Upcoming
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Tennessee Vals
Newsletter January 2001
Upcoming
Group Meetings
In This Issue:
Vals Special Events:
Saturday April 28 Night in
White 2001, Loews Vanderbilt Plaza
The Queens Throne by Marisa
Richmond
marisaval@aol.com
So here we are, in the Twenty First Century. What I want to know is...where are the flying cars? And the home robot maids? Does this mean I still have to clean up after myself? Most importantly, where is my wrist radio and magic decoder ring? This Millennium is definitely not starting off very well!
So what can we look forward to in this next Millennium? Now that we have actually reached the year 2001, I don't think we have to worry about temperamental computers. Yet. Overall though, I do expect to see many good things emerge over the next 1000 years. We will see humans on Mars and finally make contact with some extraterrestrial civilization-and I'm not talking about all those inebriated Bubbas in the desert who have been the subject of sexual experiments by alien Space Babes. I believe we will find cures for cancer and AIDS and will reduce major afflictions like birth defects. Non intrusive medical procedures will also likely become more commonplace and cloning of body parts will probably find acceptance in place of transplants. Within the first century of the new Millennium, both China and Cuba will become democratic, with the former likely leading to independence for Tibet, while Korea will be reunified. Overall, the world's economy will truly become globalized, although many will have to put aside their local prejudices and fears before this will happen. Personally, I look forward to this since I Ain't Superstitious.
In our own country, which will probably not survive the Millennium in its current state (especially if we let Florida keep voting...), we will see fewer automobiles and guns. The political leadership will be increasingly female, non-white, and non-Christian. In the tradition of developing jazz, blues, rock, disco, and rap, some African American innovator will develop a new genre of music that will be derided by established white musicians as "illegitimate." Oh yes, and equality for all people--including those who are transgendered--will finally be protected by law. There will be no more discrimination in hiring, keeping a job, or marrying the love of one's life. Of course, we can make this happen sooner rather than later if we are willing to make the effort ourselves to promote equality. No one else will hand equal treatment to us unless we dedicate ourselves to this issue. We must be organized and visible. Do not sit around griping and waiting for someone else to do your job for you. It can only happen if you take the initiative yourself. Sadly, hate crimes will continue longer since individual hatred is much harder to eradicate, but through perseverance, we will get there too.
In the short term, I am going to Boston for professional matters during the very first week of the Millennium, so I will provide a trip report in a future column. This trip got me thinking about my college years there. I never made it to a single drag club at that time. When I was a freshman, the Gay Students Association slipped a flyer under my door one night which explained about the group and had a listing of five gay bars in Boston. I do not recall any of the names, but the clientele of one was described as "mixed." I said, "that sounds like me," so I decided to check it out. I found the club somewhere in the South End near the Common, but all there was inside was a bunch of old men standing around eyeing one another. It was not what I was looking for. If there was a drag part, I didn't see it. I got into a serious relationship shortly after that and never bothered to look for anything else. I did visit Boston several times while I was in graduate school working on my dissertation, but I tended to hang out in my old Cambridge watering holes with old friends.
Later in the year, I will certainly be at the annual IFGE Convention in Illinois in March and will Co-Chair (along with former Nashvillian and Val Jennileigh Love) this year's Southern Comfort in Atlanta in September. Those figure to be my only conventions this year since my activities will probably keep me very busy otherwise. I also have a high school reunion this summer. A few years ago, one classmate remarked that I was the person who had changed the least. This summer, I could try to be the one who has changed the most. I'll have to think about that one...
I recently received a very interesting letter about my October column. In my discussion of the denial of equal rights to transgendered people, I noted that more same gender marriages are occurring anyway because of the hypocritical nature of the laws that have been written saying that people born with the same genitalia cannot marry, even if one has had it surgically altered, but if the couple were born with different genitalia, they can marry even if one had it altered in a way so that it matches that of their partner's. One example I used was that of Stephanie and Lesa in Georgia. In doing so, I stated that they both "present as women." I did so because Phyllis Frye had stated that we should attempt to move beyond discussion of what is between a person's legs and focus more on how people present themselves in ways that make them feel whole. That is what many of us try to say. Since I have not looked between the legs of either person, I was trying to find some neutral term that accurately characterized both women. In my attempt to do so, however, I neglected to realize that some genetically born woman might see this as some sort of insult. Nothing could be further from the truth, but it does serve to remind all of us the power of language. In our own zeal to educate the rest of society, we must not forget how powerful our own words can be. I hope there is some middle ground in terminology that satisfies both transgendered women and genetically born women.
I do want to say one final thing this month: I thoroughly enjoyed the annual Holiday party in December. We had our largest turnout ever for any Vals' function, and it was an event excellently planned and organized by Chrysis. Both award recipients, Holly Storm (I've Busted Down the Door and I'm Not Going Back in the Closet Award) and Bianca Paige (Transie Award) were both quite surprised by their honors. I was also very, very flattered by the Lifetime Achievement Award and pendant I received, although I have always felt those sort of things should go to people ready to be put out to pasture. Does this mean they think of me as an old cow? In my case, however, I was expecting something since, during one board meeting, one member blurted out that there was a "secret" coming. I figured that if I did not know about it, they must be targeting me. Our board members are not the sort of people to whom you should entrust your conspiracy plans...unless, of course, you want them broadcast before the fact on CNN.
It is never too late to start making plans for the 2001 party. I am sure it is one you definitely will not want to miss.
...Not Too
Blonde
by
Holly D. Storm
It’s here! The new millennium! Really! This year it’s here for real and we’re technically correct to say, “It’s the 21st Century”. During this transition into the next millennium, I hope you all took some time to reflect back on the last decade, century and millennium. Remember the wonderful relationships and precious moments in your life. Remember the firsts—the first time you bought make-up, the first time you went out. Remember the first time you bought panty hose and what a pain it was to shave your legs for the first time. Ouch! Now from the past to the future— many people are looking towards the future and what the 21st Century has in store for us.
The 21st Century, the age of technology is here. I’m sure there will be some neat advances in science and in fashion. Cool advances like a “clash detector” in the doorway of your home that will prevent you from making a “fashion mistake” as you head out for the night. Sure, all the advances in technology are cool. But more importantly, everyone is curious to see what lies in the future. What’s going to happen in the future? Where are we going to be, what are we gonna be doing?
After a couple of cocktails—and a couple more— some of my friends and I discussed where we will be and what we’re going to be doing with our lives. The following are just some unofficial predictions about what a few some people were thinking that night: I thought that Stephanie Sands (TN Vals Secretary), with her vast knowledge of shoes will be a famous shoe model for a national shoe store chain. After all, she has more shoes than Imelda Marcos.
Far in the future, imagine watching Julie Phillips’ farewell show, as her morning show co-host Regis Philbin III gives her a fond farewell. Guests such as the poorly aging George Bush Jr. who is now the voice of “Buddy the Bottle” for the Mother’s Against Drunk Driving ad campaign (it’s part of his 320 hours of community service plea bargain). And the never aging Ricky Martin sings “Wind beneath My Wings” to Julie. Good Luck in your retirement Julie!
