Ginger
Ginger Li (she/her/hers)
Ginger Li is a 61-year-old, Chinese American, transgender woman who came out at 40, following a conversation with her daughter about photos (on a floppy-disk) of her in feminine clothing. Soon after, Ginger found support at Ingersoll Gender Center in Seattle and, later, a vibrant social world at Emerald City Social Club and the Esprit Conference, which is held annually in Port Angeles, Washington.
In 2003, Ginger, Veronica Steed, and a few other conference attendees performed 80’s cover songs at the Esprit talent show. The 80s/90s cover band, The Nasty Habits grew out of the talent show and the band has been playing mostly straight bars in Port Angeles, other areas of the Olympic Peninsula, and Seattle for the past 15+ years.
Here, Ginger talks about coming out to her family and at work, her early and ongoing involvement in trans support and social groups, and the stereotypes about rural towns and the people who live there– particularly those that have changed as The Nasty Habits have glammed up bars in fishing and logging towns.
Audio Stories | Transcripts
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
1. Coming Out (adolescence, anxiety, childhood, coming out, community, family, life course, identity
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
2. Representations (children, coming out, community, family, lgbtq+ groups, mental health, online, r
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
3. Transitioning at Work (affirmation, anxiety, repression, support, work, work support)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
4. Small-Town Gigs (affirmation, anxiety, friends, rural life, rural-urban movements)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
5. Mom at the Nasty Habits Show (family, gender expression, parents, support)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
6. Music Versus Storytelling (community, friends, support, thriving)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
7. Out at Work (gender expression, survival, transition, work)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
8. Expression (creativity, gender expression, gender identity, thriving)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
9. Patridge Family (creativity, family, joy)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
10. COVID Storytelling (creativity, joy, online, pandemic, work)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
11. Fear Bubble (aging, anxiety, repression, survival)
Your browser doesn't support HTML5 audio
12. Letter to Editor (affirmation, LGBTQ+ groups, support)
We want to hear about your reactions to the stories! We want to hear from everyone, but are especially interested in responses from trans and queer folks. In the Comments section below, tell us a bit about yourself (whatever you are comfortable sharing, such as your age, gender, sexuality, where you live, etc.), what the storyteller shared, and how it resonated with you. Comments are moderated and are posted once approved.