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New This Month:The Phantom Madness Pam Rambles On Standing United Postmortem News TransMissions
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Upcoming Group Meetings & EventsMay 1999 - Online Edition
Welcome our new publications chair, Julie!
May 8-Coffee House Talent Show
June 12-Discussion Circle
August 14-Cookout
October 9-Halloween Party
December 11- 7th Annual Anniversary/Holiday Party
Future Board Meetings
May 22, June 24, July 22
Other Events
Weekends through May 16- La Cage aux Folles, Nashville's Circle Players, TPAC
Saturday, June 12th- Night in White, Nashville's Regal Maxwell House Hotel
The
Queen's Throne
By Marisa Richmond marisaval@aol.com |
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there must have been a society in which everyone accepted all others for whom they were and respected diversity. Unfortunately, we do not yet live in such a place ourselves. Many in our society claim to have some insight into "The Truth," but many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon a certain point of view. They hypocritically express love, but are actually are filled with hate. Well, hate leads to the dark side. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Those who are transgendered have often been taught by others to hate themselves. And this hate leads to tragedy such as the recently reported suicide of 15 year old Nicole Seely, a male-identified person from Cleveland. You must unlearn what you have learned. Get out and find yourself, no matter how you define yourself. I certainly had an incredibly busy and fun time this past month expressing myself.
First, I went up to New York City for three days on a personal matter. Every time I go there, I have a lot of fun, and this visit was no exception. My very first night in town, I ate dinner at Lips (2 Bank Street at Greenwich Avenue, 212-675-7710). This club opened about two years ago and is a theme restaurant with the theme being drag. The entire wait staff were drag queens, except for the bartender, DJ, and busboys—Juan, Juan and Juan. I was met at the door by the hostess, Empress Coco LaChine, while my waitress, Jennifer Michaels, was very nice and very humourous. Every hour or so, they drop what they are doing (well, not literally, or the floor would be quite a mess...) and perform a short show right in the middle of all the diners. Jennifer even included me briefly in her number. Of course, since it is a restaurant, it is the food that has to keep people coming in, and mine was quite good. I started with Hedda Lettuce and then had the Miss "Lady" Bunny for my main course. And it’s not what you’re thinking—it was two humongous pieces of roasted chicken (breast and thigh, natch!). The pieces were so large, when the plate arrived, I thought to myself, ‘Bunny must have one hell of an appetite.’ I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the ambiance of the place. It was filled with a very diverse crowd that night composed of many ages (mostly young, but that bodes well for the future of our society) and numerous genders. One group even took my picture while another bought me a cocktail. There is one other thing worth noting. When I went to the restroom, the choices were ! and ?. I thought it was appropriate. More places should mark their facilities this way.
The next night, I went to see the critically acclaimed play, Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Jane Street Theater, 113 Jane Street, 212-239-6200). This is the story of an East German who undergoes a botched sex-change (leaving an "angry inch"). It is both hysterically funny and quite moving, all to an incredibly hot rock soundtrack (featuring an incredibly cute and talented guitarist/keyboardist....uh, I digress....). It is a small, rustic, theater, seating only about 300, but it was a wonderful show and I loved every minute of it. I even said that to the main actor, Michael Cerveris, as I left the theater.
After the show, I had intended to walk to a nightclub. I don’t mind walking, even in New York. I am not afraid. But it was cold and rainy and changing over to snow, and I hate being out in such weather. I’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee. So, I took a cab. My destination? Well, it was none other than the legendary Stonewall Inn (53 Christopher Street in Sheridan Square, 212-463-0950). Every generation has a legend, and for many of us, it is Stonewall because it was in this very nightclub that a bunch of drag queens and transsexuals began to fight back against police harassment and societal intolerance in June 1969. Despite the fact that I have been visiting New York since 1964 (pretty remarkable for someone who is still 29...), I had never visited the Stonewall. I discovered the club was bigger than I had originally presumed since it includes a dance floor upstairs. They had historical brochures available (on pink paper of course!) and photographs and labels on the wall. It was certainly one of the most fascinating historical sites I had ever visited. Plus, one drunk even got me to play pool with him and he even briefly twirled me around on the floor, so I can now state that I have partied in the Stonewall Inn. All of us in the GLBT community owe a debt of gratitude to those who resisted hate and fought back with purses and spike heels for the right to express themselves in the ‘land of the free’ and dance (or whatever...) with the partner of their choice.
