Upcoming
Group Meetings
Tennessee Vals
Newsletter November 2000
Upcoming
Group Meetings
In This Issue:
Vals' Special
Events:
Saturday, November 18, The
Center’s Fall Dinner, Edgehill United Methodist Church
Saturday, December 9, 8th Annual
Anniversary/Holiday Party @ Embassy Suites/Airport in Nashville
The Queens Throne by Marisa
Richmond
marisaval@aol.com
You know what I like about the month of November besides the fresh turkey, trimmings, and loads of spiked eggnog? Not much. It is usually dreary, overcast and cold. The leaves are starting to fall, and that means snow cannot be far behind. Some sickos like winter, but not me. I like warm weather. I like to get outside, work out and show off my legs. In winter, I think about slipping and falling and breaking my ankle more often than anything else. Of course, when I was growing up, I could look forward to such seasonal specials as A Charlie Brown Christmas, with Schroeder jamming on the piano, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (none of that It’s a Wonderful Life for me!), but that was before they were buried on cable channels nobody can get. I guess I’ll just have to see how Jim Carrey’s version compares to the original.
This year, however, we at least have another of our quadrennial competitions also known as the presidential election. At the beginning of the primary season, I reviewed the candidates, but that was 10 months ago, so I thought it was time for a final review at this time. I know that nine candidates are on the ballot here in Tennessee. Most attention has rightly been focused on Al “I Can Kiss Better Than Bill” Gore and George “Daddy Told Me I Am Sober Enough to Be to be President Now” Bush, but there are at least 7 others. So let’s review them, hmmm?
The Reform
Party may, or may not, be represented by Pat “I’m the Party
Führer” Buchanan of D.C. or John “Let’s All Meditate”
Hagelin of Iowa–who does, at least, represent the Natural Law Party.
The Constitution Party nominated Howard “There Are No Good Taxes”
Phillips of California. The Green Party nominee is Ralph “MasterCard
is Suing Me” Nader of Connecticut. The Libertarian nominee is Harry
“There Is No Such Thing as Good Government" Browne of Tennessee, and
Cathy Gordon “I’ve Got Three Names” Brown and Randall
“I’m Not Insane” Venson also of Tennessee, are running as
an Independents.
For those voting outside Tennessee, there are at least eight additional candidates running. James “Power to the People” Harris of Georgia represents the Socialist Workers Party, while U.S. Senator Robert “The Republicans Have Gotten Too Liberal” Smith of New Hampshire is running for the U.S. Taxpayers Party. The unaffiliated candidates are: Robert William “I Have Lived Long” Gottier of California, Al “I Have Children Who Are Unknown to Me” Hamburg of New York, Leslie “No Taxation Even If You Do Have Representation” Lummis of Guam, Michael “Agent For Jesus” Mannichewitz of New York, Randy “I’m Not Overloaded Right Now” Owens of Virginia, Vermin “Mandatory Toothbrushings” Supreme of Idaho.
Many have criticized our political system as having been corrupted by money. Personally, I am still waiting to sell my vote to the highest bidder, but it should come as no surprise that there are several corporate candidates running write-in campaigns. These include Malibu Barbie, Duke–“the Compassionate Fascist”, Lex Luthor (who knows a thing or two about world domination), Buddy Lee (who looks good in jeans, even if he is only 13 inches tall), Vanessa the Doll (I have no idea either...), and finally, Captain Morgan–who not only knows his rum, but also picked the best running mate of all, Playboy Playmate Kalin Olsen.
So there are your choices. Remember, this next President will help establish policies regarding education, defense, and, of course, social discrimination against transgendered persons. There may be up to four Supreme Court vacancies to fill, and those individuals may vote on issues like “same-sex” marriage (which could still establish full civil rights for transgendered citizens despite their refusal to overturn the Christie Littleton case recently) or GLBT employment discrimination. Your vote is too important to ignore.
In addition, 33 states will be electing
Senators (including Tennessee although you would never know it from the lack
of media interest), 12 will pick governors, and virtually everybody will
see choices for U.S. Representative and their respective state legislatures,
the latter of which will have to perform the time honored practice of
gerrymandering over the next two years, thus determining the general makeup
of our legislative bodies for the next ten. It is highly unlikely that Senator
No (AKA Jesse Helms) will lose his Foreign Relations Committee Chairmanship,
but we can still hope.
And then there is the People’s Republic of Vermont. Karen Kerin, who is openly transgendered, is running as a Republican for the House Seat currently occupied by Bernard Sanders of the Socialist Party–who just happens to be one of the most supportive members of Congress on issues of concern to the GLBT community. Plus, Ed Flanagan, who is openly gay, is challenging Republican Jim Jeffords for the Senate, and Jeffords also has a fairly liberal voting record out of step with the rest of his party. So to all you comrades up in the Gay Marriage State--Keep Up the Good Work!
In mid September, three months behind everyone else, Nashville’s GLBT community finally got around to celebrating PRIDE. The Vals hosted a warm mixer at The Chute, which now openly advertises itself as our “home” bar, followed six days later by the Pride Rally itself. It was a wonderful event under clear blue skies. The area around the Bicentennial Mall was filled with rainbows, however, and the energy and unity–something that is often lacking in other communities–certainly helped invigorate all of us present!
After a brief respite, many of us found ways of getting to Funkytown for the 10th Annual Southern Comfort. I arrived on Wednesday night and was immediately hit with some good news and some bad. First, the bad: SCC Board member Stephanie Schumacher lost her father that very night. Stephanie’s parents have been very supportive of her and have attended the Convention in the past. We all shared in Stephanie’s loss. But now the good: There were already approximately 300 people present. Over the weekend, the numbers grew until finally there was an official registration of 675. Unfortunately, the banquet hall seats only 625, so 50 people were forced to miss the dinner (and the Board IS looking for a bigger site provided it is affordable!). Still, this made it the third consecutive year that SCC has set an attendance record for a transgender event.
Now, I would like to mention a few personal items. On Friday, one of my sessions was on ethnic and cultural diversity. We had an excellent turnout of people of all categories. In fact, there may have been more African Americans and Asian Americans at this year’s event than at any previous convention. I hope all of those (as well as the Latinos who were fewer in number) get involved in their respective communities and serve as role models for others. And even if you do not belong to an ethnic minority, it is time to leave your prejudices where they belong–in the closet–and embrace diversity. On Saturday morning, I officially joined the Board of IFGE. It is my great pleasure to work further for the transgender community through, what is arguably, our most important national organization. One decision made at that meeting was to pick the site of their 2002 convention: Nashville! We look forward to hosting the Tennessee Waltz that year. Y’all come on down!
