no-skips november day 18
In 2021, I attempted to post a new crossword everyday in an event I dubbed “NaCroWriMo.” Unfortunately, I was not able to complete this event and, as a result, I have carried that shame ever since. That is until this month.
For every day in November this year, I’m posting a new crossword puzzle in an endeavour I’m now calling “No-Skips November.” Some of these puzzles are themeless, some are themed, some were even constructed before November, but it doesn’t matter: I’m not skipping a single day on this blog. I’m posting a new crossword. Every day. For a month.
This is also an effort to drive subscriptions to my Patreon, which is the best way to support me directly! My Patreon ensures that I’m able to sustain myself financially during months with less puzzle work, so I can spend more time making the puzzles you enjoy. Subscribers get a new themeless puzzle every week, and Inner Circle members typically get an extra 3-4 puzzles per month.
Sometimes I forget that I’m trans. My identity is so innate to me that I don’t imagine other people paying much mind to it.
Yesterday, me and some trans friends got harassed on the street twice. The first time, my friend flipped off a driver that didn’t look before almost turning into us. The driver stormed into the pizza place we were at five minutes later and started berating us for giving the middle finger to his kid in the passenger seat. It was obvious that’s not what happened, but this man was clearly trying to paint a trans woman as being inappropriate to children. “You people are supposed to be progressive,” he said. “You should be grateful I’m just asking for an apology,” he said.
We were walking home when another stranger, focused on me now, said “Hey! Are you a guy or a girl?” He continued to shout at me and misgender me on my own street, and mock my friends who were standing up for me. It just broke me. As I was walking to the library today, all I could think about was what every stranger staring at me must be thinking. I felt physically unsafe.
I used to get a lot of feedback emails on my crossword puzzles, asking me to tone down the trans stuff. These were mostly from solvers who thought I was promoting “mutilation,” and forcing my identity down everybody’s throats. When it was announced that I was writing crossword puzzles for Xtra, some Facebook comments read things like “Uh… first off, it’s a he. How is he supposed to be able to create crosswords if he doesn’t know what words mean?” and “Ada absolutely has a Dick.” (Xtra took these down, thankfully.) I’ve been told, from people who just didn’t know better, that I should try to write puzzles with these transphobes in mind.
I try not to sound bitter, or let these things get to me. I don’t fault outlets for not really knowing what to do when these things happen. It’s just an element of my existence, I guess, and I just power through it like I always do.
This isn’t a large part of my experience in crosswords. The vast majority of the crossword community has been incredibly sweet and kind to me. The trans joy I receive from solvers who see themselves represented in their crossword is invaluable to me, and it inspires me to keep doing this forever. A vocal minority of puzzle solvers will never be enough to discourage me from being around. I’m just thinking a lot about them today, is all. I wish I wasn’t.
Final thing: I’m back on my Patreon schedule today. Thank you to everybody who stuck around during my brief, unexpected hiatus. It means a lot!
Enjoy the puz! Also: feel free to share the link, comment below if you like the puzzle, and check out my Patreon!
– Ada
Leave a Reply