After being home for just three days, I hit the road again for Louisville and Standing United, the annual IFGE Convention. The local support group, BGB, volunteered only six months ago to Pick Up the Pieces and host the convention after plans to go to Orlando were canceled. I thought they were crazy at the time, and I recall saying to a few that ‘I have a bad feeling about this,’ but they pulled together a pretty good event given the short time span for planning. The folks in Louisville taught us all an important lesson. Many find excuses and claim It cannot be done. Do. Or do not. There is no try.
I did not get there until the Friday night dinner, so I cannot report on anything that happened before then. I do know, however, my name on my convention badge and registration was misspelled (why does everyone keep adding a second ‘S’?). The entertainment that night from the Imperial Court of Kentucky did not make it since they were stuck in a huge traffic jam on I-64 due to a major wreck. It turned out okay, however, because it gave everyone a chance to socialize, and for me, it is the interaction with others which makes conventions so exciting. After the banquet, several of us congregated in the hotel bar. I was concerned about this since the UK men’s basketball team was playing in the NCAA tournament against Miami University that night. Wildcat fans are noted for being rabid—you will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Back in 1993, I went to the regional when Vanderbilt hosted and I was amazed at the way the Blue Mist completely took over Memorial Gym. I was expecting the same thing since we were in Kentucky, but fortunately, it was relatively sane that night.
The next day, I was on one panel called "Transgendered People of Color." While I have never liked the term "people of color," I do feel we need to make more of a commitment to increasing the visibility of our ethnic and cultural diversity with the Transgender Family by identifying people from various backgrounds who can contribute on the local, regional and national levels. We also need to educate those within our own community who are intolerant of diversity and treat the word as if it is an obscenity. While all of the scheduled panelists were African-Americans, there were two others there who deserve credit for attending: photographer Mariette Pathy Allen (to whom I had to apologize profusely for not calling when I was in New York a few days earlier) and Dr. Virginia Prince. I was especially surprised by Virginia’s appearance. Virginia is a person with many strengths and weaknesses. I have had my share of differences with her in the past, but it suggests even one who is 87 is willing to make some effort to reach out. And kudos to Dawn Wilson who, to our knowledge, became the first African-American to co-chair a major gender convention. That evening, after my panel but before the final banquet, the Vals hosted a wine & cheese reception that seems to have been visited by most of the 120 people who were at the convention. It is nice to be able to serve the rest of the community that way. At the final banquet, Jenni and I gave one of the Trinity Awards to Maxwell Anderson, plus I managed to win not one, but two prizes in the raffle: a wine encyclopedia and a blonde wig. I can feel myself, like, getting dumber by the minute.
The IFGE officials also made a couple of important announcements. They introduced their new leadership: Nancy Cain of Boston (Executive Director) and Pamela Geddes of Toronto (Board Chair). Nancy and Pamela represent a new generation of leaders who, I hope, will push IFGE in a new and more vibrant direction. Plus, as Pamela noted, her election now makes IFGE truly international. They also announced plans to hold the 2000 convention in Washington, DC next March. Phyllis Frye (who won the prestigious Virginia Prince Award for service to the community) suggested we plan a Congressional lobbying effort around the convention, an idea I wholeheartedly endorse.
Despite the lack of planning time, and the various organizational problems of which I am aware that arose during that time, it came off fairly well, and all the organizers in Kentucky and Southern Indiana deserve tremendous credit for pulling it off.
I am now back home for awhile. I have no more travel plans until mid-June. I’ll just have to find things to do here in Nashville. I wonder if there is anything interesting in the movie theaters this month? Well, till next month, May the Force Be With You.
