Upcoming Group Meetings
Tennessee Vals Newsletter
July 2000
Upcoming Group Meetings
In This Issue:
Vals' Special Events:
Saturday, September 16th: Nashville Pride March and Rally,
from War Memorial Plaza to Riverfront Park
The
Queens Throne by Marisa Richmond
marisaval@aol.com
Early one morning in late May, I was startled to receive a phone call from a good friend in Maryland. He surprised me even further by telling me that another close friend had died that morning of a stroke. I went into shock, especially since it had barely been two months since I had lost my father. My father, however, was in his seventies and had been fighting cancer for a long time. My friend was only 40 and worked out constantly. You would be hard pressed to find a person in better health. Over the next few days as I recovered from the shock, both before and after I flew to Baltimore for the funeral, I could not help but think about a number of matters related to gender identity. I have known many in our community over the years who have abused their bodies because they were not happy with them. Many have decided to take shortcuts in transitioning that have included black market hormones and silicone injections. Even the most diligent people can lose their health quickly and unexpectedly. If a doctor is not willing to follow legal procedures within their state, you have to question their ethics and motivation. It makes no sense to do something irrational and downright dangerous just to save money or time. Sacrificing good health is not worth whatever savings you may perceive to have gained.
Right about that same time, I received word of the passing of two important figures within the gender community: Lee Brewster of New York and Lee Heller of Jackson, Mississippi. Both made significant contributions over the years in their respective arenas, which makes the fact that they passed away on the exact same day even more ironic. Brewster was a political activist in Manhattan and was the publisher of Drag Magazine and the founder of Lee's Mardi Gras, a specialized boutique in Greenwich Village which supported crossdressers. Although the size 30 dresses or size 15 shoes are a bit out of my range, I had visited the shop during several trips to New York and always found Lee helpful. He was 57 when he died of cancer. Lee Heller, on the other hand, was a retired minister who started the Grace and Lace Letter and then subsequently, The Love Letter. I never had the opportunity to meet Lee, but we have corresponded. We have recommended both of these publications to those struggling to fit gender identity with their Christianity. Lee had cut back considerably over the years due to declining health. Reverend Lee Heller was 82.
Now that I have gotten through the more depressing subjects, it is time I turned to something more positive: Be All.
This year's event was the second
Be All I have attended over the years. While it is not as big as Southern
Comfort (which is coming up fast, people!), it is one of the most successful
and established gender events. I arrived on Wednesday afternoon and quickly
got settled. We began the festivities with a buffet dinner. I found myself
talking to several old friends and meeting some new ones–typical of
any gender convention if you have been attending such events as I have since
1993. After dinner, we went over to Hooters, which was right up the street
from the hotel. There were about 20 of us, with 8 of us in our own Hooters'
outfits. We stole the show that night! The next day, the luncheon featured
a Retro fashion show hosted by Jennifer Marquette. Seven people modeled eleven
different
outfits dating from Antebellum America to Jennifer's
own Jetson's style silvery futuristic outfit. That evening, I stopped by
the NTAC reception before we boarded the bus to Dave and Buster's, for the
mystery dinner theater. My "Daddy", Clarence Johnston of Texas, was one of
the suspects, but fortunately, he was innocent. He introduced me as "the
smart one, on drugs..." And I didn't think they were supposed to expose family
secrets like that!
The next day, Linda Buten gave her assessment of the changes in the gender community during lunch, and then I headed out around town to play tourist. Since I was not scheduled to speak or do any sessions for the first time since 1995, I thought I would use the time to get out and see a little of Cincinnati. That evening, we were entertained by Vicki D'Salle and her blues trio before the costume contest. The latter was won by the Hilliard Cats of Columbus, Ohio. Who are the Hilliard Cats you ask? They were one of the Under 14 girls softball fastpitch teams sharing the hotel with us during the weekend. The girls, along with their female coaches, seemed to have a great time socializing with us although the male coaches were freaking out. That is really too bad. It just goes to show that sometimes, teenagers can be more mature than adults who feel the need to "protect" children. Unfortunately, their "prize" for winning the contest was a bottle of automobile lubricant. Leave it to Jennifer Marquette to give 13 year old girls a bottle of lubricant....
Saturday's
luncheon speaker was the ubiquitous Riki Ann Wilchins. It was reported that
over 160 people went to Washington for the recent lobbying effort. That sounds
good, but if we do not work in our individual communities to elect people
this November who will be gender friendly, then no amount of Congressional
lobbying in the next four years will lead to anything. That evening, the
final banquet featured the Queen City Big Band which entertained with swing
music.
Overall, it was a wonderful experience. The only real negative about the whole trip occurred as I was leaving Ohio. I stopped to fill up my tank and could not help but notice the price was over $2 per gallon. Gasp! Although I have heard such prices existed in various parts of the country, it is the first time I have actually had to pay it myself. In all, the folks at CrossPort and elsewhere around the midwest who run Be All do a pretty good job and organized an excellent convention.
While I was there, I found myself in conversations with a couple of IFGE officials about comments in my May column. I was told that IFGE was not responsible for selecting Trinity Award winners. That is done by a special selection committee. Nonetheless, I still stand by my point that the award winners should be more representative of the community's diversity.
We have come a long way since 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was written and approved by a decidedly narrow group of individuals. The Second Continental Congress had no women, no African Americans, no Native Americans, and no non-Christians. Whether you were Born in the U.S.A. or elsewhere, we must be embrace our diversity in this country. When we do so, we are less likely to create problems for ourselves. Our diversity is what makes us strong both as a unified nation and as a collection of separate communities.
Before I drove to Cincinnati, two very interesting items occurred in my life worth mentioning. In mid-May, I was part of a meeting to organize a new effort called Equality Tennessee. It was a fully inclusive effort. We had people of all genders, ages, classes, and ethnic backgrounds. The biggest concern over inclusion, however, concerned geographic diversity. In a long, narrow, state like Tennessee, we all agreed that we could not let it be seen as a Nashville group. That is what doomed earlier "statewide" efforts. And that is what is hurting our current "national" efforts. If the perception exists that it is geographically unbalanced, then people in the South or West will not get involved.
The other was in response to my review of all the candidates running for President this year. One of them, Vermin Supreme (platform: Mandatory tooth brushings), sent me an e-mail thanking me for the endorsement on my "lovely and inspirational homepage." Although I have not actually endorsed anyone–I was just reviewing all options as a public service–it is nice to know that at least one candidate has read my musings and is supportive. I just feel guilty about having forgotten to take my floss with me to Cincinnati....
...Not Too Blonde by Holly D. Storm stormdp1@aol.com
Whew! What a load off my shoulders! I did it. I finally came out to one of my good friends.
I met my friend Stephanie (a genetic female) for lunch and I was determined to get this little secret of mine of my back and out into the open. Talk about nervous! Sheez; I was a wreck the day before and all that morning.
