Photo: Caitlin Wilder Photography
Fin Leary Highlights Book Bans and Writing for Everyone During TransWeek
by James Judd
Putting your life as a trans person online is a radical act in modern America—a reality that author/educator/activist Fin Leary has had to confront since a video he posted on TikTok went viral. Meant for his circle of followers, the video of his progress on HRT, a gender-affirming hormone therapythat helps align a person’s physical characteristics with their gender identity, was circulated by anti-trans social media accounts. For Leary, who has built a career helping others tell their own stories, the discomfort caused by that collision between visibility and vulnerability is nothing new.
“The first time you come out to someone, or even just show up as an ally, you start practicing that discomfort,” says Leary. But Leary is determined to be out and proud regardless of how it affects him in the moment. “Every time somebody sees an image of who they could be, a glimpse of the life they could have, it frees them—and it frees all of us.”
A 2024 Lambda Literary Emerging LGBTQ+ Voices Fellow, Leary teaches writing at Emerson College and GrubStreet. The New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Teen Vogue, The Boston Globe Magazine, and The Washington Post, among others have published his work. It’s a résumé that reflects Leary’s commitment to fostering collective empowerment for the entire LGBTQ community. He’ll be leading a writing workshop titled “We Need Trans Books” for participants in this year’s TransWeek, and also will appear at East End Books Ptown for a reading of his short story collection These Bodies Ain’t Broken, which is open to the public without registering for TransWeek.
“I knew I was queer when I was a young child, and everyone around me seemed to know that too,” he says. “It didn’t matter how hard I tried to hide it—people could always tell. Folks were already bullying me for an identity I hadn’t even fully accepted. Around age 12, I realized people would know this about me whether I hid it or not. I had one choice: either fight it down or stand up against the idea that we should hide. I decided, they’re going to think I’m a freak no matter what I do, so the best thing I can do for the freaks is to be a freak—loudly and beautifully.”
Learyis a program manager at We Need Diverse Books, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, that advocates for greater diversity and inclusion in children’s and young adult literature. Pushing back against the censorship of queer writers and queer visibility is also central to his mission. PEN America, an organization committed to the defense of freedom of expression worldwide, and the leading national tracker of book bans and educational censorship, has documented an unprecedented 23,000 book bans in public schools nationwide since 2021, including books dealing with trans issues or written by trans writers.
“We are seeing this incredible rise in book bans, which would make you think there is a huge boom in trans books—like they’re everywhere,” says Leary. But the impression is misleading. “The folks setting up these bans have seen a small rise in power and privilege for our community: the legalization of same-sex marriage, the ability to change gender markers on ID documents, slightly easier access to healthcare, and so on. Those small amounts of change have been scary to some people. That’s definitely true when it comes to books, as well. Yes, we have more trans authors and trans books than we ever did—at least in terms of out trans authors and canonically trans books—but it’s not necessarily an overwhelming majority or an incredibly huge rise.”
“I’m concerned that it will lead to increasing censorship and legislation against the LGBTQ+ community as a whole,” he says. “That’s one of the reasons why I think it’s so important to make sure that we’re talking about it and fighting it early.”
Effective pushback against censorship is possible, says Leary. “We need folks to remain outspoken on the other end of it: advocating for continuing to include books in collections, showing up to things like school board meetings if you are in an area where those are happening, to advocate in favor of keeping books in the collection.”
Leary is also autistic and is an advocate for autistic acceptance and inclusion. “Like being bi or trans, being openly autistic is about disclosure,” he says. “Even with greater awareness and resources now, there’s also a rise in ableist rhetoric. I talk about it to push back on that and to let young people know there’s nothing wrong with how their brains work.”
According to Leary, the TransWeek workshop will be a opportunity to bring awareness to folks who want to learn about trans literature, history, and authors, as well as offering some opportunities for attendees who are writers or who are interested in learning more about writing.
“I think everyone is a writer,” says Leary. “Sometimes people come into a workshop or a writing class not feeling like a writer, but I think everyone is.”
Hope is the ultimate takeaway Leary wants to give to his workshop attendees. “Hope is what those who want us gone don’t want us to have,” he says. “It’s the antidote to despair. If someone leaves my workshop feeling even a little more hopeful than when they arrived, that’s everything.”
Fin Leary’s writing workshop, open to TransWeek registrants, will be held in the Wave Bar at the Crown & Anchor on Monday, October 20, 3 p.m. For information and to register, visit transweek.org. Leary will also be reading from These Bodies Ain’t Broken on Monday, October 20, 5 p.m., at East End Books Ptown, 389 Commercial St. For more information call 508.413.7163 or visit eastendbooksptown.com.
