KCU Pitchfest Showcase 2025 (Top 50)

If Not For You

Aubrey is afraid to come out as a trans girl, and she is living under her deadname, Ray. School would be unbearable without her friend Brian, a brilliantly insightful mess who avoids talking about himself like his life depends on it. They create safe spaces for themselves within the vast wilds surrounding their suffocating small town. Facing bullies and abusive parents, Aubrey acts out while Brian shrinks. If outed to his bi-phobic father, Brian could lose lifesaving health insurance. Brian fails to understand Aubrey when she first tries to come out, but realizes the pain he’s caused. He resolves to prove that he’s ready to support Aubrey no matter what, even though it means leaving behind his furtive nature that he’s relied on to survive.

My Why:

My drive to write IF NOT FOR YOU has roots in my lifelong struggle with internalized bi-erasure, and also in my love for rural queer communities that are so often treated as invisible. Bi+ characters in the lead of this story share a mutually affirming relationship, even as oppressive silences cut through their lives. As a cis writer, I have taken great care in representing Aubrey, working from research, personal relationships, and professional advice. I set this story in Tennessee in years leading up to the 2023 ban on gender-affirming care for youth, now being challenged in the supreme court. I chose to imagine queer and trans young people in Tennessee as champions of their own story, with a deep sense of power and belonging in the land.