It was about a month ago in one of Nashville’s fine eateries. We talked about each other’s jobs while watching the Kentucky Derby. The moment was right to open my big yap. First off, I told her that she didn’t know everything about me. I asked her if she had observed any changes in my appearance over the past two years. She said, “No, not really, but I love those eyebrows.” Well Stephanie, I told her “I’m not exactly Straight, I’m gay.” She looked stunned and amazed at the same time. I paused and we both needed a cigarette, so we lit up. “That’s cool, I’m glad you could tell me that,” she compassionately told me.
“That’s not all Steph, I love to look Fabulous whenever I get the chance.” “No way!”, she exclaimed. I responded, “Way!”. “That is so cool, uh, girl!?”, she said. We continued our conversation, and I caught her up to date on my activities as Holly. We talked about shopping and other things that girls talk about *giggle*. She and I plan to hit the malls and shop ‘till we drop.
Later that night, I met some of my Tennessee Val friends for drinks, and they could tell something wonderful had happened to me that day. They were oh so right— something wonderful did occur that day. Holly’s out and lovin’ life! WooHoo!
I told a second friend, Leigh, just last week. She took the news even better! Her smile never flinched and was totally cool with Holly. And then best part: Leigh sells make-up. Can I pick friends or what ?!
Now I chose to come out about my sexual preference first, which was slightly easier than to start out about Holly. Many transgendered people are heterosexual, so the approach I took to come out may not be for everyone. But I think you’ll know when or if the time is ever right to come out.
Note from the Board Chair of the Tennessee Vals
I would like to say “Thanks” to all of the other Board members for their contributions they have made over the past few months. I believe things are only going to get better for the Vals in the next year. Each board member and members who have attended the past few Board meetings have offered up a lot of good advice and are very pro-active. Great activities and opportunities are on the horizon for our organization. Again, thanks to all for your support and I hope to see more members and people who are interested in becoming a member at the next general meeting.
A Blonde, Brunette AND Redhead by Julie Phillips FabulBabe@aol.com
Say My Name, Say My Name, But I Don't Want No Scrubs Calling N Names
With the power vested in me by the great and mighty Revlon, I officially declare 2000 “The Year of The Goofballs”. You can practically hear Katherine Hepburn from On Golden Pond calling for “the loons, the loons”.
Whether the cause is global warming or sunspots (personally, I blame Tae Bo), this seems to be the year that goofballs are running amuck with great aplomb. (You thought that was hard to read, you ought to try typing it with nails!)
Just check out the grocery list of goofballs we‘ve already endured this year: besides John Rocker, Gary Bauer, and that creepy Pets.com sock puppet, we can add trash-talking white-boy rapper Emimem. This newly-crowned goofball has the #1 album in the country this summer and he’s celebrating his success by being arrested for threatening people with a gun in a barfight (I loved the news photos of him in court in handcuffs and a business suit.), as well as threatening another performer with a pistol, and being sued by his mother for defamation of character.
While willy-nilly waving firearms at barflies and associates should be enough to earn anyone the honor of being inducted into my official list of goofballs, that‘s not what has earned him this high and esteemed honor. What elevated him from troublemaker to goofball was his delightful rap songs where he obsesses on killing his wife and bashes gay and transgendered people.
Pour yourself a glass of your
favorite Chardonnay, light some candles, snuggle up in your most comfortable
silk robe, and join me as we bask in the lyric from his snappy little ditty
entitled Criminal: "My words are like a dagger with a jagged
edge/That'll stab you in the head whether you're a fag or a les/Or the homosex,
hermaph or a trans-a-ves/Pants or dress/Hate fags? The answer's yes."
Congratulations Eminem! I crown you my newest “Official Goofball of
he Year 2000“ ! Your plaque and sequined pumps are in the mail.
Well, if there’s room for him on the record chart,
there’s room for me. Look for this CD’s new R&B/Rap/Urban/Hip
Hop CD, hitting stores as soon as I finish my nails. It’s titled
“Say My Name, Say My Name—But Don’t
Call Me Names ‘Cause I Don’t Want No Shady Actin’ Lame
Rappin’ Scrubs like Eminem Talkin’ Trash About Bashing Me! Can
You Dig It? Right On!”
The year is still young, I have more plaques, and I’m keeping my eyes open!
My Closet by Leslie Louise DuPaix lldupaix@hotmail.com
Haiku
In my journal I try hard to understand the flow of my life, especially the interplay between Ms. Leslie and the nice guy I live in. I also try and understand the moment which marks the transition between past and future. One way is to write intensely. ( In my pursuit of “intensity” I tried gripping the ball point pen really hard, and that was of absolutely no help at all. All I did was cramp my fingers, tear holes in the pages and I am sure speed up the onset of carpal tunnel syndrome). I found writing slowly and trying to concentrate and “feel the moment” helped until I could get a flow going, and then I would simply go with the flow. For me this whole long transgender journey has had so many extreme emotions and feelings that I am constantly searching for ways of expressing more of myself than I know how to.
Another way that sometimes works, and is sort of fun, is Haiku. Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry. Poetry in the sense that the poem expresses more than the words by themselves, not in the sense that there need be any rhyming. It is simple to try (but not simple to do well). It also lends itself to doing in English, and two of my kids were exposed to it in elementary school. A haiku is always just three lines. There are 5 syllables in the first line; 7 in the second and 5 in the third. The first line sets the scene. The second tells what is happening and the third gives a reaction. The Japanese of course, having had hundreds of years to perfect this art form have lots and lots of implied rules, but for my purpose, I tend to ignore them. I find that the discipline to find words that have the right number of syllables forces me to really feel the thought I am trying to express, and if I am successful, the end result does a better job of saying what I wanted than if I had written a paragraph. To really do it right, the first line should also suggest the season of the year, as that also can help express a feeling.
The final line which can give a reaction can also be a surprise ending, or take the reader to a sudden shift of thought. It is common for there to be an explanation of the circumstances so that the reader can appreciate “where the poet is coming from.”
An example:
It was winter and we had a snowfall. The woods were beautiful and I was safe and warm in my apartment practicing for a Vals meeting.
The earth dressed in white.
She and I wear our white slips.
Lovely for a while.
The perceptive Val will see that when the snow melts the woods will return to muddy drabness, and the writer also will be beautiful only for a while for s/he will also revert to drab.
I make no claim that I have even begun to do justice to haiku, nor do I claim what I have shared is good haiku. But when I wrote it for myself I felt I had captured what I really felt. How wonderful it feels to be “lovely,” more beautiful than normal, --unusually beautiful if you will--and how bittersweet it is to know that it is only for the briefest period of time, and I was sure the woods and the fields felt the same way.
