Review: My Transsexual Summer
*disclaimer: this is not about the people in the show, but the format of the show itself and the presentation of information.
If you don’t what I am talking about you can watch it on Youtube here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cts4nFWHvDs&feature=player_embedded
So seven trannies get together for a retreat. I personally wouldn’t use that word, but ‘My Transsexual Summer’ doesn’t mind so much. None of these people seem to be the medicated activist type I have come to know in my own experiences with trans folk. It presumes that its seven contestants are on a magical gender slide, trying to find a position they feel most comfortable with themselves, and that self obsession is the imperative of a transsexual life. I think most people who go through puberty could relate to this time of change, sure it’s a difficult time, but eventually you adjust and move on, but it doesn’t look like our seven friends want to get over it, they just want to go on (wank) about it, but maybe that’s a British thing and not a trans thing.
Then of course there are those people who have trans identified since very young and took on cis gender affirming roles to suppress that identity. This is very sad, but also funny because just as you can imagine queer bullying comes from closeted queers, you could imagine excessive gender stereotypes are more likely to be trans identifying. So perhaps if you see a truck driving, rugby playing wife beating alcoholic, hold on to your boots, they might be about to transplain all their problems away. It’s sick and sad, but it can be unfair on other people if you get married have children, then do a 180 and say oops. It is established here is it is a shit world for trans people, but the show focuses on the sentiment ‘I’m so happy now’.
The other thing is the desperate environment they’ve created. Every conversation is about being transsexual/transgender (trans). As most trans people know, these conversations are awkward at best and provides maybe a few sentences at best. Also it often descends in a trans pissing contest (I identified as trans when I was 8, no 5! Well I actually identified as trans in the womb, but I couldn’t tell my mum. I’m actually intersex). These details really are personal and unimportant unless you are attempting to dissolve deep psychological issues with a professional. I think everyone has their story, but I prefer the story one of my ex’s gave me relating to their trans experience.
“I want to be a shemale, having tits and a cock it’s hot, and I’d totally like to fuck everything”
It seems so honest and vital and yet this attitude is invalid because why? Because we are a pathological people, gender diversity is still not welcomed, we are urged toward heteronormative behaviour. The sentiment “I love being a woman” and “I love being a man” seems to validate cisgender identities without creating anything new and distinctly trans, which I think would derive naturally from our unique experiences.
Also none of these people are interesting, the people on the show are entirely bland. I blame the domineering gayness of it all, the music, the accommodation, they are so evidently out of their element. Dancing and acting up to stereotypes that make me think their hormones are providing them narcotic effects. Shiny happy people. The reality is much worse – I’d prefer something a little more Big Brother style where privately they confess horrible experiences and their loathing for one another. For example imagine someone was honest on that show.
“I only came on this show for the money. I hate having to work in one gender and live in another because it is the only way I can survive. You know why I don’t date? I’m terrified that people will misinterpret my body and my friendships will fall apart. I actually hate being trans, it is real inconvenience and all those people who are not trans, I’m so envious I worship their image. I’m so susceptible to trashpop magazines, I want to look like Kylie. Make up is expensive, hormones are expensive, my entire fucking life is expensive, if I was rich I wouldn’t give a fuck about transrights, I’d just get a million surgeries and pretend I’m not trans. You know, I’m not really ashamed of who I am, I’m a survivor, I’m so much stronger than most people, sure I don’t have their problems, but I’ve got my own and that gives me the right to tell you to fuck off and deal with the fact that you’re different to me.”
So for trannies, pack a dildo, sip a glass of wine, ham it up for the cameras and don’t forget to pretend like you’re happy because EVERYTHING IS FINE, I can’t emphasise that enough. No it’s not fine and it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that when I look into the mirror I see myself putting the philospher’s stone into my pocket (hate myself), it instead has to do with the fact that we constantly deny people their identity by telling them how to be themselves, a woman looks like this, a man looks like this, behaves like this, etc and it is infuriating because there are generations of trans people growing up hating their childhoods, their experiences because if they don’t, it’s confusing for doctors, YOU’VE GOT TO HATE YOUR BODY, YOURSELF AND EVERYTHING ABOUT WHO YOU WERE and yet so many people maintain that they don’t change in the transition.
