Lana Wachowski receives the HRC Visibility Award

I AM TRANS... (Deen)

I AM: Trans People Speak - Noah Lewis

I AM: Trans People Speak - Laverne Cox

I AM: Trans People Speak - Kit Yan

I AM: Trans People Speak - Jennifer Finney Boylan

Transposes

Transposes
Dylan Edwards
Northwest Press
$19.99 132 Pages
Price TBD For iTunes
ISBN: 0-9845940-8-6

You  don't need me to tell you that there's been an explosion of bear culture and all things bear including a multitude of stories in different media to cater to them and those who love and worship them. It’s all well and good and I truly mean this, but at the same time I often wonder where are all the stories about men who aren’t bears or twinks.

An answer to this question came at Comic Con in 2010 when Dylan Edwards appeared at Prism’s booth to sign and sell copies of a preview edition of Transposes. As a preview I found it interesting, and not in the dismissive sense, but a bit difficult to comment on as it was a work in progress with one story and several pages character profiles. It was added to a stack of other LGBT comics and related material, moving up and down in order. I’d forgotten about it till months ago when I thought I saw a solicitation for it in Previews. Or did I imagine that? I suppose it’s bad form to confess having forgotten, but then it popped up again for certain in a recent Previews and the book will be here soon.

What is Transposes about if it isn't about bears or twinks? you ask. It's a collection of a half dozen stories based on experiences of men in another part of the LGBT community.To quote Edwards: "...to put it over clinically, [Transposes is] about queer-identified female-to-male transpeople, or QFMTS." Now please don't stop reading if you're cisgender -- meaning that you're for the most part comfortable with the gender on your birth certificate matching up with your own self-perceptions. Edwards is assuredly being clinical in his introductory explanation because really, these are stories about people making sense of their lives and finding happiness and peace by exploring and defining what it means to them to be happy in all ways with themselves. The men that Edwards interviewed are Cal, Henry, Adam, Blake, Avery, Aaron, and James though Edwards explains their names have been changed to protect their privacy because unfortunately trans people typically face far greater hurdles with regard to acceptance and have few legal rights. Unfortunately, legislation is incapable of making people like one another.

There's a great deal of humor in Cal's story as he recounts recent events of a hookup with a friend as they visit at an outdoor cafe. The comedy comes not at Cal's expense, but from finding himself in a situation he'd fantasized about but thought it would happen down the road. It's the kind of conversation that you hope happens in public so you can eavesdrop because it's a hell of a lot more interesting than most gossip overheard!

Henry's story is one of contrast, creatively embellished by Edwards within the setting of the "Natural Museum of Henry" to tell how Henry in childhood learned to categorize things, a habit which was carried through adolescense and early adulthood. The tendency to label is something Henry applied to life, whether it was accepting labels from peers or creating a list of gender and power neutral acts for a relationship, all of which was abruptly interrupted by revelatory sex. The dichotomy for Henry is that in contrast to all of the outward orderliness he creattes he finds that having his body in a state of transition works well.

Adam's is a story of not only a person in transition, but also of a relationship and the woman who helps Adam discover himself after living life according to social expectations. One hopes the people to come into one's life will be as friends or lovers, but rare is the person who is selfless to the degree of sacrificing a relationship out of love and respect. The method Edwards conveys all the talk about and gravity of gender issues without letting it weigh the story down is a nice touch.

Like Cal's sexual encounter that begins the book, bearish Blake has found a really hot guy. There's humor in an awkward moment, a very human moment, and while I will not spoil it for potential readers, I will say that neither the humor or the moment is at Blake's expense. However, Blake's encounter highlights embarrassment and anguish when the encounter has some personal and lasting consquences. In several panels Edwards effectively employs the use of oversized word balloons with minimal text to convey both emotion and a larger conversation. Edwards included an update following the stories and Blake has discovered how to make the best of the situation.

An uncle whose life is cut short from AIDS is the inspiration for Avery to live life on very personal terms that question standard assumptions about history, gender, and relationships. For me, this is a story of how an older generation can positively influence a younger one; how we can carry departed loved ones with us forward in our lives. Being a gay uncle living with HIV makes this part of Avery's life overshadow the rest of Avery's story and makes commenting further difficult for me.

The closing story about Aaron and James is narratively the most complex and lengthiest as it recounts the separate lives each of them led and how their journeys serendipitously intersected thanks to a woman in both their lives. Each account is rightly told in first person. To distinguish a change in the narrators for the reader Edwards introduces on the intro page two visual elements associated with either Aaron or James. Pay attention to this subtle detail to avoid confusion. A similar technique is also used to denote text boxes for each of the men. Learning how the relationship evolves from a friendship to one of a mentorship of sorts as James begins accepting his trans nature to mind blowingly sexual at a True Spirit Conference to wedded bliss and happy domesticity is beautiful and heartening.

