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

"Rise, Brothers!... Never say: 'Let well enough alone'... Be discontented. Be dissatisfied." -- John Hope

It's a short column this month due to my involvement in the Second International Congress on Sex & Gender Issues. See my article next week on how it went.

Every so often I need to remind people why I write this column. I don't write to be nasty. I write to praise those who are doing good deeds and to point out what I think needs fixin' in our community. Some people think my "pointing" is anti-community. I think it's just being honest and calling a spade a spade. Some people don't like my style; I'm too abrupt, they say. Well, if you want sweet and creamy, have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; it ain't me. I also don't believe in "If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all." That thinking permits a host of evils to exist. Some people say I'm a perfectionist. I see nothing wrong with striving toward perfection, but I also know when good enough is good enough.

There was little headway made last month in the long political struggle for transgender rights and in some cases we stepped backwards. In Washington state a measure was introduced that would undo a court decision protecting transgendered people under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In some states, transgendered people are protected by the ADA because of the diagnosis Gender Identity Disorder. Meanwhile, in the wake of a child custody case involving a MtF transsexual parent, a bill was proposed in Missouri that would use a parent's transgender status against them in similar custody cases. Wake up folks and smell the coffee! Get the message. Transgender rights affect all of us. Take that last bit about a parent's status. Suppose you were a "mere" crossdresser involved in a custody dispute with an ex-wife. Your crossdressing could be used against you to keep you from seeing your children. So, if you think you're immune to rights violations because you're not a transgenderist or a transsexual, think again.

The news from upstate New York is mixed. The gay and lesbian community of Syracuse and surrounding Onandaga county has taken a solid stand on the inclusion of bisexual and transgender people in their PRIDE week activities. In past years the gay and lesbian PRIDE Committee sought and received a proclamation from Syracuse's Democratic city councilors. This year, the councilors refused to sign the proclamation which included bisexual and transgender inclusive language. The reason given was fear that Republicans would use the proclamation next year during elections and Democrats would lose seats and their majority. If that happened, the Republicans might repeal the Fair Practices law which protects the employment of gays and lesbians. To their credit, rather than knuckle under to the pressure and delete the bisexual and transgender language, the PRIDE Committee withdrew the request for the proclamation. I guess the Dems forgot that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders vote, too.

It's enough to piss off the Pope and ya know that takes some doin'. The people at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) have taken credit for a civil rights victory seemingly won by a transgender activist. The Governor of Colorado vetoed a bill that would have not only banned same sex marriages but would also have invalidated present marriages where one partner is a transsexual. It is believed the governor's veto was based largely on the testimony of tg activist Dianne Cicotello given to the state Senate Judiciary Committee and the subsequent debate in that committee. "Governor Romer once again has chosen principle over politics," said Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch. "The governor has taken a stand for fairness by rejecting this latest attempt to deny gay and lesbian Coloradans equal rights under the law." Cicotello and other tg activists are furious with Birch and the HRC for trying to co-opt a clearly transgender victory. Cicotello sent email immediately to HRC and Birch saying, "The GLB community only became a community because courageous transgendered people stood up and fought for all people's rights at Stonewall. Today, the GLB community has dodged a bullet in Colorado, re: marriage, because one courageous transgendered person stood up and fought for civil rights and fairness in the Colorado legislature." The more I see and hear what HRC says and does in regard to our community, the more I am convinced they're not working with us at all.

Meanwhile, another boat leaves the dock without us. The 1997 version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) was introduced to Congress this month. Here's what Kerry Lobel of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force had to say about it: "NGLTF joins our civil rights allies in supporting ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1997. The message of ENDA is clear and straightforward. Discrimination is wrong. We look forward to the day when gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people no longer have to fear the loss of their jobs on the basis of their sexual orientation. When that day comes, our society will have taken another step forward in assuring justice and equality for all of its citizens." The only problem is the 1997 ENDA bill does not cover transgendered people. And why would that be? Because GenderPAC, at the urging of HRC, backed off pushing a transgender-inclusive version of ENDA.

