Upcoming Group Meetings & EventsFebruary 1999 - Online Edition
February 13: Transgendered Television by Bonnie B.
March 13: Crisis Counseling, Joyce Arnold (tentative)
April 10: Board Elections
May 8: Coffee House Talent Show
June 12: Discussion Circle
August 14: Annual Cookout
Future Board Meetings: February 25, March 25, April 22
Tennessee Vals Special Events:
Sunday, February 28: Bus trip to Players' Island Casino, Metropolis, IL (tentative)
Sunday, March 21: Equality Begins at Home, Tennessee State Capitol
Saturday, June 12: Night in White, Regal
Maxwell House Hotel
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The
Queen's Throne
By Marisa Richmond marisaval@aol.com |
When I sat down to begin writing this month's column, I was looking for all the positives in our society to discuss. I am happy UT won the national football championship even though the school is not in the Nashville area and I never even went there. I figure some of my tax dollars helped buy that team, so I'll enjoy the title. February is the month of Valentine's Day, a time at which we celebrate our love, even if blatantly unconstitutional laws deny individuals the right to marry whom they want. It is also African American History month, a time in which a group long denied equal rights and participation celebrates its roles and achievements in building this country and helping to overcome past injustices. But as I did sit down to write, I found myself with a very empty feeling. This is the most difficult column for me to write since I discussed the murder of Christian Paige in May 1996.
Like millions of Americans, I spent several hours with CNN and C-SPAN watching something no living person had ever seen: I saw the U.S. House of Representatives impeach the President of the United States. This is a country of diverse political views, and this diversity is reflected in the gender community, but regardless of one's ideology, there is no joy for any of us in this drama.
I guess I should state that when Mr. Clinton first ran for the presidency in 1992, I supported another candidate. I have also been disappointed with his performance at times. Most notably, I believed he kowtowed to conservatives when he approved the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy, and signed the illogical Defense of Marriage Act into law. I see both of these moves as blatant denials of equal rights in order to protect the status quo which our conservative enemies have fought long and hard to maintain just as they fought to maintain slavery, Jim Crow, and denial of equality for women, just to name a few. In addition, he failed to get health care reform that would protect the interests of those least able to protect themselves, including transpeople who are sometimes thrown out of home, school or work. I do wish to applaud the President, however, for what I believe are his sincere attempts to bring peace to the Middle East and in finally achieving a balanced budget.
Those who believe the President to be guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors are undoubtedly sincere in their beliefs although I was disgusted by the words of House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) who said he felt "great" about his vote. I watched the 1974 impeachment hearings with great fascination, but also with a feeling of sickness, and I hoped then I would never have to endure anything like it again.
Personally, I am not yet convinced that he did anything which justifies removal from office. For years, searches turned up no solid evidence of criminal activity. All that was found is that he liked to receive fellatio outside of marriage. Many people do that, lie about it (and sometimes under oath in divorce proceedings) and do not always lose their jobs. In our legal system, if one is enticed into committing a crime when no criminal activity was otherwise committed or intended, the courts usually throw out such cases, and yet, we may well tie up all three branches of the federal government for a weak case that might not even result in a conviction in a criminal trial.
The transgender community does have a stake in this since many, if not all of us, have, at one time or another, lied outright about our sexual activity or gender identity. We have argued for passage of an Employment Non-Discrimination Act which would ensure that we would not be denied work in our chose fields simply because of gender identity or sexual activity or orientation. I have long felt that what two or more adults do in private is their own business as long as all parties are consenting. While individuals can and will be hurt by the actions of others whom they love, that should not be grounds for denying a person gainful employment. Of course, many transies despise the President and want to see him punished to the full extent of the law. That is their opinion. It does not happen to be mine. For that matter, I do not think Bob Livingston should have resigned either. I am encouraged that the polls show the majority of Americans reject bedroom politics, but then, this process is not about the polls. Overall, this is a sad time for our country. And if you do not agree with my opinions, feel free to censure me.
I was also saddened on New Year's Eve when I heard that Paula Robertson of Tuscaloosa, Alabama had died. She was a regular at Southern Comfort and a long-distance supporter of the Vals even though I she may have made it to only one meeting. Still, her support was encouraging and we will miss her.
Not all political news is sad. In St. Paul, Minnesota, Mayor Norm Coleman, an anti-equal rights Republican who lost the recent governor's race to a pro-equal rights candidate (Jesse "The Guv" Ventura) surprised many when he picked Susan Kimberly, a post-operative transsexual and former council member, to serve as Deputy Mayor. It shows that political clout can pay dividends. In addition, the cities of Toledo, Ohio (Klinger's home town.....) and Portland, Oregon, recently passed resolutions supporting equal rights with gender inclusive language.
I actually went to Washington, D.C., on business right after New Year's. I spent time seeing and socializing with old friends, including those in TGEA and at Ziegfeld's. When I moved to Nashville from DC in 1992, I never thought I would be able to return in 1999 and claim our football and hockey teams were better--and they are! I am especially proud of all that the Vals have achieved in our brief six year history. Like the Oilers/Titans and Predators, we did not even exist when I moved. While TGEA was one model and inspiration for the Vals, each group has to tailor itself to its own community, and we have a wonderful local base on which we built ourselves. It is nice to go back and see old friends and tell them about all we are doing here as well as catch up on their many activities and successes. They had a very nice fashion show the night I visited. With so judgmental people in society, it is important that we support one another and work together, even if we are separated by hundreds or thousands of miles. After all, We Are Family.
One thing I was doing this winter was supporting the new Nashville Noise of the American Basketball League (a team better than the Washington Mystics). I was a season ticket holder. One night, at a game against Seattle--which turned out to be the last game before the league declared bankruptcy--I ran to the Women's room only to discover that someone had left the toilet seat up. I'd swear that a man must have been in there. The Noise also had a male cheerleader who wore a Na'Sheema Hillmon/Pebbles hairstyle. Talk about making a fashion statement....
That same night, I came out of Municipal Auditorium to discover that my car would not start. For many transgendered persons, the prospect of being stranded out in public dressed is one of the biggest fears. Needless to say, I was quite annoyed, but I was able to find a telephone and call a towing service. The problem ended up being in the electrical wiring, so I had to get the car towed to a service station near my home. Fortunately, I do have credit cards, so the lack of cash proved not to be a problem. It turned out to be an inconvenience--and expensive inconvenience--but I had no problems with any of the gentlemen who tried to help me in the parking lot downtown, with the tow truck driver, or even with the other woman he gave a lift to that night. While it was a first for me en femme, it was not the end of the world. If you are living in fear or are making excuses about why you cannot get out or make friends, it is time you learned to have fun and enjoy life. And take credit cards.
I am certainly going to miss
those three drunken lesbians who have been sitting next to me at Noise
games. Have a Happy Valentine's Day.
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Wigged
Out
By Jennileigh Love jlove1@ix.netcom.com |
![]() Northstar |
While I'm on the subject of sci-fi/fantasy, many of you know I'm a die-hard Marvel Comics fan. Fans of Marvel Comics know that Marvel has always been on the forefront of social commentary. Most of their characters have been on the cutting edge of society's ideas. Marvel had the first popularized black superheroes (the Falcon, and the Black Panther) and the first black woman superhero in a leadership position (Storm of the X-Men). In the heart of the Cold war, they introduced a Russian hero (The X-Men's Colossus). Marvel has also had stories about AIDS, drug abuse, abortion and other controversial subjects. Stan "The Man" Lee, Marvel's founder, was said to instruct his writers to never "write down" to the readers. Instead, challenge the readers as much as possible. One controversy in Marvel Comics was the "outing" of the character "Northstar" of the Canadian super hero team, Alpha Flight (issue #106), as being gay. Hints of his sexuality were placed in the books, most of which went totally over younger readers (including me in my younger days). Even more controversial is the fact that he apparently had a crush on his fellow Alpha Flight teammate, the shape-changing brute codenamed "Sasquatch". This year, Marvel and Toy Biz created a line of Alpha Flight action figures, and Northstar is right there in the toy aisle, along with Sasquatch. I guess the gay "Billy" doll now has some competition. Actually, I think Xena: Warrior Princess action figures outsell the Billy at our local gay bookstore. |
On a totally different subject, this year marks the second half of the inaugural season for the NHL Nashville Predators. The season has been a resounding success for the team, although their play hasn't quite been perfect. As I said I would in last July's column, I have graced the seats of the Nashville Arena (dubbed the "The Hockey Tonk" by ESPN) en femme. I've got to see a lot of the current NHL stars like Mark Messier and Dominek Hasek (who strangely enough, has been mentioned before in this newsletter) and Marisa and I have tickets to see The Great One, Wayne Gretsky, this February. I figured out that I can't cheer too loudly for the Preds because of my baritone voice, but man, I can clap like a madwoman! The Nashville GLBT teen group, One-In-Teen was out en masse at the Predators/Sharks game I attended. It's good to see the folks in the GLBT community out and proud and enjoying themselves. We like it. We love it. We want some more of it.
Speaking of sports, the Tennessee Volunteers won the football national championship at the Fiesta Bowl in January. The Tennessean's Joe Biddle described the game as "the Super Bowl in drag", noting that you can dress it up any way you want, but it's still a BIG game. Being an alumnus of UT (I actually went there as a visiting student back in 1990), the sounds of Rocky Top blaring over the Arizona desert were gratifying indeed.
Over the holidays, I put some serious mileage on my pickup truck. My new tires and a recent oil change was probably a good idea. My first Departure from Nashville was in December when I attended the BGB Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. Around 30 folks from the surrounding area were in attendance for the Holiday Potluck Dinner. It was very good to see such growth in a group that I remember from its infancy. Congratulations to Dawn Wilson, Anne Casebeer and the other BGB folks for their work in making the group viable and healthy.
Further mileage was placed on the truck for the trip home for the Christmas Holidays. It was hindered by the wicked ice storm that hit Nashville the day after the winter solstice. I also visited a friend in Atlanta for New Year's and rung in 1999 by getting bombed at The Otherside. After de-toxing New Year's Day, my friend and I went shopping in Little Five Points. Then we took in a production of The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Atlanta Shakespeare Tavern. I think that little "drag poltergeist" that follows me around was tagging along. We all know that Shakespearean plays traditionally feature men in women's roles, but Merry Wives has a specific plot line where the portly Falstaff dons a disguise of women's clothing to get himself out of trouble. My friend and I could barely contain our laughter. Forsooth!
All these trips together put some 1,400 extra miles on the odometer of the rocket-powered LoveMobile. I visited 3 states (Georgia, Kentucky and Virginia) and visibly spotted 2 others (Indiana and Alabama) in less than 3 weeks. I think I need a vacation… Oh yeah, that WAS a vacation. If anyone needs me I'll be asleep in at my office at work…
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Left
of Center
By Pamela DeGroff |
The subject of hiding places came up recently, and this really brought back some memories. Granted, some were kind of painful to have to recall, but others were humorous, especially when I think of the lengths I went to way back when just to keep the femme side hidden. Ceiling tiles were mentioned. Believe me, I've used them. However, there is one interesting thing to note about ceiling tiles. Since they are used in suspended drop ceilings, they are designed not to hold much in the way of weight. In fact, they're not designed to hold any weight at all. Imagine someone's surprise (usually a parent or spouse) when they find themselves being bombarded by female clothing, accessories, and shoes. Not a pretty picture.
Since we're on the subject of ceilings, let me mention a slight variation here. I used to own an older home with a large attic that was partially floored. Some of the floor boards were loose and were easily removed, thus providing adequate hiding places. These were good for shoes and small bags of clothing. There were several problems with hiding stuff under the attic floor, though. One was the fact that you couldn't just go up there and get something without calling attention to yourself. When you have an unsupportive spouse, she's gonna wonder why you want to spend so much time upstairs, making all kinds of racket, especially when the only stuff in the attic was the contents of the next garage sale
Another problem was dust. You don't live in the attic, or use it for anything except extra space. Therefore, it's not a clean as the rest of the house. Hard to keep stuff clean when you're always fighting dust and dirt.
The third problem was insulation. Since I hid things under the floor boards, I had to push the insulation aside in order to get everything to fit. We had the blown in kind, so the stuff would get into some of the bags I keep my clothes in. If it was in the bags, then it eventually found it's way into some of the clothes. You haven't lived until you've had to dig a piece of ceiling insulation out of the panties you just put on.
This same home also had a room that was built unto the kitchen at the back of the house. The house had a basement, but since this was an addition, it was ground level and had a concrete block foundation. There was one block that I could remove and hide stuff behind. It was dry and if you kept things in bags, they wouldn't get dirty. But it got cold-especially in Indiana during the winter. About the only thing worse than insulation in your panties are panties that are very, very, very cold.
I also tried to hide stuff in the car. This works for a while, until you start to get a decent sized wardrobe. Then it gets hard to explain why the trunk looks like a clothing store.
I'm a musician, so I discovered a rather unique place to hide things. Large speaker cabinets work just fine if you have things you're not going to get to very often. You see, the problem with using them for storage is that musical instrument speaker cabinets have about a million screws holding the back on. You had to really want to dress that day in order to take the time to deal with all those screws.
I've also tried just about everything else. Old trunks you think no one cares about any more. Boxes that are big enough to hide things in the bottom and then stack other stuff on top in order to make it look "innocent." Old garment bags that have been hanging in the back of the guest bedroom closet for so long you hope they're forgotten. (You're taking a chance on that one.) One thing I think all of us have tried at one time or another is finding a sympathetic friend who won't mind giving you some closet space. This will work for a while. However, your friend also has a life, and unless he or she is also transgendered, they're not going to want you coming over whenever. Also, friends tend to move after a while. It's hard to explain that phone call about "coming to get your stuff" to someone who is unsupportive.
Coming out is the only true way to deal with having to find a hiding place for the wardrobe. Some of us who live alone and have the "drag closet" still have to keep certain things under lock and key when family comes over. Unless you've completely transitioned, that's probably more common than we all realize. I know that until only a few years ago, that was the case for me.
There is also one other great advantage to being "out" about your wardrobe. To quote Phyllis Frye from the interview that we ran a while back, "You have no lies to remember." I love that saying because I've had to weasel around the truth too many times in my life. That gets very tiresome after a while. It's also a heck of a lot easier to keep your femme things looking nice when you can give them their own rightful place next to everything else you own. Closets are definitely for clothes, but when your clothing can't even hang with pride in one, you've got more than just a closet to be released from.
Next time, girlfriends.
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Behind
Blue Eyes
By Anne Casebeer agc@cwix.com |
A Time To Embrace and Dance
Take a minute, if you will, and return to a time about 30 years ago, 1968 to be exact. It was the era of a "generation gap", a time when people hoped to die before they got "old" (because all people over 30 could not be trusted), a time reflected by the protest music of the Jefferson Airplane and Bob Dylan. I was alive at this time, watching the news reports, and listening to the music (still do), but for some unknown reason, Mom and Dad wouldn't let their8 years old offspring outside to go riot in the streets (Hey, how could they have known why I wanted that Louisville Slugger?)
Of course, change in a civilized country is not inspired by violence, but by proving to the powers that be that there is profit in change, which isn't impossible, but changing yourself is the place to start. Change in one's own attitudes (which mine certainly have done in the past few years), and change in laws and community standards can mean so much to people as individuals, but can also be so satisfying for those involved in the change process. The main message I want to get through is this: political activism is inspiring. You meet young people of strong beliefs and morals who just happen to be GLBT. You do the work, and really build camaraderie. And, you might get something done, but you have to realize that this isn't an automatic process and that the insiders do have the advantage. The transcommunity arrived late at the GLBT rights party in Louisville, we had to prove ourselves to those who'd been fighting for many years, but this time out, we can say that the T is completely installed in GLBT in Louisville. We've earned their respect now, and it's a nice feeling.
January 14, I found myself sitting in a meeting room on the 2nd floor of the Metro United Way Building in Louisville, surrounded by a roomful of energetic young people, passionate about a cause, just like the civil rights and antiwar protesters of 1968. It rubs off on a person. The Fairness Campaign, the effort to pass employment, housing, and public accommodation rights for GLBT people in Louisville, had been introduced, looked like it had a good shot at passage, and we were all sharing the joy. We also found out that the campaign this time would be conducted with no public hearings, no debate, and the utmost of speed. One lightning bolt, set to board at gate1- 26. I am surprised that Frank Simon hasn't accused us of causing the January 22 Clarksville, TN. tornado. Following the meeting on the 14th, each of us in the room (I'd estimate the crowd at 75) was asked to speak our thoughts: my mind was playing the Byrds' Turn, Turn, Turn, which is based lyrically on Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, and I recited it exactly as printed in the King James' Version: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. I sensed that, regardless of whether many others in the room were old enough to remember that 33-year old 12-string Biblical missive from the fertile fingers of Roger McGuinn, they'd get the idea. They did. The moral high ground was ours this time.
On January 12th, to our utter shock, the Fairness Amendment was introduced in the chambers of the Louisville Board of Aldermen, and was co-sponsored by 5 of the 12 aldermen, as the first order of business of the new Board of Aldermen for the 1999 session. Angela and I had advance notice, and while I couldn't go, she managed to get her mug on Fox 41, opposite Dr. Frank Simon and 2nd Ward Alderman (and enemy) Barbara Gregg. The next day, Angela called Alderman Gregg, who is our alderman, and engaged her in a 15-minute phone debate that concluded in Angela, who'd never uttered a profanity, getting an earful of the profanities starting in F and S from the mouth of a 70-something Alderman - you had to be there. 2 nights later, after the BGB meeting, many BGB members did bar outreach, having patrons of the Connection and the Score sign cards of support for Fairness; it was a fine opportunity for people to see TG people out and working for the community. I had to join the meeting late after firing an employee, and was in my usual black attire, but the patrons of the Connection were almost universally interested and supportive.
We had known that Fairness was to be reintroduced, but the timing took up totally by surprise. That was by design. Fairness supporters wanted to capitalize on the Alicia Pedreira case, the Matthew Shepard murder, and catch Dr. Frank Simon's Know-Nothing followers flatfooted. Initially, it worked, and the publicity for the first week after the introduction was uniformly positive - the Religious Reich wasn't ready yet. Which was the idea. We knew that would end with the next Sunday's sermons..
The main opponent at the beginning was one Jerry Stephenson, an African-American minister from Southern Indiana, who used false, inflammatory rhetoric (the usual "gay men are pedophiles) argument) to try to light up the community. Fine, We have Louis Coleman, Mattie Jones, George Unseld, Denise Bentley, and Paul Bather on our side. Fairness entered 6 autos (including my Windstar) in the Martin Luther King Day parade through the West End of Louisville, and this was simply a gas, gas, gas. My van was covered with the yard signs that are a common sight throughout Louisville that state "Fairness Does A City Good", along with portraits of Dr. King. Despite doing this before work on a Monday morning in AC mode, I wished I'd had a camera with me, because the Lyles Mall gathering point at 26th and Broadway was colorful, with a very friendly atmosphere. We were welcome. A middle-aged lady struck up a conversation with me about Dr. King, whose speeches I clearly remember from the nightly news reports in the 60's; they make as much sense to me today as they did then, and still sound fresh and invigorating; she'd met Dr. King, and was absolutely certain that he'd have been supportive of our efforts. We'd discussed jobs we'd held (I had once managed an auto parts store in that same mall) our families (she also had parents in a nursing home, and had a daughter working in the one my parents were in), and the notion that the culture gulf between the mostly white East End and mostly black West Ends could be bridged if we'd just focus on our similarities. I've scheduled her youngest daughter for a job interview. I was reminded of Billy Joel's Leningrad, in which he sings of the similarities that men born in 2 very different places can feel for each other when they finally meet and talk. Later that night, at the Braden Center on West Broadway, a rally was held with Mattie Jones and Louis Coleman in attendance, along with many of the local clergy; Dawn Wilson spoke forcefully and dropped in on me at the video store walking in the clouds, thrilled with the encouragement and friendships she'd made there amongst the local African-American civil rights leadership.
