 ChatsuboJoAnn Roberts
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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."Everyone has the right to be an asshole. That doesn't make it ethically proper, though, and one should always be prepared for the social consequences of his actions.." -- John Perry Barlow, co founder Electronic Freedom Foundation
I have a special announcement to make on behalf of Tri-Ess. The November 1997 Holiday En Femme in New Jersey has been cancelled. This is the official word from Tri-Ess board chair Jane Ellen Fairfax. The folks at Sigma Nu Rho ran into a few obstacles they just could not overcome and with the complete agreement of the Tri-Ess National board decided discretion was the better part of valor and cancelled the event. I know what a difficult decision that is. I had to do the same thing way back in 1988 when Renaissance planned its first professional conference. We just didn't have the horsepower to pull it off and had to cancel the activity. Believe me, it is better to do that than try to run a conference and end up broke, busted and disgusted. So, to Carol and all the nice people at SNR, don't feel too bad. It can happen to anyone. Meanwhile, Tri-Ess says that plans for the 1998 Holiday En Femme in Minneapolis are proceeding nicely.
I received some interesting feedback on last month's column. One respondent didn't like my take on Sally Can't Dance in Con Air, while many other agreed with me. Oh well, that's why ice cream comes in so many flavors. One of the more interesting comments had to do with Virginia Prince and her treatment by Pat Califia in Sex Changes. If you recall, I took a shot at Califia for referring to Prince as "he" throughout the book. Well, it would seem that Califia isn't the only one questioning whether Virginia warrants the pronoun "she." After the Cross-Talk/Prince vs TS debacle, the online wires were abuzz with debate on which pronoun Prince deserves. The most cogent remark opined that the appellation "woman" had to be earned by assimilation and acceptance into the community of women. I couldn't agree more. I don't care what you have between your legs or your ears; if other women don't treat you as another woman, or, if you are constantly having to assert that you a woman, then you ain't!
I never ceased to be amazed at how other parts of the world just seem to zip right by the U.S. when it comes to enlightenment about sex and gender issues. For example, the regional government of New South Wales, Australia has posted online information on changing the sex designation on your birth certificate if you've had a sex change operation. That's what I call government for the people.
Now contrast that to this ignoramus. Florida Congressman Cliff Stearns has written a letter to Florida state officials asking them to set dress standards for government work places after a transsexual, Sabrina (Dale) Robb, began transitioning on the job. Some employees in Ms. Robb's office complained that her attire distracted and offended them. Stearns said, "It sends the wrong signals to our children and people in this county... I think the public would have a high level of discomfort with his work activities... It's antithetical to our morals in Ocala." Meanwhile, Robb's immediate supervisor, Dotti Pohleven, said Robb's change of dress has not affected her work and Pohleven has resisted the interference from Stearns. Good for her! Stearns' office was contacted by gender activists and "enlightened" about transition and the real life test, but we doubt it did any good. His office was also flooded with negative email from the tg online community. Ah, yes, democracy at work.
But there is some hope. Evanston, Illinois, became the first city in Illinois to extend human rights protection to transgendered residents and visitors. The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the ordinance which adds transgendered individuals as a protected class to their Human Rights Ordinance. This ordinance prohibits discrimination in employment, public accommodation and housing. Addition of transgender people and passage of the ordinance was due to extensive lobbying by It's Time Illinois (ITI), in particular Miranda Stevens, vice-chair of ITI. It's Time Illinois is an affiliate of It's Time America!, an loose knit collection of state-level activists. Many of these affiliates have had stunning successes at the state level attaining gender rights protections. It is a shame that ITA could never get its act together as a national organization.
Not too long ago, a production assistant for ABC television posted this message online: "ABC News is hoping to hear from parents of children who have been diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID). We would like to discuss the issue of gender identity with the parents and the psychologist/psychiatrist/therapist treating the child. We are especially interested in speaking to the parents of younger children (not teenagers) who are currently undergoing treatment for GID." Well, the response was instantaneous and negative. Here are two examples: "Assuming that there is such a thing as 'Gender Identity Disorder,' and not just the adult rejection of their child's natural proclivities, and assuming this message is even remotely close to credible.... why on earth would any sensible parent expose their troubled child to the glare of microscopic examination on international television? I often wonder which is the bigger problem... transgender issues, or the stupidity of the people who exploit them like some marketable commodity." And: "Dear ABC: Please do NOT exploit these children. There is a stigma associated with being gender dysphoric. Presenting information about gender different children is one thing -- exploiting children by exposing their issue, in a world that is less than friendly isn't going to help them resolve their issues, nor is it going to improve their life. Even as adults, these issues can be most difficult. You will... be marking them. "
It's starting to get a little crowded in the halls of Congress. Representatives of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) made the rounds of Capitol Hill recently meeting informally with a number of congressional offices and progressive organizations. The mission of the newly-formed NCSF is to combat violence and discrimination due to "sexual orientation, identity, or desire." Now, to me, that sounds an awful lot like what GenderPAC says they're doing nowadays. NCSF founder Susan Wright says, "People involved in alternative practice have been stigmatized for too long. The bottom line is, we are people who lose our jobs, our children, and sometimes our lives because of sexual or affectional preference. All we are seeking is equal rights." Sound familiar? Maybe with NCSF focusing on sexual and affectional preference issues, GPAC can get back to tg issues.
