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

"Never attribute to malevolence what is merely due to incompetence." -- Arthur C. Clarke, 3001

The news from the Cal Unity conference is just beginning to circulate in the community. (See Richelle G's article last issue.) What was billed as the grandest transgender convention of the decade fizzled instead of popped. Cal Unity? It was anything but. Many people wondered out loud where the unity was with two separate SO groups, a separate FtM group and the rest of the attendees fending for themselves. The groups didn't even have lunch together. But worse was the ever-increasing tension between the International Foundation for Gender Education (IFGE), Powder Puffs of California (PPOC) and the other local SoCal organizers. One Cal Unity staff member vented her resentment at IFGE calling the board members "self-important" and more concerned with deciding who gets the next "Lifetime Contribution to IFGE Award." Another staffer quipped, "At the present, the dirtiest four-letter word on the west coast is IFGE." The SoCal organizations feel they were slighted by the IFGE board and not given any recognition for their efforts. One vendor said he was told there would be between 400 and 500 people at this event and attendance didn't even come close to those numbers. There were many good things that happened at this convention (like the Hirschfeld Exhibit), but overall, it was the most badly managed event I've ever attended and I've been to them all. Both PPOC and IFGE need to take a long hard look at what didn't work and why.

There was something that impressed me at the convention however, and my longtime readers will be surprised when they hear what that was. Both Linda and Cynthia Phillips were on hand and working the registration desk during the entire convention, as apparently they do for every Cal Dreamin. The Phillips were there on-time everyday, all day, helping people get settled into the convention. They did so tirelessly and without complaint. I don't know what they were comped, if anything, but it wasn't enough for the effort they put in.

Business must be pretty good for the vendors serving our community because at least two that I know are putting together or have already put together full color catalogs of clothing. The Jim Bridges Catalogue ($10) showcases Jim's line of signature cosmetics and wigs, along with his new line of dresses and shoes. One really cool thing about these dresses is the sizing; small, medium and Diva. Small is 12-14, Medium 16-18 and Diva is 20-24. Contact the Jim Bridges Catalog at PO Box 4715, North Hollywood, CA 91617. Also coming along with a color catalog is Lola, Inc., a local suburban Philadelphia vendor who has a large online presence. More details on Lola's catalog next month.

If you haven't registered for the Second International Congress on Sex & Gender Issues, you're going to miss one of the best conferences this community has had since the first Congress was held in 1995. Plus it's the celebration for Renaissance's 10th anniversary. What more could you ask for? Get signed up now. Call Renaissance at 610-975-9119.

New terms for transgendered people keep popping up, mostly made up by people with great angst over the terms transvestite or transsexual. The dumbest one I heard was GEM for Gender Enhanced Male. So where are the GEFs? I'm also seeing the term "gender variant" used to be inclusive of transsexuals, transgendered, hermaphrodites, and those gay men, lesbian women, bisexuals, and straights, whose gender characteristics (including gender identity) and/or expression vary sufficiently from the "norm" to place them at risk. This last term is being used by some of our lobbying activists, so expect to hear it being used in political discussions from now on.

July will see the annual TRANSGEN conference sponsored by the International Conference on Transgender Law & Employment Policy (ICTLEP). This may be their last one as there is a letter circulating throughout the community asking for donations to help keep their doors open. The letter makes their situation sound pretty desperate. And it seems like everybody's asking for money these days. If you are inclined to make a donation, consider exactly what it is that the organization provides to the community and make your donation based on what they deliver in services rather than what they tell you they need. For me, charity begins at home and my donations go to Renaissance.

The fifth annual Spouses Partners International Conference for Education (SPICE) will be held July 16 - 20, at the Ontario Hilton in Ontario, California (not Canada). Anyone thinking of attending should contact Peggy Rudd at PO Box 5304, Katy TX or send email to melpeg@phoenix.net. Speaking of partners and spouses, a new partners network is being put together by Linda and Vanessa Kaye over the net. The Couples Network will have couples all over the U.S. that will be willing to meet with other couples just coming to terms with crossdressing in their relationship. Interested? Contact Linda & Vanessa at mhk@ionet.ne

Onto the fashion reports. The winter shows just recently wrapped up and the big news was short, short, micro-mini short skirts. (I hear every TV drooling right now, but it gets better). What you wear on top of the skirt, a sweater or a shirt, isn't as important as what you wear on your feet--pointy toed, stiletto heeled pumps or knee-high boots with same. Oh Gawd, we've died and gone to heaven! Need to know where to get those pumps? Try contacting my friends at Classic Pumps, 815-748-5506. They've got gorgeous "knock-me-down..." well, ahem..., you get the idea.

