Marcella Maia anuncia carreira musical
Há 4 anos
domingo, 31 de maio de 2009
NOTA OFICIAL DA ANTRA
NOTA OFICIAL DA ANTRA
A ANTRA Articulação Nacional de Travestis e Transexuais através da sua diretoria vem a público participar aos seus parceiros, colaboradores e afiliada que em assembléia ordinária realizada no dia 20 de maio de 2009 para eleição da nova diretoria que compreenderá o biênio 2009/2011.
A primeira pauta foi a de filiações onde foram solicitados treze novos pedidos de filiação fazendo um total de 65 instituições afiliadas.
O processo de eleição se deu por escolha individual nas dependências do Hotel Real Palace situado na cidade de Teresina.
Foi um momento impar para as instituições que compõem a ANTRA, pois de uma maneira democrática se deu às discussões e as intenções de compor a nova diretoria pelas suas afiliadas.
Fica assim constituída a nova diretoria
Presidente – Jovanna Baby Picos PI
Vice Presidente – Majorie Marchi ASTRA Rio RJ
1 Secretaria – Sadessa Vieira ATNH/RS
2 Secretaria – Millena Passos – ATRAS Salvador BA
1 Tesoureira – Kelly Vieira ADEH Nostro Mundo SC
2 Tesoureira – Paula GASP/DST MA
Secretaria de Mulheres Trans – Rafaelly Weist PR
Secretaria de Homens Transexuais – Vacante
Secretaria de Direitos Humanos – Cláudia Ramos GLI BA
Secretaria de Articulação Política – Tatianne Araújo ASTRA SE
Secretaria de Comunicação – Liza Minelly GE PR
Conselheiros Fiscais
Weluma Brown ASTRA Rio RJ
Isabela Bueno AGTEAP AP
Jessica Taylor UNIDAS SE
Teresina 20 de maio de 2009
Keila Simpson Ex Presidente da ANTRA
28 a 30 de novembro 2008 - EBGLT Porto Alegre - RS -
informações adicionais - alexandreboer@somos.org.br
lII Congresso da ABGLT - Belem do Pará - entre 07 a 12 de dezembro 2008 -
informações adicionais: congresso@abglt.org.br
Vote no site www.naohomofobia.com.br
Fonte: www.abglt.org.br
Daniel Radcliffe tem saído com Travesti em Nova York
Daniel Radcliffe tem saído com Travesti em Nova York
Daniel Radcliffe, o bruxo de Harry Potter, tem sido visto com a Travesti Dolly Parton, segundo informações do “The Sun”.
O rapaz foi visto jantando com uma Drag Queen loira, em Nova York, no último ano e em sucessíveis encontros - uma possível relação de amizade.
De acordo com amigos próximos da Travesti chamada também como Our Lady J, o ator de 19 anos, está impressionado com o que anda conhecendo: “Daniel está fascinado pela cultura e faz perguntas. Prestigiou alguns shows e foi bem recebido”.
Com o tempo, diz a fonte, eles se tornaram mais próximos: “Eles comem juntos, vão para vários lugares e tornaram-se bastante próximos”.
Fonte: Revista Quem
IGLTA vai realizar convenção no Brasil em 2012
IGLTA vai realizar convenção no Brasil em 2012
O diretor executivo da Associação Mundial de Turismo Gay e Lésbico (IGLTA), John Tanzella, e o embaixador da entidade no Brasil, Clóvis Casemiro, reuniram cerca de 60 pessoas na Academia de Viagens Corporativas, em São Paulo, para uma apresentação sobre o mercado Homossexual internacional de turismo.
De acordo com Tanzella, o público Gay norte-americano gasta, anualmente, cerca de US$ 70 bilhões em turismo.
“Eles são as pessoas que mais gastam nos Estados Unidos em viagens. Os gastos dos Gays estão muito à frente dos descendentes de espanhóis e os afros-descendentes”, revelou. Ele disse que a entidade ainda não possui números e estatísticas mundiais sobre o segmento.
Anualmente a associação promove uma convenção mundial, que é voltada para os negócios, e dois simpósios. “Realizamos em março um simpósio em Florianópolis e o próximo será em outubro, em Tel Aviv, Israel”, explicou.
Apesar de o Brasil já ter recebido encontros da IGLTA, a América do Sul ainda não foi sede de uma convenção. “Vamos realizar em 2012 nossa convenção no Brasil, mas ainda não sabemos o Estado. Nos próximos oito meses o local será definido”, acrescentou o diretor.
Segundo Casemiro, que também é gerente comercial da Tam Viagens, a associação está em negociação com a Abav Nacional para obter um espaço durante a Feira das Américas, no Rio de Janeiro.
“Tive um reunião com o Kaká [Carlos Alberto Amorim Ferreira, presidente da Abav Nacional] e queremos uma área dedicada ao público Gay no evento para expandir nossos negócios. É uma semente que estamos plantando e pode dar certo”, comentou.
Atualmente, a IGLTA possui 800 associados nos Estados Unidos e 35 no Brasil. Para quem desejar mais informações sobre a associação acesse www.iglta.org.
Fonte: PanRotas
Adiado julgamento de psicóloga que diz "curar" gays
Adiado julgamento de psicóloga que diz "curar" gays | 29/5/2009 |
Por Redação
Foto: Reprodução  |
Rozângela Justino teria desobedecido normas do CFP ao oferecer em seu consultório no Rio de Janeiro tratamento para "cura" de homossexuais.