Left of Center by Pamela
DeGroff
Right before the New Year (turn of the century and/or turn of the Millennium), we were bombarded with doom and gloom predictions of what might happen immediately after midnight on Dec. 31st. About the only thing that did transpire, though, was a small group of people made a lot of money from other folks’ paranoia. As our cities stayed lit, our computers kept working, and the missiles didn't fly, the world breathed a collective sigh of relief and preceded to get on with business as usual.
But what happened to all the doomsayers? What became of all the paramilitary groups ready to wage street battles over food? And what happened to all the ultra conservative, quasi religious groups drooling at the mouth for the start of Armageddon? They're still here, they've just gone back into the woodwork, waiting for the next chance to appear on the scene. And that chance, be it a natural disaster, an economic downturn, or a confrontation of their own making, could have far reaching consequences, considering the weapons some of them have at their disposal.
In the July-August, 1999 edition of a medical journal entitled "Emerging Infectious Diseases", published by the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, GA, there are several articles that address the possibility of bioterrorism in America.
All right, so what does bioterrorism have to do with gender related issues? As long as the mind set exists in certain quarters that says it's permissible to kill it in God's name, then none of us in GLBT community are safe. The brothers Matthew and Tyler Williams tried to use the Bible as their chief defense for the murders of Gay Matson and Winfield Mowder, a gay couple who were attacked and killed in their own home in Happy Valley, CA in September, 1999. There is no shortage of religious bigots who could move to the next step of using weapons of mass killing potential given the chance.
In an article entitled "Aum Shinrikyo: Once and Future Threat?" by Kyle B. Olsen (Research Planning, Inc., Arlington, VA, page 513 of the EID Journal), this Japanese religious/political doomsday cult is discussed at length. (Aum Shinrikyo means Supreme Truth Sect.) On March 20, 1995, members of this group entered the Tokyo subway system and released the deadly nerve agent sarin. Packages consisting of plastic bags filled with the chemicals were wrapped in newspaper and taken on five different trains. The packages were then placed on the floor and punctured with a sharpened umbrella tip, allowing the nerve agent to spill out. As the liquid spread and evaporated, the vaporous agent spread throughout the subway car.
Tokyo has the world's busiest subway system. By days end, fifteen stations were affected. These attacks left 3800 people injured, 1000 of which required hospitalization 12 died.
Aum Shinrikyo's dabbling in toxic substances dates back to 1990 when they actually had a laboratory in place for producing biological agents. They have cultured and experimented with botulin toxin, anthrax, cholera, and Q fever. In 1993, cult leaders and scientists traveled to Zaire, on a supposed medical mission. The real purpose of this trip to Africa, however, was to learn as much as possible, and even bring back, samples of the Ebola virus.
"Millennial visions and apocalyptic scenarios dominate the groups doctrine, evidenced by the prominent role of Nostradamus as a prophet in Aum Shimrikyo teaching," writes Olsen in the article. "...(they) frequently preach about a coming Armageddon...only the followers of Aum Shinrikyo will survive this conflagration."
Aum's ultimate goal that day in March, 1995, was to kill as many police as possible. They had learned of plans by the government to raid their facilities, so this attack was not wanton or irrational. Unable to achieve the political power they desired through legal means, they felt justified to use any means possible. "Aum's actions were perfectly logical within the context of their value system," Olson concludes. "They were a self-legitimized group that had rejected and ultimately felt obligated to confront society."
Even though Aum Shinrikyo is half a world away, we have the same type of religious/political groups here in the United States that pose a threat to our government, and increasingly, to groups that don't fit into their narrow world view of who belongs and who doesn't. Groups such as the GLBT community.
Some of these religious groups have already made their agendas known by use of domestic bioterrorism. In 1984, a religious cult successfully poisoned several salad bars with salmonella in The Dalles, Oregon ("Epidemiology Of Bioterrorism" by Julie A. Pavling, Walter Reed Army Inst. Of Research, page 528 of the EID journal.)
America's religious extremists such as Identity Christians believe that the Book Of Revelation is to be taken literally. In another article in the same Journal, by Jessica Stern, entitled "The Prospect Of Domestic Bioterrorism" (page 517), it's noted that:
"Terrorists hoping to create an aura of divine retribution might be attracted to biological agents. The fifth plague used by God to punish the Pharaoh in the Bible's Book Of Exodus was murrain, a group of cattle diseases that included anthrax. In the fifth chapter of Samuel I, God turned against the Philistines and 'smote them with emerods.' Medical historians consider these 'emerods' a symptom of bubonic plague. Some terrorists may believe they are emulating God by employing these agents."
As the aforementioned salad bar incident in Oregon shows, these groups are potentially dangerous. They often view their victims to be subhuman because they are "outsiders" to the groups religion or race. There is virtually no fear of government or public backlash since their actions are carried out to please God and themselves, instead of a secular constituency.
Two such groups, The Republic of Texas, and The Covenant, The Sword, and The Arm of The Lord (CSA) have drawn attention to themselves during the last decade. Threats were made against President Clinton, Attorney General Janet Reno, and other top officials. "Members are encouraged to act on their own," writes Stern in her article, "minimizing their communication with the leadership of the movement. Timothy McVeigh operated according to this model. His bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building was originally conceived by the CSA, although it is not clear that McVeigh knew of CSA's earlier plot."
Just six weeks after the Aum Shinrikyo attack in Tokyo, and American extremist by the name of Larry Wayne Harris bought three vials of yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes bubonic plague. At that time, no law prohibited any US citizen from legally acquiring the agent, although the law has been tightened up since then.
Harris was later stopped in Las Vegas with eight bags marked "biological" that were supposed to contain military grade anthrax. It was later learned that the anthrax in his possession was a vaccine strain not harmful to humans. Nonetheless, the easy acquisition of such biological agents has sent shock waves of concern through law enforcement and medical communities. This should also cause concern for the GLBT community. By standing up for our rights, by becoming ever more visible and vocal about our concerns, we are becoming bigger and better targets.
Religious based extremists groups tend to be far more common, and far more dangerous, than secular terrorists. After all, they believe they are answerable only to God. Groups such as Identity Christians, believe they will be present for the Apocalypse. Therefore, they have the right to use every and any weapon at their disposal to ensure their survival.
Is it conjecture to draw a parallel between the above mentioned groups and the lone bigot who commits a hate crime? No, not considering that some of these "lone ranger" types have been schooled from sources as diverse as Jerry Falwell, Fred Phelps, and the plethora of Neo-Nazi groups with web sites on the Internet. When hate is mixed with religion, it becomes a powerful drug for those (educated and uneducated alike) who feel they are the long standard bearers of truth; whose narrow concept of God holds no room for diversity.
How do we face these threats? Where do our answers come from? In truth, we are already beginning to answer these and other concerns by our very activism. The Gender community has learned to address our own diversity issues. Granted, we still have work to do, but we are beginning to be aware of our own problems. Because of this, our activism is becoming more focused, more powerful, and is planting the seeds of change. This is part of the foundation we can stand upon to face threats to our community.
