Elior

Elior Sterling (he/him/his)

Elior Sterling is a 51-year-old, white, Jewish, transgender man. He is an activist and a writer who “feels a lot more comfortable to be creating a story where we already have one ‘happy ending’ as a model, so the character who is dealing with their own challenges has something to hang his optimism on. As an activist whose been feeling pretty burnt out for a few years now, this fictional exploration can also be a chance to remember positive lessons I've learned along the way.” You can read Elior’s writing on his webpage, The Crows’ World. Elior has been regularly visiting Walla Walla, WA, where his son and grandchild live, since 2011. In 2018, he moved to Walla Walla full time to help take care of his grandchildren. Here, he talks about his coming out experiences, his family relationships, seeking and building a supportive community for himself and others in Walla Walla and beyond, and his ongoing activism.  

---

Audio Stories | Transcripts

1. Moving Beyond Isolation (community, online, support, travel, religion/spirituality)

2. Writing (creativity, support)

3. Walla Walla WA (activism, children, family, parents, travel, urban-rural movements)

4. Home Base (children, family, rural life, support)

5. Realizing (adolescence, coming out, community, gender identity, identity realizations, parents)

6. Trans Documentary (identity realizations, representation, repression, sex-gender, sexuality)

7. Mom (gender ideals, parents, repression, transition stories)

8. My Kids (children, coming out, parents, support)

9. Finding Community (community, pandemic, religion/spirituality, rural life, support)

10. Coming Out (affirmation, community, friends, gender identity, religion/spirituality, support)

11. Being Older, Coming Out (aging, coming out, life course)

12. Health Care (medical transition, trans support groups)

13. Gender care (community, friends, medical transition, online, rural life)

14. Activism (activism, community, creativity, online, rural life)

15. Involvement (activism, lgbtq groups, religion/spirituality)

16. Ingersoll (community, gender identity, medical transtion, support, trans groups)

17. Safety In Walla Walla (anxiety, children, family, religion/spirituality, rural life, survival)

18. Accepting My Transness (gender ideals, gender identity, medical transition, represession)

19. A Real Trans Person (gender ideals, gender identity, medical transition, mental health)

20. Medicalization & Gender Norms (gender expression, gender ideals, gender identity)

21. Community Guest (community, gender ideals, gender identity)

22. Journey to Trans (gender ideals, gender identity, trans joy, trans thriving, unlearning gender)

23. Supportive Kids (children, family, gender identity, support)

24. Pampa/Dad (children, family, support)

25. Aging (aging, family)

26. Joy (medical transition, trans joy, trans thriving)

27. Dating (anxiety, gender expression, gender ideals)

28. Makeup & Dresses (gender expression)

29. Walking at Night (rural life, safety)

30. Rural Living (community, rural life)

31. Visibility (Aging, safety, stealth)

32. Queer Rurality (community, rural life)

---

We want to hear about your reactions to the stories! We want to hear from everyone, but are especially interested in responses from trans and queer folks. In the Comments section below, tell us a bit about yourself (whatever you are comfortable sharing, such as your age, gender, sexuality, where you live, etc.), what the storyteller shared, and how it resonated with you. Comments are moderated and are posted once approved.