Upcoming
Group Meetings
Tennessee Vals
Newsletter September 2000
Upcoming
Group Meetings
In This Issue:
Vals' Special
Events:
Sunday September 10: 7pm TVals/Pride
T-Mixer at the Chute
Saturday, September 16th: Nashville
Pride Rally at Bicentennial Mall
Sunday, October 22, AIDS
Walk,Bicentennial Mall
The Queens Throne by Marisa
Richmond
marisaval@aol.com
SALE. That is a word that excites many of us. And I am no exception–until it is combined with those three other words, "Back to School." It just cannot be September already! Where did the summer the go? This means I'm going to have to go....back to work. Eeek! Well, having said all that, I suppose September is not all bad. After all, I am shivering with anticipation over the annual Southern Comfort Conference at the end of the month. The past two years, SCC has reportedly had the largest attendance of an gender event in history (500 and 600 respectively). The 2000 convention could be even bigger. I can hardly wait.
But this September also offers an event just slightly larger that SCC: the Summer Olympics. In 1996, this event was held right in Atlanta before we came into town. This year, the world's second biggest sporting event is literally on the other side of the world in the Land Down Under–Sydney, Australia. While the setting of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (in my opinion, the funniest transgender movie ever made) pulls out its finest frockery, there are a few points worth noting about Olympic history that are relevant here.
Many in this community are already
well aware of the story of Stanislawa Walasiewicz (a.k.a. Stella Walsh) of
Poland (1911-1980). She won the gold medal in the Women's 100 meters in 1932
in Los Angeles and the silver medal in the same event in 1936 in Berlin.
In addition,she won numerous other medals at other events including the 1930
Women's World Games, the 1938 European Championships, and the 1948
A.A.U. championships after she moved to the U.S.
When she was murdered in Cleveland in 1980, it was discovered that she was
anatomically male. Walsh lived her whole adult life as a woman and, obviously,
competed as a woman.
Much has been made around the world of the increasing number of transgendered athletes, especially those who are male-to-female, who do not wish to abandon their love for sport even as they seek to express their gender in a manner that makes them feel most comfortable. Many of those athletes do have to endure ridicule and, sometimes, discrimination. But it was not that long before Walsh's achievements that women, regardless of anatomy, were denied the opportunity to compete because it was unfeminine and "masculine" to do so. When the modern Olympics were begun in 1896, women were excluded. In the interest of fairness, it should be noted that the original Olympics in Greece (776 b.c.e to 392 c.e.) were for men only, and to insure that no genetic women crashed the party, all athletes and spectators, with the exception of the High Priestess of Zeus, were required to be nude! Watch where you put that javelin....Women had their own segregated contests including the Heraia at Olympia and the Panathenaea at Athens. Women were finally admitted into the modern Olympics in non-contact "pixie" sports like figure skating (1908–obviously pre Tonya Harding) and swimming (1912), but Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, was appalled not only by the notion of competition for women, but by the prurient interests created by women's bathing suits. Obviously, he never had to shave and tuck and tape to get into one of those things. Anyway, track and field events were not added until 1928, and then only in five events, and it was not until the 1970s and 1980s that long distance races were finally included. Team sports do not appear for women until Volleyball was included in 1964. This year will see the inclusion of a seventh team sports for women, Water Polo, which will likely be won by the Netherlands.
So what does this mean for the transgender community? I think it is safe to say that our battles will continue for some time. While many in our community look upon Stella Walsh with pride and see her as a role model, many others see her confirming their worst fears–that men will take advantage of women's competitions to win, as if the desire to win is exclusive to those born with high levels of testosterone. I salute all the wonderful female athletes, past and present, who have had to endure such stereotyping.
In 1996, the U.S. managed to win golds in several women's events, including the team sports of basketball, football and softball. These successes on the field do not mean that we should ignore the struggle for acceptance that women have faced, and continue to face. There is much we can learn as we seek to gain acceptance and move society past its outdated gender based stereotypes. I definitely believe time is on our side. In fact, I feel confident that acceptance is right around the corner–the same time that Anna Kournikova gets her next tournament victory....
So, in the spirit of the Games, let me finish with just a few predictions for the women. The U.S. will likely hold off challengers like Brazil, China and Norway in football–a decidedly masculine sport in virtually every country but the U.S.–but I think the U.S. will be hard pressed to repeat that feat this month in those other two sports. I predict the host Aussies will win in both basketball and softball as well as in field hockey–a sport in which the U.S. did not qualify. Now, I have not heard if they have included Crocodile wrestling as one of the demonstration sports, but if so, I just hope it isn't conducted in the nude. Of course, that would liven up the competition a bit. And it would probably even boost the ratings.
Speaking of television, I hope you caught the recent story on Dateline (NBC) about Christie Lee Littleton. This resident of San Antonio has been attempting to sue for the wrongful death of her husband. The case was dismissed in Texas because Christie is a post-operative female and, therefore, cannot legally marry a male in the state. Despite her legal marriage certificate, driver's license and income tax forms, the Texas Supreme Court refused to hear the case. She is now taking it to the U.S. Supreme Court. Although I have read about her case on the Internet, her eloquence came across much better on television. What her case clearly demonstrates in the blatantly discriminatory nature of "same-sex" marriage bans when a person is denied legal recognition of a loving relationship simply because of the accident of birth. As I listened to Texas officials try to explain their "logic", all I could think of were cases such as Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in which discrimination was sanctioned by logic that today seems laughable. When the Supreme Court reconvenes on the First Monday of October, they will have to decide whether to hear Littleton's case or dismiss it, thus allowing the Texas decision to stand. They can make the Littleton case a benchmark in judicial history, or they can add the case to long list of bad decisions. The choice now rests with nine Presidential appointees. Now, who says being transgendered has nothing to do with politics?
In early August, I
came across an interesting online poll being done by People Magazine
in response to the release of Nutty Professor II: The Klumps. Since
Eddie Murphy plays several roles in the film (including Janet Jackson....),
this poll asked people to name their favorite actor in drag. Besides Murphy,
the other choices were Tony Curtis and Lack Lemmon (Some Like It Hot),
Tom Hanks (Bosom Buddies), Dustin
Hoffman (Tootsie), Martin Lawrence (Big
Momma's House), and Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire). I decided
not to vote at all since the list did not include the best drag performances
of all time: John Leguizamo as Chi Chi Rodriguez in To Wong Foo, Thanks
For Everything, Julie Newmar and Guy Pearce as Felicia Jollygoodfellow
in Priscilla. The poll also asked participants to name the actor you
would most like to see in drag: Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, Justin Timberlake,
Rudy (from Survivor), or Reege–who should be a drag queen anyway.
Finally, as I was going through the newsletters we receive, I read the following sentence written by Divinity of Greensboro, North Carolina in her publication, All the Beautiful People! She wrote, "Under Marisa Richmond's leadership, the Tennessee Val's (sic) newsletter has become an excellent publication, very informative and chock full of news about the TG community." While this praise is flattering, it is, unfortunately, not true. Other than my recent six month stint as board chair after Jennileigh's move to Atlanta, I have not been the leader since April 1995. In the past five years, the job has been held by Susan Brown, Deanna Navarre, Jennileigh Love, and currently, Holly Storm. More importantly, if I had anything to do with producing this newsletter, I guarantee it would suck. That credit belongs to Jennileigh, who established the quality during her tenure as editor from 1995 to 1998. And in the past year and a half, Julie Phillips has pushed the edge of the envelope even further. No group can prosper or grow if it is dominated by one person. The division of labor and responsibility is essential if any group hopes to grow. We have had lots of people over the past 8 years who have contributed their talents and abilities eagerly and our success is a testament to the dedication of all of these volunteers. I do my part, but I have no intention of accepting credit for work done by others.
I hope to see everyone out on the Bicentennial Mall on September 16 as Nashville finally gets around to celebrating PRIDE...only 3 months after every other community in the country. Have a g'day mates!
...Not Too Blonde by Holly D. Storm stormdp1@aol.com
As September rolls around, I see that there is a lot going on in the Nashville and Middle Tennessee area. We, the Tennessee Vals, are busy planning future events such as our 8th Annual Holiday Banquet, organizing future meetings, and planning upcoming events. Many people are getting their ducks in a row, in order to attend the Southern Comfort Conference this fall.
But, we are not the only group that is planning these days. "Our Pride Encompasses Nashville" (OPEN) is the Pride planning committee, which is planning the upcoming Pride activities. This newly formed committee has worked diligently to bring LBGT groups together and are attempting to install that long needed sense of community back into Middle Tennessee. Their basic vision is "We are... leaders committed to building a common ground for our lesbian gay, bisexual, and transgendered family. We are... creating and celebrating a unified diversity of our entire region by teaching and learning about integrity, respect, and acceptance." OPEN plans to make good on their vision by sponsoring events which will highlight some of the GLBT groups in the Middle Tennessee, including the Tennessee Vals.
The Tennessee Vals were asked to participate in the upcoming Pride activities. I feel like we have been embraced by OPEN. They have made us, the transgendered community here in Nashville, feel like family. They want us to get out, educate people and clear up any misconceptions about the transgendered lifestyles. I plan to do just that! I have only begun to get involved with Pride and have thoroughly enjoyed the positive people I have met through OPEN. Throughout the month of August, I will be working with OPEN to help plan the Vals’ role during Pride activities.
Pride Week activities will begin on September 7th and run through September 16th. Pride Week will conclude on September 16th with a Rally and Festival, which will be held at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall in Nashville (9 am to 6 pm). The Tennessee Vals will host a T*Mixer on (Sunday) September 10th at 7pm at The Chute. OPEN will also be hosting a fundraiser at The Chute that same evening. So get out, be who you are, and embrace our Pride!
Please watch the Vals website for the latest updates on the Vals’ planned Pride activities. You can also visit the OPEN web-site for more information www.opennashville.org
Note from the Board Chair of the Tennessee Vals
We had a great turnout at last month’s cookout. We also had guests from The Center for GLBT life in Nashville and OPEN. The cookout provided a great atmosphere for us to connect with others in the GLBT community and to enjoy the beautiful weather we had that day. I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves as we chowed down on burgers and chocolate cake. A new Transgender group has emerged in Nashville. The Nashville T*Men (F to M) group has just gotten out of the starter’s gate and are up to great things. The Tennessee Vals wish the best to the Nashville T*Men in their endeavor.
A Blonde, Brunette AND Redhead by Julie Phillips FabulBabe@aol.com
Talk about your permanent makeup!
Sure I’ve thought about a tattoo. I’m just not so sure I’m an ideal candidate for one, though. They are so permanent, and I am so indecisive. That sounds like a recipe for regret right there. Whatever design I might choose, I’d pretty well be stuck with it forever. Considering I can’t even stick with a hair color for more than a day at a time, perhaps I should pass.
But on the other hand, it certainly is the cool and trendy thing to do. All “the kids” are doing it, it must be OK, right? Teenagers would never steer us wrong on style and fashion. Pardon me a minute—my Flock of Seagulls’ album just ran out.
I still haven’t ruled it out. Even at my age, the “coolness factor” still plays into decisions. I guess none of us ever totally get over cultural and peer pressure. The exceptions, of course, are people who wear muumuu’s and Sans-a-belt slacks.
But if I did, it would have to be something small and understated— and discretely located. Yes, I‘m talking a heart on my butt. Unoriginal, yet daring because of its location.
Why bother getting a tattoo if it’s where hardly anyone would see it? (Despite what you might have heard, hardly anyone WOULD see it. You can’t believe everything you read on bulletin boards and in truck-stop bathrooms.) Because it would just be too cool. When someone casually asks, “Do you have a tattoo?”, I could say, “Why yes I do…and I can’t show it to you!” That has a tiny, little itsy-bitsy more coolness than, “Wanna see my hernia surgery scar?”
I’m in no rush, but the minute Brittany Spears gets one, I’m booking my appointment.
Really Dumb Crossdressing Crooks
There have always been criminals who disguised themselves to pull a bank heist. It makes perfect sense, and makes you wonder why they all don’t do it. It’s kind of hard to get a useful “wanted photo” if the guy looks like a Teletubby.
But this past year, there seems to be an outbreak of crossdressers committing crimes. Not a week goes buy that I don’t read another story of a theft or robbery where the perpetrator is described by witnesses as “a guy in a dress.” Now, if they all made themselves up to look like RuPaul, then the surveillance photos would be useless. But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The evil-doers usually seem to be half-hearted in their femininity. Slapping on a wig and applying lipstick on the drive over is not acceptable—for clubbing, mall shopping or knocking off a bank.
I say to all of you criminals—past and future—make an effort! You’re embarrassing the rest of us with your slipshod “disguises”. Either look good, or stay home and make an honest living! I’m so tired of seeing surveillance camera footage on the news with the robbers looking like they dressed in the dark. Just because the cameras are black and white does not mean the Milton Berle look is the correct look for you.
My favorite crossdressing crime
story from the recent rash of robberies was reported this week. A 60-year-old
man, who walked very slowly and used a walking cane, held up a bank in
Pittsburgh. He was easy to catch up with, thanks to his appearance—he
was wearing women’s clothing— and the fact that he
left his cane behind when he pistol-whipped a guard.
But here’s the capper: he was wearing his 80-year-old mother’s
gray wig!
Gasp! How horrible is that! His poor, dear, heartbroken, hairless mother’s wig was an accomplice on a bank heist! And to make matters worse, the poor dear will probably never get her wig back because it’s now state’s evidence! I can see her baking cookies, going to church, shopping at Piggly-Wiggly, all the time freezing her poor scalp in the brutal cold of a Pittsburgh winter. Somewhere, right this moment, Norman Bates’ mother is NOT pleased.
My Closet by Leslie Louise DuPaix lldupaix@hotmail.com
The Name Game
I’m tempted to do that “Ana, Ana, Bo-nana; nana, nana, Fo-fana” thing just like Dave Barry, but I will spare you the embarrassment. (If you are a really young girl, then you may have missed one of the more intellectually challenged songs of the ‘60s; one whose popularity was helped by the commonly held belief that the “F” word was used when the name “Chuck” was mutilated, but again, I digress).
Most cultures place a lot of emphasis and concern on the importance of names. In some, one’s real name is seldom used except in the most significant occasions and then only with members of one’s family, clan or special group. It is just accepted that by knowing another’s name, one then has power over that person. A parallel in our culture is our numerical name, our social security number. The careful person does not give it out freely and there is the belief (well founded in my opinion) that considerable power and mischief potential is contained in those 7 digits.
In our smaller culture of the Val Clan, we have our nomme de femme (or if you are F2M, your “nomme de homme”) or “clan name” if you will. Many of us choose to not share widely our public name within our clan, but then we do not widely share our clan name with the general public either. I would never think to ask a Val what their other name was. There is considerable power and magic in our respective nommes de clan.
Many social scientists that attempt to divine stages and points on the transgender/CD continuum mention the stage when one gives a name to their other self. In visiting with some Vals I was taken with how often something along the lines of “‘Janie’ has only been around the last 3 years,” would be said as a sort of side comment. Meaning that even though the little girl that would become “Janie” may have existed for 20, 30 or more years, she has only had a name for the last 3. Although I have been “T” all my life (nearly 60 years at this point), “Leslie Louise” has only had a name for the last 12 years or so.
In an exercise with a therapist, I was describing a meeting with “my inner family” - the various aspects of myself as if they were individuals - and I mentioned Ms. Leslie. I described her and how she behaved, and the therapist told me that the more details connected with a member of one’s inner family, the more developed that aspect of one’s self. That prompted further thought on the matter, which I think is worth sharing. My personal opinion (and it may well be shared by some mental health professionals, but I am not aware of who they are, nor am I aware that I am stealing any one’s work) is that every thing you are is because of your inner child. By this I mean that your various public personae are either ways of letting your inner child express themselves or a means of protecting your inner child. I doubt that the "adult" you ever gets hurt. It is the inner child that feels the pain.
The stages Leslie Louise went through were something like this: Free expression and investigation; rejection by the outer world; hiding; internal rejection and denial; a reluctant partial acceptance internally; increasing internal acceptance; increasing development and attempts at external acceptance.
The first two, expression/investigation and rejection, all took place by the time I was 6. The “hiding” started then and to some degree is still in place. The internal rejection and denial was very brutal and heavy handed (and done by myself to myself) and started in early adulthood. The beginning of internal acceptance did not start for me until my late 30s. I suspect that the length of time spent on all of this is probably not unusual for many in my age group. I hear of lots of people who have gone beyond this continuum and I doubt they are even out of their 20s. I suspect the stages are pretty close for us all, the time to get through them is just merely a detail.
What this is leading up to is this: up to some point your internal child is essentially androgynous and is very comfortable being gender fluid - playing the little girl and playing the little boy. At some point the little girl grows up to the point that the inner child can no longer be home to your feminine aspects so your femme self starts developing outside the inner child. After experiencing some acceptance and some development she demands her own identity apart from the inner child and others in the inner family, and this is when the need to name develops.
It’s like being a parent again - what to name the child? Now that we know she’s a girl, what shall she be called? In our society it is not often that you get to choose your own name, and I am sure there are as many ways to go about it as there are names and ways to spell them (which in the South is vastly greater than less creative regions of the world). An interesting phenomenon is the tendency to choose French names. Is it some sort of Anglo-Saxon stereotype of the ideal female being French? In fantasies people wanting to be (or be with), say, Irish Charwomen, are conspicuous by their absence. The French maid, like Tyrannosaurus Rex among dinosaur lovers, is at the top of the list of fantasies involving females. I wonder, do French M2Fs have a tendency to fantasize about American businesswomen, for example, and do they chose their names accordingly? (If you happen to think you know, tell me).