The work of other organizations, such as Rev. Mel White's "Soulforce", which has welcomed the gender community with open arms, is becoming perhaps the chief rival of religious extremism. By documenting the activities of these groups, Soulforce is providing an accurate catalog of what adversaries of the GLBT community are saying and doing. The attempts by these organizations to cover up their own hypocrisy are also brought to light. This is powerful work which is beginning to have an impact. Because of the work of Soulforce against religious extremists, the concerns of the Gender community are getting some national coverage. This is positive coverage, not just a casual sound bite mention when one of us gets killed by a bigot. By way of summation, let me say that my purpose in presenting such a long article is not to cause fear of the extremists in this country, but to bring to light what they are capable of. Pride is more than a few parties and parades. Pride is taking your rightful place at the community table, on every level, because that's where we belong. We are mindful of what our adversaries can say and do, but we will not fear them.
We are out of the closet, and we will not go back.
Hello again from Atlanta. Yes,
I know my column has been irregular as of late, but can I help it if I'm
busy married to one of the most wonderful people on the planet? No really,
I am! My wife is probably not even going to read this!
I was glad to read about recent developments here in my area in the past few Vals newsletters. The City of Decatur has banned any bias based on "gender identity". That's fantastic. Decatur is the county seat of DeKalb county where we live. Decatur is well known for its population of queer people. If you know anything about Atlanta, DeKalb County tends to be on the "diverse" side. In the supermarket where we frequently shop, English is rarely spoken by the patrons.
I wanted to briefly mention
a few notes on Atlanta hangouts and give you Atlanta visitors a tip or two..
Cindy and I have been really frequenting The Chamber lately. There have been
miscellaneous "theme" nights such as "Pajama Night" when the dance floor
was covered in feathers and "Doctor/Nurse Night" (see the photo and guess
who was the nurse that night). They also host an event called "Glitterdome"
where drag is encouraged. The Chamber, although it's not really a "GLBT"
club, is a fantastic place for transies to hang out, and even meet folks
and have a hell of a lot of fun at the same time. Everyone we've talked to
there has been super nice (even one guy wearing a helmet covered in dildoes),
so don't be shy. I also wanted to give a pointer on the famous Otherside.
Apparently transies, while not openly scorned there, are not well respected
among the predominantly womyn patrons. They apparently think the drag queens
belong on stage. Be careful when going there.
Recently we also attended the Midtown Music Festival in (where else) Midtown Atlanta. While I didn't "pretty up" to go to this, I think it would be a great place for transies to go have a lot of fun. The crowd there is so diverse that it could be possible for a platoon of transies to strut through and no one blink an eye over it. Wear comfy shoes, though. Those stages are far apart.
My new job brought me back to Nashville briefly back in March and I paid a quick visit to some of the Vals gals. I spent the week down in Murfreesboro and got to see the Academy Awards show in the hotel room. We all know about Hillary Swank winning the Oscar for Best Actress by now. I watched her take that award in that shimmery dress and quite frankly, I got angry. I hope I'm not alone in feeling this way. I felt like all those people in tuxedoes and gowns really didn't give a flip about Brandon Teena. Of course, they all gave the standard lip service about the movie and how it was about those who are different, but really folks, how many of those people REALLY understand transgendered people, or would even have ventured anywhere near Humbolt, Nebraska where Brandon lived? Speaking as someone who is genderqueer and was also born in a small town, I know what it's like to not fit in. I felt like Hollywood was "slumming" that night.
While on the road to another job-related conference on the Georgia coast, I drove very close by the historic site, where Confederate President Jefferson Davis was captured (near Tifton, Georgia). If you're familiar with the story, he was rumored to have been in women's clothes when he was captured. The truth is the Union army had surprised him in his bed, and he had grabbed the nearest thing to wrap up in, which happened to be a women's shawl. I think ole Jeff would have been faboo in a plantation style hooped-skirted frock though.
Speaking of unpopular Southerners, as of the day this is written, John Rocker has been demoted from my Atlanta Braves to Triple A Richmond (that's the Richmond Braves, not our Marisa Richmond). (Editor’s Note: THEN Atlanta called him back!) Now, I will admit there are probably smarter peanuts that have come out of Georgia than Rocker. But when I learned that the infamous Sports Illustrated article was authored by none other than former Tennessean reporter Jeff Pearlman, my opinion was changed. If I remember correctly, Pearlman was moved from section to section in The Tennessean, offending almost everyone in Nashville, until he was finally fired. Pearlman is most likely using Rocker to further what's left of his career. While I don't support Rocker's idiotic comments, I absolutely despise northern transplants who come to the South and make fun of Southerners. If they hate the South so much, why don't they avail themselves of the well-maintained interstate highways that lead north? Stupidity does not begin at the Mason-Dixon line.
Keep whistling Dixie, folks.
NEWS TRANS-missions
news, media mentions, etc...
Hate Crime Law Signed in Tennessee
Today Governor Sundquist signed into law an addition to the sentencing guidelines for the state of Tennessee that allows for increased penalties in crimes motivated by hatred for the victim's actual or perceived race, color, nationality, handicap, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.
This is the first time that the Tennessee General Assembly has passed legislation in any way protecting persons on the basis of gender identity or sexual identity.
The legislation caps an effort that LGCJ began in the fall of 1997 with a town meeting and participation in the White House Conference on Hate Crimes. LGCJ asked the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU) to guide the bill through the General Assembly.
Matthew Shepard's death in Wyoming in October, 1998 paved the way for successful lobbying by Hedy Weinberg and Joe Sweat of the ACLU, along with LGCJ Co-chair Rhonda White. This legislation would not have passed without the ACLU's leadership, and LGCJ strongly encourages its members to support the ACLU's outstanding work on behalf of all persons' civil liberties in Tennessee.
Many thanks to all who contacted their legislators and/or the Governor in support of this landmark legislation. We applaud all legislators who voted for the law, and the Governor for signing it.
The Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice is Tennessee's voice for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Equality.
Source:Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice press release 06/19/00
SHOWBIZ: Dame Edna, the “People’s Superstar” Wins Tony Award for her One Woman Show
At the 54th Annual Tony Awards, honoring Broadway’s
best, Dame Edna Everage (aka Barry Humphries) was a winner. In the June 4th
ceremony, held at Radio City Music Hall, Dame Edna, The Royal Tour
was named outstanding Live Theatrical Event.