During the weekend, as part of the 10th anniversary celebration, we were given all sorts of commemorative goodies. One such item was a refrigerator magnet. Thinking it was a button, I innocently put mine in my pocket....where I had my room key, a magnetic card. Not surprisingly, I was unable to get back into my room. I went down to the front desk to get it fixed. When they asked for an ID for safety reasons, I pulled out my drivers’ license. Everyone behind the front desk looked at it in amazement. After the convention was over and planning began for 2001, the Board asked me to be next year’s Co-Chair, an honor that I gladly accepted. I will be quite busy over the next year with IFGE, SCC and Tennessee Waltz business, but it figures to be rewarding.
In all honesty, there were a few problems, most related to the hotel, but since there is a good chance SCC 2001 will be in a new site, there is no point in dwelling on those right now. But overall, it was an incredibly heady experience which I hope all will be able to feel at sometime in the near future.
Finally, I feel it necessary to criticize NBC for its decision to ignore the Sydney drag queens in the Olympics’ closing ceremony. There was absolutely no mention of their participation and no close ups of any of them although I was able to glimpse the huge high heeled pump with streaming boa. It is sad that when the Australians are making an effort to be inclusive, NBC falls back upon transphobia. Shame on them.
Regardless of where you live, Don’t Forget to Vote. This is how we will eventually win recognition and rights!
...Not Too Blonde by Holly D. Storm stormdp1@aol.com
WooHoo!
It’s that time of year again! The Holiday Season, well yeah, but
that’s not I was getting at. It gets dark way early now! Time to get
out early and make the most of our time en femme. While our neighbors are
sitting all warm and cozy inside roasting chestnuts, we make our break for
the car in the dark. Just remember to turn off the motion sensor on your
driveway floodlight. That is, if you want to avoid that embarrassing deer
in the headlights syndrome.
No more worrying about those unsightly nicks and cuts from shaving on Bermuda Shorts Casual Fridays. Winter means long sleeves in the office and jeans at Saturday office functions. The time for wearing men’s sandals in the mall or in the back yard is over. So go crazy girl! Just remember what Mom used to say, “Always have on a good shade of toenail polish if, God forbid, you should get into an accident.”
Since Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I think we should all gives thanks to a few things, which makes life a little more Tolerable. Let us give thanks for toeless pantyhose, the U-scan isle at Wal-Mart, lingerie shopping via the Internet, Dermablend, the Winter Solstice and most of all the old crossdresser’s saying, “Uh, yes Ma'am, I’m shopping for my Halloween costume.”
Speaking of the Holidays, don’t forget to make your reservations for The Tennessee Vals 8th Annual Holiday Banquet. The Banquet will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel (near the Nashville International Airport) on Saturday, December 9, 2000. The Cocktail Reception starts at 6 p.m., followed by dinner, music and our awards ceremony.
Please, make sure your reservation form and $25.00 per person fee is submitted no later than November 25, 2000.
A
Blonde, Brunette AND Redhead by
Julie
Phillips'
Nephew FabulBabe@aol.com
February 5th, 2048:
Every family has at least one or two aunts or uncles that they never talk about. The “cool ones” who never get invited to the family reunions or holiday get-togethers. In our family, you don’t have to look far up the family tree—or in my case, into the family closet—to find quite a few. Ever since I “came out” in high school. I, too, have been on the family’s non-invitee list. Really, it’s a bit of an honor because the “cool people” are the ones they don’t want around.
As you know, “coming out” hasn’t been a big deal in decades. But you’re probably not used to dealing with a family like mine. These people still write-in Jesse Helms’ name in every election. Hell, he’s been dead for ten years now!
Ahead of me on the family’s list of embarrassments” —AKA the “cool people”— is my Great Aunt Julie, whom my mother still refers to as “Oh, him!”
I was fifteen before I even knew about Aunt Julie; it was only by accident that I found out. I happened to read her column on the T-Vals’ website and was stopped in my tracks by her picture. “Damn,” I thought. “She looks just like me when I dress up!” One e-mail led to another and to the discovery that I was her great-nephew. What a small world! Thank you Al Gore for inventing the internet!
I’m a senior at Florida State, so it’s a short trip for me to visit Aunt Julie in South Beach. A couple of years ago she moved into the Marisa Richmond’s Sandy Acres Retirement Center, the coolest “rest home” I’ve ever seen: art deco décor, shirtless male nurses, bra-less female nurses, and a fully-stocked bar in every room.
Aunt Julie’s really in excellent health; she says she decided to move in after she spilled two cocktails and broke a heel in the same weekend. Honestly, I think she just wanted to be with the other girls and tell stories about the good old days.
“When I was your age,” which is how she begins a lot of her stories, “I was able to walk in six-inch stiletto heels for days at a time. In fact, one summer I joined a climbing expedition to the top of Mount Everest in a pair of three-inch pumps! The Sherpa guides were impressed!”
I never said I believed all of her stories.
“In my day, we didn’t have high heels we could order from a store. We had to make our own. I had Mr. Wonderful chop down a cherry tree and I used my make-up pencil sharpener to whittle a pair of heels. Then, I glued them to my heels with eyelash adhesive. It was tough in those days to be glamorous.”
She shares a comfortable little apartment with her Mr. Wonderful at the Retirement Center. They’ve been together since the turn of the century, and he’s still very svelte and attractive. Some of the other girls flirt with him and that’s when Aunt Julie’s jealous streak comes out. I can’t confirm the story, but “sources” say she recently threw her teeth at a flirty redhead in the cafeteria who she thought was coming on a little too strong. One of the front teeth on Aunt Julie’s lower plate does seem to be slightly chipped.
“You would have loved the 2010’s,” she said. “What a decade that was. That was a great time to be young and fabulous! Sure, I wasn’t a sweet young thing then, but I sure looked like it. What’s my motto?” she asks.
“Facelifts are good. Sunlight is not my friend. Fluorescent lighting is the work of Satan himself,” I dutifully respond.
“Excellent. You ARE listening,” she shouts. Aunt Julie says her hearing isn’t great. She attributes it to all those years of loud, throbbing dance music which, coincidentally, is blaring from her stereo as we chat.
“Ohhh, the Backstreet Boys! Can’t get enough of those yummy boys! Boys? Hell, they‘re as old as I am! But they’re still gorgeous,” her red lips turning into a huge smile. She’s what they used to call a “randy old broad.”
“Don’t tell Mr. Wonderful,” she whispers as she leans closer, “but I once dated Ricky Martin!”
I haven’t a clue as to who he is—or was—but the mention of his name made her beautifully made-up eyes light up like a Christmas tree.
“OK, so it wasn’t really a ‘date’ date. It was after a concert he gave in Boca Raton and I happened to have a backstage pass and….well, that’s all I have to say.
“Livin’ la vida loca, baby,” she adds as she bursts into laughter.
Aunt Julie knows makeup better than anyone I know, so she critiques my photos and gives me tips I can actually use.
“Darker in the creases so they can see your eyes on the back row,” she’ll say. That’s her makeup mantra.
