Name Kit Yan | ||
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3rd gender kit yan at uvm
Kit Yan is a queer, transgender, Asian American slam poet.
Contents
I am trans people speak kit yan
Life and career
Yan was born in Yenping China and moved to Hawai'i as an infant. Raised on the island of Oahu until he was 18 years old, he moved to attend Babson College, graduating in 2006. Influenced by the tradition of the "talk story" growing up in Hawai'i, he began taking courses in poetry at Babson with English professor Mary Pinard. He began performing on campus, reciting poetry that addressed the themes of gender and sexuality.
Yan's first solo slam poetry show Queer Heartache premiered at the International Chicago Fringe Theater Festival in 2015 to positive reviews and top honors receiving the "Audience Choice," "Artists' Pick," and "Spirit of Fringe" awards.
Yan was featured in a series about trans people through GLAAD in 2012, called Trans People Speak.
Yan started touring with Melissa Li as the Good Asian Drivers in 2008.
Yan spoke at the National Equality March in 2009. He has headlined at the True Colors Youth Conference, the New England People of Color Conference and the Brooklyn Museum.
Yan won the first annual Mr. Transman competition in 2010. In 2015, he won three awards at the Chicago Fringe Festival: the Audience Choice, Artist's Pick, and Spirit of Fringe Awards. His poetry has been reviewed in New York Magazine, Bitch, Curve, and Hyphen, as well as featured in the anthologies Flicker and Spark, Glitter and Grit, and Troubling the Line. He has a forthcoming book from TransGenre Press.