In my case, I wanted a link to my current being as well as distance. So one of my names is linked with that of the nice guy I live in, and the last name and one of the others is from a person I encountered when I underwent hypnotic past life regression in my search for the “why” of all of this. So in my case, my nomme de femme is a composite of names that already were mine. If you are in search for a clan name for one of your selves, I would suggest choosing a name that you can be comfortable with as you grow. One you would be comfortable sticking with. But of course if you are M2F, you can always lay claim to the woman’s right to change her mind and change it if you don’t like it. Most girls change at least one of their names in high school anyway and I suppose giving your teenage inner girl a name she will grow to really hate might add to the silliness and fun of this whole T-trip.
“Ughhhhhh!!! I just simply hate being ‘Leslie Louise.’ You must hate me!!! Nobody cool is named ‘Leslie Louise.’ Why couldn’t you have named me something cool like ‘Britney’ or ‘Xena’ or ‘Shania’?” [Foot stamp. Exit stage right. Door slam].
Bubba introduced me to a lady friend of his and I pointed her to my columns. One of her reactions to Bubba’s attempt at femininity, glamour and exoticness was “Where did ‘Lulu the Poodle’ come from?” She did like the columns though, and we all laughed at how some people might fail to grasp the grandeur and dignity of a classy name when they see it.
Left of Center by Pamela
DeGroff
During the last year’s Tennessee Vals Holiday Banquet, Professor Bill Turner was honored as the 1999 recipient of the coveted Tranny Award. As one of the most active leaders of Nashville’s GLBT community, he has always been a supporter of Transgender people and Transgender rights. Originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, he received a Ph.D. in history from Vanderbilt University, and has taught US History Survey at MTSU. While there, he was also involved in teaching Lesbian Studies/Feminist Theory.
As of June 31, 2000, Prof. Turner resigned as Co-chair of the Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice, an organization he has been involved with since 1994. The reason? Prof. Turner will be leaving middle Tennessee by the end of July in order to accept a teaching position at St. Cloud University, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. “What happened,” he explained, “is that I’ve been applying for academic jobs all over the country for five years, and it just so happens that a school in Minnesota decided to hire me.”
When asked if he intended to maintain all his old contacts back here in Nashville, he answered,“I have two books coming out in the fall. I assumed it would be a simple matter for me to have a book signing for both those books here in Nashville because I’d be here. As it happens, I still want to have a book signing in Nashville, because I hope people in Nashville will want to buy my books. In some ways, it’s a very personal thing. I hope that sometime in November or December, I’ll have an opportunity to come back. Also, I want to know what’s happening, because I just started this new organization...(Equality Tennessee), and I want to know what’s happening to it.”
Since Prof. Turner has been a supporter of the TG community, I wanted to offer him the chance to speak to our community, and the larger GLBT family. What follows is the result of a very pleasant yet informative conversation conducted one afternoon at a small coffeehouse in Murfreesboro, not far from the university.
PAMELA DeGROFF: How long have
you been involved in local and state politics?
DR. WILLIAM TURNER: I would
say nine years. It’s been almost ten years since I moved to Nashville.
I moved to Nashville in August of 1990. It was the summer of 1991 that I
first started working on the Cracker Barrel boycotts, because it was in February
of 1991 when they issued the first press release specifically saying they
were not going to hire gay and lesbian employees anymore. That sort of snowballed
to the point, that by, I guess it was August, that we had the big regional
protest at their Cracker Barrel store in Lebanon, TN, which is where the
corporate headquarters are. That was really my first big plunge into
activism.
When was the Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice organized?In 1993, shortly after the march. I actually was not involved in the founding of the organization. I didn’t really become involved at all with LGCJ until...’94, at least a year after the organization got going.
Are you satisfied with what the organization has accomplished? And what do you feel its place in the community will be in the future? Well...yes and no. In the sense that if I were truly satisfied, I wouldn’t be doing this anymore.
You mean there wouldn’t be a need for it? Right. Either, a) there wouldn’t be a need for it, or b) I wouldn’t care that much. I mean, because, it’s clear to me there’s always a need and most people don’t much attention to the need. I can’t ignore the sorts of problems I see around me, so I feel compelled to try to do something about them. So in that sense, I’m never satisfied. I’m not necessarily the best activist or organizer in the world. There’s certain aspects of my character that make me not good at that kind of work.
You mean
a personality sort of thing?
Right. At heart, I’m really
a loner, if not a misanthrope. I’m not one to go out and spend a lot
of time hanging out with other people. If I have any choice in the matter.
Of course, an organization like LGCJ depends very heavily on the ability
to attract other people and make them feel attached to the organization.
That’s not my strong suit at all. That’s part of the reason we
don’t have more people working with LGCJ, because it takes a very particular
sort of highly motivated sort of a person to keep coming back and keep doing
that kind of thing.
...and the future? I do think we’ve done some important things with LGCJ. I think that we’ve done a good job of establishing contacts with the press and with local officials. Those are the sorts of things we’re going to continue to need to have done. I think that’s one of the great things about Nashville is that there are many organizations...but each of them has it’s own particular thing to do. LGCJ’s thing to do is to develop those kinds of contacts, and of course the hate crimes bill. The hate crimes bill...was LGCJ’s initiative, three or four years ago.
I think the biggest thing, the ongoing thing that I hope will pan out the most, that is clearly an LGCJ initiative, although it now needs to become separate, is Equality Tennessee.
As a gay man, and one of the recognized leaders of the local community, how do you view the relationship between the gay/lesbian community, and the trans community? For starters, it seems to me, obvious from the outset, that lesbian and gay civil rights activists both for principled and practical reasons need to work very closely with transgendered persons and activists.
On the one hand, there are important differences between gender and sexual orientation. I find very frustrating the presumption or stereotype in our culture that lesbians and gay men all necessarily have some sort of gender confusion.