For those of you who find that shine just makes your lips look luscious, there's the new MAC Lip Glass. And that's not a typo either. This stuff is so shiny it looks like glass and looks even more fantastic on your lips. It is said to be sticky though and once you've put it on, you really can't add more but it does shine for hours.

Ever think of raiding your kitchen for a facial. You can and it's easy. Here's some examples... Use Yogurt as a cleanser... Use Salt as a scrub for oily skin or Sugar for dry skin. Mix either with a teaspoon of water and rub in with your hands... For a facial mask try Fuller's Earth from your local health food store. Dry skin? How about egg yolk and honey... Finally, moisturize with safflower oil.

Hosiery is fashionable, affordable, sexy and fun. It's one easy way to make a statement about yourself and these days your choices are astounding. Color on your legs is the most inexpensive way to update a look; it's like adding an exclamation point for $10. Here is what the experts from Pennaco Hosiery (they make Anne Klein, Danksin, Givenchy and more) say you should have in your wardrobe for summer: 4 pr. control top sheers in nude... 4 pr. control top sheers in black... 3 pr. sophisticated neutrals, like taupe, pale khaki and pale grey... 2 pr. pastel sheers in pale pink and pale lime... 3 pr. off-white sheers... 4 pr. of fishnets in black and white. For the rest of the year, add: 2 pr. of opaque in loden, brown, navy, red, and forest green... 4 pr. black tights... and 2 pr. textured or openwork tights in off-white, brown, and black. The hot colors right now are the nudes. Fishnets and other openwork styles are "in" for summer. Fishnets? Yes, Fishnets! They let in the air and keep your legs cool.

While we're down here with legs, let's look at feet and the hot, hot shoe for summer is the ankle strap sandal. (I have mine in red and in black). But ankle straps can make your legs look thicker and draw attention to your calves. So, if you want your legs to look longer, opt for slides of other sandals cut low in front.

We've talked in the past about all of the new "wont-come-off" products including lipsticks that wear like iron. So, how do you get that stuff off when it's time to crash? You don't need industrial strength scaling compound if you use products specially formulated to remove the long wearing lipsticks like Shiseido Absolute Lipstick Remover, or Coty Color-Off Lipstick Remover, or Revlon ColorStay Makeup Remover pads. If you're hungry, one New York makeup artist recommends eating a salad with lost of vinaigrette dressing.

It had to happen eventually and it did. Hard Candy and Urban Decay had discovered two niches in the nail color market that the "big boys" had missed and pretty much had the run of the market. That's now been rectified with Revlon's introduction of Street Wear, a collection of nail color, lipsticks, eyeshadows and pencils that combine both Hard Candy's gloss with Urban Decay's palette. Some of the color names are just too precious, like Schmutz lipstick or two-toned nails done in White-out and Tar, or a blood-red color called Stain, and a near nude color called Icicle.

A problem that many real women have is being two different sizes on the top and bottom. Many transgendered women have this same problem but to a more exaggerated degree. To solve this dilemma some of the more upscale designers like Dana Buchman make the same clothes in Petite, Misses and Plus sizes so you mix and match the sizes you need. It will cost you more to dress this way, but at least you'll have stylish clothes. Other designers with petite-thru-plus size lines are Emmanuel Ungaro and Ellen Tracy.

Looking for a swimsuit for that vacation to Hawaii (don't you wish!). Seriously, buying a bathing suit is a real problem even for real women. So, try one on in virtual reality. Jantzen has a new website www.jantzenswim.com with an interactive segment that shows you swimsuits to address your figure concerns. Mine is a thick waist, so I need a slimsuit.

Guess who's getting liposuctioned in record numbers? Men, that's who, specifically Wall Streeters. Seems these wunderkind can't work 80-hour weeks and get in time for exercise, but looks are still everything, so they get the fat sucked out. They're also getting nose jobs, excuse me, rhinoplasty, in record numbers as well. Vanity, thy name is too much money on hand.

So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? I think incompetence is a trait to be punished, not rewarded. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.


© 1997 by JoAnn Roberts