Leia também:
Psicóloga do RJ que promete curar homossexuais será julgada pelo Conselho de Psicologia
Fonte: MixBrasil
Organização divulga programação da Parada de SP
Organização divulga programação da Parada de SP | 29/5/2009 |
Por Redação
 |
A Organização da Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo (APOGLBT) vai apresentar na próxima terça-feira, 2, às 14h, no Mercure Apartments SP Nortel as novidades do 13º Mês do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo, que será fechado com chave de ouro com a Parada no dia 14, na Avenida Paulista.
O evento vai reunir parceiros como a Coordenadoria de Assuntos da Diversidade Sexual da Prefeitura (Cads) e a Polícia Militar e a diretoria da Parada para apresentar a programação que inclui o Ciclo de Debates, o Prêmio Cidadania em Respeito à Diversidade, o Gay Day, a Feira Cultural e o Festival de Música, além da Parada.
Fonte: MixBrasil
Drag cantora da Espanha se apresenta em SP durante entrega de prêmio LGBT
Permitida | 29/5/2009 |
Drag cantora da Espanha se apresenta em SP durante entrega de prêmio LGBT
Por Redação
Foto: Reprodução |
Pois bem, La Prohibida trará todo o seu glamour ao Brasil a convite da Associação da Parada do Orgulho LGBT de São Paulo. O show da diva rola na cerimônia de entrega do 9º Prêmio Cidadania em Respeito à Diversidade, marcado para ser realizado em 4 de junho.
A premiação é dedicada a reconhecer esforços de personalidades e instituições que atuaram em favor dos LGBT nos âmbitos político, social e cultural.
O acesso ao evento será mediante a apresentação de convite, por isso, não haverá ingressos disponíveis no local. Acompanhe o site www.paradasp.org.br para saber como garantir o seu convite.
Fonte: MixBrasil
Campanha educativa de grupo de Brasília foca vida amorosa de travestis
Elas também amam | 29/5/2009 |
Campanha educativa de grupo de Brasília foca vida amorosa de travestis
Por Redação
Foto: Reprodução |
O Estruturação – Grupo LGBT de Brasília lançou nesta semana um material específico sobre a importante negociação para o uso da camisinha nos relacionamentos amorosos das travestis. A ideia é reforçar a importância do uso do preservativo tanto com clientes quanto com namorados. O material foi elaborado depois que o grupo, que atua na prevenção há pelo menos 10 anos, percebeu que as fofas usavam camisinha com seus clientes, mas nem sempre com seus parceiros fixos.
Com o título “Por aí, muitos. No seu coração, ele. E com todos, atenção a sua saúde”, o material educativo é financiado pela Gerência de DST/AIDS da Secretaria de Saúde do Distrito Federal e representa um avanço no modo de se olhar para esse segmento. Até agora, as travestis eram vistas apenas como profissionais do sexo vulneráveis às doenças em seu trabalho. Essa iniciativa amplia o olhar e as vê também como pessoas que se relacionam amorosamente, como todo mundo.
Um estudo feito em 2005 pela coordenação de Pesquisas do Estruturação mostrou que 49% das travestis e transexuais profissionais do sexo de Brasília tiveram uma relação amorosa não profissional no período do levantamento. A mesma pesquisa mostrou que 13% das entrevistadas tinham feito sexo sem camisinha e sem ejaculação com clientes nos seis meses anteriores ao questionamento. Quando a pergunta se referiu a relacionamentos amorosos, o índice subiu para 40%.
O grupo lembra que é possível deixar de usar a camisinha em um relacionamento estável, mas que antes é preciso que haja uma conversa sincera entre o casal. Além disso, os dois precisam realizar os testes de HIV e sífilis para ver se está tudo ok antes de abrir mão da proteção.
Fonte: MixBrasil
Grupo Estruturação lança campanha sobre vida amorosa de transexuais
| Grupo Estruturação lança campanha sobre vida amorosa de transexuais Por Redação 29/5/2009 - 15:16 | ||
| ||
Parada Gay de SP traz La Prohibida, drag queen ícone da Europa
| Parada Gay de SP traz La Prohibida, drag queen ícone da Europa Por Redação 29/5/2009 - 17:13 | ||
| ||
Reportagem do Estadão aponta entrave na aprovação do PLC 122/06
Reportagem do Estadão aponta entrave na aprovação do PLC 122/06
Por Redação 30/5/2009 - 17:51
Fonte: A Capa
Por Redação 30/5/2009 - 17:51
A senadora Fátima Cleide (PT-RO) revelou ao jornal O Estado de São Paulo em matéria de William Glauber, publicada neste sábado que, se o PLC 122/06 não for modificado, "o projeto de lei que torna crime a homofobia no país, será derrubado no Senado". A senadora ainda diz que "para evitar o arquivamento, vai apresentar um substitutivo até o fim de junho".
Sobre quais seriam as mudanças Fátima Cleide preferiu se usar da cautela e não revelar. "Se disser que vou retirar o padre e o bispo, vão querer retirar também os pontos que tratam da CLT (Consolidação das Leis de Trabalho) e outras penalidades. Aí acabou o projeto de novo".
