Beyond Drag Part Deux

This is my first blog post. Not just for The Downtown Independent Employee Blog, but the first blog post of my life. So, go easy on me. People think I have a heart of stone, but I’m actually quite sensitive.

Last night I was lucky enough to see several of the shorts presented in Ultra Fabulous – Beyond Drag Part Deux. Thanks, Vivian (Our house manager) for letting me watch! Beyond Drag describes itself as, ” a celebration of gender identification – featuring androgynes, the transgendered, drag queens and tranimals…” So how could Viv not let me watch the shorts? I mean, these are my people.

I missed the first few because, you know, I was working, but I came in during Chico’s Angels, which was fabulous. My favorite of the night was Zachary Drucker’s You Will Never Be a Woman… or maybe it was called Two People Who Identify as Transgendered in Bed. I’m not sure! This computer at work won’t let me download videos from Zachary’s website. I’ll have to wait ’til I get off.

Following the shorts was a fabulous Q and A moderated by Drag Superstar Jackie Beat (who also had a great short in the night that you can view on her website here.) and featuring Calpernia Addams, Buck Angel and Zackary Drucker. True story: Once at Shits and Giggles (Back when it was still our neighbor at 740) Jackie Beat said to me, “Honey, you look like you just got out of bed.” The truth is, I had.

Anyway, gotta make popcorn so to wrap up –  But thanks to Austin Young and Saskia Wilson-Brown for arranging such a fabulous night and bringing out the Trans and gay community to the Independent. Please come back and keep us company sometime!  

I clasp your hands,

Nedjelko Spaich one of the Downtown Indie Usher Dream Team

Last week, Miss Hedda Lettuce gave students at Saint Peter’s College a special treat: a live performance on their campus.

The famous drag comedienne played a house of students just before Thanksgiving, and they couldn’t have been more excited. In fact, many students delayed their trips home just to see her perform.

In general, the students loved the performance, which included her usual hilarious commentary and musical numbers. Even those she chose to comment on from the audience enjoyed the show, including Miss Julia Cervantes, who was praised for her choice of hooker shoes.

In all, the event, which was hosted by the campus’ GSA (PRIDE) was a great success for all who attended.

by sylvia 

So we’ve got this Holiday Party coming up on Friday, we’ve got our dresses and our shoes, we’ve got appointments to get our hair did, Bianca has secured a babysitter after so much drama, and we are ready to get our drinkin’ and dancin’ on. 

But I have a problem. 

I don’t know how to wear eye makeup. 

No one ever really taught me how to wear make up, I didn’t really start wearing it until later in high school, and even then, it was just very basic stuff – you know, to look fresh and fun, not to cover up any pimples or anything. 

I never learned how to wear eye makeup, though.  I taught myself the art of mascara or whatever, because my eyes literally disappear into my face without any mascara – literally.  A few years ago, I started experimenting with eyeshadow, but still stuck to the basics. So I’ve got those things covered. 

But because I wear glasses everyday, all the time, I guess I never really tried too hard with the eyeliner.  And I’m probably a good candidate for eyeliner, as my eyes are small and close together (and I have a lazy eye, too…please, boys, form a single line!) 

But when I’ve experimented with it (last night is a good example) I look like a really jacked up drag queen with no makeup skills who has been crying and wearing too much eye makeup.  Think Tammy Faye, but not as classy or sophisticated. 

So for this party, I plan on not wearing my glasses (and subsequently squinting and still not seeing all night) so I want to my eyes to “pop” (thanks again, Tyra), but I plan on wearing some bright red lipstick, so I don’t want to get too bold. 

I thought about getting my makeup done, but I don’t think I’m that kind of person.  Apparently, I’m the type of person that likes to look like a jacked up, poorly-skilled drag queen.  I mean, I really want to learn how to do it myself. 

So I watched some videos last night, and it seems so simple and then I try it and BAM – raccoon eyes. 

Here is an example of an attempt I made: 

Up close, it doesn't look too bad and are those WRINKLES?!?!?!

So am I supposed to apply eyeliner to the upper and lower lashes?  What is this about the water line?  I mean, doesn’t the liner basically just drip off in two seconds because it’s wet? 

Check out that pupil

Here’s a picture of my lipstick, which I’m including because I took a picture.  I’m finding I really enjoy taking pictures of my individual features, vs. looking at the whole thing at once.  I guess it’s the facial version of the belly project.  Maybe by doing this I can learn to love and accept my whole damn face: 

Can you see my moustache?

