Hi pals! Happy Sunday!

I just wanted to pop in to remind you of our inaugural Beyond The Rainbow chat with Dr. Kaila Story Tuesday, June 16th, from 12-1pm CST/1-2pm EST. This will be a live event, and only for subscribers of Not A Phase Books, so please do not share this link with anyone. ALSO, if you have any questions you'd like me to ask Dr. Story, please ensure you drop a comment or join the Discord (free as you're a subscriber) to discuss more in depth the book, any topics you'd like me to hit, etc. You can also hit that Interest button on the event in the Discord to serve as a reminder to join the zoom, as well.

The zoom link and information can be found here:

Sawyer Cole (They/Them) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Beyond The Rainbow Chat with Dr. Kaila Story
Time: Jun 16, 2026 12:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84720199405

Meeting chat link
https://us06web.zoom.us/launch/jc/84720199405

Meeting ID: 847 2019 9405

Join by SIP
• 84720199405@zoomcrc.com

Join instructions
https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/84720199405/invitations?signature=3nCQjAwo_6sPGcZwArrGYUD1Z4GeKIAJ-88tuGMyCLY

I hope you come prepared to be absolutely blown away. This book, The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On The Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity left me reeling in the best possible way - the book is jam-packed with much needed information, nuance, and important steps to take as white people part of the queer community and as white people that consider themselves an "ally". I truly hope you can make it Tuesday afternoon to tune in; if not, again, please feel free to drop your questions in the comments below or in the Discord channel for this chat.

Upcoming events for Not A Phase Books:

Friday, July 17th, 6-7 pm CST/7-8pm EST, Beyond The Rainbow with DeAndra Davis discussing her book The Lovers, The Liars, And Me (which releases June 23). I just started this book and let me tell you, the dedication and author's note ALREADY have me in my feels. I just know this book is going to destroy me in the best way.

ALSO happening in July, is our Quarter 3 Behind The Book chat with our Q3 book club selection, which is Lamya H's Hijab Butch Blues. This chat with the author will take place Friday, July 31, 7-8pm CST/8-9pm EST. There will also be a UK edition of the paperback version of Hijab Butch Blues for quarter 3 (July, August, September.) We will take our time reading this book throughout the quarter, so if you have any questions you'd like to ask Lamya H next month, please head over to our discord to enter the chat.

I also just wanted to say - thank YOU for being here. For engaging, for showing up, for being authentically yourselves. It's truly amazing to see and I'm so thankful you're part of my community.

I hope you all have a restful day, and (hopefully) I will see your faces Tuesday at 12pm CST for the Beyond The Rainbow chat with Dr. Kaila Story.

Drop your questions in the comments down below!

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hello Friends, and Happy (late) Trans Joy Thursday*, but in reality, I know it's Friday. My sincerest apologies.

Yesterday was my wife's birthday, so we (Trans Joy Thursday style) celebrated by loading up OUR zoo, and taking them to THE zoo. It was a mildly, sunny, warm day, but we all stayed hydrated and had a blast. Our middle sweet boy loves animals - insects, reptiles, even dinosaurs - he loves them all, so he was living his best life. Photo of him taking in the critters for tax:

We had pizza, my wife opened presents, we played a (never-ending) round of Uno (I came in dead last, my 9 year-old made sure I was aware of that) and truly enjoyed celebrating Alisha on her special day.

On Wednesday, I also started my "staycation" for a week - I don't clock back in until Wednesday, June 17th at 3pm. This week will be filled with softball games for my daughter, my second Pride event at The Attic in Green Bay, WI TOMORROW from 9a-2p (I'll post the information below) and then some summer school starting for my daughter, as well. (Plus our weekly library trip.) All in all, a very busy staycation. Here's the details for the Write In Color event tomorrow at The Attic:

Authors, bookish vendors, giveaways and a special drink menu! Say less. I truly hope I get to see you all there! I'm unbelievably so excited for this event.

