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
"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it." -- Henry Ford
The transgender political scene seems calm at the moment but there are things stewing in the pot that bear watching. For example, Sharon Franklin is an African-American transsexual running for city council (mostly white and straight) in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Good Luck Sharon! Meanwhile the Attorneys General of 15 states have endorsed the tg-exclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). Where was GenderPAC during this activity? They were participating in the demonstrations against New York City police after the cops sexually brutalized a Haitian immigrant. That's very supportive, but wouldn't their attention have been better focused on our transgendered issues and ENDA?
Queers are normal. So says the American Psychiatric Association (APA) 20 years after declaring that homosexuality was not a mental disorder. The APA is trying to clean up the acts of some therapists who believe they can "cure" homosexuality with so-called reparative therapy. Under a resolution recently adopted by the APA, therapists are required to read patients a statement stating that homosexuality is normal and healthy. Now if we could just get them to consider transgendered behavior in the same light...
The "alternative" networks are loading up on crossdressing and tg characters. The season premiere of Head Over Heels, a comedy about a dating service, featured a small role for ex-porn drag queen Karen Dior. Dior is trying to go straight (yes, it's a pun) with an appearance on Xena, Warrior Princess last year and it's rumored her transsexual character may return this season. Meanwhile, over at Fox, someone got the bright idea to turn Tootsie into a sitcom. Ask Harriett stars Anthony Tyler Quinn as a newspaper writer cum Romeo who gets fired and then comes back to the paper as a female advice columnist, Harriett. Look for a premiere mid-season.
I'm not ignoring it. It's just that Angela Gardner went to the NYC premiere of Different for Girls and I'm going to let her do the talking about it.
You may have noticed that I've had little to nothing to say about the transgendered Usenet groups (alt.transgendered, soc.support.transgendered and the others). That's because these days it's mostly hot air that fills the cyberscape. If someone isn't flaming someone else, then it's sleazy porn spam scrolling through my newsreader. I've pretty much tuned out that part of the net as useless noise. However, I do check alt.fashion every day since it has about 400 to 500 new posts daily. And, right now, one of the hottest topics on a.f is Scarlett, a small cosmetics boutique located at 129 S Main St in New Hope, Pennsylvania. I stopped by there a week ago and spoke with Mary one of the cosmetologists. Unlike so many companies that say they've custom blended their cosmetics, Scarlett really has and the colors are kewl. Transgendered people are welcome at Scarlett and they will even do after hours makeovers. Scarlett is having an open-house reception for the alt.fashion crowd on October 18th at 7:00 PM. So, if you're in the area, stop by and say Hi, or give them a call at 800-862-2311 and ask for a catalog.
Congratulations are in order for Dr. Sheila Kirk on her election to the board of directors of the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association. Joining her in the board is Jude Patton, CMHC and a FtM. Both Kirk and Patton will serve for 4 years. Serving two years terms are Dr. Richard Green as President, Alice Webb as President-Elect, and Dr. Connie Christine Wheeler as Secretary-Treasurer.
For those of you waiting for the Proceedings of the Second International Congress on Sex & Gender Issues, don't hold your breath because it is not going to be published. We received only 14 papers out of the 60+ presentations made and that ain't enough to make a proceedings book. Everyone who ordered a prepaid copy should have received a refund by now. If not, contact the Renaissance office.
Similarly, if you've been wondering where your Fall issue of LadyLike magazine is, it's still in the computer as I write this (early September). I'm having problems with my distributor again and they now owe me for two issues of the magazine. I haven't seen a penny since last March and that makes it difficult to print the next issue. We're working the problem and hopefully will have the magazine on the street in late October or early November. Pass the word. But fear not, LadyLike will not go under.
Time for some Fashion News. As we head into Fall its time to think about Winter clothing. Do you have a suitable winter coat? If not, October is the perfect time to find one because most stores are having a Winter Coat Sale right now. In November, stores will start clearing out their Fall dresses, suits and sweaters, as well as Fall shoes and boots. Then, in December, Evening wear and winter sportswear go on sale, followed by generally huge clearance sales in January for outerwear and accessories. February is usually resort wear and March will find sales on Spring Rain Coats. In May, Spring suits, hand bags and preseason swimwear go on sale. Then, June and July yield sales on Summer dresses, suits, more swimwear, and Summer shoes. Coming full circle, August and September usually have preseason sales of Fall clothing. So be prepared to shop.