So, does anyone have any recommendations for making my eyes pop while being seductive and demure, yet not detracting from the bold red lip I am putting out there?  I mean, I want to to do something different than my every day look, but don’t want to look busted.  I still have a few days to practice, so I am open to suggestions! 

Kisses!

Suite des flashbacks : mardi 10 novembre

Mardi dernier, Mélanie et sa copine, deux des colocs de l’étage, nous ont emmené au Mado, voir un show. Mado, c’est une institution à Montréal. Mado, c’est au village, le quartier gay et lesbien qui fait référence au Québec et ailleurs. Mado, c’est un cabaret de drag queen, et ça vaut le détour.

Dites bonjour à Mado

Depuis presque 15 ans, Mado et ses copines (copains ?) font des shows à thème, et ils font bien rire. Hétéros, gays et lesbiennes se croisent là bas, et ça se presse aux premiers rangs pour admirer les délires vestimentaires de ces messieurs (mesdames ?). Perruques flashys aux formes improbables, minijupes et visages surmaquillés, concours de cils les plus longs du monde, gorge galbée et orgie de paillettes.

Mado est un peu fou-folle, a un humour acéré surtout sur les français, et a du mal à avoir des intonations féminines avec son accent québécois à couper au couteau qu’on dirait qu’y débarque tout droit d’Abitibi Témiscamingue.

Mado et ses drag queen sont pas snob pour un sou, et aiment bien charrier leur public. Ce soir là, le thème du cabaret, c’était les Télétoons. On a eu droit à des danses et des sketchs fous sur Olive la femme de Popeye, la sulfureuse vamp Jessica Rabbit (femme dudit Roger) et plein d’autres références québécoises où on a rien compris. Et puis à la fin ils ont tous craqué et nous ont fait un remake avec déguisements costauds à l’appui du Lion King, Pow Wow à fond, Timon et Pumba en apothéose. Et puis ils ont fait un rappel parce que tout le monde criait et Walt Disney aurait eu très peur des dérives de son histoire dans un spectacle un peu trop déshabillé pour les enfants.

Après le show, chez Mado, il-elle passe aux platines et c’est dance club jusqu’à 3h, dans la sueur et dans la joie. C’est le moment de sortir fumer une cigarette enveloppé dans une couverture rose qu’ils distribuent à l’entrée pour pas avoir une pneumonie en sus du cancer. Madame Simone, la drag queen de l’entrée, te fait de grands compliments sur ton torse et ta pilosité et se reconcentre pour pas tomber de ses talons de 25cm de haut. Puis quand on est rentré, c’était marrant, parce qu’on était les seuls hétéros dans la boite. Et on a sacrément rigolé.

Pour plus de paillettes dans les yeux : Chez Mado

La Karl du Pigné in uno scatto di Fanny Coletta

Se c’è in Italia un personaggio che si possa in qualche modo accostare alle superstar in drag della Factory di Andy Warhol, questo è La Karl du Pigné, regina della scena en travesti capitolina. Non solo per aver doppiato, dando voce a Jackie Curtis, l’edizione italiana del film “Women in revolt” di Paul Morrisey, per RaroVideo, La Karl du Pigné è circonfusa di un allure warholiana per quel modo che le è proprio di stare dentro e fuori i costumi di scena. Per saper cavalcare i bassifondi sui tacchi altri con la stessa affettata grazia di uno dei tanti freak che attorniavano lo stralunato Andy come api.

All’ultimo minuto  dell’ultimo giorno prima della chiusura, sono passato nel grazioso e minuscolo Monteverde Spaziodarte, a Roma, per visitare la mostra “Queen” la prima personale della fotografa Fanny Coletta, che vede La Karl du Pigné protagonista di una serie di ritratti.

Ambientati in location d’effetto come una salina e una vecchia chiesa, gli scatti di Fanny Coletta non vogliono essere nè una celebrazione del personaggio nè una rappresentazione patinata dello stereotipo della drag queen. Persa la parrucca, sporco il vestito, impietosa la luce del sole appena sorto che, sostituendosi agli occhi di bue dei palchi delle discoteche, mostra la pelle segnata dal passaggio del tempo, dalla carta vetrata dei giorni, dall’affanno di un’umana vanità.

Polvere, acqua salmastra, sferze del vento, pioli di ferro di scale senza destinazione su cui arrampicarsi, porte chiuse di legno consunto, sostanziano i plastici primi piani della protagonista, che si distacca dall’idea tradizionale di drag queen per diventare icona in quel luogo culturale e immaginifico in cui cessa di essere stringente il confine e la definizione dei generi, mescolando ironia e tragedia.

