BLOG: From an ‘Avengers’ Fangirl…

Some of you may not understand when I say that no matter the quality of the films that in my eyes the Avengers series is one of the greatest cinematic marvels (LOL) that I have ever experienced.

It’s not a sentiment everyone agrees with, and that’s fine. Casual work friend Matt certainly didn’t agree when he made his feelings known; that one superhero film is the same as another, and that what he considers art has been bled dry from modern film making.

Okay. Cool. Agree to disagree.

But what cannot be argued is that these films have struck a chord, and that the masses enjoy them for a reason. Part of what makes any work great is that it meets the audience halfway. It could be argued that what an audience brings to a film is equally important as what the film delivers in order to convey its message.

I can’t speak for everyone else. All I have is my own meandering experience, and my experience is that of a former fifteen year old child delving into comic books for the first time.

Continue reading “BLOG: From an ‘Avengers’ Fangirl…”

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BLOG: Transgender Day of Visibility

Today is Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV); the one day of the year when transgender people appear from behind a rainbow, and anyone who catches us is granted a wish.

Wait…

(That joke belongs to Crystal Frasier. Sorry, Crystal. It was too good not to steal.)

Kidding aside, TDoV is the one day a year where we as a community band together and celebrate the presence and contributions of transgender people.

At least, that’s the idea. A lot of trans people are visible 365 days a year, and it’s not always a blessing. Sometimes it’s a target. This is especially true for transgender women of colour who face disproportionate degrees of discrimination and violence.

If you don’t believe me, then don’t worry, I’ve done the Googling for you.

Which is why, I believe, that there is a more important conversation to be had on this day, and that those such as myself who benefit from visibility have an obligation to talk about the wider issues. Continue reading “BLOG: Transgender Day of Visibility”

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Glimmer Girl #24 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 2)

SOME NIGHTS AGO

Lovers of stories know the tale of Dracula, king of the night walkers. Once the world thought him vanquished in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Such presumption of his demise brought comfort to humankind, and who was the Count to rob them of that? Better thought a myth than an ever-present danger.

The ocean air blew with the taste of salt. A mortal man might have thought it refreshing. Though for the night king it was more awareness than sensation. The same went for the humidity of this South American villa. His flesh, more numb than cold, did not stick and did not perspire. He was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable in this environment.

All that sated him was life blood pouring direct from a host. But even that, after a time, became the property of the mundane.

With hunger muted by experience Count Dracula idled in a wicker chair. Staring at the waves he wondered what mortal eyes saw. Color, shade? Would the gentle hiss soothe them instead of sharpening their awareness? What irony that he should find enviable the existence of short-lived cattle. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #24 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 2)”

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Glimmer Girl #23 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 1)

Tanya sat under a dark cloud for the better part of a week. She curled in her blankets. The sounds in her headphones alternated between new wave and podcasts. Every second meal consisted of leftover pizza, and the only time she left the dorm was to drag herself to class. How long had it been since she’d changed out of her pajamas? I couldn’t tell you, but the smell was too much.

Soon I was at my limit. “You need to get out.”

She presented the typical arguments; ‘I’m fine.’ ‘I need time.’ ‘It’s not that bad.’ ‘Don’t waste your time worrying about me.’ Next she offered distraction by reminding me that there was a city to patrol. Though all had been quiet since the reign of cats and dogs.

No more talking. I threw the duvet to the floor and dragged her by the feet. Tanya kicked and whined but it was no use. Tough love was the order of the day, followed by a shower and some real food.

I sat and waited for her while she was in the bathroom. Tanya had every reason to mope. Her first romance met with one disaster after another and fell on its face. It could be it was never meant to last, but even so, she was still a girl, and girls always remember their first. Or so they say in TV dramas.

But she couldn’t wallow forever. There was a life to live. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #23 – “Shimmering Dusk” (Part 1)”

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Glimmer Girl #22 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 6)

You probably saw the news.

“-With reports coming in that the immediate danger has passed. Officials and the CDC urge citizens to stay indoors until a thorough sweep is conducted. Milestone Metro has decommissioned the subway network until further notice. Non-essential emergency staff are to steer clear of sewers and water systems.”

It turns out that aerosol dispersal only covered the surface of the problem. To be effective we’d have to force our way down, probe the dark corners of the city, and tackle what’s left head on.

I couldn’t leave. What if there were more monsters down there, bigger than the experts could handle? The emergency crews were more qualified, but didn’t have my firepower, or my speed. So, like a sucker I raised my hand to go another round. What could it hurt except my everything? Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #22 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 6)”

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Glimmer Girl #21 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 5)

In a few hours the retrovirus was in production. Tanker trucks from all corners of the city migrated to the airfields. What a sight to behold; people coming from all over with a single purpose. Their collective world turned upside down when nature turned. They would do anything to put things back to normal.

