Upcoming
Group Meetings
Tennessee Vals
Newsletter JULY 2001
Upcoming
Group Meetings
In This Issue:
Vals Special Events:
July 27- Fundraiser/concert for the Vals, at The Gaslight Lounge (167 1/2 Eight Ave. North, Nashville) 8-11pm featuring jazz vocalist Julie Robinson; opening will be the Val's own Cosmonaut Bob. Admission: $5. Contact the Vals or The Gas Light (615-254-1278) for more info.
August 25- Nashville Pride Rally,
Bicentennial Mall
September 20– Reception at Southern
Comfort Conference in Atlanta
September 29- Artrageous XIV, Gaylord
Entertainment Center, Nashville
The Queens Throne by Marisa
Richmond
marisaval@aol.com
In this month when we overeat and over drink on one particular day (something we tend to find an excuse for throughout the year....), we should stop and ask ourselves what we are doing to ensure that the freedoms we claim to support are actually being protected. If we are not willing to stand up for freedom of religion, which includes rejection of that which the majority insists we accept, then there is no freedom of religion. If two, or more, people feel compelled to enter a loving relationship, then no legal authority should be used to ban the practice. Serious issues of spousal or child abuse can still be appropriately addressed through other laws, but consensual adults do not need any local, state or national government telling them who they can or cannot marry.
Back in May, while lobbying of Congress was being done by members of the TG community, there was an interesting legal decision which suggests how far our society has to go in accepting religious diversity. I am talking about the conviction of self-acknowledged polygamist Tom Green in Utah. He was found guilty of four counts of bigamy, and one count of criminal non-support, because he was married to five women simultaneously, by whom he has fathered 25 children. What does polygamy have to do with the oppression of the transgendered people?
One of our biggest battles is over the ridiculously named Defense of Marriage Act. Some are out their lobbying legislators, while others are offering legal challenges around the country. Now, a court in Utah tells a person whom they can or cannot marry. I am not endorsing either polygamy or polyandry, especially since many of these plural marriages are, reportedly, non-consensual, occasionally incestuous and even pedophilic. The laws which ban polygamy, as well as those against “same-sex” marriage are based on a particular religious belief.
Many tend to forget that we live in a secular society that, according to the First Amendment, does not recognize any particular faith. It has been my observation, however, that many do not believe in religious freedom and the principle of separation of church and state and continue to insist that their religious view should be imposed upon others to force conformity in behavior. This lack of support for religious freedom was at the basis for the founding of twelve of the original thirteen colonies (with Rhode Island being the only exception), and those same attitudes persist to the present day. It has been at the heart of the persecution of all who refuse to conform, be they polygamists or gay or transgendered citizens. I cannot predict How Many More Times we will see these types of battles before the religiously based Thought Police finally give up, but history suggests that we not only have to be willing to stand up for ourselves in order to achieve equality, but we must also support it for others outside our community.
On a lighter, I was disappointed that Elodie Gossuin (Miss France) did not win the 2001 Miss Universe contest. That sure would have been a great way to start the 21st Century! While there are far too many trans-phobic people throughout the world, the very fact that she made it into the final 10 forced many to discuss the reality that we exist even as new claims were being made that sexuality could be changed. There are many who try to deny us rights, and even deny our existence, so the hype surrounding this year’s pageant in Puerto Rico (which, coincidentally, was won by Miss Puerto Rico–like there’s no hint of a fix there....) did force some useful discussion around the world about transsexuality and transsexual rights even though the contestants themselves are not required to exhibit any talent and only have to give a few vacuous answers about saving all the children.
Locally, I went to a pageant one night at the Cabaret 2. Although it was advertised as starting at 9pm, I have learned from experience that that is usually a ploy to get people in the bar drinking for at least 90 minutes before the actual beginning. Naturally, I arrived at 10:30 and stood around talking with friends waiting for the show to begin. I was shocked to discover it was intermission! They really had begun at 9pm. Now, that is just not done. It says quite clearly in the rulebook that no drag pageant can start on time. I don’t know what they were thinking....
Finally, it was a pleasure to host the reception for Maxwell
and Corissa Anderson and Cas and Stephanie Petroski in conjunction with the
local showing of Southern Comfort, the award winning documentary which was
part of the Nashville Independent Film Festival. Although the story is sad,
it does force the viewer to acknowledge the humanity of transgendered people.
I applaud the festival organizers for bringing this film to Nashville. I
just wish the local audience had been bigger.
Have a safe Independence Day–regardless of the number and gender of partners with whom you share it. Just don’t try and buy any cocktails for the Bush twins.....
A
Blonde, Brunette AND Redhead
byJulie
Phillips FabulBabe@aol.com
The Curse of the Headless Transvestite
It’s summer and I have time to kill. Oprah is in reruns, the kitty’s litter box is clean, so I have no choice but to go internet-surfing. I read Roger Ebert’s latest movie reviews, checked for bargains at Hair-A-Rama.com, then went to look at a couple of my girlfriends’ webpages. As so often happens, one girl’s “TG Sisters List of Links” leads to another’s “My Favorite Crossdresser Pages” to another’s—–and before I know it, I’m totally lost deep somewhere in uncharted CD cyberspace. It was in this ethereal place, caught in the twilight zone between Yahoo and Zoom that I stumbled across the personal Website of: The Headless Crossdresser!
Much like the innocent Hansel and Gretel, I was lured into this house of horrors by a sugary-sweet confection of a welcome page. Foolish me! Little did I know I was about to be thrown into the oven!
Her welcome page gave no sign of the gruesome scenes that lay ahead. She told us how happy she was with her newly redone webpage, and titillated us talk of all of the new pictures of herself that she had just added, and of how wonderful they all were.
Like the proverbial fly walking into the parlor of the spider; like a 16-year-old walking onto a used car lot, I moved my mouse to the word “Photos” and clicked. That is when the nightmare began.
There she was, modeling a midriff-revealing T-shirt, a pair of vinyl jeans and high heels. But as I looked up to check out her face, I discovered SHE DIDN’T HAVE ONE!!
(Gasp! Schriek! Panic in the aisles!)
In picture after picture, pose after pose, there she was showing us her T-shirt and vinyl jeans—and no face. Just some blurry smudge where her head should be. That NASA photo of the face on Mars has more clarity and detail than her photos did.