Por Thiago Almeida

O preconceito para – Homossexualidade, Travestismo, Transformismo, Drag Queen e Transexual – fruto de uma sociedade que ainda precisa aprender a respeitar as diferenças.

Apesar de grandes avanços alcançados pelos movimentos de defesa dos direitos às Lésbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transexuais e Transgêneros – LGBTTTs – ainda hoje são notórios os casos de preconceitos sofridos. A bola da vez agora é o governador Roberto Requião (PMDB) que esteve envolvido durante um discurso, em piadas que, de alguma maneira, ofenderam à homossexuais. Mas Requião não foi o único a se envolver em episódios como estes, assim como não somente de casos negativos vive o movimento LGBTTTs, como no caso de Luma Andrade – ou João Filho Nogueira de Andrade – o primeiro travesti a alcançar nível superior no país.

Stonewall Inn New York – By Google Image Creative Commons.

Segundo matéria publicada por Cristina Massari no Jornal O Globo -16 de março de 2009 – Stonewall Inn em New York se tornou um símbolo do movimento em defesa dos LGBTTTs. É sem duvidas o bar gay, onde na noite de 28 de junho de 1969 um tumulto entre travestis, gays, lesbicas e policiais levaram estes a se organizar melhor em torno de uma política e lutas por diretos iguais.

A última parada gay de São Paulo contou com aproximadamente 3,4 milhões de participantes – segundos dados da Associação da Parada do Orgulho GLBT de São Paulo – o que mostra a força política e social que o movimento tem conseguido nos grandes centros brasileiros.

Fruto de ações direcionadas tanto por ONGs e entidades representativas o Brasil se destaca frente a muitos países Latino Americanos.

Parada gay em São Paulo, 2008 - By Google Image Creative Commons.

Recentemente o Governador do Paraná Roberto Requião PMDB se envolveu em polemica com grupos de defesa a deiversidade, pois em um evento recente no Estado, desferiu o seguinte comentário contra a comunidade GLBTs “hoje câncer de mama seja uma doença masculina também, né? Deve ser conseqüência dessas passeatas gays”. As palavras de “brincadeira” – segundo o próprio Governador – inflamaram os ânimos de grupos GLBTs no Brasil inteiro, que solicitam pedidos formais de desculpa.

Ainda no final de janeiro de 2004, no Congresso Nacional, o deputado Fernando Gabeira mencionou sentir a falta de um representante das travestis naquela casa legislativa, isso se deve em partes a crescente necessidade de um envolvimento político mais coeso por parte dos movimentos e defesa dos travestis, que outrora eram mão de obra freqüente em Salões de Beleza, Clinicas de Estética, trabalhos com corte e costura e em sua grande maioria a via da prostituição.

Segundo Sarug Dagir – Psicóloga formada pela UFMG, Mestre em Letras pela UFMG e atualmente atuando com educação à distância na condição de tutora de curso de atualização pela UFOP chamado “Gênero e Diversidade na Escola” além de atuar em diversas ONGs e organizações de defesa dos direitos da comunidade GLBTs -, sobre o papel da família e amigos na vida de um Travesti:

“Geralmente travesti não tem família. Ou seja, quando alguém se assume travesti ou transexual logo rompe os laços com a família e a escola, indo parar nas ruas onde será palco de uma nova socialização via prostituição. A travesti vale o valor que cobra em seu programa. geralmente é uma população com baixa alto estima e vive um estilo de vida  segregada e clandestina.” Afirma.

Isso ilustra muito bem a vida marginal que muitos travestis passam a levar quando se assumem para a sociedade.

Mas não somente de denuncias, manifestações e prostituição é que os travestis e transexuais são vistos dia a dia na mídia brasileira. Muitos são os casos de travestis, transexuais e afins aqui no Brasil ou no exterior que com muita luta e garra consegue aparecer com o fruto de seu talento.

Camila Cabral é uma transexual Brasileira naturalizada Francesa candidatou recentemente à vereadora de Paris pelo Partido Verde.