As Tilda Swinton and Virginia Woolfe in put it in Orlando – Same person, different sex. You will take your problems with you, transitioning doesn’t solve your problems. The show makes out like the only thing that is different about these people is that they are trans, when in fact that would make them abnormal. Imagine if cisgender people walked around all day talking about being cis, and how they felt comfortable in their body today, it would be awkward. The trans community really needs heroes, champions who’s claim to fame is not that they are a test subject in these social and scientific laboratories, but actually kick ass… and there are plenty of them, but they don’t make it to popular media as often as those who have ‘always known they were a (gender noun) because they used to (stereotyped gender behaviour)’.
Filed under: labels, Milisha, Trans Issues | Leave a Comment
Tags: gatekeepers, gender, television, trans*, transgender
Transgender Day of Rememberence
This happens every year. Every year people of diverse gender are victims of hate crimes for little reason other than being transgendered. Many of these victims are young transwomen of colour, sadly showing that there are real gaps in the transgender support structure that exposes these young people to violence. In Australia, just last year there were actions after the death in custody of Veronica Baxter, a young indigenous women who committed suicide in an Australia prison after being arrested and kept in an all male prison, denied hormones and other important medication. For everyone who is trans, it means walking a fine line between safety and frivolity and on the 20th of November 2011, we once again take it all on board, as we remember the abused, the raped, the murdered and the suicides.
The people we remember on TDOR is just the tip of a slowly melting iceberg. While there are more people finding integration and adapting to life as we know it, there is still high incidences of dangerous and socially subversive behaviour from gender diverse people, who are just looking to survive the rejection and oppression handed down to them on a daily basis. I’m talking about alcoholism, drug use and sex work. Many people can thrive on this culture, finding it validating and exciting, but in my opinion it puts these people at risk of violent crimes. For some it is career to have sex for money, but too many are forced to do it in order to survive. I tip my hat to those who have successfully made a living out of having sex, but I also wish there were a greater number of alternatives and an active program that engaged transgender young people.
Now, it isn’t all bad. Things get better after all. More and more transgender support groups and social groups are springing up all the time, and if you have not yet found one that suits you, then you might have to persevere a little longer, look a little harder, but don’t give up, having a network of support is perhaps the most important thing you could do to help you progress in your transgender life.
One such group that has sprung up in Perth, is WA Trans, Unity, Support, Pride (W.A.T.U.P). They are having a picnic and a candle light vigil to remember those who we lost since the last time we remembered the victims of transgender hate. It is happening on the river, culminating in a symbolic throwing of native flowers into the water. More details here:
Filed under: Trans Activism, Trans Issues | Leave a Comment
Tags: activism, gender, TDOR, trans*, transgender
Self Check Up: How am I doing?
Whatever life choice you have made, checking in with yourself is probably a good idea, to figure everything out, the good, the bad, the worse and the delirium. There are many things to consider when doing a self diagnostic, so how you go about it may vary to my own method, but here it goes.
Question 1. Are you safe and is it ongoing? Yes, I am safe, in my home, my outlook, my friendships and work. I don’t deliberately provoke danger or invite risk, but that’s because I like feeling safe and I am surrounded by people who are encouraging and supportive, even if those numbers get a bit thin sometimes.
Question 2. How are you pursuing your personal goals? There are lots of fragments of my person, and so I suppose I am hoping that they all come together at some point and then I can move on, with my life. It’s a terribly neurotic state of being if you have to wait for external factors to fall into place in order to achieve personal goals, like surgery – but then again, I’m hardly in a rush to put biological synthesis ahead of a healthy social life. I am eating well, sleeping better and in an exciting relationship, all compass needles are pointing north, I feel like I am on track.
Question 3. What obstacles persist and can you resolve them? Obstacles, ack! As always money is of the least importance to my outlook, but most important to my intentions. Everyone needs money, because everyone believes in the authority it holds, and yes you need cash to negotiate the finer things in your transgender lives, but give me peace any day. That seems to be the irony, that money could buy me peace of mind. Other obstacles… self image, when will I finally realise that if I can’t continue to use food as emotional coping mechanism. Actions for resolving obstacles: More active on work ideas to earn an ethical income, and trying a gluten free diet (why not?). White flour is the devil.
Question 4. Breaking point, what takes you to the edge? I am still infuriated by the shit world we live, not that it is particularly crappy to me, but the crappy way most people treat other people. That’s to say nothing of how crappy humans are generally to other species. I think it is sad, that every day I abide by the rule of the fearsome, the powerful who are dare I say, weak in mind and spirit, and yet short term solutions are impossible. I resist, I support, I empower a better world and life for so many.