In a story titled A Night Ablaze with Divas, this was written about the Dame’s arrival...Lavender-haired Edna, a popular smash in Dame Edna: The Royal Tour, arrived in a white convertible Rolls-Royce, tossing gladiolas hither and yon and working the screaming horde of "possums" who'd gathered to shower her with love, dispensing wisdom on everything from Rudy Giuliani's marriage to the evils of plastic surgery. ("I hardly know a person who hasn't been butchered in some way - women walking around with noses like tonsils. But I have had a little bit to age myself, actually - I'm a very young-looking woman - I had a surgeon put a couple of double chins on, and they used Elizabeth Taylor's love handles.")…
source:by Trey Graham USA Today 06/05/00
Karen Kerin, co-founder of It's Time, America, Runs for Seat
Calling civil unions "an apartheid system" and decrying what she said was an intrusive tax structure, Karen Kerin launched a long-shot bid for the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent U.S. Congressman Bernie Sanders.
Speaking before about a dozen people at Vermont Law School Saturday, Kerin, 56, criticized what she called the "mother may I" syndrome which she said is weakening the U.S….
Kerin, a 1997 graduate of Vermont Law School and resident of South Royalton, drew on themes that sounded alternately Democratic and Republican.
``We must stop mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren and we must honor our commitments to our senior citizens,'' Kerin said.
On recently passed civil unions law, she said the Legislature has created a ``separate but equal'' system for same-sex couples. She said the state should not at all license marriages, instead simply record marriages between all couples that would be performed only in churches.
Even though no other candidates have come forth to challenge Sanders, who is running for a sixth term as Vermont's sole congressman, the Republican party has so far reacted coolly to Kerin's intention to gain the GOP nomination.
In an earlier interview with The Burlington Free Press, Kerin also acknowledged questions about her sexual identity. She said she was born Charles Kerin, but later legally changed her name, and her gender, to Karin Kerin.
Source: AP via GAIN 06/04/00
SHOWBIZ: Tracy Ullman's Great Looking Wigs in Small Time Crooks
In Small Time Crooks, Woody Allen’s latest comedy, Tracy Ullman plays the wife of a dishwasher and ex-con (Woody), and becomes the front for his bank robbery scheme. In the process, her character, Frenchy, a former stripper, gets rich in the cookie business. In the film, Ullman‘s wigs, even the intentionally bad ones, look wonderful.-jp
..."Frenchy
was an easy character to do. There's nothing subtle about her; that's fortunate,
since being subtle is hard to pull off.
"She remains the same person throughout the story, even though her circumstances change dramatically. At first I used a wig that had a definite home-permed look. As the cookie money started coming in, I shifted to a wig that looks like it had spent some time in a Nieman Marcus salon.
"I was horrified when I saw the first shot of the movie, with me in those horrid green leggings. That is not a costume choice any actress I know would make. When my son first saw it, he commented, 'oh Mum, you look so fat, fat, fat.' I invited him to put on green leggings and a blonde wig and see how he looks."…
source: by Gene Wyatt The Tennessean 06/02/00
The New Hampshire Legislature has passed a sweeping school safety bill designed to protect all students from harassment and violence, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. The Victory Fund credits openly gay and lesbian lawmakers and their fair-minded non-gay allies for leading the successful effort; all five members of the Legislature's gay and lesbian caucus testified for the bill and worked for its passage. New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen is expected to sign the bill.
"Thanks largely to the leadership of openly gay and lesbian elected officials and their courageous colleagues, New Hampshire's young people will be able to focus on their education rather than facing intimidation," said Victory Fund Executive Director Brian K. Bond. "Of any state in America, New Hampshire has the largest contingent of openly gay and lesbian state lawmakers and has made some of the clearest legislative progress toward equality. That's no coincidence."
The measure requires local school boards to take action to prevent and remedy incidents of violence, harassment and discrimination on any basis. Any school employee or outside contractor who witnesses harassment will be required to report it and the school will be obliged to take action. Students targeted for unfair treatment because of their religion, race, gender, actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, or any other reason will now have recourse a marked contrast with the current situation. Under the new law, school employees will also receive professional training for dealing with minority populations, specifically including gay and lesbian students.
The measure's prime sponsor was New Hampshire's only openly gay or lesbian state senator, Rick Trombly (D-Boscawen), whom the Victory Fund is supporting in his current re-election bid. Trombly's race is expected to be closely fought.
According to Trombly, the measure is crucial because without it, schools are not held responsible for harassment and particularly in cases in which such misconduct is based on sexual orientation or gender identity school administrators are often hesitant to take appropriate action to ensure student safety.
"This is a simple issue of fairness for New Hampshire students and their families," said Trombly. "No one should have to face harassment in school for any reason, whether it is because of who they are, what they believe or anything else for that matter."
The bill originally passed the Senate on March 30 by a unanimous voice vote of 24 to zero. It then went to the House where it was amended and passed by a vote of 233 to 113 on May 4. It then was sent back to the Senate where final passage occurred on May 11, again by a unanimous voice vote.
source: Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund press release06/23/00
Security guard Malcolm Thomson will start a whole new life when he turns up for work at the House of Commons tomorrow.
The burly 43-year-old will walk into Westminster dressed in a skirt and blouse and calling himself Amanda Louise Hunter.
The guard, who has been suffering from a hormone imbalance since he was a teenager, kept his sexuality hidden from colleagues for two years.
But he finally confessed his secret desire to be a woman when security chiefs took him to task over his long blond hair.
Now Malcolm, who guards entrances to Parliament, has been given permission to return to his pounds 14,000-a-year job dressed as a woman.
A memo has been sent from principal head of security Mike Nadim to the 222 security staff at Parliament urging them to treat Malcolm with "sensitivity and dignity" after his "gender realignment".
It warns they will face disciplinary action if they discriminate against him. But after protests from both male and female colleagues, Malcolm has agreed to use a disabled toilet rather than the ladies or gents. And he will also not be allowed to body search female visitors.
Malcolm, who lives with his American wife Stephanie in South East London, has been dressing as a woman at home for the past four years.
Yesterday a Commons colleague said: "We are all shocked - he's such a quiet person.
"There is a great deal of sympathy for him. It must have been an agonizing decision to change sex."
Malcolm decided to live as a woman after doctors told him there was nothing else they could do to help. It is believed they have ruled out a sex-change op.
One security guard said: "It's not going to be easy for him to come back and he's bound to get a lot of stick. But he's told the bosses that he loves his job and wants to return.
"He never used to join in. Now we realize he must have had a lot on his mind."
On Friday, Malcolm - who wears dangly silver earrings and glossy bright pink lipstick at home - went to the Commons to have his pass changed to match his new identity. Last night his wife Stephanie said: "We don't wish to talk about this."
Ironically, last week the Metropolitan Police advertised for security officers for the Palace of Westminster. The advert included the statement: "Applications from females are welcome as they are under-represented in the field."
Source: The Sunday Mirror 06/04/00
New Statewide GLBT Group Forms in TN
On Saturday, May 20, thirty representatives of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender communities from across the state, met for a day long planning meeting in Nashville, Tennessee. The purpose for this meeting was to lay the foundation of a new state wide organization known as Equality Tennessee. (Editor’s Note: The Vals’ Marisa Richmond and Pamela DeGroff attended.)
