“Breaking the Silence” by Katie Ludlow Rich

"Breaking the Silence" by Katie Ludlow Rich

Book Review of I Spoke to You with Silence: Essays from Queer Mormons of Marginalized Genders (edited by Kerry Spencer Pray, Jenn Lee Smith) As a tradition that both “elevates the hetero-nuclear family to the level of a saving ordinance” (3) and routinely denies female sexual desire, there is little space for the open existence […]

“Only YOU…” by Katie Ludlow Rich

"Only YOU..." by Katie Ludlow Rich

We pulled into a premium parking spot right in front of the entrance to San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Square. I laughed. My husband turned to me, eyebrows raised, expectant.“We aren’t supposed to be able to park here,” I said, “we’re supposed to have to circle around the block several times, stressed and frantic, yelling at the kids to be quiet as we parallel park in a space too small for our minivan.”I laughed again, awed by the ridiculous luck of not only one, but two empty spots right in front with meters that accept credit card payments. We got out of […]

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“Tracing My Family History of Cancer” by Katie Rich

"Tracing My Family History of Cancer" by Katie Rich

I sat across from my genetic counselor as she filled out the strangest family history chart I’d ever seen. I rocked my newborn baby girl and answered the counselor’s questions about the name, birth year, death year, known illnesses, and cause of death for ancestors four generations back. She drew squares for males and circles for females and shaded sections in various patterns. All of this was to determine if I was eligible, based on the requirements set by my health insurance company, to be tested for genetic markers that would indicate whether I had an elevated risk of certain […]

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