~ the goal! ~

Here in the cozy fantasy community, we value the importance of love, the freedom to be yourself, and most of all, the power of community to change a person's life.I have never seen a more accepting and loving readership. Our stories are powerful in their queerness, their gentleness, and their refusal to give in to the hurried nature of modern society. Readers from all walks of life come together over tales of steaming coffee or fresh-out-of-the-oven bread; we all find our safe places in stories.But in the United States, our new administration is hellbent on taking away the rights of transgender citizens. Trans people struggle to dream of a mossy cottage or true love when their ability to be themselves and, in fact, their very lives are threatened every day. Now, more than ever, we need our representatives to do their job and speak up on our behalf. They need to fight for our people.We're all exhausted (I know I am!) and worn down. Every day there's more news ready to instill us with fear and anger. So here's the plan: first we take action, then we rest.Myself and four other authors have come together to offer you seven cozy fantasy eBooks as part of that rest.Your job? You're going to email your representatives in support of trans rights. It doesn't have to be eloquent or fancy; we're just letting our reps know what we need from them. As a community, we will show our legislators that we're not content to let transphobia slide: we're going to stand up for trans rights and we're going to read good books while we're at it.This'll last until February 28th, so you have all month to write your emails and get your eBooks. There's no rush! We do this when and as we're able.So now you know what to do. We'll bring the books, you bring the action!—Coyote JM Edwards

~ the guide! ~

what should I write in my email?

I recommend using this template. But if you don't have the energy to write a whole email from scratch, feel free to copy and paste the text below and fill in your information. It's important that you include your full name and address, though, as representatives may delete your email if they don't see evidence that it's from one of their own constituents. Otherwise, change it however you want! If there's a particular situation or bill you'd like your rep to address, that's a great thing to include.

Dear [representative's name],As your constituent, I’m writing today to ask you to fight back against executive orders (at this time, "Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government" and "Protecting Children From Chemical And Surgical Mutilation") and all other bills that seek to condemn and harm transgender citizens of the United States. Executive orders like the ones mentioned will put thousands of lives at risk. States that pass anti-transgender laws aimed at minors see a 72% increase in suicide attempts by transgender teens. This does not include the unrecorded violence and devastation such laws enact upon transgender adults. I am requesting that you stand with transgender people and fight for their rights as citizens of the United States.Please keep this in mind as legislature crosses your desk. Thank you.Regards,
[Your full name]
[Your mailing address]

how to find your reps

Visit myreps.datamade.us and put in your address. There will be a lot of options! I recommend scrolling down to the bottom and starting with one of your US Senators. (Don't worry if both of your Senators are Republicans - their job is still to represent your wishes regardless of party lines, and enough pushback from their constituents will be recorded.)Optional hard mode: both of your US Senators, plus your US Representative(s), your State Senator and your State Delegate! Once you have the email written up, all you have to do is copy and paste and change the name in "Dear [name]."

where to send it

Copy and paste the email addresses of your chosen representative(s) and CC this email address: [email protected]. This will send a copy of your email to me so that I can reply with the zip file full of eBooks!

"but then you’ll have my home address?"

I promise I won’t be saving any information, just like when I mail orders from my shop! (While we're at it, I also won't be reading and judging the email you write. Just sending an email at all will get you the book bundle.) But if you’d feel more comfy—and honestly, this is probably what I would do—you can instead send me a copy of the email’s text or a screenshot with the address cropped out. No worries!

~ more things you can do! ~

Here are some additional resources for supporting trans rights! There's no right or wrong answers here. Everyone's path looks different. Do what you can and remember to take care of yourself <3

if you have money but no time

Consider donating to the Transgender Law Center, the largest trans-led organization fighting for trans rights in the US! They're out here doing good work, and it's important to prioritize putting trans people at the forefront of their own fight—they know, after all, what they need! Otherwise, the ACLU, Point of Pride, and the Trevor Project are all good picks as well. Even as little as three dollars (cheaper than a Starbucks latte!!) makes a difference.

if you have time but no money

Perhaps you'd like to write letters of encouragement and love to trans folk across the US! Point of Pride helps people afford things like binders and shapewear, and they include encouraging letters with each package they send out. With the constant waves of attacks, transgender people everywhere are feeling scared and hopeless - words of love and support can really make a difference, especially for someone who might not get to hear words like that from their own family and friends. (I have personally participated in this! It's very fun.) Here's the guide from Point of Pride!

if you want to stay local

See if your area has a Diversity Center or any kind of pride meetups and shoot them a message asking what you can do to help out! Mutual aid groups are also a great place to start. You don't need any specialized skills to help your local community - just a willingness to show up can make all the difference!

"i'm bedridden/disabled/have low spoons."

Emails are going to be the way to go. Keep an eye on the anti-trans bills in your state via this website. (I check it once a week so that I don't stress myself out by checking when there's nothing new!) When you see one, check which committee has it: if one of your reps is on that committee, call or email them saying you'd like for them to oppose that specific bill. You can do this as often or as little as you need!

"no, really, i don't even have spoons for an email."

Consider grabbing a book from this list of 2024 transfeminine releases to read! (The Transfeminine Review is a fantastic blog, by the way, and has a guide on resisting censorship that I've referred to many times in the last few weeks.) Hopefully, you're already reading at least a little bit, so why not make your next pick a transfeminine author?Optional hard mode: share the book on social media or with a friend!

"you're not getting it. i literally can't do anything except eat and sleep, but the world is still falling apart and i don't know how to handle it."

That's okay! That's okay, I promise. Sometimes we can't do anything at all. That's not a failure on your part; that's not something to be ashamed of. If all you can do is survive—if you can't do anything but barely make it through the day, every day—then make that your mission. We're cozy fantasy readers! We're all about self care, and self care is resistance. You're doing enough.