Chatsubo

The Chatsubo, or simply The Chat, is the bar made famous by William Gibson in his 1984 cyber-punk masterpiece NEUROMANCER. The Chat is where the cyberjocks, razorgirls and joeboys came to gather information and kick back. Please feel free to do the same here.

by JoAnn Roberts - CyberQueen

"If you can't go over, you must go under."-- Jewish Proverb

I see a situation shaping up as our community attempts to find its political center. One the one side is a coalition of national organizations working together and on the other is a loose-knit collection of activists that work on their own, each side vying for the hearts, minds and purses of the community. In most endeavors, I believe competition is healthy. It keeps one from becoming complacent. In this case, however, I believe competition (perceived or real) between these two camps will cause damage in the community. Egos and super-egos are involved. This person won't work with that person. That's so childish and self-centered. Our political efforts need to be developed and coordinated through our organizations which are our greatest strength right now. Forget about the individuals involved. If the representative of organization X should die tomorrow, will that stop X from participating in the political representation process? No, I don't think so. Ben Franklin said it well, " We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately." Our ability to participate in the political process as a peer group depends on our ability to put aside egos and develop a clear vision of community. Those who need their egos boosted at the expense of community will find themselves alone. Movement in the right direction (IMHO) seems to be coming from GenderPAC. There is discussion afoot to make this informal committee into a legitimate educational organization. More on this at a later date. Meanwhile, please keep sending your tax-deductible contributions to GenderPAC, c/o PO Box 229, Waltham, MA 02154.

You heard it here first! Look for a major shakeup at the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) shortly after the Labor Day weekend. It's a long awaited and much needed change.

I felt so sorry for former IFGE Executive Director and founder, Merissa Sherrill Lynn. She wrote an OpEd piece for Transgender Tapestry #75 titled Whats Wrong With this Picture. Lynn clearly demonstrated in the piece why she is no longer one of this community's leaders. According to Lynn, "I come from a place of love and respect ...the March was the antithesis of what I was about." "The March" as Lynn calls it was the First National Gender Lobby Day last October. Lynn says that those of us who were in Washington to lobby Congress had no idea what we were doing there or who we represented. Well, I certainly can't speak for others, but I was there representing myself as a transgendered person making my voice heard. But, more importantly 100 t-people showing up in one place to represent themselves and speak out brought us together for a common purpose, and, for at least two days, we had a common identity. That had never happened in this community before and that alone was worth the trip.

You don't have to wait for GenderPAC or any other organization in order to make your voice heard. Write a letter to your Representatives and Senators. According to Washington insiders who know, one well-written letter is assumed to represent the views of about 500 people because only about 1 in 500 take the time to write. So, if a given issue generates a lot of mail, it will be considered important. Here are some guidelines for writing... Tell your policymaker you are a registered voter in their district... Keep your letter brief and to one page if possible... Address only one issue... Handwrite your letter unless you have an unreadable scrawl. Otherwise, type it and handwrite a PS under your signature... Write from your heart. The best letters describe how an issue affects you personally... Need to know what the issues are? Here are a few places on the Web to find out: 20/20 Vision; The National Political Index; and GenderPAC Reports.

The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) may seem like an issue that has little to do with transgendered people, but think again. If DOMA is signed by President Clinton as written, it could cause countless problems for lots of people who are legally married. First, there are the post-op transsexuals, both FtM and MtF who are now legally married. DOMA would effectively undo their unions. Second, there are millions of apparently heterosexual married people who are intersexed, i.e., neither 100 percent male nor 100 percent female. According to William O. Beeman, an associate professor of anthropology at Brown University, DOMA does them in as well. Sure, the GLB community is against DOMA, but maybe we ought to be too. Some transgender activists, GPAC included, are trying to get some amendments tacked onto DOMA that will protect these present marriages. There are also a few firebrands who can't wait for Clinton to sign the bill so they can start a lawsuit.

Transgender continues to be popular with the Hollywood crowd. Dennis Rodman, the crossdressing roundball superstar cum drag queen, will make a guest appearance on 3rd Rock from the Sun, Sept. 23rd. 3rd Rock features a transgendered character of sorts. Kristen Johnston plays a male alien who must inhabit a female human body. On top of all that, 3rd Rock is one of the funniest shows on the tube.

Kurt Russell has been known to do it up in drag for a film (Tango and Cash), but in his latest outing, Escape From L.A., Russell teams up with 6 foot tall actress Pam Grier who plays a post-op transsexual. With a little Hollywood technical magic, the sound studio drops Grier's voice an octave or two making her sound both masculine and feminine.

The fashion industry is "all in a heap," as one of my friends is wont to say. According to several articles appearing in the New York Times, several fashion standards have taken big hits on fashion trends that were big misses. Anne Klein, Donna Karan, and Escada are just a few of the recognizable names that are in the dumps. The reason? Women don't want fussy clothes anymore. The look and fit is casual. Khakis are the uniform of the moment and they're much less costly than so-called high fashion looks even with a Liz Claiborne tag. The result? Stock prices reflect what's going on. Donna Karan stock opened at 28+, slid down to the low 20s and still hasn't recovered. Meanwhile GAP stock soared from $16 to over $32 in the last year and ahalf. Believe it or not, one of the best places to find affordable, good looking clothes these days is Sears. While you're there, check out their new cosmetics department.

