Autumn is our newest addition to the CTC and we could not be more thrilled to have her aboard our team — welcome, Autumn! She graciously shared her story with us, and now we’d like to share it with all of you
The term “escapism” does not have the most positive of connotations. It can call to mind willful ignorance and passivity in the face of realities that need one’s time and attention. However, if you are reading this, you likely don’t need a list of the ways society isn’t perfect; the world has plenty of bugbears that masquerade as fact, and very harmfully so. For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, engaging with society means grappling with a system that tries to exclude our genuine selves from the realm of the real, insisting in ways both overt and subtle that one’s very identity is in itself invalid, a product of fiction. When this is the case, does escapism still strictly need to serve as a mere psychological aesthetic, or when used judiciously, can it be a means to safely and productively explore personal truth?
I have had a lifelong love affair with fantastical art, games and fiction. I have spent so many deeply satisfying hours writing, running, and being a player in tabletop roleplaying games, which in many ways is like weaving a collaborative work of fiction with the others in your group. As much as I adored it, it took me time to recognize that one of the reasons why I was so fascinated with it all was that it allowed me to comfortably explore myself and my identity without restriction. I could embody characters that didn’t look like me without judgement or reactivity, and I could experience al the excitement that comes with creating a personal aesthetic by dreaming up and customizing characters in and for the games I enjoyed. Looking back, my experiences with fiction were key in helping me come to the self-truth that I was a transgender woman.
Now, fiction is one of my favorite ways to get to know people; so much common ground can be found in what we enjoy immersing ourselves in. I truly love introducing people to tabletop roleplaying and crafting a story together with them. I have watched genuine, supportive communities surface from it, and those connections are as real as can be. So, if you have a passion, why not try sharing it with others? It might be just what you’re looking for.