The group's focus can be found in it's mission statement: To promote the equality of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender persons by educating the citizens of Tennessee in GLBT history, social issues, and civic responsibility.
During the first year, Equality Tennessee will have a provisional board of directors, currently consisting of 17 members from throughout the state. Eventually, the board can seat as many as 30 directors.
Rhonda White of Nashville was elected Board Chair; Dennis Townsend of Johnson City, was elected Treasurer, and Lyla Thomas of Nashville is the organization's secretary. Equality Tennessee also elected three co-chairs, one to represent each Grand Division of the state: Cyrus Ginwala, from East Tennessee; Bob Conley from Middle Tennessee, and Jim Maynard from West Tennessee.
Although there are still details to be worked out, the participants of this first Equality Tennessee meeting feel they were a part of a historic first step towards securing GLBT civil rights.
The group can be contacted through Rhonda White at rhondawhite@juno.com.
source: Equality Tennessee press release 06/00
Mr. Lee Brewster, Founder of the Pioneering Lee's Mardi Gras, Dies
Lee G. Brewster, whose Greenwich Village boutique became a bazaar for transvestites from Avenue A to Abu Dhabi, died Friday in Manhattan. He was 57 and lived in Manhattan.
The cause was cancer, said Antoinette Scapinato, a friend and employee.
His 5,000-square-foot superstore in a loft at 400 West 14th Street, Lee's Mardi Gras Boutique, sells size 30 dresses and size 15 studded platform shoes to men who sometimes wish they were something else.
"Lee's will turn you into the girl you've always wanted to be," New York magazine said last year.
Mr. Brewster sold racks of corsets, satin gloves and fishnet tights, but he was as interested in making a point as in making a profit. For years, he staged elaborate balls for cross-dressers, some homosexual and some heterosexual.
He financed a successful legal challenge to overturn a New York City ordinance that allowed people to be removed from public places for being gay.
Even in the years when many gays condemned public cross-dressing as unnecessarily provocative to the enemies of homosexuals, he urged men who felt like wearing boas to wear big feathery ones.
"I need to get their attention so they listen to me," he said, referring to the public.
"I need to let them know that I'm there."
He made his own statement in white stiletto heels, form-fitting gowns, a silver-sequined maxi coat and lush false eyelashes, top and bottom. But he preferred to be called Mr. in the manner of old-time drag performers rather than using the female stage names now used by many transvestites.
Mr. Brewster, a quiet, round-faced man, was something of a freedom fighter for men who dress as women. "We're people enjoying life the only way we know how," he said.
Lee Greer Brewster was born in a log cabin in Honacker, Va., on April 27, 1943. He spent much of his youth in the hills of West Virginia, where his father was a coal miner. In the early 1960's, he worked as a file clerk for the Federal Bureau of Investigation until he was fired for being a homosexual, said Ms. Scapinato, who has worked in his boutique for 29 years.
So with $100 in his pocket he took off for Manhattan, where he became active in the Mattachine Society, a gay rights organization.
He organized the society's drag balls and fund-raising events. Because some members disliked public cross-dressing, he began staging his own balls at the old Diplomat Hotel on West 43rd Street. The balls, held from 1969 to 1973, became so fashionable that the real Jacqueline Susann, Carol Channing and Shirley MacLaine attended the last one.
On Oct. 31, 1969, Mr. Brewster announced at one of the balls that he would start his clothing business, which he described as the first one devoted to cross-dressers.
Mr. Brewster's shop prospered before movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and La Cage aux Folles seemed to make drag almost mainstream, and opening it was a bold step in 1969.
At first he took only mail orders, but soon so many people were knocking on the door of his Hell's Kitchen apartment that he opened a store around the corner. It moved several times, but was never on the ground floor.
"He wanted people to have to find him," Ms. Scarpinato said. "He tried to protect his customer base."
Some customers, including Lady Bunny, the founder of Wigstock, the cross-dressing festival held every Labor Day in Greenwich Village -- as well as the costume designers for Tootsie, The Birdcage and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar -- do not mind being seen in the store. But others are touchier.
"Half of my clients are respectable-looking businessmen," Mr. Brewster said in an interview in The Village Voice, "very normal, but they know better than to present that side of themselves."
Mr. Brewster also founded a civil rights organization called Queens Liberation Army and in the 1970's and 80's, published Drag Magazine. In the early 1970's, he helped persuade the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs to delete homosexuals from a list of people who could be removed from any public place. Though it was seldom enforced, he felt the regulation gave the police the legal authority to harass gays if they chose.
Mr. Brewster is survived by his sister, June, and two brothers, James and Ted, all of whom live in the Baltimore area, and another brother, Sam, who lives in Dayton, Ohio.
"For want of a better phrase," Ms. Scapinato said, "he was really the mother to us all."
source: by Douglas Martin The New York Times 05/24/00
Gender Pac's Lobby Days: Real TG's Meat UnReal Politicians
GenderPAC reports that its fifth annual National Gender Lobby Day in Washington, DC May 21 - 23 involved more than 150 activists from across the U.S, who visited more than 100 Congressional offices. As a focus and a tool this year, activists asked Congressmembers to sign a statement that their own offices will not practice employment discrimination based on gender identity. GenderPAC executive director Riki Wilchins called the Congressional Equal Employment Opportunity Project "our first true litmus test for Congressional support of gender civil rights."
So far 28 Representatives and two Senators have signed up and more signatures are expected. The first Congressmember ever to sign the pledge, Democrat Janice Schakowsky of Illinois, was honored along with Chicago activist Miranda Stevens-Miller at GenderPAC's Congressional Gala. Representatives Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and Carolyn Maloney (R-NY) attended that event, while four other Congressmembers were represented there by staff members.
GenderPac will soon be opening an office in the Capital to better pursue its lobbying for protections against discrimination and hate crimes, and plans for next year's lobby day to feature a three-day National Conference on Gender.
source: PlanetOut 06/06/00 AOL KEYWORD: PlanetOut
BOOK REVIEWS: Trans-Sister Radio a novel by Chris Bohjalian
Review #1: by Louis Bayard The New York Times
Fictional transsexual educators aren't what they used to be. Three decades ago, Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge was digging her high heels into Hollywood's solar plexus, using her teaching job at the Academy of Drama and Modeling to stamp out "the last vestigial traces of traditional manhood.”
By contrast, Dana Stevens, the protagonist of Chris Bohjalian's Trans-Sister Radio, is a gentle film-and-lit professor in Vermont, a stand-up kind of guy and pure catnip to a divorced schoolteacher named Allison Banks.