Up 'till this point, we were happy to see that the gender-inclusion part of the legislation hadn't come in for much notice yet. It changed that same day. Dr. Frank Simon aired his local cable-access show, in which he's taken shots at Fairness and threatened people with the notion of having their children taught by "Men In Dresses." When I heard that, I thought of the many TG people who are employed in our institutions of higher education, and who are fine educators. Tuesday the 19th, the ad-hoc aldermanic committee held its first and only public discussion (public was not allowed to speak) of the Fairness Amendment, and the gender inclusive language had been gutted overnight by former Alderman David Banks, I couldn't attend, but Dawn Wilson and Angela Bridgman were there, and listened to the proceeding in horror. . The changes were requested by the Chamber of Commerce; in particular, they wanted assurance that (1) businesses were given the right to establish a dress code or uniform, and (2) "occasional and sporadic" crossdressing at work was prohibited. Attorney and former Alderman David Banks set forth to changing the language, did a hackneyed job that ended up requiring that the TG person be "legally a woman" and "have proof of SRS" to have the protections illustrated. Dawn and Angela had to sit there, helpless, as a lawyer with no knowledge of gender rewrote our dream. However, the best media sound bite came when 32-WLKY stuck a mike in Dawn's face and asked for comments; she was standing next to Frank Simon at the time. She looked at him on camera, and said, "This is the second time I've met Frank Simon, but the first time without his hood." Dr. Simon, who was once a member of a certain secret order that buys its uniforms in the bedding department at Kmart, was not amused. Score 1 for DJ.
While I was trying to run my video store with the worst case of influenza I've had since Nixon was President, Angela attempted to work with Fairness to get the proper language inserted to both satisfy the C of C and gender activists, including referring Chris Saporita of Fairness to Phyllis Frye, who crafted some excellent language on very short notice, but it was little use; Aldermanic President Steve Magre had heard of all the changes he wanted to hear, and wanted it laid to rest. Magre is a skilled parliamentarian, and the Louisville Board of Aldermen is a body notorious for smoky back-room deals
Magre is the key to the Board of Aldermen. His constituency is the Louisville business community, which we will be speaking to in the months to come. This is my personal project, since I am also a member of the Okolona Business and Professional Association. There is a perception that legislation of this sort may cause problems for business. This time, we proved to business that we will do business. Once they understand the position of GLBT people, we can cooperate to prevent discrimination at all levels of the economy locally, It seems worth a try. The impact of the IFGE conference coming to Louisville will not be lost on the local business community.
I spoke for a few minutes with Alderman Bill Allison, as supporter, at First Unitarian on Sunday the 24th, and he promised to try, but could promise no results. You can only do what you can do. At the same time, we heard that the now-discredited Jerry Stephenson was planning possible violence at the demonstrations planned for outside City Hall after the Tuesday 26 vote. I would have hoped that society would have progressed past that by now. Fortunately, nothing beyond noxious language from a bullhorn, backed by a dwindling number of Reichist opponents was backing up Stephenson and Simon during the vote, and Fairness' supporters' whoops and hollers drowned out their amplifier. An editorial cartoon the morning of the vote summed it up well: it pictured Frank Simon being tested and flunked by a Vehicle Exhaust Testing Program technician. Final verdict: Fairness passed 7-5, and was signed by Mayor Armstrong.
So, in Louisville, Ky., it is now illegal to consider an employee's sexual orientation when making personnel decisions. Transgendered people are protected if they are already legally "women" by name, or have had SRS. It does not protect the TS who is attempting to transition in the workplace, and I find that unacceptable, but we weren't sold out; it was an omission of haste and misunderstanding. Still, on an intellectual level, we won; just a few short years ago, having any mention of gender would have been inconceivable in Louisville, let alone passing the bill. We now will be turning our attention to Jefferson County and Frankfort. Then, after some time passes, we'll go back to win housing/public accommodation, and at that time, Fairness promises they will attempt to fix or amend the language. And, I believe them. In fact, after the convention, we're going to speak to business groups about Fairness. That's what we accomplished this time: we showed them what the TG community could contribute, had a lot of fun doing it, made friends, and opened useful lines of communication. Angela secured an agreement with the 7 supportive Aldermen to meet with ITKY about fine-tuning the language, for which I blame nothing but the haste with which this had to be done. And, I must admit, I've talked a bit to a couple Aldermen about a possible run. Nicest way to deal with Barbara Gregg would be to get her job. Hey, I want a new career anyway! After all, it's our time!
A week of coordinated actions in every state and territory around the country March 21-27, 1999. Promote gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality in the states and territories!
SAVE THE DATES!! MARCH 21-27, 1999
Equality Begins At Home will focus on organizing and educating at the state level. Clearly, more and more battles are fought in the states. With initiative and referenda from Colorado to Maine, attacks on GLBT families and youth from California to Georgia, and the right wing organizing more furiously than ever, we must build our state movement. Equality Begins At Home is a tremendous opportunity to bring together youth activists, state and local organizers, and community allies to strengthen our efforts in states and create a more powerful network across the country.
Why should we focus our energy at the state level? Political momentum has shifted to the statehouses. More states then ever before are facing anti-GLBT legislation and/or fighting for pro-GLBT civil rights measures. We need to strengthen our statewide political movement. Despite the increase in both favorable and unfavorable legislation, state groups remain vastly under-funded. As these groups face huge political challenges in their states, most groups do not have adequate staffing, equipment, or resources to meet those challenges. We will not succeed nationally until each state group is stronger. The national movement is only as strong as our state movement, so strengthening our work in the states is a needed next step.
Tutu-frocked Trocks Keep Camp Style Alive
By Kevin Nance
Trocks rule!
Well, maybe they don't rule, precisely. But they act as if they do, and these days, who knows the difference?
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the now-venerable all male comic ballet troupe, worked its drag magic on an appreciative crowd at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center last night as part of the New Directions Series.
The company's ballet spoofs - the program included slightly adulterated excerpts from Swan Lake, Paquita, and other chestnuts of the classical repertoire - are invariably hilarious, especially in their renderings of the little mishaps that plague live performance, even by goddesses such as these.
Ah, the poor prima donnas - such wrong entrances, such bobbled landings! Such pantomime, so like American Sign Language! Such bitchiness among one's fellow (?) ballerinas, always hogging the spotlight and shortening one's deservedly interminable curtain calls, stealing one's roses! And how those fouettes (series of spinning kicks) do make one dizzy!
Their grins, faux-tragic grimaces, and unabashed preening are sometimes so grotesque that they'd be frightening if they weren't so funny.
Along the way, some impressive dancing is done, much of it en pointe - the drollery of which is continually emphasized but the long and muscular limbs, the unshaven armpits, he Adam's apples, the honking profiles.
In the process, the Trocks do more than make a mockery of ballet, they make an art of it, and at times it's actually moving.
Of course, to understand satire, you must know what's being satirized, and the TPAC audience seemed to - even though the day of the great, glamorous Russian divas of the 70s in New York has long passed. We love the idea of those larger-than- life ladies upholding some half-forgotten, half-imagined standard of the past, and doing it fiercely, fabulously, and with unprecedented egotism. They were forces of nature, and to see them resurrected feels just right.
Something else is being kept alive here: camp. Formed in 1974, in the heady years after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City - considered the birth of the homosexual rights movement - and before the onset of AIDS, the Trocks are among the last purveyors of a kind of gay theatre that has almost disappeared in the grimmer, angrier times that have followed. The men onstage last night - and many in the audience, most of whom were of a certain age - are survivors, directly or indirectly, of a scourge that attacked not just our lives, but our sense of humor.
Now in their 25th season, the Trocks are a bubbling, life- giving antidote to the shadow that fell across the gay community for much of the 1980s and '90s, and darkens our vision still.