Wigged
Out
By Jennileigh Love jlove1@ix.netcom.com |
May is upon us, bringing us to a milestone in my life. On the Fifth of May, Miss Jenni was born unto this earth exactly 29 years ago. This year’s birthday is very important because, for the rest of my life, May fifth will celebrate the anniversary of this date and no numbers will be added to my age. Ah, heck. I know I’m getting older. One sure sign is that I can’t see license plates on cars like I used to. Another sign came when I was watching the Women’s NCAA basketball tournament on television. Sure, some of those young nubile basketball players were kinda cute, but I caught myself taking a second look at some of the coaches.
After the March Madness, I suppose the only thing going now is the Phantom Madness. Star Wars Episode I should be almost ready to hit the theaters when this newsletter gets into your hands (May 19). I predict a media onslaught unrivaled in the 1990’s. Expect to see a promotion or tie in everywhere you look: Phantom Menace Popsicles, Phantom Menace Underoos, Phantom Menace condoms. George Lucas figured out a long time ago that he could make a good movie, but his real money was made on licensing. Use your credit card, Luke.
Back in Mid-March, I got to attend the IFGE Standing United Convention in Louisville Kentucky (see the Vals photo album at http://www.transgender.org/tvals/Louisville99.htm). This was an especially big event for me because one of the conference’s main organizers, (fellow Tennessee Vals columnist) Anne Casebeer, was someone that I got out of the closet a few years ago. I’m especially proud of BGB, the local transgender support group in Louisville for all their hard work to pull this off—in a time span of under 6 months. I had a chance to relax during the convention and rejuvenate myself among old friends and make some new ones. One highlight of the trip was the Derby Playhouse dinner theater in Clarksville, Indiana. It was actually the first time I had ever been in Hoosierland. The van ride in was sort of fun, with all of us playing "Indiana Trivial Pursuit" and coming up with as many jokes about the Hoosier state as possible. There were probably around 25 transpeople in this dinner theater along with a bunch of retiree-age suburbanites. The show began and they asked for volunteers from our table to be in a "'50s-'60s Music Trivia Game Show". I held my tongue while my scantily clad friend, Christine Hochberg from California volunteered. Christine was dressed in her usual outrageous way, complete with jet-black pussycat wig, and green-sequined mini-skirt. I hoped she didn’t look foolish on stage. I wasn’t concerned at all what the conservative-looking crowd would think of Christine. I was more worried that she didn’t know much about >50s and >60s music! :)
In other conference news, IFGE, the International Foundation for Gender Education, is now more International that ever. At the Louisville conference, IFGE elected a new Board President, Pam Geddes, who hails from the Great White North, Toronto, Ontario. It’s good to see the board reaching across political borders. I believe we need to develop some sort of presence in Latin America, considering the brutal treatment of transpeople in Argentina and other countries. I have received a few inquiries by the Vals webpage from Mexico, clearly showing the need for a larger North American presence. One way to reach out to our neighbors is to begin translations of some transgender publications into Spanish. We would at least have the resources, if they were needed, and we could use them here in the US for new contacts who primarily speak Spanish. I recall once being in the parking lot of the Nashville Connection (a local nightclub) and meeting a fantastic-looking, tall Latino drag queen. We just happened to have someone with us who majored in Spanish in college, so at least there was some communication.
Aside from the UK, Canada and Australia, it’s very difficult to handle inquiries from abroad. Besides the obvious language barrier, there are also political and cultural barriers. The Vals website recently drew a contact in Iran who could not view most other transgender web sites because they are blocked out in her country. I was really at a loss for how to help her. After almost four years of having a website, we have received contacts from Italy, Finland, Denmark and other foreign countries like Alabama (oops..I guess that’s not a foreign country, is it? It’s a remarkable simulation of one!) The only resource list for international resources I have access to is what IFGE maintains on their website and what I can find by searching the Internet. Clearly, there is a need for a more comprehensive list of international transgender resources.