Em entrevista ao Diário de Pernambuco – pernambucana formada em Medicina pela Universidade Federal do Pernambuco – Camila fala como começou sua vida política “No consultório, recebia muitas clientes transexuais portadoras de HIV. Comecei a observar a forma como viviam e passei a lutar pelos direitos de profissionais do sexo. A partir daí, me engajei na campanha pelos direitos de imigrantes, pelo combate ao tráfico de pessoas. Até ser convidada pelo Partido Verde para sair como vereadora. Fui candidata duas vezes ao Parlamento Francês. Por falta de apoio dos partidos não fui eleita. Virei uma figura difícil porque não luto por direita, centro ou esquerda. Voto apenas nas minhas convicções. Naquilo que acredito ser melhor para o cidadão.” Afirma.

No último fim de semana – sábado 31 de outubro – a transexual brasileira Daniela Marques conseguiu o terceiro lugar no concurso Miss Rainha Internacional, realizado na Tailândia. Foi mais um marco não somente na carreira da modelo, mas também um fator significativo aos que lutam dia a pela igualdade sexual.

Na academia o grande destaque fica por conta de Luma de

Andrade – João Filho Nogueira de Andrade – a primeira travesti brasileira a ingressar em um curso de doutoramento.

Luma também é servidora do Estado, na Secretaria da Educação. Coordena 28 escolas em 13 municípios do interior do Ceará. Um exemplo de luta e conquista para  alguém filha de analfabetos e que viveu muitos anos no sertão nordestino. Mas Luma resistiu. Estudou e conquistou espaços: Cursou Ciências na UECE de Limoeiro, fez Mestrado em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente na Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Norte e conquistou agora vaga no doutorado da UFC.

Enquanto grupos minoritários Transexuais, travestis e homossexuais serão vitimas da do preconceito e da falta de informação da sociedade; porém dia a dia eles vêm mostrando capacidade para enfrentar de frente e com dignidade os desafios que a vida lhes impõe em virtude de suas orientações sexuais.

RussellaVision

I came across her videos looking up milliner Piers Atkinson. She interviews him on one of her episodes.

Love it!

http://www.piersatkinson.com/

Below a video showcasing his millinery!

Ironia ou não, a Drag Queen Rhea arrasou na apresentação :

Como diria Katylene, ALACKA!

Letícia

Parece que a cultura flash mob chegou e não vai nos deixar tão cedo. O sucesso do flash mob fez com que DJ Dan Murphy organiza-se a versão gay que rolou em Bondi Beach, Sydney, Austrália.

O vídeo ficou legal. Se eu soubesse, tinha dado uma passadinha por lá !!!

NTKOG #62: The kind of girl who channels her inner diva and hits the town with obscenely platinum wannabe-starlet locks. In wig form, natch, ’cause who really has the IQ points to burn for bleach?

I am: a brunette, through and through.

I am not: especially desiring of attention through the way I dress. Unless it’s for something stupid-awesome like my machete necklace or pipe-smokin’ fedora.

The Scene: Saturday night, early evening, on the heels of my non-disastrous date. Remember that time I put on a Lady Gaga-ish blonde wig and slipped out into the sunset? Okay, so, for the cinematic date exit, that was a stroke of genius. For the duration of the T ride over to my wig-themed pub crawl? Aaaaaawk.

Yes, I took this with my iPhone in a bar bathroom. Because I am ALL CLASS, y'all.

The walk over to the T station, I was trailed by a few high schoolers who kept whispering and giggling just out of my auditory range. Stop obsessing, I chided myself, but by the time we all stood at the T platform, it was obvious that I wasn’t just making it up: they were definitely commenting. Whatever, guys. You’re in high school. Talk to me when you don’t still think handjobs are cool.

Then, when I took my spot on the T, people’s attentions grew more intense. The people around my handhold polite-awkwardly averted their gaze (no doubt wondering why my social life is so much cooler than theirs). But the worst was a leather-tanned WASPy lady on the other side of the car, weighed down by dozens of boutique carrier bags and flanked by a few botoxic minions. Gossip Girl: The Minivan Years, is what I’m getting at.

She sat there staring at me, then nudged each of her friends in turn and shot them significant glances at me. At one point, she caught my eye and shook her head in slow motion. The breaking point was when a total stranger stood in front of her, and she violated all rules of T etiquette by nudging the stranger and mouthing “Look!” over in my direction. Being TKOG, I strode across the car and grabbed a handhold close to the lady.

TKOG: So you seem to be admiring my hair.
Serena Van der Bitch: It’s very unusual.
TKOG: I’m not sure what you think is so weird about this. I mean, I’m in the flush of my youth, it’s a Saturday night and it’s drinkin’ time, soooo…
SVdB: Oh. I was wondering if–
TKOG: Dude, did you think it was a chemo wig? Look at this raggedy mess.
SVdB: No, I was just wondering–

But at that point, the train came to a stop, so I shot her my best Mets-steps bitchface, spun on my (four-inch) heel, and stormed off haughtily.