Finally, after the cough medicine wore off and I’d sobering up a bit, I realized that she was not, in fact, actually headless...or some hideously scarred Phantom of the Panties. But the fact remained that while I did get to see some photos of clothes, I could have seen the same thing on J.C. Penney’s Website, except modeled by women with gorgeous makeup and great hair.
There are a lot of reasons why a TG-er might be unwilling or unable to show her face before the world on the net—and that’s just fine. But please, until you’re willing to show your face along with your clothes, please don’t post your pictures with your head blacked out or your face blurred. It’s just plain creepy. Kind of like that Vincent Price wax museum movie where his face melts. Ick! I’m still not sleeping well because of that.
Southern Baptists Meet in The Big Easy
Last year, the Southern Baptists held their national convention in that den of iniquity known as Orlando, Florida. Yeah, Orlando is quite a hotbed of heathens— what with all those nasty theme parks that preach non-prejudice, understanding and inclusiveness of all people of all kinds. (It’s a small world, after all.) How could they possibly concentrate on passing mean-spirited declarations with all of that niceness and happiness tempting them at every turn.
Apparently, it was just too much of a distraction, so the Southern Baptists chose this year to meet in the small bucolic hamlet of New Orleans.
I want to know just one thing: Who the hell is doing the travel planning for this group? First Orlando and now The Big Easy, known for partying, Bourbon Street, topless tourists and gay drag bars. Shouldn’t they be meeting at a Motel 6 in the middle of some Iowa cornfield?
Despite all the Temptations that surrounded them—while there are only Four Tops, hardly enough to surround even a small convention, there are many more Temptations—the Southern Baptists descended upon New Orleans last month at the Superdome.
Knowing full well they are going to say things that will send me rushing to the bathroom for aspirin and a cold compress, I follow the news daily from their convention.
This year, rather than making my blood boil and raising my cholesterol, they’ve left me scratching my head in disbelief. Following a night of tipping strippers in the French Quarter, the Southern Baptist leaders offered to call off their boycott of all things Disney—if the evil mouse empire agreed to a few itsy, bitsy, little conditions.
Nothing big, mind you. They simply demanded that Disney cease co-operation with all gay people in it’s television and movie productions and in their theme parks. Oh, and one more thing: they also want to set up an advisory committee to consult Disney on its entertainment projects.
Though their boycott has proven to have had absolutely NO impact on Disney’s finances, they felt compelled to offer to dictate the direction of the company. They must have thought through this plan between rounds of hurricanes at Pat O’Briens, after the strip clubs closed.
Disney spokesman John Dreyer said, “We have a corporate policy of nondiscrimination, which would include religion and sexual orientation...And we do not, nor will we, engage in practices or portrayals discriminating against anyone.”
I’m sure this must have come to a horrible shock to the Southern Baptist leadership. Especially when trying to nurse a French Quarter hangover.
As long as they’re having a bad day, let me pass this along. Those strippers they were tipping—drag queens!
My Closet by Leslie Louise DuPaix lldupaix@hotmail.com
It was a grey, drizzly, cold Saturday morning. Not really nasty, but a good excuse to not venture out and instead stay in and tend to the really icky things like balance check books and file away the receipts from the flurry of paying almost late bills that happens when one's pay period is out of synch with the business world's billing cycles. And, if one is going to do icky things like that, does it make any difference what one wears? Of course not!! So Bubba said I could do all of the icky things I just mentioned and left me alone. I went for an office-not-at-all-casual/executive secretary look, and I must say I can pull that off pretty well. Even better if I leave my glasses off. Not that my glasses detract from my look, but leaving them off, they detract from my seeing sufficiently that even a not very good job of looking good looks a whole lot better. Someone has said that cross dressing is a winter, and early spring sport, and I was a bit sad that a hot southern summer was not too far off, not that I haven't ever cranked up the AC and played with my winter wardrobe, but that is definitely being fuelish and irresponsible. Much prefer to write checks to Dillard's than the utility company.
So, between the drizzly day, depressing tasks in the very immediate future a looming hot summer without a wardrobe equal to the task, to say nothing of a body not equal to a summer wardrobe were it to actually exist, Lesa was a bit down. Postponing looking at the check book, I lingered over a merely warm cup of coffee. Bubba thought out to me "Don't you need to get going on the financial stuff?" I ignored him as best I could. "You look very nice," he said, seeing that my snit was deeper than the check book and paper filing could be blamed for and hoping to cheer me up.
"Thank you," I responded. [A casual observer, were s/he to be observing this interchange would see only one physical being. When I get twin-spirted and mystical, my two spirits start talking to one another.]
"So what's wrong? You should be happy."
"I don't know. I guess it is . . . must be . . . that I don't have anything to wear. I mean come summer I won't. And for most of Spring I won't. And I really don't want anything more. I have more than I ever dreamed of having, and clearly more than I need, no matter how loosely you might choose to define ‘need.' Even if we had more money than we do, I am not sure I would really want to buy any more clothes (well maybe a few things . . . .). So I guess I am depressed that I don't have a Spring/Summer wardrobe, and even more depressed that I really don't want one, and then not knowing what I would want if I wanted one, which I don't, doesn't help any at all."
"I know what you mean," Bubba said, but I had my doubts.
Sometimes Bubba surprises me. Sometimes I think I have had a positive effect on the lad. There is something to be said for male left-brained logic once in a while. "Do you remember the book on the "hrijas" we just read?" he said. I did. The "hijras" are the cross dressing Indian eunuchs, and Bubba and I had finished a book about them we had picked up on the bargain shelf at one of the big book sellers. It was "The Invisibles" by Zia Jaffrey,.(Pantheon/Random House, ISBN 0-679-41577-7), and like almost everything Indian it seems to be a curious mixture of extremes. A mixture of extreme enlightenment and extreme unfairness, acceptance and rejection and one remains with more questions than answers and a very mixed emotional state of being. (The price off of the bargain table was so reasonable that we bought a second copy which is now in the Vals library).
"Remember the pictures?"
"Yes! The saris!" I replied.
"So, why don't you make your self a sari. I mean, if you have already decided that you don't care at all about transgressing what your society says is appropriate for you to wear and experiment with, why should you limit yourself to the clothing spectrum available within your culture?"
"Indeed! Why not? But I don't know anything about saris."
"True. But I'll bet we could find out. If they work in India, they should work in a Southern Summer."
I perked up. I liked the possibility of a whole new creative experience that could in some small way link me with the astounding number of women in the world who did not dress like Lesa and wore saris instead.