“When I used to do drag shows, we didn’t have makeup you could buy from a store. We had to use whatever we could find and improvise! Ketchup—we used to call it Catsup—made a wonderful blush. I became well known for my yellow eyes. Mustard makes an awesome eye shadow! In those days, we didn’t have eyeliner pencils, so I would use chocolate syrup and apply it was a small paint brush,” she says with a poker face.
She sounds more like a buffet than a drag queen.
Aunt Julie and Uncle Wonderful will be attending my graduation in a few months, so I’m excited about their visit. It’s still a few months away, so that gives me time to clear up a “misunderstanding” with the university police.
There was a small incident during her last visit. She was officially banned from campus after passing herself off as a “house mother” and throwing a keg party for incoming freshmen. It was not looked upon kindly by school officials.
This visit, she’s wearing a blonde wig and answering to the name “Aunt Betty”.
My Closet by Leslie Louise DuPaix lldupaix@hotmail.com
Halloween
Yes! Yes! I know. Halloween is in October and a November column on Halloween is a bit late (or really early), but: 1.) I get a little tired of jumping through hoops to meet everyone else's concept of timeliness and when a deadline is, 2.) My thoughts on Halloween won't have to compete with everyone else's and 3.) If Julie mails the November newsletter just a teeny weeny bit early, you will be reading this during Halloween - and that makes more sense than reading it 3 weeks or so before Halloween.
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays - not for the usual reason among we T-folks as neither Bubba nor Ms. Leslie has ever been able to take advantage of the inherent opportunities of this festival to pursue some hidden T-agenda. Some really silly reasons for my affection for the holiday is that so little is expected of us. I am not really expected to send out Halloween cards. Bubba doesn't have to feel guilty if he doesn't spend lots of effort, time and money putting out yard decorations to compete with the neighbors. In fact spending a few bucks on candy and being at home on the appropriate night is a perfectly level of participation, thank you. And if you live in a relatively benign neighborhood you can get by with much less. In my part of the South, tube-biscuit and shaving cream fights among those old enough to drive (but not old enough to have any sense) are an expected event all over town, so one does well to not drive much. By midnight, the more hardy and creative have stopped returning biscuit fire and have gone for creating mega-biscuits that take both arms to throw. Fortunately they tire rapidly and by midnight order is pretty much restored. By then the local gendarmes somehow have gotten wind of all of this and start appearing and restoring order. Much easier to control people when they have already worn themselves out. As both Ms. Leslie and Bubba have grown beyond biscuit and shaving cream fights that footnote is not a reason for my affection for the holiday either. When my kids were of the stage to be part of all of this there was concern for having the house and cars egged and the yard toilet papered, but if one carefully recovered the toilet paper, the family was set in that department for several months. I never tried to recycle the eggs, however. But I seem to be digressing . . . . .
What I like about being "T" is that I am able to blend and experience a broad spectrum of perception and experience. I appreciate diversity and blending of polarities or extremes. That is what I find so attractive about Halloween. It is a blending of the Pagan and the Christian. Of the old and the new [in the timeline of humanity, a mere 2,000 years is not much at all]. It is a blending of fun and sadness; of life and morbidity. I love the creativity not constrained by normal limits and the new spins on old, old themes.
Halloween is also known as: All Hallows Eve; November Eve; Hallow mass; Feast of Souls; Feast of the Dead and Samhain and is linked with All Souls Day and takes on additional colorings depending on where you are and where you are coming from. The early Christian missionaries often opted for giving Christian meaning for existing non-Christian festivals and Halloween is about as good an example of this as one might choose to find. The Celtic Samhain "marks the symbolic death of the Sun God and His passing into the ‘land of the young,' where He awaits rebirth of the Mother Goddess at Yule." (Cunningham, Scott, Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, Llewellyn Pubs., St. Paul, 1997).
It "is a cross-quarter day, halfway between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. The earth currents continue to sweep us inward, down through the gates of death, into the womb where wisdom gestates." (Borrysenko, Joan, Pocketful of Miracles, Warner Books, NY, 1994). I cannot imagine a people anywhere who did not realize the above at some level and celebrate it in some manner. Even a nonagricultural people would see the trees "die" and figure something was up. So I am drawn by some sort of subtle link to all of the people who have ever been that felt they had to do something to celebrate this change from the heat of summer and plenty to the edginess of the coming winter. And if you have read much of my ramblings you might guess that I am comfortable turning inward and I suspect many of us T-goblins likewise have spent a lot of time turning inwards.
Halloween has become a uniquely American celebration, in part because we love an excuse to party and to explore and flaunt conventions and also because of all of the above - the touching of the collective memory, the harvest festival, the ending of summer and the beginning of winter. The death of the season of producing and growing and changing to introspection and resting and gathering.
When Bubba turns reflective and looks inwards he finds me, his feminine part and I like to think I add to his growth from within. (Besides, dressing is a winter sport. Summer is just too hot to really get into it and the Fall and Winter fashions are the really neat ones. And now that the pesky Sun God is going and female Moon Goddess is ascendant, I just . . ., well . . . feel more comfortable.)
Another thing that I find fascinating about Halloween is that all of a sudden magic is OK. People will play with a Ouija board, try a card reading or play with a pendulum. Divination is OK to flirt with, but afterwards the cards and the boards are put away and it is time to get ready for the more stressful holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
"Magic" has been described as anything that you don't understand. I look at the insides of a television or a computer and part of me knows something definable and scientific is going on but the overwhelming feeling is that it is best to dismiss it as simply "magic," of "BFM" as the more technical types refer to it. Those that take magic more seriously than a means for dismissing that which is not understood hold that magic is "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with the Will." (Aleister Crowley as quoted in: Smoley and Kinney, Hidden Wisdom, Penguin, NY, 1999, p.102). "Magical workings are intended to create a ‘form' in this subtle ‘astral' world of thoughts and images that will then give birth to an event in the physical world." (Hidden Wisdom, p. 103).
Oversimplifying, we in our level of existence can, through thought, word, deed (ritual) create a powerful thought in the astral plane (the level of existence beyond our daily one) which in turn will cause a manifestation of all of that effort back again in our world. (Basic technology has the model of : input -->processing unit-->output. The radio station sends out a signal, your receiver processes the signal and its output is intelligible sound). So, the magician sends a signal through his/her will, it is processed by the astral and returned to our reality in accord with the signal.
Anthropologists identify 3 kinds of magic: "sympathetic" - where the signal is based on feeling like something connected with the desired outcome; "contagious" - where something physically associated with the desired outcome or its focus is part of the signal formation and "imitative" - where the magician imitates either the focus or something connected with the desired outcome. A native American might prepare for a buffalo hunt by doing all three. He might dress up like a buffalo; he would try to move and otherwise behave as a buffalo and ultimately try and feel like a buffalo, get in a buffalo mood if you will, so that he might create a thought in the next plane that would convince the buffalo that they should do as he wishes.
