ways to support my work (on Patreon or otherwise)

Note added subsequently: I have decided to suspend the "Patreon work-around" that I describe in this post, as it was simply too much work to maintain. So if you want to support my work, you can either do it via Patreon, or else make some kind of one-time small donation/gift to me via PayPal – instructions on how to do so can be found below...

I have been (and continue to be) on Patreon, where people who appreciate my writings can pledge support for me at levels starting at $1 a month, with the possibility of rewards such as free e-books, signed copies of my books, or even me writing blogposts on a topic of their choice at higher levels. All patrons (regardless of pledge level) can access "for your eyes only" posts, where I share behind-the-scenes updates, unpublished writings & recordings, and other goodies.

Patreon has made a HUGE impact on my life. As a self-employed writer and speaker/performer with no other outside income, I've had to spend much of my time scrounging up freelance work, speaking gigs, and other odd jobs in order to make ends meet. But thanks to the generous support of my patrons, I've since been able to commit way more time to 1) concentrating on writing future books, and 2) publishing free, accessible, ad-free essays (on either Medium or my blog) on topics that I am most interested in writing about (particularly LGBTQIA+, feminist, and social justice issues). Most of these essays would never have been published by mainstream news/media outlets as is (as most editors favor short pieces that remain on an "activism 101" level).

So Patreon has been a real blessing for me, and I highly encourage you to support me there!

But... some people would rather not join Patreon. And others have decided to leave that platform due to a recent change in their processing fees. [note: shortly after posting this, Patreon went back to the old system!] So for those who wish to support me, but do not want to be on Patreon, I have created the following alternative:

recently updated merchandise (books & music) webpage!

I wanted to get the word out about this sooner, but I recently updated my "stuff to buy" webpage for the impending holidays!

If you click that link, you will find:

• links to order all three of my books (Whipping Girl, Excluded, and Outspoken) online, including the (fairly) recently released Whipping Girl audio book! note: I also include links for independent bookstore options, if that's a cause you want to support!
• for my latest book Outspoken: A Decade of Transgender Activism and Trans Feminism (which was self-published on my own Switch Hitter Press), I include tips on where to best (i.e., least expensively) buy copies.
• as a special offer only on my website, you can buy signed copies out Outspoken, made out to you, or whomever you wish! (btw, I normally ship them by USPS Media Mail, which usually takes about a week to arrive, so you should act fast if your goal is to have it before December 25th).
• if you enjoy my music (my bands Bitesize and *soft vowel sounds*), you'll find links to order digital copies there, plus PayPal buttons to purchase compact discs (if you happen to be old school).

Once again, here's the "buy stuff" link. Happy shopping!

my Jesse Singal story

Note added March 16, 2021:

Back in late 2017, I wrote “my Jesse Singal story,” which was a 4,000-ish word essay about my experiences with him up to that point – that post remains intact below. Since then, there have been numerous developments that support and/or dovetail with points I made in my original piece. And since Singal recently dragged my name through the mud again, I thought it best to begin by briefly summarizing everything that has happened up to this point.

For those who don’t know me, I am an author and scientist who has written extensively about transgender people and issues, including trans healthcare and children. In 2016, for reasons unbeknownst to me, Singal took an interest in these latter topics, penning a series of articles – starting with How the Fight Over Transgender Kids Got a Leading Sex Researcher Fired through 2018’s When Children Say They’re Trans – that most of us familiar with these matters felt were heavily slanted, if not intentionally biased. Those links will take you to my immediate responses to those two pieces; even more critiques of these and his other trans-related articles can be found here.

There are lots of people who disagree with me about trans issues, but I don’t go around writing “stories” about them. Singal is the sole exception to this, the reason being, he is the only journalist I’ve ever encountered who has attacked me on a personal level. Specifically, after I penned a civil blogpost critiquing his first trans-related piece, he began publicly smearing me, as documented throughout this post. For those looking for a TL;DR, the main incidents (all described in more detail below) are: