Dykes! Marching! (And allies, too!)
As promised, some more info on Dyke March.
The march itself was lots of fun. Tons of different groups with signs about gender, youth activism, immigration rights, inclusivity, the whole nine yards. From one of the signs in the picture to the right:
SEXISM goes so deep that at first it’s hard to see. You think it’s just REALITY.
Alix Kates Shulman, 1978
A very fun contrast to the out-of-control party that was the Pride Parade.
When we got to the rally at the end, it was nice out. Beautiful, warm, sunny, in the park. So I took my top off, and my bra (like ya do…) and began wandering, handing out the Early to Bed goodies: coupons, lube, and stickers saying ‘Some like it TWAT.’
It was amusing watching people’s reactions, both at Dyke March and at pride. Some were totally willing to look, some glanced and then maintained eye contact, and some flickered back and forth between my eyes and my boobs. But while waiting in line for food, chatting with one of the friends who carpooled with me to Dyke March, someone approached me and said I needed to cover up.
Continue reading 'I was a trouble-maker at the Dyke March'»
Girl at Mirror - Normal Rockwell
I started this blog after coming out to a friend and coworker. I was talking about my then-pie-in-the-sky ideas of creating performance material out of my experiences as a trans woman. She responded with the entirely reasonable question, “Are you keeping a written record of your experiences?”
“Um…no. You think I should?”
And thus The Thang Blog was born. I’ve always been open about the self-indulgent nature of this blog: it’s a forum for discussion, sure, but it’s first and foremost a place for me to record my thoughts, my musings, and whatever catches my interest. (Read my Comments Policy if you don’t believe me.)
But over the last three years(!!) this blog – and performing, and telling my story – has become something more for me. As my hit counter has gone from one or two (or none) a day, to a few dozen, to a hundreds of readers and visitors, as my performances have gone from a pipe dream to what I hope will be a livelihood, my perspective has changed.
Telling my story has become my activism. Telling my story has become my politics.
Continue reading 'Why I do this'»
Julia Serano, of who I am a huge fan, posted a long piece about the Michigan Women’s Music Festival and, more broadly, trans issues as they relate to feminism, over at AlterNet:Rethinking Sexism: How Trans Women Challenge Feminism. Her points are in part extensions of what she stated in Whipping Girl, that trans women’s issues should be viewed as part of larger feminist issues. In addition, she talked about how the MWYF’s policy (at times explicit, at times implicit) of allowing trans men but not trans women is hypocritical.
The essay itself is certainly interesting, although as someone who has read Serano’s other work much of it was familiar ground, but the comments had some things that I’m sure will keep me all hot and bothered the rest of the evening.
From one post, by hagwind:
Feminism and transgender ideology are uneasy bedfellows at best. Feminism says that women are as capable as men, and that the biological differences between men and women don’t justify making women second-class citizens.
[cut]
Transgender ideology in essence says that men are men, and women are women, and that if you’re born in a male body you have to live like someone in a male body is supposed to live, and if you’re born in a female body you have to live like someone in a female body is supposed to live. Biology, in other words, is destiny, and the only way to change your destiny is to change your body.
Continue reading 'Rethinking Sexism: How Trans Women Challenge Feminism'»
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