But fun remains possible. We can still laugh. The Trocks show us how.
Tennessean, 12-30-98
Australian Parents Furious Over Transsexual School Visit
Adelaide, Australia - A teacher in Adelaide has been warned that she could be fired after her transsexual partner spoke to students about her life, the Australian paper The Advertiser reported Dec. 9. Jasmine (formerly Michael) Casey spoke to 8 and 9 year olds at the Pines Primary School, Parafield Gardens, about how it felt to be a woman trapped in a man's body. Casey defended her decision to speak to the class, saying she was not aware she was hurting anyone. While she understood some parents would be annoyed, the children asked "innocent" questions. "They asked if I used to be a man, and why you want to be a woman." One angry parent said the couple had overstepped the mark. He said the first they knew about it was when his 9-year old daughter came home and told them "the man who dresses as a woman" had spoken to their class. "Kids of that age do not need that sort of confusion."
Southern Voice, 12-17-98
University of Kansas Student Senate Moves Toward TG Rights
Lawrence, KA - The University of Kansas Student Senate voted to extend nondiscrimination and harassment policies to protect transgendered people, the Kansas City newspaper Pitchweekly reported. At a Nov. 18 meeting, the Student Senate unanimously passed an amendment to include the phrase "gender identity or expression" in 3 key places of the code of "Student Rights and Responsibilities," which applies to graduate and undergraduate students but not faculty or staff. While the "Student Rights and Responsibilities" is more of a moral guide covering matters like cheating on exams and conduct on campus, violations can result in fines and even expulsion
Southern Voice 12-17-98
Transgender Aging Network
The purpose of Transgender Aging Network is to is to create communication between researchers, service providers, advocates, and others interested in transgender aging issues.
Membership in the informal network is free. If you are interested in joining, fill out the following questionnaire and return it to Loree Cook-Daniels at the address indicated. DO NOT send a reply to the address from which this email was sent.
RETURN QUESTIONNAIRE TO:
Loree Cook-Daniels
49 Canterbury Circle
Vallejo, CA 94591
Voice: 707/648-2113
Fax: 707/648-2455
Email: LoreeCD@aol.com (it's fine to email me your questionnaire responses)
Transgender Aging Network Member Questionnaire
1. What is your involvement with transgendered elders/aging? (Are you serving elders; researching elders; or involved in transgender groups?) If so, please describe fully. (Add more pages and/or attachments if desired.)
2. To what organization(s) related to transgender, aging, health, and related topics do you belong?
Organization Your Role(s)
3. What are you seeking concerning transgender aging topics, resources, assistance, etc.? I.e., what might other network participants provide you or help you with? (Please be as specific as possible.)
4. What publications/resources can you provide to others interested in transgender aging topics?
5. Aside from sharing the results of this questionnaire, what would you like to see this network do?
6. What else should we have asked/would you like to share?
Your contact info: (Please print clearly!)
Name:________________________________________
Title:_________________________________________
Organization:__________________________________
Address:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________
Phone(s): ______
Fax:_________________________________________
Email/URL:___________________________________
Air Force Battles Cross- Dresser
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A male civilian Air Force employee who has been wearing a bra, makeup and earrings on the job is fighting a mandate forcing him to dress like a man.
The American Federation of Government Employees Local 1897 filed a complaint on behalf of the employee after a squadron commander ordered him to change his attire.
The employee, who was not identified in a Northwest Florida Daily News story, said he wants the reprimand removed from his file, an apology from the officers who punished him, permission to continue dressing as he wishes and $580,000.
The employee said that he wears earrings, women's glasses and a bra while he works as an airfield management specialist. He said he has dressed in much the same way since he started working at Eglin's Base Operations Center five years ago. David Plante, president of the AFGE chapter, said Eglin supervisors are trying to establish regulations not allowed by the union contract. Supervisors first brought up the employee's attire in July 1996, according to Air Force records. A civilian supervisor at Eglin occasionally has asked him to appear less feminine. In October 1998, the commander of the 46th Operations Support Squadron gave the employee a written reprimand and ordered him to stop wearing women's clothing at work.
``The Air Force does everything possible to successfully resolve a dispute," Eglin spokesman Lt. Col. Matt Durham said.
Associated Press, Jan. 16, 1998
[Austin, TX: 14 Jan 99] THE BODY OF DONALD FULLER, 18, also known as Lauryn Paige, was found murdered last Friday in a wooded area of southeast Austin. Two men in a white van were seen earlier that morning near the spot where the victim's body was found. A description of the two men led to composite sketches that were shown on television. The Austin American-Statesman reports that one of those men, Frank Santos, called police when he saw his picture. He told them he had last seen his brother-in-law, Gamaliel Mireles Coria, and Fuller drive off together Friday morning. Coria's girlfriend subsequently told police that he had confessed the murder to her. Coria, 28, was arrested Wednesday and remains in jail under $1,000,000 bail.
The victim was dressed as a woman. Said his father of Donald's cross-dressing, "He's been that way all his life. We always knew he was a little different, and we pretty much accepted it, but we didn't allow it around the house. We just knew he wasn't happy unless he dressed up."
As Lauryn, the victim had often been seen walking along South Congress Avenue, an area where police regularly conduct prostitution raids. Before Coria's arrest, Police Commander Gary Olfers had said, "We are dealing with sadistic killers. There was more than one [stab] wound, and they were brutal in the application of those wounds." The autopsy revealed a cut across Lauryn's throat 9 inches long and 3 inches wide.
"The police description of this murder is heartbreakingly familiar," said Riki Anne Wilchins, of GenderPAC. "Sadistic killers, multiple stab wounds, bludgeoned and/or shot repeatedly... it's a familiar litany of brutally violent acts done to gender-different people: Chanelle Pickett, Brandon Teena, Christian Paige, Deborah Forte, Vianna Faye Williams, Jamaica Green, Jessy and Peggy Santiago, Tasha Dunn... and the list goes on."
In Your Face
Frank to TGs: Back
Of The Bus
By Phyllis Frye
Last week a friend forwarded to me the response that she got from Barney Frank concerning transgender inclusion in the next ENDA (Employment Non Discrimination Act) Bill. The ENDA Bill with its non-TG-inclusive language can be reintroduced by Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy at ANY time, yes at ANY time, even very soon if they choose. Time is short and of the essence.
If introduced without TG-inclusive language, it will stay that way, unless amended, until the 2001 Session of Congress. Can you picture in your mind the same Barney Frank, who does not want a TG-inclusive ENDA, working very hard to pass a TG-inclusive amendment? Any such offers to later amend is a trap, is a trap, is a trap!
In effect Barney Frank is continuing, although in a more polite and direct manner, to tell the transgender community to go to the back of the bus in our shared ride towards freedom. Barney Frank's people will go first. Transgender (and don't forget the gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual) folks will go later. When will Barney Frank even bother to come to the legislative rescue of transgender and gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual folks after his ENDA is passed, and his clean-cut type of lesbians, gays and bisexuals are legislatively protected?
