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| {{short description|American activist and author}} | | {{Content warning|a reclaimed slur}} |
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| | | picture=Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore by Dani (6865518163).jpg |
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| | name = Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
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| | image = Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore 280606.jpg
| | | nationality=American |
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| | | pronouns=[[she/her]]<ref name="Martin">{{Cite web |title=A ‘Queer’ Argument Against Marriage |author=Martin, Michael |work=NPR.org |date=10 June 2010 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127740436|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230613022836/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127740436 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> |
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| '''Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore''' is an American author and activist. She is the author of a memoir and three novels, and the editor of five nonfiction anthologies. | | '''Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore''' is an American author and activist. She is the author of a memoir and three novels, and the editor of five nonfiction anthologies. |
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| ==Early life and education==
| | Sycamore was born in Washington, D.C. to a Jewish family<ref name="wwfd">{{Cite web |title=Interviews - Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore |author= |work=We Who Feel Differently |date=5 March 2011 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://wewhofeeldifferently.info/interview.php?interview=110|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705005928/https://wewhofeeldifferently.info/interview.php?interview=110 |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> |
| Sycamore was born in [[Washington, D.C.]] to a [[American Jews|Jewish]] family<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailyemerald.com/2013/04/04/qa-with-queer-activist-and-author-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore/|title=Q&A with Queer activist and author Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore – Emerald Media|date=4 April 2013|publisher=}}</ref> and was raised in the Potomac Highlands neighborhood of [[Rockville, Maryland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mattildabernsteinsycamore.com/maybe-you-remember-this |title=Maybe You Remember This |publisher=mattildabernsteinsycamore.com |accessdate=2019-07-06}}</ref> After spending a year in college at [[Brown University]], in 1992 she moved to [[San Francisco]] where she became involved in activism with [[ACT UP]]. | | <ref name="Edge">{{Cite web |title=Q&A with Queer activist and author Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore |last=Edge |first=Sami |work=Daily Emerald |date=3 April 2013 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://www.dailyemerald.com/news/q-a-with-queer-activist-and-author-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore/article_1e0527a7-26b8-52eb-b1a3-748b15b59d74.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519214821/https://www.dailyemerald.com/news/q-a-with-queer-activist-and-author-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore/article_1e0527a7-26b8-52eb-b1a3-748b15b59d74.html |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> and was raised in the Potomac Highlands neighborhood of Rockville, Maryland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mattildabernsteinsycamore.com/maybe-you-remember-this |title=Maybe You Remember This |publisher=mattildabernsteinsycamore.com |accessdate=2019-07-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519215021/https://www.mattildabernsteinsycamore.com/maybe-you-remember-this |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> After spending a year in college at Brown University, in 1992 she moved to San Francisco where she became involved in activism with ACT UP.<ref name="wwfd" /> |
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| == Activism and literary career ==
| | Sycamore opposed the push among the LGBT movement for same-gender marriage, arguing that it distracts from more pressing issues like the securing of universal health care and housing security for all.<ref name="Martin" /> Sycamore also opposed the LGBT movement's focus on inclusion in the US military, arguing instead that the movement should be focused on opposing the harmful impacts of the military at home and abroad.<ref name="troops">{{Cite web |title="Transgender Troops" Should Be an Oxymoron |last=Sycamore |first=Mattilda Bernstein |work=Truthout |date=29 June 2016 |access-date=7 May 2020 |url= https://truthout.org/articles/transgender-troops-should-be-an-oxymoron/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519215023/https://truthout.org/articles/transgender-troops-should-be-an-oxymoron/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> |
