nixwilliams

5 YEARS AND 9 MONTHS

2011-12-13T23:41:00.003+11:00

That's how long it's taken to be officially recognised as male (or a sex/gender other than female) by the Australian Government. You know what that means?

My new passport just got delivered!

I wanted to write more, but I can't really describe how I feel! (Pretty good, let me tell you!)

PAPERWORK IN THE UK

2011-11-27T19:09:00.004+11:00

Sorry for the long silence. Guess I'm a bit too busy with life to update this blog!

Of interest to some of you will be the endless paperwork I need to fill out to set up life in a new country. This is annoying enough, but it's made worse by the fact that I want to get a new passport (now that I can!) stating my sex as male before I do a lot of this paperwork. It's all a bit of a mess! Here are some individual updates:

Australian passport. I've talked to the passports office and, having seen the letter from my doctor, they've said they'll issue me an updated passport for free. I am yet to go to the office here in London with the printed out emails to put that to the test. I've got the form filled out and waiting to go, though.

UK visa. Unfortunately, I will need to get a "transfer of conditions" stamp (though I'm going to push for a new actual visa) in my new passport so that I can continue to live and work here. That will cost me either about 215 pounds (>$300) or, if I do it in person (which would probably be the better option) about 650 pounds (>$900). Really not happy about this, since it's not like my passport has expired or been lost, just been issued with the wrong details.

National Insurance number. You'd think that, with the granting of a visa, they would send you a starter pack of all the things you need to set up life in the UK. They don't. I had no idea I would need an NI number until someone mentioned it in passing after I'd been here for a month and a half and had already been looking for work. You can't actually work without an NI number. I've sent off my application form and I'm waiting to hear back. I would have liked to wait until I got my new passport so I wouldn't have to deal with the whole "yes, it says F but please use M" thing, but I need to be ready to work ASAP. I've sent my doctor's letter with it, so hopefully they'll accept it and just put M on the records.

Bank account. Oh, man. So, when I arrived, I went to Barclays and was told that I couldn't open an account until I had three months worth of UK utilities bills in my name to prove my address. How I was meant to get work to earn enough money to rent a house and pay said bills when I don't have a UK bank account, I'm not sure. Anyway, my in-laws talked to their bank manager who said I wouldn't need that evidence (the website says otherwise). I got as many things as I could sent to me at this address and took them all into the bank for my appointment. The person who opened my accounts looked at my passport and visa, took a copy of my doctor's letter (so I could have 'Mr' as a title) and didn't look at any of the other residency evidence. Apparently Australians are just that trustworthy. So, that was a lot of hassle over nothing! I now have a bank account - or rather, two bank accounts: a savings account, which earns interest (the tiny amount that bank accounts earn here - 1.something%) and a current account, which is connected to my Visa debit card. So, you are meant to keep your money in your savings account to accrue interest and you have to manually transfer it into your current account if you want to use it. Unnecessarily complex, isn't it?

Jobseeking. I'm doing it. I've applied for 4 jobs and 1 internship, received 1 letter of rejection and I assume haven't got the first job I applied for. I've talked to an HR person at an org of which I'm a member (I helped her update the org's diversity monitoring form) and she said she'll put me in contact with some other orgs where she's worked. I've got another 10 or so volunteer/intern and paid positions lined up to apply for. I'm also setting up a LinkedIn profile, since everyone here seems to use it. Networking is a much bigger thing in the UK than in Australia, it seems.

That's it, apart from I hope you're all well and please consider donating to this fundraiser for my friend's musical documentary:

HIGH COURT WIN!

2011-10-06T15:40:00.005+11:00

First, some links: background and update on AH and AB vs Western Australia.

THEY WON!

Here is the text of the ruling, so you can read exactly what went down. It's interesting, though might not be the most succinct read! Here is a news article, instead. The decision seems to turn on a number of key points. One, the act refers to medical or surgical reassignment procedures to alter the appearance of sexual characteristics, counselling and lifestyle as being indicators of a person's commitment to their gender - "medical" might include hormone therapy, and "alter" does not mean "that the person undertake every procedure to remove every vestige of the gender which the person denies, including all sexual organs". Two, the recognition of a person's gender is intended to be primarily social - "That conclusion would be reached by reference to the person's appearance and behaviour, amongst other things. It does not require detailed knowledge of their bodily state". Three, the purpose of the act is to help trans people transition and to help us be accepted socially as fe/male - "No point would be served, and the objects of the Act would not be met, by denying the recognition provided by the Act to a person who is identified within society as being of the gender to which they believe they belong and otherwise fulfils the requirements of the Act". This is how the court summarised the findings and directed the WA board to act in the future:

The construction placed upon s 15(1)(b)(ii) and the identification which is its concern, does not mean that a recognition certificate is to be provided based only upon a person's external appearance, and that person's belief about his or her gender. Section 14 must be satisfied before a person can apply for a certificate. But that is the only provision in the Act which requires a surgical or other reassignment procedure. Once that condition and those of s 15(1)(a) are met, the Board is directed by s 15(1)(b) to other enquiries relating to the person's perception of themselves and to social perceptions about them. No further consideration of the extent of the person's bodily state is required.

It should be fairly clear, and most Australians with passing familiarity with the court system will understand, that the High Court is the final court of appeal in Australia. The task of the court is to interpret the law and one of the aims of this is that it makes consistent decisions across all the states and territories. This decision directly affects only Western Australia, and the win (upholding of the appeal) is based only on interpretation of Western Australian acts. However, the court's interpretation of these acts has ramifications for other states and other acts – particularly the statement that “No point would be served, and the objects of the Act would not be met, by denying the recognition provided by the Act to a person who is identified within society as being of the gender to which they believe they belong and otherwise fulfils the requirements of the Act”. This tells other courts and boards that the purpose of such acts is to help, not hinder, trans people (“The objectives of the Act, and their social and legal consequences, are to be met by reference to its stated requirements. Those requirements, including those of s 15(1)(b)(ii), are to be given a fair and liberal interpretation in order that they achieve the Act's beneficial purposes”).

Anyway, there are numerous statements here that might or might not be helpful for other trans people in WA or other states and territories. One of the reasons AB and AH won this case is that they both continue to undergo hormone therapy and basically promised that they wouldn’t stop (i.e. they would remain infertile). On the other hand, the judges have made room in other statements for this to not be considered a requirement (“The Act contains no warrant for implying further requirements, such as potential adverse social consequences”).

Anyway, this is good. It’s interesting. And it’s pretty great when combined with the change of passport policy at the federal level only a few weeks ago!

Let's hope that the WA govt doesn't see this as an invitation to make a new act/amend the act to make it harder for trans people.

Congratulations to AH and AB, and thanks to everyone who’s been working to help this case and others like it.

NB: I'm not a lawyer or legally trained, so this is just my interpretation of the ruling!

AND HERE I AM

2011-10-05T18:19:00.003+11:00

We made it to London! It was a very busy and rather stressful two weeks between submitting my dissertation for examination and leaving Australia - lots of packing, admin, sending, storing and seeing loads of friends (the latter was not stressful!). I just wanted to share my experience going through UK border control, before I forget. I waited in the enormous queue, finally got to the desk, and the man asked, "Your reason for coming to the UK?" I got a little thrill when I replied, "Settlement"...

Him: *Glances over landing card* What kind of academic are you?
Me: Cultural studies. I've just submitted my PhD dissertation for examination.
Him: What was the topic?
Me: Trans viewers of trans cinema.
Him: *Quizzical*
Me: So, films with transgender characters.
Him: Oh! *Long pause* The Crying Game!
Me: Yep!
Him: And Dog Day Afternoon?
Me: Yeah, exactly. But rather than just talking about the films, my project was talking to trans people about what they thought about the films and how they watched them and stuff.
Him: Ah. *Does some computery thing*
Me: Because not many people actually talk to trans people about how we feel about films about us. [YES I SO CASUALLY MADE REFERENCE TO MY TRANS STATUS]
Him: *Very slight double take* We get lots of transgender people through here. I mean, we get a lot of people through here, and... *Gestures vaguely at my passport*
Me: Yeah, unfortunately all these documents have an F on them. The Australian government only changed their passport policy about two weeks ago, so I didn't have time to get a new passport.
Him: Really? Only two weeks ago? *checks visa* So why did the UK government put an F on... Oh, I see, they had to make the visa match the passport. You should be able to get a new passport when you're here, though.
Me: Yeah, I'm planning on it!
Him: All right. *Collects all documents and hands passport back to me* There you go, sir. Have a good afternoon, enjoy London.
Me: Thanks very much.

And thus ended the nicest conversation I've ever had with UK border control. A++ training on trans issues, people.

FURTHERMORE

2011-09-21T21:30:00.002+10:00

TODAY I SUBMITTED MY THESIS!

Thanks for coming along for the journey, peeps!

OMFG

2011-09-16T17:54:00.000+10:00

I THINK I JUST FINISHED WRITING MY THESIS

MORE ON PASSPORTS

2011-09-16T13:23:00.003+10:00

* Here is further information from the Australian Passports Office. It details a number of things and includes a template for your doctor to fill in so you can apply for a new passport.

* I just want to highlight this bit: ‘Appropriate clinical treatment’ does not have to be specified. I know that hormone therapy will definitely count; however, it might be possible that consultations with a psychologist also count. That would be really, really good.

* I called the passport office today and spoke to someone who hadn't heard about the changes until I told them. This isn't surprising, as they won't be undergoing training for a few weeks. They suggested I email passports_policy@dfat.gov.au with my queries (which were: is it possible to apply for an updated passport while living overseas? and, do I need to send my old passport - which includes my settlement visa - back to Australia?)

* Here's a blog post from Global Comment about media coverage of the changes. There's a lot of misinformation out there!

* A number of people have been saying things like "this is a huge victory for us/you" - and it is, in many ways. For me, personally, this makes such a difference and will really help reduce some of my travel/border worries. However, I want to point a few things out. 1, it makes such a difference to me because I present as male, am usually read as male and I am happy to be identified as such - it would be a different story if I didn't present/read as/identify as male (or female). 2, this makes such a difference to me because in most other respects I am very privileged and am able to slip smoothly through most immigration and border control machines - I am white, have no criminal record, am not a youth, am not religious (and am not visible as such), I am Australian, I am able bodied and neurotypical. 3, my privilege and the new policy doesn't mean that I don't have to worry about border control and security, but that I can now worry about them in a different way - sure, my passport will no longer out me, but if a search or body scan reveals a non-normative male body (i.e. "female"), then that could be an issue. 4, this is only such a big thing to me because I'm rich enough to be crossing international borders fairly frequently - though it must be said having a passport in one's sex can be very helpful for proof of identity within Australia, too.

ON BEING "STUDIED BY AN ANTHROPOLOGIST"

2011-09-16T07:14:00.002+10:00

First of all, thanks for emailing to check with me about using my blog for your project. I appreciate that it would have been possible just to use it without checking as it’s a public document, but you have taken the time to be ethical about it!

Your work sounds intriguing. There is definitely a lot to be explored with regards to the ways in which sex and gender diverse populations negotiate “community” (both online community and through online expression). As an academic myself, I’m interested to hear more about the methodology, ethics and requirements of your project. I’m not very familiar with anthropology, so I would appreciate being pointed in the direction of some articles (or other works) that use a similar methodology to your own, so I can see what kind of data you might draw from my blog and how it might be presented. I ask this because my initial reaction to your email was one of discomfort, and I was inclined to reject your request and make my entire blog private! The feeling of being “studied by a anthropologist” is odd, partly because there is such a long history of sex and gender diverse populations being othered and objectified by academics of all stripes. I feel my concerns might be alleviated if you could share more of your project’s methodological and ethical grounding – and perhaps a (short!) bibliography of what you’ve read on ethical research with trans people?

Pending further discussion with you, I’m fine with you using my blog for your project. It is also quite a good reminder of what it’s like to be on the “other” side of the research equation, as I’m less than a week off submitting my own PhD research with trans people!

I look forward to hearing from you.

PASSPORT CHANGES FOR AUSTRALIAN TRANS PEOPLE!

2011-09-14T18:38:00.005+10:00

I'm just going to copy this in full. Thanks to my lovely friend J for hunting this down after hearing rumours (yay allies)!

Getting a passport made easier for sex and gender diverse people

Joint media release
The Hon Kevin Rudd MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs
The Hon Robert McClelland MP, Attorney-General
14 September 2011

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and Attorney-General Robert McClelland today announced new guidelines to make it easier for sex and gender diverse people to get a passport in their preferred gender.

Under the guidelines, sex reassignment surgery will no longer be a prerequisite to issue a passport in a person’s preferred gender.

“Sex and gender diverse people now have the option of presenting a statement from a medical practitioner supporting their preferred gender,” said Mr Rudd.

“This amendment makes life easier and significantly reduces the administrative burden for sex and gender diverse people who want a passport that reflects their gender and physical appearance.”

The initiative is in line with the Australian Government’s commitment to remove discrimination on the grounds of gender identity and sexual orientation.

“Most people take for granted the ability to travel freely and without fear of discrimination,” Mr McClelland said.

“This measure will extend the same freedoms to sex and gender diverse Australians.

“While it’s expected this change will only affect a handful of Australians, it’s an important step in removing discrimination for sex and gender diverse people.

“Importantly, this policy addresses a number of the recommendations contained in the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Sex Files report.”

Media inquiries

Minister's office: (02) 6277 7500
DFAT Media Liaison: (02) 6261 1555

FUCK YES! :D

Now, I bet I don't have time to get a new one before I leave. Fuck it! And my visa is under "F", to match my passport. FUCKING TIMING! I wish this had happened 6 months ago, dammit!

(Of course, not so helpful for those who aren't comfortable IDing as either male or female, but it's still a big step forward. Good work, activists.)

SYDNEY: FREE SCREENING: TRANSGENDER REALITIES IN LATIN AMERICA

2011-09-06T13:17:00.004+10:00

Transgender realities in Latin America

Presented by Prof Raewyn Connell, sociologist and gender studies scholar in conjunction with SURCLA and Colectivo Mujer.
With discussion afterwards between Raewyn Connell and Vek Lewis.

Translatinas

Luis Felipe Degregori, 2010, 90 mins, Spanish (English Subtitles)

When: Tuesday 13 September, 5.30pm

Where: Carslaw Lecture Theatre 273 , University of Sydney

SURCLA: http://sydney.edu.au/arts/spanish_latin_american/surcla/index.shtml
Colectivo Mujer: http://en-gb.facebook.com/people/Colectivo-Mujer/100002167126617

CFP: TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES

2011-08-25T10:04:00.001+10:00

SEEKING PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS, TRANS WOMEN AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLE FOR A NEW RESOURCE GUIDE BY AND FOR TRANS PEOPLE

A new resource guide by and for trans people is looking for people of color, immigrants, working class folks and people on the feminine spectrum who are interested in sharing their stories, expertise and experiences for this groundbreaking book project. You don’t need to be an academic or professional - we welcome everyone. If you are trans, TG/TS, genderqueer, GV, gender nonconforming or intersex and would like to help us make sure this resource reflects your community’s experiences, please read on!

*

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

Trans Bodies, Trans Selves (TBTS) is a groundbreaking resource guide in-progress, being written by and for trans people. It is based off the idea of Our Bodies, Ourselves, but will cover a much wider variety of topics, including coming out as a trans person, relationships and sexuality, parenting, identifying with multiple communities, finding employment, seeking wellness, legal advocacy, and representations of trans people in the media. TBTS is integrating discussions of class, race, ability, status, and many other parts of trans identities throughout each chapter in an effort to show how different and varied trans people’s experiences are. The book will provide resources and guides from people within diverse trans communities, and will include personal anecdotes, advice, stories and art. TBTS is conducting outreach through numerous community forums, an online survey, and targeted outreach to diverse communities in order to include as many voices as possible. More information about the project, including the TBTS survey and bios of many of our authors, is available online at www.transbodies.com.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

The Trans Bodies, Trans Selves team is currently looking for more contributors to help ensure that TBTS will represent a broad a range of trans experiences. Specifically, we are looking for people of color, people on the feminine spectrum, immigrants and/or poor/low-income folks who are willing to contribute their stories, expertise and experiences. Contributors do not need to be “experts;” experience is first and foremost, and we welcome inquiries from any and all people within the trans community who are open to speaking their own truths. TBTS is aiming to be as accessible as possible and will use everyday, easily understood language - not academic jargon - so contributors of all educational backgrounds/levels are welcome.

*

If you are interested in contributing to TBTS, please contact Amanda Rosenblum at amanda@transbodies.com to find out more about how you can get involved. TBTS is currently looking for:

- A range of short pieces (typically 800 words) that are personal narratives and/or that include specific resources and how-to’s
- Other forms of writing and art
- Folks who would like to share their experiences through interviews with the TBTS team
- Authors for chapters on Immigration and Class

Please indicate in your email which topic(s)/experiences you might be interested in addressing and tell us a little bit about your background. While we cannot promise publication, we are committed to working with potential authors/contributors to identify topics that have yet to be covered and to help bring your unique perspective to the project. We are also happy to consider works that may have already been published elsewhere, subject to appropriate approval.

In addition to authors, we are also looking for volunteers who would like to review chapters and/or responses to the TBTS online survey, many of which will be incorporated into the book. This project is entirely volunteer-based and we appreciate any time you might be able to contribute to help us make TBTS as useful, informative and interesting as possible.

