Last week Hurricane Laura missed Houston but devastated Louisiana and we postponed the launch for Sim Kern’s trans hurricane novella, DEPART, DEPART! Now, Kern and Stelliform are fundraising for folks impacted by Hurricane Laura — particularly trans, Black and POC folks. We’re giving away 20 ebooks & 5 DEPART, DEPART! sticker packs when you donate to organizations supporting these communities.
The media has moved on, but 100,000s of people in LA still don’t have power, and many have had homes & livelihoods destroyed. This disproportionately affects already-marginalized people who have less of the wealth & resources needed to rebuild, due to systemic injustice.
Sim Kern wrote DEPART, DEPART! in part to shine a light on how after a hurricane, trans people often face discrimination and a lack of appropriate medical care from crisis relief organizations, such as the Red Cross, United Way, and other Christian-led charities, however the affected parts of Louisiana have few LGBT organizations, and none focused on housing or emergency aid. Consider supporting LA Trans Advocates as a form of crisis relief., or another crisis organization working in the state (links below).
How Does it Work?
To enter the draw for the ebooks and sticker packs, follow these directions:
- Donate at least $5 (& as much as you can afford to give!) to one of the optional charities listed below.
- Email a screenshot of your receipt to Books4LauraRelief@gmail.com between now and Wednesday 9/2 at Midnight, EST.
More Contest Details
- You’ll get a raffle ticket for every $5 — so $25=5 tickets.
- 15 winners get an ebook of DEPART, DEPART! and 5 ppl get an ebook and a “Symbols” sticker pack w/quotes from the book that Sim Kern drew
- Unfortunately, due to the situation with the US postal service + Trump + COVID, the sticker pack prize is only available to folks in the US, but ebooks can be sent anywhere!
Where to Give?
- ANY of the Hurricane-Laura focused crisis relief organizations listed here.
- Or LA Trans Advocates, to support the ongoing well-being of Louisianan trans folk.
Are you a Trans Person in Crisis?
If YOU are a trans person affected by Hurricane Laura, please drop a link to your fundraiser/paypal/etc. in the comments here or on Sim Kern’s contest Twitter thread and anyone can enter the contest by donating to your direct aid fund.
A Final Message from Sim Kern
September 1 was supposed to be launch day for DEPART, DEPART!, but when it seemed Laura might hit us, I cancelled our promo events, boarded up the house, & evacuated. And I can think of no better way to celebrate what would’ve been DEPART, DEPART!’s birthday than by helping our neighbors.
Just like Louisiana, here in Houston, we braced for Hurricane Laura to hit, and didn’t know until the day before that we would be spared. It grieves us terribly to watch our neighbors suffer, and we know it could be us next. LA, Houston always has your back.
Sim Kern, author of DEPART, DEPART!