| Sycamore was involved in [[ACT UP]] in the early 1990s and [[Fed Up Queers]] in the late 1990s. In 1998, she was the host of the first [[Gay Shame]] event in New York, appearing with performer [[Penny Arcade (performer)|Penny Arcade]], writer [[Eileen Myles]], cabaret artists [[Kiki and Herb]], and [[queercore]] band [[Three Dollar Bill]] held in Brooklyn, NY, which was captured in the documentary film entitled ''Gay Shame 98'', by Scott Berry. She was one of the instigators of Gay Shame in San Francisco, which started in 2000 and became "a year-round direct action extravaganza dedicated to exposing all hypocrites".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nobodypasses.blogspot.com/2008/10/pulling-it-together.html|title=NOBODY PASSES, darling: Pulling it together|last=Sycamore|first=Mattilda Bernstein|date=6 October 2008|publisher=}}</ref> Sycamore was involved in the cultural center [[Dumba]], and is a leading critic of assimilationist trends in [[gay]] culture.<ref name="nakao">{{citation|last=Nakao|first=Annie|title=Rejecting 'normal' in favor of a distinct gay identity|date=2004-09-19|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/19/LVGQ48P21I1.DTL|periodical=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|accessdate=2007-10-05}}</ref><ref name="revolting">{{citation|last=Sycamore|first=Matt Bernstein|title=That's Revolting!: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation|page=238|year=2004|publisher=Soft Skull Press|isbn=1-932360-56-5}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=What if Gay Marriage is the Wrong Fight?|url=http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featmattilda_gaymarriage_p.html|periodical=[[LiP Magazine]]}}</ref> | |
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| In January, 2009, Sycamore initiated a public postering project called Lostmissing, which she describes as:
| | ==Quotes== |
| | {{quote|If I had to [identify myself] in one little statement it would be: “A gender queer, faggot, and a queen, on the trans continuum, in a gender bending, gender blur kind of place.” But the words I relate to the most are probably “faggot” and “queen.” “[[Queer]]” would be more of a broader political identity.<ref name="wwfd" />}} |
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| {{quote|You know when you have a friend who you think will always be there—no matter what, at least you'll have that friendship, right? Lostmissing is a public art project about the loss of that relationship, a specific relationship for me—right now it's missing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nobodypasses.blogspot.com/2009/01/lostmissing-public-art-project-here-are.html|title=NOBODY PASSES, darling: Lostmissing: a public art project|first=Mattilda Bernstein|last=Sycamore|date=31 January 2009|publisher=}}</ref>}}
| | ==Books== |
| | *''Tricks and Treats: Sex Workers Write About Their Clients'' (2000, editor) |
| | *''Pulling Taffy'' (2004) |
| | *''Dangerous Families: Queer Writing on Surviving'' (2004, editor) |
| | *''That's Revolting: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation'' (2004, editor) |
| | *''Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity'' (2006, editor) |
| | *''So Many Ways to Sleep Badly'' (2008) |
| | *''Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? Flaming Challenges to Masculinity, Objectification, and the Desire to Conform'' (2012, editor) |
| | *''Sketchtasy Vancouver'' (2018) |
| | *''The End of San Francisco'' (2013) |
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| Sycamore opposed the push among the [[LGBT]] movement for [[same-sex marriage]], arguing that it distracts from more pressing issues like the securing of [[universal health care]] and housing security for all.<ref>''UTNE Reader'', November–December 2008.</ref><ref name="npr.org">{{citation |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127740436 |title=A 'Queer' Argument Against Marriage |publisher=[[NPR]]}}</ref> Sycamore also opposed the LGBT movement's focus on inclusion in the US military, arguing instead that the movement should be focused on opposing the harmful impacts of the military at home and abroad. In 2010, she appeared on [[Democracy Now!]] in the segment ''[https://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/22/does_opposing_dont_ask_dont_tell Does Opposing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Bolster US Militarism? A Debate with Lt. Dan Choi and Queer Activist Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore],'' and later penned op-eds against trans inclusion in the military in ''[[Truthout]]''<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://truthout.org/articles/transgender-troops-should-be-an-oxymoron/|title="Transgender Troops" Should Be an Oxymoron|work=Truthout|access-date=2018-11-24|language=en-US}}</ref> and ''[[The Baffler]].''<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://thebaffler.com/latest/swords-into-marketshare|title=Swords into Marketshare {{!}} Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore|date=2017-09-21|work=The Baffler|access-date=2018-11-24|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2018, in collaboration with [[Dean Spade]], Sycamore co-organized a ''Queer Anti-Militarism Townhall: Trans Liberation Not U.S. Invasion'' at the [[Seattle Public Library]], alongside other queer and trans anti-military voices, including [[Micha Cárdenas]], Soya Jung, [[Nikkita Oliver]] and Matt Remle. Sycamore contributed to ''Against Equality: Queer Critiques of Gay Marriage,''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Against equality : queer critiques of gay marriage|date=2010|publisher=Against Equality Pub. Collective|others=Conrad, Ryan, 1983-, Nair, Yasmin.|isbn=9780615392684|location=Lewiston, Me.|oclc=686772854}}</ref> and wrote the introduction to ''Against Equality: Queer Revolution, Not Mere Inclusion,''<ref>{{Cite book|title=Against equality : queer revolution, not mere inclusion|others=Conrad, Ryan, 1983-|date = 2015-03-20|isbn=978-1849351843|location=Oakland, CA, USA|oclc=858603259}}</ref> anthologies printed by the [[Against Equality]] collective in 2010 and 2014. In 2008, Sycamore was named as a "visionary" as part of [[Utne Reader]] magazine's "50 Visionaries Who Are Changing the World."<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.utne.com/2008-11-13/50-Visionaries-Who-Are-Changing-Your-World.aspx |title=Visionaries Who Are Changing the World |periodical=[[Utne Reader]]}}</ref>