I don’t have any gender issues at all, at least with respect to myself. I have strong reservations about the standard definitions of gender categories in our culture. I think that it’s absurd to try to divide people up according to what kind of tasks they can do. If you say to most people, ‘What are men supposed to do and what are women supposed to do?,' most people have a set of assumptions about what those two things mean. And they’re changing, and they always change and the distinctions, I think to some extent, are eroding. I think that’s a good idea because I don’t see any strong evidence to indicate that there’s really good reason to say that women out to do just these things, and men out to do just these things.
So as far as I’m concerned, I think we ought to remove a lot of the pressure on gender as a category to begin with. I think it just doesn’t make any sense for lesbians and gay men to try to say that somehow transgender issues are so completely different from lesbian/gay rights issues; we should work on the two together.
Has this relationship changed over the years? My perspective, specifically in Middle Tennessee, I don’t think I was particularly aware of transgender issues at all, even as recently as say, 1995 or ‘96. Certainly, I know that the people who named the Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice...didn’t think about trans issues, because I don’t think any of them had heard about them.
Trans
issues have really exploded recently, in terms of my knowledge of them. I
hope that as transgender activists, you have begun to bring those issues
to the fore. I hope that other people have responded reasonably well in terms
of recognizing the need to put those things totogether...to make these
connections.
Any insight into where this relationship might be headed in the future?
There’s a sense where I almost hope that it becomes not a relationship at all, in a sense that perhaps there shouldn’t be that distinction visible there. Meaning, that we should have organizations that are geared towards certain kinds of goals, and then not worry about who’s gay, who’s transgendered, and who’s this and who’s that. That would be my goal for those sorts of things.
It seems to me that ultimately what we should try to accomplish is to explode the categories.
Perhaps the greatest battle the TG community is facing currently is the struggle to be included in ENDA legislation. Do you have any insights from your years as an activist regarding this? And, how do you think the TG community could better fight this battle? I don’t know if they could fight it any better than they already are. As I understand it, there’s a growing number of Transgender activists who are involved in lobbying. That’s what you do when you’re trying to pass law. That’s very important work to do. Even like Sarah Fox up in Ohio, who is making the point that even if the goal is to protect lesbians and gay men, ENDA as written may not do that because there are a number of instances in which lesbians and gay men suffer employment discrimination on the basis of their gender expression.
The phrase “gender variant” is being used a lot more in the media, especially in relations to victims of hate crimes whose “perceived” gender might have been the catalyst for the crime. Do you think lawmakers grasp this concept? No.
Flat out “NO”? It depends a lot on the lawmaker, like it depends a lot on anything else. But I suspect that if you went to the Tennessee General Assembly, and started talking about how you were concerned about the problems of gender variant people, I don’t think they’d have any idea what you were talking about. They might have some concept if you said the word ‘transsexual’ to them. They would probably have some idea what that means. Obviously, the reason to use ‘gender variant’, is to capture a lot more different phenomenon than ‘transsexual’ might. There’s a lot more there.
But ultimately, the only way to deal with that problem is just to go up there and start talking to them about it. That has happened already in Congress. There are a growing number in Congress who start to understand. Jacob Javitz, the Senator from Vermont, is one of the leaders behind the effort to include gender expression in ENDA. He’s somebody who clearly ‘gets it’. And the only reason he ‘gets it’ is because somebody sat him down and talked to him about it.
That’s the kind of thing that needs to happen, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s what transgender activists are doing. It also seems to me that’s precisely the reason lesbian/gay rights activists need to be sure to work very closely with Transgender activists, because this increased organization and activism on the part of transgender activists is going to change the terms of the debate fundamentally. It seems to me lesbian/gay activists need to be involved in that and to participate in it rather than pretend like it’s not gonna happen.
How will this affect future legislation, and/or the re-writing of existing laws? That’s really a complicated question. It’s certainly going to have some impact. Now, it’s worth pointing out that there’s a sense in which transgender activists kind of hit the scene after a lot of the important legislation had already been written. It’s always harder to go back and modify. It was hard enough to get civil rights written into federal law with respect to race first, and then sex in the sense of gender. At the federal level, lesbian and gay rights activists themselves have not had much success in terms of modifying existing legislation to include issues of sexual orientation.
Do you think the police grasp this concept as well? Again, I suspect that it depends heavily upon the police officer. But no, by and large, I doubt they do. The thing about that is that my experience with police officers has always been just fine. But then, I’m sort of an ordinary looking white man. Police response is always a good indicator because it shows you how the larger culture is working. The people who police officers have a tendency to respect, and then the people whom they don’t respect, illustrate the larger problems in the culture. It’s probably a crapshoot for a transgender person how a police officer’s going to respond. There are going to be those police officers out there who are respectful and provide reasonable law enforcement regardless, and then there are going to be the ones who just completely freak out and act like idiots. What the proportion is between the two, I don’t know. But the point is, we need to minimize the number of people who freak out and act like idiots, and who act as if transgender person do not deserve adequate law enforcement.
Pamela’s Interview Concludes Next Month
NEWS TRANS-missions
news, media mentions, etc...
Atlanta Drag Legend Lily White Attacked/Recovering
Well-known Southern drag queen Lily White was robbed and brutally beaten Aug. 5 after performing in Huntsville, Alabama. White, whose real name is K.D. Souder, returned to Motel 6 on University Drive after performing at the Vieux Carre nightclub. White said he was expecting a friend to drop by his hotel room to pick up a CD and heard a knock at the door. "I made the mistake of not looking out the window, thinking it was my friend," he said Tuesday. "I opened the door and two white men rushed in and started beating me, and the next thing I remember is waking up in lots of blood."
White says
his doctors believe he has blocked out many details of the crime, but he
doesn't remember being called anti-gay names. ""They probably thought I would
be an easy target, because I looked like a single female,” he said.
“When I wasn't what they expected, they beat me up and left me for dead."
White said he struggled to the hotel lobby, where an ambulance and police were called. Huntsville police responded and treated him with respect, White said. Police could not be reached for comment at press time. White, who was apparently beaten by both sharp and blunt objects, suffered extensive bruising to his back, damage to his left eardrum, and cuts to his scalp that required 50 staples. He is recuperating at home with his parents in Cedar Bluff, Ala. After a 35-year career performing, he recently quit his job at Atlanta's Backstreet nightclub to move home and care for his family, although he still performed in some nearby clubs.