À reportagem, Toni Reis, presidente da Associação Brasileira de Gays, Lésbicas, Travestis e Transexuais (ABGLT), disse não considerar o novo texto um retrocesso, "pelo contrário, é um amadurecimento do movimento". Já o senador Marcelo Crivella (PRB-RJ) disse ao jornal que é contra o inciso que pune "ação violenta, constrangedora, intimidatória ou vexatória, de ordem moral, ética, filosófica ou psicológica".
Para o pastor Crivella é preciso "preservar o livre exercício do culto religioso e garantir o direito dos homossexuais, não podemos tornar crimes as opiniões". O parlamentar fundamentalista garantiu que se ocorrer tais mudanças ele vota a favor do texto, o que boa parte da militância não acredita (grifo nosso).
Porém, a desembargadora aposentada Maria Berenice Dias discorda do senador Crivella. Para ela, eles "querem manter a prerrogativa de falar contra os homossexuais". Berenice diz ainda que há "manipulações para retardar a lei. Infelizmente, prefiro que o projeto seja rejeitado. Os parlamentares, assim, assumem posição contra essa população".
sábado, 30 de maio de 2009
Construction worker transitions to woman
by Tim Cwiek
KAREN THOMAS
slideshow For Karen Diane Thomas, a construction worker, transitioning to the opposite gender hasn’t been an easy road.
Twice in her journey, Thomas reverted back to presenting as a male, due in large part to workplace harassment. At one point, she underwent breast-reduction surgery so that she could assume her former identity, as Ken.
“I was isolated and hassled at work,” she said. “I got death threats. I had guys saying they want to kill me, fight me in the parking lot, different goofy stuff.”
She said graffiti was scribbled on walls at job sites, stating: “Ken sucks dick,” “Ken’s a homo” and “Ken takes it up the ass.”
No one acted on those threats, she said, but it was enough to push her back into the closet.
Today, Thomas finds it impossible to continue the charade, and she’s reaffirmed her commitment to transitioning. She recently underwent an oriectomy, which involved the surgical removal of her testicles.
Within the next two years, she expects to undergo complete gender-reassignment surgery.
Since 1994, Thomas has been a member of Local 98, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, based in Philadelphia.
Thomas’ job duties involve installing electrical outlets at an oil refinery in Southwest Philadelphia. Things have been quiet lately, and she’s been able to do her job without harassment, she said.
But all that could change as she prepares for her surgery and lives more openly as a woman, she said.
Currently, she ties her hair back in a ponytail and wears traditionally male clothing when traveling to and from work. But eventually she intends to let her hair down and wear clothing and makeup that will make her situation clear to coworkers.
“I think a lot know it now, but more will know it later,” she said.
Her union has about 4,000 members, most of whom seem to be close-minded on the subject of transgenderism, she said. Thomas doesn’t know of any other transgender union member.
Patrick B. Gillespie serves as business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which oversees 52 unions in the area, including Local 98.
Last week, Gillespie pledged to ensure a safe, comfortable work environment for Thomas, regardless of the gender she presents to coworkers.
“No one has the right to harass someone else, for any reason,” Gillespie told PGN. “We would not want a person like Karen to feel abused. We wouldn’t stand for any of that. She has the specific right to privacy, to live her own life, unmolested by anybody else at the workplace.”
Gillespie even said he would visit Thomas’ worksite if he received reports of pervasive workplace harassment that was interfering with her ability to be a productive worker.
“On a number of occasions, where we’ve had some racial intimidation on the job, we’ve assembled people on that job and talked to them,” Gillespie said. “I want people to understand that our collective bargaining is based on fairness and equal treatment for everyone.”
Thomas, 48, is married and has four sons and one grandson. Two of her sons also are members of Local 98.
She said she’s encouraged by Gillespie’s support, but she also consulted a local transgender attorney, Kristine W. Holt, in the event that she needs to take legal action to enforce her rights.
“Anybody who crosses the line toward me or my children I will take to court, and take everything they have,” Thomas vowed.
After completing her gender-reassignment surgery, Thomas expects to remain married. She identifies as a lesbian and said her wife is trying hard to understand, because she loves her.
Thomas finds some conflicts between her family life and her life in the LGBT community, but she’s optimistic about bridging the gap.
“The work life is more challenging,” Thomas noted. “I think my wife and kids can pretty much handle anything. [But] most of the guys I deal with are really close-minded.”
She also expressed gratitude for the moral support provided by her lawyer. “I’m extremely grateful for the support and very capable advice of Kristine Holt.”
KAREN THOMAS
slideshow For Karen Diane Thomas, a construction worker, transitioning to the opposite gender hasn’t been an easy road.
Twice in her journey, Thomas reverted back to presenting as a male, due in large part to workplace harassment. At one point, she underwent breast-reduction surgery so that she could assume her former identity, as Ken.
“I was isolated and hassled at work,” she said. “I got death threats. I had guys saying they want to kill me, fight me in the parking lot, different goofy stuff.”
She said graffiti was scribbled on walls at job sites, stating: “Ken sucks dick,” “Ken’s a homo” and “Ken takes it up the ass.”
No one acted on those threats, she said, but it was enough to push her back into the closet.
Today, Thomas finds it impossible to continue the charade, and she’s reaffirmed her commitment to transitioning. She recently underwent an oriectomy, which involved the surgical removal of her testicles.
Within the next two years, she expects to undergo complete gender-reassignment surgery.
Since 1994, Thomas has been a member of Local 98, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union, based in Philadelphia.