Now way into the future, Marisa Richmond is on her way to breaking the record for number of terms served in the U.S. Congress. It may be a difficult task, because that pesky Strom Thurman still hasn’t keeled over yet! All you need to do Marisa, is sneak up behind him and say “BOO!"
As for me, it’s most likely that I will settle down after call it quits after a few years as a Vegas showgirl. I can see it now... bumping into a rough and tumble guy at Wal-Mart. He whisks me off to Eastern Kentucky to a double-wide of our very own in some beautiful hollow. Woo Doogie! A simple life in a simple setting, NOT! I’m not that Blonde!
Note from the Board Chair of
the Tennessee Vals
I would like to say thanks to all
that were involved with and who attended the Tennessee Vals 8th Annual Holiday
and Anniversary Banquet, especially Miss Chrysis Monaco for planning the
wonderful event. To all of the Board members and some of the other members
who got involved to help pull this thing off, “You Go Girls”!
We had a wonderful evening planned: cocktails, a fabulous dinner and a great turnout of about 60 (we’re still recounting the guest check-in sheet). BRAVO to Pamela DeGroff and Rachel Willhite on the beautiful instrumentals they performed for us. And thanks to the Absolutely Fabulous Miss Bianca Paige who was exquisite as our Keynote Speaker.
A
Blonde, Brunette AND Redhead
byJulie
Phillips FabulBabe@aol.com
I learned something in this past month that was a true revelation to me: Damn, it‘s COLD in Chicago at Christmas! Having been raised in North Carolina, I thought I knew cold—after all it is North Carolina. As it turns out, I knew nothing about cold until I hit the Windy City during the holidays. In actuality, the Windy City hit me—with an ice pick the size of a sledgehammer. The temperatures never rose above the lower teens, and dropped below zero each night. Let’s not even get into the wind chill factor.
Mr. Wonderful invited me go there with him and meet his family—AKA, the in-laws. While they’d heard about me, they had never met me, so this was a momentous occasion. (I should point out that they met me in my boy mode, though my more fabulous side had been discussed with many of them already.)
Would they approve? Would they be accepting? Would I be asked for blending tips? Would I be wearing a tossed salad on my head about half-way through the first dinner?
I’m happy to report that the in-laws treated me wonderfully and those gallons of flop sweat that both Mr. Wonderful and I shed were in vain.
Did I mention how freakin’ COLD it was in Chicago?
Neither fear of frostbite nor the growling of the polar bears roaming the city’s streets were enough to deter this girl from her appointed rounds at the city’s clubs.
I probably could have dressed warmer for our excursions—but mucklucks don’t have heels and you know I don’t do flats!
Racing rapidly from hotel lobby to cab, and cab to club doorway, we managed to visit a few nightspots and have a great time on the town.
Our first night out, we visited the world-famous Baton Showlounge, on Clark. While there were a few transgenders and gays in the audience, the audiences were predominantly the very straight crowd—meaning people who have never seen anything like a drag show before. You’ve never heard such shrieking and gasping in all your life. The crowds were having a blast and it was worth going just to see some eyes open up.
If you’re ever in Chicago, Berlin, on Belmont, is a fun little club. Loud dance music, small space and several girls in attendance made for a fun evening.
In the heart of the Boystown district (the heavily gay area of Chicago), we had a blast late Christmas Eve at Circuit on Halstead. Now tell me, what would Christmas be without a drag show? Miss Floozie and her Floozies performed and later some very handsome go-go boys danced for tips. While I am very much in a committed relationship, Miss Julie cannot help but appreciate gorgeous scenery—especially when it’s gyrating on pedestals and bartops at eye-level at every turn—and wearing leather chaps that gave a new meaning to the phrase southern exposure. Yes, I parted with a few dollars.
Did I accurately express to you just how COLD it is in Chicago in the winter?
Traveling is always trickier for a CD girl, what with all the extra clothes and makeup we have to bring along. There are additional things you need to know if you aren’t accustomed to serious winter weather, so allow me to pass along these tips based on my holiday experiences:
—–Nervous flop-sweat
freezes in less than a minute.
—–Don’t worry about touch-ups because your makeup
will not run until the spring thaw. Whatever it looks like when you
leave the hotel, that’s the way it stays all night. On the upside, you
can retain a plastic ‘beauty pageant smile’ all evening with little
to no effort.
—–Tall
platform shoes will keep your feet out of the snow. The flat bottoms, however,
function the same as a sled. Avid fans of snowboarding should give it a try.
If you’ve ever been hesitant to do padding, this would be the time to
look into it.
—–Stiletto pumps
will cut through the snow, but do not offer additional stability. Two words:
black ice.
—–It’s a
good idea to wear more than one pair of panty hose. Each layer offers additional
protection from the cold and helps retain the body’s heat. Each time
we ventured out I’d put on an additional pair, hoping it would do the
trick. By the time I was finally warm, I had on so many pairs I couldn’t
sit down—my damned knees wouldn’t bend! I also had thighs the size
of a Chicago Bear’s tackle. Note to me: next time, pack some jeans.
—–No matter
how cute the life-sized Santa in front of Nordstroms may seem, do not attempt
to kiss it on its cheek. You’ll leave behind more than lipstick. Don’t
ask.
If you live in that part of the country, you must think I’m overreacting; it’s just regular winter to you. But for this girl, it’s a whole winter crammed into four days. Don’t get me wrong; I had a wonderful time and can’t wait to visit Chicago again. I’m thinking maybe...July.
My Closet by Leslie Louise DuPaix lldupaix@hotmail.com
Why Not?
In an early rant I poked around the "whys" of what we do. Probably more important is the "Why Not" of all of this. It is the why not that causes so many problems, the guilt, the shame, the fear, the extreme compensation triggered by all of these things. Indeed, "Why Not?"
A small child can pretend to be a Viking, or the King or Queen of England and there is no big problem. The adults know that s/he can never be a Viking or the ruler of England so this disconnect from reality is not much cause of concern because the child is happy, the child is learning, etc, etc. But let a boy-child venture too far out of his gender box, and it becomes cause for great concern - including intervention from, it seems, the entire outside world.
At six I was well aware of this and learned to behave in accord with what I was told was expected of me. I never stopped exploring and pretending and wishing but I did stop sharing and expressing without thinking long and hard first - and I was very careful in the alter egos I displayed at play time and at Halloween.
For those of you that missed growing up in the ‘40s and the ‘50s, America was very much into labels, roles and pigeon holes. If you went to a Texaco gas station for example, you didn't go to a "gas station" you went to a service station. The attendant had a Texaco uniform complete with military style headgear (either an overseas cap or a barracks cover); a leather bow tie, a dark green pressed uniform, a special belt with a leather flap over the buckle so as to not scratch your car while he checked your oil, washed your windshield and checked the air in your tires. I'm serious. Good service stations really did all of that. If you have ever seen re-runs of The Milton Berle Show from this time period, the guys that come out and sing about Texaco are wearing the same uniform the Texaco guy wore in your very own neighborhood. My point in all of this, virtually no segment of our society escaped a clearly defined role including clothing and other things. Not the guy at the gas station, not the guy at the grocery store (he wore a white shirt and a tie, just like the butcher did). Virtually no body did much of anything without some sort of uniform to indicate what their role in society was. It was also not unusual for factory workers to change back into "civilian clothes" before leaving the factory. The welder or assembler might well have on a necktie and a Stetson hat before he left the factory to return home. The female worker would have on a dress, hat and white gloves. In most places there were also laws against a male "impersonating a female." So early cross-dressers back then were at great risk.
