Monika: Are you involved in any political lobbying or advocacy efforts? More broadly, how do you see the potential for transgender women to create meaningful change within the political arena?
Ryka: I’m grateful for the progress made by politically active individuals, and I’ve benefited from many of those gains. But I work with my hands, focusing on what’s directly in front of me. I try to help in my own way. I’m not a politician; I’m a writer and a teacher. I speak to queer students about staying alive and cherishing themselves. In my spare time, I teach queer homeless youth self-defense techniques to protect themselves from knife attacks twice a week. I hope this helps, too.
Monika: I’ve heard it said that cisgender women were liberated with the development of contraceptive pills, while transgender women found their freedom with cosmetic surgery, no longer trapped by the pressures of passing or non-passing syndrome. What’s your take on this?
Ryka: The pill didn’t offer protection from Hep C, HIV, HPV, or HSV. And it didn’t protect against rape, battery, sexist courts, or institutions either. It will take more than a surgery, one that many people without health insurance can’t afford, to truly liberate us. Of course, these procedures are life-changing and incredibly important for some of us, absolutely! Critically so. But this is not the same as helping all trans people live better lives today.
Monika: Many transgender women choose to write their memoirs. Have you ever considered sharing your story in that way?
Ryka: I haven't quite lived enough yet to start thinking about that! ;)
Monika: Love is often portrayed as both a source of strength and vulnerability. How has love shaped your journey, both as a person and as a writer?
Ryka: In my life? I think I’ve been a bit of a love poser. As a storyteller and a skilled cold reader, I know how to make people fall for me. There’s a thrill in that. But beyond the infatuation, I’ve also experienced real love. The problem, though, is that all of my relationships fell apart. So, what now? As I get older, I’m realizing that what I brought into those relationships might have been tainted by my own struggles with self-love. I’ve learned that unhealed wounds have a way of echoing through intimacy, whether we intend them to or not.
|
|
Order Seasonal Velocities from Trans-Genre Press here. |
Monika: Has your understanding of love changed as you've worked through those experiences and grown into yourself?
Ryka: Now, I’m trying to figure out, much of this comes through my writing, what it truly means to accept and even love myself. Am I lonely? Yes, terribly so at times. But there’s also something powerful about learning who I am, and realizing that I can survive and even have good days without anyone beside me. Maybe, one day, I’ll meet someone who makes my heart race, and I’ll be strong enough in myself that the person they fall in love with is the real me. I’ve come to see that love doesn’t always begin with another person, it starts in how we choose to treat and believe in ourselves.
Monika: Many transgender girls wrestle with intense dysphoria, especially when faced with rigid beauty standards and societal expectations. What would you say to someone who feels overwhelmed by it all?
Ryka: I know we’re constantly bombarded by so many images of what we “should” be, but try to look beyond that. Gender is so much more than the body. Besides, no matter what, we’re all going to get old, get sick, or eventually stop living, and then what? The body alone is not the most stable place to house your identity. Find the things you love to do, and pour your heart into them. When you look back at your work, I believe you’ll see something true, beautiful, and entirely yours. And unlike the body, it will live on, and on, and on. Remember: no one can take your passions away from you, they're yours, and they’re sacred.
Monika: And when it comes to gender itself, how can young trans girls redefine it on their own terms?
Ryka: As far as gender… again, beyond the body, gender lives in what we create, what we write, the way we hold a pen or brush or stylus. It’s in how we decorate our bedrooms, what we buy at the supermarket. It’s how our dear friends see us. And it’s how we see our friends. It is living, and this is what we should all be doing to the fullest. Our everyday choices, gestures, and joys, all of them tell a story about who we are, and that’s where real gender magic happens.
|
| In the midst of questions from the audience. |
Monika: My pen friend Gina Grahame once wrote to me that we should not limit our potential because of how we were born or by what we see other transsexuals and transgender people doing. Our dreams should not end on an operating table; that’s where they begin. Do you agree with this?
Ryka: Those are very wise words! :D
Monika: Ryka, thank you for the interview!
Ryka: Thank you, so much!
Ryka: Thank you, so much!
END OF PART 2
All the photos: courtesy of Ryka Aoki.
© 2017 - Monika Kowalska
Ryka Aoki has published a new book, Light From Uncommon Stars, blending fantasy, sci-fi, and heartwarming storytelling, set against the vibrant backdrop of California’s San Gabriel Valley. Shizuka Satomi, a violinist cursed by a Faustian bargain, must convince seven violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She’s already secured six, but her final candidate, Katrina Nguyen, a transgender runaway with extraordinary talent, could break the curse. However, Shizuka’s plan is complicated when she meets Lan Tran, a retired starship captain and mother of four, in a donut shop. Despite her mission, Shizuka can’t ignore Lan’s kindness and warmth. As their lives become intertwined, Light From Uncommon Stars becomes a story of magic, identity, and the transformative power of found family.
|
| Available via Macmillan. |
Aoki’s novel skillfully blends the fantastical with the deeply human, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the power of connection. With its quirky charm and emotional depth, Light From Uncommon Stars reminds readers that family can be found in the most unexpected places, and even the smallest moments, like sharing a donut, can hold the power to change lives.
28 Sept 2021
Other related sources:
No comments:
Post a Comment