Please reach out to us if you are interested in contributing to the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves project, or if you have any questions. Looking forward to hearing from you!

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY

CENSUS 2011

2011-08-10T17:50:00.005+10:00

Remember the Census in 2006? (?) (?) Well, ah, nothing's changed on that front. Still male or female only. And if you're 'male' you don't get asked about having babies.

At least this time they allow same-sex couples to state if they're married? IDK.

COMPLETION SEMINAR: TRANS CINEMA, TRANS VIEWERS

2011-07-27T08:17:00.005+10:00

As part of the completion process for a PhD, I'm required to give a presentation outlining the findings of my project. If you'd like to come and see what I've produced in the last five and a half years (gah!), please feel free to come along.

Date: Friday 5th August
Time: 4pm-5pm.
Venue: Parkville campus of the University of Melbourne, John Medley Building, West Tower, Room 106. Map.

Abstract: Trans cinema, trans viewers

The majority of scholarship on trans cinema comprises textual analysis of films representing trans (e.g. transgender, transsexual) people. In contrast, my thesis argues that trans viewers’ reception and circulation of films is of primary importance. To this end, I conducted twelve in-depth interviews to ascertain how trans people might use films and filmgoing for individual and collective purposes. This presentation gives an overview of my findings.

I outline the gaps in the existing literature on trans cinema and the ethical and methodological considerations of my own research, and give key examples from each of my major chapters. I discuss participants’ engagements with the question ‘What is trans cinema?’; I illustrate participants’ use of the film Transamerica as a locus both for critiques of cisnormative psychiatric and filmmaking practices and for their (re)negotiations of individual and collective trans identity; I investigate the impact of trans film violence, and its attendant feelings of fear and risk, on trans viewing subjectivity; and I finally explore the ways in which Melbourne trans networks materialise through the circulation and screening of trans films.

AUSTRALIA: HIGH COURT TRANSCRIPT & PASSPORT WIN

2011-06-24T16:31:00.003+10:00

For those interested here's the transcript of AB and AH's hearing in the High Court of Australia. It makes for very interesting reading if you can parse all the legalese. I have to say, Justice Bell is a fucking champ!

*

Also, I forgot to post a couple of weeks back that an Australian trans woman has managed to get her passport changed to 'F' without undergoing surgery. Here's hoping that what she's managed to do with community support and the significant benefit of having worked for several years in the public service will help others with less privilege, and will eventually apply to all trans Australians.

DUDE MAGAZINE LOOKING FOR INTERNS

2011-06-22T08:48:00.003+10:00

DUDE is looking for some key team members for an upcoming project. We require an intern for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane (Australia). The role of the intern will span across your respective states as there will need to be a connection established to regional and rural communities.

You will be an excited and committed individual who wants to contribute to a common team goal and a community development project.

DUDE is looking for someone who:

-Is organised and an effective communicator.
-Has good computer skills, regular access to the internet and is able to skype.
-Is comfortable to be involved in a public role in a trans* community project.
-Displays an interest and solid understanding of the area of sex and gender diverse people.
-Is able to set up and coordinate events or meetings in line with a major program.
-Is able to identify and liaise with existing community groups, organisations or schools.
-Can commit to be involved in the project from August 1st 2011 – January 31st 2012.

What you need to know:

-This is a volunteer based position.
-The position will require your time for about 2-4 hours per week.
-No formal qualifications are necessary, only a willingness to be involved and the ability to commit.
-That you will be a DUDE state representative for the duration of the project.
-That you will make new friends and become more connected to the wider community.

If you are interested, please send a brief bio on yourself and the reasons why you would like to be involved. Should you want to submit more information such as your CV or previous experience, it is desired but not essential.

Applications close July 15th.

Please email: dudetranszine [AT] gmail [DOT] com

SHEILA JEFFREYS AND STERILISATION

2011-06-03T12:04:00.007+10:00

I was just linked to a (guest) blog post by Sheila Jeffreys, "The need for feminists to challenge the practice of transgenderism". (You probably don't need to be told, but here is a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING for cissexism and transphobia and all the other nasties typically associated with rad fems.)

The major issue Jeffreys addresses is the sterilisation people as one of the "practices of transgenderism", and she relates it to the practices of sterilisation of other 'unfit' bodies in the 20th century. The reason that I find this article worthy of comment (rather than a shrug and a "here we go again" roll of my eyes) is that some of what she says reflects the campaigns of many trans people around the world to get governments to remove genital surgery and sterilisation as requirements for a change of gender marker on our paperwork: [TRIGGERS]

It [sterilisation] was conceived as a practice of eugenics, to prevent the birth of ‘unfit’ people who would be a drain on the state’s resources and a social nuisance. These included those seen as mentally defective, criminals, sexual predators, homosexuals, prostituted women, gypsies and the chronically poor. The campaign led to the sterilization of tens, and probably hundreds of thousands of persons, mainly from the 1920s, when the practice was most widely taken up, through to the 1970s when it was abandoned. In Sweden, for instance, 63,000 persons were sterilized in this time period, 90% of them women. The medical campaigners represented a number of behaviours which formed the grounds for sterilization as biological, in precisely the same way that transgenderism is represented by the medical profession now. Tellingly, the vast majority of those on the left side of politics, and most feminists, supported the practice. It was considered universally just and the most reasonable way forward. There are few who think that now. Sterilization of the unfit is regarded with near universal opprobrium. This, I am quite sure, is the same fate that awaits the practice of transgenderism.

When I read this I thought, you know, this is remarkable. This is exactly what trans people are saying: we shouldn't be forced to undergo compulsory sterilisation in order for the state to recognise our gender. We shouldn't be considered 'unfit' for (biological) parenthood. Our bodies and genetic material shouldn't be considered 'unfit' for the gene pool. I thought, "Maybe I should comment and ask Jeffreys, the blogger and the commenters to join our campaigns to remove compulsory surgery and sterilisation as a requirement for ID document change".

But then I thought, LOLLLLL NO! There is so much wrongtown in the post and the comments, and I don't have the energy. Yuck, yuck, yuck.

If you want to help, consider contrbuting to this Australian campaign.

ETA: It should go without saying that I think all people should be allowed control over their own systems of reproduction. I'm constantly annoyed that the medical establishment made it impossible for me to choose sterilisation as a (cis) woman, but now I'm (a) trans (man) the government is pressuring me to do it!

DIAGNOSING DIFFERENCE SCREENING

2011-05-31T12:03:00.003+10:00

I won't be able to go to this due to a prior commitment (birthday picnic!), but I would love to see the doco again. I recommend it.

*

Hi Folks,

The Direct Action Centre is hosting a screening of the Documentary film "Diagnosing Difference is a feature-length length (64 mins) documentary featuring interviews with 13 diverse scholars, activists, and artists who identify on the trans spectrum (transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, and gender variant) about the impact and implications of the Gender Identity Disorder (GID) on their lives and communities."

http://www.diagnosingdifference.com/about.html

The screening is at 2pm on Saturday the 4th of June and there will be an opportunity for discussion after the film.

The Direct Action Centre is in the basement of the Trades Hall Council building (Cnr of Lygon and Victoria St, Carlton), right next door to the new International Bookshop via the Victoria Street entrance.

Entry is by donation.

INTERVIEW WITH MATTILDA

2011-05-12T21:49:00.000+10:00

It's lovely to see Mattilda being interviewed!

Carlos Motta interviewed me in March for his global project, We Who Feel Differently, where he interviewed 50 queers from four different countries – it's all online now – and, there are even transcriptions! (Plus, the lighting is actually good!) Lots of material to browse – here's the interview with me, in four parts – the first part is more about childhood, the later parts more about organizing...

Here's part one:

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore 1/4 from Carlos Motta on Vimeo.

You can see the rest of the videos and read the transcript here on Mattilda's blog Nobody Passes.

RANDOM ANNOYANCE

2011-05-04T09:26:00.004+10:00

I am a bit sick of people saying to me, "Your PhD clearly means a lot to you".

Clearly it does, or I wouldn't be putting myself through all this stress! But do they say that to every PhD student? Do they use the same emphasis? I think not! Just because I'm trans and I'm writing about trans stuff doesn't mean that it means a lot in a ~mysterious~ way. I hope that I'm creating something that I can stand by politically, ethically and academically. Surely a large fraction of PhD students hope the same? (Or am I just naive!?)

It's not that big a deal. But I wanted to post something, so this is it.

(P.S. Maybe I'll tell you about the people at the post office one day.)

CHANGING MY MAKEUP

2011-04-30T20:16:00.002+10:00

Well, after years of feeling slightly bad about how visually inaccessible my white-text-on-black-background blog was, I've finally gone and changed it!

INTRO FROM STILL FIERCE! MELBOURNE

2011-04-30T17:17:00.002+10:00

From my inbox to you . . .

*

This is an introductory letter from Still Fierce! Melbourne, a newly formed collective of intersex, sex and/or gender diverse people and our allies and supporters. We are writing to you to say hi, and to let you know what projects and events we are working on and to invite you to participate in our collective or in our events, or both, or to voice our interest in networking with your organization!

Still Fierce Melbourne was formed a month or so ago, inspired by the work of Still Fierce Sydney, a similar collective. While we haven't fully established our manifesto we have established that we are an open collective, and that we are interested in working on political lobbing for ISGD rights at a national level, in creating stronger social and political networks for ISGD people and in doing consciousness raising work in the community about ISGD people and our experiences and issues. We have yet to establish the details of our relationship to Still fierce! Sydney, right now all that is in concrete is that we are using the same name and are supporting their list of demands for the rally in Canberra.

What is ISGD?

If you haven’t heard this acronym before, don’t worry, neither had most of us up to a year ago. It stands for Intersex, Sex and/or Gender Diverse. We decided as a group to use this new term instead of transgender, transsexual, intersex, cross dressers etc etc because we are interested in moving away from the border wars that we have seen happen between different sex/gender diverse identity groups in the past, and to overcome the generational differences in what language people use to describe themselves, and basically just to encompass all sex and gender diverse people when we are lobbying for rights, when we are talking about discrimination and when we are talking about our peers.

Here is a brief rundown of what we are working on right now:

The first major project we are working on is getting a 45 seater bus to take to a rally for ISGD rights in Canberra on the 11th of May. The tickets are on a sliding scale basis (starting from $20 to as much as each individual can afford). The bus will be leaving approximately around 1 am on Friday morning and departing that evening after the rally and driving through the night to arrive back in Melbourne late that night. We will make the bus times public as soon as we know!

To confirm a seat on the bus or find out more information about the rally please email: stillfiercemelbourne@gmail.com

We have been meeting fortnightly but have yet to find a regular venue, so if you are interested in coming to our meetings (all welcome!) Email us at still-fierce-melbourne@googlegroups.com and we'll met you know the details!

We are very excited about networking with other trans/ ISGD groups in Melbourne and Victoria and learning more about what other groups are doing and exploring the possibilities of how we can work together!

We look forward to meeting you soon,

Much love,

Still Fierce Melbourne

Contacts

To find out what’s going on and to stay in touch about events join the Facebook group:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_195648087132139

Or to get involved in some of the behind the scenes stuff join the Still Fierce! Melbourne Google group:

http://groups.google.com/group/still-fierce-melbourne?hl=en

Details about the national Intersex, Sex and/or Gender Diverse Rally:

This is a video about the rally in Canberra on May 4th 2011:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BitN38AuKMc

The rally is supported by Still Fierce Sydney, Still Fierce Melbourne, and Sex And Gender Education Australia, Australian Health and Education Centre, Australian Federal Greens Party, Australian Socialists Alliance, Femme Guild Sydney, Scarlet Alliance, Equal Love Canberra, Young Lawyers Human Rights Committee (NSW), CRAVE Metropolitan Community Church (Sydney), Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH), Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) Student Union Queer Department [RUSU Queer Department], The University of Melbourne Student Union Queer Department [UMSU Queer], WA Gender Project, The Seahorse Society of NSW, University of Sydney Queer Students, National Union of Students [NUS]

Still Fierce and Allied Organizations are calling on the federal and state Governments to implement the recommendations of the 2009 Australian Human Rights Commission’s Sex Files Report, review inequalities in the law for ISGD people and to outlaw unethical medical practices forced on intersex Children. We invite other groups to join us in rallying for the rights of ISGD groups of people and we are open to suggestions for further addition to our demands.

We are calling for equal rights for ISGD People; our Memorandum of Demands follows:

1/ Implementation of the AHRC Sex Files (2009) recommendations

2/ Legal protection against enforced medical treatment of ISGD children

3/ Federal antidiscrimination laws protecting all ISGD people

4/ Full Medicare funding for medical and psychological procedures needed by any ISGD people

5/ Full Marriage rights for ISGD People.

6/ Enshrinement of the right to establish ones’ own sex and/or gender identity in federal law.

For more info on the Sex Files Report:

http://www.hreoc.gov.au/genderdiversity/sex_files2009.html

<3 Stay Fierce! <3

UPDATE ON THE FEMINIST FUTURES THING

2011-04-21T19:02:00.003+10:00

So, that post got several hundred more hits than my usual. Eek.

As a follow-up, and instead of posting yet another ETA, I wanted to let people know that the workshop "Why Prostitution Is Violence Against Women" has been pulled, and that Melinda Tankard Reist (wow, what a piece of work, I've just read some of her stuff) will no longer be presenting. I got this news via hexy, thanks hexy!

I also wanted to say that this has been a surprisingly positive experience for me, even though there have been some really nasty anti-trans, anti-sex worker, etc. comments made around the place. I was saying to a couple of friends last night that I can't imagine 10 or even 5 years ago that so many of the people at whom this conference is aimed would have turned out in support of trans people and sex workers. I want to say THANK YOU to those people who wrote letters/commented/talked/whatever in support of trans people and sex workers, who insisted (and insist!) that we have a place in feminism, too.

That, more than the conference itself, does give me hope for some kind of feminist future.

ETA: You might be interested in this post and the comments and this update in which Hexy says: "In response to the large number of emails they've received about the inclusion of Sheila Jeffreys as a speaker and the lack of any trans* or out sex worker panelists, the Melbourne Feminist Collective have invited Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association and Still Fierce, the Intersex, Sex and/or Gender Diverse collective to provide panelists."

ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE: TRANSITORY LIFE

2011-04-14T20:43:00.002+10:00

In my inbox this evening. Not sure that I'll be able to make it to this, but others might still be interested!

*

Transitory Life is proud to bring you a dirty mix of DJ's, such as the wickedly inspiring John Pants from The Blow Waves and performers, such as the renowned Drag Artist Philmah Bocks.

TRANSITORY II: Friday 13th May, 2011
$10 @ The Noise Bar, Brunswick, VIC. 8.30pm til late.
Drink Specials all night.
All welcome, 18+.

All profits go towards Transitory Life's goal of sponsoring trans individuals. As the first non-profit organisation in Australia dedicated solely to financially assisting the transgendered community, it is vital we get community support.

Why is Transitory Life necessary?

With most transgendered individuals only able to find part-time work the average salary is $20,000 p/a. Given the average cost of transitioning is $25,000 the stress caused by a lack of funds often causes depression and in extreme cases, suicide. The depression rate within the trans community is just over 50%. Compare this to 6.8% of the general population and there is cause to help this misunderstood and discriminated section of society.*

Not having to worry about the cost of living, including medications, document changes (for name and gender), travel in order to visit specialists and the like, and various other expenses means more time to live a happy, healthy life; a right-to-life we all deserve.

By attending and showing your support, regardless of how you personally identify, you will ultimately be a part of history and helping to save lives.

For more information please go to our website: http://transitorylife.com.au, or friend us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=268943710260&ref=ts.

--
Sincerely,

Teague Leigh
Director

*All statistics are from: 'TranZnation Report', 2007 & 'Private Lives Project', 2005.

NOT MY FEMINIST FUTURE

2011-04-13T08:17:00.009+10:00

So, Melbourne Feminist Collective is holding a 'Feminist Futures' conference in late May. Sounds good, and there are some interesting speakers on the list, and a good range of links on their site.

But Sheila Jeffreys? Really?

This is a woman who says trans people are delusional and calls trans-related surgeries mutilation. A woman who is famously anti-sex-worker. Why on earth would such a relic be invited to a conference on 'futures'?

And before anyone comments saying that it's only fair to include such viewpoints, I want you to read this excellent post by Ika Willis. It breaks down the expectation that people whose very existence is being challenged should do massive amounts of unpaid emotional, political and academic labour in such situations:

Because, in the end, what horrifies me is not that some Christian ministers are eliminationist homophobes (I knew that), or that some academics think there are good reasons to invite extremists to speak in an academic institution (I knew that too), but that some people think that it is ‘safe’ for me to be in a room listening to someone argue that I have no right to love the woman I love, to live the life I live – in the end, no right to exist – as long as that person doesn’t raise their voice or use any bad words.

[...]

Jenny and I and a colleague and a bunch of awesome students from the LGBTQ Society showed up to picket the event, in the end, and were repeatedly invited in by the organizers to ‘join the conversation’. If I hadn’t already been gay and in love with Jenny, I would have become so when she said ‘Of course you’d love us to come in and have a conversation! I’ve been doing this for twenty years, I’m very good at it, it’ll make your event much more interesting! But you’re not paying my expenses and giving me CV points, are you?’ In other words, the success of the event depended on the willingness of queers and allies to show up and contribute for free: on the exploitation of our time, and our emotional and intellectual labour.

