The Gender Rebel's Guide to Oklahoma

Early May Roundup of the Gender Rebel’s Guide to Oklahoma

Welcome to the Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma’s Guidebook! In case you forgot, T.A.C.O. is an independent grassroots org that supports and empowers Oklahomans whose gender experience differs from the societal norm. Like this info? Send it around.

Let's get right into it!

Part 1: Community Calendar

Click/search any of the blue links to learn more!

New/Special Events!

• QWC - May Meetup on Wed May 1, 5:30-7:30pm at 473. Info/RSVP: @qwc_tul

• BQT - Walk For Me Wednesday on Wed May 1, 9pm-midnight at Tulsan Bar. Info/RSVP: @blackqueertulsa

• TACO - Leaders’ Lunch on Sat May 4, 11:30am-1:30pm at Mother Road. Info/RSVP: https://transadvocacyok.org/leaderslunch

• Studio 66 x BQT - Gender Affirming Boutique on Sun May 5, 3-6pm at Tulsa Artist Fellowship Flagship. Info/RSVP: @studio66_

• The Hedge - Queer Night on Mon May 6, 7pm at the Hedge. Info/RSVP: [email protected]

• Advocates Alliance of BA - 90s Block Party & Fort Night on Sat May 11, at Diversions Crafting Studio. Info/RSVP: @advocateallianceba

  • Block Party from 2-5pm

  • Fort Night from 7:30-11pm

• Walk For Me Wednesday (BQT) on Wed May 15, 9pm-midnight at Tulsan Bar. Info/RSVP: @blackqueertulsa

Ongoing Events!

• TACO Book Club continues every Sat, 6-9pm online at transadvocacyok.org/discord

• TACO Organizing Meetings continue every Tue, 6-7pm online at transadvocacyok.org/discord

• In-person Gender Support Group continues every Wed, 7-8:30pm in person at OkEq. Info/RSVP: Call 918-743-4297 and ask for Ragsarita

• Online Gender Support Group continues 1st + 3rd Mon, 7-8:30pm online at odot.lgbt

Part 2: Community Needs

Community is not a spectator sport! Every action helps: whether it is getting directly involved, or just spreading the word to your friends and colleagues.

Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma (TACO)

As our organization grows, we need more organizers and volunteers, especially with our website, social media, and event planning. If you are interested in learning more, please respond to this email or send us a message!

Gender Umbrella Assistance Collective (GUAC)

We have raised just over $2,000 which will go to helping those in the most dire situations, but we need about 5 times more funding to meet the total amount of need in our community.

Reaching this goal will be tough, but doable, and our community members are depending on it. Over the next few months, we will be planning fundraising events (eg bake sales, raffles, benefit shows, etc) as well as searching for and applying to grants. If you have any ideas or are interested in helping in any way, please respond to this email or send us a message!

Oklahoma Trans Crowd Funding

There is an important difference between the long-term assistance that can be provided by organized non-profits like GUAC, and the immediate needs that will always be best filled by direct grassroots campaigns.

Our community depends on each other participating in Mutual Aid: donating, liking/commenting/sharing, reposting to other social media, etc. In the past few weeks, several community members have reached out with urgent asks:

• On April 19, we learned of Sabine’s fundraiser for bottom surgery. She has the procedure booked for June, which is her last chance to do so on her parent’s insurance before she turns 26 in August.

• On April 26, we learned of a local trans couple who are unemployed and facing eviction. They have a court date on May 3rd and are raising money for necessary expenses and to avoid eviction.

• On April 27, we learned of a local Black trans man who was wrongfully profiled and arrested, which has led to substantial financial strain after posting bail. His car, which is their only means of transportation, has been impounded and he is raising money to get it back.

Visit and follow https://www.instagram.com/okla.transcrowdfunding/ to learn more about all these asks, and instabio.cc/okla-transcrowdfunding to give or ask for immediate Mutual Aid.

Part 3: Creative Corner

To the State of Oklahoma

By Grace

your laws do not define our bodies.
we are as real as the rivers,
streams, creeks, and springs.

we existed
before the stone of your statehouse
was hewn from the ground.
before empire, before industry,
before borders, before kings.

we have not survived this long
to be shackled by your binary.

We will not be eradicated.

The Problem with the Trolley Problem

By Eileen

We've all heard it before;
The thought experiment where a train hurtles out of control,
And further down the track are five innocent people.
If you do nothing, those five innocents die.

But I'm not at the lever, and neither are you;
We are on the track, and the big red train is screaming towards us.

The most alarming thing is 
We aren't even tied down to the track
But we lay there all the same;
Pressing our throats against the cold iron rail
Feeling the roaring down the line.

And we hope
That someone
Will approach the lever
And save us

From our apathy
And willingness to lay there and take what comes

Because surely
Someone else will be the one to pull the lever.

Surely
Someone else will save us.

Surely
We can't stop the train

It would take too long
Too much work
And it could get messy if things get derailed
So why bother?

Is it because the idea of being saved
Is more romantic than standing up and saving ourselves?
Is it because we're afraid that the train will kick up rocks that may strike us anyway?

Do you hear the train whistle just around the bend?
That's our call to action.

I plan to stand up before I'm a smear on those iron wheels.
What the fuck are you going to do?

Part 4: FAQs & Reminders

Thank you for reading!

Trans Advocacy Coalition of Oklahoma (TACO for short) is 100% run by community members like you chipping in a couple bucks or a couple hours per month. Visit https://cashapp.com/$transadvocacyok to make a financial contribution, or https://transadvocacyok.org/discord to organize with us!

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, Joy, and Resilience. While all areas are always important, we focus more on each in turn over the course of the year:

• The first quarter of the year (Jan-Mar) is especially focussed on Visibility, leading up to Trans Day of Visibility on March 31.

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

• The summer months (Jul-Sep) go a bit slower as we relax, recharge, and focus on community and Joy.

• 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.

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 our reach will be.

A Zine (pronounced “zeen”, short for magazine) is a short, simple DIY booklet. Anybody can make one and there are no rules for what it 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 we can help!)

Got something you want us to share? Message us @transadvocacyok on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok, or email us at [email protected].

See you next time!