Not long after, I was sipping my first beer at the wig pubcrawl and a gorgeous girl in a similarly platinum array joined our group and squealed: “Do I look okay? I must look horrible! The whole ride over on the T, I was convinced everyone thought I was a drag queen.” I immediately assured her that she was so feminine, no way anyone would ever–ohhhhhhhhh shit.

Searching and fearless personal inventory of my look: Platinum blonde Anna Nicole Smith hair. Broad shoulders. 5′11″ in heels, with another few inches of teased roots.

Shit, dudes. Shit. I guess that explains why she was staring. Man, though, I wish I’d known what the T-bagger was thinking at the time, ’cause I totally would have started hitting on some straight-laced business men in my best husky drag queen voice. That really would have given her something to talk about.

The Verdict: Hey, so you know my little rule about how you’re not really the center of the universe so quit obsessing over yourself because nobody even notices all the weird stuff you’re doing in public? Um. That doesn’t apply to accidental drag, apparently. Awk. But I’d totally do it again because, dude, if there is one thing TKOG is down with, it is the blurring of gender roles. And pushing boundaries for uptight on-lookers!

As for the wig crawl, on the other hand, I’d scarcely advocate it. A few sips into my second beer, it became apparent that the girl I was talking to was in fact gorgeous-insane, and halfway through her second blow-by-blow description of her breast reduction surgery, I returned the baby blue swarovski crystal headband she had slipped onto my wig (without my permission!) and beat a hasty retreat.

Dissabte 07/11 ens van fer el comiat de solters. Estàvem a casa tan tranquils quan, de cop i volta, sentim des del balcó una colla de bojos que comencen a cridar, xiular i cantar: “Visca Hong Kong, visca Sabadell!”.

Treiem el cap i, morts de vergonya, ens adonem que hi ha tots els nostres amics a baix al carrer, vestits amb samarretes carabassa amb la nostra foto impresa.

Anteriorment ens havien donat una llista d’elements que havíem de portar.  Agafem els patracols, ens autodesitgem sort, i baixem al carrer.

El primer que van fer va ser donar-nos una samarreta temàtica a cadascú i dir-nos que ens poséssim els antifaços. Ens van repartir a cadascú a un cotxe diferent i apa, som-hi.

Però a on?

Aaaah, sorpresaaaa! Ja us ho trobareu!!!

Al final vam arribar al Tibidabo.

Va ser súper guai!

Un cop a dins, ens van començar a fer tot de proves. La cosa va començar malament, perquè la primera prova va ser: demaneu-li a algú de l’altre sexe que us descordi el primer botó dels pantalons i la primera senyora a qui ho vaig demanar va fugir corrents amb cara de “socorrs, un maníac”! Per sot una parella jove amb un fill es van prestar més a la conya.

Ens van fer un test de preguntes generals (resulta que jo sóc més bon hongkonguès que la Dawn catalana) o un altre tipus Su Media Naranja (us en recordeu?) amb pissarreta inclosa amb preguntes com ara “al llit quina és la teva postura preferida?”. Per sort vam acertar.

Però sens dubte el més espectacular va ser passar-nos tot el dia disfressat de princesa (jo) i d’Abeja Maya (la Dawn, que estava guapíssima!). Vam ser l’atracció de tots els nens. Per allà on anàvem, tothom començava a cantar: “En un país multicolooor”.

(Aquest foto ens encanta, ens l’hem impresa i emmarcada a casa!)

Va ser boníssim que, tot dinant, dos nens d’uns sis o set anys se li acosten a la Dawn i tots seriosos li pregunten:

- Com és que les abelles també veuen cocacola?

El Tibidabo va ser molt bonic. Ens ho vam passar molt bé. No hi havia estat des que l’havien reobert i trobo que l’han deixat molt bé: les vistes són espectaculars i l’han fet rotllo vintage, amb un toc antic que queda molt agradable, ja sigui per passejar-hi o per muntar a les atraccions. Val la pena!

Del Tibidabo vam passar un moment per casa i, ja canviats, vam anar a sopar. Teníem taula reservada a Eterna, un restaurant d’espectacle amb drag queens. Va ser molt divertit, cantaven cançons i es ficaven amb el públic. Això sí, la Dawn i jo ens vam passar tota la nit pregant que, sisplau, ens ignoressin. I per sort no se’ns van acostar!