A child faced with something significant that s/he does not understand will try what psychologists refer to as "magical thinking," grasping at something that has some connection with the event and mentally associating that with the event. If you were "T" as a small child you can probably think of some magical thinking you engaged in. Perhaps a fervent birthday candle wish - a wonderful example of an attempt at "causing Change to occur in conformity with the Will" that is encouraged by our society, complete with ritual, fire, and special clothing (party hats). I think that much of my adult T-self is really my small child grown large, and at that level of me magical thinking is still alive and well.
I think of the times when my attempts at expressing my femme persona have been successful and I see the result as having been more than the sum of the parts and efforts. It has indeed been magical and in looking back I can see that I did practice all of the three kinds of magic, as well as spend considerable time conjuring before hand as I went about my daily activities.
I performed my rituals carefully and when I looked in the mirror, the Goddess had clearly smiled, things had "clicked," and the result was magic. Part of the afterglow of such a session comes, I think, because of the suspension of all of the left brain, logical sequential thinking and the rational belief system that Bubba deals with most of the time and our society says is so necessary to be normal, real, worthwhile and all the rest. The release of the intuitive, magical thought forms that have been part of us all much, much longer and go deeper than anything our society thinks important can be a very important and positive part of the "T" trip.
A rational, logical, skeptical person could not even think of attempting the transformations, both internal and external that a "T" person lives with and attempts, but when we separate from the daily external person and allow our right brain to kick in and go magical on us a lot can happen.
For a T-person Halloween can be much more than a once a year chance to come out of the closet. It can mark the beginning of a time for getting in touch with the Moon Goddess and the whole of one's internal being including the feminine, a time that can continue long after the moldy pumpkins start appearing in the trash. I like Halloween because it opens one up to magic and the possibilities in that direction and the contrariness of it sets well with me as well. I mean isn't the essence of "T-ness" going contrary to what our culture says "is" and discovering our own magic? In fact I like it so well I sort of try and keep it going all year. May the Great Pumpkin and the Goddess bless you all!
Left
of Center by Pamela DeGroff
Interview with Jesse Vickers of The Nashville T-Men
There is a brand new Transgender organization in town called The Nashville T-Men. It's a support group for female to male transgendered persons and their significant others.
Although the T-Men have only been organized for a few months, they are getting of to a great start, and are making their presence known with the areas GLBT community.
I recently had the pleasure of spending an evening with the group’s founder, Jesse Vickers, and his housemate, Jodi Burchell. The following interview was more of an extended conversation with someone who is deeply concerned about the needs and vision of the one segment of our community that is often overlooked.
PAMELA DeGROFF: Tell me
a little about yourself. Where are you from originally, and what brought
you to Nashville?
JESSE VICKERS: I'm originally
from northeast Florida. I was born in North Carolina, but I was raised in
Florida. Basically, Jodi brought me to Nashville. We met on-line.
Jesse, you told me earlier you came out when you were 16 years of age, in Florida. Care to talk about your family? I have four brothers, and I'm in the middle. I have two younger and two older than me.
How was the acceptance level in your family? As far as being gay, and being a butch, all my brothers actually, really, accepted me. They accepted my girlfriends. My Mom had some problems with it at first, but through time, she just got used to it. Now my mother actually has gay friends.
My father always accepted it, but he would tell me "Why do you have to put it out on the street? Why do you have to dress like a guy? Why do you have to have your hair short? You bring more hostility towards you that way."
I never could get him to understand that I wasn't dressing or wearing my hair that way because I was gay, I was dressing and wearing my hair that way because that's who I was, and that's how I felt comfortable. He just always felt..."It's nobody's business what you do in your own bedroom, and you shouldn't advertise it."
I don't think that anything I do anymore is gonna surprise my family. I've always been the one to do what I want to do. I do what makes me feel comfortable; if they can't understand it, that's okay.
My Mom has been great about the transition. She's been calling me Jesse for about a year. But she still would call me "she" on the phone.
Mom came out here in July. From the moment she got off the plane, the first time she'd seen me in years, she started calling me "he". After about a day of being here, she was calling me " her son". Just great. Never missed a beat... She just wants me to be happy.
When we first spoke, you mentioned having problems trying to find a doctor. I could not find a doctor here. I could not find a doctor any closer than Memphis. Every doctor I called on the T-Vals list would no longer treat FTMs, or transgendered people. I basically...sat down and called every number in the phone book that looked like they could be capable of prescribing "T" (testosterone), and I called them.
I had one doctor say, "Yes, we'll see you." And I told them out and out over the phone, "I'm transgendered. I'm going from female to male. I've had my therapy. I have my letter, and I need testosterone."
"Sure, we'll see you, but we need a referral from your medical doctor," I was told.
So I call my medical doctor, who called them on the phone. Then he called me back and said, "Oh, no, they thought you were a woman calling for treatment for her husband."
How
did they get that wrong?
They just...I don't know. I know
they didn't. Why they changed their mind, I don't know.
And that was all here in Nashville? Yes. So finally, I just kept calling, and the last number I had said yes. She did treat me, and she is treating me, but even she thought I was a guy from the get go.
We're sitting in the office with her, and she's talking to Jodi, thinking Jodi's the patient. This doctor is a diabetes specialist. She's saying, "What are the symptoms?" Jodi looks at me and I look at Jodi, and Jodi says, "He's the patient." And the doctor says, "Oh, okay. What are the symptoms?" I didn't know what to say.
How did you wind up with a diabetes specialist? She was the last doctor I had wrote down from the phone book. They do some endo (endocrinology) work. I was calling everybody but pediatricians and podiatrists. I was desperate, and I was determined that one way or another, somebody is gonna treat me. Finally, I kept telling her, "You have my therapy letter in your file." She would kind of look at it, then she would look back at me.
Finally, I got it through to her what I was there for. Even then, she told me that I had to strip down, and let her check me before she would give me "T".
Okay. So I put on the little Bounty paper towel she gives me. And what it was, she thought I was a guy. She comes back in there. She's doing this little fake feeling around on my stomach, and all of a sudden she raises the sheet up and looks up toward my chest. Once she saw that I still had breasts, she said, "Okay, I'll treat you." She thought I was a guy coming in to get steroids.
Last year, I attended a seminar at SCC on the health needs of FTMs, conducted by James Green and Toni Bareto-Neto. They really brought home the point that most people, including most doctors and insurance companies, don't have a clue about T-men's health issues. Is this one of the main concerns of FTMs? To my knowledge, yes. That's what I would say. Not only getting treatment for your transition process, but getting treatment for any other illness during your transition, and after your transition. What does it matter what your gender status is if you need any kind of medical treatment?