So as I grew up, I wondered why would experimenting out of one's gender box be so serious that there would be laws against it? One obvious direction to investigate was to see what other groups also enjoyed protection from unlicensed imitation or impersonation. There were laws against impersonating a military officer, a law enforcement officer, a fireman, and a member of the clergy. A bit of thought would find most of those reasonable. More thought and I concluded that aside from potential disruption of society there was the power element. If anyone could go about impersonating a what-ever, then the power base of the what-evers would be eroded. If a group is powerful enough, then it can protect its power by limiting who can impersonate it. Cooks and waitresses have no real power, so it is OK dress up like a cook or waitress, but cool it on dressing up like an Army officer or a female if you are an adult male.
That led then to years of trying to reconcile the apparent lack of respect and power in our society that females suffer(ed) on the one hand, and their having the same protection as some clearly powerful groups on the other. I thought (and I have not thrown out completely) that some of it is because they are powerful. In a journal entry of nearly 10 years ago I comment: " Yet another aspect is that of seeking power. To a child in a traditional family, although father may be seen as wielding considerable power in peak moments, the mother is seen as wielding perhaps lesser power - but more consistently and for a greater length of time. Couple that with instances of seeming to control the father ("I'll have your father spank you!") and a family dependent on mom to prepare its meals and the child may well assume that the female is the more powerful. Mom may also be seen as having freedom - a day a week to go shopping, play bridge, visit - privileges that the father is not seen to enjoy (although in reality he may in fact have more freedom in this regard). Typical dinner table conversation may include fatherly rants as to what a terrible day he had. A perceptive child may decide that being a daddy may not be a great choice.
"Privileged classes are set apart by their signs of status - their costume- and lesser beings are not allowed to impersonate them. A civilian cannot dress up like a policeman or a priest. These are privileged classes and thus have the rights to be like ‘others,' but ‘others' do not have the right to be like them in appearance.
"Bear in mind, being privileged does not imply having it easy - simply having certain privileges and freedom of behavior that lesser mortals do not."
An interesting flip-side to this is that during my early childhood (1940's and later) there was a whole industry creating costumes for children imitating at least some of these group. I am not talking cheap, wear once and throw away costumes, but durable expensive costumes to be worn throughout the year. When I was perhaps 5 or so, one of my go-to-church or serious adult gathering suits (such as a wedding, for example) was a quality 100% wool sailor suit. I am wearing it in a family portrait, I wore it at the family Christmas gathering. That was acceptable. One is also tempted to wonder if society was not already impressing on me, a young male, that I should accept my role as cannon fodder and get used to wearing a uniform. So children's clothes were perhaps a recruiting tool for the groups powerful enough to enjoy legal protection.
Later on the thought occurred that the concern over appearance may be away of controlling and limiting power. In one sense a military uniform indicates membership in a privileged class, but it also sets one apart from the rest of society and thus makes control easier as well. Ditto for the guys raking leaves at city hall in their orange jump suits. But all of that said, I suspected that it did not fully answer the question.
Finally, years later, this year as a matter of fact, in an article by Theodore Roszak in Lapis magazine ("Our Demographic Destiny-Longevity and Gender in the 21st Century"; issue 11) the major reason jumped out of the pages and hit me up ‘side of the head. Mr. Roszak comments "Recall that the 20th century began wholly committed to the priorities of ruthlessly competitive men, captains of industry and empire builders who thought of themselves as the ‘fit' who alone deserved to survive. . . . .This was, after all, the age of Power Politics and Social Darwinism, of imperialism and Militarism ideologies that took pride in manly toughness. . . . .This was not simply a man's world, it was a young man's world, run by alpha males at the top whose role was to model masculinity for the young men coming along behind them."
"As for women, they were expected to live out their lives as compliant non-entities; helpmeets [sic], servants, and mothers of the nation's cannon fodder." He explains that for the most part, women were allowed careers only in the "caring professions" - nursing, teaching, social work. "In fact," he continues, "it was precisely their capacity for caring that disqualified women from responsibility. . . .If women were given the vote, worse still if they were elected to office, their natural compassion would make them unwilling to send their husbands and sons to war. They would destroy the virility of the nation - or so the dominant males of the time insisted."
So were a boy-child to show signs of breaking out of the beaten path to cannon fodder and other pathological compliances the entire fabric of Western Civilization would be threatened and such behavior should be nipped in the bud. There is an interesting book, "No Parachute," by a WW I fighter pilot. The title refers to the fact that Allied pilots did not have parachutes. It was not as if parachutes were unavailable. The observation balloonists had them, by the end of the war the German fighter pilots had them, but the Allied fighter pilots did not, because it was felt that with a parachute they might fight less courageously. Real Alpha Males, I guess, don't wear parachutes in a dog fight, they don't eat quiche and they probably have an alcohol problem.
In the ‘40s and the ‘50s this general attitude was still around if one was perceptive. Even with very little effort the attitude can be seen to be alive and well although it no longer enjoys the dominance it once did. So the big ‘Why Not" of M2F cross dressing is that the entire basis of Western European civilization is based on society's need for little boys to grow up to be big soldiers. If little boys were allowed to explore out of their gender box, then they might start caring, and thus be unfit for the responsibility of becoming cannon fodder. Being in an enlightened age, this problem has been solved. The fallacy of that line of thinking has been acknowledged and taken into account. Now in a world of equality, little girls can also grow up to be soldiers also (and engineers and senators).
So is the "why not" of my personal formative years dying? On its way out? I doubt it. Even though significant trends such as empire building, colonization and subjugation of bothersome peoples of the world seem to be on the wane, there remain the really important reasons to make sure the young boy-child does not dabble in areas that may foster sensitivity and caring or good sense -- football and hockey. Until women's professional football and hockey draw the same audience and get equal portions of the miscellaneous advertising budgets, I don't see it happening.
"No, Bruce. Take off your sister's tutu and put on this NHL jersey. There!! Much better. Now take this stick and go out and hit a playmate. Kids!! If you are not after them all the time they'll get into trouble and turn out bad."
Left
of Center by Pamela DeGroff
I am never going to forget the year 2000. For that matter, I doubt if any one will, considering the election we've just lived through. But, my reasons for looking back on the last year, with something close to a feeling of awe, are varied. There were some major personal changes in my life, and some major events in the GLBT community that I'd like to share.
In December of '99, I wrote a column that should have been subtitled "The Year In Preview". It was sort of a list of predictions. I went back and re-read it, and would like to tally up the results.
