There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.

I still keep the stance that if you want to be treated fairly, you had better command some respect. I learned very early on that respect is not something you can DEMAND. If you want some respect ladies, you better damn well start earning it.

I had a trackback from my post – My Own Little LGBTQI2-S Solidarity Plea today – and it was from Melia Lore: Chick Guru & Queen of Tarts – I just want to post it here because to me, it says so much about the tone and basic problem with transsexual / transgender (women especially) on the web, who are over-zealous about their position in the gender realms of the blogosphere.

“I’ve said it before, the LGBTQ(etc) community is way too judgmental over each other. I suppose we should all be used to it, but for a group of people who are fighting for equal rights, you sure can be judgmental assholes. Just sayin’.”

I’ve constantly taken the position that we, as people who are lobbying for rights and acceptance should just take a decent, respectful tack.

For example, there are rules in sailing for this:

The “rules of the road” for ships and boats declare that when the courses of two sailing vessels converge, the vessel on port tack must give way to a vessel on starboard tack .

and there are rules of tact in politics:

The motion to strike out the enacting clause of a bill being equivalent to a motion to strike out every section thereo, is not deemed in order until the friends of the bill have had an opportunity, if they desire it, to obviate objections, actual or anticipated, by amendment; but when made and carried, the bill is disposed of, so far as that can be done in committe of the whole, and the fact of such striking out must be at once reported to the House. (New York State Legislature)

Perhaps the world of the T in the LGBTQI2-S need some rules of tact to find a proper tack for their sailing ship.

Just some interesting and cool, fecund stuff I thought I should spread around… keep the garden going, y’know?

Ok, first it’s this blog you have to check out.  Someone who thinks outside the box, or at least snuck out of it for a while…

That’s What Ze Said

I’m queer as fuck + I’m going to carve a space in your brain for trans

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And a cool troupe of folks that are worth keeping an eye on – this is an update I snagged from their site… read my lips when it says ‘I’ below, that’s not ‘me’ OK –  it’s them , that’s it, now you’re listening….  =====>>>

DYSPHORIC CYBORGS

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being in Boston for the first rehearsal of the Femme Show, an annual performace in Boston featuring performance artists of a queer variety and more.

It was inspiring to see a glimpse into the artistic process of different performers that varied from dance, narrative, erotica, performance art and puppetry.

If you are in the Boston area on October 2nd and 3rd please come out! For more information click the photo above.

In other news…

Here are the dates for our quick but satisfying Northeast romp:

October 10th Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean 10pm

October 13th Providence, RI @ AS220 9:30pm $6

October 15th New Haven, CT @ United Church on the Green sponsored by New Haven Pride Center 7:30pm $5-10

We still have room for one or two more shows, specifically we are looking at Northampton or Portland, ME (glaring eyes)…

Check out the Tour section for information

do  kiss the a u tum n  for me pl e as e

My Own Little LGBTQI2-S Solidarity Plea

I identify with what is called ‘true transsexualism or women born transsexual’. Just for the sake of labels – this is the only terminology that I can identify with personally. My history of gender-identification and behavior has always been fairly neutral and androgynous – basically a natural reaction to not knowing who I was – hiding in a confused place.

It has been through studying and reading on what transsexualism is that I can make some ‘definition’ of my gender persona. My transition began in 2003 very suddenly. It was a dramatic event in my life that struck me like nothing ever has before.

If I am in a conversation, and someone referred to me as transgender, I wouldn’t be saying, “Stop the train, I need to clarify this.” On the web, I use the terms true transsexual and born transsexual, because I feel that is the best way to quickly let someone know where I’m coming from with regard to my subconscious gender – who I really am. That’s the whole point – I want people to know me, I am not trying to make a grand political statement.

The gender identification of women born transsexual and the vast transgender umberella group are in conflict on the web. This is unfortunate because far too often, what happens in these dialogues is the truth is sacrificed for the sake of egos. I think that constructive dialogue has to start from a place of respect.

My plea to the trans community has always been for coming together and to have understanding and solidarity as a goal for all LGBTQI2-S people. I hope that both camps in the trans community and all subgroups in the LGBTQI2-S fold, will eventually find a place to meet in respect for one another. This is the example we should be setting for the greater community and for future generations.

It reminds me of this line from The Pretenders “Waste Not, Want Not” – “The life you take is your political voice.” I’m proud of who I am as a person, and I live with the choices I have made. If someone insults me, I just walk away. I don’t want to engage in destructive trans-identity political arguments.

I learned as a child that to try to make someone else look bad only makes you look bad yourself. I have lived by this, and I have seen it is true. Maybe I’m just not a politician, and slinging mud is not in my nature – when I see or hear someone trying to knock somebody else down, I immediately take the side of the underdog. Why? Maybe because it just doesn’t seem right. I don’t care what anybody said beforehand. I care what I see and what I hear. The truth will always come out. There have been plenty of bad people over the ages, but they all fall, all of them, eventually.

Napster & Girl Talk

Here is a 4-part article on the history of p2p, mashups and more. >> Thank You, Napster

Matt Hartley Technology Reporter at TheGlobe and Mail put this together including interviews with Napster founder Shawn Fanning and mashup guru Glen Gillis.

Greg Gillis aka Girl Talk - Known for his masterful musical mashery, Girl Talk “has turned the cut-and-paste process into a jams-packed jigsaw puzzle.” (Wired)

“ A lot of people don’t know this, but the first version of Napster was pretty primitive, but it was the first software program that Shawn Fanning ever wrote, and he wrote it all himself. Every piece of code. Every line. … He sort of single-handedly took everyone into a new era on the Internet. ”— Hank Barry, former Napster CEO

Here is a youtube playlist of video mashups done to the soundtrack of Girl Talk – “Feed The Animals”. Too bad this isn’t available in a one shot high quality dvd…

The Mumblecore Of Andrew Bujalski

Here’s a dim sum September trailer fest for you. If you aren’t familiar with this mumblecore sub-genre or the director – it might be a fun introduction to Andrew Bujalski’s films.

I may have to break down and rent these. I do like the idea of mumblecore – I mean it could be mundanecore for some, but I do like the neighbourhood feel, and it represents a lot of what I experienced in half a dozen years lived in Kitsilano, Vancouver. Initially it feels like a modern Woody Allen without the neuroses and the classic Manhattan characters.

Bujalski’s rough-edged, realistic films are often compared to the works of directors John Cassavetes, Maurice Pialat and Mike Leigh.[citation needed] Both of his feature films were photographed on hand-held 16mm by Austrian cinematographer Matthias Grunsky and have a decidedly “lo-fi” feel (reinforced by Funny Ha Ha’s distorted mono sound) and are often included in the mumblecore movement. The actors who appear in the films are non-professionals, many drawn from other media, including animator Kate Dollenmayer as the lead in Funny Ha Ha, musician Justin Rice as the lead in Mutual Appreciation and experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison in a supporting role in the same film.
Though his films often appear “improvised”, they are for the most part scripted; the dialogue is often noted for its drawn-out, awkward nature, with characters frequently evading key topics. Many of the films seem to start and end in medias res, giving the films a “slice of life” feeling that suggests a larger narrative or world that the audience is looking in on.
The characters in Bujalski’s films are mostly post-collegiate and middle-class, with many working white collar jobs. The desire for stability is a recurring theme, with many characters rushing headlong into attempts at a more controlled existence – this is exemplified by the one of the main characters in Funny Ha Ha eloping with his ex-girlfriend. (wiki)