Going to the net and searching "sari saree" (there are alternate spellings and using both seems to pay off better than either one) we quickly found a site on how to wear a saree and a lot of other information. At Wal-Mart we bought 6 yards of a suitable cloth off the $1/yard table, and another $2 worth of material for an underskirt. At home, after sewing two seams of less than 40" each I had my underskirt. (NO!! My waist is NOT 40".) We should have bought 48" wide material but we did not, so we had to trim it down to size. The sari is normally worn with an exposed midriff, but the world is not ready for mine so a $3, on special, vee-neck tee in a complementary color from Wal-Mart tucked into the underskirt kept the image and effect within tasteful boundaries. Wearing the sari is a wonderful experience and I can see why it is so popular. Part of wearing the sari took me back to my childhood when I discovered a box of discarded curtains, white with ruffles from a sheer material with small dots that was my introduction to fashion design and haute couture and draped (or should I say "drapery"?) clothing. Even without that flashback it was a wonderful experience. I had made something beautiful for me. I did not worry about the mistakes and problems sewing the seams and cutting straight for 6 yards. I was making a prototype, experimenting, and I was not going to get bogged down in perfectionism. As crude as my abilities as a seamstress are, the sari was a work of art. When I come before the Goddess, I just know She will be wearing a sari (and maybe I will as well).
So for under $15 Lesa had a classic fashion with staying power. I mean, if 5,000 years of use by billions of women is not staying power, then the term is meaningless. One that is flattering to every figure and that allows a broad spectrum of presentations. There are saris available made from Mysore silk for $300+ and they are truly beautiful. But Lesa's $15 sari is beautiful as well. A sari from summer gauze would be cool and washable and practical for puttering around the house being useful but feeling elegant.
A more expensive material would be, well . . . elegant and attention getting. Sometime when you want to nurture your femme self and feel elegant, but do not have the time to get into western wear, put on your sari and play Indian princess--you won't be sorry, and besides, being a Queen is cliche and passe. Princesses, especially Indian ones, are cool, and elegant and exotic-- even in summer and with a limited budget.
Left
of Center by Pamela DeGroff
THE CLOSET
(Author's Note: This month's column is going to be very different. Instead of my usual ramblings about.....well, whatever.....I would like to present a poem. I wrote this well over a year ago, and the only thing I've ever done with it so far was present it during last years Spirituality Celebration during Pride Week. So, I guess it's time it sees print. Thanks for your indulgence.)
In the beginning was the
closet
It was not without form or
shape
It had walls, a floor and a
ceiling
It had a door, tightly
closed
The size didn't matter
Size cannot hide the one thing a
closet truly has
Boundaries; parameters
Limitations
The closet was not without
light
Closets with light cause you to
see their walls
Clearly defined
limitations
And doors
Someone came to help you out of
the closet
Sometimes, it's hard to find the
courage to do it yourself
Someone-a friend, a love one, (it
doesn't matter)
Twisted the knob and proved the
door swing outward
Maybe they gently took your hand
and led you across the threshold
Maybe you took the first step
yourself.
(Doesn't matter)
Somehow, the courage was found to
take that step
The door swings
outward
You can step out of the closet
bodily
Your mind, your hear, your spirit
must come too
Don't leave anything on a hook,
far back in a dimly lit corner
You might loose it if you
do
Empty your closet
Leave its racks and shelves
bare
Forget not that in the beginning
was the closet
But....the door swings
outward
A Father's Day Story by Chrysis
Monaco
Linda and the kids gave Cameron a weekend getaway as a gift for Father’s Day. Cameron invited his best friends, Brad and Clark, to spend it with him. The boys were transies and had become friends through a TG club in northern California. Linda accepted Cameron’s transgendered interests, but had never seen him in drag. Their teenage children, Jason and Britney, were not aware of their dad’s femme interest.
Brad lived with Ron. Ron was not a transie, but completely supportive of Brad’s interests. Clark was single, and usually organized the outings, but this time it was Cameron’s turn. Cameron wanted to do something different, so he decided on a camping and fishing trip.
Everyone was to bring their chicky gear for a girl’s weekend in the wilderness!
On Friday afternoon, Linda drove Cameron and his pals to the Redwood Lodge in the northern woods of California. It was a hunting and fishing lodge with a boat dock on the Sequoia River. Cameron’s mother lived in a cabin 20 miles south of Redwood Lodge. She also had a small boat dock on the Sequoia. The boys would float downriver to her cabin, stopping to camp and fish along the way. Cameron arranged for Linda to meet them at his mother’s cabin at 5 o’clock Saturday afternoon.
Cameron rented a fishing boat and canoe. The flat bottom of the boat would allow them to stand while fishing. The canoe was to be towed to carry the gear. The plan was to make camp Friday night and change into girl’s clothes. Saturday afternoon, they could stop along the river and change back to boy mode before meeting Linda.
The river was calm and it was exhilarating to breathe the fresh outdoor air. Giant bushes of gardenias hung over the riverbanks. The aroma of the blossoms was like perfume. As dusk began to fall, they pulled into a spot that looked good for a campsite. Cameron got a fire going while Brad and Clark set up the tent and a portable shower. It was time to transition. They cleaned up and put on makeup, wigs, jeans, and tops.
Brad went by the name of Tamra. Clark went by the name of Becky. In femme mode, Cameron was Simone. The girls cooked steaks and roasted potatoes in foil on the hot coals. As they sat around the crackling fire, they shared thoughts and stories. The croaking of the bullfrogs and buzzing of the insects reminded the girls how peaceful nature could be. The river glistened in the glow of moonlight.
Simone said, “Someday I’ll tell the kids about this weekend. Linda wants me to wait till they’re adults. For now, I’m just happy to be here with you girls.” The hoot of an owl in the dark forest urged the girls to get in the tent. They put on nightgowns and fixed a nightcap of brandy. After a few more nightcaps and hours of girl talk, they drifted to sleep.
Saturday morning, Tamra put on a shorts and halter-top outfit. Becky was planning to sunbathe. She put on a one-piece swimsuit, wide brim hat, and sunglasses.
Simone always worked the outer appearance, but she was cognizant that a proper feminine psyche was essential to the mindset that forms the illusion. She rubbed on the body lotion and put on matching light pink bikini panties and bra. Nobody could stuff, pad, tuck and roll better than Simone. She had the good fortune to have an extraordinarily slim waist. In her bikini and bra, her hourglass figure could fool anyone. Simone put on a hot pink sundress that was so flimsy it was curious how it stayed on at all. It had just one button at the back of the waist.