Thomas’ job duties involve installing electrical outlets at an oil refinery in Southwest Philadelphia. Things have been quiet lately, and she’s been able to do her job without harassment, she said.
But all that could change as she prepares for her surgery and lives more openly as a woman, she said.
Currently, she ties her hair back in a ponytail and wears traditionally male clothing when traveling to and from work. But eventually she intends to let her hair down and wear clothing and makeup that will make her situation clear to coworkers.
“I think a lot know it now, but more will know it later,” she said.
Her union has about 4,000 members, most of whom seem to be close-minded on the subject of transgenderism, she said. Thomas doesn’t know of any other transgender union member.
Patrick B. Gillespie serves as business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which oversees 52 unions in the area, including Local 98.
Last week, Gillespie pledged to ensure a safe, comfortable work environment for Thomas, regardless of the gender she presents to coworkers.
“No one has the right to harass someone else, for any reason,” Gillespie told PGN. “We would not want a person like Karen to feel abused. We wouldn’t stand for any of that. She has the specific right to privacy, to live her own life, unmolested by anybody else at the workplace.”
Gillespie even said he would visit Thomas’ worksite if he received reports of pervasive workplace harassment that was interfering with her ability to be a productive worker.
“On a number of occasions, where we’ve had some racial intimidation on the job, we’ve assembled people on that job and talked to them,” Gillespie said. “I want people to understand that our collective bargaining is based on fairness and equal treatment for everyone.”
Thomas, 48, is married and has four sons and one grandson. Two of her sons also are members of Local 98.
She said she’s encouraged by Gillespie’s support, but she also consulted a local transgender attorney, Kristine W. Holt, in the event that she needs to take legal action to enforce her rights.
“Anybody who crosses the line toward me or my children I will take to court, and take everything they have,” Thomas vowed.
After completing her gender-reassignment surgery, Thomas expects to remain married. She identifies as a lesbian and said her wife is trying hard to understand, because she loves her.
Thomas finds some conflicts between her family life and her life in the LGBT community, but she’s optimistic about bridging the gap.
“The work life is more challenging,” Thomas noted. “I think my wife and kids can pretty much handle anything. [But] most of the guys I deal with are really close-minded.”
She also expressed gratitude for the moral support provided by her lawyer. “I’m extremely grateful for the support and very capable advice of Kristine Holt.”
Male Or Female? Coloring Provides Gender Cues
In the Université de Montréal study, subjects were asked to identify gender based on images where parts of faces were concealed using a technology called Bubbles. (Credit: Nicolas Dupuis-Roy -- Université de Montréal / Journal of Vision)
ScienceDaily (May 28, 2009) — Our brain is wired to identify gender based on facial cues and coloring, according to a new study published in the Journal of Vision. Psychology Professor Frédéric Gosselin and his Université de Montréal team found the luminescence of the eyebrow and mouth region is vital in rapid gender discrimination.
"As teenagers, dimorphism (systematic difference between sexes) increases in the nose, chin, mouth, jaw, eyes and general shape of faces," says Nicolas Dupuis-Roy, lead author of the study. "Yet we aren't conscious of how our brain recognizes those differences."
To discover those reference points, Dupuis-Roy and colleagues showed photos of 300 Caucasian faces to some 30 participants. Subjects were asked to identify gender based on images where parts of faces were concealed using a technology called Bubbles.
The investigation found that eyes and mouths, specifically their subtle shading or luminance, are paramount in identifying gender. Unlike previous studies, which found the gap between the eyelid and eyebrow as essential in gender ID, this investigation found the shades of reds and greens around mouths and eyes led to faster gender discrimination.
"Studies have shown that an androgynous face is considered male if the skin complexion is redder, and considered female if the complexion is greener," says Dupuis-Roy. "However, it is the opposite for the mouth. A woman's mouth is usually redder. Our brain interprets this characteristic as female."
"A man's face usually reflects less light around the eyebrows. This is because they are usually thicker. The same applies to the upper lip and chin, which are hairier areas," he adds, noting people clearly use colour to rapidly identify gender.
This research was supported by the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. PhD student Isabelle Fortin and Professor Daniel Fiset also participated in the study.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Journal reference:
1.Dupuis-Roy et al. Uncovering gender discrimination cues in a realistic setting. Journal of Vision, 2009; 9 (2): 1 DOI: 10.1167/9.2.10
CROSSDRESSER KILLED BY SKIRT
Lifeboatmen recovered Mr Devonside’s body after he drowned wearing a mini skirt 29th May 2009 By Bill MartinA CROSSDRESSER drowned when he fell in the sea because his mini skirt was too tight, an inquest heard yesterday.
Paul Devonside, 44, was walking along the sea-front when his tight black skirt caused him to slip and fall into the water.
The inquest heard he struggled to swim ashore because of the tightness of the skirt.
His body was found the next day. Lifeboatmen who recovered his body said Mr Devonside was wearing ladies’ clothing including a black stretched mini skirt.
Police investigated the tragedy at a dogging site in Holyhead, North Wales, but foul play was ruled out.
Pc Dafydd Williams told the hearing: “He was wearing a very small skirt and Mr Devonside was a large man.”
The inquest in Llangefni, North Wales, heard police searched Mr Devonside’s home in Holyhead but “nothing untoward” was found.
A post mortem revealed the cause of death was drowning.
