Philly live show! Halloween playlist! Last chance for grant!

Hey friends,

Hope you’re all hanging in there. So much to say this week! First of all, it’s a great time for new music — Katie Gavin, Soccer Mommy, Pom Pom Squad, and Halsey all put out new albums yesterday, for example — but instead of listening to any of it, I’ve been retooling the same Halloween playlist I’ve been slowly growing for the last, idk, twelve years? (I did finally delete a few of the very early songs, because some of those people have since revealed themselves to be politically no good!) Anyway, playlist lives here — turn it on while you read the newsletter, why not?

(One lesson I have learned from this playlist: people LOVE to name songs “ghost” or “ghosts” or “ghosting” or whatever! I get it, it’s a convenient metaphor, but we’re going to have to come up with another name for songs.)

More importantly, I am thrilled to finally announce our Philly Gender Ordeal live show! Mattie, Calvin and I will be performing at Johnny Brenda’s on December 3, doing our usual jokes and games and bits (and post-show book signings). This show will be extra special for three reasons:

• I have not run this by Mattie & Calvin yet, but I’m hoping to sneak in an extra segment so that we can get one Mckenzee Griffler onstage. (HEARD OF HER???)

• Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz fame is doing a pre-show DJ set! Truly no idea what her plan is for this, but she’ll be in charge from 7pm (doors) to 8pm (show), and I’m very excited to spend the pre-show hour vibing instead of being increasingly antsy backstage :) :) :)

• It’s very close to my birthday :) come say happy bday tuck :)

Tickets are only $15, and we’ve got plenty of space at this one, so please invite your pals / crushes / coworkers with gay haircuts /etc. Many previous Gender Reveal guests will be there, and I’m hyped to all hang! Tickets are on sale now.

(We also still have tickets available for next week’s Gender Ordeal show in Somerville… don’t let me down, Boston!! It’s our very last chance to have a good gay time before The Election!!)

Meanwhile, there are only five days left to apply for our 2024 grant cycle, and we need your help spreading the word. (Here’s the IG post and the website with more info, if that helps.) To be sooo honest, I thought we had a ton of applications, and then I looked through them today and realized that at least 25% were ChatGPT spam, lol lmao. So, please help us reach real people doing real rad work! Mutual aid, disaster relief, harm reduction stuff all definitely qualifies imo, even if it’s not ~exclusively~ helping trans people.

Okay, here’s Links & Stuff.

Politics and/or Palestine:

• If you live in Portland, the 2024 Bitchtucci guide literally just dropped right now thank GOD

• Don’t forget to preorder the Cartoonists for Palestine anthology, which btw is full of trans and queer artists

• Jewish Currents published this essay on being pregnant in Gaza

• PJP published this essay about serving elected office while incarcerated

• Leah Sottile did a very insightful interview with the "weirdo progressive" son of an Oath Keepers/Insurrection leader

Everything else:

• Is everyone streaming English Teacher? Stream English Teacher!

• Tim Cook just learned WHAT?

• What Vegetable Are You?

That’s it for this week. Here’s your Weekly Rhubarb.

Photo: Ruby outside on a small wooden table, appearing to yell into the sky.

Xo,
Yr resident gender detective