Tamra and Becky loaded the camping gear and bags of clothes into the canoe, and tied it to the back of the fishing boat. Floating down the river, the girls chatted, fished, and sunbathed. They came upon a bridge stretching across the river about twenty feet above the water. There were several college age boys and girls just talking and leaning on the handrails of the bridge.
Tamra was standing in the front of the boat with her fishing rod. Becky was lying in the center sunbathing and sipping lemonade. Simone was in the back of the boat navigating with an oar. Simone stood up to wave to the group on the bridge. Tamra snapped her rod back for the cast. The fish hook snagged Simone’s sundress. When Tamra flung her rod forward, she saw a flash of hot pink cloth sail over her head. Simone’s sundress quickly disappeared into the dark green water. Simone was too shocked to move! Her waving hand was still in the air and her mouth was open. She looked down to see herself standing in a fishing boat with nothing on but her cotton candy shade of pink panties and bra. The kids on the bridge were howling with laughter!
Simone slumped into a ball on the floor of the boat. The kids continued to yell and whistle until the boat was out of sight. Simone cried out to Becky and Tamra: “I am mortified! I have never been so humiliated in my life! We have got to stop so I can get some clothes out of the canoe. After this, nothing could ever happen to me that would be more embarrassing than that!”
Before they could stop for Simone’s clothes, the girls came upon a set of rapids. Simone lay in the back of the boat while Tamra and Becky navigated their oars through the white water. The trailing canoe suddenly swung sideways and hit a rock. Helplessly, Simone watched as the camping gear and their bags of clothes catapulted out of the canoe. The white water gulped down their things like some sort of sacrificial offering to the river.
The boat finally glided out of the white water and settled on the smooth surface of the calm water. Simone sat with her elbows on the stern and her chin cupped in her hands. While Simone looked wistfully up river, Tamra saw a boat dock ahead. Linda, Cameron’s mom, Jason, and Britney were all standing on the dock. Tamra and Becky both turned to look at Simone. In unison, they said, “Happy Father’s Day, Sweetie!”
news, media mentions, etc...
Put on Your Powered Wig: Brit Couple Tries to Get Laws Changed
A sex change couple have launched a second court bid to get their 20-year marriage legally recognized.
The landmark case in the Court of Appeal has been brought by a middle-aged couple, one of them originally a man who underwent surgery to become a woman.
The case could have major implications for the estimated 1,300 to 2,000 male-to-female and around 250 to 400 female-to-male transsexuals in the country.
Elizabeth and Michael Bellinger from Lincoln, failed in High Court moves last November to have their 1981 marriage recognized.
The judge ruled that the law only permits marriage between a man and awoman and does not recognize sex changes.
"There is at its heart a very simple human story," the couple's lawyer said. "There sit behind me a couple who have been through a marriage ceremony and who have lived together as man and wife for the past 20 years, who have presented to the outside world as a loving husband and wife."
Elizabeth fathered children in a previous marriage when she was a man.
However, she has lived as a woman since 1971 and met Michael in 1980 when she was studying for an economics degree, prior to the final surgery to remove her male genitals.
AIDS Rates Staggering in SF’s African-American TG Community
Nearly two thirds of male-to-female transgendered African-Americans in San Francisco are infected with HIV, according to a new study in the June 2001 issue of the American Journal of Public Health, GayHealth.com reports. Researchers from the San Francisco Department of Public Health studied 392 male-to-female and 123 female-to-male transgendered city residents and found that 63% of African-American male-to-female study subjects are HIV-positive. The overall infection rate in the male-to-female group is 35%. Only 2% of female-to-male study participants are HIV-positive. These findings highlight the importance of counseling male-to-female transgendered persons about HIV and the benefits of early intervention, wrote the study authors. The researchers say that injection-drug use and unprotected sex fueled the high HIV infection levels in the male-to-female group. In addition, more than 80% of the male-to-female subjects reported a history of sex work, and more than 70% reported having been raped. The researchers have called on health care providers to do a better job of counseling and referring transgendered patients to HIV, mental health, and substance abuse services to help slow infection rates in the transgender community.
Source: The Advocate 06/07/01
Ohio State Adds Ally McBeal Toilets
Ohio University has designated about 30 restrooms across campus as being for either men or women.
The decision resulted from a campaign by student Collin Lovell, who graduated Saturday with an economics degree.
"They (unisex bathrooms) are safe for transgender people who might shock the general public walking into a men's restroom or a women's restroom," said Lovell, a transgender student.
Ohio University is among a growing number of universities nationwide that have accommodated or have considered accommodating the transgender population, a diverse range of people who cross traditional gender boundaries.
The university doesn't track how many students identify themselves as transgender.
Terry Hogan, the university's dean of students, said unisex restrooms are a matter of common sense.
"We're trying to make the climate on campus welcoming to all students," he said.
"It's a conversation that's being had in many different milieus - colleges and universities and workplaces," said Riki Wilchins, executive director of GenderPAC, a public-advocacy coalition based in Washington that promotes transgender equality.
"Unisex bathrooms is one of the ideas being discussed. There needs to be a debate on what constitutes reasonable accommodation."
Universities across Ohio are watching the trend.
Steve Kremer, director of residence life at Ohio State University, said the school has some single-toilet unisex restrooms…
source: AP 06/05/01
We Descended on Washington: Strom Thurmond Slept through Visit
"Oh my stars!" exclaimed U. S. Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) to lobbyist Jessica Redman's story of being born intersexed a person born with both sets of genitalia. That was typical of the surprised and surprising reactions as some three dozen gender variant folks took to Capitol Hill on behalf of the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition (NTAC).
The lobbying effort, held May 14-16, was the first organized event for the emerging civil rights group, NTAC; whose core constituency is transgendered and intersexed persons. For their initial foray, the group began with a basic educational approach to familiarize Congress on this little-known and widely misunderstood phenomenon .
"By initial reports, NTAC's first effort was a resounding success!" claimed lobby days organizer, Vanessa Edwards Foster. "We covered every office in the Senate, and over 2/3 of the offices in the House of Representatives. In all, 474 packets were distributed."
Board chair Yoseñio Lewis measured success not only by the number of visits, packets distributed, he also measured it in the encounter he and boardmembers, Roslyn Manley and Jerry McCracken had meeting with an aide to Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA).