The handbag of the moment is fashionably useless. Remember those teeny-tiny purses with barely enough room for a condom? This Fall's "must-have" purse is designed along those lines. It's a shoulder strap version about the size of a large manila envelope and about as thick. Extremely impractical for everyday use. Unless you are only carrying letter size papers, skip this item. Instead look for cloned copies that are thicker and cheaper. Leather is the material of choice and Camel is the color.
I've mentioned many times how important it is to have a basic wardrobe from which to mix and match outfits. For those of use who wear Plus sizes (that's size 14 and up), those basic pieces have been difficult to find. Well, not anymore. Elisabeth, the Plus-size line from Liz Claiborne offers many of the basic pieces in sizes 14 to 22. Look for pieces marked with a tag marked with an E for "essentials." The first offerings are a sleeveless sheath dress in charcoal wool for $150, a fitted white shirt in cotton/spandex for $60, slimming flat-front pants in black rayon/wool for $90 and a black leather jacket for $350. They'll be adding more items to the line later in the year.
The latest in nail polish technology is shiny polish that dries in 90 seconds. Some of you will remember Avon's ill-fated attempt at a quick dry and peelable polish. However, reports are in saying these new polishes really do dry in 90 seconds and while a bit more difficult to apply (they run thick), a single coat should last three days, which is the length of your average transgender convention. While I'm in the nail department, Revlon has introduced a new line of artificial nails called Revlon Nail Enhancers. What's cool about the product is the built-in size guide. Stick your thumb in the slot and see if they fit. The nails are available in 3 sizes, Petite, Average and Wide. Oh, yeah!
Cool weather is always good reason to wear boots and this season the boots are tres chic and very sexy. With few exceptions, the boots are perched on sky-high heels. Here's the scoop on what's in style... Lace Up boots: spectator style in suede and leather, sporty outdoorsy trail boots and city-slick pointy toed... Low: good old Beatle boots, or loaferish ankle high... High: side zips to knee, heavy-duty biker style or stretch velvet... Evening: Velvet ankle boot or patent leather with stainless steel spike heel.
Okay, I can understand the whole licensing thing when your name equals money, but I think Donna Karan has just stepped over the line of smart marketing into greed. LaDonna has launched DKNY coffee beans in cooperation with Timothy's World Coffee. Why do I think she's given into the greed factor? Ms. Karan doesn't drink coffee.
Guess who's back on the literary scene in the October marie claire with an article on The Return of Glamour. None other than Tama Janowitz. When last we saw Ms. Janowitz, she was shilling for Apple Powerbooks in the early 1990's. Then she disappeared right after it was disclosed that Ms. Janowitz's mother, a well-known author and poet herself, never had any daughters. However, the mother's bio in a Who's Who for writers does mention a son. Aha! Eventually Tama's publicist admitted the young Ms. Janowitz is, indeed, a transsexual. What is ironic is the fact that Janowitz came to be recognized for her 80's novel The Male Cross Dresser Support Group in which a woman crossdresses as a man. We need to get Janowitz plugged into this community. She could be extremely helpful.
Remember those "I dreamed I was on the 7:00 AM train in my Maidenform" ads. Some of those situations were pretty silly. But it's no joke that Maidenform filed for bankruptcy this summer. The 75-year-old company is hung over with huge debt. The company is still owned by the same family that started it and Elizabeth J. Coleman, chairman and CEO, is third generation at the helm and hoping she'll not be the last.
Could Nebraska become the plastic surgery center of the world? How about the Net? It will if Dr. Stephen Denenberg has anything to do with it. The good doctor has built what is considered the most comprehensive web site on facial plastic surgery information at www.facialsurgery.com. There is a rhinoplasty (nose job) tutorial that takes the user through each painful step in detail. Do not have lunch before browsing this site. The site includes both Q&A pages as well as cost information and pre-op interview question to ask your doc. As you can see from the URL, this site only deals with facial surgery. A more complete plastic surgery site can be found at www.phudson.com.
The strange-product-name-of-the-month award goes to fetish scent, a new line of perfumes from the Dana Perfume corporation of New York. You can check out their other "fetishes" at www.whatsyourfetish.com Now, there's some smart marketing at work. Imagine how disappointed a whole bunch of fetish folk are going to be when they find this site is about perfume.
So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? Don't confuse me with the facts; my mind is made up. Comments? Write care of this publication or email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.
© 1997 by JoAnn Roberts
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