On a lot of the e-lists that I'm on, guys will come on and say they're having problems with the female plumbing, and they don't know where to go. that's a shame. On top of that, we pay for insurance, and we can't use it.
Is there a consensus in the T-Men community about this? How do you address something like this? Once they decide to treat you, you need to be responsible and pay your bills so the next guy doesn't have this problem.
More people need to be honest with their doctors. There's many gay couples out there that don't tell their doctors, "We are a gay couple." You need to do that. If one person becomes sick, the doctor looks at the other person as a spouse.
People need to not be ashamed of who they are. They need to stand up and say, I have a right to be treated medically. I'm a human being. I have the same right as anyone else."
If you could ask just one thing of the GLBT community, from the standpoint of a T-Man, what would that be? To stop showing prejudice to one another. That's my main problem with any community, really. Sometimes, the gay community and the Transgender community, instead of uniting together, attack each other verbally, and they're critical of each other. I don't understand that type of prejudice. It doesn't help any of us.
That answer leads into the next question. From your standpoint, how do you feel Transmen are accepted in general by the GLBT community, and the straight community? I have an easier time in the straight world. I've had no problems. I'm seen as male; I'm recognized as male. Nobody treats me any different. I'm a male. Actually, the gay community in Nashville, I have to say, is an exception to the other gay communities. I do have to say that. We really haven't had too many problems.
A lot of them don't understand. They see us a traitors. They need to know that we're not traitors. We've been astonished by the support form the T-Vals and from OPEN. It's been amazing.
Have you gone to a class reunion as Jesse? No, but they wouldn't be surprised. I have run into people I went to high school with, and they've told me, "You know, you look just like you did in 9th grade."
I think a bit more knew than what I thought knew. One girl told me, "I knew in 9th grade you were gonna be a dyke."
I said, "How'd you know that?"
She said, "Well, because of the way you dress, and you were always in fights." I got in fights all the time, because I was very angry. Very angry.
Do the Nashville T-Men have a long term plan? What do you want to see the group accomplish? Right now, we're really still into the organization part of it. We have seven members. Two of them live in Knoxville.
Where do you meet? In our house. I would like to see the group accomplish several things. One, I would like to see us give back to the community-both the transgendered and the gay/lesbian community. I'd like to see us become an active part of the community, as a group and as individuals. I'd like to see our group help to bridge the gap that's between the transgendered and the gay community. Most hate and stuff like that comes out of fear or comes out of ignorance.
What is you definition of feminism? Would you call yourself a feminist? No. I'm a humanist. I believe all humans have the right to exist, and that we're capable of coexisting. I believe in equal rights, and equal human rights.
What kind of advice would you give to a young person, and by that I mean a teenager, about coming out? There's always going to be someone to challenge you, but be yourself. Don't be afraid to tap into the resources that are there for you.
The Nashville T-Men meet the first Saturday of every month, 6:30 PM at Jesse and Jodi's place. For directions and other information, please e-mail at writejesse@jessesmail.com
news, media mentions, etc...
IFGE Has Selected Nashville for 2002 Convention Load up on Rhinestones When You’re Here!!
At the September Board meeting, the IFGE Board of Directors and the IFGE Convention Management Team enthusiastically accepted the proposal from the Tennessee Vals to host the 2002 IFGE Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The search and evaluation of the hotel site has begun with a goal of being able to set the date by the March Convention in Chicago. Marisa Richmond, Vice Chair and Co-Founder of the Tennessee Vals and a new Member of the IFGE Board said, "We are very excited to host the IFGE convention and are thrilled to have this opportunity to showcase Nashville and the Tennessee Vals." Stay tuned for the exciting plans on what promises to be a special event in the exciting Capital of Tennessee, Music City USA, and home of some of the friendliest people you will ever find.
Source: IFGE press release 10/00
Drag Queens Go to College— No, it’s not an Ed Wood Cinema Masterpiece
Vanderbilt Lambda, the GLBT student group at Nashville’s Vanderbilt University, hosted it’s annual drag pageant Friday night, October 13th on campus. Hundreds of students and locals attended the outdoor event as some of the city’s big-name drag queens strutted and sashayed down the runway to cheers and a few dropped jaws.
As the Vandy Lambda website put it, “It was a huge success. We have never seen so many straight people get excited about men in drag.”
The event is scheduled each year to celebrate National Coming Out Day.-jp
source: Vanderbilt Lambda website 10/16/00
UPDATE: Dr. Laura TV show hits Iceberg!! Canadians Jump on Lifeboats!!
Dr. Laura sort of said she was sorry--for the second time.
The controversial radio and TV talk show host, who lambasted the gay and lesbian community by calling them "deviants" and "biological errors," used the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday to apologize for "poorly chosen" words that she said were perceived as hate speech.
"On the Day of Atonement, Jews are commanded to seek forgiveness from people we have hurt," Dr. Laura Schlessinger said Wednesday in a full-page ad in the trade paper, Daily Variety, for its special "Gay Hollywood" issue. "I deeply regret the hurt this situation has caused the gay and lesbian community."
"While
I express my opinions from the perspective of an Orthodox Jew and a staunch
defender of the traditional family, in talking about gays and lesbians some
of my words were poorly chosen," the ad says.
Schlessinger has apologized before for her comments (Editor’s Note: Days later she retracted it.), having removed portions of her controversial rhetoric from her DrLaura.com Website. But her opponents aren't buying it.
"Laura Schlessinger once again blames others for the impact of her rhetoric, refusing to take responsibility for her precisely chosen, scientifically inaccurate descriptions of gay and lesbian lives," Joan M. Garry, executive director of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, said in a statement.
"Schlessinger's tepid assertion that her anti-gay words were 'poorly chosen' represents another blow to her waning credibility," Garry added. "The anger Schlessinger's words have caused is too great and too profound to simply go away after a qualified admission of some guilt."
...Many top advertisers, like Toyota and Coca-Cola, have stopped advertising with Schlessinger.
Although Schlessinger's radio program is popular, her TV show's dull format is suffering from lackluster ratings. Paramount even stopped producing the show for a short while to make it more exciting.
For its part, Paramount has said it is committed to presenting social issues without creating or contributing to an atmosphere of hate or hurt.
GLAAD's and Schlessinger's statements come just a week after Dr. Laura was canceled in Canada due to poor ratings and lack of advertiser interest.