Back in our own country, IFGE has announced that their convention in the year 2000 will be in the Washington DC area. It promises to be a fun trip since the Vals own Marisa Richmond lived up there for a time and Cindy, my sweetie, spent her childhood there. Washington DC is especially fitting in an election year. Actually, Nashville itself, in the year 2000, will be kind of a nuthouse because of Al Gore and Lamar Alexander’s runs for President. I would imagine that Gore will hold a lot of his televised speeches from the Legislative Plaza here in Nashville. His hometown of Carthage has only one or two tiny hotels. Obviously, Nashville would be a better choice to house his staff and the press corps. This may affect some of you Vals visitors from out of town if you try to get a hotel room as the election approaches; it’s just something to be aware of.
I usually don’t do this, but I thought I would include a teaser for my column next month. I am spending a week in the Low Desert in Las Vegas on vacation and will surely have a lot to talk about in June. Let’s hope the one-armed bandits don’t hold me up too badly.
Left
of Center
By Pamela DeGroff |
This is going to be another of those columns that doesn’t have a central theme, but is pieced together from my latest collection of ideas written on yellow sticky notes and old receipts.
IDEA #1 We recently went out for Chinese food, and when the bill came , it was accompanied by two fortune cookies. If you’ll remember a column I wrote last year about horoscopes, you know I give absolutely no credence whatsoever to prognostications of any kind. As far as I’m concerned, the words "psychic", and "fraud" are synonyms. I don’t want my palm or tea leaves read, nor do I care what the spilled entrails of a chicken have to say about my future. (The only time I care to deal with chicken, Colonel Sanders is involved.)
Having said all that, I found it very interesting when we read the little slips of paper in the cookies. My girlfriend’s said something about horses and gambling. Since she had gone to Las Vegas with her family, we thought this was kind of unique. My fortune, however, was definitely aimed at a transgendered person. It read: "Simplicity and clarity should be your theme in dress."
This is amazing because I’ve already started making some changes in the way I present my femme self. It started at Southern Comfort; I can no longer wear heels for extended periods of time. Flats are actually appealing, even necessary, at times now.
The last few times I’ve gone out, I’ve "dressed down". No "hooker drag" or short skirts. We’re talkin’ pants here. Which means I didn’t have to do any of the pre-requisite bush hogging...er, shaving, that is.
I’ve also toned it down with the make-up. It’s nice to have a genetic female close at hand to offer tips/criticism/advice concerning it’s application. No more wise cracks about excessive use of what looks like window putty..
There's one thing my girlfriend Cheryl and my drag-mom Rachell have been trying to talk me into: They both have told me I should spend a week as Pamela. What they mean is: all my time outside of work should be spent in "femme mode" so I can understand why women really don’t like to wear heels or make-up or dresses or skirts or basically anything I consider kind of fun to wear. I haven’t decided to try this yet, but it is an interesting idea. Any one have any thoughts on this matter? Should I or shouldn’t I?
IDEA #2 You’re always risking it when you "out" yourself to someone, especially someone you work with and see on a daily basis. As of last count, there are eight people I work with who know about Pam. Three of them are gay and have even met Pam a time or two when she was dressed nicely and out for the evening. A couple of these folks have read the version of this column that sometimes is printed in Xenogeny. Some I have told simply because we know too many of the same people. One has seen, upon request, a few somewhat rare photos of Pam.
Recently, I was sitting at my terminal at work when, from behind me, I heard: "What are you writing? What’s Left Of Center?" It was one of those days when not much was happening at work, so I'd started writing my column. I’m a state employee, so, yes kids, this is your tax dollar at work. "Oh," I said, "this is just a little something I do form time to time." I turned around to see Brenda, one of the people who works with the state immunization program. She saw me reading a caving magazine one time, and asked if I’d ever done any caving in East Tennessee. She told me she spent a lot of time in the mountains on the weekends with a much younger doctor friend of hers. They love to take his Harley up into the Smokes. Anyway, that’s how we started talking to one another.
Like any friendship you develop with someone at work, you eventually find out how open-minded they are. She’s very open minded; her doctor friend is a good twenty years younger than her, and she likes to do her housework in the nude. Since I knew so much about her, I figured I could take a chance and tell her about Pam. "That’s interesting," she said. "With your hair and as small as you are, I bet you can look pretty good."