Question 5. Did any of these things happen to you today -
a. kiss - yes
b. hug - yes
c. sex - no
d. gender consent - yes
e. positive feelings about sexuality - yes
f. freedom from biology - yes
g. safer space - yes
h. positive media - yes
i. IRL connect with friends - yes
j. Online connect with friends - yes
k. Felt comfortable in your clothes - yes
l. smiled at someone - yes
m. flirted with someone - yes
n. Happy with the state of your house - maybe
o. Finished study/work load – yes
p. Read something interesting - yes
q. Felt empowered - yes
r. Achieved a goal - yes
s. Made a new goal - yes
t. Laughed - yes
u. Danced - no
v. Went out with friends - yes
w. Bought new clothes - no
x. Ate well - yes
y. Felt happy - yes
z. Would totally do it all again tomorrow - yes
So there you have it. I’m positively gay! I’ve checked myself out, I think I am doing ok, as long as I don’t let the things I can’t have right now dominate my thinking. I’ve been living my life for a while now, I feel like I am getting better at it! Keep working at it, an improvement as the best success you can have and if you’re slipping, maybe you should ask a friend for support and advice. Hope you’re doing well.
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Tags: gender, milisha, queer, quiz, trans*, transgender
Self destruction is inherant
Noone is perfect. If it at first you don’t succeed, you can pick yourself up and try again, but if you fail the second or third time, then you might as well take a break from constructive thinking and realize you’ve got some frustration to vent. So often people turn to food, alcohol or other substances to cope and deal with the pressure of trying for success and if you’re lucky you can channel that energy creatively and even artistically.
But not everyone is so lucky. I like to blog about it, write about it, seperate myself from the issues I am facing, and sometimes, I also like to binge on caffeine and snack food. There seem to be a lot of things that we can potentially fail at, or feel let down by – messing up your diet, facing oppression from the community, not dressing, skipping hormones, not wearing makeup, staying silent and letting other people have too much influence over your life. I think we can expect mishaps, now we’ve got to think about what we are going to do about them.
I guess it is ok to get mad, angry and self destructive and quite often there isn’t a rational way to combat a lot of the negative emotions you’re feeling, you’ve just got to realize that it doesn’t happen all the time and no matter how self destructive you might get, it’s just this moment and it isn’t going to ruin everything. You might feel like you’re really doing it tough, even failing at your goals, but to be honest there are just so many obstacles on the transgender path, you are likely to fail more times than you succeed – soon enough though, you’ll figure out there is no right and wrong, you’re just learning about yourself, who you are and what your limits are.
Try not to lose sight of the bigger picture, because it is one you’ve been painting most of your life. Don’t fall into the trap of making any big decisions or wishfully thought out promises, because you while you might be trying to talk yourself out of disappointment, you’re also making rules about who you are going to be, but that person, the person who you are becoming, will speak for themself.
Filed under: Livid, Milisha | Leave a Comment
Taking a Break, Walking Away.
It is been far too long since I’ve written anything. I have been taking a break, self imposed and circumstantial, sometimes life throws you lemons, other times it might as well be chocolate. The last month has been quite a busy one, taking me away from my blog. I’ve reached that time in my journey where things are at their most dramatic. I recently decided that I would be having surgery overseas, as opposed to struggling with the oppressive and inferior options here in Australia and as a result deferred my studies in order to accommodate my travel plans. Fairy tales come in two types, grim and childish and I am sad to say it is the former, I am rather unimpressed with the recent discourse with my doctor.
For the last 5 or so appointments, at a significant I have been visiting my doctor to acquire the simple information needed for approval from overseas surgeons for surgery and for those last 5 appointments, I’ve been given the excuse that either they either forgot to finish it, or there was some kind of administration error. This is called incompetence, especially seeing as I had changed my life to fit in with getting surgery this year which now, due to the delay, will not be happening until next year. As a psychiatrist, it is pretty important to realise how your actions affect others. Not only am I being mishandled, I am paying for it.
There are any number of possible reactions to this, but none that will change the outcome, sadly I just felt terrible and decided to take a break. I decided to do something I could feel good about, so I decided to join a protest 600km away, a Walk Away From Uranium Mining. Uranium Mining which has the potential to ruin many indigenous and regional communities in our own backyard. I was joining what they started some 6 weeks ago in Wiluna, a further 600km away as they make their way towards Perth and the protests against the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). I walked about 30km on the first day which was great and I guess I have been attempting to detox my life since then. I only stayed for the weekend, but it was what I needed to realise just how screwed up some things are and how amazing people can be.