Also! Don't forget that Tuesday, June 16th, we'll have our inaugural Beyond The Rainbow chat with Dr. Kaila Story, author of The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On The Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity from 12-1pm CST/1-2pm EST. I'll send out the link Sunday in our newsletter as a reminder. Join the Discord where we're discussing questions you'd like me to ask, details of the book you'd like me to talk about or anything that stood out to you regarding this book:

As we're crossing into the midway mark of Pride Month, I just wanted to remind you that we should be celebrating, protecting, and uplifting not only the LGBTQIA+ community, but other marginalized communities all year long. Advocacy is so important right now. If you'd like trans or queer book recs, please scroll through my Instagram feed, or other LGBTQIA+ bookish folx you follow to spark ideas.

Trans Joy, for me, also means living out loud, and proud, and that has taken me damn near 20 years to accomplish. I just wanted you to know, that if you're reading this, and can't come out, are questioning, or in a not safe environment to celebrate, I see you and I support you, and I get it. I was once where you are. It does get better. Keep your head up. Live for tomorrow until tomorrow becomes today. I'm celebrating you for you until you can do so safely. Pride is year 'round.

I truly hope your week is ending with lots of love, peace, clarity and JOY.

Until Sunday, friends,

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Happy Sunday and Day 7 of Pride, friends!!

Yesterday I attended my first Pride as a vendor, and while it was a long day, I had the absolute BEST time! Thank you again to everyone who stopped by my table to say hello, grab a business card, or made a purchase. You brought a smile to my face, and I'm thankful for you. In a time where the administration is telling us not to live authentically, you showed up and showed up as YOU. and I truly loved all the smiling faces and families there.

While yesterday was such an amazing event, Wisconsin also lost a powerful voice for not only the Oneida Nation and Two Spirit community, but also the LBGTQIA2+ community for the entire state of Wisconsin - Joseph "Joe" Torres. I had the honor and privilege of serving on a panel with him at the Neville Museum a few years ago, and while it was my first speaking engagement, he helped ease my nerves with his genuineness, his laughter and his wisdom. Our interactions were always brief, but his lasting impression on every life he touched will leave such a legacy.

In honor of Joe, I have decided that for the remainder of June, including the last 2 events I will be vending at and any sales I make for this month, I will donate all proceeds to the UW-GB Pride Center to help them create a scholarship/award in honor of Joe. If you would like to donate directly, please see the attached flyer for the QR Code. From the drop down menu, please select Pride Center General Operations Fund. Or Click Here.

With this being said, I'm opening up my Merch Link again for the rest of the month for you all to shop Pride exclusives. You can find the Merch Link Here. Again, all proceeds will go to UW-GB for every sale I make this month. If you'd like to Venmo me, please reach out to me directly to contribute. I will add it to the proceeds at the end of the month.

Speaking of events, my next event will be at The Attic, June 13th, from 9a-2p, in Green Bay, with other authors and a bookish vendor! They will have an exclusive drink menu in addition to a giveaway! Here are the details:

I hope every single one of you have such an amazing, peaceful and restful Sunday. Please let me know if you have any questions. I hope to see all you locals next Saturday!

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Happy Trans Joy Thursday!

Today, I wanted to highlight 10 books that have not only brought me joy, but also made me feel seen, heard, validated and others that just... altered my brain in the best possible way. By no means are these like my all time favorites, but they come pretty damn close, and I find myself recommending them over and over again. I chose 5 nonfiction books, and 5 fiction books.

Before we get to the lists, though, I wanted to remind you that if you're local to Green Bay, Wisconsin, I'll be vending my first ever big Pride event at Proud Out Loud at Stage Ten Seventeen from 12-8pm. I will be a vendor indoors. I'll have Pride exclusives and tons of merch to shop, in addition to my book, of course. Here are the details if you're curious:

I hope I see you all there! One more house keeping thing, we have finalized our Quarter 3 Book Club Pick and our Behind The Book chat! We will be reading Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H(she/they), and will ALSO be talking with them July 31st from 7-8 pm CST/8-9pm EST. Quarter 3 will be July, August and September. So, we'll have 3 months to dive in and discuss this book along the way. I will also be holding a giveaway for the paperback UK edition. More details on that coming in July.

But Sawyer, you told us last time we are speaking with DeAndra Davis in July for the Beyond The Rainbow chat!? YES! We're talking to BOTH OF THEM IN JULY. And I'm so pumped. More details coming later this week.