As a result, fashion for Fall '96 seems to be much more sensible than ever. Here are the hot trends... The color of the season is deep purple... The fabric of choice is anything that's knitted. It travels well and resists wrinkles... The purse for fashion mavens is big. Little bags are out... The overall look is one long and lean line of monochromatic color.

At least they didn't use "cyber" in the name... Revlon is introducing a new cosmetic collection for Fall called Virtual Violet. The look they say is Sheer to Shocking. Many fashion magazines are carrying a Revlon Report insert that shows the colors and how to apply them. The new color I like best is Violet X-treme. It comes in lipstick, nail polish and eyeshadow. Not wanting to be left behind, Maybelline is offering its own brand of deep violet cosmetics called Rogue Vogue. Also look for Maybelline's Gold Lights Natural Accents. It will add shimmery highlights to your face or even your hair.

The word is silicone and it's appearing everywhere. Silicone based cosmetics are the hottest and greatest advance since sliced bread. Following the lead of Max Factor Lasting Performance and Revlon Colorstay, Almay introduces Amazing Lasting Makeup.

Among the new colors for Fall, you'll find some scary ideas like Baby Blue and Gold lipstick. Fear not. These are not opaque colors; they're sheer stains that give your lips a nice but different look. If you're too conservative to risk a trendy mouth, take a look at some of the more bold colors of nail polish being offered. Among them are Estee Lauder Naughty, Cutex Gilded Burgundy, She Umura 069 (which is almost glossy black) and Hard Candy Haze.

For those of us who are large, fear not. You too can be fashionable. Stop by a Lane Bryant shop and you'll find affordable and fashionable clothing in sizes from 14 to 28. One example, a leather skirt, is just $69. Which reminds me, Fall is always the time for suede and leather clothing and accessories.

Keep an eye out for Cindy Crawford's latest effort Cindy Crawford's Basic Face, a makeup workbook that covers everything from skincare to application tips. Its published by Broadway Books and costs about $25.

Every so often, especially for the part-time women out there, I have to remind you to dump your cosmetics. Nothing lasts forever (well almost nothing). So: lipstick toss after 2 to 3 years... mascara toss after 3 months... pencils toss after a year... powders the exception to the rule... cream or liquids 1 year.

Fall fashion for less than $100: Purple lace top by XOXO $28... Black satin shoes by Ann Marino $62... Purple velvet pants by Joes $68... Khaki pleather skirt by Trina Turk $88... Shimmery colored tights by CK Calvin Klein $13... Jean jacket in waxed leather by Gap $68... Striped sweater by Gap $38... Schoolgirl plaid pleated skirt by Betsey Johnson $85... High-heel loafers $65... Army-green wool skirt by Banana Republic $78... Purple velvet pants by Rampage $58.

Did you get the idea? Purple is the color for Fall. But, if purple seems too extreme for you, try deep blue in a fabric with some shine, like satin or velvet or cashmere, or a matte surface like wool crepe (my fave). Try it, even if you only add a hint like tights or gloves.

Best tricks and tips from the pros: Kevin Aucoin... curl lashes... apply cream blush with fingers not only to cheeks, but to bridge of nose and temples. Dick Page... make your own creamy eyeshadow by mixing powder shadow with a little Vaseline... finger-apply lipstick instead of blusher to cheeks. Mary Greenwell... apply eyeshadow powders with a quarter-inch rounded brush. Francois Nars... always use loose powder... iridescent dark green eyeshadow is great for evening, especially blended with gold powder... instead of a pencil, brush on dark green shadow to line eyes. And the latest trick is for Caucasian women to use dark blush intended for African and Latina women.

I never quite understood it; some guys love to wear lingerie under their masculine clothes. I remember talking to one guy who went to work like this everyday. Of course, part of the thrill, I suppose, is the risk in getting caught. I mean it's hard to hide a bra strap under some circumstances. At least it was until now. Bestform has introduced the Invisibra. Its meant to be worn under clingy knits and tees with no seams showing through.

So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? I think we can work toward unity, not uniformity. Comments? Email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.

© 1996 by Creative Design Services.

Up On My Soapbox

This is the first editorial I wrote for LadyLike Magazine. Here, I displayed my ignorance about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. I later wrote about the great DSM Debate. However, that point aside, this is still a good piece. This appeared in LadyLike #4, around June 1989, long before anyone else started writing about Gender Rights. (My current comments are noted in parens after each bullet.)

Future View

One thing that I do a lot of lately is dream about the way it could be for us in the gender community. There are so many possible ways to get the eyes of the world opened so we can go live our lives as we choose, not by anybody elses rules. So here is my little wish list. Its my Future View of where we could be and should be going.

Go to:

Chatsubo Event Horizon TG Resources Fun Places to Visit


© 1996 by cdspub.com