The last month has been about making changes in my life to bring about a renewal of faith, by removing some of the more cumbersome and destructive habits I’ve acquired in my neurotic journey, like watching television, eating junk food and taking long showers. I am not really an offender when it comes to an unmanageable life, this is more like an elimination of the last vestiges of false or fake authority. I am growing my own garden, exercise regularly and attempting to take back my house, which has on occasion become a den of disappointments, because when this is over, there isn’t anything that is going to keep me down. I think in the spirit of the protest, walking away from consumerism is a massively positive decision for anyone who suffers oppression as a minority, especially trans people, who are caught up in stereotypes of consumer whoredom.
I don’t want to be giving money to institutions that structurally oppress me, I don’t want to support the negative attitudes and sexual stereotypes present in many advertising campaigns and I certainly do not want to be putting poisons and chemicals into my body that I don’t even know how to pronounce. I am glad that despite my disappointments and let downs, my life is still manageable and becoming more sustainable. Don’t feed the problem, rebel against, take back your life!
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Wrong gender, wrong everything!
Waking up to the realisation that gender transition is possible and that you want to pursue it can be a liberating experience. It is life altering, the biggest decision you can possibly make in a world that puts so much focus on which gender representation you are perceived to be. It seems like you have overcome the biggest obstacles in your life so far, possibly made the most life altering decision you will ever make – so with that out of the way, everything is supposed to get better, right?
The chances are that gender and sexual identity exist powerfully to you and are realised in your life well before the social implications of prejudice, privilege and discrimination even enter your thinking. The challenges of transitioning from one gender to another may be discouraging and difficult and can often mean second guessing and doubting your decision to transition based purely on the lack of encouragement from your social environment and the disadvantages resulting from oppressive social structures.
For example, it isn’t as simple as coming out as gay, lesbian or bisexual – coming out as transgender means that everyone will have to wait with baited breath while the months, perhaps years pass as you make the changes to your body and behaviour that signifies the realisation of the decision to transition, the expression of liberation from years of misrepresentation. If you think that coming out as trans as simple as coming out as sexually diverse then you might be rudely awakened by years of psychiatristic appointments, dysmorphia, social isolation, sexual confusion, economic disadvantage and cisgendered oppression which are all standard to the experiences of any person who decides to transition.
That is not the worst part though. The worst thing is the way that all of these things make you feel, powerless, subjected to other people’s constructions about sex and gender in the same way you probably felt oppressed by those structures before coming out. There will be those who offer encouragement and support, but usually there is also a new set of rules laid out that MUST be followed – You must wear only the clothes of your chosen gender (because genderqueer isn’t real or a safe / sane way to query and explore gender identity), you must have ridiculously expensive surgery to get recognition in official documents, you must be heterosexual, you must understand how difficult it is for other people to accept what you are doing, etc. You will be subjected to cisgendered standards and be complimented for conforming to cisgendered norms.
The truth is we should be comfortable genderfucking every other day. We should be empowered by non-binary behaviour in all of its wonderful manifestations, we should care less what other people think and be teaching them about who and what we are. It is ridiculous that being transgendered and genderqueer is STILL pathologised by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Think about the damage this is doing to people who are making decisions so big, so life changing that there is nothing in the cisgendered world that compares to it and so little hope of them fully understanding it. There is little doubt that is why changing gender and questioning gender is still considered a mental disorder.
Think about the effect that such unruly oppression has on the personal lives and experiences of people transitioning. They are more than thrown into the deep end, they are encouraged to drown, to abandon hope of surviving in the new life they have chosen, not by conscious choice or arbitration by those who determine the futures of genderqueer people, but by default. Why should transitioning be more difficult than making the choice to transition? That should be the most difficult decision a person can make, there should only be support and encouragement from then on, respect for more than two genders and the entire spectrum of in betweens which can make gender questioning and exploration a safe practice and not a life threatening one.
Filed under: Trans Issues | Leave a Comment
Tags: dsm, gender, genderqueer, trans*, transgender, transition
The Importance of Critters
It is a well documented fact that the person who is going to stick by you through the best and worst of times, is your loveable, inseperable partner in life – your pet, whether you prefer the cats or dogs in this equation, or perhaps a veggie nibbling, highly adorable rabbit. People are not quite so reliable, but sometimes more adorable and they will come and they will go, whether they are friends, lovers or psychiatrists. The people we depend on most are those that are stuck with us, like our family, who for lack of better judgement don’t have any other option but to offer tea and sympathy when we most need it, but why not expand the inner circle?