"At that meeting the aide confided to us that she had a close friend struggling with gender issues and that she'd been trying to help her friend," Mr. Lewis recalled. "When Roslyn, Jerry and I offered NTAC as well as ourselves personally as resources, the aide's face lit up. She thanked us over and over again for being there." That is just another example of how transpeople are touching everyone's lives.
The packets created to achieve this gender diverse education garnered a good amount of positive feedback from the Congressional aides. "There's certainly a need for education within Congress on these issues", stated Scott Dunaway, Office Manager for Rep.Kevin Brady (R-TX), "and in fact that's just what you're doing." Referring to the packet, he finished, "This is a good first step!"
Added Stanley Allen, Senior Legislative Asst. to Nick Lampson (D-TX), "You're doing exactly what you need to be doing!"
Indeed reports coming back from lobbyists Dawn Wilson and Yoseñio Lewis visit to Rep. Edolphus Townes (D-NY), and by Naomi Goring and Julie
Mavericks visit to Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) were very promising. "These were very important meetings for our community", proclaimed former NTAC Board Chair, Dawn Wilson. "They will provide a solid foundation for us to build on in the future."
Ms. Foster, Boardmember Kathy Padilla and first-time lobbyist Janis Stone enjoyed a very welcomed ear in Rep. Jan Schakowsky's office (D-IL). Legislative Aide, Reva Gupta, who was new to the office, invited the NTAC representatives in for an extended chat. "This is an issue I will be covering in this office, and I really had limited information on it." Thanking the lobbyists, Ms. Gupta added, "I'm really, very glad that you stopped by! The visit and the packet are exactly what I needed!"
While the turnout wasn't quite what we had expected, organizer Foster added, "Our productivity and our impact surpassed our expectations!"
"The information gathered by this lobbying effort will constitute an extensive database of immediate and ongoing use for lobbyists," added NTAC Secretary, Anne Casebeer.
Some recently notable names within the transgender community took part in the historic first effort for NTAC. Christie Lee Littleton VanDePutte, of the Littleton v. Prange malpractice suit brought against the doctor who treated her late husband. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world!" exclaimed the San Antonio native visiting Washington DC for the first time. Ms. Littleton VanDePutte teamed up with the transgendered civil rights attorney who filed her case in the Supreme Court, Alyson Meiselman. The dynamic duo of Meiselman and Littleton made an effective one-two punch in Congress.
Peter Oiler, and his wife Shirley, also hit a number of offices, including most of the Louisiana delegation. Peter Oiler is plaintiff in a suit against his former employer, the Winn Dixie supermarket chain. Winn Dixie fired Oiler in early 2000, simply because he was transgendered. The husband and wife combo even managed a photo opportunity with their own U.S. Representative, William Jefferson (D-LA).
The dedicated band of nascent lobbyists produced professional numbers. NTAC Board Chair, Yoseñio Lewis summarized it simply by saying: "We were successful!"
"NTAC distinguished itself by presenting lobbyists from all socio-economic, racial, age and physical ability strata on all levels of transgender and transsexual experience," Lewis said. Numerous congressional staffers commented on "how nice it was to see a diverse group of people that more accurately represented the range of the transgender population and hence, of their constituency."
Chairman Lewis finished by promising that "we will be following up on suggestions made by the congresspeople and aides." Indeed, the up-and-coming transgender rights group is showing a lot of promise of its own.
source: NTAC Press release 05/23/01
The BBC
comedy Absolutely Fabulous, back in production after a four-year
hiatus, has begun booking guest stars for the upcoming season, according
to The [London] Sun. Stephen Gately, the member of the Irish pop band
Boyzone who outed himself at the peak of the band’s popularity, has
been signed, as has ’60s icon Twiggy. Hugh Grant will be appearing on
an episode as well, as himself.
Editor’s Note: For those unacquainted with the series, Edina is a pill-popping social climber and Patsy her drunken, sexyclothes-wearing heavily made-up best friend. The Waltons it ain’t.
Source: by The Advocate 06/01/01
Judge Rules
on TG’s Prison Stay
A federal judge has ordered a local
transgender inmate to be placed in a prison for women, if she is discharged
from a federal medical center as expected by her attorneys.
On May 4, U.S.District Judge Jan E. DuBois imposed a 35-year prison sentence on Patricia McGrath, a trans woman who was convicted in February of armed bank robbery. But at the sentencing, DuBois said McGrath should not be housed in a general prison for men. DuBois said that even though McGrath has a penis, she also has large breasts, long hair, a high-pitched voice and female musculature. McGrath, 66, has been living as a female for the past 30 years, according to court documents.
If prison authorities follow DuBois’ recommendation, McGrath will be the first inmate with a penis to be permanently housed in a federal prison for women. Hank Sadowsky, regional counsel for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, said McGrath will be sent to a federal medical center for men where she can be evaluated and treated. But that placement may be temporary, Sadowsky said. If McGrath is discharged, said her attorney Maranna Meehan, she should be transferred to a general prison for women. In a male facility, Meehan said, McGrath would be vulnerable to rape, physical assault or even death. DuBois evidently agreed. He said it is obvious from McGrath’s outward appearance that she views herself as a woman, and presents herself as a woman.
“She [McGrath] has got some male genitalia and other things that are suggestive of a male, and some that are very suggestive of being a female,” DuBois said, prior to sentencing. “She’s intersexual. She’s both.”
Sadowsky did not promise to follow DuBois’ recommendation, but federal prison authorities normally follow judicial recommendations. Meehan said McGrath was housed temporarily at a prison for women in New Jersey for 366 days, prior to her trial. “She [McGrath] did very well there, and was accepted by the other inmates,” Meehan said. “[McGrath] was a very maternal figure, not predatory in any way. She has so much to offer to the other inmates. She’s clearly a very bright, talented person.” But for the past several months, Meehan said, McGrath has been very despondent, as she allegedly is being treated as a male at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia. Even the psychiatric staff at the facility allegedly refers to McGrath as a man, Meehan said. Meehan said the federal prison system should develop a reasonable policy for placement of transgender inmates.
“They [officials] have to figure out another way of dealing with this problem,” she said. “I’m very concerned for Ms. McGrath’s safety. Their [officials] solution of putting her in administrative detention 23 hours a day is unacceptable.”
Sadowsky said prison officials have no formal policy on transgender inmates, but usually, a defendant with a penis is placed in a male prison, and a defendant with a vagina is placed in a female prison.
During court proceedings prior to sentencing, federal prosecutor Thomas M. Zaleski refused to address McGrath as a woman or refer to her as a woman.
