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

"Nothing changes more constantly than the past; for the past that influences our lives does not consist of what happened, but of what men believe happened." -- Gerald W. Johnston

Every community has its share of rehistorians; those who want to rewrite history after the fact and our community is not spared. Faithful readers saw the announcement last August for the Second National Transgender Lobby Days sponsored by GPAC. But, floating around the community recently is an announcement by Phyllis Frye (ICTLEP) of a "third" national transgender lobby day. The only problem is this "third" event takes place before the official GPAC event. Ms. Frye has decided that a visit to Washington, D.C., in March 1995 made by herself and two other transgendered people with two spouses constituted a "first" national transgender lobby day. Consequently, the event that took place last October must have been the "second," and an upcoming visit to D.C. by Ms. Frye, therefore, is the "third" and, finally, the GPAC sponsored event, since it is last temporally, must be the "fourth" transgender lobby day. Now, I'm all for giving credit where credit is due, but that visit in March 1995 was no more a national event than is a regular meeting of a local Renaissance chapter. The Renaissance News & Views ran an extensive two-part article by Ms. Frye about ICTLEP's 1995 activities in the January and February 1995 issues. There was no mention of a "national" transgender lobby day. I am reminded of a puzzle. Question: If you consider the tail as a leg, how many legs does a dog have? Answer: Four -- because no matter what you say, a tail is not a leg. So, let's be clear. The Second National Transgender Lobby Days sponsored by GPAC will be held May 5-6, 1997. Any other event can call itself anything it likes, but I know a tail from a leg.

Most people think the staff announcement last month from the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE) was the big news I mentioned in September. That was only the beginning. There are more changes to come in 1997. In particular looming large on the horizon is a possible move. The lease on the IFGE building, the Great White Elephant, is up next summer and the IFGE BoD has to decide very soon if it wants to move into new digs or stay put and it's getting later every day. Either way, it's going to cost them more money than they can rightfully afford. The old lease has been the single largest drain on IFGE's revenue over the last four years.

We've got two major meetings this month, within a week of each other. First, there is the GPAC Mobilization meeting in King of Prussia, Pa., on the 2nd and 3rd of this month. Looks like every major organization is sending a rep. Let's hope they actually get some work done. Following the GPAC meeting on the 7th through the 10th is the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Creating Change Conference in Washington, D.C. What's cool about Creating Change is that the NGLTF has woven the transgendered community seamlessly into its programs.

While NGLTF has embraced the transgender community, other gay and lesbian organizations are trying to co-opt transgendered people. I find this an interesting, new way of being exploited. I get lots of email messages over the net and some of them are from gay/lesbian online services that are trying to create web-based communities. Several of these services are targeting transgendered people. So, I go and visit their sites and guess what? There's is little of interest to a transgendered person. I mean they don't even have an event calendar. So, why should I bother if they don't take the time to dig up information and resources that would be of interest to me and my sisters? Besides, there's no reason to look anywhere else for tg resource information on the www than at TG Forum Resource Center and it's free, too.

Some of you called to let me know you'd seen me on Cinemax. Well, you can imagine how surprised I was. Over two years ago, many Renaissance members cooperated with a pair of film makers from New York, Ellen Sherman and Peter Schwartz, to help make a documentary on crossdressers. That film, All Dressed Up And No Place To Go was released on Cinemax, October 17, and will go on to compete in several international film festivals. I don't know if it will be commercially available, but if there's any way to get a copy I'll let you know.

Mark Dec. 7th. Yes, it's Pearl Harbor Day, but what it's also the day that Dr. Stanley Biber will be giving a seminar on MtF and FtM surgery over in Neptune, New Jersey. Dr. Biber's visit is sponsored by MOTG. Tickets are $15 and include beverages and munchies. A video is being made of the seminar in case you can't make it. For more info contact Vikki at vikkimmotg@aol.com or call MOTG at 908-219-9094.