That's how I feel when people invite transphobic speakers to conferences (or transphobic films to festivals) and expect me to put myself in such an unsafe space just to 'be part of the conversation' or whatever the reasoning is going to be. I don't want to do that work for an organisation that thinks so little of me that they would invite a speaker who would like me to not exist.

It's hardly a feminist future that I want to take part in.

I am planning on emailing the conference when I get the time to ask about the reasoning behind including Jeffreys, and I'll post about the outcome when I receive a reply.

*

ETA: I've sent the following letter:

I'm writing because I've just seen the panellist list for the Feminist Futures conference, and I'm puzzled that it includes Sheila Jeffreys - a person well-known for her offensive anti-trans and anti-sex-worker commentary.

I understand that one aim of the conference is to reflect the diversity of feminist thought. However, including speakers who fundamentally believe that trans people shouldn't exist does not promote an idea of feminism as "positive and necessary political ideal" for everyone's future, but rather one of feminism stuck in an anti-trans past.

I am interested to hear your reasons for including such a bigoted speaker as a panellist in the conference, and I hope to hear from you soon.

*

ETA2: Received a short note from MFC today:

Many thanks for your email and for raising this very important issue. The
Collective will be meeting on Sunday to discuss the matter and will respond
to you more fully after that.

Looking forward to hearing how the meeting goes and what the outcomes are.

*

ETA3: More updates in the comments. You might also like to read posts by hexy and genderqueer 2 genderqueer.

*

And another update here. Thanks to everyone for your support and actions.

*

NEWS FROM CANADA: TRANS TEACHER REJECTS SILENCING DEAL

2011-04-13T07:37:00.003+10:00

I know some awesome people! Jan is one of them.

Fired transgendered teacher rejects deal that would muzzle him
10 April 2011
John Cotter

EDMONTON—A transgendered teacher fired by a Catholic school district is rejecting a settlement offer because it would require him to keep quiet and drop a human rights complaint.

Jan Buterman says he will proceed with his complaint against Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools, which wrote him a letter in 2008 praising his abilities but dismissing him for not being aligned with the values of the Catholic Church.

Buterman, who was a substitute teacher in St. Albert, just north of Edmonton, says the publicly funded school district can’t buy his silence with an offer of $78,000 cash or a one-year teaching job.

“I don’t want to be muzzled,” says Buterman, who has worked as a teacher elsewhere since he was fired. “They don’t want me to talk about the fact that they, as an employer, claiming authority from the Catholic Church, have discriminated against me because of my medical status as a transsexual person.”

Buterman says he expects the Catholic school board will ask the Alberta Human Rights Commission to dismiss his complaint. The commission has the right by law not to send a case to a hearing if a “fair and reasonable settlement” is offered.

David Keohane, superintendent of the Catholic school district, says the board has been working with the human rights commission to try to ensure the offer is seen as fair and reasonable.

“It is about how the commission is being satisfied with how we are dealing with the issue and the appearance of being reasonable,” he says.

“Everything is completely reasonable ... given the absolute nature of how the issue represented itself, and we believe that we have been abundantly fair.”

The Alberta Teachers’ Association also appears to think so. The union has decided it will no longer pay for Buterman’s lawyers, who have called the cash offer “substantial” and advised him that it’s more than most employers would offer a short-term employee. They have also suggested that rejecting the settlement because of its confidentiality clause could make Buterman look bad.

“After dismissal, the issue of focus could then be on the monetary amount or types of settlement offered to you, rather than the nature of your complaint,” the lawyers say in a letter.

“It is easy to imagine the variety of negative conclusions that could be drawn from it, including those that focus on the generosity (of the board) towards you.”

Buterman, who is also a political activist with the Trans Equality Society of Alberta, scoffs at the suggestion.

For months he spoke out in favour of federal Bill C-389, which would have amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity or gender expression. The bill passed third reading in Parliament earlier this year, but died in the Senate last month when the federal election was called.

Buterman says he has a right to speak out about the discrimination he faced.

“People like us have all experienced job harassment, job discrimination, job loss — it is a common theme in the community,” he says. “The only difference between me and everyone else is that I got mine in writing. I have no interest in pretending it didn’t happen.”

Dennis Theobald, a spokesman for the teachers’ association, says the union doesn’t believe a person should be discriminated against on the basis of gender or sexual orientation. But he believes it would be difficult to win a complaint under Alberta’s human rights legislation.

“We have to evaluate the cases that we are representing and make decisions on prospects for success,” he says.

“This is not a reflection on any change of policy on our part. It is an assessment based upon the way in which the law is written and these cases proceed.”

While Buterman grapples with the Catholic board, minority sexual rights are being handled differently just down the road.

Edmonton Public Schools recently passed a motion to develop a policy to prevent harassment of and discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual/transgendered students and staff. The board plans to have the policy in place by September.

Board chairman Dave Colbourn said there is no way a teacher in the Edmonton public system would be fired for being transsexual or transgendered.

“I would say the possibility of someone being fired because they identified themselves as being transgendered or a member of the sexual minority population — that would be absolutely abhorrent, unacceptable and simply would not be allowed to happen,” he said.

“I don’t think a person’s sexuality should be a determinant in their professional standing as a teacher. We are talking about ensuring basic human rights are accorded people regardless of their sexual identity.

“We are taking about fairness. We are talking about equity. We are talking about justice.”

But the Edmonton board hasn’t always been so open-minded.

In 1988, elementary school teacher Carol Allan told the board she was making the transition from a man to a woman. The board forced her out of her classroom job while school officials grappled with how to deal with her. The board tried to buy out her contract, but she refused. When Allan’s lawyer made it clear she was prepared to take the case to court, the board gave Allan a job teaching adults.

Allan says she missed her old job, but stuck it out and was eventually allowed back into an elementary classroom. She retired after 31 years as a teacher.

She praised Buterman’s decision to reject the Catholic board’s offer.

“Jan, fight the fight,” she said.”Don’t give in. Don’t say ... ‘I’m not going to fight you. I’m going to be good and quiet and not talk about this. I won’t bother you about this.’

“No. Fight the fight.”

OUT IN PERTH ARTICLE: TRANS MEN HEAD TO HIGH COURT

2011-04-12T17:30:00.003+10:00

WA Trans* Men Head To High Court

11th April 2011

The High Court of Australia has granted two WA transgender men the opportunity to argue why the federal court should take their case.

AB & AH - two WA transgender men who cannot be named for legal reasons - were granted special leave by the federal court on Friday April 8 to argue for a hearing.

The case may be the first transgender-related case in history to be heard by the High Court of Australia if their case is accepted.

AH said he was relieved and pleased with the decision and it would be the first time anyone in Australia had tested the laws around actually being recognised.

`I'm encouraged that the judge seemed to really understand what's at the heart of the argument, what the issues are,' he said. `It is the first time that a case like this has gone to the High Court. We're looking forward to having the argument.'

As AH explained, a federal court like the High Court of Australia cannot automatically appeal a state-court decision. The pair must ask for special leave to appeal to the court since gender recognition certification is a state-by-state issue.

`By granting a move to appeal, the Federal Court is recognising that, even though it is a state issue and state legislation, it has significant implications more than just at a state level.'

`Normally a state matter wouldn't be dealt with at a federal court.'

`It's a really important step because if we hadn't been granted leave that would have been it, all over.'

The saga began in 2008 when the pair was denied gender recognition from the WA Gender Reassignment Board. Following an appeal, the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) overturned the decision and granted both men their certificates. In September last year, the Supreme Court of Western Australia denied the two men their gender recognition certificates after the state Attorney-General appealed a decision by the SAT.

AH said the decision didn't really guarantee that the pair would or would not win, it meant that the Court believed it was something worth having a look at.

While no dates have been set, AH did not expect a hearing before the second half of this year.

***

Seems like as good a time as any to remind people about the fundraiser for these people's legal costs.

Q&A VIC LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

2011-04-05T06:55:00.002+10:00

[Got this in my inbox, thought I'd pass it on.]

Q&A Victoria - Creating resilient, effective and visible leaders

Providing a rigorous, adaptive leadership program to empower and equip emerging gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTQI) young leaders to effect social change in their communities.

Partners: Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO) / Twenty10 Association / FAR Social Enterprises / Department of Health / Centre fo...r Adolescent Health / Youth Empowerment Against HIV/AIDS (Y.E.A.H) / Burnet Institute.

Contact Mel Turnbull. M/ 0422 938 336

More info @ http://www.fpv.org.au/assets/QAVICFAQ2011.pdf

Are great leaders born that way or can you learn to be a leader?

Where are the next generation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) community leaders going to come from?

What is the purpose of our communities in the 21 century?

What action do we need to take to keep ourselves nourished?

Applications are now open to participants for the 2011 Leadership Program.

Q&A Vic represents an exciting opportunity for established and emerging regional and rural Victorian GLBTIQ leaders aged 18-28 to effect social change. Q&A Vic is open to individuals with a commitment to community leadership and social change. The program targets established or emerging leaders who are GLBTIQ who are 18-28 years of age.

Q&A Vic will run from June to September 2011.

Between 12-25 participants will develop their leadership capacities through a structured program involving community engagement, personal reflection, mentoring and a project within the GLBTIQ community.

For further details go to www.fpv.org.au/mind-the-gap &/or contact Mel Turnbull, Q&A Vic Coordinator 0422 938 336.

Applications close April 29 2011.

http://www.fpv.org.au/mind-the-gap/

How much time do I need to commit to the program?

Q&A consists of interviews, residential retreats and a final graduation over five weekends.

The proposed 2011 program dates are as follows (subject to change):

Interviews
7 May 2011

Residential One
16-19 June 2011

Residential Two
29-31 July 2011

Residential Three
9-11 September 2011

Graduation
22 October 2011

Participants will need to attend all retreats and must also allocate additional time for readings, group work and personal reflection. Q&A is an experiential program that requires the commitment and active involvement of all participants.

What is my financial contribution to the program?

Each participant is asked to contribute $250 towards the cost of the program (approximately $25 per program day). You can pay this amount in full or in installments, but will not be excluded from the program if you are unable to contribute financially. The total cost of Q&A Vic is approximately $5000 per participant, funded by the Department of Health.

Are there scholarship places available?

Yes. A limited number of scholarships to the value of $250 are available. If you are applying for a scholarship, please include this in your application.

BLACK FIELD (MAVRO LIVADI): MINI REVIEW

2011-03-22T18:36:00.002+11:00

i posted about black field the other day, and i went to see it last night. it was gorgeous - the direction, cinematography, performances, scenery were all just wow. and the sound design was pretty great, too. so i highly recommend it for that alone.

the film unfolds really slowly. it felt like an exploration of people who are shaped and trapped by their landscape, their environment, their era, their religion, their wars. sometimes the camera holds still for long stretches as tiny figures traipse across the screen or scurry about beneath us, inviting us to watch them in the way that an ancient building or mountain might watch them, rendering them small and fleeting and insignificant. at the same time, the repetition of events, of shot structure, of behaviours makes the spaces of and in the landscape claustrophobic and restrictive. even when the characters 'escape' to the wilderness, they seem destined to repeat the same patterns, varying only slightly - and in fact i was never certain if they had escaped or if the film had slipped quietly into the protagonist's inner world.

it's a beautiful film, but the more i think about it, the sadder it becomes. the last few seconds are . . . well, they made me want to watch the whole thing again. it's not that the ending is a twist, it's more that it that makes the rest of the film twist behind it. it left my mind replaying the repeated motifs of the film, trying to untangle the literal from the metaphorical, and eventually deciding that maybe this entanglement was the point.

all this thinking made me realise that - though hadn't noticed it happening, though i'd felt rather detached from the action - my mind had really filled up with these people. in fact, on reflection, one of the things i liked most about the film was that almost every character, no matter how minor, seemed like a whole person. everyone had their own personality, motivations, hopes, fears, desires, confusions, ambiguities (and they definitely weren't caricatures). it felt like the film had just dropped in on a moment of their lives - lives that stretched out before and after, lives that didn't seem to be written in the service of a narrative.

it's telling that i haven't really said anything about "the representation of trans identity" here. although the film used a kind of trans imagery and although i don't really dispute the use of the 'trans' tag in the MQFF program, it wasn't really about gender. or rather it was, but only within the contexts i've noted above. i guess some people might criticise this use of "transness as a metaphor" (i've done it before myself), but it worked here. it didn't feel like transness was used to shock the viewer and the film avoided the things i was afraid of (person reveals trans status, other person reacts with extreme violence). also, the frustration and anger and hurt and trapped-ness that both major characters feel as two halves of the same story . . . just worked for me. i felt i could read their claustrophobia in relation to trans identity, even though that probably wasn't the filmmakers' intention - and i like films that open up so many possibilities rather than shutting them down.

FIVE YEARS AND ONE WEEK...

2011-03-20T19:52:00.006+11:00

... since I started this blog. This was a day or two after I realised I was trans. Huh.

*

Today I introduced the Trans Phats session at MQFF. It seemed to go well, and people were into the films. I liked the films as much as I remembered (some even more), and thought they worked pretty well together as a session. Here's my notes by way of a transcript:

Welcome to Trans Phats, sponsored by Zoe Belle Gender Centre.

Zoe Belle Gender Centre is a Melbourne-based organisation. Their vision is for a society that values people of all sex and gender identities and expressions, and they are working towards supporting and improving the health and well-being of Victoria’s sex and gender diverse population. At present ZBGC helps trans and gender variant people find support by connecting them with trans groups and health professionals, answering questions, and by running and sponsoring events like this session at MQFF.

Some members of the ZBGC working group are here today. They’ll be handing out information at the end of the session, and will be available for a chat afterwards in the festival lounge.

This session was curated by myself and Teague around the theme of ‘family’. The films not only portray different families, but talk about different meanings of family, and the ways in which trans people negotiate both families of origin and families of choice at different ages and stages of transition.

In Loop Planes we glimpse the hurt that many trans and gender variant young people experience when some members of their family undermine their gender identity. In Dear Dad, Love Maria we hear a letter from a trans person who is finally disengaging from an unsupportive father.

On the other hand, Spiral Transition offers a brief, intimate account of an evolving relationship between a trans person and their mother, while I’m Just Anneke shows a wonderful, supportive family who help Anneke as best they can.

There are also films – like Genderbusters, Kaden Later and T42 – that portray the kinds of family and community that trans and gender variant people make for ourselves: the support, joy, love and fun we find in what can be a fairly hostile world.

Finally, Remember Me in Red explores the collision between families/communities of origin and of choice, and Latecomers profiles two people who have come out later in life (one as trans, one as gay), their fears and hopes, and their relationships with their children.

This is not to say that family is the only theme running through these films. They explore different expressions of sex and gender diversity; they take different approaches to their subjects and to filmmaking; some focus on private worlds and others on public cultures.

We hope they spark some good discussions in the festival lounge after the show. Thanks again to ZBGC for their sponsorship, thanks to everybody for coming and I hope you enjoy the films.

Running order: Genderbusters; Remember Me in Red; Loop Planes; Spiral Transition; I'm Just Anneke; Dear Dad, Love Maria; Kaden Later; Latecomers; T42.

BLACK FIELD (MAVRO LIVADI)

2011-03-04T16:23:00.004+11:00

This film will be playing at MQFF, and I'm planning on going. I'm a bit over the "trans secret revealed to violent outburst" plot point (UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR?) and the "not really trans, forced to be" thing (same goes for The Sea Purple) but the film itself looks so well put together that I can't resist. Also, PERIOD DRAMA! Here's the trailer (I guess I should put a trigger warning for violence):

After a bit of a poke around, I found an interesting interview with the director, which is well worth a watch:

I especially appreciated hearing about the political struggles of Greek filmmakers. I found more about FoG here.

Anyone else planning to go?

ANATOMY: MIND (TOM CHO)

2011-02-11T18:11:00.003+11:00

I wrote about the last episode of this series a couple of days ago. This next episode is now available online. It features Tom Cho and it's great! I think I mainly like it because it looks as though it would have been a lot of fun to make!

TIWI ISLAND SISTAGIRLS & BINDI COLE: DOCUMENTARY

2011-02-08T18:39:00.005+11:00

I've linked Bindi Cole's series of portraits before, but ABC iview has a half-hour documentary up following Cole's work in the Tiwi Islands: Anatomy: Series 2, Episode 1: Eye*. Not sure if it's available outside Australia - if someone can let me know, that'd be great.

I found myself a little annoyed with the focus on Cole, actually - I wanted to hear less from her and more from the other people involved, even though there was a fair amount of that, too. The doco felt a little naive in its trust regarding the transformative or empowering potential of the appearance of a (fairly well-known) Melbourne artist in the community, and also assumed that the audience would want to hear (more?) about the transformation and emotional journey of the artist. Still, worth checking out.

* Please be advised that the video may contain images and voices of people who are deceased.

NEGOTIATING DYSPHORIA, MASCULINITY AND DISCUSSIONS OF PREGNANCY

2011-02-06T13:21:00.007+11:00

(This turned out to be more of a counselling session than I expected, but that process might be of interest to some of you anyway! I am going to warn for not-always-good discussions of pregnancy, dysphoria, and perhaps general psychological unrest.)

In some things I am not quite on track to be the man I want to be. Sometimes I wonder how and even if I can be that man when I am also trans, and carry so many histories and meanings about that in myself. One issue I've noticed recently is around pregnancy. Many of my friends, acquaintances, family and others I admire have recently given birth, or are pregnant, or are trying to conceive. Putting aside political thoughts, I want to talk about my reactions to these pregnancies and particularly to discussions about pregnancy.

It is hard for me to listen to people talking about the wonders of having (and I guess this means mostly giving birth to, rather than 'having them around') children. It is hard to sit in on discussions about wanting to conceive or be pregnant. I find it very difficult to separate my gladness that my friends are happy and doing things they want to do from the skin-crawling, gut-turning horror I feel when I think about being pregnant. It is difficult to hear and read discussions that are so intimate and bodily without those words creeping into my blood and bones and belly, destructively parasitic, and making me feel nauseous. My hands and feet can break out in a cold sweat, I feel shaky. Words like 'glowing', 'baby belly', 'fertile', 'nurturing' and 'motherhood' make me instantly hyper-aware of the feeling of my skin, my fat, my chest against my binder and the curves of my hips in my clothes. Make me instantly aware of where my body reflects the pregnant body. These words make me want to skitter back from the dark place that unfolds, get the fuck out of my body, put my hands out palms forward and physically push it away (it-the-conversation, it-the-feeling, it-the-possibility, it-the-darkness, it-the-body).*

I don't know how to explain this feeling. It is something other than squick, distaste, dislike. If I don't catch myself, sometimes I scramble out the back of my throat and hang there in a dissociative state for a little while because that's the only way I can breathe (sometimes literally - I float there looking at my self-body saying, "And breathe . . . you're OK . . . and breathe . . . it's not about you . . . and breathe," until I sink back into my body, my gut, and am properly present again). Now I write that out, it looks a lot like a classic trauma reaction.

It is almost as though I become - quickly, silently - so dysphoric that I literally cannot stand to be in my body any longer.

This experience is traumatic in itself.

So I try to avoid it happening, either through preparation or by deflection. Preparation is my preferred method, because I want to be able to have conversations with my friends about the things that they are doing or want to do in their lives. This means that when I know the discussion is turning towards pregnancy, I carefully close the door on that dark place I have described. I remind myself that we are not talking about me, not talking about my body, that nobody is going to force this (pregnancy, conversation) on me, that I can leave the room if I have to, and that I really do want to join in with my friends' happiness and anticipation (because I do!). I take steady breaths and ground myself in my body - in my fingers and toes and legs and ears and other places that I don't associate at all with pregnancy! Usually this works.

Sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I don't have time to prepare. Sometimes a particular word, phrase or gesture swipes all my preparation aside. In these cases, my first reaction is to deflect, to stop the conversation, to make explicit how not-connected I am from this (potential) pregnancy. I think most people probably wouldn't recognise it as trying to avoid trauma, though, because the exchanges go something like this:

Other person: [Says something innocuous about their experience of being pregnant]
Me: Eeewwwww!

Other person: Don't you think she looks so wonderful!?
Me: [Grimaces wildly]

Other things I have done include pulling faces, shaking my head, putting my hands over my ears and/or saying: "Gross!", "No no no!", "Can you not?!" or "Argh, I don't want to hear this!"

And this brings me back to my opening paragraph: I do not want to be the kind of man who doesn't listen to or respect the experiences of people who get pregnant (mostly women). I don't want to be a man who is afraid of (women's) bodily functions. I don't want to be that gay guy** who behaves as if women's genitals and internal workings are absolutely disgusting. I am embarrassed by these reactions when I think about them later.

But at the same time, I want to acknowledge that what I'm doing is a form of self-preservation, a way of preventing the double trauma of dissociating. I want to acknowledge that while me sitting silent might look better, might seem more respectful, might be more socially appropriate than me putting my fingers in my ears and saying "Lalala!", it is not better for me. Even the embarrassment, the concern about being an arsehole, is preferable to the empty, mechanical feeling of hovering behind my own self-body and instructing me-it to perform basic life functions.

Having worked through this, now, I am going to sit with my new awareness for a while and allow myself to feel what it is like to recognise and acknowledge these feelings without trying to push them away. I am also not going to beat myself up over recent instances of "acting immature" or "saying the wrong thing", because I need to look after myself more than I need to look after other people - they can look after themselves.

After that, I am going spend some time (over the next few weeks) to think of ways to 'deflect' that are more respectful to others. I would like to develop and practice strategies in which I am able to calmly leave or pause a conversation about pregnancy without panicking or dissociating, while letting others know that I am still interested in talking to them about their lives when I'm feeling better.

One of those strategies is to post this here and link people to it, so at least they have some understanding of what is going on for me when we have these conversations.

* I've had to stop and start writing this a few times because even talking-about-talking-about-it upsets me

** I'm not gay, but as I'm in a long-term relationship with another man and am quite faggy this is often how I'm read.

ETA, July 2011: The reason I wrote this post was to work through ways in which I could negotiate my extreme dysphoria around pregnancy. This was because I didn't like the way I was acting (I felt that, although it wasn't coming from a place of misogyny, it could have the effect of being misogynist) and I didn't want to hurt the feelings of pregnant and TTC women/people who I know (some of whom are dear friends). It has helped in this respect. I am much more able to discuss their (potential) pregnancies without imagining that an unwanted pregnancy is being forced on me. So, as with everything written on this blog, while it was true at the time of writing does not mean that this is my final statement on the matter, or that my feelings, opinions and understandings haven't and/or won't evolve.

THE 'DRAG QUEEN' SCENE: TRANSSEXUALS IN KING CROSS

2011-02-04T13:47:00.002+11:00

I've just spent the morning reading interviews in The 'Drag Queen' Scene: Transsexuals in Kings Cross, written/collated by Roberta Perkins and published in 1983. Perkins is herself a trans woman, and her honours thesis forms the basis for the book. I haven't got time to go into it in-depth, but it's kind of amazing to have these interviews with trans women ("girls", "transsexuals", etc) from thirty years ago published and accessible in print. It's also refreshingly non-judgemental about the work the women do on stage as dancers and strippers, as bar girls, sex workers, etc (though of course it's not perfect, and it's kind of dated in many places) - strange how after all this time there are still people incapable of the same respect Perkins shows in her writing. Anyway, if you're interested in Australian trans history (which I've noticed seems to be sidelined in most 'gay and lesbian' or 'queer' histories of Australia), check it out!

DUDE: TRANS MALE ZINE

2011-02-01T14:02:00.002+11:00

Forwarding this from a couple of places & friends:

DUDE Magazine to be launched Friday 18th February 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. DUDE is a not for profit, creative resource designed to celebrate positive representation of trans guys and to share skills and knowledge within our wider community. DUDE has been made possible by submissions from a wide span of people across the transmasculine spectrum and endeavours to be diverse in its understanding of gender, sexuality, desire and masculinity.

The launch will be held at Melbourne’s Hares and Hyenas which is located at 63 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. Launch from 7.30pm, Friday 18th February.

DUDE will be distributed throughout Australia and be available internationally. Please contact ashpike AT riseup.net for distribution enquiries.

www.dudemagazine.wordpress.com - Editor: Jez - Phone: 0425 539 99 - Email: coltbaxter81 AT gmail.com

ID

2011-01-17T12:15:00.003+11:00

Just got IDed by the shopping delivery guy (the delivery included a bottle of wine). I am now at a point where people constantly wondering if I'm over 18 is HILARIOUS! Mind you, it's only hilarious because my Victorian Drivers Licence has no gender marker on it (i.e. no sex marker, no honorific) . . . too back if I had to show him my passport with a big F on it (which is something that makes this really important to me). [ETA: As in, there's always the niggling doubt when a strange man is standing with one foot in your doorway anyway - what happens if your ID outs you as trans?]

FUNDRAISING FOR THE HIGH COURT CHALLENGE

2011-01-15T07:45:00.005+11:00

Regular readers of this blog will probably remember me posting about AH and AB. They are two West Australian men who 'won' the right to change the sex marker on their birth certificates (etc.) at the State Administrative Tribunal in 2009. That decision was appealed by the WA Attorney General, and in 2010 the state Court of Appeal upheld his appeal, meaning the guys involved are not able to legally identify as male. The two stated at the time that they would appeal the WA Supreme Court's decision at the High Court of Australia, and they are currently working on this with their lawyers. (My posts on the topic are here, here, here, here, here and here.)

This is where you come in! The lawyers in this case have been working pro bono, but heading to the High Court means that more costs are cropping up. The two men have said, "we're certainly willing and mostly able to dip into our own pockets to cover these costs, [but] it's a bit of a financial strain", and so they've set up a gofundme account to get some financial assistance. They've set their target at ~~$3000~~ $10000 (their costs are about ~~$4200~~ $13000), but say "even just a few thousand dollars ... would be gratefully received and so very helpful".

This is a pretty important case for Australian trans people, so if you can afford it, please consider making a donation.

Feel free to link/quote this post elsewhere.

ETA: They're definitely going to the High Court.

I can vouch that this is a legitimate fundraiser and that the men involved in the case are the ones who have set it up (in fact, I was the person who suggested using something like gofundme rather than emailing their bank account details to people).

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BETTER

2011-01-13T10:27:00.001+11:00

Better: Stories, Poems, Essays, Words for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Teens About Growing Up, Surviving, Living, and Thriving

I believe in the power of words. Words can change lives. This proves especially true for the queer community—our community is a community with a rich literary culture. From Oscar Wilde and Radclyffe Hall to erotic pulp novels to book stores displaying rainbow flags and playing Glee: it is a fact that our community has always relied on literature to express ourselves, to talk about ourselves, and sometimes to save ourselves.

[...]

I am looking for words—stories, poems, essays, short memoirs—for an anthology tentatively titled BETTER: Stories, Poems, Essays, Words for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Teens About Growing Up, Surviving, Living, and Thriving. Publication is set for Summer 2011. Publication will first be through Lulu. All profit from this will go to a nonprofit that supports queer youth. Therefore, sadly, no payment. Think of it as a literary donation for a good cause. No word minimums or limits, but remember that this is an anthology. Will seek publication through a publishing house for larger distribution (I’m thinking about where this book can be physically avaliable to kids, and public libraries don’t buy self-published titles), but we’ll see then.

For more information see here.

I HEARD IT ON THE GRAPEVINE

2011-01-09T10:59:00.004+11:00

There's going to be some kind of uni reunion thing today in Brunswick, which I heard about from a friend who was staying over at our place, who heard it from another friend who saw it on Facebook. I think it's gonna be pretty casual, just drinks at a bar. I am excited to see people from back then and hear about what they've been up to! There are also a couple of people I hope are there so I can apologise for some of the things I said in conversations with them when I was a bit of an immature know-it-all (yes, apologies that have been on my mind for years - they might not remember, but I do).

It only just dawned on me that it might turn into an afternoon of explaining who I am. I really hope not, I'm tired of having this conversation at the moment.

Then again, I guess everyone will have changed in some way!

[P.S. See comments: it all went well!]

MIDSUMMA TRANS PICNIC:16TH JAN

2011-01-07T15:18:00.001+11:00

(via)

Going to Midsumma Carnival? So are Victoria’s trans groups! Join Zoe Belle Gender Centre, TransGender Victoria, Seahorse Victoria, Trans Melbourne Gender Project, Ausgender, Transitory Life, Melbourne Genderqueer, YGender and ButchFemmeTrans Melbourne for A Midsumma Carnival Picnic. Everyone is welcome, so bring along your food and drink, picnic blankets, kids, pets, frisbees, friends, and good cheer for this summertime event.

Look out for the pink balloons. No RSVP required – just turn up!

When: Sunday 16 January, 1-3pm
Where: Seahorse Victoria stall (stall H8), Midsumma Carnival, Birrarung Marr (on the north bank of the Yarra River, next to Federation Square)
Cost: Free (note: entry to the Midsumma Carnival is an optional $5 donation)
Enquiries: Contact Zoe Belle Gender Centre. Email contact [AT] gendercentre [DOT] com or phone 03 9660 3990

This event is wheelchair accessible and child-friendly

REPLY FROM MR PORTER, WA ATTORNEY GENERAL

2011-01-06T15:41:00.002+11:00

Dear Mr [nixwilliams],

Thank you for your letter [...] regarding the ruling by the Supreme Court of Western Australia in respect of two transsexual men and their applications for gender recognition certificates.

As you may be aware, both respondents are in the process of seeking special leave to appeal to the High Court. Accordingly it would be inappropriate to comment on these cases at this time.

However I have noted your comments and thank you for taking the trouble to write to me.

Yours sincerely

C. Christian Porter MLA
ATTORNEY GENERAL; MINISTER FOR CORRECTIVE SERVICES

04 JAN 2011

*

While this is merely a polite reply, I am pleased to see the reference to men.

In related news, I hear that the guys involved are hoping to be able to raise some funds to help them cover the legal costs of their appeal. I'll update you when I know more.

YEARS PASS . . .

2010-12-25T16:17:00.003+11:00

Although I don't celebrate Christmas, I try to go to family events during the festive season. Yesterday I caught up with a number of aunts, uncles, cousins, etc, and I was kind of touched by how readily and without awkwardness one of my younger cousins adopted me as his buddy for the day (12 of the 17 cousins on this side of the family are female, so 'the boys' are in a minority). But then I thought about it - he's about 10 years old, and I've been 'out' as trans to the whole family for the last 3 1/2 years (longer in some cases) during which time I've seen this cousin on probably four or five occasions . . . he probably hardly remembers me as a girl. (Also, props to both his parents for being really supportive and on the ball with trans stuff - one of the few families who responded to my letter when I 'came out' to everyone.)

VIDEOS!

2010-12-22T16:01:00.001+11:00

Instead of any insightful commentary on my part, have some videos from the tube of you.

Miss Platnum, "Why Did You Do It"

Michael Kamber on military censorship of photographers.

Puppy pugs tilting their heads!

Mindfulness guided meditation by Jon Kabbat-Zin. Note, this video is over an hour long, you can skip to the start of the meditation a bit after 20mins here.

ALL CHILDREN ARE POTENTIALLY TRANS

2010-12-19T22:00:00.006+11:00

raising (potentially) trans children is a nice little post and link on questioning transphobia. it's an issue that gains even more relevance to my life as more of my close friends start families. i particularly liked tim c's comment: I think “statistically the kid will probably be cis” is a busted argument ... Statistically, any *individual* child is cis, with 100% probability, or trans, with 100% probability - and i'd add that any given child is something other than cis or trans with 100% probability!

related: kids of trans and intersex parents, true colours (for trans kids), twenty10 (for trans/gq/queer youth) (obvs i don't endorse these sites 100%, but they might be a good starting point for some peeps) and sweet honey in the rock singing "on children" - written by khalil gibran ("you can give them your love, but not your thoughts . . . you can try to be like them, but you cannot make them just like you").

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2010-11-28T12:29:00.004+11:00

Fwd from TMGP list:

*

I'm Jez, I live in Melbourne, Australia and I'm a queer transman.

I'm making a little zine based on trans masculine information. The purpose of the zine is to provide a little guide on how to negotiate trans male relationships. It is going to be really simple and basic and hopefully provides a bit more understanding for people who are interested in playing with trans masculine folk or for people that are curious in general or just lack knowledge and awareness.

I know there is plenty of information and resources out there already but still to this day people can ask me the most random, uncomfortable and sometimes rudely offensive questions such as "do you still have a vagina?" I don't think these people intend harm, but I'd like the majority of people to pre-empt their interactions with trans guys with some forethought, respect, care and understanding.

And I don't want to ridicule or frighten people away from wanting to engage so I thought a zine might be a good way to approach this. Also, another reason I want to create this zine is because for many years I have cruised male only venues under a certain level of anonymity and danger, which of course is very exciting, but largely hard work and unsafe. I would like to see a little more visibility and inclusiveness in gay male venues because I feel there is more fun to be had if people just knew a little more about it.

The idea of this zine is to provide everyone and anyone with a little trans male 101 and isn't targeted specifically to one type of play nor will it necessarily represent all trans masculine identified people.

Which brings me to my invitation to submit something relevant to this topic so I can ensure there is some diversity in the zine. If you have something relevant and would like to have it included, please feel free to contact me. It could be writing, poems, personal experience, photography, drawings, random shit, sexual fantasy, erotic fiction or any material that can be printed in black and white.

You could also submit a question which you have been asked that made you feel uncomfortable and frozen and/or a response that might be appropriate and empowering.

If interested, please email me personally or message me privately on facebook.

Email: coltbaxter81 [AT] gmail [DOT] com
Facebook: Jez Pez

Deadline for submissions is January 10th 2011.

I will try to include as much content as possible in addition to what I will be writing as the main part of the zine.

Thanks very much and feel free to circulate this on any relevant lists or blogs.

THERE'S A REASON!

2010-11-15T08:08:00.004+11:00

Hello, blog and readers! I miss you somewhat!

I've not been posting because I've been working. I'm helping process the Year 12 VCE exams (final year of secondary college/high school) - my job is "error resolution", so basically any student and assessor mistakes with paperwork come to me and one other guy and we sort them out. It's been challenging and quite interesting. However, time is scarce as I'm at work 7 days a week (one day off in the last 16 days, and I'm having another day off on Wednesday), usually 8-9 hours a day.