Edwards confesses this is the sort of book he wishes he'd had. Kudos to him for seeing a need and believing in the idea strongly enough to follow through to its culmination Bravo to Adam, Cal, Henry, Avery, Blake, Aaron, and James for sharing their stories since this book wouldn' t exist without them. In relating these struggles and accomplishments Transposes will be a source of hope, inspiration, and encouragement to any one questioning their gender. It is my humble opinion that cisgendered readers will be able to find motivation from these stories to live life on their own terms. As for me, I was drawn into each story, wincing at the slights and mistreatment, admiring everyone's characteristic determination, and cheering their triumphs.

Transposes has a Faceook page. Want to check out a preview?

Transgender Actress Laverne Cox Featured By San Diego Gay & Lesbian News

 

Musical Chairs to Screen at The International Film Festival of Manhattan

on November 15th

"Susan Seidelman still knows how to capture the chaotic magic of New York."

- THE VILLAGE VOICE

NEW YORK, NY, October 31, 2012 - The transgender actress and activist, Laverne Cox, is featured today by San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN) for her supporting role in MUSICAL CHAIRS, the latest film by renowned director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan). As one of the most widely respected transgender actresses in Hollywood, Cox was selected to play the role of Chantelle, a character that SDGLN calls "a vivacious transgender woman who is paraplegic by refuses to let life keep her down." Read the full interview with Laverne Cox, here: http://bit.ly/Q6TplC.

MUSICAL CHAIRS was released in March and is set to screen at The International Film Festival of Manhattan on Thursday, November 15th at Quad Cinemas. A unique blend of dance, drama, and romance, the film stars newcomers Leah Pipes and E.J. Bonilla as a pair of unlikely lovers in contemporary New York who must face a number of challenges, both separately and together, before finding one another--and themselves.  Also starring Tony-winner Priscilla Lopez, Jaime Tirelli, Laverne Cox, Morgan Spector, Auti Angel, Jerome Preston Bates, Nelson R. Landrieu, and Angelic Zambrana, MUSICAL CHAIRS was produced by Janet Carrus and Joey Dedio. 

Set against the exciting backdrop of competitive ballroom dancing, MUSICAL CHAIRS is about Armando (Bonilla) a Bronx-bred Latino who aspires to be a dancer but whose only way in is as a handyman at a Manhattan dance studio, and Mia (Pipes), an Upper East Side princess who is the studio's star performer. Though worlds apart, their shared passion for dance promises to bring them together until a tragic accident changes Mia's life forever, and she finds herself wheelchair-bound at a rehab facility, with her dreams of a dance career shattered. Fortunately, Armando has enough dreams for both of them and, when he hears about a wheelchair ballroom dance competition that will soon be held in NY, he sees a way to return something to Mia that she thinks is lost forever.  At first she is reluctant--wheelchair dancing, though highly popular overseas, is something she never even knew existed. But, with the help of several other residents at the rehab center, Armando organizes an intense training program that will bring them all center stage and in the spotlight. The prize is irrelevant; what they really stand to win back is their zest for life.

It was producer Janet Carrus, long active in charities benefitting the disabled, and herself an ardent ballroom dance enthusiast, who first had the idea of building a film around the phenomenon of wheelchair ballroom dancing, an activity long popular in Europe and Asia, but which is only now developing a wider following in the United States. 

About the film, which features both disabled and able-bodied performers in its rousing dance scenes, Carrus says, "Susan has succeeded in conveying the struggles we all face, both able-bodied and disabled, making our way, whether through life or on the dance floor. She has a real talent for embracing people in all their diversity and making them real, believable, and acceptable."  

For more on the film visit:

Official: http://www.musicalchairsthefilm.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MUSICALCHAIRSTHEMOVIE

Great blog by Jack Halberstam - what pronouns do I prefer?

Transgender or Transsexual?