I fought to still myself. The important work was in the hands of scientists and engineers while I stood guard. Meanwhile there was a city under siege. People and their children weren’t hiding from dogs and cats alone, but racoons, birds, rodents, and more. The animal kingdom was gifted power it couldn’t understand.

The convoy barreled down the winding dirt trail toward the grass strip. To one side was the gritty aluminium hanger, home to a range of museum pieces that passed for aircraft. Humble as they were, they were the key to salvation.

Dr. Storm explained, “the national guard are moving helicopters as we speak. In the meantime we use crop dusters and skywriting planes to deliver an initial payload. The sooner we start, the more effect it will have long term.”

My job, she said, was to keep them in the air. Sparrows had the potential of missiles, or worse. And who could say what other nasties moved between the clouds? Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #21 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 5)”

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BLOG: “An Unsent Letter” – Queerstories, Nov 2018

Last year gave me the incredible opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with other profound queer speakers as part of Queerstories.

Queerstories for the uninitiated is a regular live storytelling event offering a platform for sexual and gender diverse people to share pieces of their lives. Sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, but always meaningful, Queerstories draws people from all manner of backgrounds, and with some luck opens a few eyes along the way.

A very special thank you goes to Maeve Marsden and all the others without whom such a wonderful event would not be.

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BLOG: On Being ‘Like’ A Girl

Since the transition from Shimmerverse.com to the new domain it seemed fitting that I should, on occasion, share thoughts and feelings in blog form. Here is the first.

* * * *

At some point I became a kind of veteran of the transgender community. Don’t ask me how it happened. Perhaps after eleven years of transition it was inevitable.

Young transgender women – or at least transgender women who’ve recently found themselves – come to me for advice. Sometimes it’s for resources, sometimes it’s about confidence and self-care, but more often than not it’s about wanting to be ‘more like’ a girl or woman.

First of all let me say that there is nothing wrong with these women asking how to better be their newly minted or emerging gender. Not all of us have the constitution to stand up and be fully authentic in a world that likes to put us in our place.

I don’t blame these women because I used to be that woman, but now whenever I am asked this question it comes with a swell of discomfort. Continue reading “BLOG: On Being ‘Like’ A Girl”

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Glimmer Girl #20 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 4)

For the second time in as many months the staff at InfiniTech were audience to the impossible. First it came in the form of a disgruntled zealot folding the universe. Next was the evolution of Milestone City’s fauna. A process taking millions of years of genetic trial and error leaped forward in the space of a morning. How was such a thing possible?

Dr. Storm and her team had theories, of course. They developed working models to explain animal cells adapting at an accelerated pace. To do so required incredible energy – no doubt from space – but the means to measure it evaded them. In hours men, women and others made incredible discoveries. Still few could determine the how and why of the event, let alone a potential resolution.

“Fascinating…”

The doctor sat with knees propped on a chair, offering vantage enough to peer down a microscope. Her hazmat suit crunched as she reached for a recording device and held it to the clear plastic of her visor.

“Every cell – blood, platelets, muscle – have adopted metaplasic qualities,” she said. “It’s like watching a transubstantiation of species in real time! The formation of a whole new genus inside of a single subject! I love it as much as it scares the hell out of me.”

She shifted the focus and observed. Twisting ovals swam under the lens in ways alien to anything she’d seen before. Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #20 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 4)”

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Glimmer Girl #19 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 3)

There was a smile waiting at the end of the rainbow; or rather the end of red beam. It belonged to a short, stocky woman with wild, purple hair. ‘Bisexual pride’ badges littered her lab coat. She appeared younger than her cohorts, and beamed with every tooth in her mouth.

“Glimmer Girl! Holy wow, it’s really you!”

Together with a skeleton crew of engineers she backed away, giving me room to land. They surrounded a wide steel cylinder that stood at the height of a person. To one side sat fastened an engine. Snakes of power cables lead into the unassuming office building where they’d set up. On the other was the stenciled logo to which they belonged – InfiniTech Labs.

“Dr. Stefanie Storm,” she said, offering her hand. “I’m a huge fan. You’re on my underwear!” She retreated between her shoulders and winced. “That… sounded different in my head.”

I blinked. “There’s Glimmer Girl merch?” Continue reading “Glimmer Girl #19 – “The Reign of Cats and Dogs” (Part 3)”

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