The Mountain Orange Project
The Backstory
Hi. My name is Luna. I’m a lesbian, transgender woman. But this story – this request – isn’t really about me. It’s about all of us, and everyone who will come after us.
On Sunday, March 19, 2023, I met this beautiful trans woman from Barbados online. She hadn’t chosen her new name yet, but we quickly ended up talking and just generally ended up friends. She was just incredible – a really wonderful person. She told me about she made her own mochas, and she sent me this seven-page long story. Her story. Her struggles and low points and high points and just what made her, her. All the history that made her into the wonderful person she was.
Three hours after I met her, she told me she was going to kill herself. I’ll never truly understand what made attempt suicide right then, but I was moved. I’d read her story, the suicidal ideation she struggled with, her tendency towards self-harm, her transphobic parents and even the society she lived in, the country of Barbados, was hostile towards transgender people especially. I felt like I knew her, even though I had only known her for a few hours. I will remember her. I’ll always remember her, the real her. Thank God, her attempt failed. But I still chose to start this project. Her username on discord is “moutainorange” – that’s where I got the name for this project.
I realized that I want to remember more than just her. There are so many people like her out there, who are struggling and alone and don’t have anyone to help them. That’s what the Mountain Orange Project is for – I want to record the stories of every LGBTQIA+ person I can, but especially those who are transgender. Especially in the wake of the rising tide of resentment and hatred towards transgender people here in America, I want to form a bastion. We will not be erased. Our stories will live on.
Everyone deserves to be remembered.
Your story can be as long as you want. It can be a single sentence; it can be a novel. It can be poetry or prose or art. Let’s create a record of all the beauty that is being erased, all these people who aren’t truly known.
Together.
How It Works
Currently our submissions form is a Google form, accessible at the top of the page. You can answer a few questions and submit your story there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Do I have to include a name with my story?
A. No, you can choose to remain anonymous or use a pseudonym or a fake name.
​
Q. Do you collect any of my information?
A. No, the only information we get is what you type into the box. Nothing else. We don't collect your email or any other sensitive information, as long as you don't actively submit it.
​
Q. Does my story have to be made public?
A. No. In the form there is an option to keep your story private, though still held in the library. We suggest that if you choose this option, you save a version of it for yourself - once you hit submit, it's locked in forever.
​
Q. Can I take a story down?
A. Currently we have no way to validate people's stories, and as such we have no way to ensure the validity of somebody attempting to take down a story. We're looking into ways to change this, though.
​
For any other questions, you can reach out to us at: mountainorangeproject@gmail.com
Our Roadmap
Our current plans for expansion include:
​
​
A way for contributors to upload directly to the site.
​
Finding volunteers - I'm only one person, after all.
​
Adding more customizability to submissions.
​
​
If you have any ideas, questions, or suggestions, feel free to contact us!
Our updates!!
> We have 30 stories collected!!
​
> We've found a working solution to display the stories until we can get it on this website. More news coming!
​
> Our WordPress is officially live! You can view our stories now!!!
Contact Us
mountainorangeproject@gmail.com
This is the fastest way to contact us.
​
You can also contact us via any form of social media we are active on, all of which can be accessed through this site or through our Linktree. Responses may be slower there, though.