It is well documented fact that we need friends to build up support networks and other networks for the mutual benefits of sharing burdens, ideas, activities and meals. I can’t stress enough this is not about slamming your friends, but rather appreciating the other guys – critters! Let’s face it when it gets tough as it often does living ‘la vida transgender’ the person who is the best listener is the one that doesn’t say much, if anything, my ever nibbling, all hopping bunny rabbit. Some people prefer cats, for their affectionate nature, their glamorous feline chic and plotting and subversive intelligence, and for others the company of a loyal ever ready canine can tip the mood from leaky, back to steady, even all the way back to A.O.K.
It is not so much the adorable power of the beastie in question, but rather their staying power. While not quite as long lived as human beings, pets are infamous and well known to out live relationships, even marriages! So don’t neglect your animal bestie, because the chances are you are going to need them more than once in your life time to help you cope with the stress of living in the modern world, break ups, deaths, medical bills, or bad results at university, especially if you’re trans or genderqueer for whom invisible puddles are just waiting to be stepped in.
My advice if you are an independent, responsible human is to think about what it takes to look after an animal friend who might just be waiting to meet you. For those who are a little braver, you can even rescue one of these guys from an animal shelter and save them from being put to sleep (which is a euphemism for termination of life). Don’t do it if you will neglect them, but most people out there, gay, straight, black, white, trans or genderqueer will have had experience with pets growing up and will do just fine, looking after them. Remember, you can’t demand a pet to be cute, you’ve really got to take care of them and make sure they’re happy, then they might show you love.
Don’t be lonely as a matter of principle, find someone who needs you, even if they aren’t human – after all you wouldn’t want to be speceist now would you? Find an animal friend for life, or at least part of it ( part of your life, not part of the animal ), I couldn’t imagine where I would be now without my bunny bestie!
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Gender Diversity at University
Identity is a major aspect of growing up. It helps us express individuality and defendi it through the many obstacles of childhood, adolescence and adulthood. These challenges only serve to make us stronger, that is if they don’t kill us. One such challenge which is tertiary education. For gender diverse people, often education will finish with high school, due to the uncomfortable social reality that transitioning causes and a will not want to be discouraged by a community, inherently ignorant of gender diversity. The end of high school is usually a chance to break away and transition with a degree of control over the people who will be involved in that process.
Transitioning through education, whether it be High School or University adds a lot of extra pressure on the student and more often than not, it will affect their studies. The problem with this is that it makes the academic realm an unfair playing field, inherently favouring those who sufficiently privileged so as to avoid part time jobs, race and sexuality based discrimination. The amount of emotional, physical and social stress that a gender transition brings with it makes success at University a lot rarer than it should be for trans and genderqueer students. Queer spaces and mental health counselling are often available through the University and can help students through their degrees, but the best assistance a transitioning student can get is from friends and supporters on campus.
Prioritising school work can be a challenge, when faced with the reality of gender based hate and structural oppression, which is a focus of transphobia. The unfortunate thing for every day people is that most communities, including university communities are inherantly transphobic. You don’t have to go out of your way to be transphobic because of lot of common social discourses employ cisgender privileges which exclude trans and genderqueer people by their very nature. Discussions about childhood, sexuality, family, economics, biology, culture, religion, philosophy and language are all inherently transphobic. As a language student, I am all too that the English language has no gender neutral pronoun.
Lessons are often narrow and framed renditions from a culture of learning that is almost entirely about cisgendered experiences and still heavily patriarchal. We are only learning the most popular opinions and theories which pertain to standards which exclude many minorities. While extra courses can be offered to cover this academic void, like gender studies or sexology, it doesn’t change the fact that existing courses are not changing to be trans-inclusive, the culture clash rages on. As a student of Asian cultures I am all to aware of the gendered relationships which are common in every day life and persist into the language itself. This can be entirely awkward, relearning all the bad habits in new languages, despite spending years overcoming them. All I can derive from my experiences is that I will be impolite wherever I go, because I do not enjoy the gender binary.
Apart from the content which is taught, there is also an obvious culture clash between me and my fellow students. I have had a very different upbringing and often I find myself in the awkward position of working in a group, where homophobic and transphobic language and behaviour is the norm. It is also very apparent that cis-privilege is being flaunted causing dilemmas in itself – references to sexuality, lifestyle, travel (I can’t get a valid passport), childhood, high school and social activities are often awkward and excluding. This is bad, but what is worse is that it happens ALL THE TIME. It is hard to escape the continuous onslaught of gender based oppression as a trans/genderqueer person because it exists everywhere, save for a few safer spaces such as Queer Departments and Mental Health counselling services.