| | ==References== |
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| ==Awards and honors==
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| Sycamore was awarded the [[Lambda Literary Award]] for Transgender Non-Fiction on June 2, 2014, for her 2013 book ''The End of San Francisco''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.lambdaliterary.org/26th-annual-lambda-literary-award-finalists-and-winners/|title=26th Annual Lambda Literary Award Finalists and Winners|last=Johnson|first=William|date=2014-03-07|work=Lambda Literary|access-date=2018-10-18|language=en-US}}</ref> [[NPR]]'s Book Concierge included ''Sketchtasy'' on its list of the Best Books of 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://apps.npr.org/best-books-2018/|title=NPR's Book Concierge|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-12-02|language=en}}</ref>
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| ==Personal life==
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| Regarding [[gender identity]], Sycamore identifies as [[genderqueer]] and uses the pronouns 'she' and 'her'.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127740436|title=A 'Queer' Argument Against Marriage|work=NPR.org|access-date=2018-12-02|language=en}}</ref> She has described herself as, "A genderqueer, faggot, and a queen, on the trans continuum, in a gender bending, gender blur kind of place. But the words I relate to the most are probably 'faggot' and 'queen.' 'Queer' would be more of a broader political identity."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wewhofeeldifferently.info/interview.php?interview=110|title=We Who Feel Differently – Interviews|website=wewhofeeldifferently.info}}</ref>
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| == Bibliography ==
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| === Novels ===
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| *''Sketchtasy'' Vancouver, BC: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2018. {{ISBN|9781551527291}}, {{OCLC|1028209630}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/books/la-ca-jc-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore-20181016-story.html|title=Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore on the difficult queer '90s Boston of her novel 'Sketchtasy' - Los Angeles Times|last=Schaub|first=Michael|website=latimes.com|access-date=2018-10-27}}</ref>
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| *''So Many Ways to Sleep Badly'' San Francisco : City Lights Books, 2008. {{ISBN|9780872864689}}, {{OCLC|768530865}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=So many ways to sleep badly|last=Bernstein.|first=Sycamore, Mattilda|date=2008|publisher=City Lights Books|isbn=9780872864689|location=San Francisco|oclc=216936694}}</ref>
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| *''Pulling Taffy'' San Francisco, Calif. : Suspect Thoughts, 2004. {{ISBN|9780971084636}}, {{OCLC|56658648}}<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/pullingtaffy00syca|title=Pulling taffy|last=Bernstein.|first=Sycamore, Matt|date=2003|publisher=Suspect Thoughts Press|isbn=0971084637|location=San Francisco|oclc=51323127|url-access=registration}}</ref>
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| === Memoir ===
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| *''The End of San Francisco'' San Francisco : City Lights, 2013. {{ISBN|9780872865723}}, {{OCLC|812258393}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=The end of San Francisco|last=Bernstein.|first=Sycamore, Mattilda|isbn=9780872865723|location=San Francisco|oclc=812258393}}</ref>
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| === Nonfiction Anthologies ===
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| *''Why Are Faggots So Afraid of Faggots? Flaming Challenges to Masculinity, Objectification, and the Desire to Conform'' Oakland: AK Press, 2012. {{ISBN|9781849350884}}, {{OCLC|854723328}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Why are faggots so afraid of faggots? : flaming challenges to masculinity, objectification, and the desire to conform|date=2012|publisher=AK Press|others=Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein.|isbn=9781849350884|location=Oakland, CA|oclc=709680948}}</ref>
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| *''Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity'' Emeryville, CA: Seal Press, 2006. {{ISBN|9781580051842}}, {{OCLC|71285289}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Nobody passes : rejecting the rules of gender and conformity|date=2006|publisher=Seal Press|others=Sycamore, Matt Bernstein.|isbn=9781580051842|location=Emeryville, CA|oclc=71285289}}</ref>