NOW. For the books that changed my brain chemistry. Here are my Top 5 Nonfiction Reads:

In no particular order, these are my Top 5 Nonfiction books:

1. The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On The Myth of LGBTQ+ Solidarity by Dr. Kaila Story. This book gave me so much material to digest, I not only listened to the audiobook, I bought a physical copy to immediately reread to annotate. (I don't typically reread books. Let alone in the same month.) Dr. Kaila Story will also be with us Tuesday, June 16th from 12-1pm CST/1-2 pm EST to discuss this book, Pride, and everything in between. Zoom information coming soon.

2. Falling Back In Love With Being Human: Letters To Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom. This book was like reading a book of forgiveness to those that have wronged you. The book itself is broken up into different formats - poems, prayers, spells, letters, etc. Truly an eye opening book and one that has sat with me since it's release.

3. Black Boy Out Of Time by Hari Ziyad. Y'all. I had an e-copy of this book, purchased the audiobook, and still have yet to purchase the physical copy. But the way Ziyad writes letters to his younger self throughout the book, healed something inside of me. Ziyad discusses growing up as a queer Black kid with a religious upbringing and how he navigated that. It's a masterpiece that should be required reading.

4. Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. Seeing as how this book is our Q3 book club selection, it should come as no surprise that it also made my top 5 list. Growing up in an extremely (cultish) religious upbringing, I related to Lamya's stories about herself in relation to the Qur'an. Truly a must read if you can relate to navigating religion or religious trauma.

5. Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe. This book gave my adult self the ability to put words to my gender and identity that I was searching for. Truly a book that needs to be read by youth and adults alike. (The annotated edition was also just released in May, and I need it.)

Just typing out those 5 books, I thought of like 5 more I could've added. lol. Here are the Top 5 Fiction books that altered my brain:

I absolutely stay in my nonfiction bag, so branching out to fiction is way too hard for me. But when I do read fiction, it's usually queer books. These top 5 fiction books left me feeling some type of way about the characters, the plot, the storyline - they just left parts of me feeling seen. Looking at this list, I believe all but one of them are considered YA - I so wish I had these books in my youth. What a difference it could've made. I'm so thankful the kids today have access to stories that reflect them. Here are my Top 5 Fiction Books, in no particular order:

1. Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly. A book about a recent divorcee and a nonbinary individual? Sounds like Kelly wrote about me and Alisha. To the point Alisha called me London for a brief moment in time due to my shared awkwardness with the character. I will read Kelly's grocery lists. Their books just never miss. Ever.

2. Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore. Fun fact: This was the first book I ever won in a giveaway on Bookstagram. This book is about a genderqueer teen who finds the courage to speak up for themselves and equality to their school administration. And honestly? Still applicable today. A must read for not only parents, but every single kid to know that their voice matters.

3. I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver. This book hit a little close to home, as it is about a nonbinary teen who got kicked out of their home after coming out to their parents. It follows Ben as they navigate school. anxiety, crushes, and the complexities of being a queer teenager. Deaver is also another author that just never misses.

4. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender. Another fun fact: We named one of the cats Felix after this book. This book follows Felix, a Black, queer, trans teen who is attending an art program in NYC. The overall themes include self-discovery, loving yourself, and accepting the fact that you are deserving of love. Such a beautiful book.

5. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I have also read this book twice. (I'm sensing a correlation of books reread and my top 5. lol) I love the fact that this book explores coming out as trans and navigating it with family and belonging. Such a tender book. I cannot wait until Thomas releases the sequel, Espiritu, later this year.

And there you have it. My top 10 nonfiction/fiction books. I still could have added more books to both lists the more I sit here and think about them. But now I'm curious, if you could ONLY (yes, only) pick 5 books in each category, which books would you choose? Meet me in our Discord to tell me, or drop them in a comment below.

I hope you all have a fantastic Thursday and a very happy day 4 of Pride.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hi Friends! Happy Pride Month! What a beautiful way to start the week!

I have so much to tell you for this month! So bear with me if this newsletter is a smidge long. We'll start with my Pride schedule. This is just events (and birthdays, interviews, and important dates to remember) but I figured you could use this newsletter/image as a reference point, rather than attaching fifty-eleven flyers for the events I'll be at. (Discord has an events channel, should you want to see said flyers, though.)