I have a feeling that I scored this relatively interesting position because of my PhD-student status. Good to know that it's been good for something! The politics of employment at this place are interesting - maybe I'll talk about it here sometime. Or maybe I won't.

I have taken 5 weeks off uni to do this work. I was also hoping get a bit of home improvement done, but it looks like I'll be working a week longer than anticipated, so the sanding, plastering and painting might not happen - argh! I'm also going to take a short break with D. Life is pretty good: I'm tired, but I don't find work particularly stressful; I'm sad that I have no time to do things I hoped I'd get done, but I'm pleased about the income I'm earning (I won't have to work again until March, I think); I miss going on long walks, but I love walking to work every day along the creek and seeing things (a kingfisher! a big fish jumping out of the water!); I'm tired (yes, again) but work'll be over in a week and a half or 2 weeks.

There are so many brackets (too many?!) in this post.

OK, time to go and resolve some errors!

FILMS FOR MQFF

2010-10-28T10:39:00.003+11:00

I'm doing some volunteer work with Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2011 at the moment, sitting on the selection panel for the trans film programme. I did this last year, too, and the general standard of the shorts is better this time around (there were a couple of transphobic/cissexist shockers last year). Here are the films I've watched so far, pretty much in the order of my personal (not necessarily professional!) preference.

Tea for Two is a bright, boppy short that takes its retro style and some of its cues from Tea for Two. It features a happy poly foursome, and it's just. so. cute.

Fourplay: San Francisco is pretty hot! Loads of communication, consent discussions, etc. It seems fairly explicit that the sex worker character identifies as a woman/trans/cross dresser for her work but as a guy the rest of the time, so I'm sure some people will have an issue with it if it's selected for the trans program, but I enjoyed it.

I am Just Anneke (film on youtube) is a short doco about a butch/tomboy/trans boy/gender fluid kid and her awesome parents. It's the only doco I've watched so far!

Genderbusters (trailer on youtube) is cute and fun and explicitly political.

Loop Planes is a lovely film about a trans kid working at a fair ground. Great acting & really nicely put together, but pretty sad, too.

Dear Dad, Love Maria (film on vimeo) is a slightly whimsical, poignant animation with a voiceover script that's a letter from a trans woman to her (estranged?) father on the eve of her genital surgery. I liked it, but the voiceover was SO FAST at times I couldn't understand it.

Remember Me in Red is, IMO, a study of life as a narrative and an exploration of who 'owns' the stories of someone after they die, of which stories are 'true'. I probably wasn't in the right frame of mind to watch this, because even though it's good I just recall being bored (haven't I seen something very similar to this last year? Dead trans woman, red dress, friends sneaking in to dress her properly for burial? Yes, I did!)

Well, it's pretty obvious that I am a fan of the happy films, isn't it?! But yeah, there are no films on this list so far that I would call 'bad' at all. It's pretty nice to be able to say that! I'm looking forward to watching more over the next month or so.

A COOL THING

2010-10-23T10:15:00.005+11:00

In September, I read this post by Hysterical Marissa about wheelchair access signs (particularly in relation to toilets). Towards the end, she linked to bushprisby's redesign of the wheelchair-user symbol.

As this post on Different Spokes says:

This logo (which I found at www.bushprisby.com) took the old one, and simply added arms in motion. That tiny addition makes an enormous difference:

* It shatters the helpless stereotype: The person in the new logo is propelling him or herself, without the need of any other assistance. It sends such a simple message. People in wheelchairs, in fact, can go shopping on their own, can park their cars on their own, can use an accessible restroom on their own.

* It's not stiff and rigid: As a generic symbol, it gets rid of the idea that an individual in a wheelchair sits in his or her chair all day waiting for something exciting to happen.

* It's starting to catch on. As I mentioned, I saw a similar logo to this outside of a store in suburban Chicago, while companies such as Inclusion Solutions already utilize this logo on their products.

* It's still similar to the old logo: A shift to the new-look logo would not cause whiplash within the general public. The colors and overall theme are the same. In fact, I would guess that a high percentage would not even notice the difference. So this would keep us in line with the "universal" symbol for disability while updating it for the realities of the 21st century.

And today I just noticed that the State Library of Victoria is using the redesigned version as their access symbol. Here's a screencap, since that page will expire at some stage:

I thought that was pretty cool!

LAZY AND FAT

2010-10-20T08:33:00.007+11:00

According to the headline on the ABC website, "Australians [are] too lazy to get healthy". See? Yes, if only the fatties weren't so LAZY they wouldn't be so FAT, clearly. What really made this article stand out, though, is the first paragraph, where the headline is pretty much contradicted:

A new heart study shows many Australians are either too lazy, do not have the time or have an existing health condition preventing them from changing to a healthier lifestyle.

Isn't it interesting that the headline picks up on the 'lazy', but not on the 'not enough time' and 'health condition' factors? And isn't it interesting how 'healthy lifestyle' is considered to be synonymous with 'not fat'?

It's so much easier to attribute the lack of a 'healthy lifestyle' to laziness than to actually investigate why people have no time to do 30 minutes of exercise a day or why 30 minutes of exercise a day is not an attractive option or why they don't know what a serve of veggies is or why it's really hard to get that much veg into their diet. Some things I can think of: working long hours ("Out of all respondents, the survey found those aged over 60 are most likely to meet the recommended exercise requirements". I wonder why that is? Retirement = more time to do things?), looking after kids, looking after other family members or friends, coming home late and not wanting to jog in the dark, not being able to afford a gym membership, being self conscious of your non-normative body (trans, disabled, etc), not having access to enjoyable group sport, BEING BODY SHAMED INTO NOT EXERCISING IN PUBLIC, being bombarded with misinformation about diets from all kinds of media sources (and even health 'professionals'), not having time to plan meals, not having a car to go shopping (it's hard to carry stuff home on the tram), not having time to cook, NOT HAVING THE ABILITY OR ENERGY TO DO/EAT THE RECOMMENDED THINGS. And that's just off the top of my head.

But no, it's so much easier to fat shame (use stock pictures of headless fatties, equate fat and lazy, concern troll about death fat) and make vague, messy equations (between not-enough-exercise/not-enough-vegetables and fat and lazy and "an Australian dying every 22 minutes from heart disease") than it is to talk about the underlying economic factors, the social factors, the media factors behind whatever CRISIS OF FAT is in the news today.

It's so much easier to (VERY LAZILY, I MIGHT ADD) just accept the "common sense" arguments that fat is bad, that fat is unhealthy, that just exercising more and/or just eating less will make you less fat - so much easier to accept them than to stop and think critically about these things and realise that in many cases this "common sense" is bullshit.

ARGH, THIS IS WHY I DON'T READ THE NEWS.

P.S. If you're thinking of replying to this post in a less-than-body-positive fashion, I urge you to read through the following (fat-positive, body-positive, health at every size, lulzy, etc) links first. You might also like to read them anyway!

Fat acceptance FAQ on mymilkspilt

How we’ve come to believe that overeating causes obesity on Junkfood Science

But don't you realise fat is unhealthy? on Shapely Prose

An epidemic of scapegoating on Big Fat Blog

Riffing on 'flying while fat' by thingswithwings

Intersections between fatness, HAES and disability on The Rotund

Things About Fat People That Skinny People Don’t Know. A list. on vegansaurus

America's overheight epidemic on ed bites

Bodies of work - body diversity in sport in the New York Times

Happy, healthy and heavy photos on newsweek

Fat is Contagious! by Kimberly Brittingham

IT'S NOT "RESULTS", IT'S SOMEONE'S BODY

2010-10-15T11:21:00.002+11:00

An excerpt from franken-what, by jayinchicago on Questioning Transphobia:

When we flippantly discuss phalloplasty, we often refer to “results” and “surgeries” as if what we are talking about isn’t someone’s actual genitals. I think that’s the only way the franken-references can live on. As for discussion of function-let’s leave that for the men and their doctors (and partners) to work out. Certainly there are fairly accessible reports of post-surgery men happy with their surgery. Likewise there are reports of greatly improved function and ability to be present in sex and in life.

But it’s very easy to fix this, and in fact is applicable to many discussions of argumentation and rhetoric. Use “I statements”: I don’t need phalloplasty as part of my medical transition. Don’t make easily falsifiable statements, such as: No one is satisfied by the results of phalloplasty. The presence of ONE man satisfied by the results of phalloplasty makes that statement completely false. Finally I would add, don’t confuse wanting or needing phalloplasty to be prescriptive to all trans men, and in turn don’t force anti-phallo views on anyone else.

TUMBLR

2010-10-15T08:10:00.002+11:00

Peeps, I'm on tumblr. The focus there is, ah, pictures of things I like. I will not be using it to talk about the things I talk about here, as I find the format too difficult and time-consuming for following conversations. Basically it's just pretty/interesting pics, sans commentary.

PRESENTATION TOMORROW

2010-10-14T18:18:00.003+11:00

I’m giving a 20 minute presentation on Friday (tomorrow) as part of the University of Melbourne CCGC graduate seminar series. This is an introduction to my PhD project, its methodologies, evolution and findings to date. If you're free, I'd love to see you there!

Here's the abstract sent out by CCGC (written in a hurry last week!):

Most mainstream films about trans identity are written and directed by non-trans people, performed by non-trans actors, aimed at and marketed to non-trans viewers, and then reviewed and criticised by non-trans journalists and (often non-trans) academics writing for a presumed non-trans audience. In this way, discourse about trans identity and film often operates within a space from which trans people (as writers, producers, actors, viewers and critics) are almost completely absent. My project intervenes in this cycle by speaking to twelve trans people living in and around Melbourne about their opinions and experiences of cinema generally, and of trans identity and film in particular. This paper gives an overview of my project and findings to date. I argue that my methodological choices are also ethical and political and demonstrate how focussing on reception (rather than textual content) allows me to centre trans experiences. This approach influences not only the content of a project about 'trans cinema', but also the way in which the topic is framed and discussed.

Time: 4pm, Friday 15th October
Location: Room G05, John Medley West Tower, Melbourne Uni Parkville Campus.

PLACEHOLDER POST

2010-10-13T13:39:00.005+11:00

One day I will get around to writing about why I get annoyed with people constantly dismissing trans characters as stereotypes. Suffice to say for now that the criticisms (this one is a start) people have made of this Female Character Flowchart are the things I'm thinking about.

I would also really like to write a post about trans* characters I love, even if they (and/or the film they're in) are in some ways politically dodgy. Bernadette in Priscilla, for example: "There, now you're fucked!" would have to be one of my favourite feminists-teaching-dickheads-a-lesson moments on film.

But! First, I need to write this presentation to give on Friday afternoon!

P.S. I gave a lecture yesterday! First time I've presented my empirical research findings in public. Eep!

AUSTRALIAN SCHOLARSHIP FOR TRANS AND QUEER PEOPLE

2010-10-07T06:42:00.003+11:00

The Pinnacle Foundation Scholarship is for queer and trans people who need help with education costs due to circumstances including (but not limited to) marginalisation arising from their "sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression". Here are some excerpts from the website:

Scholarships will be provided for young LGBT who desire to undertake full-time or part-time education at a public or private secondary school or public institution of higher education in Australia. It will be for the purpose of gaining an educational or vocational qualification in any profession, trade or the arts. The grant will sit alongside and complement other government funding rather than duplicate it.

The Scholarship will cover such vital needs as the cost of tuition fees or dues to an approved educational institution, laptop, textbooks and uniforms. The Scholarship is not designed to support expenses such as pocket money, travel to and from educational establishment or other personal expenses not directly related to their studies.

They also note:

Unfortunately those who need grants and scholarships the most can’t always access the information, nor do they have the resources to apply. Knowing where to access such funding opportunities, making inquiries and completing applications can be a daunting task for some LGBT students. We recognise that the students most likely to have difficulty will probably come from strong ethnic and indigenous backgrounds, are disabled or live in rural areas.

We all know that urban-based gay men are much more organized in terms of communication channels and support systems, however, rural-based gay men and lesbians generally may be less aware of the existence of our program and some will struggle with our scholarship application process.

So, pass it on!

IT'S NOT ALL STEP A, STEP B, STEP C

2010-10-04T08:22:00.003+11:00

How weird is it that I sometimes have to "come out" to other trans people - especially trans guys - as having not had any transition-related surgery?

There's a total assumption that (since I'm in my late twenties, since I've been identifying as trans for around 4 1/2 years, since I've been on T for 3 1/2 years) I've had or am actively seeking top surgery. Like, this is the narrative around here: come out, wait a little bit, change your name, wait a bit, get on T, wait a bit, get top surgery. This all happens within around 3 years. After that, there seems to be more flexibility with the 'next step' - some people consider themselves done, some seek further surgeries . . . but these first steps? That's just what you do. And it's so common that I think people sometimes forget that just because it's the (perceived?) norm doesn't mean that it's (1) what everyone does, (2) what everyone wants to do, (3) what everyone can do. And just because it's the norm to proceed through these steps to top surgery within 2-3 years doesn't mean that everyone does, wants to or is able . . . perhaps, like in my case, they want to and are (probably) able to get top surgery - but they have prioritised different things (in my case, it's a financial priority that has favoured travel over top surgery, and an emotional/ethical priority regarding the institutions and processes involved in obtaining psychiatric approval).

I have to say it sometimes makes me upset to see what feels like everyone else (though it's not) desperately ripping through the approved transition timeline as fast as they can go. I don't know why. Or perhaps I do? Partly it makes me sad that I'm not doing it, too. Partly it makes me wonder what people are sacrificing to do it. Partly it makes me sad to see how quickly a lot of people fly in and out of trans spaces, networks, friendship circles, support and social groups, without really sticking around and getting to know the stories that aren't like theirs. Mostly, though, it's that feeling of being othered again by standard life narratives (the standard life narrative is that you're not trans, but there are certainly standard narratives for trans lives, too), that I'm not doing "being trans" correctly.

Most of the time it doesn't get to me. Sometimes it really does.

I'm really grateful at these times for the good friends I have made through trans activism and socialising. People whose stories aren't standard. People whose stories are standard but who are very aware that this standard doesn't fit everyone. People who have started and stopped taking hormones. People who have taken political and ethical stance against certain elements of transition related technologies and processes. People who don't identify without complications as (trans) men and women. People who don't want or haven't started seeking surgery, despite having been identified as trans for years. I'm really grateful, because when I think of these people, the 'standard' narrative becomes less monolithic and I feel less alone.

ARTICLE ON CHASERS

2010-10-03T19:59:00.003+11:00

Negotiating sexual attraction and relationships can be really hard for trans people and for their partners, and I'm the first to admit that it's complicated. So, there are things in the article Chasing off the Chasers (by Asher Bauer) that make me go, "But!" . . . But! I've been looking recently for a nice clear rundown of what makes chasers creepy, and the article is good in this regard. Here's a large excerpt.

Chaser are predators. They prey on insecurity. They look for trans people who aren’t sure of who they are yet, and try to convince them to be something else. For example, a lesbian fetishizer of trans men may steadfastly maintain that dating a trans guy doesn’t mess up her dyke credentials, even though dating a cis guy certainly would, in her opinion. She tells him he’s not a man like other men, that he is different, that he is special, that he is gentler and more sensitive. But the message she conveys to him, whether she intends it or not, is that she doesn’t really consider him a man at all, that he is castrated, that he doesn’t count.

Frequently, the bits that chasers are most interested in are precisely the body parts that trans people feel most uncomfortable with, and plan to have removed or modified. Sabotage and manipulation quickly come into play when the chaser is more interested in objectifying their trans partner’s current body than in supporting their need for medical attention. So a cis guy into shemales may try to dissuade the trans woman he is dating from going on hormones or getting bottom surgery, even as she desperately tries to save money to do just that.

Every moment spent with a chaser can be agonizing. They use incorrect pronouns and wildly inappropriate language to talk about us. They have an attitude of entitlement, even of ownership, over trans people. They feel they have a right to pursue any transgender person they see, even when their interest is clearly not reciprocated. Sometimes this pursuit is very aggressive, bordering on or becoming stalking. (We call them “chasers” for a reason.) They genuinely believe that we will always say yes eventually, because they think that we are just that desperate.

Read the rest here.

PICK UP YOUR PENS, START THE CAMPAIGN

2010-09-30T07:42:00.004+10:00

Following up on the Western Australia Supreme Court decision to not allow two trans men to change the sex markers on their birth certificates (discussed briefly here and here),the Out of the Box facebook group has been set up with details and instructions for the next round of the campaign. Now, the group is visible to non-facebook users, but I think it's worth repeating the letter-writing guidelines in full.

Please get your pens out, write a letter, get your friends on board, forward this information widely.

***

In the wake of the Gender Reassignment decision handed down by the WA Supreme Court two lines of action have been started up.

The first is a legal challenge – steps have been taken to seek leave to appeal the Court’s decision in the High Court. This will be a lengthy process, but one that has a good chance of success.

The second front that has is just starting up, is a political campaign. To kick start it, we’re looking for people to write to the West Australian Attorney-General, Christian Porter. Emails are good, old-fashioned letter-in-envelopes are even better. This correspondence will have the most impact if each one is personally written, but to help you build your letter, there’s a few points at the end of this you might want to pick out to include.

If you are a trans* person who lives in Western Australia (or who’s birth is registered here), it will be very powerful if you talk about the impact that the Supreme Court decision will have on your life, personally.

