life
Our People: Smote Mote
People, pets, books, arts and plants are some of the aspects that make up the Raleigh LGBTQ Center librarian BY L’MONIQUE KING Qnotes Staff WRITER
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here’s a two-story house with a teal-colored front door and finished basement located in Raleigh, N.C. Its occupants are a quirky bunch of queer folks who enjoy each other and living life to its fullest. One of those people is a creative artist and librarian named Smote Mote (they/them). In 2017 Smote’s partner found a job in Raleigh, prompting them both to relocate from Kent, Ohio to Raleigh, a place that Mote always thought of as a second home. During Mote’s youth, almost every summer was spent on a fun-filled family vacation to Raleigh. With pleasant childhood memories in toe and warmer weather to look forward to, the decision to buy a home in Raleigh wasn’t a difficult one to make. Recently, from their home office that doubles as an arts studio, Mote shared with qnotes a little bit about what it means to be them. Smote is an interesting name. Is it your given name? It is not my birth name, but it is my name. I want to discuss it, but every time it comes up, it makes me feel uncomfortable. I always hate when I’m asked for my name. I love my name, but it comes with the complication of having to explain it every single time, and I don’t like having to justify my name being chosen versus being given. Additionally, I don’t think people think about the fact that asking someone those questions can bring up trauma, because now someone’s thinking about their family [issues connected to a previous name] and those feelings might be negative. It’s one of those things that queer people have to navigate. I don’t think it happens as much with cis people. You mentioned the naming issue not being something cis people have to deal with? How do you identify? I usually say queer. When I’m asked to be more specific, I am non-binary, asexual and polyamorous. For me, my [three] partners are people I enjoy spending time with and want to be around. We live together
and spend time very outdated. together. We’re It took us about basically no difa year to figure ferent than any out what we other relationship. would keep and Not all relationwhat we would ships have to be donate. During built on sexual our “Out! Raleigh intimacy. There Pride” fundraisare five types of ing event that attraction: sexual, happens in June, romantic, physithe library always cal, emotional and has a booth aesthetic. I view where we talk people very much about the library in the same way and sign people I view beautiful up for cards. At art. I don’t want that event, we reto sleep with the home books from art, I just want to our collection. experience it. What do you enWhat kind of art joy most about do you create? working for an Renaissance individual: Smote Mote is a multiI don’t have a LGBTQ library? disciplinary artist and serves as librarian at the definitive style. Honestly, my Raleigh LGBTQ Center. I’m a multi-disfavorite thing to ciplinary artist. do is introduce I do traditional books to people printmaking, digital art and photography. that represent them. Books where they I make merch (stickers, bookmarks, etc.), could see themselves in the characters, in sculptures, art books and I love painting the story and not just fiction but in nonin acrylic and watercolor. I also just profiction as well. The ability to help someone duced my first enamel pin. I love and find them a piece of media that they exploring and experimenting. connect with is just the best feeling. But you’re a librarian? Did you go to When you’re working for one of the school for art or library sciences? libraries or making art, what are you Both. I have a B.A. in digital communimost likely doing? cations design, a B.F.A in fine art printmakOnce I wind down, I love cooking. And I ing and a master’s in library and info scihave a bunch of plants, they’re my babies. I ence. Currently, I’m working for Wake Tech also take care of my axolotls. Community College’s Perry Health Sciences What’s an axolotl? Library as a library technical assistant. They are a type of fully aquatic salaTell us about your association with the mander that never leaves its larval stage. LGBTQ Center of Raleigh. They never come up on land, they keep I have been working there since 2017 their gills and stay in water their whole life. when we arrived in Raleigh. I started as North Carolina actually has a native salaan intern. When the librarian left, I took mander that exhibits the same traits. over for her. My co-librarian Brittany and I Sounds like a full and happy life. Is worked very hard to bring the library more there anything that unnerves or infuriup to date with what represented our ates you? community. A lot of the library’s founda[Without hesitation] Raleigh drivers! tion was based on people donating books. [Chuckles] every single person in this area Many of the books fit into the category needs to go back to driving school. I don’t of cis gay or cis lesbian romance. It was think anyone here knows what a turn
signal is or what to do when they see an emergency vehicle. It’s my daily complaint. Do you have a favorite book? You can’t ask a librarian that! That’s just rude [bursts into laughter]. Ok, so how about a book recommendation for parents of trans or nonbinary children? Absolutely. There are a few, but I’d start with “Beyond The Gender Binary” by Alok Vaid-Menon, “A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns” by Archie Bongiovanni & Tristan Jimerson and “The Reflective Workbook for Parents and Families of Transgender and Non-Binary Children” by D.M. Maynard. Speaking of binary issues. What are your thoughts on the recent news of a possible overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision? Not a fan of that. I don’t understand why this is a thing. We have scientifically proven time and time again that denying access to reproductive care only causes harm – more death, more injury, more pain. The fact that the people most impacted by this are the people who basically can’t afford or aren’t in positions to get somewhere safe to have an abortion is infuriating. In light of that frustration many of us share, what makes you smile? Without fail, my cat. He does this little chirp when I call his name. My partner thinks he’s calling my name and every time he does it, it is the most precious thing. He also has 24 toes and I absolutely love him. Most cats have 18 toes. He has seven [each] on the front and five on each back paw. His name is Nimbus. Anything else you’d like people to know about you? I want people to understand that I am not just my identity. While my identity makes me who I am, I very much want to share with people my hobbies and my interests. I want to support my community, but at the same time I think that restricting ourselves to only defining ourselves by our identities is harmful. We’re so much more than that. So, when people interact with me, I want them to see the things that I love first. Any final words for qnotes readers? Drink tea and be queer. : :
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