#5SmartReads - May 31, 2023

Hitha on small businesses, on the reality of being trans, and the legacy of Tina Turner

May 31, 2023

In “nothing happens in a silo,” the volatile economy and recent bank failures (with subsequent tightening of small business financial support) has me thinking about the future of this private sector - and how government-funded paid leave and healthcare could help alleviate the financial burden of these companies and help them survive in a tough economy, and thrive in a bull market.

And to call this group a niche is almost insulting - small businesses with fewer than 5000 employees represent about 44% of the nation’s GDP and make up nearly all US companies.

The colloquial definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result. When the US government funded childcare during WWII, workforce participation was at a necessary high to support the war effort, and I think a lot about what could’ve happened had we continued that investment. Similarly, other established nations have paid leave and public-private healthcare offerings that help their resident while keeping these businesses profitable.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of the US economy. Public and private sector support of this sector will improve American lives AND grow the economy. And that we’re choosing the same old plays that don’t really work is, well, insane.

I have a deep feeling that most of the sponsors and supporters of anti-trans legislation have never met a trans person - or realize that someone they know is trans.

And maybe it’ll be my mission this month to send each a copy of Horse Barbie by Geena Rocero, someone they likely recognize from editorial campaigns and music videos.

“We [in the Philippines] embrace spectacle and theatricality with open arms. When I was growing up, Catholicism and trans beauty pageants inspired equal fanaticism. Families would go straight from mass to watching the Super Sireyna trans pageants on TV back at home. No one really saw this as a contradiction; it was just part of our unique cultural blend.

If social media had been big back in 2005, I would have been screwed. Someone from the Philippines could have posted a clip of me to YouTube or shared a pageant photo on Instagram, and then everyone would have found out who I was. But in the time before Facebook or Twitter, I could live a dual existence, famous overseas and a nobody in New York.”

I hope you read this excerpt from Geena’s memoir Horse Barbie (which is an exceptional book - funny, moving, and brutally honest). I personally recommend the audiobook - there’s something about hearing her story in her voice.

“We want to be clear that no one made us trans or nonbinary,” Gonzales said in a speech. “Not our parents, not our schools, not the internet, not our friends. We don’t want to make other people like us, but we do want to find community and grow and learn from other kids that are like us.”

I’m horrified by the swath of anti-trans legislation being signed to law. And I’m in awe of the trans youth activists and allies who are fighting back with love, acceptance, and joy.

Not only did these activists plan a welcoming, inclusive version of the coming-of-age ritual, they made it a movement by hosting it just outside of the Capitol building to show these lawmakers the beauty and joy of being trans, and fighting for the acceptance that cisgender people have always had and take for granted.

5SR team member Adrianne Wright was one of the volunteers helping produce this event, and the way she takes decisive and impactful action on issues of injustice is really inspiring.

You can’t help but start to bop your head and shimmy when you hear the opening riff of “Proud Mary.” “Simply the Best” must be head bobbed to (I don’t make the rules).

And when you hear the name Tina Turner, you put your hand to your heart in gratitude for this artist who gave us so much, and claimed her peace with the same energy and dedication the way she did her craft.

But more remarkable than the art she gifted us is her spirit, to have endured all that she did just to start her life again - and again.

I loved this insightful piece about Tina’s legacy - not just on music, but on resilience and life.

I say this often, and I’m going to say it again because it sums up this article perfectly:

“Art has the power to change hearts and minds more than reporting or nonfiction work.”

And while I typically refer to books or TV/movies (the latter’s writers deserve to be paid living wages and comparable residual rates, please), Afghan women are embodying this narrative through visual arts.

This article is well worth your time - give it a read, follow these artists, and please keep thinking about the girls and women around the world who are fighting for basic human rights.

Reply

or to participate.