Help Khôra Martel Rebuild Their Life

Hello,

My name is Khôra Martel. I am a trans academic and writer, formerly a lecturer in world religions at the University of Tennessee. On April 5th, 2024, I announced to my department my intention to begin transitioning to life as a woman/transfeminine person. Just over a month later, on May 15th, my contract was abruptly non-renewed without any explanation. No senior faculty were informed, including the associate head of the department. Despite extensive inquiries, nobody, including several offices of investigation, can find a reason for my non-renewal.

This sudden dismissal has left me and many others at the university believing that the decision was a direct result of my gender identity and my choice to live openly and authentically as a trans person. This unjust treatment has turned my, my partner Margo's, and her mother Lissa's lives, upside down.

I have consistently received excellent teaching and peer reviews, maintained a substantial research output, and had good relationships within my department and with my students. Yet, the formal email notification was simply a copy-pasted form letter and a link to a suicide hotline. No grievances, issues, or complaints were at any point presented to me. When pressed for details on the phone, the head of the department told me that a decision from higher up had been made, refused to elaborate further, refused to acknowledge that this process violated departmental bylaws, and simply hung up the phone.

Two days later, my exact job, copy-pasted from a year before when I successfully applied for the position, was posted online, further indicating that this was a personal, political, rather than administrative, academic, or financial decision.

This has left me and my family in a dire situation, both financially and emotionally.

I am reaching out to you for help. I have a partner who earns very little and a toddler, Olly, who depends on me to keep him healthy and happy. We have accumulated significant pandemic-era debt, and the unexpected loss of my job has made our situation even more precarious. Based on informal assurances that my position was secure for at least five years, we made financial and personal commitments that make it impossible for us to move back to Chicago, where we have a broader support network and more job opportunities.

I am requesting as close to $14,000 as possible, which would cover four months of our essential expenses (fundraising goal is double this, but for technical reasons). Despite holding two PhDs, I am currently supplementing our income with minimum wage jobs because there are no other teaching opportunities in Knoxville that offer the stability we need (and those that do exist are, well, minimum wage). I have already reached out to several mutual aid organizations to supplement this request for funding.

This projection of four months provides adequate time to find sustainable employment in what I will charitably characterize as a poor academic and para-academic job market. Given that hiring season for such positions does not, again, begin for quite a few months, this seems a reasonable timeline for stabilization.

I am terrified of losing our car, which is essential for getting around Knoxville, being forced to file for bankruptcy, or finding that CPS has decided we are unfit to provide for our son, Olly.

In times of crisis, the power of mutual aid becomes evident. It reminds us that we are not alone, and through the collective support of our communities, we can overcome even the most challenging circumstances. Your generosity is not just a donation; it is a lifeline, a beacon of hope, and a testament to the strength of class solidarity to overcome violence, hatred, transmisogyny, and authoritarianism.

Any amount you can contribute will make a huge difference in our lives. Your support will help us stay afloat while I continue to search for stable employment and rebuild our future. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your kindness and generosity.

In solidarity,

Khôra Martel

www.khoramartel.me