Helen Boyd Kramer's journal on gender and stuff
tv shows, magazine articles, movies
Wow: Jonanthan Ned Katz & David Carter filed an FOI (Freedom of Information Act) to get NYPD documents for the days of the Stonewall uprising, and has put those documents up at OutHistory.org. The New York Times has done a great article about those documents. They’ve also posted photos taken on the last day of the uprising.
This is very cool stuff. Get your queer history geek on, & go see the police documents & the photos.
Pixar shows the world how it’s done:
Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old girl suffering from terminal vascular cancer, told her mom that she wanted to live to see Pixar’s Up. But before she could visit the theater, her condition became too unstable for her to be moved. Colby’s family called Pixar, guessed a name of an employee to break through the automated operator and explained the situation to the first person they reached. A Pixar employee flew out immediately with a DVD, toys and posters in hand.
What a story, no?
JD Freeman of the Alabama Gender Alliance sent me a copy of a letter he wrote to The Advocate:
Dear Editor –
Regarding this article:
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid90450.aspHere you have a self-identified transgender person, and you have refused to honor that person’s affirmed gender, making the bigoted editorial choice to call Kimah a man and to apply the masculine pronouns “he” and “him”.
You should know better. How are we to achieve liberation when our own publications mistreat us?
It’s time for me to renew my subscription. Guess you don’t need my money after all.
I’m copying GLAAD. Clearly, you need to re-read their media guide. I’m also copying NCTE and every major trans blog.
You owe Kimah an apology.
J D ‘Ox’ Freeman
President
Alabama Gender Alliance
This morning, Rob & Arnie & Dawn of KRXQ radio talked about transgender youth with Autumn Sandeen (of Pam’s House Blend) and Kim Pearson (of TYFA).
Veronica has the links up of the original comments and has this mornings show up in three audio files.
A local (to the radio station) blogged about it too.
Rob Williams of KRXQ’s Rob Arnie and Dawn has posted a message on their website: apparently they will be apologizing on Thursday morning, and are staying off the air until then.
A trans guy in Australia wants to play on a men’s professional rugby team.
Crain’s reports that the economic woes of many clothing retailers will result in them dropping their Plus Size lines.
If you haven’t yet read this letter from the father of a gender variant 10 year old to the KRXQ talk show hosts who encouraged violence against kids like his son, do. Here’s an excerpt:
No, my kid is making me tell you to tolerate all gender expression.
Women in crew cuts who are straight. Men in dresses and makeup who are straight and married to straight women. The same people, in terms of gender expression, who are gay. Everyone.
You don’t have to love them. You don’t have to wear a dress yourself. You don’t have to have a gay marriage, or marry a butch woman. None of this will be mandated in the world which I’m trying to make by talking with you. You, a person I desperately want to ignore.
As Betty said after reading it: “I have such hope for the 21st Century.”
You will too. Go read it and the other letters on this new blog.
Check out this answer by Dear Abby (now known as Jeanne Phillips!) about whether or not a woman should tell someone about another person’s trans gender.
Well done, Abby. I’m wondering when we can work this out as a Right to Privacy issue. Anyone?
(h/t to Dawn.)
How sweet is this? Ron Hogan is interviewed by The Undomestic Goddess and names Betty his super-hero! That so rocks.
Welcome to any listeners from Air America who are popping over here after my interview on Nicole Sandler’s show. Here’s a link to the article by Jenny Boylan from the NYT.
I’d like to reiterate that the trans community, for the most part, is very, very invested in making sure same sex marriage becomes legal everywhere. For couples like us, & other (trans) couples unlike us, it would bring a huge collective sigh of relief.