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| *''That's Revolting!: Queer Strategies for Resisting Assimilation'' Brooklyn : Soft Skull Press : Distributed by Publishers Group West, 2004. {{ISBN|9781593761950}}, {{OCLC|182552895}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=That's revolting! : queer strategies for resisting assimilation|date=2004|publisher=Soft Skull Press|others=Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein.|isbn=1932360565|location=Brooklyn|oclc=56367271}}</ref>
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| *''Dangerous Families: Queer Writing on Surviving'' (2004)<ref>{{Cite book|title=Dangerous families : queer writing on surviving|date=2004|publisher=Harrington Park Press|others=Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein.|isbn=1560234210|location=New York|oclc=51969191}}</ref>
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| *''Tricks and Treats: Sex Workers Write About Their Clients'' New York : Haworth Press, 2000. {{ISBN|9780789007032}}, {{OCLC|1013296341}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Tricks and treats : sex workers write about their clients|date=2000|publisher=Harrington Park Press|others=Sycamore, Matt Bernstein.|isbn=0789007037|location=New York|oclc=42786270}}</ref>
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| ==Filmography==
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| *''All That Sheltering Emptiness'' (2010), 16mm, 7 mins<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cfmdc.org/film/3562|title=Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre|website=www.cfmdc.org|access-date=2018-10-18}}</ref>
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| == References == | |
| {{reflist|2}} | |
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| ==External links==
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| *{{official|http://www.mattildabernsteinsycamore.com}}
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| *[http://www.citylights.com/resources/download.cfm?GCOI=87286100861180&thefile=An_Interview_With_Mattilda_Bernstein_Sycamore.pdf An interview with Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore, August 2008]
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| *[http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/22/does_opposing_dont_ask_dont_tell Does Opposing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Bolster US Militarism?] – video debate by ''[[Democracy Now!]]''
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| *''New York Journal of Books'' review of 2013 title, [http://nyjournalofbooks.com/review/end-san-francisco ''The End of San Francisco'']
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| *[http://www.brooklynrail.org/2014/02/books/the-brutality-of-believing-mattilda-bernstein-sycamore-in-conversation-with-kathleen-rooney The Brutality of Believing: Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore in Conversation with Kathleen Rooney. Brooklyn Rail, February 2014]
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| {{Authority control}}
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| | [[Category:Genderqueer people]] |
| | [[Category:Authors]] |
| | [[Category:Activists]] |
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein}} | | {{DEFAULTSORT:Sycamore, Mattilda Bernstein}} |
| [[Category:American activists]]
| | {{en-WP attribution notice}} |
| [[Category:American feminists]]
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| [[Category:Genderqueer people]]
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| [[Category:LGBT writers from the United States]]
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| [[Category:Transgender and transsexual writers]]
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| [[Category:Living people]]
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| [[Category:Queer feminists]]
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| [[Category:Queer writers]]
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| [[Category:Transfeminists]]
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| [[Category:Anarcha-feminists]]
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| [[Category:American anarchists]]
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| [[Category:Postmodern feminists]]
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| [[Category:Lambda Literary Award winners]]
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| [[Category:Non-binary writers]]
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| [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
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| [[Category:20th-century American writers]]
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| [[Category:21st-century American novelists]]
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| [[Category:LGBT people from Washington, D.C.]]
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| [[Category:People from Rockville, Maryland]]
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| [[Category:Transgender and transsexual Jews]]
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| [[Category:LGBT memoirists]]
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| [[Category:Writers from Washington, D.C.]]
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