El Dani i el Lucas es van partir el cul (ups!) de tant de riure!!!

Finalment vam acabar la nit cantant karaoke, on vam riure molt. Tant del que cantàvem nosaltres, com el que cantava la resta de públic. Hi havia molt de friki suelto! Un pavo que es pensava que estava a Operación Triunfo, i una senyora sudamericana que portava 10 copes de mes, no s’aguantava dreta, no veia la lletra de les cançons que cantava i tot i així va atemptar una vegada i una altra cançons d’aquestes súper karaokils de “me has herido, me ha robado el corazón y se ha ido con otra”.

La nostra colla vam cantar Entre dos tierras, Isla bonita, Mamma mia, Eternal Flame (la Dawn i jo), etc

La Irene i jo cantant al ritme de la Madonna a Isla Bonita: “él dihow te amow” amb accent americà hua hua hua!

Vam arribar a casa cap a les 5, reventats, però mlt contents. Els nostres amics s’havien currat un dia esplèndid!

Moltes gràcies a tots:

- Als que per sort hi vau poder assistir: Àlex, Irene, Ester, Laura, Jordi, Edu, Gemma, Marga, Jordi, Rosa, Jordi, Núria, Jordi, Lucas, Dani, Sara i Helena

- Als que per desgràcia no hi vau poder assistir

I ara, dissabte que ve, la mega Wedding Celebration!!!!

So yesterday afternoon I hurtled off to Ripon to my appointment with the physiotherapist. I was ushered into a cubicle behind a curtain and the physio asked if a student could sit in and observe. No problem. And did I bring shorts? What? No. Was I supposed to? No one told me. Ah well. Just take off my T-shirt and shoes and socks.

What? I’m not going paddling. Well ok then, but my feet have been in trainers all morning and will smell. Incidentally, I wonder why we call them ‘trainers’. They don’t train us. Still stranger is the American ’sneakers’ since I suspect they’re rarely used for real sneaking. So I remove my protective layers and the room slowly fills with the green miasma of feet.

She then proceeds to ask me all sorts of peculiar questions, and some not peculiar but verging on the seemingly irrelevant.

“Have you noticed any unexpected weightloss?” was my personal favourite. I looked down at the protruding, distended huge beer-filled stomach that threatens to overbalance me and tip me off the table. I look like a small moon with legs.

“You are kidding, right?”

So next she wants to see me walk. Now walking is the most natural thing in the world, even if you’re limping. Until someone asks to watch you do it. Then something inside gets all self conscious and stops your natural walk. Instead you become acutely aware that you are being carefully observed and you instinctively try to display the problem that they are checking for. I walk with a limp and a slightly stiff leg most of the time at the moment. The result of my efforts was some laughable, camp, bandy-legged, mincing lurching puppet with a broken string.

I must have looked like Igor the assistant on his night off when he stars as Loretta at Les Boys.

She then began to test the limits of my bones, muscles and nerves by twisting, pulling, bending and stretching me in directions that I don’t even let wifey try. At the end of the hour, I shuffled/limped/hopped/lurched/minced out of the physio department and to the car. I was getting a lift both there and home, just in case I wouldn’t be able to ride my bike after. And I wouldn’t.

I have several long, painful exercises to do three times a day. I added up how long they could take and it comes to almost 10% of my day! I hope that my next visit next week will allow me to drop some of them. But… It is vaguely possible that if this all works I could avoid surgery. And that sounds good to me.

So last night I did my exercises while we watched Priscilla – Queen of the Desert. It was making me vaguely uncomfortable watching the film, as the drunk drag queens in high heels reminded me too much of how I looked at the physio! And I did my exercises again this morning. I am now walking like Hans Moleman from the Simpsons. 

And in the last 18 hours I have discovered the other, hidden downside (upside?) of physio. Because of the ways they have bent and stretched me I have done nothing but fart for 18 hours. Some of this air might have been trapped since the 70s!

Happy Wednesday and don’t come near me with a naked flame.

Ciao

So last spring/summer I went “abroad” to Hawai’i.

I am lucky enough to have family there — my Uncle and my Grandma

Early in my trip they took me to Queens Park, a beautiful beach side park in Honolulu.

The conversation went a little something like this

Uncle: This is Queens Park…where all the Queens come

Rachel: Wait, like…the royal kind, or…another kind?

Uncle: LIKE THE GAY KIND!

I. love. my. uncle.

What kind of Queen are you?