Despite his injuries, White vowed to perform again. "It hasn't affected my spirits at all… I don't have room in my heart for hate." White did not have health insurance, and Charlie Brown, leader of the Backstreet Cabaret where White performed, is collecting money at shows to help pay White's medical and other expenses. Those wishing to contribute can drop off checks at Backstreet in Atlanta made out to K.D. Souder.
Source: Southern Voice 07/10/00 www.sovo.com
Tyra Hunter’s Mom Wins DC Suit for $1.75M
The mother of a transvestite who died when firefighters mocked him after an automobile accident agreed Thursday to settle a lawsuit against the District of Columbia.
"No one should suffer because they are different from other people," said Margie Hunter, who will receive $1.75 million from the city. The settlement ends an ordeal that began when she learned her son was denied lifesaving treatment as firefighters stood by and laughed.
"This has never been about money, but about finding justice for my son," Hunter said.
A jury of six women and two men found in December 1998 that Tyrone "Tyra" Hunter was a victim of discrimination and medical malpractice. The panel also held a physician at D.C. General Hospital liable for failing to provide care that might have saved his life.
Hunter, 24, a hairstylist, was wearing women's clothing when the vehicle he was riding in crashed Aug. 7, 1995. When firefighter Adrian Williams slit open Hunter's pants to begin rendering medical aid, he discovered Hunter was male.
The D.C. Fire Department has launched a diversity and sensitivity training program for its employees. The program will be named for Tyrone Hunter.
source: Excite News 08/10/00
TG/TSs Have Poor Access to Healthcare
Transgender and transsexual (trans) people in the greater Boston area have poor access to quality healthcare, according to a study funded by the Massachusetts Department of Health. The study was presented July 21 at the Gay Men’s Health Summit.
Researchers from the JSI Research and Training Institute in Boston separated over forty participants into four focus groups to discuss their healthcare experiences. The groups were divided among individuals who transitioned from male-to-female (MTF) and female-to-male (FTM), then further broken into age groups, 25 and under and 26 and older. Trans individuals from the community were recruited and trained to run the focus groups, in order to help participants feel more comfortable being candid and expressive.
When asked what they looked for in a healthcare provider, one participant told the researchers, "I’m looking for a doctor who will treat me like a human being with feelings," said Jodi Sperber, the study’s co-author. Unfortunately, this is rarely what trans patients encounter. The study found that physicians frequently refuse to offer healthcare services. Those physicians who do service trans patients often lack the knowledge to handle routine healthcare needs, such as gynecological care, hormone regulation and HIV prevention counseling. In addition, some physicians even refuse to address patients by their pronoun of choice.
FTM youth reported rude and humiliating treatment by receptionists and other staff at doctors’ offices. "I can’t even make it through the front door without staff staring at me, laughing at me or whispering," said one participant, according to the study. All participants in the FTM youth focus group reported feeling unsafe to receive health care, the study found.
Some participants complained that physicians and clinics who serve the LGBT communities assume that trans patients share the same health concerns as gays and lesbians, said Sperber, who attributed this to a lack of provider training...
The researchers recommended a standard of care for trans patients at healthcare agencies, sensitivity training for physicians and office staff and healthcare forms that do not restrict gender choices to "male" and "female."
The researchers also called on public policy makers to encourage legislation that would ensure trans patients have equal access to health insurance. Presently, a discrepancy between identified gender and biological gender may subject a health insurance applicant to having his or her insurance revoked.
While thanking the Massachusetts Department of Health for its support, the researchers called for more funding for larger studies of the trans community throughout the United States...
Source: by Jon GarboGayHealth: News 07/26/00
However, If the Plane Should Make A Water Landing, They May be Used as Flotation
A transvestite performer was so afraid his breast implants would explode at altitude he would only fly to the Edinburgh Festival once they were insured for 500,000 US dollars (around £300,000).
The promoter of Ladyboys of Bangkok received a frantic telephone call from Thailand as the stars of the show were preparing to check-in for their flight to the Scottish capital.
Phillip Gandey, 44, said the star of the group, a 24-year-old transvestite called Poh, had been told her breast implants would explode as the aircraft gained height.
"I got a telephone call on Sunday afternoon from Bangkok airport from the manager of the show to say that one of the girls - one that I would say was the star of the show - was not going to fly," he said.
"Whether it was a wind up from a friend or he had read it in the newspapers I don't now. Although the company are all boys many have breast implants and I've read stories about them rupturing before but never on aeroplanes.
"I called the insurance company we deal with and got the cover for 500,000 dollars should anything happen to the implants. They are a show business and theatrical company and are used to dealing with last-minute requests.
"I telephoned the guy I deal with up and said 'exploding breasts' and he said 'not at the moment'. Then I told him the story and he said 'OK'. As long as he got my fax we were covered."
Mr Gandey said he then telephoned the show's manager at Bangkok Airport and he reassured Poh, who is now in Edinburgh preparing for a three-week run at the theatre festival.
He added: "It was more for re-assurance. The guys are ladyboys - that's what they do for a living so if something like that happened that would be the end of their livelihood."
Mr Gandey was confident there would be no mishaps resulting in a claim and added: "I've insured dwarves to stand on a bed of nails before but never exploding breasts."
source: Ananova 08/01/00
First Channel 4 commissioned Big Brother a "social experiment" to see what happened when 10 men and women shared a house under constant scrutiny.
Now it is planning an "educational docu-soap", to see what happens when men and women switch roles. Two men and two women will dress and live as the opposite sex for at least three weeks to explore gender differences. The three one-hour programmes, titled Boy Meets Girl, are likely to be shown early next year.
The series is being made by London-based Optomen Television. Simon Andreae, managing director,said: "The series has an educational purpose but I hope there will be fun on the way. It's an opportunity to get ordinary people to have some experience of both sides of the gender divide."
