What is the project?

Over the next four months, I will speak with 40 trans/nonbinary/gender nonconforming folks to learn about their experiences using online resources and participating in online communities. This could include lurking on forums and Tumblr, drawing webcomics, posting vlogs, searching for gender neutral bathrooms, feeling excluded in support groups -- the whole spectrum of online experiences, both good and bad. 

Why "digital pathways"?

I feel there is so much wisdom we have gathered in our lives about how we question identity, seek out support, and find ways to cope and survive -- why not explore those digital experiences together?

By capturing these conversations as interactive digital narratives and essays, I hope to help spark a larger set of projects that increase the ability of young trans and queer folks to find effective support and reliable information online.

Right now, a number of folks are working hard to create technology in service to trans & queer communities. Organizations like TransTech Social Enterprises empower trans folks to make a living through technology. My goal is to contribute to this rich mosaic of efforts via storytelling and writing that makes our digital lives visible to one another in a new way.

What will my financial support go towards?

Your support will go a number of places:

• 15%: Audio/video costs (DSLR, screen capture software, audio recorder)
• 30%: Travel costs for in-person interviews (GaymerX, trips to NYC/Chicago/Austin and outlying/rural areas)
• 40%: Personal costs (I will be paying myself a stipend to support myself as I work on the project, which will go primarily to my medical expenses.)
• 5%: Fundraising platform fee
• The remaining 10% will be donated to Trans Lifeline, a vital suicide prevention resource for our community

What will be the outcome of the project?

I'll document our conversations using a mixture of text, audio, and video -- some conversations will take place in person, and others digitally (through Skype or Google Hangouts). I will share excerpts of stories through a mixture of interactive text (annotated interviews) and short videos. I will also compose at least a half-dozen essays that explore themes that emerge across the conversations (possible examples: trans folks in online gaming communities, the process of searching for medical information, etc.)

I am especially excited to share content via FOLD.CM, a platform that supports annotated and mixed media content (perfect for actually showing some of the resources we discuss!)

Who gets to be in this project? And how will you keep this project inclusive?

These are really important questions. There is no way to capture the full diversity of transgender and gender nonconforming folks in any group of 40 individuals. I will be careful to consider my own privilege and perspective, and make a special effort to include the voices of folks of color, genderqueer/nonbinary folks, and a range of ages and generational perspectives. I will also regularly consult with other diverse trans researchers, oral historians, and technology community members in order to keep a running dialogue on inclusion and representation going forward.

I plan to identify participants based on particular settings or subcommunities -- for example, I plan to travel to California for GaymerX to speak with 4-5 trans/enby/gnc folks involved with gaming. I also plan to do outreach with particular platforms, such as Facebook support groups and Tumblr fandom communities, as well as speaking with folks who support themselves through some aspect of technology (whether software development or drawing webcomics). I have identified a few of these settings/subcommunities already, but others I hope to identify as the project progresses (and with the guidance of others). While I cannot interview everyone and I will never have a fully representational sample, I hope to include a diversity of experiences and to be transparent about my process throughout.

Who are you?

Hi! My name is Zoë, and I am a writer and researcher who cares deeply about digital resources and supportive communities. For me, the Internet was a vital (but imperfect) place to explore and express my identity as I navigated my path as a queer trans femme and white Latina woman.

Last year, I wrote an essay about losing a trans friend from the Internet to suicide. Writing and reflecting on Aubrey led me to a number of unlikely and powerful conversations with other trans folks with a wide variety of experiences online. A brief stint as a moderator for one of the largest transgender support groups on Facebook further encouraged me to keep asking: what does effective support look like online? How do we keep each other safe, and keep each other alive?

This fall, I will begin the Master of Science in Information program at the University of Michigan with a focus on social computing and feminist human-computer interaction. I look forward to continue tackling these questions as a researcher, writer, and developer, as well as building community around people who care about the intersection of technology and trans lives.

Sounds good!

THANK YOU for any support you are able to provide! Financial support through this project is absolutely wonderful, as is spreading the word and sharing the campaign.

I'm also eager to hear from others who have been considering these questions as well -- feel free to reach out to me if you have guidance and suggestions to share, or if you'd like to get involved! You can always contact me at zoewsaldana AT gmail DOT com. I would love to hear from you ^_^

~ Zoë

(My warmest thanks to JayCee Cooper, Leah Wohl-Pollack, Jon Bernstein, Anna Siembor, Anna Melton, and Lars Mackenzie for your patient support during this project's LONG gestation period, as well as Sophie Labelle and G.L.O.S.S. for contributing their art to the video and Leah for designing the logo. Y'all are great, thank you <3)