Emo's
From the Shadows
RECEIVED Sun., Nov. 20, 2022
Dear Editor,
I am an avid Chronicle fan. Without any social media accounts, I partially rely on Chronicle staff to be well informed & connected within the diverse Austin communities, so that I can stay well informed & connected … mainly within the queer/trans community.
With that said, my heart sank & was angered upon reading the Qmmunity section in the Nov. 18, 2022, issue. Nov. 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance. As someone who volunteered countless hours to organize Austin TDOR events for four years, I found a deep connection with the Austin trans community. These years were pre-Bathroom Bill, pre-ally influx … the years where maybe 3-4 people in Austin had the luxury of being "gay for pay"/being paid for queer labor. Thus TDOR was always a labor of love. A ritual for our community.
The Nov. 18 Chronicle could have showcased that love. Lifted the spirits of our community. But instead the current Qmmunity editor boasted about themselves, not once mentioning the vibrant trans community & the legacies of our community. Appalling!
Austin now has a strong "gay for pay" population – Qmmunity editor being one of the most visible. Thus, these people have a responsibility to our spotlight those who don't have the luxury to have such a platform … especially those who aren't compensated for their queer labor … not to spotlight themself.
Please have your editor step aside immediately & [be] replaced by someone who understands leadership from the shadows. Sees leaders in the shadows. Uplifts the shadows of our community.
I am an avid Chronicle fan. Without any social media accounts, I partially rely on Chronicle staff to be well informed & connected within the diverse Austin communities, so that I can stay well informed & connected … mainly within the queer/trans community.
With that said, my heart sank & was angered upon reading the Qmmunity section in the Nov. 18, 2022, issue. Nov. 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance. As someone who volunteered countless hours to organize Austin TDOR events for four years, I found a deep connection with the Austin trans community. These years were pre-Bathroom Bill, pre-ally influx … the years where maybe 3-4 people in Austin had the luxury of being "gay for pay"/being paid for queer labor. Thus TDOR was always a labor of love. A ritual for our community.
The Nov. 18 Chronicle could have showcased that love. Lifted the spirits of our community. But instead the current Qmmunity editor boasted about themselves, not once mentioning the vibrant trans community & the legacies of our community. Appalling!
Austin now has a strong "gay for pay" population – Qmmunity editor being one of the most visible. Thus, these people have a responsibility to our spotlight those who don't have the luxury to have such a platform … especially those who aren't compensated for their queer labor … not to spotlight themself.
Please have your editor step aside immediately & [be] replaced by someone who understands leadership from the shadows. Sees leaders in the shadows. Uplifts the shadows of our community.
Anonymous
Qmmunity Editor James Scott responds: I apologize for not acknowledging Trans Day of Remembrance in my Nov. 18 column. As a trans man, honoring the losses our community has suffered is very important to me, and so I do regret not adding any mention of TDoR. However, I will not step down from my post as editor nor will I refrain from being an active presence in Qmmunity's coverage of Austin's LGBTQ community. Instead, I'll take your comments as a learning opportunity for future columns. Thank you for your feedback.