North West Wales coroner Dewi Pritchard Jones said: “He was wearing a tight mini skirt which may explain why he slipped.
“There is no indication this was suicide - it was an accident of some sort.” Verdict: Accident.
quarta-feira, 27 de maio de 2009
1.000 visitas / 1,000 calls
Obrigada a todos que visitaram nosso blog.
Passamos das 1.000 visitas em apenas um mês.
Vamos continuar assim.
Thank you all who visited our blog.
We got over 1,000 calls in only one month.
Lets keep up the good work.
Hate Crimes Report
________________________________
Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 09:53:28 -0700
From: marzullo@AMERICAN.EDU
Subject: Hate Crimes Report
To:
Hello,
My report was just released on the state of the most recent research
conducted on LGBT hate crimes in the US. Read the report here:
http://www.hrc.org/sites/hatecrimes/pdfs/ResearchOverview_HateCrimes.pdf.
This is the first in a series I did with Alyn Libman for the Human
Rights Campaign's Center for the Study of Equality. It was a very
difficult report to write as the subject matter is so terrible but the
information is so necessary. We hope it helps to move the current
federal hate crimes legislation forward. That legislation is now being
considered in the US Senate. Please pass it on to all those who might
be interested in reading it.
In solidarity,
Michelle
--
Michelle A. Marzullo
PhD Candidate
Anthropology and American Studies Department
American University
Washington, DC
marzullo@american.edu
Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 09:53:28 -0700
From: marzullo@AMERICAN.EDU
Subject: Hate Crimes Report
To:
Hello,
My report was just released on the state of the most recent research
conducted on LGBT hate crimes in the US. Read the report here:
http://www.hrc.org/sites/hatecrimes/pdfs/ResearchOverview_HateCrimes.pdf.
This is the first in a series I did with Alyn Libman for the Human
Rights Campaign's Center for the Study of Equality. It was a very
difficult report to write as the subject matter is so terrible but the
information is so necessary. We hope it helps to move the current
federal hate crimes legislation forward. That legislation is now being
considered in the US Senate. Please pass it on to all those who might
be interested in reading it.
In solidarity,
Michelle
--
Michelle A. Marzullo
PhD Candidate
Anthropology and American Studies Department
American University
Washington, DC
marzullo@american.edu
terça-feira, 26 de maio de 2009
Thai school offers transsexual toilet
By Jonathan Head
Fonte/ Source: BBC News
A new toilet sign has been created at this Thai school
With its spacious, tree-lined grounds and slightly threadbare classrooms, there is nothing obviously unusual about the Kampang Secondary School.
It is situated in Thailand's impoverished north-east, and most of the pupils are the children of farmers.
Every morning at 0800 they all gather outside to sing the national anthem and watch the flag being raised.
Then they have a chance to use the toilets, before heading off the first classes of the day.
Kampang is proud of its toilets. Spotless, and surrounded by flowering tropical plants, they have won national awards for cleanliness.
But there is something else about them too. Between the girls' toilet and the boys', there is one signposted with a half-man, half-woman figure in blue and red.
This is the transsexual toilet, and outside, in front of the mirrors, some decidedly girly-looking teenage boys preen their hair and apply face cream.
'Uncomfortable'
The headteacher, Sitisak Sumontha, estimates that in any year between 10% and 20% of his boys consider themselves to be transgender - boys who would rather be girls.
The transsexual pupils are delighted with their own facilities
"They used to be teased every time they used the boys' toilets," he said, "so they started using the girls' toilets instead. But that made the girls feel uncomfortable. It made these boys unhappy, and started to affect their work."
So the school offered to build the transgender boys their own facility, and they welcomed it.
Triwate Phamanee is a slightly built 13-year-old who is adamant that he will one day change his gender.
"We're not boys," he told me, "so we don't want to use the boys' toilet - we want them to know we are transsexuals."
Vichai Saengsakul, 15, agrees.
"People need to know that being a transsexual is not a joke," he says, "it's the way we want to live our lives. That's why we're grateful for what the school has done."
Normal treatment
The transgender boys in Kampang tend to stick together as a group, practising their somewhat exaggerated feminine mannerisms together and generally camping it up.
They still have to wear male uniforms, make-up is not allowed (although some manage to sneak in a touch of lipstick and mascara), and of course sex-change surgery is out of the question at this age - the youngest self-declared transsexual is 12.
But they appear to be treated perfectly normally by other pupils and teachers alike.
I asked the headmaster whether they were not too young to be making decisions about their gender.
The pupils have to wear boys' uniforms, but use feminine accessories
He said that, in his 35 years of working in the Thai education system, he had come across many boys like this, and they never changed. Many go on as adults to have sex-change surgery, while others will live as gay men, he said.
Thailand is well known for its tolerance of transgender men, and they are very visible in everyday life. Sex-change surgery has become a speciality of the Thai health industry, and it is relatively inexpensive; patients come here from all over the world for the operation.
'Sweet and soft'
The Kampang school's initiative, far from stirring up controversy, has instead prompted a discussion in other schools over whether they should be providing the same facilities.
A ratio of 10% to 20% of boys calling themselves transsexual in a provincial high school does seem very high, but Mr Sitisak assured me that in his experience it was not unusual.
When [the pupils grow up] they won't want to go into a transgender toilet because they will want to be accepted as a woman - so they will go to the women's toilet
Suttirat Simsiriwong
Transgender campaigner
Which brought up a question that has been rattling around my head ever since I first lived in Thailand seven years ago: Why do so many Thai men want to become women?