I knew Soulforce would have a very active year, I just didn't realize how active. Starting in March, Soulforce threatened to shut down the Fox Family Channels headquarters with a non-violent protest because of the rhetoric broadcast three times a day on Pat Robertson's 700 Club. Fox executives eventually negotiated with Soulforce. This was followed by non-violent protests in May at the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, Fla., with 8 arrests, and in Cleveland at the Methodist Church's General Convention, with 192 arrests. There were actions in Long Beach, CA, in June at the Presbyterian Convention, 91 arrests; and in July in Denver at the Episcopal Convention, 74 arrested there. The most recent Soulforce direct action was another non-violent protest in Washington DC at the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 104 arrests.
Soulforce now has plans to go to the Vatican in January, to approach the leadership of the Catholic Church concerning their stance on GLBT people within the church. That one should be very interesting.
What do these arrests accomplish? They show that members of the GLBT community are literally willing to put themselves on the line, sometimes in harm's way, to protest the hateful rhetoric of mainstream religion, the kind of hate speech that can lead to hateful actions.
How much of an impact has Soulforce had? While it's true that none of the denominations mentioned have changed their official policies towards GLBT people, they now know that they can no longer preach hatred from their pulpits, and disguise it as Christian concern for "those people."
Rev. Mel White, co-founder of Soulforce, Inc., has called on all GLBT folk who are members of non-affirming denominations and congregations to begin withholding financial support. At a meeting in Lynchburg, Rev. White asked, "Why should our people finance their own oppression?" Why indeed.
One of my other "Year In Preview" predictions concerned the sad trend of hate crimes directed specifically towards trans people. In 1999, there were 12 of us murdered. By August of 2000, 14 TG people, more than one a month, had been killed. There has even been a recent TG related murder here in Nashville.
Transsexuals in particular are often singled out. Sarah Fox, a well-known TG activist from Columbus, Ohio, puts this into a startling perspective. "Let's say that about 12 transsexual Americans are murdered every year. Assuming that transsexuals comprise about 1/10,000 of the general population, (estimates vary), the estimated number of non-transsexual Americans murdered annually would be about 120,000 if they were murdered at the same rate as transsexuals...that would be labeled a murder epidemic."
In July, 2000, Public Chapter No. 896, the Hate Crimes Bill, went into effect. In part, the bill reads: "The defendant intentionally selects the person against whom the crime is committed...in whole or in part because of...belief or perception regarding the race, religion, color, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry or gender of that person." No one has been prosecuted under this law yet, so it's going to be interesting to see how sharp its teeth really are. It's also going to be interesting to see if the wording, especially as it relates to trans people, will hold up in court. But, this is a start, especially to have the phrase "perceived gender", used in state law.
The year 2000 will also be remembered as a time when bigotry flourished, but was not suffered in silence. There were many organized, nation wide protest against the Dr. Laura show and also against the Boy Scouts of America. The latter is extremely significant in that the Scouts are considered a time honored American institution. However, it shows that the GLBT community will no longer sit in silence when we are wronged.
On a more personal level, I've participated in several events that have made the previous year very special for me. I've never attended anything quite like the Millennium March in Washington DC. Being a part of it, attending the Equality Rocks concert, and just mingling with several hundred thousand queer folk was very inspiring. I also managed to have a photograph I took during the march used as the cover shot for an issue of Transgender Community News.
I was with the Soulforce delegation in Cleveland, and worked with Soulforce when they fulfilled a pledge to leave Lynchburg, VA, better than they found it. In October, they began construction on a home for a needy family, built through the services of Habitat for Humanity. The house was finished before years end and is now a home for a young man and his small son. That's a very good example of the "GLBT lifestyle."
NTAC, the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, is functioning on a national level, although it's been a slow start. I've accepted the position of vice-chair of the media committee, and the work is somewhat daunting at times. There have been shifts in the leadership, especially since Dawn Wilson has recently resigned as chairperson, in order to focus on her career and personal life. Yosenio Lewis is occupying that slot as of now. The remainder of the board of NTAC comprises some of the cream of the crop of gender activists throughout the country. You will be hearing a lot more about NTAC, and we will work for change concerning gender issues as they relate to our daily lives.
Closer to home, I've gotten more involved than ever before in transpolitics. I've joined the new statewide organization, Equality Tennessee as a board member from the Middle Tennessee Region. As of now, I'm the only transgendered person on the board. I really hope that changes in the future. The main thrust of this organization will be more educational rather than strictly political. The first order of business, besides the normal tasks of getting it up and running, will be to develop a hate crimes registry. Even though we have a hate crimes law, many people in our state are unaware of it, especially GLBT people who live and work in the more rural counties. I'm also happy to say that we are also developing a registry to monitor instances of discrimination in regard to the work place and housing. For trans people, the issue of job discrimination is of vital importance. Getting, and keeping, a job is one of the greatest issues for our segment of the community. Anyone who has, or will, undergo the Real Life Test, knows this. We have the attention of the leaders of the gay/lesbian community, and it's through their support that we will work for change here in Tennessee.
I've also been attending meetings of LGCJ, the Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice, here in Nashville. This is the local organization that Rhonda White and Bill Turner helped organize. At one of the meetings, some one joked that perhaps they should change the name to include the word "transgendered" since I've been coming so often. Hey, I don't mind.
Crazy as it may sound, I've also gotten involved with OPEN, Our Pride Encompasses Nashville, the folks who put on the great Pride Fest of this past summer. They, too, are happy to see trans people get involved. More of us need to be there. (Hint, hint.)
On a very personal level, going back to the "Year In Preview" article, I also predicted that I would be seeing many unique changes in my life. My mother passed away this summer after a yearlong fight with cancer. That was to be expected, under the circumstances, but I wish she could have seen her great grandson. Ethan Michael Knaubb was born on Aug. 3, 2000, which makes me a grandma...or grandpa, whatever. Maybe I ought to just call myself a "grandtran?"
One prediction I made came true, the shoe collection has increased. Oh well, what's a girl to do?
If I were to subtitle this particular article, I guess it could be called "Why I Do What I Do." It's a lot of work to involved in some of these organizations, but I see no other way if we want to rightfully take our place at the table. All of these above-mentioned organizations are working for change that will make our daily lives easier on many levels. It's my sincere hope that there will be a time when none of them will no longer be needed; that the work will be done, and that no one will care anymore if a person is gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered. I never thought I'd start the new century saying this, but I'm glad to be a part of the fight. Come and join us, we need you.
Thanks for your indulgence, girlfriends.
Also from Pamela:
UPDATE on Equality Tennessee
During the recent board meeting of Equality Tennessee, held in Knoxville
over the weekend of Dec. 2-3, decisions were made concerning the focus of
the new state wide organization. Initially formed in May of last year, the
first few meetings have focused on putting together the working structure
of the group, recognizing the needs of each grand division of the state,
and basically finding out who's willing to do certain tasks.
Two main goals for Equality Tennessee were developed over this weekend. First, plans are being made to develop a hate crime registry. Although we now have a hate crimes law in Tennessee, it's probably safe to say that not everyone who is part of the GLBT community is aware of the fact. This is especially true for people living in isolated, rural communities. Documenting any and all instances of violence will help put teeth in the law.
According to Rhonda White, Board Chair of Equality Tennessee, "If people know that violence is happening, they will rise up to stop it. But if legislators don't know or believe that it's happening, if law enforcement officials don't know or want anyone else to know that it's happening, and if the community doesn't realize that it's happening, then these things will continue. We want these things to stop. We also want the victims to get help."
