Katy Lees (they/them)

Queer Minds is a book of interviews with LGBTQ+ individuals worldwide, exploring healing, resistance, creation, and belonging. Topics include queer dreams, how transness and ADHD foster creativity, training as a non-binary therapist, recovery from forced conversion therapy, and much more!

I’d love to hear your opinion of the film - I’ve heard such mixed things!

This February I got to explore (and re-explore) some classics. Carmilla and Gender Trouble were both enjoyable rereads! I also had a lot of fun with the ‘Is this place haunted, or is it the trauma?’ vibes of The Luminous Dead and The Fall of the House of Usher. (The answer, in both cases, is ‘Yes’).

To all my lovely friends out there living in and with oppressed bodies: you’re truly wonderful. Your body is a beautiful body. Natural as the sea, awe-inspiring as a sunset, worthwhile as a garden. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn’t deserve your time or energy.

I get that; it’s scary over here, too. I wrote The Trans Guide about mental health processes that show up at all stages of transition, including when someone isn’t able to access parts of transition safely. I hope you can still find the book useful - you might like the sections about resilience.

Have you had a moment to check in with yourself today? Have you had a drink, eaten something, taken your meds, stretched if your body allows, and spoken kindly to yourself? This is a gentle reminder to do some self-care, because ✨you’re worth it✨
(If this sounds really hard, I’m still proud of you!)

'When others are publicly anti-trans, this is not trans people's fault, and it is definitely not yours.... You don't deserve any hatred for being who you are. It's transphobic people who are wrong, not you!'

- from The Trans Guide to Mental Health and Well-Being.

Finding supportive and helpful mental health resources as someone who is trans and/or non-binary can be really challenging. I genuinely hope that my books can offer some of that support for you. You absolutely deserve to be recognised and understood fully.

"Fall in Love, Not in Line!" Painted on a wall with red spray paint

"Fall in Love, Not in Line!"
Seen in Prince George, British Columbia

It's worth noting that this was also a pretext to open up new services designed and run by people who push an unproven pseudoscientific "Gender Exploratory Therapy" model that has been likened to conversion therapy by international experts.

If you're having a tough day today, I want you to remember that you're absolutely amazing. Keep going, my lovely!

a black and white drawing of a cartoon character with headphones on a white background . ALT: a black and white drawing of a cartoon character with headphones on a white background .

Yes I too had extremely normal feelings about Iron Lung

If you’ve ever felt like your story didn’t fit in, or wondered how others navigate life as their authentic selves, Queer Minds is a book for you.

Donate to Help Us Fight Institutional Racism in Psychotherapy Training, organized by Eiman Hussein We are a group of five psychological therapists, researchers,… Eiman Hussein needs your support for Help Us Fight Institutional Racism in Psychotherapy Training

www.gofundme.com/f/challenge-...

If the world feels especially raw; if the images and language of the evidence are both personally triggering and globally awful, and it seems to be getting worse; if you know you need to do something but nothing seems like enough - I’m with you. Let’s keep ending the systems that created this mess.

I kicked off 2026 with some fantastic books! I particularly loved diving into Piranesi by Susanna Clarke; it’s a brilliant adventure, and the main character is great company. I also found myself exploring books about different kinds of grief this January, which was (maybe surprisingly) comforting.

A letter from esse house to a community member, to whom we have provided an accessible toilet key. "This program was designed to remove barriers by ensuring everyone can safely use facilities with dignity and confidence without compromising their identity, wherever they are. Carry a key with you everywhere - it opens up a network of accessible toilets, giving you peace of mind wherever you go." The key is attached to the letter.

Are you Non-Binary and sick of being forced into explicitly gendered spaces?

Trans, and want a way to avoid issues at work, or have a safety net in case you are in a hostile situation?

We have an imperfect solution that could make your life easier:

www.essehouse.co.uk/pee-in-peace-program

Damn it, *in honour

Had an actual scream today in order of my Cassandra complex so I really hear you

As well as a couple of non-fiction projects that I have in the works, one of my plans for this year is to noodle about with some fiction. I’m looking forward to flexing my writing muscles in different ways this year, and I’ve been excited to write the story that I have in mind for a long time!

Mutual Aid by Dean Spade is free on Libro for the next week (until 2/2). 

We know that books can't fix everything, but they can help us show up for and strengthen our communities. Our employee book club read this last year, leading to a great discussion. We hope that it helps others do the same 💗 ⏬

Take a quiet moment with me and enjoy a few deep breaths with the waves 💙

Stop Sex Matters infiltrating the Council of Europe In just one week, the Council of Europe will be voting to ban conversion therapy. This would be an incredibly important step to stop the rollback in the rights of LGBTQ+ people. But Sex Matters is inf...

I've just used Good Law Project's tool to email MPs on the Council of Europe and let them know they don’t have to bend down to Sex Matter’s transphobic threats.
The more they hear from us, the harder it’ll be for them to ignore us. goodlaw.social/9f10d1

URGENT 🚨 We have just one week to stop Sex Matters infiltrating a vote to ban conversion therapy.

We must stop them. Use our tool and tell the MPs to stand up for what's right ✊
https://goodlaw.social/945cd5

Hello, 2026! I am Katy Lees (they/them), and I’m a queer, non-binary author and psychotherapist.

You might know me from my books Queer Minds and The Trans Guide to Mental Health and Well-Being, both full of practical advice and insights for LGBTQ+ folks navigating mental health and neurodivergence.

Hello again 💙

I hope you’re enjoying it! 🌈

AAAAAAAHH

“Be kind, be involved, believe in your art,” he said. “At a time when people tell you art is not important, that is always the prelude to fascism. When they tell you it doesn’t matter, when they tell you a fucking app can do art you say, if it’s that important, why the fuck do they want it so bad? The answer is because they think they can debase everything that makes us a little better, a little more human. And that, in my book, and in my life, includes monsters.”

Love this from Guillermo del Toro

They work for me as a short person 😂