I asked Suttirat Simsiriwong, who became a campaigner for transgender rights after she was barred entry to a nightclub at an international hotel in Bangkok last year.
Poised, articulate and very feminine, it is hard to tell that she was not born a woman.
"Maybe the numbers of gays, of people with sexual identity issues, might be the same as in other countries," said Suttirat, "but because Thai society and culture tend to be very sweet, very soft, and the men can be really feminine, if we tend to be gay, many of us tend to be transgender."
So does building a special toilet in school advance the cause of winning wider acceptance for transsexuals?
"At that age it's good for them to have a specific place," she said.
"But when they graduate from school or university, they will know how to have medical treatment. They won't want to go into a transgender toilet because they will want to be accepted as a woman - so they will go to the women's toilet."
Discrimination remains
Tolerance, said Suttirat, is not the same thing as acceptance.
Despite their high profile in Thailand, transsexuals complain that they are still stereotyped - they can find work easily enough as entertainers, in the beauty industry, the media, or as prostitutes, but it is much harder to become a transgender lawyer or investment banker.
And their biggest complaint is that they cannot change their legal status.
Despite a proposal during the drafting of a new constitution last year, to allow them to change the gender on their identity cards, this has not yet been approved.
Fonte/ Source: BBC News
A new toilet sign has been created at this Thai school
With its spacious, tree-lined grounds and slightly threadbare classrooms, there is nothing obviously unusual about the Kampang Secondary School.
It is situated in Thailand's impoverished north-east, and most of the pupils are the children of farmers.
Every morning at 0800 they all gather outside to sing the national anthem and watch the flag being raised.
Then they have a chance to use the toilets, before heading off the first classes of the day.
Kampang is proud of its toilets. Spotless, and surrounded by flowering tropical plants, they have won national awards for cleanliness.
But there is something else about them too. Between the girls' toilet and the boys', there is one signposted with a half-man, half-woman figure in blue and red.
This is the transsexual toilet, and outside, in front of the mirrors, some decidedly girly-looking teenage boys preen their hair and apply face cream.
'Uncomfortable'
The headteacher, Sitisak Sumontha, estimates that in any year between 10% and 20% of his boys consider themselves to be transgender - boys who would rather be girls.
The transsexual pupils are delighted with their own facilities
"They used to be teased every time they used the boys' toilets," he said, "so they started using the girls' toilets instead. But that made the girls feel uncomfortable. It made these boys unhappy, and started to affect their work."
So the school offered to build the transgender boys their own facility, and they welcomed it.
Triwate Phamanee is a slightly built 13-year-old who is adamant that he will one day change his gender.
"We're not boys," he told me, "so we don't want to use the boys' toilet - we want them to know we are transsexuals."
Vichai Saengsakul, 15, agrees.
"People need to know that being a transsexual is not a joke," he says, "it's the way we want to live our lives. That's why we're grateful for what the school has done."
Normal treatment
The transgender boys in Kampang tend to stick together as a group, practising their somewhat exaggerated feminine mannerisms together and generally camping it up.
They still have to wear male uniforms, make-up is not allowed (although some manage to sneak in a touch of lipstick and mascara), and of course sex-change surgery is out of the question at this age - the youngest self-declared transsexual is 12.
But they appear to be treated perfectly normally by other pupils and teachers alike.
I asked the headmaster whether they were not too young to be making decisions about their gender.
The pupils have to wear boys' uniforms, but use feminine accessories
He said that, in his 35 years of working in the Thai education system, he had come across many boys like this, and they never changed. Many go on as adults to have sex-change surgery, while others will live as gay men, he said.
Thailand is well known for its tolerance of transgender men, and they are very visible in everyday life. Sex-change surgery has become a speciality of the Thai health industry, and it is relatively inexpensive; patients come here from all over the world for the operation.
'Sweet and soft'
The Kampang school's initiative, far from stirring up controversy, has instead prompted a discussion in other schools over whether they should be providing the same facilities.
A ratio of 10% to 20% of boys calling themselves transsexual in a provincial high school does seem very high, but Mr Sitisak assured me that in his experience it was not unusual.
When [the pupils grow up] they won't want to go into a transgender toilet because they will want to be accepted as a woman - so they will go to the women's toilet
Suttirat Simsiriwong
Transgender campaigner
Which brought up a question that has been rattling around my head ever since I first lived in Thailand seven years ago: Why do so many Thai men want to become women?
I asked Suttirat Simsiriwong, who became a campaigner for transgender rights after she was barred entry to a nightclub at an international hotel in Bangkok last year.
Poised, articulate and very feminine, it is hard to tell that she was not born a woman.
"Maybe the numbers of gays, of people with sexual identity issues, might be the same as in other countries," said Suttirat, "but because Thai society and culture tend to be very sweet, very soft, and the men can be really feminine, if we tend to be gay, many of us tend to be transgender."
So does building a special toilet in school advance the cause of winning wider acceptance for transsexuals?
"At that age it's good for them to have a specific place," she said.
"But when they graduate from school or university, they will know how to have medical treatment. They won't want to go into a transgender toilet because they will want to be accepted as a woman - so they will go to the women's toilet."
Discrimination remains
Tolerance, said Suttirat, is not the same thing as acceptance.
