I want to make one thing very clear because when the Adam Gaffen scandal happened, some transphobic people tried to blame trans people for what Adam had done. They equated all the lying and catfishing Adam had done with trans women writing sapphic fiction, and I strongly resent and reject that notion.
To the best of our knowledge, neither Adam nor Sean are trans.
We’ve combed all of Sean’s social media, and nothing points to him being anything but a cis man who deceived everyone about his identity by posting photos of a woman, claiming to be her. (By the way, I’m using he/him pronouns for Sean because that’s what he’s doing in his social media and blog).
In fact, in one of his blog posts, he makes a comment that is both misogynist and transphobic, so if he were trans, that would mean he has a lot of internalized transphobia to work through.
Of course, we can’t rule it out entirely. Only Sean can know for sure. Whether or not Sean is trans isn’t the issue, though.
The trans women who are part of our community as writers and readers are not deceiving anyone. They don’t claim to be women; they are women. For some, it might not be safe to be fully out, but none of them go around posting pictures of someone else and claiming that this is them. They live their lives as authentically as is possible while still trying to stay safe.
If Sean were trans, he would have every right to write sapphic fiction under a female pen name and to interact with people as a woman.
If he were struggling with his gender identity, I would have supported using his writing as a tool to explore it. I have friends who only through writing sapphic fiction came to understand that they are not as straight or not as cis as they assumed themselves to be. I think a lot of writers can empathize with that. My writing certainly helped me understand my own identity as a queer woman better too.
So I wholeheartedly embrace anyone who wants to write sapphic fiction, may they be straight or queer, cis or trans, male or female or nonbinary. I don’t want to gatekeep who gets to write sapphic fiction. I want the doors wide open and support everyone who loves sapphic fiction.
The only people I want to keep out are those preying on the community, those who think it’s fun to play games with people and build friendships based on lies and deception.
What Sean did went way beyond a writer possibly exploring their gender through their writing or their pen name. Sabrina lied about everything, not just their gender. Their age. Where they live. Their girlfriend. When photos were taken and by whom. If Sean were trans, he would be a mid-fifties trans woman from Arizona. But he interacted as a 30-year-old woman living in Carlsbad. It was all one big fabrication, and that’s the issue.
So please, don’t add more harm to the community by trying to turn this into a trans issue. It’s not.
The issue isn’t an author’s gender; it’s their harmful behavior—lying and deceiving people for years, undermining the trust within our community.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. Thank you for participating! Mallori N is the winner of my bonus giveaway and has been contacted by email. Congrats!
Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!
Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).
There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/17 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.
Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!
Karen hiking in Zion National Park, 2023
Hi! My name is Karen Barnett.
I’m a former park ranger, a nature nut, and a total history geek, and I like to write historical fiction that sweeps you off into national park adventures without ever leaving your home. You can learn more about me and my books here on mysite and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. With eight novels under my belt (four set in our national parks), I’m excited to announce that I have a new book releasing this August! My upcoming release is a dual-timeline story—WhereTreesTouch theSky: A Redwood National Park Novel.
Here’s what it’s about:
In the early 1920s, the accelerating destruction of the California redwoods is more than Marion can bear. Throwing herself headlong into the work of the Save the Redwoods League, she is shocked to learn that the man she’s grown to love is the son of one of the area’s worst timber barons. Though devastated by the betrayal, she realizes this could also be an opportunity–if only she can convince him to help preserve her favorite grove from his father’s grasp.
Nearly fifty years later, in 1972, polio survivor June Turner is deeply proud of the legacy her great aunt Marion has left as a redwood warrior. And despite her disability, June is determined to prove herself capable as a ranger at the recently established Redwood National Park. When aspiring film student Adam Garner approaches June to help make a documentary about Marion’s life, she swiftly grabs the opportunity to spread her aunt’s worthy reputation. That is, until they unearth a secret that might shatter the family legacy.
My adult daughter in the redwoods
If you’ve had the opportunity to visit the California redwoods, you know how life-changing an experience it can be—the beauty, the size, and the age of these trees quickly put our everyday concerns into perspective. But if you haven’t been there, here are a few things these incredible giants can teach us.
WHAT REDWOODS CAN TEACH US ABOUT LIFE, FRIENDSHIP, AND FAITH
You’re probably familiar with the expression, “You can’t see the forest for the trees.” When one visits the redwoods, it’s easy to get swept up in looking at individual trees. My daughter and I spent an entire hike pointing them out to each other. (“Look at this one. No, wait, how about THAT ONE?!”) And though each tree is marvelously unique, their mighty strength comes from the forest around them.
A coastal redwood’s size is mind-boggling. The tallest on record measured over 380 feet tall (116 meters)—that’s higher than a 30-story building. You would think a tree this large would need roots that dig nearly that deep into the earth just to keep from toppling over in a light breeze.
Would it surprise you to learn that redwoods have relatively shallow root systems?
How does a tree that’s significantly taller than the Statue of Liberty keep from getting blown over in storms?
Instead of reaching deep into the soil, each redwood tree extends its roots outward and intertwines with the roots of its neighbors. The trees support one another, deriving their strength and stability from those around them. A single redwood tree would be vulnerable to life’s storms and floods, but by living in community, they are strong.
I tend to struggle with self-sufficiency and pride, finding it difficult to rely on others for anything. I want to be like a redwood, admired for my strength. But God also designed me to live in a community—my family, church, friends, and neighbors. As much as I try to serve those around me, there are also times when I need to rely on others to hold me strong and accountable when the storms of life are trying to knock me flat.
Galatians 6:2-3 reads, “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.”
Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
So I hope you’re living like a redwood–sharing God’s strength with those around you and learning to accept their help in return.
Here’s the Stop #24 Basics:
The release date will come fast, so, I encourage you to pre-order Where Trees Touch the Sky on Amazon, Barnes &Noble, Baker BookHouse, or at your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: choose
Link to Stop #25: the next stop on the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt is T.I. Lowe’s site!
But wait! Before you go, I’m giving away an additional book to one entrant—the winner can choose any one of my books (even the new one if you’re willing to wait until August). All you have to do to enter my giveaway is sign up to receive my COMPASS CLUB newsletter (top right of this page) and then let me know in the comments below that you’re a subscriber. [Current subscribers can note that in the comments]. And to make this even more fun, while you’re commenting about being a subscriber, tell everyone which national park you dream of visiting! [This paperback giveaway is open to US addresses, only. For international winners, I can arrange to send you an ebook. The giveaway begins on 3/14/2024 at 12:01 am Mountain, and I’ll accept entries through 3/18/2024 at 12:01 am Mountain. The winner will be announced on March 22, 2024.] THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU!
Thanks for stopping by, and Happy Scavenger Hunting!