Chevalier D'Eon Born October 7th

Charles Gemevieve Louise Auguste Andre Timothee d'Eon de Beaumont was born on October 7th, 1728 in Burgundy, France. D'Eon was born a biological male, and claimed later in life to be physically female though reared as male. D'Eon joined  Le Secret du Roi, King Louis XV's secret network of spies. Upon orders of the king, d'Eon went on a mission to Russia, complicated by the fact that at this time only women and children were allowed to cross into Russia. This was because England was monitoring Russian borders and England and France were attempting to sway Russia to each country's favors. So d'Eon did what seemed daring for other spies and yet necessary: dress and live as a woman, taking the name Lady Lea de Beaumont. To be discovered would mean death, and d'Eon certainly had a long life. A year after returning to France in 1761, d'Eon became a dragoon, or mounted infantry, captain, and in 1763 became an interim ambassador to England, a position he used to spy for King Louis. D'Eon disobeyed orders to return to France and caused a problem for the King. Years later, King Louis XV's son ordered d'Eon to wear women's clothing full time, an order that was easy to comply with as money was given by the King to fund the new wardrobe. D'eon petitioned the King to join French troops aiding the colonial rebels in America but was refused. The last twenty five years of d'Eon's life were difficult and ended in poverty.








Read more at Wikipedia

Musical Chairs By Susan Seidelman

Musical Chairs Directed by Susan Seidelman

To Screen at The International Film Festival of Manhattan

November 15th

 

"Susan Seidelman still knows how to capture the chaotic magic of New York."

- THE VILLAGE VOICE

NEW YORK, NY - September 28, 2012 - MUSICAL CHAIRS, the latest film by renowned director Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan) will be screened at The International Film Festival of Manhattan on Thursday, November 15th at Quad Cinemas. A unique blend of dance, drama, and romance, the film stars newcomers Leah Pipes and E.J. Bonilla as a pair of unlikely lovers in contemporary New York who must face a number of challenges, both separately and together, before finding one another--and themselves.  Also starring Tony-winner Priscilla Lopez, Jaime Tirelli, Laverne Cox, Morgan Spector, Auti Angel, Jerome Preston Bates, Nelson R. Landrieu, and Angelic Zambrana, MUSICAL CHAIRS was produced by Janet Carrus and Joey Dedio. 

Set against the exciting backdrop of competitive ballroom dancing, MUSICAL CHAIRS is about Armando (Bonilla) a Bronx-bred Latino who aspires to be a dancer but whose only way in is as a handyman at a Manhattan dance studio, and Mia (Pipes), an Upper East Side princess who is the studio's star performer. Though worlds apart, their shared passion for dance promises to bring them together until a tragic accident changes Mia's life forever, and she finds herself wheelchair-bound at a rehab facility, with her dreams of a dance career shattered. Fortunately, Armando has enough dreams for both of them and, when he hears about a wheelchair ballroom dance competition that will soon be held in NY, he sees a way to return something to Mia that she thinks is lost forever.  At first she is reluctant--wheelchair dancing, though highly popular overseas, is something she never even knew existed. But, with the help of several other residents at the rehab center, Armando organizes an intense training program that will bring them all center stage and in the spotlight. The prize is irrelevant; what they really stand to win back is their zest for life.

It was producer Janet Carrus, long active in charities benefitting the disabled, and herself an ardent ballroom dance enthusiast, who first had the idea of building a film around the phenomenon of wheelchair ballroom dancing, an activity long popular in Europe and Asia, but which is only now developing a wider following in the United States. 

About the film, which features both disabled and able-bodied performers in its rousing dance scenes, Carrus says, "Susan has succeeded in conveying the struggles we all face, both able-bodied and disabled, making our way, whether through life or on the dance floor. She has a real talent for embracing people in all their diversity and making them real, believable, and acceptable."  

For more on the film visit:

Official: http://www.musicalchairsthefilm.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MUSICALCHAIRSTHEMOVIE

Breaking Glass Pictures Signs Jules Stewart’s Directorial Debut, K-11, for North America

Philadelphia, PA, October 3, 2012—Philadelphia-based Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired all domestic theatrical and ancillary rights to K-11, the directorial debut of veteran script supervisor Jules Stewart.  The tense drama, which deals with the politics of race and gender identity in the Los Angeles County Men’s Central Jail, is slated for North American movie screens in late 2012/early 2013.  The deal was struck post-Toronto between Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff and Libertine Films’ Tom Wright.

 

Upon signing, Wright said, “The Breaking Glass team is a great fit for K-11 as they are uniquely positioned to market the film to both a wide audience and the several niche demographics that will love this film.  We’re certain they will truly capitalize on its diverse market appeal."

 

For his part, Wolff is excited to distribute a film that will resonate with a variety of audiences. “We are pleased to be distributing the very talented Jules Stewart’s first film.  K-11 is very unique to say the least and surely will raise a few eyebrows. The acting is dead on, the story is gripping, and we are gunning for multiple award nominations.”  

 

Breaking Glass is eyeing a late 2012/early 2013 theatrical release for the film.