A couple of days after that, she had on a really nice blouse. Of course, I asked if I could borrow it. (This is a joke, but you never know...) "Tell you what, " she said. "The next time I clean out my closet, I’ll keep a few things back. How’s that?"
Then there was the day when she wore a very nice looking gold and black striped dress. It looked good, except she had on these beige/tan/not-sure-what-color heels. They just didn’t work. "How do I look?" she asked when no one else was around. "Nice," I answered. "Except for the shoes. I would have worn black." Her smile faded, and she turned around and walked off, all the time saying, "Damn, damn, damn, I knew it..."
Going back to the incident of her reading a little of that month’s Left of Center, I have to admit that I took a chance on that one. I explained briefly what being transgendered was, who the Tennessee Vals were, and talked about my involvement with the group. Her only comment was something along the lines of , "Well, who cares? We all do things that are unique outside of work. Besides, I always knew there was something interesting about you."
Brenda and one other lady at work constantly ask me how they look and if everything is co-ordinated. I have yet to get either one of them to let me borrow something, but, maybe in time...
IDEA #3 Have you ever encountered someone who says, "This crossdressing thing must just be a phase. Take up a real macho hobby, be a man, and you’ll get away from all that stuff." Well, it don’t work like that, Bubba. I have a "real macho" hobby; actually, more than one: caving and repelling. I know a lot of macho Bubba-types who are too panty-waist scared of heights or confined spaces to do what I do. So much for that idea.
I’m a chronic crossdresser. Mr. Webster says that chronic can be defined as "marked by a long duration or frequent recurrence; always present or encountered; being such habitually." Yup, that pretty much nails it. But I’d like to point out something. The use of the word "chronic" in this case does not necessarily mean "all the time". I’ve written before that I do enjoy my male side, and that I’m devoutly heterosexual. There are those in our community that feel—and even preach—that the only outcome of being TG is Sexual Reassignment Surgery.
I feel very strongly about this and feel that we sometimes send the wrong message to newcomers who are still somewhat closeted. No one should ever be made to feel that they won’t fit in if they don’t look a certain way or subscribe to someone else’s way of thinking. The decision to have any medical procedure done should be a personal one, made only after
careful consideration is given to all options and outcomes. No one should ever choose to go
down this path, or any path for that matter, because they feel coerced into it by someone with a "if you don’t do it my way, you Aeneid cool" mentality.
Okay, having said that, let’s go back to the issue of being chronic. I’m old enough to know that there are certain things about myself that can’t be changed, no matter how hard I would wish to. I also know that I have to balance all of this with what is called "free will", or "freedom of choice." Therefore, I’m happy to be a transgendered chronic crossdresser. I really, truthfully, enjoy having the ability to cross the gender lines whenever I want to. And finding, and enabling others to find that same freedom, is what support groups are all about. Just because we’re explorers, it doesn’t mean we have to become colonists.
IDEA #4 And now, a little shameless self promotion:
I recently started doing a column for the biggest transgender ed on-line service, T.G. Forum. I’m doing a monthly humor column called The Pamela Principle" (The editors thought that Left Of Center sounded too political.) I’ve started by re-running some of my older columns, simply to see what kind of reaction I’m
going to get. However, in the not so near future, I’ll be doing some things that have never been published anywhere else.
Check it out if you’re on-line at www.tgforum.com. Remember, if you’re the Owner Of A Lonely Heart, I hope that in some Roundabout way, all of us can Awaken, become a Starship Trooper, knowing that as we get Close To The Edge, yes, Love Will Find A Way.
Oh, one last thought: I just discovered that you don’t want to walk faster than an automatic door is capable of opening.
Later, girlfriends.
Behind
Blue Eyes
By Anne Casebeer agc@cwix.com |
The ‘99 IFGE convention is now history, and I have to hope that everyone enjoyed themselves, learned a thing or two, and made or rekindled some friendships along the way. I suspect that the observations of others may be more honest and less biased than mine, because mine is from the perspective of a person who was much more concerned with putting out fires and problem-solving than having much fun. Still, there WERE many highlights for me, ones that made the experience of welcoming a sizable sliver of the TG community to Louisville a most pleasant one. I just hope it was great for all involved. It was not a perfect conference, but I do think that it was the best conference that could be put on in a very short period of time - and most of the inevitable rough spots were either fixable or could be covered up for few to see, and that’s the case with any convention, TG or otherwise. So, these are my memories of "Standing United."
