In celebration of Pride Month, each Friday in June we’re re-sharing our favorite episodes featuring LGBTQ+ voices from the Wildfire community.

Ash Davidson was diagnosed with breast cancer at 42, a diagnosis discovered during gender-affirming surgery. In this episode, Ash reads his essay, “Longing to Belong,” from Wildfire Journal’s 2024 “Queer In Cancerland” issue. His story explores the unique challenges of navigating cancer as a trans man within a medical system that often overlooks the diverse experiences and identities that make up the cancer community.

April and Ash discuss what it has been like to share his story repeatedly, building and finding queer support in cancer spaces, and the desire to advocate for greater inclusion within the cancer community. They also reflect on their relationships with scars, feeling unsafe in one’s body, and navigating intimacy after breast cancer.

More about Ash: https://www.instagram.com/transashtoning/

Continue exploring stories from Wildfire Journal’s “Queer in Cancerland” issue with Slowing Down to Write One Moment, featuring Dawn Amodeo: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/a082c76d-bd6e-4345-adc5-2b3ac29af98f/

Purchase the “Queer In Cancerland” issue of Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/shop/p/queerincancerland24

Buy the Wildfire book Igniting the Fire Within: Stories of Healing, Hope & Humor, Inside Today’s Young Breast Cancer Community: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BJVJ629F?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Get the free Wildfire “Hot Flashes” email newsletter: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/newsletter?rq=newsletter

Learn about Wildfire writing workshops: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/workshops

*Free* Get Wildfire and The Burn freebies here: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/free

More about Wildfire Journal: 

https://www.wildfirecommunity.org

https://www.instagram.com/wildfire_bc_magazine/

https://www.facebook.com/wildfirecommunity

Information on submitting your story for consideration to be published in Wildfire Journal: https://www.wildfirecommunity.org/submissions