A spokeswoman for C4 insisted the programme was not about sex, transvestism or cross-dressing. "It is about the social issues, about how people treat you in the work place. It is not people wanting a sex change," she said. "I doubt very much we are going to encourage people to go down the route of a sexual relationship. I think what you are more likely to find is the situation of going to a pub or a bar and the whole chat-up scenario."
Rising levels of sex and bad language on television have brought a big increase in complaints from the public according to a recent Broadcasting Standards Commission report. The report said viewers were disenchanted with the use of sex to boost ratings.
source: Independent Digital News UK 06/31/00
In what
is a first, Elizabeth Birch, head of the Human Rights Campaign, addressed
the Democratic National Convention on August 15th. It’s the first time
a member of leader of a gay and lesbian group has addressed a national political
convention.
Members of the transgender community have been at odds with the HRC for it’s hesitation in including trans issues in it activities, though the group has been making an effort of late.
Of special note is her use of the “T-word” during her speech, included in this excerpt from her speech:
-jp
Source: HRC Website 08/16/00
Thelma and Louise and Louise and Louise AND Louise
From MALACCA -- Five transvestites, angry at a group of vigilante corps members who conducted spot checks on them, got into a car and tried to run them down.
As the four vigilantes dived for cover, the transvestites drove towards the town and disappeared.
The incident took place at 2.45 am on Sunday.
The four, together with State Religious Affairs Department officers, the police and the Malacca Municipal Council, nabbed five other transvestites to help their investigations.
Two were detained, while the rest were freed after making statements.
A Religious Department spokesman said the two would be charged with indecent behavior and dressing.
The authorities here have launched a major crackdown on transvestites, accusing them of turning areas in and around the cultural-heritage centre into a vice den and converting several empty buildings into brothels.
Mr Jamil Mukim, general manager of the Malacca Museum Corporation -- known as Perzim -- said recently that transvestites used the buildings to service their customers.
In a bid to discourage this, Perzim enhanced the lighting in the area and also employed security guards to help police and religious officials to clean up the area.
Mr Jamil said that each building in the area would be manned by security guards.
"Tourists visit the cultural-heritage area and such activities portray a negative image of the place," he said.
source: The New Straits Times: East and SE Asia 08/00
This is a Stick-Up! And Make it in Large,Unmarked “For Quick Sale” Thongs
A man armed with a pistol held up a clothes shop in eastern Germany demanding a bag load of tights and knickers.
Police said on Wednesday the man, who burst into the "Clothes Chest" store shortly before closing time on Tuesday, demanded cash but was told by the owner the till was empty.
Instead he escaped with underwear worth about 400 marks, or 125 pounds. The female owner of the shop in Brandenburg state told the robber all of the day's customers had paid by credit card, police said.
source: Excite UK 08/02/00
British Crossdresser Convicted of Rape
A cross-dresser who assembled a rape kit to attack a young university student has been jailed for 10 years by a judge who said he represented a "substantial" risk to women.
Marcus Hance, 32, unemployed, of Saltash Road, Plymouth, was carrying a knife, tights to bind his victim, Vaseline and condoms when he lay in wait for a student near Exeter University.
Exeter Crown Court heard that he had taken steps to try to avoid leaving any forensic evidence at the scene. He had shaved off his body hair and eyebrows and placed stockings over his shoes so he would not leave any footprints.
On November 4, 1999, he grabbed a 21-year-old student as she walked home from a campus bar and told her: "You are coming with me".
As the young woman screamed, a passing university lecturer came to her aid and Hance ran off, but police found him nearby - wearing women's underwear and dark clothing, including black crotchless trousers.
Hance pleaded guilty to attempted rape and abduction. He was sentenced to 10 years for the attempted rape and seven years for the abduction, the sentences to run concurrently.
Mr. Justice Butterfield said: "The student was confronted with every woman's worst nightmare - a hooded rapist. She was terrified.
"This offence of attempted rape is so serious that only a very long custodial sentence could be justified. In my judgment, the risk you present to women at this point in time is real and substantial."
The judge, who said Hance had paid "meticulous and chilling attention to detail" when preparing the attack, said he had decided against life imprisonment in light of a pre-sentencing report that had concluded he could be helped by appropriate treatment.
The judge said he also took into account Hance's guilty pleas, previous good character and genuine remorse. After leaving prison, Hance will have to register indefinitely with the local police under the Sex Offenders' Act, 1997.
source: Ananova 07/26/00
Iowa Man is Confirmed as Iowa Man
It took four days, but the Iowa Department of Transportation has finally decided that Ed Mathews is, indeed, a man.
On Friday, Mathews went to the department's driver's license office to update the address on his license so he could apply for a gun permit.
The clerk changed the address and asked Mathews to check the information on her screen before she printed his new license.
"I looked at it for about 5 seconds, and I looked down at the bottom, and it said, 'F,' for female. And I said, 'Wait a minute, what's this?'"
The female designation, in fact, had been on Mathews' old license, but he'd never noticed it.
The DOT clerk looked at the F, looked at Mathews and said she'd be right back.
Forty-five minutes later, the clerk informed Mathews that a supervisor had concluded he must show a copy of his birth certificate before the department would change the F on his driver's license to an M.
"I said, 'That's ludicrous.' I stepped back from the counter, about four foot away, and I said, 'What do you think: Is it Ed or is it Edith?'"
Mathews paid $1 for a new copy of his license with the new address and with his sex still listed as female.
By late Tuesday, Kim Snook, a department field services manager, concluded that the department should have made the change in Mathews' sex designation without need for a birth certificate.
Fox News 08/03/00
Talk About a TRANS-continental Flight
A veteran navigator has become the first member of Britain's Royal Air Force to undergo sex reassignment surgery, the Ministry of Defence announced August 13. Caroline "Caz" Paige, 39, joined the RAF in 1980 as Eric Cookson. Now a flight lieutenant, she flew regular sorties in Phantom F4 and Hawk fighter planes until switching to helicopters in 1992, including service in the Persian Gulf war and Bosnia.
