Leslie Feinberg and Minnie Bruce Pratt

I had the wonderful fortune to be introduced to transgender socialist-activist, speaker, artist and author, Leslie Feinberg and poet-activist Minnie Bruce Pratt, who foster my creativity and allow me an opportunity to create new work unfettered. I don't necessarily think that I need to provide those modifiers to their names, but I do it out of respect for who they are and what they do, and if you knew them you'd know the modifiers are an integral part of who they are.

I met Leslie early this year and we have worked together for three seasons. My introduction to Minnie Bruce came a little later, but none-the-less it is a relationship I cherish. These two are my de Medicis with whom the pleasure to work for transcends work and becomes pure creativity.

Leslie has bestowed gifts of hir writings, which I have gladly and proudly consumed. The first writing I read of hirs was Stone Butch Blues and I have to say it was a roller coaster ride, but one of beauty, sensitivity, struggle, hardship and elegance. I still have yet to talk with Leslie honestly and in all sincerity about making a film out of this tome. As I read Stone Butch Blues it flickered like an old eight millimeter film in my mindscape and being able to honor Leslie in creating a film from hir text would make me more than proud, but we still need to talk. Leslie has also gifted me hir other writings which I have also consumed with pleasure and great interest.

Minnie Bruce and I have recently developed our relationship with the chapbook publication of her book, The Money Machine, which I had the privilege in constructing the graphic layout and makeup with use of imagery that Leslie has created. Soon, The Money Machine will be constructed in a new form other than a chapbook. I am also working on a somewhat lesser scale than I did with Leslie on Minnie Bruce's website, which we will be updating. Minnie Bruce has also afforded me a copy of her chapbook lovingly signed as are all of Leslie's copies.

Now, I am writing about Leslie and Minnie Bruce because I cannot provide a sufficient enough thank you for the patronage they have given me and because in them, I have found two loving, supportive and genuinely open individuals that are wonderful human beings and friends. As members of the greater LGBT community, Leslie and Minnie Bruce have included me without reservations. With this inclusion I stand in solidarity with them . . . hopefully the LGBT community will soon be offered as much liberty as the heterosexual status quo enjoys, but I know in all reality that they will continue to struggle against the old boy's club that plagues our body politic.

Thank you Leslie. Thank you Minnie Bruce. You both mean the world to me and it is an honor to be able to sit beside you and work.

For information regarding Leslie visit: leslie's website or leslie's pageflake
and for Minnie Bruce: minnie bruce's website