Despite their high profile in Thailand, transsexuals complain that they are still stereotyped - they can find work easily enough as entertainers, in the beauty industry, the media, or as prostitutes, but it is much harder to become a transgender lawyer or investment banker.
And their biggest complaint is that they cannot change their legal status.
Despite a proposal during the drafting of a new constitution last year, to allow them to change the gender on their identity cards, this has not yet been approved.
domingo, 24 de maio de 2009
Ask a Porn Star: Hormones and the mainstream
In Which Super Sexy Porn People Answer Questions --each week-- From Bay Area Locals.
By Justin Juul
Fielding your questions this month is AVN’s current “Transsexual Performer of The Year,” Wendy Williams.
Jason W: Will you have to take hormones the rest of your life?
Williams: Yes, unfortunately, if you don’t keep putting female hormones in your body, you’ll start to produce testosterone and that never goes away. It sucks because it’s extremely expensive and you’re never going to be able to finish. If you’re a transsexual you are “in transition” your entire life. Like…I’ve had many surgeries and there are many more I’d like to have. And I’ll be doing hormone replacement forever. But it’s all upkeep. All women have to pay for that and it’s totally worth it. One shitty thing is that insurance won’t cover any of it, but I’m not complaining. There are many other basic human rights issues in our society that need to be dealt with before we work on transsexual stuff.
SFBG: What advice would you give a young person thinking of transitioning?
Williams: I would stress doing everything by the book. You should only go to licensed doctors and physicians. And no illegal hormones! Um…don’t go to Mexico and get an illegal surgery. Also, anyone who’s considering doing this needs to be absolutely sure they want it…and that they’re doing it for the right reasons. You don’t want to get halfway done with this type of thing and then decided you’d rather not finish. There is no going back and it’s best you keep that in your head at all times. All the medicine is just really hard on your body and mind so make sure you’re getting the right stuff from good people. I know a ton of people who have tried to cut costs and the results are never good. And the same goes for people who do it for the wrong reasons. Don’t do it for a guy or for your career. Do it for yourself.
Elan F: What was your favorite film?
Williams: Hmmm. That’s a hard one. I think my favorite film would have to be “Rogue Adventures 24” because Joey Silvera is such an icon in our industry. He’s the person credited for bringing transsexual porn to the “mainstream,” and I really enjoyed being a part of that effort. Working with him was just an amazing experience. Stunning.
SFBG: So…is it easier to be a transsexual in porn star now that the genre is more mainstream?
Williams: Well, it’s probably never going to be easy, but the genre is evolving. It’s much more common to see transsexuals these days and that’s a good thing. We still have a lot of stereotypes to deal with, but it’s getting a little better. I’d really like to see all the “I Sucked my Aunt’s Dick” titles go away, but that type of thing will probably be around for a while.
SFBG: What are you going to do after porn?
Williams: Well, like I said earlier, I’m always going to be involved in porn. When I’m done acting, I’ll direct and produce. Sometimes I think about stopping, but I’ve always come back to porn and I probably always will.
By Justin Juul
Fielding your questions this month is AVN’s current “Transsexual Performer of The Year,” Wendy Williams.
Jason W: Will you have to take hormones the rest of your life?
Williams: Yes, unfortunately, if you don’t keep putting female hormones in your body, you’ll start to produce testosterone and that never goes away. It sucks because it’s extremely expensive and you’re never going to be able to finish. If you’re a transsexual you are “in transition” your entire life. Like…I’ve had many surgeries and there are many more I’d like to have. And I’ll be doing hormone replacement forever. But it’s all upkeep. All women have to pay for that and it’s totally worth it. One shitty thing is that insurance won’t cover any of it, but I’m not complaining. There are many other basic human rights issues in our society that need to be dealt with before we work on transsexual stuff.
SFBG: What advice would you give a young person thinking of transitioning?
Williams: I would stress doing everything by the book. You should only go to licensed doctors and physicians. And no illegal hormones! Um…don’t go to Mexico and get an illegal surgery. Also, anyone who’s considering doing this needs to be absolutely sure they want it…and that they’re doing it for the right reasons. You don’t want to get halfway done with this type of thing and then decided you’d rather not finish. There is no going back and it’s best you keep that in your head at all times. All the medicine is just really hard on your body and mind so make sure you’re getting the right stuff from good people. I know a ton of people who have tried to cut costs and the results are never good. And the same goes for people who do it for the wrong reasons. Don’t do it for a guy or for your career. Do it for yourself.
Elan F: What was your favorite film?
Williams: Hmmm. That’s a hard one. I think my favorite film would have to be “Rogue Adventures 24” because Joey Silvera is such an icon in our industry. He’s the person credited for bringing transsexual porn to the “mainstream,” and I really enjoyed being a part of that effort. Working with him was just an amazing experience. Stunning.
SFBG: So…is it easier to be a transsexual in porn star now that the genre is more mainstream?
Williams: Well, it’s probably never going to be easy, but the genre is evolving. It’s much more common to see transsexuals these days and that’s a good thing. We still have a lot of stereotypes to deal with, but it’s getting a little better. I’d really like to see all the “I Sucked my Aunt’s Dick” titles go away, but that type of thing will probably be around for a while.
SFBG: What are you going to do after porn?
Williams: Well, like I said earlier, I’m always going to be involved in porn. When I’m done acting, I’ll direct and produce. Sometimes I think about stopping, but I’ve always come back to porn and I probably always will.