]]> http://tasithoughts.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/wanda-sykes-late-night-talk-show-is-a-must-see/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:19:45 +0000 tasithoughts http://tasithoughts.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/wanda-sykes-late-night-talk-show-is-a-must-see/

Wanda Sykes

There is a new kid on the Late Night Show circuit and she has turn it upside down and put life into the genre.  I wish it was not only on on Saturday nights. It is the Wanda Sykes Show.

Yes, there is an Open Bar on the set.  Yes there is a super size Vanna White type Drag Queen assistant named Portia.  Yes, she has  prolific sidekick, Keith Robinson.  However, it is the no holds bar comedic style that is signature Wanda that makes this show work and makes it so fresh. It is also a very liberal  oasis on a network called Fox.

Sykes offers a catharsis of sorts for a nation wearied by the barrage of news from economic turmoil to foreign policy debates.  Her humor is biting and intelligent.  I found myself just laughing and enjoying the Wanda Sykes ride .  I mean I have not enjoyed a late night show like this one for a long time.

We need her voice and I hope she is around for a long time.

Hoy fuí a sacar fotos a la marcha del orgullo gay y la verdad es que la pasé muy bien. Todo el evento fue muy relajado y nadie tenía ningún problema en posar para la cámara.

Lo que más me llamó la atención fue la cantidad de fotografos (amateurs y profesionales) que había, creo que debían superar en número a los que concurrían a la marcha para participar (si no me olvido de alguna categoría eran: Gays, Lesbianas, Bisexuales y Transexuales) aunque la mayor parte de los fotografos se manejaban con mucho respeto y buena onda, y a los personajes que buscaban llamar la atención (como el de la foto) les encantaba la atención de las cámaras, para ellos debía ser como ir a algún evento con alfombra roja, mientras que los que sacabamos fotos nos divertíamos y teníamos la posibilidad de sacarle fotos a extraños sin que nadie se moleste.

Hello!

So I thought you all might like to know some stuff about me, or why else are you reading this blog? While I intend write about my queer childhood at a later time in several installments, today I’m going to focus on where I’m at right now so I can begin to track my trans process. Let’s start with some of my identities.

I am nineteen year-old, second year undergraduate student at University of California, Irvine. I’m a dance major here, which I love, and I am also looking into either double majoring with Women’s Studies or adding the minor. I’ve been out as a gay boy since I was fourteen to pretty much everyone, and I am very involved with queer life on campus. When I was 12, I started going vegetarian and am experimenting with veganism recently. Used to identify as a democrat but now I feel like I’m too radical for them. Eco-conscious anti-consumer bike-riding Goodwill lover. Indie/anti-folk/ambient electronica music listener. Feminist (duh). Life-loving atheist. Bi-racial (White/Filipino) with California and Hawaiian culture influences. Recently single after a three year relationship with a gay boy.

So I think those are all the surface identities I strongly identify with, or at least I can think of right now. But let’s get down to the interesting stuff, what is my gender identity at this moment? I still look male, and while I think I fall in the fem category of gay culture, I am still addressed as a “he”. I’ve only been using the word transgender for about a week now as an identity for myself. In some circles I’ve been using the word genderqueer for about two years but did not really push it. Genderqueer is an identity I’ve wanted to claim for awhile and while I have said it I don’t think I’ve ever embraced it as a full identity. I think it’s because I was trying to distance it from a transgender identity, but I’m starting to see that you can’t be genderqueer without being transgender.

Oh, did I mention that I’m also a Drag Queen some nights? Perhaps that belongs in the other longer list of categories but maybe not. I’m not sure the Drag Queen identity is a personal identity or just an act of performance, but doing drag has definetly helped me discover and play with my gender identity more. From what I’ve read and percieve, dragging is a highly contested act within the transgender community and I personally have conflicting issues about it. I do believe that there is good and bad taste when it comes to drag and believe me honey, I’ve seen both sides. Sometimes I feel like men doing drag is just mysogny played out in theater. Other times I think it really respects and worships feminity. And most of the time I see drag queens as a mixture of doing both. Also is there room for drag outside of the gender binary? If I start to identify as a mix of both female and male or no-gender in what ways can I perform drag? I wonder that as I explore transgenderism how my attitude about drag will change.