If you are writing from outside of Western Australia, your letter probably should be couched along the lines of wanting the Attorney-General to know that the rest of Australia is watching what’s going on, and is not impressed. If you live in a State – say South Australia! – where people are able to obtain legal recognition much more easily, you may want to point this out.

If you are not a trans* person you may want to talk about how this decision will affect the trans* people you do know, or else the fact that as a ‘member of the community’ you want to see trans* people obtain legal recognition on the basis of how they present, not on the basis of some arbitrary surgical requirements.

Most importantly, if you want a response, make sure your letter requests that particular information, or that a particular response be provided. Ask Porter questions. And then let’s see (and if you all want, share) how he answers.

The Attorney-General’s contact details are as follows:

Post:
Office of Attorney General
29th Floor, Allendale Square
77 St Georges Terrace
Perth, WA, 6000

Email:
Minister.Porter@dpc.wa.gov.au

In solidarity, and thank you in advance.

The Out of the Box Crew

P.S. Keep copies of your letters, you might want to reference them in the future if we need to write to the Shadow AG, or the Federal AG, or anyone else!

***

Suggested points and questions to include in your letter. These focus on trans people and particularly on trans men, but you might also have questions about how this will affect trans women and intersex people.

- The recent Private Lives Report 2007 showed that transgender people suffer a high level of discrimination in their daily life due to not having their gender recognised, including loss of employment, denial of career advancement, and abuse and harassment.

- People experiencing gender dysphoria will often undergo various medical procedures to align their bodies with their identities, and gender reassignment laws should then allow such people to be legally recognised. It should NOT be that the law dictates to people what they must do with their body in order to obtain this recognition.

- The effect of this decision is that people suffering from gender dysphoria who wish to apply for a recognition certificate will have to undergo invasive, dangerous and expensive surgery, which is not even available in Australia.

- This decision sets the hurdle so high that it cannot be realistically achieved by female-to-male people.

- No other jurisdiction in Australia places such demands on trans* people seeking recognition of their sex.

- The decision is contrary to the recent recommendations of the Australian Human Rights Commission (in the 'Sex Files' Report) in relation to the legal recognition of sex.

- People should be recognised for who they are, based on how they identify and are accepted in society, not solely on the basis of required surgeries.

- If this is how the law is interpreted, then the the law needs to be changed, with amendments developed in consultation with trans* people and taking up the recommendations of the Sex Files Report. (Are you, Mr AG going to do this?)

- This decision has also highlights the fact that a person going through gender reassignment is not currently protected from discrimination in WA, because the ground of Gender History under the state’s current equal opportunity laws requires a Gender Reassignment Certificate for a person to be able to lodge a complaint of discrimination.

- WA is the only state or territory in Australia to not recognise gender identity or transsexuality discrimination, which makes it harder for the trans* folk in WA to claim discrimination than anywhere else in the country.

- The Equal Opportunity Act needs to be changed to include protections on the grounds of gender identity, in particular to protect people whilst they are transitioning or if they are unable to obtain legal recognition. (Are you, Mr AG, going to do so?)

MENCANSTOPRAPE.ORG

2010-09-26T08:49:00.004+10:00

I saw these "my strength is not for hurting" posters for the first time today on Tumblr:

There are more on the Men Can Stop Rape website. It's sad that these (a) have to exist and (b) are noteworthy in their non-failyness, but I think the campaign is pretty good: because it DOES have to exist and because there ARE so many other anti-rape campaigns that send ambiguous messages, blame the victim in some way, dehumanise women, don't acknowledge that rape is not always an attack on a woman by a man. (Reminds me that I meant to link the Not Ever campaign here, too.)

One of the things I really like is the focus on communication. "So when I wasn't sure how she felt, I asked" and "So when I got mixed signals, I asked what she wanted". It manages to be simple without being reductive. Alan Davies, in his recent Teenage Revolution, recalls tapping a woman on the shoulder to ask her to stop smoking and being shouted at: "DON'T TOUCH WOMEN! NEVER TOUCH WOMEN!" Which, you know, is not really a workable solution in the long-term. By making communication, consent and respect the key elements of negotiating touching, this campaign doesn't make that mistake.

This "strength" thing is offputting to me, but then, I think the target audience is possibly men who do have an investment in being (perceived as) "strong" and "masculine" in a more "traditional" sense. It's interesting, too, that the tagline, "my strength is not for hurting" wasn't usable in a military context, because, uh, that's what the military DOES. Maybe we should run an anti-military campaign using that slogan: "Our strength is not for hurting. So when they said they didn't want to be shot/invaded/bombed, we didn't".

IT'S OK TO NOT BE OK SOMETIMES

2010-09-24T13:02:00.004+10:00

That's what I'm telling myself today, because today what I feel about being trans is: it is never going to be OK. I am never going to have the 'right' body, I'm never going to be able to be intimate with someone without being aware not not having the 'right' body, I am never going to be able to wear clothes that fit the 'right' way, I am not going to wake up one day and no longer have to concern myself about these things. It is never going to be OK.

(I am letting myself cry until I give myself a headache, until I feel too nauseous to cry any more. I know that at the other end I will be able to work on strategies for dealing with this. Again.)

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS #3

2010-09-22T13:05:00.002+10:00

A continuation of this series, I'm talking here about a pharmacist. Chemists/pharmacists have actually played a large part in my health self-care throughout my life, as although they are not qualified to make diagnoses, they are often very knowledgeable about how to treat symptoms. When I was been poor and not felt comfortable seeing a doctor, I treated the pharmacist as a first port of call (and if they recommended making a doctors appointment I would take that advice).

I want to take this opportunity to also promote the Zoe Belle Gender Centre website's Q&A section, and particularly point Australians towards this question, asking for recommendations of outstanding service provision. ZBGC continues to put together a list of trans friendly services, a resource that will make a huge difference to some people's lives!

My pharmacist: Tam Nguyen at Pickford Pharmacy

Tam and his team are warm and friendly and remembered my name after I’d visited only twice! Tam has gone out of his way to help me when he’s been out of Reandron and I’ve needed it for an impending appointment – calling other pharmacies nearby to check if they have it, and suggesting one closer to Northside when the others were out of stock. Also, Tam was the person who noticed that I had extras health insurance, suggested that I try to claim Reandron on it, and printed out and signed my previous 18 months of receipts so I could go straight ahead with it. Considering that the drug costs me around $160 every three months and I now get around $120 back from my health fund, I think Tam is worth his weight in gold!

GAY MEN IN VICTORIA: DIVERSITY ON TV

2010-09-20T20:29:00.002+10:00

Thought I'd put this out there, as it would be great to get some trans representation...

* * *

Hi,

My name is Steve Lamattina and together with Francisco Lopez, a fellow film-maker (and in partnership with the Victorian AIDS Council) we are working on a short documentary series for TV's Channel 31.

We are looking for fellow gay men to become involved with our project, which aims at:

* presenting diversity of gay men within our communities

* educating the general community

* creating and encouraging dialogue in both communities

We have worked on a number of projects each including "Darryl" (2009, screened at the 2010 Melbourne Queer Film Festival) by Steve Lamattina and "Fusion Latina" (2006-2009, winner of Outstanding Arts Program at 2010 Antenna Awards) by Francisco Lopez.

For this series, we would like to interview men of different ages (18 and over), different cultural backgrounds and also different HIV status, to talk openly about their life, interests, careers, family, children, future, religion, relationships, love, sex and intimacy. This is where you can be involved. We would like to hear from as many men as possible.

It would be much appreciated if you could send this email around to members of your group who may be interested!

Your contributions would help to facilitate breaking down stereotypes of gay men and help to generate conversations within our communities as well as the general community. If you would like to be part of this project or would like more information, please contact:

steve.lamattina [AT] gmail.com

Kind Regards,

Steve Lamattina

SISTAGIRLS: BINDI COLE

2010-09-17T12:21:00.003+10:00

awesome! full gallery here.

found via the trans pride tumblr and this article:

This artwork is part of an artist spotlight interview with 2009 Deadly Art Award winner Bindi Cole for her series Sistagirls, a collection of stylised portraits of a community of Aboriginal transgender women from the Tiwi Islands.

TRANS* GUY WANTED FOR ROLE IN (FICTIONAL) FILM

2010-09-16T08:32:00.004+10:00

I'm not really sure about some aspects of this (like, you have to not be on T, but be "interested" (willing?) to start for the film - heavy duty method acting, there!), but I thought I'd put the word out anyway. At least there's a push for trans people to play trans roles.

*

We are seeking an FTM guy to work with us on a film we're making. It's a fictional film, and will be shot next year. So it's not a documentary, but we are seeking an actor to play the role of a transguy and would prefer to be working with someone is is actually transitioning rather than someone else. We know it's a long shot to find the right person, but feel we should just go for gold.

Us: Film production company based in Adelaide. Next year (2011) we will make a feature film, shooting for one year. Although it is fiction, we are seeking a FTM interested in acting in the film, while also transitioning. Role will be fictional but with potential for a side documentation (via web, documentary or similar) of your own experience. Connected to trans-community and working closely with a few people already but still open to speaking with interested people.

A link to our website is here (it's temporary but you can see some of the films we have made/are making): http://www.closerproductions.com.au/

Also a link to the filmlab site (which is the initiative through which we are funded: http://www.safilmlab.com.au/

You: FTM (or similar) late 30's, early 40's. Not yet taking T but interested to do so. Willing to live in Adelaide for one year. Willing to help create and be fictional character, different to you but showing your physical transformation.

Anyone interested can email closer [AT] closerproductions.com.au for more info or just to start talking.

NERVES!

2010-09-13T08:01:00.003+10:00

I'm just about to head off for a 4-day job at a trade show with a new employer (I'm *just* doing the trade show with them). I've spoken to them on the phone once, and emailed a few times. I'm nervous, but happy to be earning some dosh. I'm sure I'll be fine.

I just realised that another thing that's making me a bit jittery is that this is the first time I've entered paid employment without my employers knowing or having evidence that I'm trans (at uni it's a constant battle to get my records updated, I transitioned while at my previous retail job, other than that it's been volunteer work where I talked up my trans-related experience to get in). So, new environment, new clothes, new people, new product . . . no support? Oh well, my old boss will be at the show today, so at least there will be one friendly face in the crowd.

Wish me luck!

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS #2

2010-09-09T15:53:00.003+10:00

Continuing on from this post, I'm now focussing on a less-traditional, complimentary health & wellbeing practice. I want to acknowledge that part of the reason I'm able to maintain regular appointments with my chiropractor is that I can afford what is known in Australia as 'extras' health insurance. These policies might subsidise things like chiropractic, physiotherapy, optometry, but they're not full health insurance policies because they don't cover private hospital stays, etc. My 'extras' policy pays for itself in subsidies at the moment (chiro and hormones are my regular expenses), which is nice for me.

2: My chiropractor: Dr Helen Alevaki at Chiropractic for Wellness

I’ve been seeing Helen for . . . 7 years, I think. She has built her practice around helping people achieve wellbeing not only through chiropractic adjustments but through massage, other physical therapies, counselling, physical exercise, healthy eating, etc. Her adjustment style is very manual (which I like), and she is always willing to look at other parts of my body that aren’t functioning so well – she adjusted my jaw when it became extremely painful overnight, she has suggested stretches and exercises for my shoulders, legs and hands, and she has helped me shake off a few colds quickly. Again, I feel comfortable asking her about many aspects of my physical health and I know she will listen and take me seriously. I have been seeing Helen since before I identified as trans, before I changed by name, before I wore binders, before I started taking hormones. She has taken all these changes in her stride and been very supportive – as she says, everyone has a spine and it really doesn’t matter what sex or gender you are.

MARCELLA DI FOLCO

2010-09-09T07:53:00.002+10:00

A couple of days ago the Italian trans activist Marcella Di Folco died, aged 67. She was a founder and driving force behind MIT (Movimento Identità Transessuale). I did't know a lot about her (and didn't realise that she'd acted in quite a few films when still presenting as male!), but an Italian friend of mine made a small post in her honour here.

Vale, Marcella.

FURTHER UPDATE ON THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ISSUE

2010-09-08T09:26:00.003+10:00

Further to this post, the two trans guys in WA have decided to appeal the decision (previous link goes to the ABC, also linked at Questioning Transphobia). I'm going to quote from the last bit of the article, because it seems that previous news items have been slightly innacurate:

AH [one of the trans men] and his fellow appellant have instructed their lawyers, Freehills, to apply for leave to appear before the High Court.

The firm says it will act pro bono for the pair.

"I feel reasonably confident. We've now had two rulings, from the State Administrative Tribunal and the Supreme Court saying that the issues of hysterectomies and fertility shouldn't be an issue, so that, I think, has been pretty conclusively put to bed.

"Now there's this issue of whether trans-men should have to have surgery on their genitals.

AH says that is something that has very much come out of left-field.

"The state, in its arguments, never even said that that's what we should have done, the original Gender Reassignment Board decision didn't say that was something we should have done."

He says he's not aware of anywhere in the world where that surgery is a requirement.

"It's so out of keeping with the way that most of the legal stuff works around this that I feel reasonably confident that, on assessment, a higher court will throw that (barrier) out."

AH says he can't think of anyone he knows who could obtain a Gender Reassignment Certificate using the test that the Supreme Court has set.

"For that reason alone I think it's really important that this be challenged because I don't know anyone in Australia who has ever been able to have the surgery they want done.

"It seems to me a bit farcical to have a law that is supposedly able to help people to amend their documentation, but that actually is impossible for anyone to meet."

Good luck! I hope that the appeal goes well, and gets a much more sensible decision.

!!!

2010-09-02T16:15:00.004+10:00

who the hell is this imposter?!

i was just joking that i should go and get my username before someone else did, but i'm too late! so i just got my name on tumblr, but i'll never* post there because i HATE IT SO MUCH IT MAKES ME ANGRY. but i was really looking forward to tweeting one of these days!

* never say never, nix!

FUCK YOU, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

2010-09-02T15:39:00.004+10:00

I quote in full from the ABC.

Court overturns duo's transgender legal recognition

Two transgender West Australians have lost the latest round in a fight to be legally considered men.

They won the right to be legally considered male in a ruling last year by the State Administrative Tribunal.

It found the law did not require them to have surgery to remove their female reproductive organs.

However, the state Attorney-General appealed the decision, arguing it could have unforseen effects on WA law because it would mean a person could be legally male and yet still bear children.

Now in a majority decision, the Court of Appeal upheld the Attorney-General's challenge, ruling that because the two people still had all the reproductive characteristics of a woman, they would not be identified according to community standards as members of the male gender.

The identity of the two has been suppressed.

What utter bullshit, is all I have to say to this.

I want to send out props to my friend D, who emailed the ABC about the extremely problematic wording of the original article ("Transsexuals lose legal fight to be male", "Two West Australian women", "The transsexuals"), and to the ABC for taking it on board - although I note that they still can't quite bring themselves to refer to these guys as men ("duo", "transgender", "they", "them", "people", "the two").

CALLING OUT, BLOGSWARMS, ACTIVIST RELATIONSHIPS AND GROWING GARDENS

2010-09-01T16:48:00.010+10:00

Lisa posted "The Culture of Internet Call Outs" on QT, and I think it's really worth reading. Sometimes the activist internet tends to be mean-spirited, needlessly oppositional, and even bullying, and I'm glad people are talking about it. Lisa writes:

To me, when I really looked at the process of calling out, I saw it as telling something that something they did or said was harmful . . . [I]t may open a dialogue with the person you called out or someone else, and productive conversation could grow from that point forward. What it was never meant to be was a means of reproducing oppressive tactics.

Lisa's post also reminds me of Internet, it's time to talk, and BFP's recent post, where she writes:

i don’t know when it happened. but somehow somewhere in “social justice blogland,” the whole point of blogging became “calling people out” rather than having conversations and engaging people. the whole point became look for bad words, and jab them over and over again–rather than i see your point of view, but i disagree. or, let me share my perspective with you.

I think it's interesting to note that Lisa and BFP both acknowledge that they've participated in this behaviour. I am sure I have, too. I don't know where the line is between expressing legitimate anger and becoming part of another system/cycle of violence.

For me, one event that stands out is my post about Erika Moen's comic, which I criticised in a rather over-the-top way for objectifying trans men. That post continues to get hits. I think that's mainly because I archived the comic before Erika took it offline - along with all of the discussion about it, all of the people saying they were hurt by it, all the transphobic comments, all the "you can't take a joke" stuff. . . Anyway, sometimes I go back to that post and wonder if I should have done something differently, or if I would do something differently next time. I wonder if I should email Erika and apologise? But then, occasionally I still get comments on my post telling me and the other commenters that we were too mean, or saying that I am personally responsible for starting a blogswarm and triggering Erika's panic attack. These comments never fail to piss me off all over again (and I actually delete/don't approve many of them because I've already addressed all the issues they raise). And I wonder why Erika hasn't apologised for the comic? Or has she, and I've missed it? If she has, I would really like to see the post for myself, and comment there to thank her for her apology.

Anyway, this is basically to say, I totally get that there are times when you are just too angry, hurt and upset to do anything but scream. Or times when someone is not getting it, and you feel like maybe with one more voice in the mix they'll see how horrible they're being... I get it. Sometimes you don't have the space to be generous, sometimes you simply can't be kind. But sometimes you can. I've mentioned before that I'm trying to be more generous in my academic reading, and more generous in my interactions online. This present post is really a reiteration of that.