Whenever a transgender person is attacked or killed there is a host of tg activists ready to swoop down and hold vigils, or leaflet the public to raise awareness of how terribly dangerous it is to be a transgendered person. But the activists were notable by their absence at the penalty-phase trial of confessed murderer Leslie Nelson, who also happens to be a transsexual. Well, according to court testimony, Nelson is probably not a transsexual at all, even though she's had reassignment surgery. The defense tried to convince the jury that Nelson's surgery didn't solve her psychological problems, it only compounded them. They didn't buy it. Maybe if some of the activists who are so quick to defend tg sex workers had offered to take the stand and tell the jury what it's like to be transgendered and hassled every day of your life the jury might have given Nelson life instead of death. I also noted that the Advocate did an article on the Nelson verdict for their June 24 issue and used the most unflattering photo of Nelson they could find. It seems like we can't get a break these days.

Or does it? On May 30th, 1997, in Chicago, FtM Loren Cameron accepted two Lambda Literary Awards in the categories of "Small Press" and "Transgender." The Lammies, as they're called, are sponsored by the Lambda Rising bookstore in Washington, D.C. This was the first year that an award was offered in the Transgender Category. An audience of about 300 attended the 9th annual awards ceremony. Cameron's book, Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits was also nominated in the Photography/Visual Arts category. He was also nominated for a "Firecracker Award" celebrating books by alternative presses. In his acceptance speech for the Transgender category award, Loren remarked on the significance of this occasion: "The boys are going to be very proud. Everything that happens for Body Alchemy happens for them." Body Alchemy is available at the CDS Bookstand.

Just about everybody has heard of the problems with America OnLine (AOL) going to a flat rate access fee last December. The world's largest online service has been roundly criticized for flooding the mail with CD-ROMs and floppy disks promising free access for a temporary period. The AOL disks are so ubiquitous, most people call them and use them as coasters. I received a very interesting AOL CD-ROM that hyped access to PlanetOut an online service aimed at "lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. " Trans people? So, I went to PlanetOut on the web to see what I could see. Not much. First, just finding the trans info was a task. Then, when I did, it was very thin and not well focused for the tg community. For example, there was a Transitions chat board called "Transland," (ugly name) ostensibly for tg people making life changes. I found all kinds of messages ranging from career transitions to housing transitions, but not one message that had to do with gender transitions. Duh! Is it asking too much of people to read the purpose of the board before posting. I looked for a calendar of events. This is always a good item to look for in most services since it is really easy to find this info in print. Nada. Zip. No tg events calendar. In fact, no event calendar at all. Okay, how about a list of resources? You have to go to the NetQueery search facility. The term "transgender" returned about 20 web sites, some long gone. A similar search at Yahoo yields several pages of links. The term "crossdress" returned exactly one link overseas. Maybe I'd find something in the PNO Mall. Arriving there I saw a link to Ladyslipper CD Resource. I thought maybe I'd found a new vendor. I laughed out loud good and hard when the site filled the frame with the info that Ladyslipper is the largest resource for women's recordings. Ah, CD as in Compact Disc, not Cross Dresser. The PNO bookshop was no help either. So, it was a nice gesture by PlanetOut to include trans people in their advertising but an empty one. There's nothing there of interest and I doubt I would go back.

And now, the fashion news... No more false eyelashes. That's what the makers of Fast Lash would have you believe and according to test reports in the fashion mags, it works. How, you ask. Well, you apply mascara as usual, then apply Fast Lash (which is actually chopped up polyester fibers) to the tips of your lashes while still wet. Then apply a second coat of mascara. The fibers absorb the second coat and swell up making your own lashes look longer and more full. Enough, says the manufacturer, that you will not need false lashes. If it's true, I say Kewl! I hate lash glue. If you want to try some, call 800-466-7446 to order a tube at $14 plus $2 s&h. My tube has already arrived and I'll report after I've had a chance to try it.

So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? I think if you never expect perfection, from peers as well as subordinates, no one will ever try to be better than they are now. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.


© 1997 by JoAnn Roberts