Just when you think all the hype about RuPaul is over, it ain't. The SuperQueen has a talk show that premiered on cable's VH-1 on October 12. Guests appearing so far are have been Dennis Rodman, Isaac Mizrahi and Whoppi Goldberg. The New York Times gave Ru a good review on Oct. 20th, but I thought the show with Mizrahi was just so much fluff. Maybe the show will get better with age. We'll just have to see.

I need some help in locating a resource so I'm appealing to my reading audience. I need to find people who can do sign language interpretation for the Second International Congress on Sex & Gender Issues in June of 1997. Ideally, I'm looking for volunteers. If you can sign or you know someone who signs, please contact me, immediately at congrs2@cdspub.com.

Okay, onto the good stuff... Chanel has taken Vamp to the max. They have introduced an entire eponymous (look it up, it's good for your brain) line of makeup based on the blood-red lipstick. You can have it all, lipstick, blush, polish, even mascara. What, no foundation? It would've been great for Hallowe'en. Price range from $15 to $45.

For those of you who like the Hard Candy nail polishes, you can now have lipsticks to match the nail colors. About $16 each for Scam, Sky, Pussy Cat, Nymph, Gold Digger, and (my fave) Trailer Trash.

Prescriptives made news with its colorprinting technique to match foundation to skin tone. Now they claim to have a foundation unlike any other on the market. Virtual Skin is said to fuse with real skin to give the most natural looking makeup coverage. About $28. When they introduce Virtual Hair, someone please let me know ASAP!

Sometime ago I mentioned the Curves breast enhancers as a possible alternative to more expensive breastforms. So, now I found an ad for Silicone Cup-Enhancers that will add up to one and a half cup sizes to your figure for just less than $50. I ordered a pair, so I'll give you a report next month. But if you can't wait, you can order your own set from 800-345-6602. Ask for item CE in medium or large.

Pamela Anderson Lee inherits the title of best female impersonator in Hollywood from Marilyn Monroe, altho Ms. Lee doesn't have the talent of Ms. Monroe. What she does have a lot of is readily apparent in the movie Barb Wire now playing on Pay Per View and soon to hit the video stores. The movie is every teenaged boy's wet dream. I also caught part of a movie called Synapse with the plot line of a young man's brain (or memory) is transplanted into a female body. If anyone knows what the scoop is on this film, please let me know.

What do you do with the last little bit of lipstick that remains in the tube? Makeup artists usually scoop it into a small compartment or tray where they can mix it with other colors. Now you can do the same with a paintbox from Japonesque. The boxes come is 6 ($12) or 12 ($16) compartment styles and include a brush and spatula. Call 800-955-6662, or write them at PO Box 644, Sausalito, CA 94966. Or, go to your local General Nutrition Center and pick up a vitamin box for $1.99.

It was bound to happen. When Drag Queens become media Divas and image is everything, Lawn Makeup is not all that surprising. Sold by Global Star Products of Oklahoma City, Okla., the spray makeup comes in several shades of green. And there is no truth to the rumor that the company's CEO is none other than Rachel Rudnick of COTA fame.

My fave mag, Allure, can always be counted on to give me a chuckle and they did in last month's issue with an article called In The Line of Beauty, which focused on testing common, everyday beauty items. For a test on false eyelashes, the editors dug up three New York Drag Queens, Sherry Vine, Misstress Formika, and Candis Cayne, for the road test. Well, who else would know better about false lashes? Kryolan B-1s are best, BTW. But what really sent me giggling was the road test on lipstick by nine gossip columnists, including Michael Musto of the Village Voice. Revlon ColorStay won top honor. A trick I learned from makeup maven Jim Bridges - using baby wipes to remove makeup - was also mentioned.

Maybe they've found the cure for raccoon eyes. Revlon has announced ColorStay Lashcolor mascara. They say it won't migrate from your lashes to your skin no matter how oily your skin is. All of the Revlon ColorStay products deliver performance as advertised, so it probably works.

So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. I know it's not original, but it's true. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.


© 1996 by JoAnn Roberts


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