Paige was allowed to crossdress in the transition period before the May 10 surgery, which she paid for herself to the tune of 18,000-pounds (US$27,000).
She found RAF personnel to be "very supportive and loyal" throughout her transition.
When she finishes recuperating, Paige will undergo rigorous testing before being allowed to pilot choppers again. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said that, "The position with transsexuals is that they are treated on a case by case basis. If someone is still up to the job, be it after a back operation or a gender realignment operation, they are perfectly entitled to carry on as they were before." Paige says she can't wait to get back into the air.
PlanetOut and AOL KEYWORD: PlanetOut 07/15/00
The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook is used by the majority of journalists as the gold standard for proper news reporting form and accurate terminology.
GLAAD and GenderPac, a transgender lobby group, met with AP Stylebook editors and senior staff earlier this year to discuss revisions in terminology when covering lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. A significant addition has now been made in the new edition of the stylebook..
For the "gay" entry, the new edition has the added sentence, "Avoid references to gay, homosexual or alternative 'lifestyle.'"
This addition will affect how many stories about the lesbian and gay community will be written. By recommending not using the word "lifestyle," AP is helping to prevent reporters from giving the false representation that being a lesbian or a gay man is a matter of choice or something less than genuine. Dropping the word "alternative" does the same.
For the "sex change" entry, reporters are instructed to use the pronouns preferred by the individual who is referenced. This clarification in the stylebook will help insure transgender persons can have themselves identified correctly and not be subjected to the sometimes erroneous or even prejudicial judgment of the reporter…
Source: GLAADAlert Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation 07/20/00
A group of Sydney's most glamorous drag queens will frock up in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert outfits to take a starring role in the Olympic closing ceremony.
They will perform on a float which is a "tribute to drag", featuring as part of a celebration of Australian culture.
At a meeting attended by SOCOG representatives at the end of last month, almost 200 drag queens were asked if they would take part in the ceremony.
Last night SOCOG refused to discuss details of the ceremony, but sources in the Olympic movement and gay community confirmed the show will go on.
Rumors are now roaring through the community about who is in, who is out, and who is creating whose outfit.
Bitchy comments about who will have the most expensive costume and how some allegedly unreliable drag queens have missed out are also flying about.
One source in the drag community said the costumes, featuring frill-necked lizards, fruit-laden head-wear and high-glam frocks, were a "straight rip-off" from the hugely successful film Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, starring Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp...
Mitzi Macintosh, Portia Turbo, Chelsea Bun, Trudi Valentine, Vanessa Wagner - all of a sudden Sydney's most flamboyant drag queens turned into shrinking violets.
None of them would talk, none would be photographed, for fear of losing a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to perform on a Priscilla Queen of the Desert float at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, as revealed by the Herald yesterday.
Organizers had threatened them with the sack if they breached confidentiality clauses which those in the opening and closing ceremonies must sign.
But they were the only ones silent. Public debate about the Priscilla float erupted, with religious and community groups condemning the decision, and callers to talkback radio demanding a refund on closing ceremony tickets.
The Olympics Minister, Mr Knight, tried to calm the public, saying there would be "no celebration of drag or drag queens or the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras or homosexuality in the closing ceremony."
The Priscilla segment would be part of a celebration of Australian film that would feature "internationally known cutting edge" movies, such as Babe, Crocodile Dundee, Strictly Ballroom and Mad Max.
Ceremonies director Ric Birch said the drag queens would wear original Priscilla costumes, and dismissed those who objected as "right wing reactionaries"...
But a senior SOCOG source said organizers had been overwhelmed by the reaction and "if it was not 23 days to the games, we would have a back flip".
Source: by Julia Baird Sydney Morning Herald 08/24-25/00
A 60-year-old man who robbed a bank while wearing women's clothes and his mother's wig claimed he had been driven "culturally insane" by racism.
But Blaine Gamble's story cut little ice with the judge who described his excuse as "baloney" and sentenced him to spend 13 years in jail.
Gamble
said his madness had been brought on by years of intolerance...
But assistant US attorney Shaun Sweeney said at the sentencing hearing: "Its a bunch of baloney."
Despite describing the judge as an enlightened man and spending 30 minutes quoting from the Koran, Gamble was jailed by the Pittsburgh court.
The court had been told that Gamble dressed in his mum's wig, hospital shoes and dress, leaned on a walking stick and shuffled into the bank carrying a Tec-22 semiautomatic handgun.
After he pistol-whipped a clerk, he left the stick behind and police managed traced his palm print, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Source: Ananova 07/28/00
QUICK HITS: Media Mentions
E! Entertainment Online / 08/03/00
British funnyguy Eddie Izzard is one of All the Queen's Men. Izzard plays a soldier turned cross-dressing lounge singer enlisted to train a Special Forces team led by Matt LeBlanc. Austrian director Stephan Ruzowitzky begins shooting this month in Budapest, Hungary and Vienna.
USA Today / 07/02/00
Actress Rene Ruso, on playing evil-doer Natasha Fatale in the recent film Rocky and Bullwinkle : "Natasha looks like a drag queen, and I've got the kind of face that goes into drag-queen mode really well. Just put the right makeup on me,"
Rolling Stone / 08/03/00
This year’s KROQ Weenie Roast featured Stone Temple Pilot’s Scott Weiland in drag. He donned a pink wig and fishnets he had picked up at a store “that a lot of transvestites shop in.” “I’m always drawn to the peculiar,” describing his taste for drag. “I wanted to show my solidarity with Gwen (Stefani) as the only female on the bill.”
People magazine / 07/28/00
People magazine salutes drag in movies in the July 28 edition with a story titled Boys will Be Girls… “Except for some shrieks of horror at the sight of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates' mother in Psycho, audiences have been laughing at men in drag since Shakespeare's times. But even ol' Will didn't have all of Eddie Murphy's tricks up his sleeve. The contemporary comic -- who shows up in his latest, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, in six (count 'em, six) different roles, two of them as woman -- has inspired this PEOPLE.com look-back at . . . "Men as Women We Love.”...