Plans are also being made for a similar registry regarding instances of discrimination in housing and the job market. The latter, especially, is of vital importance to the transgender community state wide. LGCJ, the Lesbian and Gay Coalition for Justice will be working with this, along with Equality Tennessee. Anyone who has any information regarding such discrimination, or if you have personally been the victim of such discrimination, your stories and information are needed. All of us together can put into motion the beginning of change to stop not only violence, but also the fear, misinformation, and misunderstanding that has kept many trans people from being the productive citizens they were meant to be.
For further information, please feel free to contact the TVals, or get in touch with Equality Tennessee at : P.O. Box 330965, Nashville, TN 37203-7507
news, media mentions, etc...
Day of Rememberance Observed in 14 U.S. Cities for Slain Members of TG Community
In a first for the transgender community, 14 different U.S. cities held events to honor "Day of Remembrance," memorializing 18 individuals killed since last November in cases of anti-transgender violence. The "Day of Remembrance" is November 28th, the date that Rita Hester, a transgendered woman in Massachusetts, was murdered in her apartment. In New York, local activists used the “Day of Remembrance” as the reason to hold a forum on the New York¹s new hate crimes law and its applicability to crimes against transgender people at Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich Village. Representatives from local district attorneys' offices, the New York Police Department, the state attorney general's office, U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler's office, and many trans and gay organizations were on hand. The big topic was the lack of trans-specific language in the law, though many of the representatives on hand feel that the hate crimes law is broad enough to cover trans issues. Pauline Park of the New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy is not so sure, stating "no [case law] evidence to suggest that transgendered people would be included under the law." In San Francisco, the day was marked with a somber candle light vigil held in United Nations plaza, in sight of San Francisco City Hall. The event had a large selection of speakers, including Yosenio Lewis, Dana Rivers, Joan Roughgarden, "Day of Remembrance" founder Gwen Smith, and others… Supervisor Mark Leno, in presenting a "Certificate of Honor" naming November 28th as "Day of Remembrance" in the city and county of San Francisco, added the following figures. "Community United Against Violence tells us that of their approximately 325 incidence of violence against our community this last year, that about 18% of those represent the transgender community," Leno said. "Compare that to probably 2% of our population of our population here in town being represented by the TG community. Nine times higher than the population itself." Crowd estimates as high as 125 were given from the San Francisco vigil... Two dozen transpeople assembled at the Houston City Hall for a candlelight memorial, made especially poignant because two of this years victims hailed from Texas. Speakers at this event included transgender activist and attorney Phyllis Frye, Houston city councilwoman Annise Parker, TGAIN organizer Sarah DePalma, and others. At the event, local activist Christan Williams said, "It's a loss of innocence. As I was cataloging the victims, for the first time, I understood that there are people who would kill me, really kill me, because I chose to live truthfully." A little over 20 people showed up for the Atlanta observance, including Senator Vincent Fort. In her speech at this event, Atlanta "Day of Remembrance" organizer Monica Helms spoke of the meaning behind the event. "Hhonor those victims of gender-based hate crimes,' Helms said, "In cities across the US, people like us are gathering with one purpose in mind: to insure that those lives who were cut short because they appeared 'gender-different' are never forgotten. By honoring them in such a public manner, we hope to bring to the forefront of America's consciousness, the tragedy that falls on one of the least understood minorities in the world -- Transgender individuals." The city of Atlanta also declared November 28th to be "National Day of Remembrance" in the city, with a proclamation displayed at the event... The various organizers of the multi-city events reported being drained, yet pleased with the way the event turned out, and looking ahead to plans for the 2001 observance -- and towards a day when such observances would no longer be needed.
Source: Gender Advocacy Internet News (GAIN) 12/03/00
Hot New Topic on TV is TV's
And another TV taboo tumbles: transsexuals.
This month, two prime-time series have featured characters who've crossed genders, including a story line that ran for three episodes on Ally McBeal: one of her associates started dating a woman with a secret. Having it both ways like only executive producer David E. Kelley can, the pre-op transsexual (Lisa Edelstein) was a source of both humor and sensitive drama. When she first tries to be honest with the lawyer (James LeGros), he tells her, "I like a girl with a secret or two." Her reply: "You're gonna love me." He even kept seeing her for awhile after he found out. Eventually, though, what his friends and colleagues thought got to him.
On Gideon's Crossing, the transsexual guest character was a patient (Roma Maffia) struggling with having to stop taking hormones so that her breast cancer could be treated. That would change her appearance and force her to tell her straight-arrow husband that she used to be a man. No doubt, these aren't firsts. But like the situation with gay characters before they became all the rage – the networks claimed that the audience and advertisers wouldn't accept them – the novelty of transsexual characters is a sign that TV's openness is still catching up with society's.
source: Manuel Mendoza Dallas Morning News 11/27/00
Robert Downey's Arrest Reveals Unusual Garment
...Though the New York Post speculated that one of Downey's concerned Ally castmates may have been the anonymous caller who snitched to police about his alleged drug use, things seemed to be business as usual among Downey's TV colleagues...
On Saturday, police received an anonymous 911 call from a man who claimed there was a man with cocaine and "a couple of guns" in the hotel room where Downey was staying at Merv Griffin's Resort Hotel in Palm Springs, California…
He was charged with possession of cocaine and methamphetamine, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and committing a felony while out on bail. No weapon was found at the scene, though in a bizarre twist, one of the items confiscated was a Wonder Woman costume...
source: Mr.Showbiz 12/23/00
Scottish Couple Jailed for DQ's Torture
Two gay men who tortured a former drag queen by stuffing a frozen chicken down his trousers were jailed Thursday, the Scottish Daily Record reports. Shaun Whitehead, 42, and Jamie Rawson, 31, were sentenced to eight years each. The court found that the two took Francis Mason hostage in July. In addition to forcing the chicken down Mason’s pants, the men also beat him up, gagged him with his underwear, and poured bleach over his head.
source: The Advocate online 12/02/00
Before Night Falls tells
the true story of Reinaldo Arenas, a Cuban novelist, poet and gay man living
in
Castro’s
Cuba. The powerful story follows his life prior to Castro’s take over
and his persecution for both his poetry and sexuality. Eventually, Arenas
is exiled to the United States. It is there that is becomes ill from
AIDS.
Johnny Depp plays two supporting characters, one of them being a Cuban drag queen named Bon Bon. Critics have cited Depp’s performance, along with others from the cast.
Before Night Falls premiered at the Venice Film Festivals this year and is currently in limited release around the country. As the saying goes, check local listings for showtimes.-jp
A Massachusetts Court of Appeals judge on November 30 upheld a trial court's first-in-the-state preliminary injunction requiring a public school to allow a transgender student to present in her self-identified gender. It's a vindication for Superior Court Judge Linda Giles, who was challenged not only for her legal reasoning but also for her lesbian orientation and her past work with the group representing the student, Boston-based Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). For 15-year-old student "Pat Doe," though, it may be just another stage in the struggle, as Brockton Mayor John Yunits, Junior vowed the city will continue to full trial in the case, including obtaining further expert opinion as to whether Doe has gender identity disorder.