If you find yourself isolated and struggling to find support, don’t be afraid to speak to someone who may be able to help perhaps a counsellor, or sign up to an online support group. Most importantly, get educated about your rights, your needs and don’t be afraid to raise the consciousness of your friends by being truthful and sincere about the rather difficult time you are having at university. Stop accepting this type of oppression and help prevent it from becoming a bad habit – speak out!
Filed under: Trans Activism, Trans Issues | Leave a Comment
Tags: education, gender, genderqueer, oppression, trangender, trans*
#HACKGENDER and Break Free!
I’m glad that we have a genderqueer event here in Perth and I am glad people are supporting it. The idea of a genderqueer event is something a bit different to the mainstream, it isn’t traditionally queer in that it challenges the gender binary, as opposed to the heterosexual monopoly. In recent decades we’ve seen ‘deregulation’ of the sexual monopoly but sadly gender freedom, that is the freedom of gender expression and identity is still given the same focus or importance. Obstacles in the law and obstructions in society often become daunting barriers to social fluidity and integration, which can lead to isolation and many people might choose not to question gender, express their own perspectives and cross a line or two on the path to a new identity.
Milisha is a concept, which is still in its infancy, a community for trans/genderqueer people, to communicate and organise, not only for equal footing in the law, but share strategies for challenging oppression in society wherever it is encountered. The focus of this is the magazine, which includes articles, artworks, poetry and other relevant and interesting materials to trans people. Diverse and interesting people deserve to read something diverse and interesting – and the more people support the idea of trans/genderqueer representation here in Perth, the more diverse and interesting the possibilities.
#HACKGENDER is the first of what I hope is a regular night out to cross dress, cross cross dress, put on a fancy outfit, dare to be different, or just dance the night away free of the gender binary that controls so much of our lives. I think it is important that this space survives, because otherwise everything stays the same – I think it’s something many of us can look forward to once a month – I think it will be great and the night will evolve as we get more experience and feedback from our supporters!
Live and Perth and want to come? Buy Tickets on the Milisha website
http://milishamagazine.com/scrapbook/events/
Filed under: #hackgender, fun stuff, Milisha, Trans Issues | Leave a Comment
Tags: androgyny, events, fun, genderqueer, intersex, perth, queer, sex, trans*, transgender, transsexual, Western Australia
In the weeks gone past, I’ve been organising affairs for a trans/genderqueer night out, where people can relax and have fun, without the judgements and privileges of a gender binary – This has been great fun, and now we’re looking for performers. The event now has a name, venue, date and at least one performer – but the final line-up may change. So excititing! The series up upcoming trans/genderqueer events in Perth will be known as #hackgender and each new night will have its own theme, the first theme for the very first #hackgender night is ‘Alien Worlds’ – This is as much a representation of our struggle as it is a cue on how to dress – It just means that if you want to – you can be whoever you want, no matter what gender, sex or sexuality – because everyone like to experiment and dress up once in a while, especially trans and genderqueer peeps.
This has been a big step in making something that we can enjoy without being mocked by gender performance, namely typical queer attitudes that trans and genderqueer people are like drag kings and queens – dare I say our gender diverse blood runs a little deeper and we shouldn’t have to remain silent while we’re going through the changes that David Bowie once sang about. If you want to make this night a success, the best thing to do is support it, so eventually, you will be able to do that on FB and Twitter, but for now, contribute to the discussion on the forums on the Milisha Magazine site at http://milishamagazine.com/forum/ under the community section.
The event isn’t until August, so things may change and I would love to have people offer their thoughts and opinions to making this both a safe and entertaining experience. If you’re a genderqueer performer and would be interested in performing at this event please contact me either on the forums or facebook – just find the Milisha Magazine page, or like it directly from this site.
In other news – The website is still under construction, but we have upgraded our book and movie links to stores, which means you can get all the links to trans and genderqueer books and movies here on the website – the links took you to Amazon as it is for further information, now it is all available here – so you don’t have to leave the site! And you can even buy them from here – so if you ever want to buy a trans/genderqueer book, or movie then look no further – you’ll still have to wait for international shipping – but shopping is fun!
Filed under: #hackgender, fun stuff, Milisha, Trans Activism | 2 Comments
Tags: #hackgender
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