“If I had been born during any other era, my story would be different. The world would not be ready to understand with open hearts or minds. To this day, many still choose not to. But whether they choose ignorance or empathy is up to them. My story will still be here; it will never be erased. It begins and remains with a revelation: All of who I am lies on a continuum.”
What a short but impactful read! All cards on the table, I hadn’t heard about Chella before reading this story but I am so inspired by his journey. Discussing his identity that is not only shaped by being genderqueer but also Jewish and Chinese as well as Deaf and pansexual, the intersectionality of it all truly blew me away. Not to mention how he put a spotlight on the fact that his story would be different if he were born in a different era— it shows how far we’ve come but how far we still have to go in terms of equality on all eras of identity.
Chella paints an incredibly picture of how he came from his beginnings in Pennsylvania to live in New York City, finally feeling like diversity was no longer something to be hidden but something to be celebrated. I felt my heart break when Chella spoke of his first crush and how gender dysphoria and transphobia and ableism deeply influenced how he approached relationships and dating because it just goes to show how intricately these stigmatisations and discriminations are embedded in us from a young age on.
Overall though, this is a story of self-love and a celebration of identity and how it’s okay not to have everything about your identity figured out—like Chella so aptly summarises: “All of who I am lies on a continuum” and we decide how this continuum is designed.
Continuum is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 1st 2021.
Will you be picking up Continuum? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Pocket Change Collective was born out of a need for space. Space to think. Space to connect. Space to be yourself. And this is your invitation to join us.
In Continuum, fine artist, activist, and Titans actor Chella Man uses his own experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color to talk about cultivating self-acceptance and acting as one’s own representation.
Pocket Change Collective is a series of small books with big ideas from today’s leading activists and artists.
What constructs in your life must you unlearn to support inclusivity and respect for all? This is a question that artist, actor, and activist Chella Man wrestles with in this powerful and honest essay. A story of coping and resilience, Chella journeys through his experiences as a deaf, transgender, genderqueer, Jewish person of color, and shows us that identity lies on a continuum — a beautiful, messy, and ever-evolving road of exploration.