With the preliminary injunction in place and following extensive negotiations to ensure her safety, Doe returned to classes at Brockton's South Junior High on November 15. She has been doing well there and there have been no incidents…
Her grandmother and GLAD sued the school for her to be able to return in women's clothing. They requested a preliminary injunction to that effect so that Doe could attend school while the full case is being determined. Giles issued the order on October 12, writing that for Doe 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" (see PlanetOut News of October 13).
The Brockton School Department, which views Doe only as disruptive and not as transgendered, appealed the order. The school system's attorney Edward Lennox, who believes he has precedent on his side, alleged bias and legal errors on Judge Giles' part. But appellate Judge George Jacobs wrote that Giles "appears to have applied proper legal standards and the record discloses reasonable support for her evaluation of relevant factual questions. ... [She] did not abuse her discretion in granting the preliminary injunction in question."
GLAD staff attorney Jennifer Levi, who represents Doe, said in a statement that, "We are very pleased with the decision. Two courts have now recognized the importance of a transgender student being allowed to express her gender identity at school even though she might not match the stereotyped expectations that people have about the appropriate gender expression of boys and girls. Unfortunately, we know that transgender students, like other minority students, are often regarded as disruptive only as a result of a lack of understanding about gender and difference, not because of the student's behavior. This student and her family continue to hope that the school will learn about the needs of transgender students and will work to ensure that she can be comfortably and safely integrated into the educational programs that should be available to all students. Students at the school seem to understand this. We hope the school administrators can, too."
Although Mayor Yunits is determined to see the case through its full trial and told the Brockton Enterprise that "there are conflicting opinions on the [gender identity disorder] diagnosis itself," he also affirmed the School Department's commitment to "providing a quality education for all students," including Doe.
source: PlanetOut AOL Keyword: PlanetOut 12/01/00
A 6ft 4in man weighing more than 13 stone dressed in drag so he could use credit cards which had been stolen from a woman to buy a new car in the US.
Police in Haverford Township, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, say the man tried to buy a Mitsubishi car with the woman's cards.
She said her purse was stolen in September.
Police said the trickster was carrying an identification card which had his picture on it, but featured the woman's name. He has been charged with forgery and attempted theft.
The dealership was alerted when it ran a credit check and was told the woman had been a victim of fraud, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Source: Ananova 11/27/00
Scottish Girls Head South for SRS
Scottish hospitals are refusing to follow the example of their English counterparts who are increasing the number of sex-change operations available on the NHS.
The number of operations carried out south of the border is set to triple in a move that will provoke a bitter row over the allocation of scarce resources. Charing Cross hospital in central London, which performs most of the sex-change operations financed by taxpayers, is to increase the number of operations it carries out from one a week to three a week at an extra cost of about £1m a year.
People seeking sex-change operations in Scotland will continue to travel south or to pay for their treatment privately. A spokesman for the Executive said clinical decisions were a matter for individual physicians. However Scottish NHS hospitals have a joint policy of not offering the procedure.
The HCI private hospital in Clydebank does not offer sex-change operations at the moment but is taking steps to do so. A spokeswoman said: "We are setting up a base at the hospital and it's something that will be happening quite soon."
Source: The Sunday Times: Scotland 12/03/00
Int'l Group recognized Gay Man's Bravery and Transgender Activist's Excellent Example
An international organization has recognized the bravery of a gay man in the Australian state of Victoria who was murdered while his partner survived, and the state of Tasmania has honored an outstanding transgender activist.
Melbourne Hero Died Saving Partner
The late Keith Hibbins of Melbourne was posthumously honored for bravery by the Royal Humane Society of Australasia on December 6. Victoria's Governor James Gobbo presented the award to Hibbins' partner David Campbell, whose life was saved by Hibbins' sacrifice of his own in the face of an attack by two assailants in April 1999.
John Whiteside and Kristian Dieber, were drunk after attending an Anzac Day football game when a seemingly distraught woman told them she'd just been raped by two men who had run off into the Fitzroy Gardens. They set off into the park in pursuit, not learning until much later that the woman had lied. Hibbins, 45, and Campbell were walking in the park, and seeing two drunken men coming at them, they assumed they were gay-bashers and ran. Their flight convinced Whiteside and Dieber that the gay couple were the rapists. Campbell tripped and fell, and the pursuers caught up and begin punching and kicking him. Hibbins, despite having physical disabilities, turned back to assist Campbell, enabling Campbell to escape and go to seek help. Hibbins in turn was bashed into unconsciousness and died ten days later, having sustained twenty different injuries.
The case gained a high profile when in June a trial court judge released Whiteside and Dieber, who had no prior record of violence, with no further jail time after they pleaded guilty to manslaughter (they'd served six months pre-trial). The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the sentence and in August won an increase to six years imprisonment for both men, with no consideration of parole before at least four years served. Whiteside, 28, and Dieber, 24, filed a further appeal in September.
TransActivist's Quiet Persistence Rewarded
Transgender activist Roslyn Houston was honored with a Tasmanian Award for Humanitarian Activities at a December 4 ceremony in Hobart Town Hall, with dignitaries including Lord Mayor Rob Valentine in attendance. The awards are presented by the Human Rights Week Organizing Committee, whose convenor Robert Henderson said in his citation that, "Ros has taken the lead in educating the Police Service on transgender issues and has been instrumental in advocating against Tasmania's archaic cross-dressing laws [repealed last month]. Ros is an example to all Tasmanians of how someone with a good heart and a courageous spirit can work with quiet persistence to successfully break down barriers, overcome stereotypes and promote harmony in our island community."
In accepting the award, Houston said, "Transgender and transsexual people experience discrimination and violence far too often and while it is only a tiny minority who perpetrate this abuse it is made possible by the prejudices, ignorance and apathy of the majority. Awards like this will help to break down this prejudice, ignorance and apathy."
source: PlanetOut AOL Keyword: PlanetOut 12/06/00
World's Largest TG Archive has a New Home
In September 2000, the National Transgender Library and Archive (NTLandA) was transported from its former home in Atlanta, Georgia to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it is now housed as part of the Labadie Collection of the University of Michigan Library.
In January 2000, the Board of Directors of GEA began a national search for a new home for the NTLandA, which had grown too large to house...
Board members... determined that the NTLandA would be awarded to the Labadie Collection, with any duplicate material going to the GLBT Historical Society of Northern California. The decision was a difficult one, for the proposals were truly outstanding and the Directors had deep feelings about the importance of the NTLandA and how it should be best preserved in perpetuity.
Board Chair Jamison Green contacted those who had submitted proposals to inform them of the Board's decision, and a September date was set for the physical transfer of the collection to Ann Arbor.
The National Transgender Library and Archive, now located in Ann Arbor, Michigan as part of the Labadie Collection, University of Michigan Library, was born out of the private collection of AEGIS founder and Executive Director Dallas Denny. The NTLandA is a repository for books, magazines, films, videotapes, journals and newspaper articles, unpublished papers, photographs, artwork, letters, personal papers, memorabilia, and ephemera related to the transgender and transsexual condition. The NTLandA is believed to be the largest catalogued collection of transgender-related materials in existence.