On a related note, I do wonder why we feel this need to swarm, this need to home in on one or two 'bad' words instead of engaging with a wider context, or what this culture of calling-out-for-the-sake-of-calling-out achieves. Partly, I think the calling-out thing can create an instant sense of 'community' - we're the good people, they're the bad people/person, we are united in our stand against them. (And I guess that's why I really dislike the idea of 'community', because it is always exclusive.) I also wonder, however, if constant exposure to sensationalist 'news' media feeds into this idea that whipping things up into a frenzy is the way to communicate, the way to get people to care, the way to sell your story (or get hits on your blog post, or get 'likes' on your whatever-social-media-thing-you're-using, or get more traffic through). Sometimes I think it is part of this social currency/economics thing, this consumer-culture drive to hype everything up - because if people aren't all talking about it, it isn't happening, right? And if we don't jump into the fray, we're excluded! We have to be part of the in-group! And clearly this person was saying something totally bigoted, and then they got really defensive when someone mentioned it, so they're wrong, and we're right, and we're friends, we're cool, we get it!

But that's not really how strong, long-lasting friendships, relationships and networks are formed, is it? To really take a metaphor and run with it, this kind of (drive-through) activism is like the equivalent of feeding yourself and your friends by grabbing a burger from a take-away chain – it’s tasty and hot, you don’t have to think about it, it’s instant, you don’t have to deal with any of the mess of producing it, it comes in a convenient wrapper and you don’t even have to get out of your car. But nurturing networks and friendships takes years. It’s more like feeding yourself and your friends by growing a garden together – you get your hands dirty, you have to experiment with putting things in different places and combinations, you learn how to deal with snails and aphids, you have to wait for months for things to sprout, you have to mulch and fertilise and think about it and spend time in it. These kinds of gardens/relationships need generosity and kindness, they take fucking up and apologising, they need compromises and forgiveness, a willingness to work collaboratively, they require your flexibility, they need discussions and solutions that go beyond a limited menu or script. They require parties to feel loved and respected enough so that they realise that if they fuck up once or twice, their support networks are not going to turn on them.

I’m not the hugest fan of this metaphor now I’ve used it (there’s all kinds of issues rolled up in it). But it works on some levels, you know? It’s OK to sometimes go and get that burger when you’ve got no energy, so long as you’re also looking after the garden some of the time!

. . . OOOOOKAYYYY. I think that's enough rambling from me for one day!

ETA: BFP has a bit of a linkspam on these related issues here.

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS #1

2010-08-30T21:31:00.003+10:00

I’ve been meaning to write something like this for a while, because so much of what we hear and say about health professionals is the bad stuff. So, I want to make a series of short posts to tell you about some people who take care of my health. (Note that this is not a blanket recommendation for trans-friendly or whatever-else-friendly service, but a recognition of my personal experience.)

1: My GP: Dr Jeff Wilcox at Northside Clinic

Jeff is one of those doctors that people rave about, because he listens to what you say, asks about aspects of your life other than the cold-like symptoms you have, takes you seriously when you ask questions or suggest possible causes. I have had ear infections all my life, once or twice a year, and it was Jeff who suggested taking pseudoephedrine when my ears started blocking before/after plane trips to reduce the pressure and avoid infection – I haven’t had an ear infection since, and have drastically cut my intake of antibiotics as a result. I’ve also never felt like a hypochondriac or like I’m wasting his time when asking him about minor discomforts. In trans-related stuff, Jeff has overseen my hormone treatment since 2007 and has always been careful to get my blood tests yearly and to discuss the results with me. Northside Clinic itself is also a bit of a community hub – I feel like I see more of my trans and queer friends there than anywhere else!

P.S. I meant to say, I'd like to hear about any good GPs or health professionals that you see, too.

I FEEL SOMEHOW STRANGELY COMPELLED

2010-08-20T17:38:00.006+10:00

Random lyric is random.

It's pretty quiet here of late. I've been knuckling down with my PhD, which I've been doing part time since my scholarship ran out a few months back. I've also been working more to pay my way, and this has sometimes meant working 5 days a week. I've had a few rounds of minor illnesses (I suspect that I have whooping cough at the moment - I had it when I was 17-18, and this feels very similar). I've done a fair bit of walking.

And now my wonderful tea retail job (which I've had for almost 5 years - longer than I've identified as trans) is coming to a close at the end of August, and so I am on the hunt for employment. I really want to expand my employment experience in at least one way - whether that is working in a cafe, working in an administrative role, working in an outdoors-related job, or somehow putting these academic/language skills to use. I have a bit of savings, so I can be slightly picky with my job applications at the moment, which is nice. I've also scored a few days of work at a trade show in September, and I'm doing a lecture in October.

All that "this is what I want" aside, though, this is the first time I've actually applied for jobs whilst trans, and it makes me realise how lucky I am: my employment history is fairly gender neutral, I tend to be read as male so there's little confusion about my appearance vs. the name on my resume, I'm not really looking at jobs that need police checks, I am a (post)graduate student with previous university employment, I'm young-ish and look youthful, I speak English very well, I'm all these things (middle class, white, able bodied) that I don't control but that work in my favour. Even if I don't get a job I really want, I know I can get a job.

(Although what I really want to do is just WRITE MY FUCKING THESIS.)

So, if it's quiet? I'm really bloody busy.

HAHA

2010-08-18T10:33:00.003+10:00

oh, man, i just had a very amusing conversation with a very confused person in HR at the university. i'm doing a lecture and have submitted my contract, but they're having a hard time figuring out who i am/was/should be on their system. are you miss [old name] [new name]? are you dr [someone else's name] [new name]? are you dr [new name] [old name]? *flustered* you're both [old name] and [new name]? so, [old name], that's a female name? how should i address you? *flustered* i might have to give you a call back in a bit!

AUSTRALIAN ELECTION-RELATED LINKS

2010-08-18T07:43:00.003+10:00

To start off with, something fun: Australian Politics: A Harry Potter Primer. Yes, it's kind of cracky, but in many ways it does give you an idea about the current state of Australian politics. I liked it until I got to Neville, and then I really liked it!

"I still care about Climate Change," said a deep voice behind them. It was Senator Neville Longbottom, leader of the Greens! (Who gets a bigger photo because he was one hell of a hotty in his youth!)

A bit about how your vote works in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.

AEC senate preference flows (Vic) shows you where party preferences are heading (you can navigate to other states from there).

Wikipedia's list of political parties in Australia provides links to basic info about the smaller parties, in case you weren't sure about them.

Vote below the line: figure out your senate preferences and print out your own how-to-vote card.

I've already voted because I'll be at work all day on Saturday (you can find early polling places here), and I wouldn't dream of telling you how to vote . . . but I would dream of telling you how not to vote, so: don't vote for the Liberals! If you want some reasons, take a peek at this infographic (which seems kind of pro-Labor, which I'm not, but it gets the point across that Tony Abbott, leader of the Liberal Party, is "arrogant, homophobic, xenophobic, misogynistic, backwards", etc).

ZBGC ONLINE/LOGO LAUNCH

2010-08-13T12:16:00.001+10:00

See link for details, or read on:

Zoe Belle Gender Centre is launching your new virtual gender centre at gendercentre.com and the ZBGC logo. Celebrate with us and get an update on our progress towards establishing a gender centre for Victoria.

Sunday 29 August, 3pm
Radio Bar & Cafe
79 Gertrude St, Fitzroy

Light snacks provided. Wheelchair accessible venue and gender neutral toilets on-site

RSVP preferred for catering purposes. RSVP by Wednesday 25 August to contact [AT] gendercentre.com or phone 03 9660 3990 (voicemail)

SWARM

2010-08-05T07:46:00.003+10:00

this post by bfp deserves a good reading, i think. however, the quote i'm pulling here is from the comments:

And I will talk about swarming with other people who are like me (i.e. on my blog and on the blogs of other people I trust). because I think it needs to be talked about as a strategy. if indeed it *is* a strategy. if it’s a strategy, that implies it’s connected to a movement. and if it’s connected to a movement then we have an obligation to ask ourselves what it the goal of using this particular strategy over and over again? is it worth it? does it make sense to continue doing it? where is power playing out in the process? where has this strategy been successful? where has it not been? how can we mess with it a bit to make it *always* successful? how can it be used to silence? or against weaker community members? etc.

If it’s not a strategy–then it’s not connected to a movement–and we need to stop pretending it is. Let go of the noble cause and stop manipulating social justice words with specific meanings to suit our purposes. just call it what it is, stop acting like it serves a noble purpose, and move on. you know?

i've not much to add at this point, as i am about to go to work. just . . . think about it.

SIGNAL BOOSTING: BRIGHTON LGBT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE UNDER THREAT

2010-07-30T20:51:00.004+10:00

MindOUT is an award-winning mental health service working specifically for the LGBT communities. We are unique in providing both a mental health service for users and undertaking research/strategic work, each feeding the other. We are based in Brighton, UK.

The Count Me In Too survey demonstrated the seriousness of the mental health issues in our communities, especially in the more marginalised sections. Several participants explicitly mentioned MindOUT as their only resource, the only organisation to be so mentioned. MindOUT is a unique service.

Our parent organisation, Mind in Brighton and Hove, are undertaking a restructuring programme that, while it makes a lot of sense in terms of more mainstream services, assumes that having one or two possibly LGBT staff with an LGBT lead (i.e., an added responsibility on top of their general work/targets) can replicate the work of a entirely LGBT staff team and specialist service encompassing huge diversity, commitment, skills and community knowledge.

This process will see Helen Jones, director of MindOUT and one of its founders, whose commitment to LGBT Mental Health issues and the community is a large part of what let to the project being fought for and established, made redundant, along with the senior practitioner/advocate, Jason Saw.

Mind in Brighton and Hove have not, despite this being a key plank of Mind's constitution, consulted service users. They maintain, in the face of service user opposition, that these changes 'will not affect service user experience'.

They do not understand how important it is for a specialist service to exist, both for users, and for staff, who in the new plan, would not necessarily get supervision on their work from an LGBT manager on issues that require in-depth knowledge of our scenes, and cultures, and which even then are generally a learning experience for all of us.

They take no account of the nationally recognised research that MindOUT has generated and partnered in.

Or of the fact that the vast majority of MindOUT's income is derived specifically from being a LGBT specific service, whether via grants, awards or bequests. Where is this money going to go if there is no LGBT specific work?

MindOUT is in serious danger of disappearing, and this would be a tragedy not only for the workers and current service users, but for our community.

What can I do?

Please write in the first instance to:

Sarah Danily, Director of Mind at: sarah.danily [AT] mindcharity.co.uk expressing your opposition.

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavillion at: caroline.lucas.mp [AT] parliament.uk Caroline Lucas is taking a serious interest in our case, we need to hammer home how serious this is.

And expressions of support please to:

Helen Jones, manager of MindOUT at: helen.jones [AT] mindcharity.co.uk

LOOK AT YOUR GRADES ... NOW, LOOK AT MINE

2010-07-19T09:51:00.002+10:00

Did I ever post about that Old Spice ad on this blog? Probably not. I did like it, though, so here it is for you to watch:

Excellently, there are now many YouTube videos where the Old Spice man responds to Twitter comments and questions (I think this was the last one). There are also many spoofs, and this is my favourite because it's all about STUDYING IN THE LIBRARY.

OH, SPAM.

2010-07-12T17:36:00.004+10:00

Today I got a good variety of spam. One tried to sell me "CHEAP% Viagra", one was an ad for "Natural BreastEnhance !! Enhance for pleasure looks !!", another questioned if I would like a "WIDER and THICKERPENIS", and one quoth, "What the Dickens! Orderly Corporal junket". At least my spam is not forcing me unnecessarily into a particular gender?

HOUSEKEEPING

2010-07-11T21:36:00.003+10:00

Just doing a bit of a blogroll update - deleted a few no-longer-updated blogs, added a few that I regularly read or have started following. I might be changing a few more links and things in the sidebar over the coming weeks, so check 'em out if you want!

2009 DEATH IN CUSTODY

2010-07-10T18:02:00.003+10:00

Activists have demanded an inquiry into the death in custody of a 34-year-old indigenous transgender woman several days after the 2009 Mardi Gras parade and party. (Link contains small images of the deceased. From the article: "Veronica’s family have given activist groups and the media permission to use her photo to bring attention to this matter despite indigenous sensitivities around images of deceased persons.")

ETA: And the day after I post: Hundreds gathered in Perth today to protest the Director of Public Prosecutions' decision not to lay charges against anyone in relation to the death of Mr Ward in 2008. Mr Ward, whose full name cannot be used for cultural reasons, died from heat stroke in the back of a prison van on the way from Laverton to Kalgoorlie in January 2008 . . . A broken air conditioner forced Mr Ward to endure temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius during the four-hour non-stop journey to face a drink-driving charge in court. What the fuck is wrong with this country?

THAT WAS SUDDEN!

2010-06-24T11:24:00.005+10:00

JSYK, Australia has* a new Prime Minister. A hot Prime Minister (haven't had one since Keating)**! A FEMALE Prime Minister (our first)!

I'm pretty sure my low opinion of party/federal politics is well-known to you all, but my, this is an unexpected and interesting development.

* Well, she'd not sworn in yet, but she will be soon.
** Your view may vary!

PARTNERS: NOT JUST FOR LEGAL FIRMS

2010-06-21T13:36:00.005+10:00

Hey, just so you all know, I refer to D as my partner, and he identifies me in the same way. Please keep this in mind before you make comments about how this is an 'awkward' or 'clunky' or 'impersonal' or 'too PC' or 'obnoxious sounding' phrase (these are all descriptions I've seen used over the last couple of weeks in various forums).

I don't diss other people for saying 'wife' or 'husband' or 'lover' or 'sweetie' or 'significant other' or 'girl/boy friend' or 'fiance/e' or 'schnookums', no matter how much those terms don't work for me (or even set my teeth on edge, in some cases). So I wouldn't mind a little respect in return. Thanks.

NOTHING TO SEE HERE: STORING A QUOTE

2010-06-20T16:30:00.002+10:00

[T]he history of identity politics is not one that has moved unproblematically from resistance to a broader politics of democratic struggle. While identity politics was central to challenging the cultural homogeneity of the 1950s and providing spaces for marginal groups to assert the legacy and importance of their respective voices and experiences, it often failed to move beyond a notion of difference structured in polarizing binarisms and an uncritical appeal to a discourse of authenticity. Identity politics enabled many formerly // silenced and displaced groups to emerge from the margins of power and dominant culture to reassert and reclaim suppressed identities and experiences; but in doing so, they often substituted one master narrative for another, invoked a politics of separatism, and suppressed differences within their own 'liberatory' narratives.

Henry A. Giroux (1993) "Living Dangerously: Identity Politics and the New Cultural Racism - Towards a Critical Pedagogy of Representation" in Living Dangerously: Multiculturalism and the Politics of Difference. Peter Lang: New York, San Francisco, Bern, Baltimore, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin & Paris. p92-93.

THREE FAT LINKS AND SOME AMAZING SINGING

2010-06-19T18:39:00.003+10:00

First, G linked to this: Phillipe Jaroussky singing the last aria from the Vivaldi cantata "Pianti Sospiri" (or so YouTube tells me). Spectacular, and so lovely to see people enjoying themselves!

There's an awesome post called Fat at the Gym up on Fatuosity. Here's an excerpt:

Once I got more familiar with the gym and the equipment, the anxiety about what people would think or say subsided. I put in my headphones and turn my iPod up and away I go. The music is important. I have a pretty ecclectic range of songs on my gym playlist, from The Pixies and The Clash to Florence and the Machine and Santogold. There’s a lot of Gossip, because I love the Gossip, and because Beth Ditto is one of the most kick-ass fatties I know of and if I’m going to be in an environment which is traditionally positioned as anti-fat, then I want a kick-ass fatty there with me. I get a kick out of being fat and working out and not loosing weight either deliberately or incidentally. I get a kick out of being in the gym listening to someone who tells normative ideology to go fuck itself. There’s also some Divynals, because I get a kick out of secretly listening to Chrissy Amphlett singing about kink and masturbation. Same goes for the soundtrack from Hedwig and the Angry Inch – listening to a big queer musical in a room full of machismo fills me with glee.

Big Fat Blog has a post called Stubborn Ass Know-it-Alls and Barriers to Understanding about the frustration of having to go back, back, back to beginner-steps 101 stuff in a 'How to Teach Fat Studies' workshop. The post and comments are interesting reading, if not anything particularly new (to me, anyway).

Going way back in my feed reader (and don't even talk to me about the number of Delicious links I haven't looked at since going to the UK), there was a post on Shapely Prose with many links talking about the creation of a false good fatty/bad fatty dichotomy in various debates (especially re: health stuff). One line particularly bears emphasising, because I still see a lot of this around the place, and it shits me to tears:

Marginalized groups must work to resist the tendency to devalue or bristle over any member whose actions might be viewed as “making the rest of us look bad”.

(Although in my more cynical moments I think that I am secretly thinking that about the people who say such things... ENDLESS CIRCLES.)

I don't have much to say these days - too tired (COME ON, WINTER SOLSTICE, BE HERE! I WANT LONGER DAYS ALREADY!), too busy (OMG), too whatever. Hope you're all well!

