Susan Stryker! Breaking breaking! Haha/ohno!

Hey friends,

Hope you’re hanging in there. I’m currently on a cross-country flight, and to pass the time, I’ve been streaming the Olympics. Specifically, I’ve been watching women’s breaking. Have you been watching women’s breaking??? Everyone’s extremely talented and hot and then there’s a 36-year-old Australian woman who studied breaking for her PhD and now she’s in the Olympics?? Just like… pretending to breakdance??? I think that by the time you’re reading this, you will have already seen one zillion videos of it, but I’ve been learning this information in real time.

(Btw, people have been asking why breaking is an Olympic sport, and I assume that none of those people have watched the non-Australian breaking, so I just need to emphasize again that everyone else is amazing. And many of them are giving dyke. Also, this was very very cool and brave! OK, anyway.)

This week, we were honored to have Susan Stryker on the show! I’ve mentioned this in several newsletters at this point, so nothing much to add here, but the episode is out and it exists and I hope you enjoy it!

I really love this photo of Susan, and also that the title is part of a feud with Paul Preciado.

No new episode next week, but we should have another Gender Reveal interview on August 19 and then a Gender Conceal on August 26ish! Very excited for those. (By the way, RUBY’S BIRTHDAY IS AUGUST 27 so start planning your celebrations now.)

Meanwhile, my Union Hall show with Mattie and Calvin — the one where we try out a new style of Gender Reveal live comedy thing — is officially “going fast” per Eventbrite. We’re already more than halfway sold out. The show is on Sunday, September 22 @ 5pm, and tickets are only $10. See you there, hopefully!

Also! I restocked the merch store and forgot to tell anyone. So if you’re still interested in Mattie’s family abolition shirt or our Trans + Palestine solidarity design, you’ve got another month to grab what you want.

Also also: I mailed out all of the 2 Trans 2 Furious preorders before I got on the plane (with the help of my friend and their dog stroller/wagon/thing — it was SO many books) but tbh, if any of you ever want a signed/personalized copy for any reason, just order one here and put your request in the order notes! I’m so excited for the book to potentially be out in stores?? If you spot one, please send me a pic :)

Wait, okay, the plane is landing so you’re going to get this newsletter SO LONG after breaking!!! Oh well I’m not deleting the intro!!

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Hello, I’m back. And I’m on land now. Here’s Links & Stuff, divided up by tone.

Literal slavery:

• OK I knew the US still had figurative slave plantations but did not realize that the US still has literal slave plantations?!?! Surely Michelle Alexander mentioned this and yet.

• Speaking of slavery, I saw someone say online that those phishy spam texts were being sent by slaves, and I thought they were hyperbolizing but they absolutely were not.

“Haha” but also “oh no”

• What do you think is the easiest Olympic sport to qualify for because it turns out they get free healthcare for like two weeks

• I listened to all four parts of the Behind the Bastards RFK Jr episodes while painting my kitchen and I learned a lot. (The brain worm and the bear scandal make perfect sense now? Weirdly?)

Gay:

• Them published these cute stories & photos of people getting top surgery in middle age

• Autostraddle wrote a piece about the gay softball league I’m in, and it’s about six times longer than it needs to be but it’s a cute skim! I learned a lot about people who I’ve been seeing around for a year now. (PS: join gay softball!)

Tuck’s Creature Corner:

• Look at this happy cow!!!!!!!

That’s it for this week. Here’s your weekly Rhubarb. I miss her already :(

Photo: Ruby outside by a wooden fence, peering curiously over a pile of stones.

Xo,

Yr resident gender detective