Allison is so taken with her new lover that she happily glosses over his plucked eyebrows and missing body hair. And she is more shocked than perhaps she should be to learn that Dana is a preoperative transsexual who wants not only to replace his penis with a vagina but to go on seeing Allison once he's done it. Once she gets over her initial repulsion, Allison finds herself warming to the idea. "Wasn't it conceivable," she asks herself, "that I might still love Dana after the surgery? Perhaps love had absolutely nothing to do with sexual preference. Perhaps you just fell in love with a person -- gender be damned."…...
Dana is not just a convincing female but the hottest woman rural Vermont has ever seen: "tall and slim and proud . . . almost too beautiful to be around." Bohjalian has, in short, given us Myra Breckinridge without the revenge fantasies. He wants us to stop worrying and love the transsexual, and so he has supplied a transsexual who is impossible not to love. A fabulous baker, a masseuse extraordinaire, Dana rarely slips outside the bounds of propriety and never loses her glibness, even when describing the torment of growing up in the wrong body.
But the honest, messy pain of gender dysphoria would be too unsettling for this book, with its cutesy title and perky prose. And a more nuanced heroine might not comport so easily with the countercultural sympathy that, in novels like Midwives and The Law of Similars, Bohjalian lavishes on people who do things differently from everyone else. In his hands, they must also be better than everyone else, kinder, smarter, more attractive...
Bohjalian is a solid craftsman who does his research
and knows how to keep a story zipping along, but by insisting on his characters'
own superiority, he robs them of fiction's complicating truths. The result
is less an inversion of Myra Breckinridge than an update of Guess
Who's Coming to Dinner. And like that hallmark of Hollywood liberalism,
Trans-Sister Radio makes its "aberrant" character so unthreatening
and unimpeachable that he/she becomes a cipher upon which we can project
our self-congratulation. "Dana's just like us!" we are meant to conclude.
But is that what makes transsexuals interesting? Or is it how radically they
diverge from "us" and become something wholly their own? Their reinvention
is, by its very nature, transgressive, and it may require a more transgressive
prose than Bohjalian, for all his
good intentions, can supply.
Review #2 by Robert Allen Papinchak USAToday 05/18/00
How long would you stand by your man if she were a woman? Pronouns aside, that's the conundrum 42-year-old elementary school teacher Allison Banks faces when her lover, 35-year-old tenured university film professor Dana Stevens, announces that he is a woman trapped in a man's body and that she wants out.
Chris Bohjalian hits a number of hot-button topics with his sixth mind-bending novel (after the best-selling Midwives), Trans-Sister Radio. He takes on gender issues, sexuality and how each defines the individual. In the process, he blows the lid off provincial small-town life in rural Vermont.
Gender dysphoria is the "clinical term for individuals who believe their sex at birth is in error." It's a term that Allison, her 19-year-old daughter, Carly, her ex-husband, Will, and just about everybody else in Bartlett, Vt., will become intimately familiar with before the cataclysmic events of the novel play themselves out.
Bohjalian makes two inspired choices at the
outset:
— The basic structure of the novel is based on
tapes produced for a five-day episode of National Public Radio's All Things
Considered. Bits of these tapes are sprinkled throughout.
—The rest of the story uses all four major characters - Allison, Dana, Carly, Will - as narrative voices. The major conflict in the novel is a battle involving Allison, her new principal, the school board and the town when Dana's surgery of choice becomes known. Pre-op cross-dressing in public and Dana and Allison's live-in arrangement provoke petitions demanding "moral decency." Events "sprout out of control like mushrooms in a wet summer."
Bohjalian provides graphic details of the sexual reassignment surgery in Trinidad, Colo., and explicit libidinous information about the old and new physical relationship between Allison and Dana. He pulls no punches in delineating the differences between genital plumbing and natal chromosomes.
Trans-Sister Radio is a controversial, highly original novel about a lot more than gender issues and sexual orientation. It is about the precarious dance on the checkerboard of sex. It is about life choices, lifestyle, tolerance and intolerance, and, above all, a commitment to love. Some might consider the resolution an equivocation, but this book is impossible to put down.
British TG Finally Gets Her Breasts--and They're Big 'Uns!
Sex-swap artist Liz Rowe has sparked controversy after winning her battle for breast implants on the NHS.
The move by health chiefs has been greeted with anger, with patients waiting for vital surgery furious her operation has been carried out before them.
In 1996 the Chronicle revealed how Stephen Rowe became Liz Rowe after having an £8,000 sex-change operation.
But the former rugby-playing dad was denied breast implants after surgeons classed the operation as "cosmetic".
Now artist Liz, of Fenham, Newcastle, has finally had the operation to make her a complete woman. But one woman, from Tynemouth, whose husband has been waiting for an important heart valve operation since February, despite being placed on the urgent list, slammed the decision.
She said: "There are far more important operations than this to be done. "They should prioritize things. If there are more urgent operations to be done, then do those first."
Liz Rowe said: "This was vital to make me a complete woman."...
In 1996 Stephen Rowe became Liz Rowe after the former Northumbria University lecturer had the £8,000 first stage of an sex-change op.
But health chiefs, concerned about growing waiting lists, refused to pay a further £3,500 for breast implants to complete the transformation. Last year Newcastle and North Tyneside Health Authority finally lifted its ban and three weeks ago the 45-year-old's dream came true when she had her long-awaited breast operation.
Although Liz is delighted with the results, the sex change has been slammed by the family of a patient on a lengthy waiting list who keeps getting told there is not enough cash for his vital surgery.
Today 6ft Liz, proudly showing off her new 38D chest with her partner, student artist Cecilia Homes, 24, by her side, said: "They're absolutely fantastic.
"I've waited 20 years for a cleavage and I intend to show them off. The response I got down my local pub was marvellous, every one noticed. I never considered breast augmentation as cosmetic surgery. This was vital to make me feel a complete woman."
Source: by Julie Cush The Evening Chronicle 05/29/00
Women are wearing sports shoes on the subways and sensible shoes in the office. But for evening, for fun, for glamour, the pointy-toed high heel rules - the quite-high heel, the heel that gives podiatrists and other foot specialists hissy fits.
Despite what the experts tell us, we still have a love affair with high heels. Especially with high-end, well-made, high-fashion shoes with fancy names.
"The Manolo Blahniks are the highest and the sexiest shoes," says Joan Kaner, senior vice president and fashion director at Neiman Marcus. "Those and the Jimmy Choos. It is just impossible to stock them."
George Malkemus, president of Manolo Blahnik, says, "The very high heel has never died for us, but we have seen an enormous surge of interest in the last 18 months or so."
He adds about the chunkier heels in fashion of late: "Women are sick of these really cloggy, clodhopping heavy shoes that weigh 14,000 pounds. That trend came and stayed longer than most people wanted it to."
And to those
who object that a really well-made, very high-heeled shoe can still harm
feet, Malkemus says, "I say to those people what my doctor says to me when
I run in Central Park: 'You are killing your back.' We do things because
we want to do things. And we are becoming too judgmental about what people
do with their lives."