Source: E! Online 10/11/00 ALSO SEE Stopdrlaura.com
New Transgender Protection Passed in California
Assemblymember Sheila Kuehl scored another win for transsexual and transgendered people in California when Governor Davis signed A.B. 2222 into law. A.B. 2222 strengthens protections for Californians against disability-related discrimination under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). The bill is a response to recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that significantly limited the protections under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Among other provisions, A.B. 2222 removes Transsexualism and Gender Identity Disorder (GID) from the list of conditions that are excluded from protections, and provides that the California law may provide greater protection than the ADA, which specifically excludes transsexual people and people diagnosed with GID. The new law requires employers to enter into good faith negotiations with employees regarding "reasonable accommodations" for a disability. This means that those transsexual people who are forced to rely on the law for protection in medically-supervised on-the-job transitions may claim the condition as a disability or a perceived disability and look to this statewide law for support. Also, transgendered people who may be perceived to suffer from GID, regardless of any medical intervention, could be protected from discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of that perception.
FTM International, Inc... hailed the announcement of A.B. 2222's enactment as a great step forward for transgender and transsexual civil rights...
The new law goes into effect January 1, 2001.
source: GAIN 10/11/00
The Pittsburgh
city council has declared October 1 to be “Boy George Tribute Day”
in the city and will present the cross-dressing singer with a formal copy
of the resolution, embossed with a city seal, at his concert that night,
according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. City Resolution 901, sponsored
by council member Jim Ferlo, names the singer an “honorary
Pittsburgher,” although the honor does not include a key to the city,
which only the mayor can present. Ferlo, 49, said he sponsored the tribute
in honor of George’s antidrug message and to please George’s fans.
“He has a message of personal control and responsibility, and he has
quite a following around the world,” said Ferlo, who also sang the opening
bars of the Culture Club hit “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” at
the council meeting. The resolution also states that Boy George will be honored
for offering his “tireless energy to the music industry as well as to
the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities via his international
music talents and voice of poetry and reason.” In response to
reporters’ questions, Ferlo said he has no plans to declare official
days for once-popular ’80s bands Kajagoogoo and A Flock of Seagulls.
source: The Advocate 09/23/00
For years Cynthia Watson was well known in her village for her generous donations to local charities.
After her death her neighbors found out much more about the woodworking pensioner, who had toiled in her garage carving toys to be sold at a village fete stall. Not only did she have a multimillion-pound fortune, but she was a man.
Residents from Midgham, in Berkshire, would often stop at Miss Watson¹s two-bedroom bungalow to admire her carving skills. Few realized that she was Peter Acke, a bachelor and former Stowe School pupil who had once been a professional carpenter.
Her secret emerged when her will was published under the name of Mr. Acke, four months after she died. It revealed that she had a £3 million estate, although it is not clear how she amassed her fortune.
John Goddard, her neighbor, said he had always known her as Cynthia but had considered that she looked “rather masculine”. He said: “She had been a carpenter by trade and was always making model boats and cars out of wood. She was very good.”
Other neighbors said that they knew she had an interest in the sea because a trailer with a dinghy on it was always parked in the driveway.
The pensioner, who died at her home aged 72, lived alone. Her love of all things nautical led to her bequeathing part of her wealth to the RNLI when she made a will. Her donation of more than £1 million will help the charity to buy a new lifeboat.
Edward Wakewalker, of the RNLI, said: “One of our team called to see Cynthia at her home after he or she expressed an interest in leaving a bequest to the lifeboat institution. I gather he or she was a yachtsperson for about 30 years and wanted his fortune to be used to pay for a lifeboat.
“We are due to get just over half of his estate— which will go a long way to pay for a new, modern lifeboat. He or she asked that the new lifeboat be named after his or her yacht (The Witch of Osier) and we will probably accede to that request.
"The news that we are going to be given this bequest is fantastic but its a shame in some ways that we don’t know more about Cynthia or Peter and his or her background."
Chris Harman, landlord of the village public house, said: "She was always kind and courteous and made sure the girls who wait the tables were well looked after."
Source: The Times 10/09/00
Does Anybody Want Marilyn’s Endorsement?
Sorry,
Marilyn Manson. Dream all you want, but if George W. Bush wins, he won’t
be asking you to play at his inaugural ball. The aggressively controversial
makeup-clad rocker told November’s Talk magazine that he supports
the bush ticket over Al Gore’s (he says he loathes gore’s No.2,
avowed Manson-hater Sen. Joe Lieberman).
The Republican Response? “A hearty but firm thanks-but-no-thanks,” snaps Bush campaign spokesman Tucker Eskew. “Governor Bush is a different kind of Republican—but not that different.” And Marilyn’s friends can stay away too: “We do not plan a coalition of Cross-Dressing Glam Rockers for Bush anytime soon.”
source:by Erin Podolsky Entertainment Weekly 10/20/00
LGCJ Researching Workplace Discrimination
Nashville's Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice is conducting a research project to document instances of workplace discrimination in the GLBT community. This isn't just aimed at the Nashville community, either. Anyone throughout the state is invited to participate if you have experienced any kind of harassment or discrimination at your place of employment.
All you need do is provide a brief account of the incident, how you handled it, and how your employer responded. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you are interested in this project, please respond before Dec. 31st., to the contact address listed below.
The Lesbian and Gay Coalition for
Justice
P.O. Box 22901
Nashville, TN 37202
email:
lgcj@lgcj.org
Cases the Supreme Court is NOT Interested In Taking
The court, on its opening day of the 2000-2001 session, announced Monday through its routine issuance of a written "orders list" that it would not hear the case of the transgendered widow or the case of the bisexual harasser. Expectations are that, later this month, it will also refuse to hear the appeal of a lesbian mother who wants to prevent her ex-lover from having visitation with the child they had together.
Some could argue that the Supreme Court does not like to hear cases involving the gay community, period, unless the appeal comes from someone who seeks to resuscitate a law or policy against gay people. The court took the Boy Scouts case last session to preserve that organization’s policy of banning gays. It took a case in 1995 to uphold excluding gay contingents from certain parades. It took a case in 1996 seeking to save an anti-gay initiative in Colorado; but, in that case, it refused to let the state bar gays from the benefits of government. So, the results have been mixed, but, generally speaking, the high court takes specifically gay cases when its initial aim appears to be an anti-gay result.
There is no surprise, then, this week when an appeal from a transgender widow seeking to resolve a malpractice suit around her husband’s death received the court’s ‘No, thank you, please.’
But, the rejection is no doubt more complicated than the Supreme Court’s reluctance to talk about issues of sex and sexual identity. To put this in further perspective, the transgender case, and the case of the bisexual harasser were just two cases among almost 2,000 on the court’s first 75-page-long list of cases it refuses to hear. The reasons these two were shunned may never be known, but it’s just as likely they were reasons of a fairly boring and technical nature than for reasons of a personal or political one.
"There was zero chance they would take [the transgender] case," says Shannon Minter, senior staff attorney with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who has worked on a number of transgender legal cases. The legal reality, explains Minter and other legal experts, is that there have not yet been enough opinions rendered by the lower courts on the specific legal issues these cases bring. And a conflict of opinions among the lower courts is one of the key reasons the Supreme Court agrees to take a case.