The "TG Night of Comedy" was a rousing success, raising $600 for IFGE and the Fairness Campaign. Angela Bridgman did a fine job of emceing and organizing, Lovest Brown and Bernie Lubbers made everyone laugh, and Jami Ward performed a great routine. The only downer was a rare and better-off-forgotten appearance by three mysterious t-people who billed themselves as the "Not Ready for SRS Players" who definitely weren’t ready for show business, but after consultation with the "Players", I am convinced that they will cease and desist from any further public performances and that they are pathological liars. Oh well, nobody’s perfect. Anyway, Angela wants to make this an annual event, and I’ll be the first to encourage her to do so.
I was very happy with the seminars and presenters that we could feature, although there was no chance for me to attend them. Remember, when you’re organizing a convention, you don’t get much chance to enjoy the programming. You do get to enjoy the people, however. It was great to be able to showcase some people who should be better known in the TG community than they are. The spirituality seminar that Dawn Wilson and other clergy moderated on Thursday was a big success, as was the TG-POC gathering that Dawn, Dana Turner, Marisa Richmond, and others conducted, and it will be a pleasure to see Dawn’s two pet projects bear fruit. Bringing Kate Ramsdell, Randi and Fred Ettner, Sue Strong, Dr. Eugene Schrang, and other caring professionals here was a pleasure. And, I can’t begin to thank enough the friends that could attend and present:- like Jennileigh, Rebecca, Stephanie, and Marisa; Emily Singleton from IXE; Jennette Caden, Kristine Jones, Jennifer Marquette, and Jan and Paula Ison from CrossPort; and Sarah Fox from Crystal Club. I’m probably omitting some, and if so, I apologize, because I appreciate each and every person who attended or presented.
The entertainment worked out well. The Derby Dinner Playhouse’s performance of The Taffetas was popular with all who attended. The Saturday night awards banquet went off with no hitches at all, thanks to Jennifer Marquette’s management and the contributions of Cori Farrell as emcee, the lighting trollop, Josephine Thane on sound, some very good presenters, the great musicianship and lighthearted wit of Vicki D’Salle, and an excellent acceptance speech by Phyllis Frye as the Virginia Prince Award winner. The only real hitch in the entertainment agenda—and the source material for the following rant—was the no-show of the Royal Sovereign Imperial Court for Friday night’s event. They were delayed by an accident that blocked traffic on I-64, but did not start out early enough from Lexington to have made it on time even if road conditions had been clear. I’m sorry, but I was in the room when Marjorie Demaille told them via phone 2 days earlier that they needed to be ready to perform between 7:30 and 8:00 PM. Leaving at 7:05 PM (by the performers’ own admission) from Lexington does not equal a quality show in Louisville at 8:00 PM. 5:05 PM would have been much closer to reality. I kept a civil tongue, but frankly, I don’t find the concept of TG people being consistently late in arriving to events (and explaining it away as "TG standard time") acceptable—not at an event I’m organizing. Employees of mine are not allowed to be late and I don’t accept any explanations of lateness—short of mortal wounds—acceptable. Worse still, they offered to turn in a short performance at the awards banquet, then did not show or even call to cancel that. I found this unprofessional and unreliable. The thought of this a month later still makes me furious, and as a result, I do not plan to have any personal involvement with RSICK events again. I still admire and salute the amounts of money they do raise for charity, but I cannot forgive or forget their lack of professionalism at our event.