 

The film follows Raymond Saxx Jr. (Goran Visnjic, “ER;” The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; Beginners), a powerful record producer who wakes from a drug-induced blackout to find himself locked up in K-11, the [real] section of the Los Angeles County Men’s Central jail for gay and transgender inmates. Plunged into an unfamiliar world ruled by a transsexual diva named Mousey (Kate del Castillo, La Reina del Sur; “Weeds”), Raymond is truly a fish out of water.

 

Complicating matters are a troubled young transgender named Butterfly (Portia Doubleday, Kimberly Peirce’s Carrie, Almost Kings), a predatory child molester (Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, The Dark Knight) and the ruthless Sheriff’s Deputy, Lt. Johnson (D.B. Sweeney, Hard Ball, Atlas Shrugged: Part II). Ray’s struggle to contact the outside world and regain his freedom seems impossible, so he must learn to navigate this new power structure if he is ever going survive and regain control of his life.

 

The supporting cast includes Jason Mewes (Clerks), Tara Buck (“True Blood”; “Justified”) and Jules Stewart’s son Cameron Stewart in his feature film debut.

 

Jules Stewart, the mother of Twilight actress Kristen Stewart, has recently signed on to direct her next film for Libertine Films, The Locked House, a supernatural thriller about a 15th-century Chinese temple that is unearthed and moved to the States by a billionaire, a process which upsets the ancient spirits inside.

 

Transgender Coming Out

India's Transgender Beauty Pageant

From The San Francisco 49ers: It Gets Better

Jillette Johnson Explores Transgender Issues On New EP Whiskey & Frosting

The Press House is very excited to be working with Wind-up Records (The Darkness, Evanescence, James Durbin. Five For Fighting and others), recording artist Jillette Johnson. Unlike a lot of artists out there today, Jillette writes all her own music and lyrics. Her sound is fresh and addicting. Wind-up Records is putting everything they have into her record, Whiskey & Frosting (August 14th). We really think she has a shot at becoming huge. The bravely vulnerable song, "Cameron" explores the struggle of a transgendered person and emerges a universal anthem for staying true to oneself. Please read the press release below for more information on this song, and a special Instagram splash page that has been created to help people express who the are. We would love to get Jillette and her CD some coverage. She is free for interviews (SO great to talk to!) and we have JPEGS as well. I know you get hundreds of requests like this every day, but I promise, this one is special. Please take a minute and listen to her  music - www.jillettejohnson.com

 

      

New York, New York - August 14th, 2012: Wind-up Records is proud to introduce a unique and powerfully expressive young talent, singer-songwriter Jillette Johnson. Today Johnson will release her smoldering and passionate debut EP, Whiskey & Frosting. Later this month, she will release an artfully arresting video for the EP's darkly beautiful breakup ballad "Pauvre Coeur." 

Whiskey & Frosting is one of those rare and revelatory debuts where you experience a young songwriter with a highly mature sense of artistic self. The NYC-based singer-piano player wrote all the EP songs herself. The piano-based songs unfold with honeyed drama and grandeur, showcasing Johnson's soaring vocals, which manage to both be comforting and spiritually rousing.

"Two of my favorite things are whiskey and frosting," Johnson says laughing. "The title came directly from an impromptu birthday party with friends where I ate the frosting off cupcakes and drank whiskey. I was telling my producers about that night when I realized how similar those two things were to my writing style. I don't write happy songs without some melancholy feelings in there. I like to paint an entire emotional picture. There is depth, sorrow, and overly sweet tones. Many of the songs are about living as a young person in New York City, living irresponsibly and exploring consequences."

Johnson got signed to Wind-up on the strength of the EP track "Cameron." The bravely vulnerable song explores the struggle of a transgendered person and emerges a universal anthem for staying true to oneself. "I didn't know I was going to write about a transgendered boy, the words just came out and I thought, 'Oh, this is about someone trying be someone they don't appear to be,'" she reveals. "'Cameron' ended up being inspired by a transgendered kid I'm close with, but the song also captures the need to feel at home in your own skin."

To coincide with the release of "Cameron", Wind-up Records created an innovative splash page, (currently live), which allows viewers to take a photo using Instagram and upload it with the hashtag #arentyoucameron, to add images to the "Cameron" photo mosaic at  www.jillettejohnson.com This feature highlights us individually, enhancing and showing the bigger picture of the song's message, that we are all "Cameron" in one way or another. A music video for "Cameron" will be released as well.

Peter Zizzo, widely respected for developing Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavigne, and Michael Mangini, esteemed for his work with Joss Stone, Bruce Hornsby, and David Byrne, produced the EP. The duo's innate understanding of Johnson's singular vision, and respect for her fully formed compositions helped them enhance the power and dynamics of the music.