So one question I’ve been asking myself is: Why are you exploring your gender identity now? I think it started the summer of 2007, right before my last year of highschool, when I read this book called Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity edited by Mattilda aka Matt Bernstein Sycamore. It’s collection of essays about identity and in which ways individuals “pass” in this society. It showed me a glimpse of the trans world and gave me the identity genderqueer. However, it was like it showed me the door but I was afraid to open it more than just a crack, because I think as soon as I entered there’s no going back. I even changed my name when I started college to Kai which is much more androgynous than my birth name . I also believe that my recent breakup with my boyfriend after a three year relationship has given me more room to explore my gender identity without feeling like I’m affecting the sexual relationship of my significant other. However, I think the most significant factor of why I am embarking on my transgender journey right now is I realized recently that that the gay fraternity I was a member of was not the right place for me. I did not identify strongly with the concept of “men” and “brotherhood.” So this last Monday I told them I was leaving to explore my gender identity so I guess that thrust me through the door to the transgender world.

So what am I doing now? I’m not quite sure, I’m going shopping with my roommate to Goodwill this weekend and we’ll see what type of outfits come out of that. Otherwise I’m not really sure how to become a proper transgender person, especially when I’m not even sure yet what gender I want to inhabit. The only thing I know is that I am ready to embark on this journey, one step at a time.

This past weekend was the HUGE bash in the Fifth Ward of Milwaukee – tons of people, tons of prizes – and of course, TONS of Booze!  Yours truly was a whore along with 2 friends and pimp – it was AWESOME.  My feet are still sore – but it was worth it!  Here’s some pix from it:

Gay people have a history all on their own from the rest of mankind. It’s like being African-American; they have a history of their own. I guess if you are gay and African-American, then you a lot of history that a lot of people can’t relate too. A couple of Sundays ago, I participated in something I though I would never do in a million years, and I would recommend any gay man to do it at least once in their lifetime. I became a drag queen for a day. And no, it was not for Halloween.

At first, I was a little sceptical about the whole idea, but then I thought it would be a lot of fun. I agreed to do it and I kept my word. It is not easy transforming yourself into a woman. The reason for this transformation came because of the Academy of Washington’s Miss Turnabout pageant. It is a pageant where non-drag queen in the Academy became drag queens for that day, and all the drag queens go as themselves. I would become Mini Kane Lovelace.

There are lots of things that needed to be checked off before I was fully committed to participating in it: have a gown, have hair set aside, and have shoes for the gown. Everything else like make-up and panty hoses were easily resolved with a trip to the drug store. My drag mother, Patty Lovelace, provided the gown; my drag father, John Kane, provided the hair; and I bought the shoes for the gown. I didn’t need the heel to be to high because then the dress would have been lifted off the ground too much. Aside from the gown, I also wanted a walk around dress before we the competition started, which Patty also provided with the shoes.

Mark and I went to like four different places trying to find some white powder for my make-up. We never found the one he was actually looking for but we did get some off-white powder that did the trick. I shaved my arms and arm pits the night before because both of my dresses were sleeveless and I didn’t want people judging me on my hairy arms. Mark also trimmed by eyebrows that night. I didn’t want to do it on so many levels, but I finally gave in. I wanted to have a chance at winning, so I was going all out.

The day off the pageant, Mark did my face, which took about an hour or so to get done. All I had to do was just sit there and open and close my eyes when he said to. I can’t imagine painting my own face; I would take forever doing that, and it would probably come out very ugly. I think the worst thing about the face are the lashes. They seem to cover half of my view off the top and they take some getting used to. As the day went on, they didn’t seem to bother me as much. The heels on the shoes that I wore for walking around were about 3.5in high. Those hurt my fight a lot, but after a while, they just went numb. Speaking of numb, my balls were also numb. I had four panty hoses on and tights. Not to mention that when I had my panty hoses on, Mark went around the back put his hands down my panty hoses and pulled my balls and dick all the way back as far as he could. Talk about uncomfortable!!!!! I put on my dress and high heals, and I instantly felt pretty.

I later changed into my competition gown, and since the heals were only an inch high, it didn’t feel so bad walking around. I did my thing on-stage, nervous as hell but it was all good. It was my first time doing it, so I really wasn’t stressing about it. I didn’t really practice anyways doing my walk. I sure did feel pretty. Needless to say, I didn’t win. Although, for a small fraction of a second, Mark and I actually though I had, but our bubble was busted quickly.

I do have to give respect to everyone that does drag for a living or every weekend. It is a lot of work and in order to be a great queen, you must put a lot of effort into it or else it wouldn’t be worth doing. I think every gay man should do drag at least once just to so they could be in someone else shoes, literally. It gave me a new found respect for those queens out there trying to make a living.