Those interested in visiting the NTLandA should contact Julie Herrada, Curator, Labadie Collection, 7th Floor, Hatcher Graduate Library, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1205, 734-764-9368 (FAX), e-mail jherrada@umich.edu.
A comprehensive list of the NTLandA's holdings can be found at GEA's website, www.gender.org.
source: Gender Education and Advocacy (GEA) press release 11/28/00
Boston Globe: Transgenderism, Biology, and one Woman's Desire for Gender Expression
Until seven years ago, when she was 40, Nancy Nangeroni lived as a man, which was not all that surprising, given that she was born, as she puts it, with standard male plumbing.
Unlike many transgendered people, who feel they are male but trapped in a female body or female stuck with male anatomy, Nangeroni felt she was male.
But she hated it.
''From the time I was very young, I resented the restrictions that were placed on me because I was not a woman,'' said Nangeroni, her skirt and long hair blowing in the breeze one warm, fall afternoon in Cambridge. Now, she said, she takes female hormones, lives with a woman (though she doesn't ''presume'' to call herself a lesbian), and feels somewhere in between male and female.
But Nangeroni, a leading figure in the transgender movement and the host of the GenderTalk radio show, has not had sex-change surgery. Instead, she said, ''I reserve the right to change my gender tomorrow. That's part of the freedom that transgenderism advocates for.''
For most of us, answering the question, ''What sex are you?'' is simple. We feel sure we're male or female, and we've got the anatomy to prove it.
Indeed, throughout the animal kingdom, most creatures fall neatly into one of two categories: Males, who make sperm and usually carry one X and one Y chromosome, and females, who make eggs and usually carry two X chromosomes.
But it's the exceptions that make biology interesting - and make life difficult for people who don't fit so clearly into one category or another. Gender, researchers increasingly realize, encompasses a host of possibilities including men who feel like women and vice versa, and people who are a little bit of both.
Transgendered individuals, who say they comprise about 1 to 2 percent of the population, usually face a conflict between their gender identity (the ''Who am I?'' question) and sex as defined by their anatomy. In short, many of them feel like they got the wrong sexual plumbing, perhaps because of some misfire in the complex process by which the fetal brain becomes masculinized or feminized. The idea that men and women have different brains is far from proven, although scientists do know that sex hormones do play a role in brain development.
Some seek a sex-change operation to end the conflict, but others live with it, appearing to the world as ordinary heterosexuals.
For Nancy Nangeroni, gender expression certainly involves an element of choice, but it's not just a political decision. ''It's a very personal decision,'' said Nangeroni, who holds a degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As a young person, Nangeroni spent years dressing as a woman, "something I did as a compulsion." Then, in her late 20s, she said, "I had a terrible motorcycle accident. And the accident was a direct result of the terrible depression and self-hatred that I had because I was cross-dressing in secrecy and great shame. With that accident, I recognized that it was really important for me to do something about the gender issues. I had to make some kind of change."
Eventually, she decided to live openly as a woman. But it wasn't easy, and she never felt that ''after living for 38, 39 years as a man that I could just flip a switch and all of a sudden be a woman.''
For other transgendered people, the issues are physical as well. Some people are born intersexed, that is, with features of both male and female anatomy, an agonizing situation in which parents and doctors sometimes try to figure out which tendency is dominant and surgically make the child's body conform to that.
In some African populations, there are also true hermaphrodites, people with two X chromosomes (the typical female genetic pattern), but who look male because they have penises and testicular tissue (though they have ovarian tissue as well).
There are even cultures, such as in the Dominican Republic, where people recognize three sexes: male, female and people who are born looking female (they have no penis or visible testes) but at puberty produce so much testosterone, a male hormone, that the clitoris turns into a penis.
To many lay people, the idea that something as seemingly basic as sexual and gender identity can be so complicated is often disturbing. And scientists are far from being able to explain why there can be such variation. But they do have some clues.
In a basic sense, sexual fate is set at the moment of fertilization by the incoming sperm. The sperm carries either a Y chromosome, which determines maleness, or an X chromosome, said David Page, a geneticist at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge. (The egg always contains one X chromosome, resulting in XY chromosomes for boys and XX for girls.)
The fascinating thing, though, is that ''for the first six or seven weeks of development after the egg is fertilized by the sperm, XX and XY embryos look exactly alike. There are no differences,'' Page said. A 6-week embryo has the full potential to become either a male or a female.
At this stage, the embryo has both male and female internal structures. One of these - the Mullerian ducts - has the potential to become fallopian tubes and a uterus; the other - Wolffian ducts - has the potential to become the sperm-making machinery and tubes to carry sperm. Early embryos also contain primitive gonads that are capable of turning into either ovaries, which make eggs, or testes, which make sperm.
"But, at about seven weeks, the embryo sort of takes stock of whether it got that Y chromosome seven weeks back at the moment of fertilization," Page said. On the Y chromosome lies a key gene called SRY, which stimulates the primitive gonads to become testes. If the SRY gene is not present, the gonads become ovaries.
Once testes form, they begin pumping out the male hormone, testosterone, which causes the Wolffian ducts to become the sperm production and transport system. The testes also pump out a chemical called MIS that causes the Mullerian ducts to shrivel up, so they cannot form fallopian tubes and the uterus.
As fetal development continues, male and female hormones then imprint the brain, nudging it toward masculinization or feminization.
One of the things we believe is that it is more common for men to become female in transgender change than for females to become men,'' said Dr. Marshall Forstein, medical director of Fenway Community Health in Boston. "If something goes wrong in [the fetal development] process, or something is variable in that process, some of the brains of those men don't become masculinized at the appropriate development time: Their brains are female, even though their bodies are male.''
So far, however, the idea that incomplete brain imprinting causes transgenderism is merely a hypothesis, and it makes some transgendered people like Nancy Nangeroni and Joan Roughgarden, a Stanford University biologist who now lives as a woman but was born male, cringe because it suggests that there might be something wrong with them. They also strongly dispute that men are more likely to be transgendered than women.
"Medical people are the worst," Roughgarden said. "They don't know any biology or zoology. They just superimpose their preconceptions on the data. They try to construct a norm and pathologize all states that differ from the norm."
Instead of speaking of one gender or another, people should think in terms of a "gender rainbow," she said. Transgendered people "view rigid categories as tools of oppression."
Nancy Nangeroni agreed: "There's not just black and white. There's every color of the spectrum. Likewise, there aren't just two genders.''
The real mission of the transgender movement, she said, is to challenge the way we think of gender and the gender restrictions that we put on individuals.
Ultimately, she said, "gender expression is a form of speech. It's not spoken, but it's a form of speech that should be constitutionally protected."
Source: Judy Forman/ Health and Science/ Boston Globe via 12/05/00
THIS Must have been Some Show: NY Glammy Awards
A large silver disco ball spun above the crowd at the Cheetah club in Chelsea Sunday night, but its flashing mirrored squares were no match for the dazzling sparkle down below. The Glammy Awards, honoring this city's best drag queens, unfolded with grandeur, drama and more sequins than a Long Island bar mitzvah.