 "Pauvre Coeur" juxtaposes gorgeously spare classical-flavored piano against bluntly confessional lyrics about a dried up romantic relationship. It's raw and cuts deep. Johnson sings: If I recall it was a Friday/ Gentle hum before the war/You were high and watching poker/ And I had just walked in the door/ You started screaming at the TV/ Saying, make a play you filthy whore / And I was trying to make you see me/ Like the way you did before. The Kyle Thrash-directed video stunningly captures the destabilizing and heated feelings that overtakes you during a breakup, when things spiral out of control and the relationship's demise happens at a dizzying pace.

The "Pauvre Coeur" video and the Whiskey & Frosting EP announce the arrival of a boldly emotional and unflinchingly honest pop artist.

WeHappyTrans: Stephen

Chaz Bono To Receive Elizabeth Birth Equality Award

DALLAS — (July 26, 2012) — Chaz Bono will receive this year’s Elizabeth Birch Equality Award, co-chairs of the 2012 Black Tie Dinner announced today. The award will be presented as part of the 31st annual event benefiting North Texas gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender supportive organizations and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. This year’s dinner will be on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

To honor national leaders, and in recognition of the inspirational leadership of former Human Rights Campaign Executive Director Elizabeth Birch, this award is given to an individual, organization or company that has made a significant contribution of national scope to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. Elizabeth Birch received the first such award, as well as the distinction of having this recognition renamed in her honor. Past recipients of the Birch Award include Showtime Networks/Robert Greenblatt, Alan Cumming, Sharon Stone, Bishop V. Gene Robinson, Judy Shepard, American Airlines and last year, decorated veteran Eric Alva.

Chaz Bono is a GLBT rights advocate, author and speaker. Most recently, Chaz received the GLAAD Media Award and was honored for his OWN documentary, Becoming Chaz, which chronicled the struggles of his gender reassignment journey. He also received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award, which is given by GLAAD to a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender entertainer for promoting equality. Chaz embarked on uncharted territory last fall when he appeared on Dancing With The Stars.

Born Chastity, to entertainers Sonny and Cher Bono, Chaz came out as a lesbian to his parents at 18 in 1987. He did not come out publicly until April 1995 in an interview with The Advocate, the national gay and lesbian news magazine. Chaz has contributed as a writer-at-large to The Advocate and became spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign, promoting National Coming Out Day. Chaz also served as Entertainment Media Director for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).

“While Chaz has found fulfillment in his work as a national activist, one of his greatest values in the GLBT community lies in reaching out and raising awareness on a grassroots level among young minds,” said Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Chris Kouvelis. “Via his high national profile, Chaz continues to create visibility, increase awareness and impact change for transgender issues.”

Chaz has written three books, including Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man, a groundbreaking account of a 40-year struggle to match his gender identity with his physical body and his transformation from female to male. “As early as I had memory and consciousness, I was a boy,” Chaz told Oprah Winfrey in 2011.

Other books include Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families, which is based on Chaz’s own experiences as well as the experiences of about a dozen other gay people and their family members; and The End of Innocence: A Memoir.

“Black Tie Dinner is proud to honor Chaz for candidly sharing his personal journey of gaining acceptance from his family and for proceeding with his transition in the public eye,” Black Tie Dinner Co-Chair Mitzi Lemons said. “Chaz’s moving struggle reverberates profoundly for anyone to whom authenticity matters.”

About Black Tie Dinner

Black Tie Dinner Inc. is a nonprofit organization that raises funds for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender supportive organizations through a premier event of empowerment, education and entertainment in partnership with the community. The event has been headlined by local and national celebrities and leaders such as Maya Angelou, Gov. Ann Richards, Geena Davis, Lily Tomlin, Goldie Hawn, Martin Sheen and, most recently, Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, multi-platinum recording artist Taylor Dayne and Caroline Rhea as master of ceremonies.

Black Tie Dinner Inc. began in Dallas in 1982 to help support the Human Rights Campaign Fund. There were 140 guests at the first dinner, which raised $6,000. In 2011, there were 3,000 attendees and $1.142 million was distributed to 17 local beneficiaries and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. In its 30-year history, the dinner has distributed more than $16 million.

“Affair of the Heart” is this year’s Black Tie Dinner theme. For more information on the event, including tickets and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.blacktie.org. For a link to the Affair of the Heart promotional video, visit http://youtu.be/8xxCRvn-sgw

I'm Not Les: A Transgender Story | KCTS 9 Documentary