I realize the font is a little smaller than anticipated for the calendar, so by all means save it for future reference if you plan on attending any events if you're local to me! I will also be sharing probably two newsletter a week for Pride month: Trans Joy Thursday, the given newsletter at this point, and probably one on Sundays geared towards Pride related things: favorite books, maybe a quick history lesson, what I'm reading for Pride, etc. I'm still fleshing out the details (nothing like waiting until last minute.) So, stay tuned for fun.

Plus, a Pride Month Giveaway for our June 16th inaugural Behind The Book author chat begins TODAY! Details are as follows:

You can message me screenshots of all applicable entries to my IG here throughout the month as you participate, and I will keep a running wheel of names all month long. Good luck!

Also, for the end of Quarter 2, we are still reading Merle Miller's On Being Different: What It Means To Be A Homosexual. It's a super short book, sitting at only 74 pages in length, so this is your sign to hop on in the discussion on Discord to join in. It isn't too late.

Speaking of book club picks... Our Quarter 3 (Jul-Aug-Sep) Not A Phase Books pick is:

It is Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H! I am currently in the works to secure a Behind The Book chat with the author! So, stay tuned for more information regarding that. (Cue internal excitement: here.)

While I'm just listing off Quarterly book club picks. Here's Quarter 4 (Oct-Nov-Dec):

The ever-so-amazing book by Sonido Reyes' To Our Untamed Core (which releases September 22nd.) You can get a head start and pre-order this beautiful book here from my Bookshop Affiliate page. Also, they have confirmed a Behind The Book chat with me for November (we're still nailing down the specifics), and we will also be hosting a giveaway with a copy of the book and some swag! Bazinga!

ALSO, as you're reading this, I want to formally announce to those of you that may be local, I am expanding my book at Soul Purpose in the mall here in Green Bay TODAY... Meaning I will now be selling some merchandise IN STORE, in addition to signed copies of my book. You'll be able to find the limited edition sprayed edged copies of Coming Home, bookmarks, stickers, spiral bound notebooks that match the sprayed edged books, and limited edition Pride sticker sheets. (If you're reading this in the morning, this is where I'm at. lol) Merchandise will be changed out seasonally, but you know I had to do it big for Pride month! If you're local, go shop Soul Purpose (In Bay Park Square Mall beside Kohl's.)

One last, more serious, thing before I leave you all:

"Pride" was started by Black and brown trans women as a riot from police brutality. Yes, several things happened before Stonewall, but for some reason, that brick thrown, escalated to a 3-day chain of events that spiraled into what we know as Pride today. Strip away the commercializism, and we have fundamental rights that were started by trans women of color, being stripped away by those [poorly] "running" the government today. We are losing trans people at disproportionate rates, add in intersectionality, and it's staggering. We don't need "Love is Love" we need "Trans Lives Are Important." We don't need an ally - we need you to yell, to vote, to speak up, to stop being innocent bystanders and do something. We need an accomplice.

So, remember, when you go to Pride events this month, remember it wasn't brought to you by Absolut Vodka or whatever other corporation slaps a rainbow on something to sell or giveaway for clout - it's Black and brown folx who created it, and it's us, honestly, who turned it commercial. Want to support the LGBTQIA+ community? Support our small businesses and content directly - you pay our bills, put food on our tables, help us raise our families, etc. We are queer 24/7, 365.

I hope you all truly take time to learn why Pride is so important. Why it's in June. Who helped pave the way for us to be where we are now. It's important, now more than ever. I will leave you with probably one of the most known quotes from Martha P(ay It No Mind) Johnson:

With absolutely all of my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hi Friends, it is that time again - Trans Joy Thursday!

I hope you all have had such an amazing week thus far. I am on the planning committee for one of our local Pride events here in Green Bay that's happening on June 6th, so I've been a little busy with that and a vendor meeting last night in a store I sell my merch in.

Things that have brought me joy this week are:

1. Wearing a crisp white V-neck tee. Seriously, that never stops being euphoric post top surgery.

Also, you can no longer find the Drink Water. Love Hard. Fight Racism. hat from Mahogany Mommies, (does that mean this hat is vintage?) but you can find the tee here. I love, love, love that company. (They also have a Pride line.)

1. I secured Dr. Kaila Story, the author of The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf as our first Behind The Book author chat. This will take place Tuesday, June 16th, from 12-1pm CST/1-2pm EST on zoom. I will make a special announcement with the zoom link and information next month. I will also try to record it for playback for those unable to attend.