Drag queens in the audience and onstage wore shimmering evening gowns, chunky rhinestone jewelry and glittering eye shadow. There were towering, broad-shouldered queens with football-size (and -shaped) breasts, and a few waiflike size 4s. Blowzy blondes wearing so much concealer that they appeared to be embalmed. A smattering of drag kings--women dressed as men.
And then there was drag's answer to Martha Stewart, the alarmingly composed hostess of the local cable TV hit The Brini Maxwell Show. Brini wore a subdued and tasteful powder-pink number with matching pumps and a snooty Connecticut matron's frozen smile.
Awards
were handed out for a range of categories: best hairstylist and best makeup
artist, but also best lip-sync, best vocalist and best comedy performer.
It was a "gorgeous, glamorous evening," gushed host Sherry Vine, a sizable
blonde in a slinky white number with a revealing side slit. Her co-host,
Cashetta, agreed: "Sherry and I are going to be stealing your jokes all night
long. We're just going to deliver them better."
Thus the evening's tone was set. So much attitude! "I am the black Joan Collins tonight, honey," announced one of the presenters, Flotilla DeBarge. So much deliciously bitchy banter! "This segment is called the Granny Awards," sneered another presenter before introducing two veteran performers. The very funny Hedda Lettuce seemed to be suffering from PMS. She glared at the disco ball above her and snapped, "This is gonna kill me, I can tell you that much." Then she turned her ire toward the blinking multihued spotlight. "What is this?" she fumed. "An epileptic light? Stop it! Just pick a color, I don't care!"
The evening
paid tribute to this city's most beloved drag characters--newcomers like
Angelique Ali but also icons like Kevin Aviance, Joey Arias, Lypsinka and
Lady Bunny, whose fame extends beyond New York. It was the fourth incarnation
of the event, which was devised by Cherry Jubilee, a regular at downtown
drag cabarets.
As the ceremony progressed, what became abundantly clear was that underneath all the cattiness, there's a real sense of community within this community.
Raven-O spoke to drag queens, transsexuals and other gender-benders while she accepted the Legend Award, urging them to remember: "You are not alone. We love you." Kevin Aviance, a Richmond native who launched his career at the Washington club Tracks before moving to New York seven years ago, accepted his Glammy for best alternative artist with praise for his adopted city. "To be a part of this black gay community," he said. "There is no other community like New York City."
And, perhaps no other city where he could he get away with that outfit: low hip-huggers and what appeared to be one-quarter of a poncho made from a classic Burberry beige-and-black plaid. Accenting the ensemble was a red patent-leather Christian Dior saddlebag purse, a blond-and-brunet Mohawk wig, and his own very visible derriere.
A different kind of a spectacle was provided by Sade Pendarvis, a mountain of black velvet who won best vocalist and performed a version of "New York State of Mind" that proved she can outsing Aretha, Mariah and that other Sade, too. As she finished and the applause would not, Village Voice gossip columnist Michael Musto, one of the few presenters in pants, shook his head in disbelief. "How did somebody with real talent sneak in here?" he asked, and the audience cheered even louder.
But there was plenty of real talent. "Some people think that drag queens don't have any substance--they just throw a wig on and heels," said promoter Marc Miller before the evening began. "They see them as clowns, just over-the-top silly and frivolous. This evening shows people that there's a tremendous amount of talent out there. Some of these girls are brilliant with their comedy timing and their acting. They're acting, creating a persona and acting it out."...
Source: by Alona Wartofsy Washintgon Post 12/12/00
Estrogen, a Cancer-Causing Agent?
Estrogen, the so-called female hormone, should be listed as a known cancer-causing agent, government advisers said on Friday. The hormone, which has long been associated with breast and uterine cancers, should be added to the latest report on cancer-causing agents, the advisers to the National Toxicology Panel (NTP) said.
Estrogens occur naturally in both women and men, but birth control pills that use estrogen have long been known to increase the risk of some cancers.
The advisers also recommended that wood dust and ultraviolet radiation be listed as known carcinogens…
The NTP is expected to issue its latest report on carcinogens next year.
Source: Reuters 12/16/00
Atlanta, Georgia Mayor Bill Campbell on December 12 signed into law lesbian City Councilmember Cathy Woolard's legislative package prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on categories including sexual orientation and gender identity (see PlanetOut News of December 8). The package extends the city's existing civil rights protections to a broader range of public accommodations and for the first time to private-sector as well as city employment. It also strengthens enforcement both by clarifying the role of the city's Human Rights Commission and by establishing discrimination as grounds for civil lawsuits in Atlanta Municipal Court. Other protected categories include age, disability, gender, race, religion, and family, marital or parental status.
Woolard said in a statement, "All of Atlanta's citizens deserve equal protection from unfair discrimination in all of its forms and that is what this inclusive law is about. Those who supported this common-sense measure can be proud of this triumph for all of Atlanta. This legislation, which brings our non-discrimination ordinances in line with other major cities across the country, is a tribute to our city's core values of fairness and equality."
Seeking election to the City Council Presidency in 2001, Woolard became Georgia's first openly lesbian or gay elected official in 1997.
Source: PlanetOut 12/14/00 AOL Keyword: PlanetOut
Weekly Variety reports that
Paramount Domestic Television is looking at losses in the seven-figure range
for the controversial and disastrous Dr. Laura show. The trade paper
reports that the show’s colossal failure
has sent ominous ripples throughout television.
Gay activists have picketed the show since before its premiere over comments
made by advice-dispensing physiologist Laura Schlessinger about gays being
“deviant” and their orientation a “biological error.”
The show has lost advertisers and failed to find a foothold with viewers;
it now airs in the middle of the night in many markets. Since Paramount signed
two-year deals with many stations for the show, the studio finds itself in
a precarious position in selling new shows for the 2001–02 season. The
article also reports that Schlessinger’s public persona has taken several
hits over the show’s failure: “Her reputation as a respected, tough
child-and-family advocate has been transformed into one whose
‘advice’ could be considered hate speech.… The furor certainly
built awareness, as controversy often does on TV. But audiences have not
shown up this time around, even to rubberneck. And critics offered the most
damning assessment of the Monday–Friday gabber—they called it
boring.”
Source: The Advocate 12/13/00
QUICK HITS: Media Mentions
Late Night with Conan O'Brien / NBC / 12/00
In response to the story about the contestant who lost her beauty pageant title because she was a drag queen, Conan offer this bonmot… “A beauty queen in Thailand had to give up her crown because organizers discovered she’s a man. They should have been able to figure it out because her talent was peeing standing up.”
Jim Mullen's Hot Sheet / Entertainment Weekly / 12/22/00
In his year-end list, highliting the entertainment biz headlines generating the most talk, Jim offers… “At #7 John Rocker- They say that sports builds character. You mean he’d be even worse if he weren’t an athlete?” And at #14, Jennifer Lopez– The first time that wearing a dress has made a person a superstar. Since Boy George.”
USA Today / 12/06/00
After Billy Crystal announced he wouldn’t host the Oscars because of his tight schedule, USA Today chimed in with some substitutes, including Jon Stewart, Regis, Chris Rock and… "Eddie Izzard. One guarantee about the eccentric British transvestite comedian-we know he’d be dressed to kill.”