If you live in the middle of nowhere and are looking for some drag entertainment, look no father than the Internet. Brothers, a small show bar in Tallahassee, Florida is presenting its weekly drag show live on the net each Saturday night at 12:30 AM (half-past-midnight). The show, hosted by Toni Denise, may be viewed directly from your browser. No special "plug-ins" are needed. Follow the links to Channel 1, then select Brothers.
There is a script circulating in Hollywood tentatively titled Guys In Brassieres, but you'd be wrong if you thought it had anything to do with crossdressing. The script is a fictionalized account of the life of Benjamin Masstab, a brassiere designer for Peter Pan and Oleg Cassini and was penned by Masstab's daughter, Michelle. According to Ms. Masstab, the bra business has a plethora of gangster types.
Donna Karan, who claims to be more famous for her hosiery than her clothes, is introducing a new line of pantyhose for the next millennium. They're called Evolution and they compress the entire leg from waist to toe. Evolution comes in three opacities with the thickest comparable to jersey leggings. Evolution will retail for $22, about $5 more than her Nudes line. Coincident with the release of Evolution is a new book The Leg for which Karan has written the forward. The Leg is dedicated to the history of the human leg as seen by photographers, painters and sculptors. The Leg will be published by General Publishing Group and cost is about 2 pairs of Evolutions.
Ms. Karan's experimentation with hosiery doesn't stop at the waist. Her Sheer Satin Waist Cincher is actually pantyhose that begins just under the bust, where a woman's bra normally ends. It is said to be the perfect liner for knit dresses, straight skirts and other waist defining styles. The Karan slimmer is about $15 in most department stores. Of course, Nancy Ganz of Bodyslimmers is not to be outdone in the body sculpting department. Her Bodyslimmers Tank Bodysuit gives an hourglass shape and a tummy tuck for a mere $40.
Speaking of hosiery, believe it or not, the August Mademoiselle showed seamed stockings in colors but declared that black is still the "classic" color. Mini-skirts, stilettoes and seamed stockings? It would seam (Ha, a pun!) that fashion has been taken over by transvestites. Don't believe me? According to marie claire, this Fall's must-have's are: a mini skirt; a power suit; something leather; a turtleneck, a cardigan, or a v-neck; a clutch bag; a pointy-toed spike heeled boot; and something beaded for evening. Now, if that doesn't describe my closet, then I don't know what does! My fave is the "something" leather.
Just what is "masculine" about women's wear? What the fashion mavens mean are boxy and wide, or long and slim. Frock style coats will be all the rage this Fall. Fabrics will be heavy, i.e., tweed, flannel and boucle. Patterns will include pinstripes and checks. Shoes with this look can range from a very masculine loafer to a sky-high stiletto.
On the decidedly more feminine side, wild animal prints are still hot. Try a zebra stripe dress from Nicole Miller ($400) to a leopard-spot trench coat from Marc Jacobs ($600). Another wildly feminine color for Fall is Fire Engine Red and it's appropriate on everything from a Richard Tyler frock coat to a Donna Karan leather dress, to a Versace blazer. (You know, I'm wondering if old Versace clothing will get to be like Ferraris, more expensive). Meanwhile, the citrus colors--orange, lime and lemon yellow--are still hot for Fall.
Here are a few quick and easy makeup tips
The latest craze in cosmetic surgery is the body lift and if ever I was interested in cosmetic surgery, this would be it. Basically, some fat is liposuctioned from the abdominal area. Then a section of skin is removed (as in a tummy tuck) and the muscles beneath are tightened. The remaining skin is pulled taut and stitched. The result can be an hourglass figure. The procedure takes 2 to 10 hours depending on the extent of the work and costs range from $5,000 to $25,000. The procedure has tripled in popularity since 1992. Come to think of it, for $25,000 I'd rather have an 1965 Corvette. Lots more fun.
So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? It is said, there's an ass for every seat. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com. © 1997 by JoAnn Roberts  Back to Transgender Forum's home page
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