Enough of that ranting because my memories of this are mostly positive. The members of BGB pulled together and helped in many areas, with seminars, hard work, and support of each other—they earned the champagne that was popped Saturday night. The staff and management of the Holiday Inn Louisville-Downtown did a great job, were very easy to work with from beginning to end, and made our jobs easier in many ways. But my favorite event was the Friday acceptance luncheon. Angela Bridgman’s cousin Janette Rodi spoke about being the only member of her family—and a born-again Christian—that accepts her transsexuality. Janette reminded us all that real Christians, the ones who truly understand the teachings of Jesus and his disciples, accept and embrace all who God created—including transgendered people. Evelyn Lichtsteiner, Terri Hambaugh’s fiancee, told us all about her journey of loving and understanding a transgendered partner. Of course, Amy McCorkle, my favorite writer and marathon runner, also spoke about how we’ve been there for each other’s crises and have been there for each other when it was time to deal with our problems. It was a real pleasure to share success with her, and to have her share her story with others.
Friday morning of the convention, I was driving to the hotel, and was
listening to the soundtrack of a favorite movie, a movie from 1982 called
The
Big Chill, which is about the passage of a friend and how the friend’s
passage brought a circle of friends back together again. A line from the
movie came to mind: "It’s a cold world, and in a cold world, you need your
friends to keep you warm." That is true, and I incorporated it in my remarks
at Friday’s luncheon. It can be a cold world indeed for TG people and we
need our friends, both TG and not, to keep us warm. Conventions are places
that we find warmth and I’m proud that we could create a warm spot in Louisville
for TG people and their supporters for a few days in March; but I also
hope that some of the warmth can carry over to our dealings with our families
and friends at home afterwards. That is what Friday’s luncheon was about.
That is what life’s about: warmth.
Transsexual wins suit
A San Francisco jury awarded $755,000 on Monday to a transsexual for the emotional pain she suffered during a strip search by sheriff’s deputies. The members of the U.S. district court panel found that Victoria Schneider was unnecessarily strip-searched in 1996 to determine if she was a woman. Schneider had pleaded with deputies to check her records, which would have shown that she had been searched after an arrest three years earlier, but the deputies refused. Schneider was originally booked for prostitution as a male and said she faced jeers from other inmates. The charges against her were later dropped.
That J. Edgar Hoover was one busy guy. When not sniffing out communists, or trying to get John Lennon deported, he was a gay man who fiercely protected his closet, and—according to quite a few—a crossdresser who attended parties en femme. It's amazing what secrets come out after you're gone. Former FBI head J .Edgar Hoover gets the once-over on a two-hour edition of A&E's Biography that begins airing May 3rd. Check your listings because they repeat episodes often.
British transsexuals appear to be on the road to winning changes in the law by the political route. According to the April 15th story online at Planet Out, Parliament announced the creation of a Working Group on Transsexuals with representatives from a dozen government departments to consider "appropriate legal measures" to address "the problems experienced by transsexuals, having due regard to scientific and societal developments." The group will examine other countries’ approaches as well as review problems faced under existing British law, which denies new birth certificates and legal marriage to transsexuals. Of the 39 European countries, Britain is one of only four which do not legally recognize sex reassignments.
Straw’s announcement was a response to a formal question entered by Member of Parliament Dr. Lynne Jones (Labour-Birmingham Selly Oak), who has been actively campaigning on behalf of transsexuals since 1992 and chairs the Parliamentary Forum on Transsexualism. Yet many observers believe the introduction of a transsexual on the popular evening soap opera "Coronation Street" may have played an even greater role in spurring government action, despite the show’s receiving mixed reviews from transsexuals themselves.
Generally speaking, transsexuals have been successful with legal challenges to employment discrimination in both British and European courts. However, these avenues have not been fruitful on the question of obtaining revised birth certificates, which creates problems in other areas such as marriage (since only opposite-sex marriages are allowed), credit, insurance, and social security. Transsexuals have also often been denied their rights as parents. And although some incarcerated transgenders have recently won the opportunity to undergo sex reassignment surgery, being jailed with those of a transsexual’s birth sex can be dangerous.
