Out the Archives is a recurring feature diving into the archives of Windy City Times, offering a look back at the rich history of LGBTQ+ Chicago.
In this edition, we look back at the July 1997 issue of BLACKlines, which included writer Lynnell S. Long’s interview with author Leon E. Pettiway about his book on Black transgender youth.
Sign up here for our monthly BLACKlines newsletter for more Black LGBTQ+ news—past and present.
In July 1997, BlackLINES featured a Q&A with author Leon E. Pettiway, who had recently published a book on Black transgender youth. The interview followed Pettiway’s thought process for the book and his journey of writing it.
He knew he wanted to write a book about the LGBTQ+ community, and when he was trying to come up with the subject, he found that trans people had “an incredible sense of who they were and where they fit.” He also wanted the Black community to see this demographic in his book and recognize their humanity.
One challenge he spoke about—which still comes up in writing and journalism today—is how to keep a “professional opinion” out of his writing. He said from a traditional standpoint, people would argue he should’ve simply explained terms and situations from a “so-called expert” standpoint. However, it was important for him to write his book from a human-interest angle and share their authentic stories.
“What I do is provide a frame—context to prepare the reader for the story, and that’s my job,” Pettiway said. “The book is designed to make the reader do the work.”
The Black trans experiences he wrote about included subjects like prostitution, rape and HIV-status. Through his work, he also hopes to open the door for more Black LGBTQ+ writers to write about these stories.
The main result Pettiway hoped to see from the book was a greater understanding of transgender people and their perspectives. He also hopes people can come to respect and value the “creativity” trans women possess in order to create their true selves.
“I hope people become much more sensitive to the plight of those people that are defined as ‘the other,’ and people become much more compassionate,” he said.
Did you contribute to BLACKlines during its 1996-2004 run? We want to hear from you! Email Managing Editor Jake Wittich at wittichjake@gmail.com to get in touch.