The below letter is from the same Barney Frank who last October 1998 (just three months ago) in Boston at the Lavender Law Conference gave a keynote address where he never said transgender -- not even once! He followed five speakers -- I watched as he sat in the meeting room listening to each and every one of them -- each of whom was totally and completely transgender inclusive. Yet during his keynote, Barney Frank did not say transgender even once. Not one time from the podium did he utter the word transgender. (He did manage to remember to say bisexual twice, as afterthoughts, at the end of his remarks.)
I do not live in Massachusetts, but if I did, I would eagerly participate in a legal but loud and reoccurring protest of his home district office. Barney Frank ignores the fact that the modern lesbian, gay, bisexual and -- and, and, and -- transgender movement was begun at the Stonewall Riots in 1969 by transgenders and those gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual folks who will NOT BE COVERED BY BARNEY FRANK'S CURRENT ENDA WORDING! That is correct. The folks who threw-the-first-stones-at-Stonewall are the same transgenders and gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual folks who will be INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED from the next Barney Frank ENDA Bill. They are NOT covered. Barney Frank does not want to change his current wording of ENDA because if that wording becomes TG inclusive, then Barney Frank fears the delay to his type of lesbians, gays and bisexuals getting an ENDA passed. (Oh sure, like the current Republican majority in both houses is going to pass ENDA in BOTH houses during the next two years.) I say that this is best time to get transgender and gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual folks into the wording -- now -- so that when we have a chance at a real vote, in possibly 2001, the TG inclusive wording will be "old hat." Barney Frank's DOJ argument is soothing to read, but so what. Why should the mere possibility of DOJ's' help keep TG folks from being included in ENDA? If TG's remain out of the ENDA wording and the DOJ later loses its TG cases in appellate courts, where does that leave the transgender and gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual folks who were INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED from Barney Frank's ENDA Bill?........ at the back of the freedom bus! And out of luck getting Barney Frank to push for a newer version ENDA to protect transgender and gender variant types of lesbian, gay and bisexual folks. That is correct: out of luck for the "gender trash." I suggest that you follow-up with letters and phone calls to both Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy, also -- don't forget Ted Kennedy. I suggest that you get your local chapters of the National Organization for Women (NOW) and Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), which are both TG inclusive, to write and call their offices as well.
Barney Frank's reply to my friend follows.
Dear ___________,
I appreciate your letter, and I agree absolutely that transgendered people should be protected from discrimination. But I do not think at this point we would have any success whatsoever if we sought to go beyond the current wording of ENDA.
The history of anti-discrimination in this country is that we make progress one step at a time. I have myself in the past been strongly supportive of legislation that banned discrimination based on race, even though it did not do anything to prevent gender or sexual orientation discrimination. And I have similarly supported strong versions of the equal rights amendment to protect people against discrimination based on gender without there being any inclusion for sexual orientation. We have of course at the federal level been unsuccessful even in getting a sexual orientation law passed, but I believe that we are now at a point where that may happen. I believe that we should make it clear under ENDA that to the extent that people who are transgendered are being discriminated against because they are perceived to be homosexual, that should be outlawed. But I am convinced there is no chance at this point that we could broaden that to the different, albeit related, set of issues that are involved in protecting people who are transgendered other than because they are perceived to be homosexual.
I will therefore continue to press for adoption of ENDA as written, and continue also to work with people in the transgendered community about approaches that may be helpful in dealing with some of the problems that they face. In that regard, as you may know, the Department of Justice recently announced that it is using existing Supreme Court caselaw to sue on behalf of gays, lesbians and transgendered people who can show that they experienced discrimination as a result of their gender non-conformity, which DOJ will argue constitutes sex discrimination. I think that the example you provide of the person who is fired because "she looks too much like a guy" is precisely the sort of case that DOJ is contemplating. I believe the DOJ's approach is right as a matter of law, and I am optimistic that it will be successful.
So I think if we are successful in passing a law that protects people against discrimination based on sexual orientation, and we also continue to stress the relevance to the transgendered situation in some circumstances of the anti-sex discrimination laws, we will have covered most -- although concededly not all -- of the discrimination to which you and others are subjected.
Barney Frank
DeKalb County, IL. Yanks TG Protection At Last Minute
By Miranda Stevens-Miller
The DeKalb Human Rights Amendment initially had defined "sexual orientation" according to the Minnesota language, which includes both sexual orientation and gender identity. They replaced this definition with "heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, actual or perceived" just before the bill come up for vote on 12/14/98.
In response to an inquiry by the Illinois Federation for Human Rights into the reasoning behind the last minute change in the definition of sexual orientation to exclude gender identity, Norden Gilbert, Director of the DeKalb Human Relations Commission explained that he had some concerns about the bill passing with the more inclusive language.
Mr. Gilbert said, "After the first reading, the City Attorney's office was concerned that a question would arise about transgendered people. They felt that if they were asked about whether cross-dressers were covered and they had to answer yes, that it might hurt the chances of the ordinance passing at all. I acquiesced reluctantly."
Rick Garcia, Political Director of the Illinois Federation for Human Rights, was present at the first reading of the bill. He reported that although there was a question from the floor about "men coming to work in dresses and make-up," the councilmen were not at all swayed by the argument. Six of the seven were firmly committed to the bill as it was introduced, complete with the gender inclusive definition. Mr. Garcia saw no need to change the language. Mr. Garcia replied, "Words cannot adequately express my disappointment and utter disgust that (the DeKalb Human Relations Commission) would consciously eliminate the gender variant from civil rights protections. It is one thing to overlook a group of people and quite another to consciously eliminate them from civil rights protections."
"The original language protects these gender variant people as well as many within the lesbian and gay community. Excluding these people to protect your own interests is beneath contempt. You should be ashamed." Miranda Stevens-Miller, Chair of It's Time Illinois, added, "Mr. Gilbert's act was a self-serving denial of basic human rights to the gender variant people of his city. Quite frankly, he should resign his position on the DeKalb Human Relations Commission. It is apparent that he does not believe in fairness to all the people living and working in DeKalb."
It's Time, Illinois Press Release
Transgendered appointee has found happiness, new politics
By Doug Grow
I knew Susan Kimberly when she was hurting badly. This was in the early 1990s. Kimberly, who had undergone a sex change in 1984, saw crisis wherever she looked. She had feuded publicly with Jim Scheibel, mayor of St. Paul, MN. at the time. The feud left her cut off from her lifeblood, City Hall. She was rapidly running out of money. Her sexuality made it harder to find work. Things got so desperate that in 1993 she was forced to sell her beloved classic Mustang. She was trying to write a play about her extraordinary life. ("Superman Meets Lois Lane," was the working title. "I've decided I was a lousy playwright," she said.) She was trying to come to grips with her former self, Bob Sylvester, who had been a successful politician and businessman.