Anne Dixon, an attorney for McGrath, complained to DuBois about Zaleski’s alleged bias.
“From Day One when I was in this case, the first thing Mr. Zaleski said to me is, ‘Your client is a man,’ “ Dixon told DuBois.
According to court records, Zaleski told DuBois: “I won’t refer to the defendant ever as Ms. McGrath, your honor.”
DuBois ordered Zaleski not to refer to the defendant as Mr. McGrath.
Both sides reached a compromise, and Zaleski referred to McGrath as “Defendant McGrath.”
Zaleski declined to comment for this story.
DuBois also revised the prosecution’s indictment of McGrath, so that she was indicted as “Patricia Colleen McGrath, formerly known as Richard Patrick McGrath.”
McGrath said the prosecution’s refusal to acknowledge her female gender limited her ability to defend herself.
“To a person in my situation, the ugliest possible thing is to be called by a male name, referred to in male pronouns or gender, and to have anybody think that you would want to impersonate a male,” she told DuBois. “I fought all my life to be recognized in a female gender and under my female name, and it’s nothing that you surrender very lightly.”
Phyllis Randolph Frye, a national expert on transgender legal issues, applauded DuBois’ recommendation to place McGrath in a prison for women.
“I think it’s very good what he did,” Frye said. “She [McGrath] belongs in a women’s prison. The practice by prison officials typically has been to house inmates according to their genitals, which I don’t agree with. I think someone’s gender identity should be the determining factor. It’s not that difficult to do.”
Kristine W. Holt, a local transgender attorney, also agreed with DuBois’ recommendation.
“I think it’s appropriate,” Holt said. “Thirty years is a long time to live as a woman. She belongs in a women’s prison. She might still get some harassment from the female inmates, but at least the response won’t be,
‘Well, act like a man,’ “ Holt said.
Source: by Timothy Cwiek Philadelphis Gay News 06/01
Someone’s in the Kitchen with Boy George— But the Naked Chef is Fully Clothed
The BBC reports that in celebration of turning 40, sexually ambiguous singer Boy George will be publishing a macrobiotic cookbook. The Karma Cookbook is a compilation of recipes the ’80s pop star has been assembling over the past 13 years. George, who is currently working successfully as a club DJ, refers to macrobiotic cooking as “the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
source:The Advocate 6/15/01
Three transsexuals have sued Toys "R" Us, claiming they were threatened by bat-wielding workers while shopping for life-size Barbie Dolls last Christmas at the Bensonhurst store.
The three men-turned-women say they went to the Bay Parkway store Dec. 20 when a mob of workers called them "fags," "faggots," "homos," and "disgusting transvestites," and threatened to attack them with bats.
"I was scared for my life," said Donna McGrath, a 27-year-old blond homemaker who lives with her husband in Brooklyn's Midwood section.
McGrath and her friends - Tanya Jinks, 37, of Bensonhurst, a former law clerk who is now a dancer, and Tara Lopez, 25, of Midwood, who works in a nightclub - filed a suit Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court asking for at least $100,000 each in damages for discrimination.
"The simple question that this case presents is whether or not the defendants are Toys 'R' Us or Bigots 'R' Us," their Manhattan lawyer, Thomas Shanahan, told The Post.
Toys "R" Us did not return phone calls, but in a letter to the complaining customers, the firm said, in part, that an internal investigation found "no fault on our part ... As we are sure you can understand, the fact that an incident occurred on our premises does not automatically make us responsible."
The Dec. 20 incident marked the second time the transsexual trio had visited the Toys "R" Us Bensonhurst store.
The first time they went in was Dec. 13, when they say a woman working there spotted them.
Before they knew it, the three say more than half a dozen workers were calling them names.
When the three complained to the manager, they say he warned the workers and offered them a 50 percent discount, which they accepted.
The three say they felt safe enough to return to the store Dec. 20.
But the three said things were worse on that visit. Workers followed them and verbally abused them, armed with bats, they say.
Source:Denise Buffa The New York Post 05/17/01
About 30 men walked a mile in women's shoes, hoping to raise awareness that rape is an issue that concerns men as well as women. Wearing black T-shirts that read "Put Yourself In Her Shoes" and "Stop Rape Now," the men hobbled through Balboa Park in Encino on Saturday in high-heeled pumps.
"The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 99 percent of the perpetrators of rape are male and 91 percent of the victims are female," said Frank Baird, a licensed therapist and clinical supervisor at the Valley Trauma Center, which organized the march. "That clearly states rape is a men's issue."
The trauma center's two branches in the San Fernando Valley provide counseling and intervention for sexual assault and domestic violence victims.
"I hope this symbolic gesture has real effects, not just sprained ankles," Baird said. "I am hoping men's understanding of women will be the first step toward men treating women better."
The number of rapes reported to Los Angeles police this year has dropped 13 percent, to 343 from 395 for the same period last year.
However, experts say rapes often go unreported because of victims' humiliation and fear.
source: Sacramento Bee 04/29/01
Discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment and obtaining property is prohibited under legislation passed by City Council last night.
The law prohibits discrimination based on age, race, creed, national origin, gender, disability, marital status or sexual orientation. (EDITOR’S NOTE: In the new human rights ordinance, "gender" is defined: "Gender includes the biological and social characteristics of gender and gender identity.")
The state and federal governments offer legal protections in most aspects, but neither deals with discrimination based on sexual orientation. The city law, which passed 9-to-0, will allow city residents to seek speedy relief through arbitration or by filing civil suits in local courts.
The majority of residents who spoke at last night's council meeting represented the gay/lesbian/ transgender community. Their message: It's about time.
"This legislation ... answers the call to do the right thing," said Robert Gelder, executive director of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley. "When you can't be yourself at work or at your residence, a dangerous wedge is driven between you and the rest of society."...
Other speakers said the law would help businesses by attracting gays, lesbians or transgender people who otherwise might not be here.
Council members said the law was needed because of national and local incidents of intolerance.
Source: by Alan Morrell Rochester Democrat and Chronicle 05/16/01
TS's Can Canoe, can you?
A canoe racing group has reversed itself and no longer will demand that transsexuals who want to compete in paddling clubs submit to DNA tests to determine their sex. The decision, recorded in the minutes of a May meeting of the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association, comes after two transsexual women filed complaints with the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission over the racing association's decision that they would have to submit to DNA testing before being allowed to compete on women's paddling teams.
The association's board now says it will allow a birth certificate, driver's license and any publicly recognized document to verify gender and age of canoe paddlers. The board was worried that it could not fight off lawsuits if it continued to insist on DNA tests.