While the lower courts and the Supreme Court have already dealt with a number of cases involving sexual harassment and same-sex sexual harassment, there have been very few — perhaps none— which have addressed the specific circumstances of the federal sex discrimination law as it pertains to bisexuals.
The refusals do amount to something, however.
By refusing the transgender widow case, the high court leaves standing in the state of Texas a ruling that appears to constitute the first use of the federal Defense of Marriage Act to deny the validity of a marriage. A state appeals court in Texas said, and the Texas Supreme Court left standing, a ruling that said that DOMA gave Texas the right to consider invalid a marriage that Kentucky licensed between a man and a male-to-female transgendered person. The wife’s attorneys had argued that the Constitution’s full faith and credit clause required Texas to recognize the marriage licensed by Kentucky — the type of argument many expect will arise when a same-sex marriage case is challenged some day.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to take the case also left standing — in Texas — the state court’s determination in that case, Littleton v. Prange, that chromosomes determine an individual's sex" and that neither hormones nor sex reassignment surgery can change a person’s gender.
Interestingly, in making its ruling, the Texas courts referred to three other cases in the United States involving a similar situation but coming to different conclusions. One was a 1971 New York case in which a newlywed husband sought to nullify his marriage after he learned that his wife had male sex organs; the court nullified the marriage. The second was a 1976 case from New Jersey in which the husband sought to avoid paying alimony after his mate went through sex reassignment surgery; the court ruled the marriage valid. The third case was from Ohio in 1987, in which a court ruled that a male-to-female transgender who had the sex reassignment surgery could not obtain a marriage license to marry a male.
The refusal of Christie Littleton’s case means other things, too. It means her lawsuit against the doctor she believes gave her husband poor medical care was dismissed.
"It’s disappointing Christie Littleton isn’t going to be able to vindicate her rights," says Minter, "but there just have not been enough state court decisions on the issue to create any realistic chance whatsoever that the U.S. Supreme Court would take on this issue."
But such cases are coming, says Minter.
"They are definitely coming at a furious pace now," he says, "but it’s a new phenomenon." Minter says that, as more cases are arising, the likelihood is increasing that the Supreme Court will weigh in.
What Minter and other legal activists do not want, however, is for the Supreme Court to weigh in with a definition of "male" and "female," as the Texas courts did.
"There is no legal definition of male or female, though a lot of people have the reaction at first that, ‘That’s what we need, some clear-cut definition of who’s a man and who’s a woman’," says Minter. "But to me, that’s the equivalent of … saying we need a uniform national standard of what your race is. It might be helpful in the short run for people to know where they stand and, to a certain extent, it is necessary [to have some clarity about who is male and who is female]. But it can be dealt with by courts. We don’t need legislation or statutory definitions of male and female. No matter what definition we come up with, it’s going to hurt some people and leave some out...
source: Lisa Keen New York Blade 10/06/00
VCR and Movie ALERT: Drag Queens on Parade, Wonderboys Re-released to Theaters
Set your
VCRs for the most unusual of the Halloween TV specials: coverage of New
York’s Village Halloween Parade. It’s airing Halloween night, October
31st, at 6PM on both USA and Sci-Fi channels. Then it repeats that night
at 8PM on Sci-Fi and 10PM on USA. If you want to see some seriously flamboyant
drag queens, our bet is you’ll get your wish with this
telecast.
The movies...Paramount is trying something unusual by re-releasing the film Wonderboys to theatres November 8th. The film was originally released in February and promptly ignored by most movie-goers, despite great reviews.
Wonderboys stars Michael Douglas as a burned out writer and professor, and Robert Downey Jr. as his bi-sexual editor who has a crossdressing girlfriend.
Official Website Wonderboys
Loading Up the Truck and Move to DeKalb— Illinois that is. TG Protection, No Movie Stars
DeKalb became only the second city in the state of Illinois to pass an anti-gender based discrimination ordinance into law Monday night.
The ordinance, passed by the DeKalb City Council in a unanimous vote, involved changing the term "sex" to "gender" in Chapter 49 of the DeKalb Municipal Code. The change was designed to provide protection for people who may be discriminated against on the basis of gender identity, appearance and behavior and includes cross-dressing and transgender individuals.
"The ordinance would protect anyone who has been discriminated against on the basis of gender or people who don't conform to societal norms," said Margie Cook, coordinator for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender programs at Northern Illinois University. "Some people even view things, like a man wearing an earring, as inappropriate and will discriminate against that person. So, this is for anybody who is discriminated against on the basis of gender."
The grass-roots organization Community Members Against Discrimination introduced the ordinance to the DeKalb Human Relations Commission at their Aug. 1 meeting. The Commission voted to send the proposal to the city council by an 8-1 vote.
CMAD members recommended that the term gender be defined as "actual or perceived sex, including a person's gender identity, appearance or behavior is different from that traditionally associated with the person's sex at birth."
"I am most pleased that DeKalb has completed a process begun over two years ago to protect all sexual and gender minorities in DeKalb from discrimination," Commission chairman Norden S. Gilbert said in a press release...
Source: by Tyler VincentNorthern Star UWIRE 09/29/00
Bangladesh is Swarming with Eunuchs from The Beatles’ LP Abbey Road
A politician has insisted the four million eunuchs in Bangladesh must be given voting rights and access to education.
"I don't understand why eunuchs should not enjoy social and human rights," said Mohammad Shahjahan, an MP from the ruling Awami League party.
They are barred from voting because their sex cannot be determined and many do not go to school because they fear being teased or ostracised.
Most of the eunuchs, known as Hijras in the predominantly Muslim country, are transsexuals and hermaphrodites who wanted to become women.
Hijras traditionally were entertainers who performed songs and dances at social gatherings.
Shahjahan urged the authorities to treat eunuchs as physically challenged human beings in need of medical treatment.
"Modern medical science has found ways to transform eunuchs into full human beings," he said in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
Mozammel Hossain, junior government minister for social welfare, said the government would consider his suggestions.
Source: Ananova 09/11/00
A significant group of 31 civil rights and victims' advocacy organizations are joining Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund in appealing the meager amount awarded for a county sheriff's failure to protect Brandon Teena from a brutal murder.
Among those groups supporting Lambda in its appeal on behalf of the victim's mother are the American Civil Liberties Union, National Organization for Women, Southern Poverty Law Center, Parents of Murdered Children, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, American Public Health Association, and Anti-Defamation League.
"Like Lambda, these organizations are committed to proving that everyone – regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, or any other factor – should be able to rely on law enforcement for protection against hate-motivated violence…” said Lambda Legal Director Beatrice Dohrn...
Born Teena Brandon and raised as a girl, he was living as a man known as Brandon Teena in Falls City, Nebraska, when he was murdered at age 21. In December of 1993, two men who discovered his sex raped him. His attackers later shot and killed him after learning Brandon had reported the rape and was to help police in the investigation.