Just as she was making a personal comeback, Norm Coleman, whom she considered a friend, threw her for a loop. In 1994, Coleman became St. Paul's mayor and in one of his first public acts refused to sign a proclamation celebrating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender week in St. Paul. For years, St. Paul mayors had been signing the proclamation as a matter of routine. Kimberly, who had been Coleman's neighbor, was deeply hurt. "I thought he was my friend," Kimberly said at the time.
All of this culminated with a small but remarkable event last week. Coleman, who still campaigns against civil rights protections for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and those who have changed their gender, named Kimberly his deputy mayor. "Liberals believe in handouts and proclamations," Coleman was quoted as saying when he appointed Kimberly. "I believe in recognizing people for their talent and competency."
It was a noble answer. But the big question is, what motivated Kimberly to take a job working directly for Coleman? Was this an act of forgiveness, ambition or desperation? Desperation can be ruled out. Times are good for Kimberly. After losing a race for the Ramsey County Board a few years ago, she said she finally learned "I'm just not a great candidate." For the past few years, she's been doing work she loves, first for the St. Paul Coalition for Community Development, and in the last two years in the city's Planning and Economic Development Department. No longer is she constantly fretting about the bills.
As her spirits have risen, she's followed Coleman across the political spectrum, moving from left to right. Sylvester/Kimberly once was a big-government liberal. Like Coleman, she has become a believer that those old, liberal, big-government ideas no longer are effective. "We agree on most things," Kimberly said of her alignment with Coleman. "I respect that he and I have different views on this [sexuality] issue." What a profound issue to disagree on. Sexual identity is as fundamental as it gets. Obviously, few understand that so clearly as Kimberly. When, in 1994, Coleman refused to sign that simple gay pride proclamation, she felt personally rebuked. Given the chance, Coleman would take away basic civil rights protection that people like Susan Kimberly worked hard to get in both city ordinances and the Minnesota Constitution.
Comfortable as she is with the idea that she's now almost a Coleman-like conservative, Kimberly does agree the big government she now abhors did set the stage for people to step out of the closet. Over time, civil rights laws did help reshape attitudes in this country. With some brutal exceptions, acceptance has become the rule. "I think that if my tribe were dealing with the political realities of the 1960s and 1970s, we would be marching to Washington just as African-Americans and Indians did," Kimberly said. "We wouldn't have any choice but to do that. But that era is over. We've moved away from the idea that government solves problems for people. For my people, it is a matter of coming out and being out and conducting ourselves in away that earns us the respect we deserve."
What happens if the mayor tries to erase civil rights language in St. Paul? "If this comes up," Kimberly said, "he and I will have a conversation and we'll decide what we'll do. I'm not the only one who can stand up for the rights of my people."
By becoming deputy mayor, a position she deserves on merit, Kimberly comes close to living a childhood dream. The other day, she recalled again how Bobby Sylvester was 12 years old when he got the political bug. "I was disappointed to learn in 1954 that they were only going to have cake and coffee to celebrate the city's centennial," Kimberly recalled. "I wrote a letter to John Daubney, who was the mayor. He explained why - there wasn't a budget - and invited my mother and I to join he and the City Council in the council chambers. After the coffee and cake, he showed me his office and I was hooked. I told myself that someday I'd be mayor."
She's not getting the mayor's office, but as of Jan. 4, she's moving right next door.
December 20, 1998, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
New York TS Assaulted By NYPD
[New York, New York: 20 Jan 99] THE FAMILY OF BRONX transsexual woman JaLea Lamont, 27, charge that police officers attacked them in their apartment when the officers responded to a 911 call. LGNY News reports that JaLea's mother, Nancy Lamont, called 911 on 24 Nov 98 when she had trouble reviving JaLea after JaLea had taken some a
allergy medication. JaLea woke up before paramedics arrived and left the apartment because she didn't want to go to the hospital. The paramedics departed without treating JaLea.
Two police officers then arrived and began a search for a potential suicide. When told that JaLea, who had returned, was a transexual, the officers allegedly ridiculed her as a "he-she" and a "transtesticle", pinned her to the floor, and handcuffed her. In attempting to pull the officers off JaLea, Nancy Lamont and her son, John Baez, were sprayed with pepper gas and arrested. JaLea was taken, handcuffed, by ambulance to a local hospital and kept overnight in a psychiatric unit. Representing the family, attorney Mike Spiegel has asked Bronx DA Robert Johnson to drop all charges against those arrested and investigate the alleged misconduct by the police officers.
In Your Face
By Lola Cola
It grieves me so very much to report that Robert vacated his earthly premises Sunday, January 17th, at 1:15 am. He is finally free of the considerable suffering he endured with such courage and dignity. I feel so fortunate to have been with him when he left, standing in for the many who love him, and sending him off with our collective love and admiration.
This past week had been especially difficult for him, painwise, so the doctor re-installed a morphine pump and medicated him very heavily on Thursday, and he remained unconscious until the end. The last words he spoke to me on Wednesday were "I love you". It just so happened that this weekend, the Southern Comfort planning committee met to begin work on the '99 conference. Friday afternoon, the hospice informed me that they expected him to pass in a few days, and I went into a shocked tailspin. Having watched Robert battle back so many times in these past months, I had begun to expect that he would outlive us all. At any rate, it was especially fortunate that a good group of Robert's friends were gathered. Many prayers were aimed in his direction, and I was blessed with an abundance of loving support for which I am very thankful. Several people visited him and I am particularly grateful to Erin Swenson ,who visited with him both personally and in a pastoral capacity.
I had returned to the hotel Saturday nite and turned in for the evening, when the hospice called to tell me they didn't think he'd make it through the night, so I dashed back there, looking a complete fright. I sat with him and spoke to him of all the people who love him, his family and friends; that we all wish him peace, and assuring him that it was ok to let go. Moments before he left, i was overwhelmed by this incredibly strong sense of him, and just then his breathing changed, so I gathered him in my arms and told him how very much I love him, and he departed. The sky had been completely cloud covered, but when I stepped outside into the cold night, it had cleared directly overhead and was full of stars.
More than anything else, Robert lived for other people; family and friends were everything to him. He is survived by his parents, Joe and Pauline, his two sons, Doug and Bo, his brothers, Frank and Oogie, and the apple of his eye, his grandson, Keegan. Also, he had taken in numerous foster kids earlier in life. Robert had an enormous heart, there was room for everyone, everyonehe met was important; i don't know that he had many "casual acquaintances"..with Robert, friendships of the deepest sort developed very quickly.
Robert didn't want a memorial service, but he said it would be ok to throw a party. I'll begin thinking about that once I regain my balance, and I'll let y'all know. There was quite a party going on when he left; the grrls of Southern Comfort performed something of a "dance of the transnymphs". I'm not quite sure whether he'd be delighted or horrified! :
I am so very grateful to all the people who have been so kind and supportive to Robert and I; there is no way I can adequately thank you, but I do want to assure you that Robert greatly appreciated every visit, every letter, every card, every phone call, every cookie, every plant, every flower, every email, and every prayer or kind thought. He spoke continually of his love and appreciation for all the people in his life. I know that he will be greatly missed and fondly remembered. The recipient list on this email is far from complete. If you know any of robert's friends not included here, please pass the message on.