"The bottom line is we don't have insurance to cover for a civil suit," said HCRA President Michael Tongg. "It'll cost thousands of dollars, and we're not able to take on the ACLU, which is a powerful organization. We're just a nonprofit organization, and we have a shoestring budget."
Tongg also said many women have come up to him to say the new policy is unfair.
"All they want is to paddle against women," Tongg said. "The majority are not as strong as these two men who have changed their gender." But Tammy Wronski, one of the two transsexual women who filed a grievance with the Civil Rights Commission, said she hopes the change will "fix the situation."
"My only dream left is to paddle the Molokai Channel. It's something to keep me alive," said Wronski, who has AIDS.
In April, Wronski was permitted to practice with the canoe club Manu O Ke Kai, part of the Hui Waa association.
With the letter from her doctor, Wronski had the gender listed on her birth certificate changed to "female" after her sex-change operation in 1997.
Li Anne Taft, who refers to herself as a transgender woman, was the other paddler who refused the DNA test and filed a grievance with the commission...
Brent White, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who represented Wronski, said he is pleased with the HCRA's decision, but the case is not settled...
source: by Leila Fujimori Honolulu Star-Bulletin 06/05/01
OPEN (Our Pride Encompasses Nashville) is entering the summer Pride season with a full list of activities. The PrideFest 2001 Logo Contest has received several incredible entries and a winner will soon be announced. The creator of the logo chosen will receive a $50 gift certificate from Outloud Books and Gifts.
The Pride Pageant will be held at Illusions on Sunday, August 19th, 8pm, to officially begin Pride Week in Nashville. Drag Queens and Drag Kings will compete in five categories for the titles of Miss Pride 2002 and Mr. Pride 2002. Entry fees are $75 for Miss Pride contestants and $50 for Mr. Pride contestants. Miss Pride 2002 will receive a tiara, a hotel suite and cash (total value $500), and Mr. Pride will receive a scepter, hotel suite and cash (total value $250). The Pride Pageant is cosponsored by OPEN and MAC Productions.
OPEN is also busy organizing events for the remainder of Pride Week and for the Pride Festival on Saturday, August 25th, held again this year on the Bicentennial Mall. Festival coordinators are Pam wheeler, Linda Ray Miller, Cilene Bosch, and Morgan Guoan.
OPEN is in need of able volunteers to help with all the necessary details to make our Pride Festival a success. If you are interested, please contact OPEN at the address below, or feel free to attend our planning meetings on Tuesday evenings, 7pm at The Center.
For further information, contact: OPEN P.O. Box 330931 Nashville, TN 37203-7506 or call (615) 890-5165.
Additional info at: Nashville OPEN Website 06/01
University of Utah Professor Transitions
For more than 30 years, William Nash has been known by friends and colleagues as "Bill." But as of Wednesday, the University of Utah geology professor, regarded nationally as an expert in volcanic rock chemistry, will go by "Barbara" and "transition to living full time as a woman."
"I am transgendered, which means ... although I have always been identified as and perceived to be male, my sense of self has always been female," Nash wrote in an e-mailed note May 8 to colleagues and friends announcing her life transition.
Though news of Nash's gender reassignment -- the first case in U. history -- has caught many on campus by surprise, faculty and administrators expressed widespread support Monday for what they consider to be a courageous decision. "My feeling is that gender identity, while certainly a very important aspect of who a person is, should not be a concern for how a person performs as an educator," said John Bowman, who has taught geology at the U. for 16 years. "Sure, it will take a little time for all of us to get used to. But it shouldn't be a major concern."
David Chapman, dean of the U.'s graduate school, said, "Officially and legally she is now Barbara Nash." But she will also continue to be "Dr. Nash" and "professor." "We are very supportive of her. She has been a terrific faculty member, an award-winning teacher and chair of the department," Chapman said. "There is genuine respect for her as a person and as a scientist."
The university, which has a policy against discrimination on the basis of gender, is briefing graduate students who work closely with Nash about her new identity, said Chapman. "We expect the students to be modern, mature people and deal with this like any other issue in life. We don't anticipate any problems. We're in the year 2001," he said...
Chapman said the professor wanted to keep her transition as low-key as possible. But in her letter, Nash made no bones about going public with "personal identity" issues and encouraged anyone with questions to contact her. Nash's home page on the U.'s Web site had already been updated to reflect her new identity as of Monday.
Nash, who was previously married and has children, said in her e-mail that she has been undergoing hormonal therapy and "living as a woman in [her] private life" for "the past several years." "I realize this comes as quite a shock for many of you," she wrote. "As my 11-year-old niece said upon learning that her Uncle Bill was becoming Aunt Barbara, 'Wow, this doesn't happen every day.'
"For more than 30 years, William Nash has been known by friends and colleagues as "Bill." But as of Wednesday, the University of Utah geology professor, regarded nationally as an expert in volcanic rock chemistry, will go by "Barbara" and "transition to living full time as a woman."
"I am transgendered, which means ... although I have always been identified as and perceived to be male, my sense of self has always been female," Nash wrote in an e-mailed note May 8 to colleagues and friends announcing her life transition.
Though news of Nash's gender reassignment -- the first case in U. history -- has caught many on campus by surprise, faculty and administrators expressed widespread support Monday for what they consider to be a courageous decision. "My feeling is that gender identity, while certainly a very important aspect of who a person is, should not be a concern for how a person performs as an educator," said
John Bowman, who has taught geology at the U. for 16 years. "Sure, it will take a little time for all of us to get used to. But it shouldn't be a major concern."
David Chapman, dean of the U.'s graduate school, said, "Officially and legally she is now Barbara Nash." But she will also continue to be "Dr. Nash" and "professor." "We are very supportive of her. She has been a terrific faculty member, an award-winning teacher and chair of the department," Chapman said. "There is genuine respect for her as a person and as a scientist."
The university, which has a policy against discrimination on the basis of gender, is briefing graduate students who work closely with Nash about her new identity, said Chapman. "We expect the students to be modern, mature people and deal with this like any other issue in life. We don't anticipate any problems. We're in the year 2001," he said...
Chapman said the professor wanted to keep her transition as low-key as possible. But in her letter, Nash made no bones about going public with "personal identity" issues and encouraged anyone with questions to contact her. Nash's home page on the U.'s Web site had already been updated to reflect her new identity as of Monday.