Richardson County Sheriff Charles B. Laux not only notified the rapists of Brandon's complaint, but took no steps to protect him, despite his agreement to assist the sheriff and strong evidence that his life was in danger Laux, who had been abusive and accusatory while interviewing Brandon about the rape, even forbade a deputy from arresting the pair.
Joann Brandon, the victim's mother and representative of the estate, sued Laux because he negligently failed to protect Brandon between the time of the rape and the murder and was abusive in interviewing him about the rape. In 1999, the trial court agreed the sheriff was negligent, but in its ruling assessed just $17,360.97 in damages against him.
"A hefty price tag is necessary to ensure that law enforcement officials take seriously hate-motivated violence, and do not put someone in worse danger for turning to police for help," Lambda Senior Staff Attorney David Buckel…
The Nebraska Supreme Court will hear Joann Brandon v. County of Richardson, Nebraska as early as the first week of November, having ordered the appeal to bypass the intermediate appellate court...
The appeal argues, among other things, that the trial court made a legal error on the apportionment of damages where a duty to protect was violated. Specifically, the trial court was mistaken in shifting most damages for the sheriff's negligence to the individuals whose violence the sheriff was duty-bound to prevent.
Source: Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund 10/02/00
John Paul was a poster boy for the ex-gay movement. His book, Not Afraid to Change: The Remarkable Story of How One Man Overcame Homosexuality, touted “reparative” psychological and religious therapies aimed at converting gays like him into straights. In 1998, he and his wife, an “ex-lesbian,” appeared on Newsweek’s cover to illustrate a story about the controversial movement, which is disavowed by psychiatric organizations. Paulk gives hundred of lectures a year, telling how he turned away from his life as a drag queen when he embraced Christ. Last week, he had to explain why he was found in a Washington, D.C., gay bar, drink in hand.
Two staffers from the Human Rights Campaign recognized Paulk in Mr.P’s, one of the oldest gay bars in the capital. When another HRC staffer showed up with a camera, Paulk left quickly. “It was all a misunderstanding,” he told Newsweek. “I went in there looking for a bathroom,” he said. “It was poor judgement, (but) that does not mean I am going back to homosexuality.” He could not explain why he chose the dark gay bar over the brightly lit coffee shop across the street. Jubilant gay activists...quickly spread word of the sighting… (Editor’s note: Paulk has since been fired as the head of Exodus, a group that claims it can cure gay people.)
Source: Newsweek 10/02/00
A Plymouth County, Massachusetts Superior Court judge on October 12 ruled that a transgendered 15-year-old must be allowed to attend public school presenting in her self-identified gender, finding that to do otherwise would be sex discrimination and citing the youth's First Amendment right to freedom of expression. The ruling is believed to be the first of its kind in the state. The school itself had referred the teen known in court as "Pat Doe" to a therapist who diagnosed her with gender identity disorder, but school administrators viewed her wearing of women's clothing as just another manifestation of "a pattern of disruptive behavior." It appears very likely that the Brockton School Department will appeal.
Before the case was heard, the school district had asked Judge Linda Giles to recuse herself because she is a lesbian. Giles responded that the case was not about sexual orientation but about gender identity disorder, and that, "I've examined my head and heart and I see no reason to recuse myself."
Pat first began to wear women's clothing and makeup to school early in 1999 when she was in seventh grade. Sometimes the clothing included tight skirts and high-heeled shoes, and at one semi-formal dance a "slinky" black dress. This caused confrontations, school officials said. Pat was repeatedly sent home to change, and when she began eighth grade in 1999, she was required to report first each day to the principal for approval of her appearance. In court, school officials acknowledged that female students dressed similarly were neither disciplined nor barred from attending. During the 1999 - 2000 school year Pat dropped out, claiming the principal had created a hostile environment. This year after being told Pat could not enroll if she wore women's clothing, Pat's grandmother "Jane Doe" filed suit against the school district with the help of Boston-based Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). Pat is repeating the eighth grade with a tutor at home.
Pat was also three times suspended for using the women's restrooms after being told she must not. Other students told the Boston Globe that it was safer there for Pat than in the men's restrooms, where she was verbally harassed and there was the possibility of violence.
Pat was often disruptive, school officials said... Once she sparked a confrontation by blowing kisses at a male student, and another time by grabbing a male student's buttocks. School administrators all the way up to the district superintendent believe they gave Pat every consideration, but that they have to consider the educational needs of hundreds of other students as well.
The school district's attorney Edward Lennox had said in court that Pat "will show off, apply makeup in front of other students," arguing there was "a pattern of flamboyance and disruption," that it was a "pattern of behavior that has been disruptive, not an isolated incident," and that wearing women's clothes "will be disruptive to the educational process." Lennox' remarks led Judge Giles to ask just what constitutes flamboyance" and whether schools should limit it, comparing it to the days when students wore leather jackets which were symbolic of gangs.
The school referred Pat in 1999 to therapist Judith Havens, who reported to the court that it would be "medically and clinically necessary for [Pat] to wear clothing consistent with female gender and that failure to do so could cause harm to [Pat's] mental health."
Judge Giles agreed, writing that for Pat wearing women's clothes "is not merely a personal preference but a necessary symbol of her very identity" and that to force her to do otherwise would mean "the stifling of a person's selfhood merely because it causes some members of the community discomfort." She wrote that should Doe misbehave, she could be disciplined as other students would be, but not for wearing attire the school would accept on a female student. Rather than damaging the educational interests of other students, she wrote that, "exposing children to diversity at an early age serves the important social goals of increasing their ability to tolerate differences and teaching them respect for everyone's unique ...
Interviewing parents and students after the ruling, the Boston Globe found that most were willing to "live and let live." ... But one mother said she'd given her 14-year-old son permission to "beat up" Pat should she touch him. The mother said, "In my opinion I don't think it's right. [My son] shouldn't have to put up with being touched. If [Pat] wants to be treated fairly he should wear men's clothes."
Source: Ananova 07/28/00
QUICK HITS: Media Mentions
The Wall Street Journal / 08/22/00
Transsexual employees may be next to seek workplace protections. As more companies adopt anti-discrimination language for gay and lesbian employees, some could see transsexuals asking for the same thing. Grant Lukenbill, a New York journalist who rates companies on their sexual-orientation policies, says only a handful of firms now explicitly bar bias against transsexuals. Dana Priesing, an attorney says some adopt an informal "get over it" policy for transsexuals' coworkers who say they are uncomfortable. AMR Corp, parent of American Airlines, plans to adopt language protecting transsexuals...
USA Today / 09/25/00
Miguel Nunez Jr. stars in Juwanna Mann as a fired NBA bad-boy ballplayer who crossdresses to play in the Women’s United Basketball Association : “...I had to get my legs waxed, my lips waxed... No man in the world is worth that.”