January 30, 2010
Presentation of Dr. Brassard SRS sex change surgery (MTF or FTM) clinic in Montreal
January 25, 2010
Transwoman Michela Ledwidge on mashups – “Remixable Media Is The Future”
Whatever your knowledge / experience level is in remixing media, this is a great article by transwoman Michela Ledwidge. She also penned “No creation is completely original” in the same issue.
I came across Michela on Lynn Conway’s transwoman success page. Michela Ledwidge is an artist, entrepreneur and technologist. She is the founder of production company MOD Films and teaches Remixable Media at the University of Sydney.
Remixable media is the future
Last year I started writing and associate editing for The Scavenger. My piece Remixable media is the future is in the first issue, along with a repost of an earlier piece Broadcast yourself with DIY TV.
Film-maker and Systems Architect
Transitioned at 25, SRS at 30; Trans-blog
January 17, 2010
Kinnie Starr Tour
Stalwart Canadian singer Kinnie Starr is returning with a new album. A Different Day will see the light of day in March. In the meantime you can check out the single “Some Sun” here.
Starr hits the road with Bedouin Soundclash’s Jay Malinowski for a series of Canadian dates in March. Myspace
March 03 – Peterborough, ON – The Red Dog
March 04 – Montreal, QC – Petit Campus
March 05 – Ottawa, ON – Maverick’s
March 09 – Waterloo, ON – Starlight
March 10 – Hamilton, ON – Casbah
March 18 – Vancouver, BC – Biltmore
March 19 – Kelowna, BC – Habitat
March 20 – Calgary, AB – SAIT – Orpheus Theatre
March 21 – Edmonton, AB – Pawn Shop
January 16, 2010
The most offensive musician’s group of the 20th century.
Immoral, indecent, obscene, lewd. That is the motto of the group Passing Stones, which is also referred as “the most offensive musician’s group of the 20th century.” or “The MOMsGOT20THC”.
January 12, 2010
A closeup look at India’s Third Gender Eunuchs and Hijras
KajolI am 21 and became a hijra three years ago. We don't have proper sex change operations in India, so I had castration. We hijras have only two options – begging or sex work. I am a sex worker and I don't feel it's a bad thing to be. I always liked cross-dressing.I work in an NGO doing very important rights work helping hijras and female sex workers.
“If wishes were horses than Hijdas would ride.”
Here’s a front row view of hijras/or hijdas and India’s Third Gender Eunuchs.
First, a young photographer takes us through a hijda neighborhood:
The Hijdas are Indian transgenders. Biologically born men, living lives dressed as women,the richer ones go for sex change, but live as Hijdas.This state of Mind of living as a Hijda was coined by Laxmi Narayan Tripathi my Hijda guru, as” Hijdaeroticness”. The Hijdas have their hierarchy, system based, the heads are called Nayaks , below them Gurus the lowest rung are the followers called Chelas . The hijdas have their own ethnicity unlike the transgenders in the West. The Hijdas have their Gods Lord Iravan, so those hijdas in the South call themselves Aravanis,they have a goddess who they worship as Bhauchara Mata,there is a English disciple at the Temple who is a Hijda and considered a living Hijda Saint.The Hijdas irrespctive of their belifs have one common spirtual code, Sarv Dharm Ek, means all Religion is One. ==> more
Here is another up close account of eunuchs through the eyes of a traveler:
Views differ on the exact process of castration and one would believe that there are several procedures by which the hijras dispense with unwanted male appendages. A common practice, however, begins with the individual being sequestered in isolation for some days during which he is fed on a diet of opium and milk to keep him in a permanent state of intoxication. On a day declared auspicious by the Guru, the boy is laid down on a hard surface and a cord is tied tightly around his testicles to stop the flow of blood. Several eunuchs hold him down as a sharp knife severs the penis and testicles in one swift movement. The wound is bled for a period of hours, to signify the draining of manhood and the onset of womanhood. A metal or wooden plug is inserted into the wound to stop full closure and leave an aperture for the passage of urine. Hot oil is poured over the area and herbs are placed on it to hasten the healing process
Some communities, however, do not consider the procedure complete until the boy has been made to sit on a grinding stone and pushed down until he bleeds from the anus. The drops of blood are taken to signify the first menstruation, and only then is the initiation complete. [full article]
January 12, 2010
Beauty Pageant For Eunichs, February 21, New Delhi
Taking a cue from beauty contests for young and married women and men across the world, a beauty pageant will be held for eunuchs. The move it is hoped will be a step forward towards blending them with the society.
Twelve Noon Entertainment, an initiative of Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, along with Vcare, a diversified business conglomerate announced a hunt for the most talented transgenders in ten cities across the country.
The country’s first ever beauty pageant for transgenders – Vcare India Super Queen’ will be held on February 21 in New Delhi. The auditions for the same will start from January 13 across ten metros and non-metros, including Hyderabad.
Bollywood actress Celina said: “It’s a pleasure to live in a country where human rights and equality amongst all are . It’s time for much-suppressed‚ kinnars’ (eunuchs or transgenders) to come up on the stage and show the world that beauty exists in all human beings and gender has nothing to do with it.” This contest will bring the community together and will create a positive vibe among them, Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, hijra guru and CEO of Twelve Noon Entertainment, said.
The initiative is receiving immense support of Bollywood stars like Salman Khan, Tarun Tahiliani, Celina Jaitley and Seema Biswas, who will judge the contest.
On the criteria for the beauty contest, Tripathi said, “The contest is not about the best and most beautiful transgender but who is willing to proudly display their character and take pride in who they are and to prove that they are just as human as others.” [expressbuzz.com]
‘The contest will aim to bring out the community of transgenders, urge them to unite and emit positive vibes about what they are and what they can do. It is not about who is the best and most aesthetically beautiful, but about who is willing to proudly display their character, take pride in who they are and to prove that they are as human as the rest of us,’ Tripathi, who attained fame after a reality television show, said. [yahoo news]
January 12, 2010
TransYouth Family Allies Coming Up on the Tyra Banks Show
Here’s a notice I received from http://www.imatyfa.org/
I wanted you all to be among the first to know that the TYRA
BANKS SHOW will be featuring several of our TYFA families on their show this
month. Here are the details I have:
January 27, 2010
4PM Eastern Time
CW Network
“We’re 7 and 8 years old and we know we are transgender”
Kim PearsonPresident, PFLAG Transgender Network
Executive Director, TransYouth Family Allies
928-486-7824
