Kir's Story
Kir O'Hanlon is a writer, a certified sexual assault counselor and a longtime advocate whose work is grounded in lived experience.
Kir O'Hanlon
Since 2018, Kir has been actively involved in anti-trafficking efforts as a direct result of their own history in the commercial sex industry. Their advocacy has spanned a wide spectrum—from providing direct services and street outreach to conducting research on the long-term impact of commercial sexual exploitation and leading trainings for professionals, educators, and community groups.
Kir is the author of Paying For It, a debut novel slated for release in Fall 2025. The novel is a raw and psychologically intimate exploration of a young woman living a double life—college student by day, escort by night. Much of the book was written while Kir was living the reality it portrays—first as a way to survive, and later as a means of shifting the cultural narrative surrounding commercial sex. The work began in the margins of lived experience and was shaped further during Kir’s time in the MFA program at Hunter College.
A firm believer in the power of storytelling to drive social change, Kir seeks to occupy the space between art and justice, using fiction to illuminate hidden truths and challenge dominant paradigms. As a transmasculine writer in recovery and someone living with schizoaffective disorder, Kir brings a layered, deeply personal perspective to everything they create. These facets of their identity—while often stigmatized—are also sources of strength, empathy, and insight, enriching both their advocacy and creative work.
Kir’s voice is unflinching, urgent, and human. Through writing and activism, they continue to make space for the stories that too often go unheard.