The 4-inch heel is the best seller for the pricey Jimmy Choo shoe line, says the company's Allyson Mitchell. "These are the ultimate sexy shoe, without being trampy."...
"There is just something about high heels," says designer Diane von Furstenberg. "They are a very, very important accessory, especially if you like to show your legs." Wearing high heels is all about attitude, she says. It's about "the height of the heels, the attitude you have when you wear them. You flirt with your heels. If they hurt a lot, that is no good, but if it is a little discomfort, in a weird way it can become part of the attitude."...
Elizabeth Vaughan is a doctor in Martinsville, Va., who virtually lives in high heels. "I'm always in high heels in the office. I'm always in high heels when I entertain or go to a business dinner after work. I will go dancing three or four hours a night in 3- or 4-inch heels. I play pool in heels."
High heels are sexy and feminine, Vaughan says. "I know I can get a man's attention."...
American women won't give up the shoes that give them a lift, those high heels that foot specialists define as anything over 2.25 inches. A new survey for the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) shows that 25% of women wear high heels, even though they hurt their feet, and 35% wear them even though they know high heels cause damage.
But there is a change brewing, especially at the office and among younger women. The number of high-heel abusers has been dropping steadily over the past few years, says Glenn Gastwirth of the APMA. Professionals are getting the word out about the dangers of heels, he says.
Other factors also are at play. "Shoe manufacturers are offering a better selection of nice-looking shoes that are stylish and more comfortable, that don't present as high a heel" and have rounded or squared toes, Gastwirth says...
Other research shows that women are putting their feet down at work - in flats or low heels. Comparative studies sponsored by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) show that only 21% of working women now wear high heels on the job, compared with 34% in 1990.
New York researcher and orthopedist Cherise Dyal says younger women in particular have discovered the comfort of athletic shoes…
Part of the drift among younger women away from high heels in the office is because of fashion, says Frey, director of the Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Center in Manhattan Beach...
She is heartened by her research that shows teens are not wearing high heels. "Most of them wear athletic shoes or sandals." ...
Although daughters may be wearing lower shoes, their moms aren't. Frey says her research shows that women in their 40s and 50s cling to their higher heels. And that displeases her and most other experts.
That's because while high heels may be pretty, the facts about what they do to women's feet are not. According to the AOFAS:
—Wearing high heels often
tends to shorten the Achilles tendon, causing women to lose range of motion
in the foot. Women make up to 75% of the 2 million Americans suffering heel
pain, often a result of wearing heels.
—A 3-inch heel creates seven times more stress on the forefoot than a 1-inch heel. The average person takes thousands of strides a day. Common problems that the stress contributes to include bunions, hammertoes and neuromas, or trapped nerves.
—Women have about 90% of the 795,000 annual surgeries for foot problems linked to shoes. The estimated cost is $2 billion a year.
—Women are twice as likely to sprain an ankle in heels than flats.
—Some research suggests high-heeled shoes are at least partly responsible for the fact women are twice as likely as men to develop osteoarthritis, or wear-and-tear arthritis, in their knees.
Some just say you pay your money and take your chances - and that is your privilege.
Vaughan, the doctor in high heels, says: "Obviously, wearing high heels puts a certain amount of stress on feet, ankles, pelvis and lower back. That is not in question. But a man who puts a thick wallet in his hip pocket can get sciatica in his leg. Are we going to insist all men not put their wallets in their hip pockets?"
She changes shoes during the day, exercises her toes and ankles, and favors open-toed heels to give her digits some wiggle room.
There are some in the middle of this debate, those who say shoes are like clothes now: The byword is choice. Retailer Nordstrom's fashion director for the East Coast, Jill Hinson, says she sees a "a great number of heel-height options, especially for summer." Quite popular is the 1-inch heel that is curved, or slanted outward in a geometric shape. "I'd call it very feminine."
Carol Frey would like a heel that size. She calls wearing very high heels a modern form of Chinese foot binding. "It is actually like wearing a cast. The toes can't move, and they get really weak."
But she accepts the fact that "the love affair with high heels still exists." And she doesn't totally oppose them. "They are not for the workplace. They are for purely social occasions, for drama, looking elegant and sexy."
After all, Frey says, "women still want to have fun. Nobody is against that. But women should limit their use. Treat them like dessert, just for occasional use."
Source: by Karen S. Peterson USA Today 06/14/00
QUICK HITS:
Media Mentions
Roger Ebert /
06/02/00
Roger Ebert reviews the Martin Lawrence film Big Mamma with a mixed report…
“...This is all essentially an attempt by Lawrence to follow Eddie Murphy's disguise as a fat guy in The Nutty Professor, and credit should also go to Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire...
Martin Lawrence is a gifted actor, and with clever makeup, padding and sass he creates a fake Big Momma who doesn't look completely like a drag queen, although she comes close. It's doubtful her granddaughter, neighbors and would-be boyfriend would be fooled. But we go along with the gag, since the plot is no more than a flimsy excuse for Big Momma to behave in a way that most 350-pound grandmothers in their 60s would find impossible…
USA Today / 06/05/00
In a story asking if South Beach, Florida has lost it’s cool reputation, we bring the following response:
…”Never!" says a horrified George Peralta, the manager of FunkySexy.Com, a Lincoln Road clothing boutique that caters to reed-thin models and outrageously attired clubgoers.
The South Beach shop is also a favorite spot for gender-bending drag queens seeking rhinestone eyeliner, feather boas and picture frames in hot-pink fur.
"Personally, I don't go by what magazines tell us," says Peralta, 31, a transplant from New York City. "When it comes to what's in and what's out, you look at reality. And I see South Beach is thriving."...
Rolling Stone / 06/08/00
“I make one hell of a Diana Ross,” says Goo Goo Doll Johnny Rzeznik. This gender-bending tale began when Rzeznik sat down in the makeup chair to get a little power and pait for a Goos performance on Jay Leno’s show. “I asked the makeup woman what all the wigs were for,” says Rzeznik, “and she told me they were going to be auditioning people impersonating the Supremes. All I could say was, ‘Can we do it?’”…”I was Diana,” says Rzeznik, “so I had to look like a diva.” The band taped a ten-second punk version of Baby Love. “I think the last line I say was, ’You got a problem with me, I’ll kick your ass,’” Rzeznik says. All in all, he doesn’t regret the experience. “I remember feeling very pretty,” he says. “The white sweat socks tied the outfit together, but I really want to know why Jay Leno had a pair of men’s size-twelve red stilettos. That’s f**ked up.”
USA Today / 05/15/00
Actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator) eventually answers a reporters question:
“That’s a bad question. That’s a boring question. It’s a real obvious question. It’s just another character, mate. It’s just another job...The most difficult thing about the character—as well as the most pleasurable thing—is wearing the dress.”—Russell Crowe in US Weekly, thwarting a reporter’s question about the most difficult part of playing Gladiator.