I was asked to be the Guest of Honor for the 2nd Annual TRANS PRIDE 5K/10K CELEBRATION.
The night before, I ended up with a yucky case of food poisoning, but I managed to gut it out (literally) and make it to one of the most enjoyable and affirming events that I have experienced in a long time!
It was an amazing, incredible day. So many happy people, so many expressions of self and gender—and just so much joy.
More photos of the event are available here! Lots of them are people pics (and a very cute dog pic) so I did not post them here, BUT you should check them out because they are so cool!
I had the honor of speaking to the over 200 runners before the race. To be honest, I felt a little shaky from the food poisoning, (and having only slept a couple of hours, if that much), but there was so much energy and love in the air—I did the speech, did the race, and even finished strong!
And after the run, some folks asked me to share and post my speech, so here it is.
<3
Ryka
Thank you for letting me speak in front of you in this way. I would say I feel honored, but somehow “honored” this does not fully capture what I am experiencing this morning. To see you all here—I am more than honored. I am validated and affirmed and also very sleepy because it is way too early and how on earth do runners do this?
What are y’all doing asking a writer to be up this early!? This is so strange! But I guess that tracks, because these have been strange times period.
I've been out for many years, but there's a difference between being out and being outside. It's been harder and harder to go places or to read the news or even meet with friends who might think I am overreacting.
And all the anti-trans rhetoric that's been invading our social media...all of the discourse just wears you down. It just wears you down.
It’s taking a toll on me, and I think on some of you too. My media feeds are full of alerts and warnings of legislation that is threatening our rights, our health, our lives.
Instead of talking about music and donuts, my friends and I chat about what places are safe. What states are safe.
And just when I am trying to eat, what did JK Rowling just say?
It’s gotten harder to get out of my apartment. Heck, it’s gotten harder to get out of my head.
And though, like so many of us, I’m pretty good with living in my head, I would rather be there by choice than by necessity.
Trans legislation seeks to erase us. They wish to erase our names and take away our medical treatments. They wished to remove our ability to travel unmolested and undisturbed.
The talk surrounding trans people has become so defined by what we cannot do.
Which is why places and times like this are so important, where we can think about what we can.
So much conspires to make it more difficult to go outside and travel and be—to remember that we can run and we can breathe.
That we have bodies.
That we can propel these bodies, give them velocity.
That we can jump and turn and break away and accelerate.
Yes, many might take this all for granted.
Because few people know how wonderful it is to run and breathe the way that we do, because who else has gone through as much crap to be themselves as transfolk?
And as we go forth today be it 5K or 10—or just hanging out watching your friends and loved ones go—who would dare stop us from rejoicing in our bodies?
In all of what makes us us?
There have been times many of us have had to run to survive. But that only makes days like this more wonderful.
I've heard and read far too many accusations from those who would tell us who we are. And all those accusations and assumptions show us is that the bigots don't have a clue of all that trans people can be.
They are narrow- and small-minded people trying to fit us into narrow and small categories.
But looking at all of you. I see we are far too vast and wise and strong and beautiful and powerful for that.
We have created names and bodies, formed identities, created entire vocabularies to describe ourselves. We’ve had to go into doctors’ offices and teach them how to take care of us.
And we have not come this far to have our lives diminished. And I certainly did not wake up this early to abide by transphobic idiots obsessed with my genitals and chromosomes.
I am here to be here with you and be honored by you. To run a little, to walk a little, in this space and place with so many bodies owning themselves, being themselves.
I am here to move, to feel my body operate, my feet pushing against the earth. I am here to feel the breeze evaporate the perspiration from my body.
With all of you, it is so clear that we more than political issues, more than gender theories. We are more than court rulings. And certainly more than what any transphobe can imagine.
Heck, we're even more than our trans-ness—because as we run today, I'm sure that a few of us will get blisters or sunburn and neither have a gender.
And some of us are going to take a step forward to lower our blood pressure or put our mental well-being first. Maybe we'll have some friends or just get together and have time...and friendship and love and community go far beyond any gender theory.
We'll share how wonderful it is to go, in these amazing bodies we possess, and then we’ll celebrate and have a picnic, and we won't worry about who is accusing us of not being real.
Because reality has no politics or agenda. Reality just is.
We run, we walk, we roll, we race because the earth is ours, the wind is ours, our breaths and lungs and racing hearts are ours.
And though haters may protest our existence, they will fail.
For they might as well protest the sun rising or the full moon. They might as well legislate against the wind, or pronounce an executive order that the grass should stop growing lush and green in the summer sun.
Because we are as natural as all of that.
We do not need any permission to exist on this planet for we are born of this stuff.
I have seen so many trans people pass from this earth, and not once has the earth refused to welcome them home.
Not once has the sky refused to hear the songs of love and their names resound.
If you are like me, you might remember the names of friends, comrades, lovers, mentors, and you might want to think of them now.
Hold them close to your soul. Run with them. Share your revel with them. Run in the sun with them.
For you are all so beautiful here.
For today there is no fail. You've succeeded, and not just by “being here.” You’ve succeeded because of all you have done to get here.
And now, whether you are here for yourself, or to cheer friends and loved ones,
This is your day to run.
Run, quickly, slowly, in whatever manner and pace you desire.
Run, encouraged by those ahead, encouraging those that follow.
Run with your families along, with those supporting and cheering.
Run, as fleet of foot and trans of gender!
Run, as fabulous as only trans people can be.
So...are we ready?
Let’s run!