1. I also secured our Quarter 4 book AND Behind The Book chat for November, this week! Official details to come very, very soon. (Although, word on the street is that Discord heard it first.)

2. I got the special edition sprayed edged books of Coming Home with the trans non-binary flag! Madison over at Ink & Edges always does such an amazing job. She's also the one who sprayed my first special edition with the trans flag. I'll have them with me at my Pride events, so I'm not sure if there will be any left after June 20th (My last Pride event) SO, since you're a Friend on my Bindery, you get first dibs, please let me know if you'd like one before June 1st! They're $25 and $5 shipping. Shoot me a DM on IG or my Discord to secure yours.

1. I also secured my third Pride event pop-up (third EVER and they all are happening next month) for June 20th at Soul Purpose in the mall in Green Bay. I'm just waiting on the official graphic and I'll share it will all of you soon.

This week has definitely been a bookish and busy week, and it's only Thursday. lol. I do have a 3-day work weekend ahead of me, though. Balance, I suppose.

Looking ahead: Stay tuned for some exclusive Pride content coming for June, a Quarter 3 giveaway, events I'll be vending at, a Coming Home giveaway for the month of June, and more! I'm truly so excited to be in community with all of you.

Tell me, what has brought YOU joy this week so far? If nothing comes to mind, what are you looking forward to?

See you in the chats.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hiya friends and Happy Tuesday!

I have some very exciting news! I have been plotting behind the scenes on a few particular things, and one of the things, has come to fruition! On my very first post, I posted a poll (Still live, if you're reading this and didn't vote) what are some things you would like to see from Not A Phase Books... and the top was a Quarterly Book Club, which has been implemented, and the runner up was Author Interviews/Chats! Which, as of today, begins JUNE 16th!!!

During my last newsletter, I spoke about two books I had read this month and could not shut up about. I also mentioned I was still stewing on some things about The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf by Dr. Kaila Story and I needed a physical copy to really delve into the information I was receiving via audiobook. The reasoning, you ask? (Besides the fact that I'm a nerd and love to annotated?):

I present to you all lovely people, my first Not A Phase Books interview is with the incomparable Dr. Kaila Story, author of The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf. This interview will take place Tuesday, June 16th from 12-1pm CST/1-2pm EST. I will do my best to record it for those of you unable to attend.

I told y'all I could not shut up about this book, and I meant it! It's such a necessary, much needed book, especially for white people in the LGBTQIA+ community. If you haven't heard of it, now is your time to get it! It's available on libro.fm here. If you need to annotate a physical copy like me, or just like an immersive read with both formats, you can also find it on my Bookshop affiliate page here.

I am truly, so excited to be speaking with her about not only this book, but the white washing of Pride, the commercialization of Pride, and honestly, all things queer related.

If you have any questions you'd like to ask, pop on over to my discord (for free) and leave them for me to ask in our discussion.

I will be posting the Zoom information within the coming week. (Please do not share it with anyone.)

I cannot wait to talk about this book, Pride, and all the things with you. Chat soon!

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hi friends! Happy Sunday!

I'm still undecided on if I will be sending out one or two newsletters per week, but for now, I'm bursting at the seams to share what I've been reading and my thoughts on those books. (I currently hadn't read any books for the month of May, and then BAM two books in two days - that were absolute bangers.)

Have you ever listened to an audiobook and just wished you had a physical copy to annotate and highlight important sentences? These two books were that way for me. I had to break out my Notes app and hit that rewind button quite a few times to ensure I got them down correctly. The two books I'm referencing?:

The first book I read (in one day) was The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf: On The Myth Of LGBTQ+ Solidary by Kaila Adia Story. There were several, several important pieces to capture in this book. Namely about how critical it is for white queer people to show up for the ENTIRE community and how racism, misogyny, and transphobia run rampant and go unchecked throughout the LGBTQIA+ community as a whole. In addition to the white washing and capitalistic approach Pride has become in general now.

