Nate Cannon
Minnesota author and trans activist Nate Cannon is scheduled to appear at the Grand Marais Public Library at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Cannon’s presentation, “Outside the Box: Diversity, Language, and Bridges to Inclusion” draws upon his experiences as an out FTM (Female to Male) trans man to address current topics in the LGBTQ community.
Cannon mixes his personal experiences as a suicide attempt survivor and transgender man living with unseen disability into a broader discussion of identity and social equality.
Differences within a community often generate fragmentation and weaken support systems. The LGBTQ community is not immune to this challenge to group cohesion. Cannon explores the ways language can influence inclusion, and offers strategies for finding support in a world increasingly defined by “us” and “them.”
Cannon is an award-winning, nationally recognized public speaker on a range of topics regarding LGBTQ identity and community, including trans inclusivity, mental health needs, substance abuse, and how law enforcement can better manage LGBTQ special circumstances. His talks and consulting services are provided to government agencies, private organizations, law enforcement/corrections, schools and universities.
Nate Cannon holds an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is the author of two memoirs, Running on a Mind Rewired (2012), which was written under his former name, Jennifer, and Dying to Hang with the Boys (2019).
His essay “The Invisible Man” appears in the anthology Queer Voices: Prose, Poetry, and Pride (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2019). The Grand Marais Public Library houses all of the books. Nate presents and provides training to groups all around Minnesota and the nation, ranging from students to healthcare professionals to law enforcement/corrections. More information about Nate may be found at his website: runningrewired@gmail.com.
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