When \;Putsata Reang \;was eight years old\, she didn&rsquo\;t unders tand why her skin was brown when almost all of her classmates&rsquo\; skin was white. So she put an eraser to her arm and began to rub\, hoping to b ecome white. A decade later\, feeling disoriented by the dawning realizati on that she is gay\, Putsata put a razor to her wrist. But ultimately she was too ashamed to end her own life. That&rsquo\;s because when she was a baby\, and her family fled war in her native Cambodia\, her mother had sav ed her life.
\nToday\, an increasing number of Americans like Putsat a are at risk of erasure because of external forces such as anti-LGBTQ+ le gislation\, and internal forces\, such as shame and discrimination. Putsat a discusses the dangers of dwelling on differences and encourages audience s to share their personal stories as an antidote to erasure. \;
\n< p>About the presenter: Putsata \;Reang \;(she/her) is an author an d journalist whose debut memoir\, \;Ma and Me\, was awarded t he 2023 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association prize for nonfiction and was recognized as a finalist for the 2023 Lambda Literary Award. Her \;writing has appeared in publications including the \;New York Ti mes\, \;Ms. \;magazine\, \;Politico\, and \;The G uardian. Reang has held several prestigious residencies and was a fel low of the Jack Straw Writers program and Alicia Patterson Foundation for journalists.\nReang lives in Seattle.
\nThis event is made po ssible by the \;Humanities WA Speakers Bureau \;and in partnership with&n bsp\;Asians for Collective Liberation. \;
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