.ly/taco-discord to join the organizing and planning discussions.

For up to the minute updates follow us @transadvocacyok on Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok. The more you comment, like, and share our content, the more you’ll see us and the farther we’ll reach.

TACO’s mission is to empower and support everyone in Oklahoma whose gender identity, expression, or experience differs from the societal norm. We focus on four areas: Visibility, Activism, Resilience, and Joy.

While every area is always important, we focus more on each one in turn over the course of the year.

1. The first quarter of the year (Jan-Mar) is especially focussed on Visibility, culminating in Trans Day of Visibility on March 31

2. The second (Apr-Jun) is more focussed on Activism, with the legislative session ending and Pride Month in June

3. The summer months (Jul-Sep) focus on Joy as we relax + recharge.

4. The final quarter (Oct-Dec) is focussed on Resilience, with Trans Day of Remembrance on Nov 20 and the coldest and darkest points in Dec.

A Zine (pronounced “zeen”, short for magazine) is a short, simple DIY publication. Anybody can make one and there are no rules for what your zine looks like. Anything you want to write, draw, or create - if you can photocopy or print it, you can make it into a zine! Zines are independently published and distributed - all you need is to get access to a printer or photocopy machine (and T.A.C.O. can help you do that!)

Got something you wanna share? Email us at [email protected] or message us @transadvocacyok on IG, FB, or TikTok!

Part 5: Creative Corner

Welcome to the TACO creative corner! Here we will be showcasing all kinds of works of art done by members of the organization. Enjoy!

Up first we have two poems by one of our newest members, Kat Stratton!

^{But, Father…}

Block the words from my tongue
Before they make you bleed;
Cut my hands from my wrists
Before I sew the seed.
For I might reveal the darkness,
You must ban me from the light,
Afraid I will become your enemy
If I'm allowed the chance to fight.
Bar me from the tower
Before I make the bell ring
Sew together my Jezebel lips
But, Father, I just want to sing…

^{Realise That I'm Not You}

You praise the Lord for what you have
And pray for the ones you love
I don't believe in the man in the sky
Or mystical powers from above
You're set in your ways and refuse to change
You're as steady as a person can get
I'm still new to life and figuring things out
I don't even know what my ways are yet
You don't like my music
You don't like the way I dress or act
I don't mind being different
I guess you can't accept that fact
You want time alone
To be by yourself
But you just can't seem
To give that gift to someone else
You keep telling me I need to grow up
I think that goes the other way, too
Because you keep this immature thought in your head
And can't let yourself realise that I'm not you.

Next up, we have a short piece of creative writing from Aves Etcetera!

"One God of the universe," they say alongside cries of "abomination". What do they know of the universe? What do they know of this world? This world is a bursting sample of the Many, of the Fantastic, of the Changing. If all this was created by a singular God, then that God must love us who embrace this value of endless creation. We create ourselves, despite the shouting hollow men who would run us down and destroy.

Thank you so much for reading! This is the first issue we’ve ever published so we would absolutely appreciate feedback on it if you have any content suggestions or you think we could improve on anything. We’re really looking forward to getting our next issue put together and seeing some of you at all of these events we’re planning. Have a great rest of your month!