Please forgive me, but I feel compelled to mention something unpleasant I consider important. I am left with this enormous hole in my heart that may never completely heal, and it's possible that it all might have been completely unnecessary. Robert had been diagnosed with cancer roughly 3 years ago, months later than he should have been, due to the unwillingness of the "caring professional" medical people to deal with a transman. He was turned away by over 20 doctors and clinics because they weren't comfortable treating someone of his ilk. When he finally found someone that would treat him, he underwent radiation and chemo treatments, but it was all too late to be effective. I can't help but think that if he had found help immediately upon seeking it, things might have been very different. I feel like this beautiful person i love so much was casually sentenced to death for being different. This is so outrageous, so completely unacceptable, i feel we absolutely MUST press for change. Such a thing should never happen to anyone. At the moment, I'm clueless as to how to proceed, but I don't intend to remain so for long.
It seems that this sort of discrimination is way more common for ftm people than mtf. Adequate medical care is very difficult for transguys and many go for years, even decades without seeing a doctor. This absolutely must not be allowed to continue, and I believe we can manage to raise whatever kind of stink is required to put a stop to it. Please do what you can.
Look Beyond Hemlines
Y'all brings good country music in an unusual package
By Tom Roland
"We're just the old school of men wearing a dress." Jay Byrd's proclamation is hardly what you expect from a country duo. Sure, cross-dressing works for RuPaul and Boy George. But country music , the home of the Stetson hat and cowboy boot is hardly the place you'd expect to find a crossdresser.
But y'all just haven't encountered Y'all, consisting of Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer and Byrd, who's developed this thing for wearing dresses on stage.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. And not that he does it all the time.
In fact, when they sit down at the Vandyland diner of West End Avenue, Byrd is wearing a red pullover shirt. He seems anything but threatening. And none of the patrons has a clue that the man in the back corner owns stage clothing that makes him look like the woman in Grant Wood's "American Gothic" painting.
"A man in a dress is funny," Byrd insists. Despite the assumptions that accompany a drag queen in the 1990s, he says there's no intent to change society or to prove a point. He doesn't want to mislead people, he just wants a laugh now and again. "I don't put on the makeup and wig and everything," he explains. "I'm obviously a man in a dress. There's no mistaking that."
Y'all moved to Nashville from New York Oct 2, believing that Music City is a little closer to their musical roots. The duo offers a soft-spoken brand of folkie country with an old-timey flair. Sometimes, as in their remake of the Johnny Cash/June Carter classic Jackson, their intent is serious. Sometimes, as in their song Christmastime in the Trailerpark, it's not.
But even comedically, they feel more of an affinity to Nashville. They see their material as something in the tradition of Minnie Pearl and the Grand Ole Opry, a vaudevillian brand of entertainment and storytelling that mixes comedy, storytelling, and music. "In New York, people thought we were closer, I guess, to RuPaul than Minnie Pearl," Cheslik-DeMeyer notes. "They don't have a lot of connection on the East Coast to her stuff. A lot of them don't even know who Minnie Pearl was."
Y'all met in New York, and while neither had ever performed before, they started writing songs and doing them for friends. Eventually, they put their act on stage. "The first time we did it, really, truly, I just put on a dress because i was afraid to perform as myself," Byrd recalls, of the first time he donned his stage gear. "I figured if i put a character to it, then they would be judging the character and not me personally."
There is a tradition - small, granted, but a tradition nevertheless - of cross-dressing country singers. Ira Louvin, for example, occasionally wore dresses to portray a comedic character when the Louvin Brothers performed on the Opry in the 1950s. And when Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley released a Culture Club send-up called "Where's The Dress?" in 1984, they appeared on an awards show in drag, their beards intact.
The duo's 5-year plan includes a 70's - style variety show on networkTV. They describe it as "a cross between Hee Haw and Sonny and Cher. Meanwhile, they've already written their autobiography, which they plan to self-publish in 1999. They expect to become a regular part of Billy Block's Western Beat Revival in January, and they absolutely believe they'll end up on the Opry stage. "When you say, 'there's 2 of us and one wears a dress,' people are, like, OK," Byrd admits. "I mean, if somebody said that to me, I wouldn't be really interested i going to see it, either. It's not about that. It's not about the dress. The dress just kind of got people's attention when they walk past the store when we're playing. When they walk in, hopefully the music holds them. Generally, it usually does."
Tennessean, 12-18-98
TG Sea Anemone Denounced By Baptist Clergy
HUNTSVILLE, AL--A coalition of Baptist clergymen spoke out Monday against the Telia felina, a transgendered sea anemone which Baptist leaders are decrying as "base and depraved."
"This filthy anemone, which exhibits both male and female characteristics, is turning our oceans' intertidal zones into dens of sin and perversion," said Rev. William Chester, spokesman for the Save Our Seas Coalition, a Huntsville-based activist group dedicated to "the preservation of aquatic decency and morality." "For God knows how long, this twisted sea creature has been running rampant in our oceans, spreading its unnatural, bisexual lifestyle.And it's high time somebody took a stand."
The controversial anemone, common to warm-water reefs and basins worldwide, has been practicing its alternative sexual lifestyle at least as far back as 1859, when Charles Darwin first catalogued its phylum and species. Since then, over 40 subspecies of Telia felina have been identified as dually gendered.
The Baptist group also strongly denounced the anemone's reproductive habits and family structure."Unlike so many respectable, God-fearing creatures, the Telia felina reproduces asexually, openly mocking traditional family values by giving birth to and raising its young in a single-parent setting," Chester said. "This anti-Christian anemone which has the audacity to think that a child can grow up properly without the benefit of two loving parents, is truly the Murphy Brown of the deep." Added Chester: "If you still doubt the pain and suffering wrought by this undersea abomination, just look into the eyes of a young anemone child forced to grow up wondering why Mommy and Daddy live in the same body. This, my friends, is not natural."
As part of its campaign against the invertebrate, Save Our Seas is calling upon Greenpeace and other environmental groups to cease their defense of endangered species and regions that fail to uphold high moral standards. The group is also threatening a boycott of aquariums that display the Telia felina or any other creature of questionable character.
"Is this the kind of marine invertebrate we want our children to see on their school field trips to the aquarium?" Chester asked. "By putting this sort of filth on display in our nation's aquariums--aquariums that are often federally funded with your tax dollars--we send our children the message that the transsexual lifestyle is not merely to be accepted, but encouraged.
"It is truly sad to see what could have been an upstanding Christian creature cross over to a life of depravity and abasement," Pastor Kenneth Boyle, director of the Loaves And Fishes Academy Of Christian Marine Biology, said of the Telia felina. "Just look at its flamboyant bright green and gold coloration. And its hundreds of effeminate tentacles, which sway back and forth temptingly in an effort to lure the spiritually weak. The Bible says that on the fifth day, God filled the oceans with living creatures, but surely this is not what He intended."
The Onion, January
20, 1999
(The Onion publishes
articles of a satirical nature. The article's a joke, folks!)