What stood out to me was in the Epilogue, though - when Story spoke about being an "Ally" v. being an "Accomplice." One would argue that being an Ally is important, but now we see it in every Instagram bio., and to me, it makes me pause and question the validity and sincerity of the intent behind the word. Story goes on to discuss how being an Ally is now viewed as performative and takes over marginalized spaces meant for others. Being an Accomplice, however, is a call to action. In my own words, it's Ally (talking) v. Accomplice (doing.) The first time I heard the term Accomplice was in The Black Friend: On Being A Better White Person by Frederick Joseph, and that altered my mind and how I show up for my neighbors, community members and friends. Am I talking, or am I doing? And that's an important question to ask yourself daily. Interested in reading it before I circle back to the more in-depth discussion? You can order it here.

I could dive deeper into this book, but I'll save it for later, because, honestly, there's some things I'm still stewing on and need the physical book to put more words into what I'm feeling/thinking. So, stay tuned for that. Or join the Discord community for further discussions/questions you have.

The SECOND book I finished last week was A Committee Of One: How Faith + Action = A Purposefull Life by Opal Lee. Y'all. This book is absolute FIRE. It releases June 2nd. You can pre-order the book here. Dr. Opal Lee delivers such an important book. The Grandmother of Juneteenth. An elder who speaks truth into the future generations who dare to read her words and then put them into action. Yes, there is some religious talk, but (and I don't remember who, I deeply apologize. If I find it, I will credit them) a Black content creator on Threads stated it was like sitting with your grandma, and truly, it is. It's sitting at the feet of someone with lived experience, showing you the way. There's no many nuggets of wisdom I wrote down, but this one in particular just propelled me forward:

"What have you started that you haven't finished?... Stop counting yourself out before you get halfway through the journey... Honor what's in you."

And going back to The Rainbow Ain't Never Been Enuf discussion from above, Dr. Opal Lee also stated this zinger that made me do a double and triple listen: "You can't just talk about change, you have to be change... talk is easy, change is work." Damn, Okay, Ma'am!

Y'all. Some books just go in one ear and out the other... and some just stick with you and alter your brain chemistry. These two altered my brain in the best way.

So, as I leave you for the day, tell me in the comments, what book(s) have altered YOUR brain?

To continue this conversation, Friends, join my Discord community for free.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole

Hi Friends and Happy Thursday (night)!

I'm still working on which day(s) I will be delivering a newsletter to you all, but Trans Joy Thursdays just seems... needed and necessary, so for now, I believe this is when I'll write to you all. I seem to get my motivation and creative spark as a writer when the sun goes down, so forgive me for not getting it to you earlier in the day. (I realize I could plan things in advance, maybe future me will get my life together.)

If you haven't joined the Discord community yet, there are a few polls over there on the frequency of how many newsletters you'd like to receive weekly, what type of physical book (paperback v. hardcover) you'd prefer in future giveaways, etc. Plus there's access to the current book club chat for the remainder of Q2 on Merle Miller's On Being Different in addition to the two articles that took place prior to the book being created.

There have been two new trans books on my radar for the month of May that have recently been released that I cannot wait to read:

In no particular order, they are:

• Gender Queer: A Memoir The Annotated Edition by Maia Kobabe

• The House Of Now And Then: A Novel by Edward Underhill

In addition to trans books that bring me joy, (I know I'm missing so many trans books being released, by no means is my little list exhaustive), we reached 80 degrees one day this past week here in Green Bay, WI, and I was able to break out my freshly, newly acquired tanks! I previously didn't wear tanks due to body dysmorphia and all the many ways that consumed me, but with having top surgery in January, I was able to put on a tank and feel.. EUPHORIC. Y'all, I'm still finding out my "firsts" like wearing a brand new crisp white tee, but the trans joy of wearing a tank top just sent me absolutely reeling in excitement:

You can find this tank top here. The apparel company is Gay Pride Apparel, created by two first generation Mexican-Americans and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I LOVE their shop and all they stand for. Go shop for Pride Month!

Another things that brings me trans joy is SoftBoys Club. They send out monthly trans snail mail, and it is the best thing to be subscribed to! Click here to check out their shop and monthly mailing! Seriously, I love, love, love the attention to detail and all the trans affirmations and inserts they send monthly. It's truly something I look forward to every month.

I have some very exciting news I'm waiting to confirm and cannot wait to share with all of you that is also bringing me trans joy, so stay tuned for that, as well.

In the meantime, I hope you all have a glorious Friday, and holiday weekend, and I will see you on Discord in the chats.

With all my trans joy,

Sawyer Cole