I’ll be reading at Rainbow Mountain the weekend of May 21 – 23, and I hope tons of you can come! For those who can’t stay, I’m sure you could come just for the reading (and maybe stay for dinner, or brunch, etc.)
Here’s the description from Rainbow Mountain’s Upcoming Events page:
TG/CD Weekend with a special book reading by Helen Boyd, the author of My Husband Betty (and you can read a review from The Village Voice) plus the Shangri-La-De-Da Show on Friday and Piano Bar with singer/songwriter/musician Michael Ferreri on Saturday. Plus, we’ve got a Fashion Show on the agenda. No, ladies, not just you in your finery this time, but an outside vendor who would like you to see her line. We will be needing models, so contact us if you would like to participate.
This Week's Action – 4/26/04
Lobby Days: NTAC & GPAC
This week, two groups representing transgendered people are lobbying DC about our issues.
NTAC (National Transgender Advocacy Coalition) describes its mission as follows:
NTAC’s 2004 lobbying event will take place from April 28th through April 30th in Washington, DC. Wednesday the 28th will be used for training and final preparations. The day’s events will include a press conference at which families of hate crimes victims and surviors of hate crimes can tell their stories. Thursday and Friday, the 29th and 30th, will include visits to YOUR members of Congress to educate them and their staffs on the need for transgender-inclusive Employee Nondiscrimination and Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act (Hate Crimes) legislation.
This year’s effort will also press Congress to drop the sudden fixation on denial of equal marriage rights in order to take action on the serious, longtime employment and hate violence issues that have yet face the transgender community.
GPAC (Gender Public Advocacy Coalition) explain their efforts:
Parents, activists, and youth from all over the country come to the nation’s capital for a 3-day conference to work together to end discrimination and violence caused by gender stereotypes.
The conference beings with the 9th annual Gender Lobby Day, when activists from across the country descend on Capitol Hill to educate their Congress Members. Last year 1500 activists convened over 3 days! Following lobby day, attendees will return to the hotel for two intense and exciting days of workshops, plenaries, and Kimberle Crenshaw’s keynote address.
PLEASE donate to one or both of these groups to support their efforts!
Donate to NTAC
Donate to GPAC
En Femme Getaway
Betty & I will be at the En Femme Getaway for the next six days. I’ll be back with more news and a report on our trip after 4/27!
In case you don’t know about it, here’s a link to info about the Getaway. This will be our 2nd trip there, & we are really looking forward to it.
Helen & Betty
Me, giving the Banquet Speech:
Betty, being Betty (photo by Becca):
Join the IFGE
We just came back from the 2004 IFGE Conference, and we absolutely loved it! Lots of smart folks on hand to ask questions of (Richard Docter, Vern Bullough), activists to get inspired by (Hawk Stone, Holly Boswell, Angela Brightfeather), amazing artists (Kate Bornstein, Mariette Pathy Allen), people with medical information (Dr. Ousterhout, Dr. Shrang, Dr. Ostad), advocates (Wally Bacon, Debra Weil), counsellors (Virginia Erhardt, Arlene Istar Lev, Sandra Cole, Judith DiPerna), and presenters on everything from make-up to succeeding as a CD (Lacey Leigh, Susie Paris). The workshops were incredible. The entertainment was amazing. The community was inspiring.
So JOIN!
Subscribe to Transgender Tapestry. Become an IFGE member and go to their next conference, to take place in ’05 in Austin, TX!
www.ifge.org
Betty with Kate Bornstein:
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Prince? (Helen with VP)
Helen with Vern Bullough (author of Crossdressing, Sex, and Gender):
Mariette Pathy Allen and her hard-working camera, with Virginia Prince in the background:
CT Outreach Society Banquet
I am going to be the Guest Speaker at CT Outreach Society’s Annual Banquet Dinner.
When: Saturday, March 20th
Time: 6PM – 1AM
Where: Meriden, CT
Cost: $30 per person
For more information, check their site:
www.ctoutreach.org/banquet.html
(& here’s something like the speech I gave.)
MHB Book Party at Corner Bookstore
On January 21st, at 7pm, the Corner Bookstore will be throwing the debut party for my book My Husband Betty. It’ll be a party open to the public, with wine and cheese, and of course we’ll have copies of the book for sale!
We would love for you to attend.
What: My Husband Betty book party
Where: The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Avenue, at the corner of 93rd street,
When: Wednesday, January 21st, 2004, at 7pm
I would love to thank the owners of Corner Bookstore for throwing the event by having people buy the book there, so if you haven’t yet bought a copy – do it then!
For CDs: there is a place to change in the basement. If you can email me to let me know you’re coming/will need to change there, I’ll be able to give the folks at the bookstore fair warning!
Feel free to spread the word; all are invited!
January 8th Femme Fever Party
On January 8th, I’ll be going to the Femme Fever Party in Long Island, NY. It’s the first of the book parties, and this one is run by Karen of Femme Fever.
We are very much looking forward to meeting all of you!
We will also be selling the book at a discount for anyone who comes.
You can find more information at the Femme Fever website.
^ us, with Karen.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Today, November 20th, is the Transgender Day or Remembrance, when the TG community remembers and honors TG victims of violence.
There is a website dedicated to the Day of Remembrance. For more about today, and a list of the memorials occurring around the country, check here
From that site: Day of Remembrance
“This site has gone black in honor of the Day of Remembrance, November 20, 2003, to honor the 38 victims of anti-transgender murder since last November�s event, and to remember all victims of anti-transgender violence or prejudice. For more details, see the Remembering Our Dead website.”
“The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the �Remembering Our Dead� web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world. Rita Hester�s murder � like most anti-transgender murder cases � has yet to be solved.”
“Although not every person represented during the Day of Remembrance self-identified as transgendered � that is, as a transsexual, crossdresser, or otherwise gender-variant � each was a victim of violence based on bias against transgendered people.”
“We live in times more sensitive than ever to hatred based violence, especially since the events of September 11th. Yet even now, the deaths of those based on anti-transgender hatred or prejudice are largely ignored. Over the last decade, more than one person per month has died due to transgender-based hate or prejudice, regardless of any other factors in their lives. This trend shows no sign of abating.”
“The Transgender Day of Remembrance serves several purposes. It raises public awareness of hate crimes against transgendered people, an action that current media doesn�t perform. Day of Remembrance publicly mourns and honors the lives of our brothers and sisters who might otherwise be forgotten. Through the vigil, we express love and respect for our people in the face of national indifference and hatred. Day of Remembrance reminds non-transgendered people that we are their sons, daughters, parents, friends and lovers. Day of Remembrance gives our allies a chance to step forward with us and stand in vigil, memorializing those of us who�ve died by anti-transgender violence.”
For a list of those TG people we have lost.
Girl Talk magazine
There is a GREAT, full color, glossy magazines for MTF TG people that I love – called Girl Talk . It’s not a ‘support’ type magazine but rather just upbeat & positive & features great professional photos of people who look amazing. The range is CD to TS – and has features on beauty (of course), interviews (with people like Eddie Izzard), advice, etc. Basically, a ‘lifestyle’ magazine for the TG crowd.
Anyway, I highly recommend it. You can check out a preview online.
Fall Appearances
Betty & I will be going to two events this October:
Fantasia Fair, a transgendered festival held in Provincetown, MA, October 19th thru October 26th. I will be doing a reading from My Husband Betty on Thursday, October 23rd at 3PM .
The Eureka En Femme Getaway, a vacation held in Eureka Springs, AR, from October 30th to November 2nd.
We both hope you can join us at either one of these events! We are planning more readings for the Winter and Spring months, but if any of you have suggestions, let me know!