Losing Kate

There are thousands of wonderful organization that all deserve all the money in the world, but I wanted to include a select few on my site.

I included this short list because they give back to the people and causes that inspire my writing.

So here is why I chose each charity.

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I chose Pen America because I fear being on the banned book list. As a queer author who unashamedly writes queer and gender non-conforming characters, I support their work in opposing book bans.

Banned books also inspire me. I almost exclusively read queer fiction which is one of the main targets of these bans. If I couldn’t read these stories, my bookshelves would be barren.

I also am deeply inspired by their initiative to publish the work of incarcerated Americans. After taking a sociology course about mass incarceration, prison abolition is a cause I stand behind. One way to counteract the negative narratives about those imprisoned is to read their stories. This alone will not solve the problem, but it is a place to begin.

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I chose Indigenous Environmental Network because my work is both inspired by the environment itself, and an indigenous perspective on humans relationship to it from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass. One way to protect the environment, is to protect indigenous sovereignty.

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I chose Project Street Vet because I don’t know that I would be here to write my story if it were not for my pets. I believe that all pet owners, regardless of their housing status, should have access to veterinary care for their companions.

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I chose Lambda Literary because I read and write gay books. Queer media deserves to be fostered and rewarded. I respect that this organization supports LGBTQ+ students in K-12 programs, as well as adults in their writing endeavors.

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If any of what I said resonated with you, and you have disposable income, I invite you to give.

If you are reading this and are in need of a service described, I invite you to see if you can benefit from one of these organizations.

Money is one small way that we can take care of each other and be taken care of. So whether you are in a place to give or not, these are all organizations I think should be on your radar.