Nash, who was previously married and has children, said in her e-mail that she has been undergoing hormonal therapy and "living as a woman in [her] private life" for "the past several years." "I realize this comes as quite a shock for many of you," she wrote. "As my 11-year-old niece said upon learning that her Uncle Bill was becoming Aunt Barbara, 'Wow, this doesn't happen every day.' "
U. geology professor Thure Cerling said, "She has a great sense of humor."
Nash's sense of humor may come in handy. Except for the Western Transsexual Support Network, there are few resources available in Utah for transgendered individuals. "We know there are about 200 transsexuals in Utah," said Paula Woolf, director of the Utah Gay and Lesbian Community Center. "But we're sure there are more."...
Many who seek gender re-assignment choose to start new lives, move to different locations or change careers.
But for a tenured faculty member with a family, that's not really an option, said Olivia Jensen, a geophysicist at McGill University in Quebec, Canada.
Formerly known as Oliver, Jensen also made the transition from male to female 12 years ago. Also formerly married and the father of two children, she said she has struggled with gender identity for as long as she can remember, but repressed it. "There is a process, a very clear process a transgendered person goes through. But there's an eventuality to it. ... There's no way to continually depress it. You can live in the shame of your desires, but it's much easier to live 'out,' even in Salt Lake City," she said….
In Nash's own words: "Changing gender is not something one undertakes unless it is absolutely necessary for one's well-being. "I imagine that my transition will be uncomfortable for some of you, and I genuinely regret any discomfort I might cause you," Nash said in her e-mail. "I can only say that my decision has not been entered into lightly, and what I am doing is not intended to cause anyone distress."
U. geology professor Thure Cerling said, "She has a great sense of humor."
Nash's sense of humor may come in handy. Except for the Western Transsexual Support Network, there are few resources available in Utah for transgendered individuals. "We know there are about 200 transsexuals in Utah," said Paula Woolf, director of the Utah Gay and Lesbian Community Center. "But we're sure there are more."...
Many who seek gender re-assignment choose to start new lives, move to different locations or change careers.
But for a tenured faculty member with a family, that's not really an option, said Olivia Jensen, a geophysicist at McGill University in Quebec, Canada.
Formerly known as Oliver, Jensen also made the transition from male to female 12 years ago. Also formerly married and the father of two children, she said she has struggled with gender identity for as long as she can remember, but repressed it. "There is a process, a very clear process a transgendered person goes through. But there's an eventuality to it. ... There's no way to continually depress it. You can live in the shame of your desires, but it's much easier to live 'out,' even in Salt Lake City," she said….
In Nash's own words: "Changing gender is not something one undertakes unless it is absolutely necessary for one's well-being. "I imagine that my transition will be uncomfortable for some of you, and I genuinely regret any discomfort I might cause you," Nash said in her e-mail. "I can only say that my decision has not been entered into lightly, and what I am doing is not intended to cause anyone distress."
Source: by Kirsten Stewart Salt Lake Tribune 05/15/01
UPDATE: Army Reject Wrongful Death Claim Filed by Barry Winchell’s Mother
The Army has rejected an appeal from a Kansas City, Mo., woman who sought to make the military pay for the beating death of her son at Fort Campbell, Ky.
Patricia Kutteles filed the $1.8 million wrongful death claim a year ago, contending an anti-homosexual atmosphere in the Army and a failure of leadership led to the July 1999 murder of Pfc. Barry Winchell, 21.
The Army rejected that claim, and Kutteles appealed to the secretary of the Army.
Over the weekend, she received a letter from Matt Reres, the Army's deputy general counsel, informing her the Army stood by its decision.
"It was just devastating," Kutteles said, choking back tears during a telephone interview Monday.
The appeal was Kutteles' last chance to seek redress under the Military Claims Act, said Charles Butler, Kutteles' attorney. The act lays down an administrative procedure that allows service members or civilians to seek reimbursement from the military for injury, death or loss of property.
Reres said the Federal Tort Claims Act, a separate administrative procedure for seeking compensation as well as in civilian courts, was closed to Kutteles because of a Supreme Court ruling limiting claims against the military.
"It looks like we have run out of legal options," Butler said.
"By turning down the claim they're showing that his life was not worth anything to them, that they condone his death," Kutteles said.
Kutteles said fellow soldiers believed Winchell was gay and harassed him for months before he was beaten to death with a baseball bat as he slept in his cot on the base, which sprawls the Kentucky-Tennessee line. The Army knew about the harassment but did nothing to stop it, Kutteles alleged.
Pvt. Calvin Glover of Sulphur, OK, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Winchell. Another soldier, Spc. Justin Fisher, of Lincoln, NE, was given a ...sentence for lying to investigators.
The Army inspector general issued a report last year on circumstances surrounding Winchell's murder. It found evidence of anti-gay behavior among members of Winchell's unit, D Company, 2nd Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment.
It concluded, however, that Fort Campbell's chain of command appropriately enforced the Pentagon's policy of permitting gays to serve in the military so long as they keep their sexual orientation to themselves.
source: Washington Post 05/21/01
Memphis’ Largest GLBT Club,Amnesia, Closes Doors
The venerable gay bar Amnesia at 2866 Poplar Ave. has closed its doors apparently in bankruptcy.
About a year ago Cooper and da Ponte partnered with Fantasy Warehouse to renovate Amnesia's location on Poplar Ave. After a reported $700,000 renovation, Amnesia reopened to rave reviews with a space housing five separate areas a jazz bar open seven days a week, a video bar, a dance bar, an outdoor pool bar and, of course, a cabaret bar featuring drag performers.
Some sources have told the Triangle Journal News that the partnership has soured in recent months and that Fantasy Warehouse was maneuvering to acquire the adult licenses held by Amnesia.
As part of the renovation package, the Amnesia building was sold to Fantasy Warehouse.
The club traces its roots back to the original George's, owned by the late George Wilson and Don Rossignol in the mid 70s. Frank Cooper and David da Ponte purchased George's when it was located on Marshall St., then moved it downtown as GDI on the River. After a temporary stay at 92 N. Avalon, its next incarnation was as Rumples on Madison and then as Amnesia on Poplar.
Source: by Alan Cook Triangle Journal News 06/01
QUICK HITS: Media Mentions
Entertainment Weekly/ 06/07/01
Craig Kilborn on CBS' The Late Late Show... ..."The roof of the biggest transvestite nightclub in Amsterdam collapsed. No one was killed, but rescue workers did find 80 women trapped in a man’s body."