Readers of the news weekly Nashville Scene submit votes in various categories for the annual Best of Nashville edition. Staffers also feature their own personal picks. This year's edition featured the following special category and article: -jp
Best Gay Bar to Gawk At Gay People: Connection
Admit it. You're curious. What do those gay people do in that building at the very end of Cowan Street? To find out, all you need is five bucks and an open mind. The Connection is a microcosm of gay and lesbian culture: It houses a country bar, a dance club, and a drag show bar where you can either sit proudly up front or cower in the back. Your first time there, you might want to go with cowering—those drag queens can smell a straight person from twenty paces, and they're not afraid to call you out. Stop by the country bar and watch the same-sex two-steppers—it's like nothing you've seen on TNN. Do a little dance on the huge dance floor and know that you're in the only club in Nashville where the boys look good with their shirts off. Have a drink, visit the gift shop, enjoy yourself, and revel at being in the minority. Go ahead. They don't bite. Unless you want them to.
The Newsmakers column of the April 12th Newsweek reports on the big-screen adaptation of the campy 70’s series Charlie's Angels. Shooting starts in September, with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz in final negotiations to start. The competition for the third role is said to be quite fierce, including the likes of Jada Pinkett and Lauryn Hill. The writer suggests: "Considering the delicate balance of fine acting and great hair the role also requires, we think there's only one real choice: RuPaul."
The story features a photo of the original Angels, with Ru's face taped over Jaclyn Smith's head.
The Sunday April 18th Tennessean featured an article on the front page of the Arts and Entertainment section, featuring a photo of the show's two leads, one, Zaza, the leading drag queen at La Cage. Page 2 featured another photo of Zaza and another performer.
Jeff Ellis had lots of reasons for wanting to direct La Cage aux Folles, the high-spirited Jerry Herman/Harvey Fierstein musical comedy opening this week at Circle Players....
Finally, he felt that La Cage—based, like the recent hit film The Birdcage, on a 1978 French film set in a gay nightclub that features a transvestite revue—needed to be directed by an openly gay man. "I thought that whoever directed this show should be familiar with the kinds of things that these characters are facing," Ellis says. "Of course, I've been openly gay for many years and it seemed like something I could do, so why not?"
The result, he promises, is going to be "a glitzy, glamorous, warm and very funny evening that audiences are going to love. Of course, if anyone is bothered by the sign of men in dresses, La Cage is not for them."
That might have been a concern in 1973, when the original La Cage opened in Paris as a stage play, and even in 1984, when the Herman/Fierstein version premiered on Broadway (it won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical). Since then, however, drag has come out of the closet in a big way, with RuPaul and movies like The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and The Birdcage embraced by mainstream audiences throughout the world...
At Circle players, Ellis has decided to update the production somewhat in ways that reflect advances in the way gays are perceived in American society in the late '90s. "In the original show, George and Zaza didn't even kiss, and I think we're going to change that," he says....
Another of Ellis' innovations was to cast several actual drag performers from the area. They include (Kelvin) Amburgey, who plays Albin/Zaza and who is seen regularly at The Chute Complex, a Nashville gay par, as Miss Dakota St. James.
There's a lot of Dakota in Zaza, Amburgey says—and maybe a lot of Kelvin in Albin.
"Albin is the real person and Zaza is a character that he creates that lets him express his bigger side, his louder side, and that happens with me as well," he says. "Dakota can be a lot more outrageous and outspoken than I can be, and I don't have to worry about it coming back and haunting Kelvin later.
And like Dakota, Zaza can't be hurt. Albin can hide behind her, and that's something I understand, too."
Amburgey's drag training also has had its benefits in creating Zaza's stage presence.
"Zaza has very big movements, big arm gestures," he says. "She never does anything small—its always a dramatic reach or large sweep of the hands. She moves very large on stage, covering as much ground as she can, whereas Albin is much smaller and more unsure of being welcome."
The centerpiece of the La Cage, musically and thematically, is Amburgey's performance of the gay-pride anthem I Am What I Am. Ellis promises a show-stopper: "Ever time Kelvin does it in rehearsal, I'm moved to tears."
Amburgey admits that performing the song is eually emotional for him.
"To me, what the song is saying is that if you're going to love me, you have to love all of me—not just the parts you like, but every part of me," he says. "Albin says in the song, 'I don't want praise, I don't want pity.' All he wants is acknowledgment and love for what he is, and Zaza is part of what he is. That brings it home to me, and that's why I wanted to do the part".