DOLLY PARTON SINGING "DUMB BLONDE", 1967

2010-06-17T17:59:00.001+10:00

I've been watching clips of Dolly (following link after link, starting with "Travelin' Thru", from the Transamerica soundtrack) and enjoying them immensely! I hope you like this one, too!

LW'S 'A SERIES OF QUESTIONS' PROJECT

2010-06-09T09:19:00.002+10:00

The photos from A Series of Questions are now up on LW's new site, and include several photos taken while LW was in Melbourne. I ended up deciding not to take part, but there are a bunch of familiar faces in there now! I'm looking forward to seeing more photos, though after a while the questions in the photos blend into the background of questions I've been asked by random people . . .

TEACHING PRONOUNS

2010-05-20T07:38:00.003+10:00

I've written about pronouns many times on this blog, and a couple of years ago I even wrote up a guide to getting pronouns right in spoken conversation. Recently, Rebecca had an experience with being consistently mispronouned by a family member in front of hospital staff, and she has turned this experience into a performance.

Asserting Identity in the Hospital

I feel like I need a chorus to follow me around, to enforce the pronouns I have so proudly and boldly chosen, asserting my control over my identity. (Directed to the audience) Can I enlist you to do that, as my chorus?

Great. Lets give it a try. “I was in his room earlier…”

(Hopefully the audience will say “her!”)

I really like the way she gets the audience to shout out the correct pronouns - it's like teaching them/giving them the confidence to do it in 'real life'. What are your techniques (if any) for getting people to stand up for your pronouns?

CALLOUT: RESOURCE DIRECTORY LISTINGS

2010-05-14T06:18:00.002+10:00

GET LISTED!

Health, activism, law and much more... Zoe Belle Gender Centre (ZBGC) is creating an online Resources Directory!

Now live at ZBGC's website, this searchable, Australia-wide directory will include local practitioners, groups and organisations that are of interest to the sex and gender diverse community.

We are now calling for listings from practitioners, groups and organisations for the directory. Listings are FREE. Community groups, medical services, activist groups, gyms, housing services, legal services, counsellors, clubs, etc... if your group/service is of interest to trans* and gender variant people, we need it in our directory!

To get listed in the directory, simply take a few minutes to fill in the form at:

http://gendercentre.com/?page_id=393

This much-needed directory will be invaluable to trans* and trans*-connected people throughout Australia, so let's create the most comprehensive directory we can!

Further queries to:
Zoe Belle Gender Centre
contact [AT] gendercentre [DOT] com
03 9660 3990 (voicemail)

This project is funded by a grant from Gay and Lesbian Organisation of Business and Enterprise

WHAT'S CHANGED?

2010-05-13T16:58:00.005+10:00

Changing my name has been a lot easier with this lot of paperwork than it was with the last lot. It's making me wonder why I left it so long . . . I remember it being difficult and depressing, and I remember being really upset at the way people looked at me or talked to me or asked invasive questions. Not so, this time. Have people or companies changed? Is it that people are less cissexist? Is it that companies have better training? Or is it me? Is it because I am more confident? Is it (and I have the feeling that this has a lot to do with it) a great big pile of passing privilege? People are happy to help, they say, "Oh!" with surprise, but carry right on in the most professional and easygoing manner.

Today I had the pleasant experience of encountering a very friendly and most helpful bank staff member. The person dealing with my change of name on the loan account was relaxed and professional, corrected other people (on the phone) when they used the wrong pronoun, and went through my whole file updating the gender markers and titles. She was absolutely lovely, and I think I will write a letter to the bank about her. (I'm still waiting on the outcome of what needs to be done, so I might hold off until then! But regardless of the result, she deserves top marks for customer service and transness-not-an-issue approach.)

It is so nice when things are not stressful.

THINGS I DO AS WELL AS BEING TRANS

2010-05-11T11:02:00.004+10:00

As a follow up to this/this, you might be interested in reading Walking Out of the City: Day Two.

Yesterday I walked into North Melbourne to help set up this exhibition as part of Next Wave 2010. I'm volunteering for the festival, and it feels really good to be part of something like this, to do things for other people just because I can, to not be focussing on me all the time!

LOL

2010-05-06T18:16:00.003+10:00

it's funny how you can *just tell* that someone on the phone thinks you're a woman. it's not quite as obvious with other women as it is with men, but it's definitely there. i just had an entire conversation in which someone clearly misheard my name and ended by saying "thanks for that, donna!" . . . she was a bit flustered when i corrected her. *g*

PSA: ONLINE PRIVACY

2010-05-02T20:10:00.007+10:00

OK, so I only just heard about Spokeo, a really creepy stalkers' tool masquerading as . . . well, I don't know. A bright and breezy data-harvesting site? Anyway, it's skeevy, and particularly of interest to people who like to keep their online identities separate from each other and from their offline identities. You can opt out here, on their privacy page. To do this, you need to search for your email address or name, etc, take the URL of that profile, and then submit it to the privacy page. An email will be sent to that account, and you can then complete the removal of your data.

I just think this kind of thing is SO. GROSS. I mean, sure, people could do these searches anyway if they had the time and know-how, but fuck, I don't want people to be able to find pictures of me based on an email address unrelated to that photo account. YUCK.

P.S. See also the commentary on Snopes.

A THING I DO

2010-04-28T19:27:00.003+10:00

I walk quite a bit. My aim for this year is to walk 2010km, which boils down to 5.5km per day on average. Currently I'm on 687km, which is 37km over target.

It's funny, I don't post much about it here, because it somehow doesn't seem 'relevant' - political stuff is relevant, PhD stuff is relevant, clothes are relevant, even fandom stuff is sometimes relevant, but my walking tag only has a few uses. I wonder why that is? I mean, I'm just as trans when I'm walking as I am when I'm reading an essay or wearing a cravat!

Anyway, I've started a little project on our travel blog, and I guess if I was to give it a name it would be Walking Out of the City. The first post is here, and I'd be interested to hear if you're interested in it (the project, the post), and what you think of it.

Today I walked about 13km: to the chemist to buy Reandron; to the doctor for my injection and a blood test; to Sydney Rd for bunch/lunch and op-shopping with G, E & DB.

EXCERPT FROM TOUCHING FEELING

2010-04-27T15:56:00.008+10:00

Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (2003) "Paranoid Reading and Reparative Reading, or, You're so Paranoid, You Probably Think This Essay is About You" in Touching Feeling: Affect, Pedagogy, Performativity. p144.

The monopolistic program of paranoid knowing systematically disallows any explicit recourse to reparative motives, no sooner to be articulated than subject to methodological uprooting. Reparative motives, once they become explicit, are inadmissible in paranoid theory both because they are about pleasure ("merely aesthetic") and because they are frankly ameliorative ("merely reformist"). What makes pleasure and amelioration so "mere"? Only the exclusiveness of paranoia's faith in demystifying exposure: only its cruel and contemptuous assumption that the one thing lacking for global revolution, explosion of gender roles, or whatever, is people's (that is, other people's) having the painful effects of their oppression, poverty, or deludedness sufficiently exacerbated to make the pain conscious (as if otherwise it wouldn't have been) and intolderable (as if intolerable situations were famous for generating excellent solutions).

Such ugly prescriptions are not seriously offered by most paranoid theory, but a lot of contemporary theory is nonetheless regularly structured as if by them.

I'm using a pink highlighter for this essay. I might as well just have printed the thing on pink paper!

ETA: Oh, I have to share more, because it cracked me up (from p146):

A disturbingly large amount of theory seems explicitly to undertake the proliferation of only one affect, or maybe two, of whatever kind - whether ecstasy, sublimity, self-shattering, jouissance, suspicion, abjection, knowingness, horror, grim satisfaction, or righteous indignation. It's like the old joke: "Comes the revolution, Comrade, everyone gets to eat roast beef every day." "But Comrade, I don't like roast beef." "Comes the revolution, Comrade, you'll like roast beef." Comes the revolution, Comrade, you'll be tickled pink by those deconstructive jokes; you'll faint from ennui every minute you're not smashing the state apparatus; you'll definitely want hot sex twenty to thirty times a day. You'll be mournful and militant. You'll never want to tell Deleuze and Guattari, "Not tonight, dears, I have a headache."

And then, and now . . . She talks about friendships she has with other academics, two of them 30, one of them 60, and she 45. She talks about living with advanced breast cancer, with advanced cancer, with HIV, and how, "On this scene, an older person doesn't love a younger as someone who will someday be where she is now . . . there's a sense in which our life narratives will barely overlap. There's another sense in which they slide up more intimately alongside one another than can any lives that are moving forward according to the regular schedule of the generations" (149). She says, "whatever else we know, we know there isn't time to bullshit", and I think, "You took the time to write this down", and experience an overwhelming gratitude and grief.

So, if anyone asks me about this essay, I can tell them the truth: I learnt, I laughed, I cried.

I WISH I WISH I WAS A FISH: MORE LINKSPAM

2010-04-26T15:12:00.004+10:00

I wish I could go to this DIY Citizenship conference:

This interactive conference seeks to extend conversations about new modes of engaged DIY citizenship and politics evidenced by the exponential increase of DIY media, “user-generators”, “prosumers,” “hacktivists,” tactical media interventionists, and other ‘maker’ identities. We invite scholars, activists, artists, designers, programmers and others interested in the social and participatory dimensions of digitally-mediated practices, to engage in dialogue across disciplinary and professional divides. All methodological and theoretical approaches are welcomed. Submissions may include paper proposals, works of art and/or design, short video or audio segments, performances, video games, digital media, or other genres and forms. Potential topics include: the relation between social media and the ‘making’ of new forms of citizenship engagement—thus, for example, making movements; making community; making news; making play; making bodies; making health; making public; making education; making networks.

*

On the topic of citizenship, brownfemipower posted Confronting Citizenship in Sexual Assault, about the complex and devastating links between sexual assault and state sanctioned power:

You’re not a rape victim unless the police say you are.

Let’s take a minute to sit with the ramifications of this sentence. It means something huge for all rape survivors–but it means something very specific in terms of citizenship. If it takes the nation/state to confirm a rape happened–what does it mean when states require local police to check the immigration status of anybody who “reasonably” looks “illegal“?

In a racist, heteropatriarchal society, who “looks” illegal? What bodies are “illegal” just by existing? And what happens when one of those “illegal” bodies are violated?

Citizenship brings many protections with it–we do not have to worry about “looking illegal” for the most part because we have the protection of our drivers licenses. But at the same time, with a little examination, it’s easy to see how the ‘borders’ of citizenship are impermeable and flexible. And how the lack of solidity brings with it disastrous consequences for immigrants and citizens alike.

*

TboyJacky has a post about something I think about frequently in a broader sense: as trans and gender variant people, as queer people, we don't necessarily have our communal histories taught to us by our parents or family, or in our schools. Jacky is talking specifically about the holocaust in his post Blast from the past: Pink Triangle, but I think that some of what he says is transferrable to a wider context - and not only to suffering and oppression, but also to celebration, productivity, joyousness:

The second aspect on which this thought made me reflect is that of “descent”. If Jewish survivors had children and grandchildren who would transmit their story throughout the generations, who would do it for the gays? For the most part, gay survivors did not have children. Furthermore, they couldn’t even tell their story until the 1970s without fear of arrest since Paragraph 175 remained in effect in one version or another in both East and West Germany.

I realised then, in the middle of listening to a speech by a Rabbi, that WE, the current queer community, are their descendents . . .if not physically, then spiritually.

*

On The Thang Blog, Rebecca talks a bit about using 'keywords' instead of 'labels' when talking about identity, which I thought was kinda neat:

That definition makes it really clear that a keyword is part of the explanation or meaning of the whole concept, but certainly not the entirety of the concept. Applying it to people, my ‘keywords’ – trans, woman, Jewish, etc – serve as ‘keys’ to understanding my larger identity. They become “something that affords a means of access” to understanding me as a whole, integrated individual who is made up of a complicated history and a wide variety of interests and passions.

*

Ausgender is a new online resource for trans people in Australia. I haven't checked it out yet, so this is not a recommendation - just a bit of a PSA about its existence:

Ausgender is a community based support and social group for the Transgendered and Transsexual community. Our aim is to offer support, information and a safe social environment for members to interact, and enhance the wonderful journey that is our 'special' lives. Although we are based in Melbourne, our services and support structures extend to all other states within Australia (and overseas).

Our newly formed website is open to the Trans community and the broader community in general, and contains social aspects and support structures etc.

*

Happy reading! And remember . . .

RANDOMNESS!

2010-04-24T08:51:00.006+10:00

Yay! I have been wanting a hoodie to mooch around in for ages, and so I just bought one with this design (on RedBubble) (see also). Excitement!

*

das_dingsi posted Heads-up: You don't get to respect only the "good" trans people and still call yourself an ally months ago, but I only just read it. It's excellent, and I especially want to highlight this part about what it means in the very, very unlikely event that someone said they were trans, you respected that and then they turned around and said, "Ha-ha, tricked ya!":

"But what if they WERE lying?"

What then? Woe, we have been tricked into... adding or detracting an -s-, basically. WHAT A CUNNING, SINISTER SCHEME. He or she made us treat them with the minimum of respect! Outrage!

And while you might feel a little bit stupid on your part (I don't know, but I can't foresee your feelings) because of one case where someone made something up and you believed it, there are dozens to hundreds of existing and totally-not-made-up trans people out there who read your comments and felt just a little bit safer in this world when they saw that you respect trans people's wishes without questioning.

This is not the time to prioritise what would be, to put it bluntly, hurt pride and nothing more.

*

Ooh, also on Dreamwidth, there is going to be a Transfic Mini Fest! I don't know that I have the time to participate, but for all you other fandom nerds, perhaps this is something to look into! Whee!

*

Genderqueer2genderqueer posts some reminders of the weird and not-so-wonderful world of Monash. Ugh.

*

Now, somewhat randomly, I'm really loving this Art vs Science film clip for "Parlez-Vous Francais?" with mime violence and total ship-ability. Mime/Mime OTP!

OH, ALSO!

2010-04-20T08:44:00.003+10:00

A few weeks ago I saw this graffiti alongside the Upfield train line in Brunswick. I vowed then and there to put it on my blog.

Description: Colourful graffiti on a wall reading: FUCK UR BLOG.

LINKS

2010-04-20T08:23:00.005+10:00

Thanks to a couple of open posts on QT and some linkspammy friends I've had the opportunity to read some new blogs and posts, yay!

1. At The Vibrating Square The Untoward Lady talks about the constraints we can internalise as trans people, not allowing us to enjoy - or talk about enjoying - our bodies.

I have been struggling with writing this for a while now. The fact of the matter is, I have been silenced. I have been intimidated, scared by a culture where my gender identity is judged as valid or not by those around me. I am a human being and I am female, yet I am afraid to admit perfectly normal things about myself. I am afraid that should other people find out that I do not conform to their ideal stereotypes about what a woman, or a transgender woman, ought to be I will not only be labelled a bad woman but not a woman at all. This absolutely horrifies me.

2. Genderbitch tells it like it is: My Dissonance Doesn't Need to Make Sense to You.

I don’t know why I have dissonance. I don’t need to know why to have it either. It’s inexplicable, I don’t know where it comes from, just what it does. I know that my mind rejects the presence of a penis and accepts and expects the presence of a vagina and breasts. The dissonance for my chest faded as soon as I got development. They weren’t even big. And the dissonance was still aided and gone from that spot.

Not once has knowing what cis girls have changed this sensation. And that’s because it honestly is not about what cis girls have. My facial hair hurting me is as valid as any other deep psychological pain or instinctual response, no matter how many bearded cis women dance under the stars (or sit, sitting is fine too). I’m not dissonant about my wookie legs but if another trans woman has dissonance regarding leg hair? That’s entirely valid too.

Because pain doesn’t need to make rational sense. That’s not how it works. Get the fuck over this.

3. Anarchafemme asks for a bit of respect for genderqueer people (especially those who are also trans) within trans spaces, when discussing an Inability to Write on Trans Issues. The comments are also worth reading for a continuation and clarification of the post.

Everyone, stop the backlash against genderqueers. This seems to have picked up in the last couple of years, since Serano’s Whipping Girl became first mandatory reading and then dogma (and a major critique of it is long overdue) and the concept of subversivism(1) seemed to change into “all genderqueers, everywhere, oppress transsexuals and their identities are just for subcultural status”. Which continues the erasure of transgenderqueers (a friend’s term for genderqueer people who also fit into a medical/social definition transsexual) that certainly was a highlight for me of Whipping Girl, a book where Serano repeatedly states that it is not about her experiences, implies they are illustrative, and then goes on to completely erase transgenderqueer people.

Hope you enjoy or at least find something interesting here!

ALL THE GIRLS

2010-04-15T15:29:00.002+10:00

Got my last shot of Cervarix today, and this marked the end of my participation in the PATRICIA study. So now you know that Cervarix works for trans men, too, although of course they NEVER mention such things in the reports, and it probably won't appear on any of the information sheets, either. There goes my gender or my participation (you choose!) in a puff of smoke! Researchers were really respectful of me in person, but as you would expect if you've had any experience with cisnormativity, they always talked about "the girls" and "the other women" in the study, and how this has been a really great thing for women, &c., &c., &c. Whatevs.