No sólo hay dos sexos
Entrevista a Curtis Hinkle, fundador de la Organización Internacional Intersexual
Dulce María López Vega
Por años se creyó que la distinción sexo/género era una herramienta útil para lograr la equidad. Se pensaba que el mundo se dividía entre cuerpos de hombres y de mujeres, porque se creía que había una diferencia esencial y que esa diferencia tenía que ver con el sexo. ¿Pero qué es eso de sexo? ¿Sólo el género es un atributo social?
Curtis Hinkle es el fundador de la Organización Internacional Intersexual. Los activistas intersexuales, antes llamados hermafroditas, tienen mucho que enseñar sobre la inexactitud de la clásica concepción de la diferencia sexual.
¿Cómo se definiría la intersexualidad?
Es difícil decirlo porque no tenemos definiciones claras de lo que es una mujer y un hombre. Sin el biopoder médico la intersexualidad no podría existir, porque en los siglos pasados la mayoría de los hermafroditas no sabían que lo eran pues la tecnología para definir el sexo no existía. Es una búsqueda de nuestra cultura, de la tecnología que está buscando el sexo verdadero de cada persona. Para mí, buscar el sexo verdadero de todas las personas es ridículo, porque es algo que no podemos definir. Una vez que pensamos que hemos hallado la definición exacta de lo que es una mujer o un hombre, aparece otra tecnología que nos permite nuevas variaciones y excepciones.
El problema es que por no poder concebir la diversidad se somete desde
la infancia a muchas personas a tratamientos dolorosos y generalmente irreversibles.
Para muchas de las personas intersexuales, su condición no es algo que haya sido claro desde su nacimiento, es algo que apareció más tarde, y para los niños, los hermafroditas que son detectados en la infancia, hay cirugías y tratamientos hormonales, cosas muy difíciles porque muchas veces se requieren varias intervenciones para reformar, para cortar el clítoris o para que el pene esté más en conformidad a lo que los médicos de esa sociedad piensan que es necesario para ser varón. Es algo que es muy traumatizante, muy difícil y todo se hace sin el consentimiento del niño, de la niña; por si fuera poco, se lleva a cabo sin asegurarse de la identidad de la niña, del niño. Y sabemos que en muchos casos, la persona no está de acuerdo con la asignación de sexo. Por eso es importante que los padres tengan una idea de la identidad de género más probable y, sobre todo, que los médicos les digan que el niño o la niña puede cambiar de opinión más tarde.
En nuestras sociedades tenemos que estar haciendo constantemente
una declaración de sexo: formularios, documentos, baños…
El problema fundamental es la idea de que existen solamente dos sexos, porque eso no es exacto. El problema radica en el binarismo, el heterosexismo, y el sexismo. Los tres son una violación a nuestros derechos humanos, es por eso que soy activista. Por ahora es imposible luchar contra una asignación de sexo porque es algo obligatorio en casi todos los países: antes de salir del hospital es necesario un sexo en las actas de nacimiento. ¿Por qué es necesario poner el sexo en las actas de nacimiento? Yo pienso que no es necesario, salvo para continuar con el sexismo en nuestras sociedades.
Por ejemplo, en el estado de Louisiana donde vivía antes de venir aquí a Carolina del Sur, era necesario poner la raza de todas las personas en las actas de nacimiento, pero como el sexo, definirla es muy difícil, pues hay personas que no son blancas ni negras, así que en el estado de Louisiana había varias clases de personas, y si solamente se tenía un octavo de sangre negra había que poner raza negra en el acta de nacimiento. Ahora eso es ilegal en el estado de Louisiana. En el caso del sexo es igual: es por sexismo, es una manera de oprimir a las personas intersexuales y a las mujeres.
Cuidado, psiquiatras y psicoanalistas, deben escuchar esto y revisar sus teorías.
Si existiera tanta diferencia entre los dos sexos, las personas intersexuales no podrían existir. Si hubiera tantas diferencias entre los dos sexos ¿cómo es posible que haya personas que pueden fácilmente cambiar de uno a otro? Y para muchas personas intersexuales es muy fácil cambiar de uno a otro. No sería posible todo eso si verdaderamente hubiera tanta diferencia. No, todo eso es una invención para oprimir a muchas personas, eso es lo que pienso.
Dulce María López Vega
Por años se creyó que la distinción sexo/género era una herramienta útil para lograr la equidad. Se pensaba que el mundo se dividía entre cuerpos de hombres y de mujeres, porque se creía que había una diferencia esencial y que esa diferencia tenía que ver con el sexo. ¿Pero qué es eso de sexo? ¿Sólo el género es un atributo social?
Curtis Hinkle es el fundador de la Organización Internacional Intersexual. Los activistas intersexuales, antes llamados hermafroditas, tienen mucho que enseñar sobre la inexactitud de la clásica concepción de la diferencia sexual.
¿Cómo se definiría la intersexualidad?
Es difícil decirlo porque no tenemos definiciones claras de lo que es una mujer y un hombre. Sin el biopoder médico la intersexualidad no podría existir, porque en los siglos pasados la mayoría de los hermafroditas no sabían que lo eran pues la tecnología para definir el sexo no existía. Es una búsqueda de nuestra cultura, de la tecnología que está buscando el sexo verdadero de cada persona. Para mí, buscar el sexo verdadero de todas las personas es ridículo, porque es algo que no podemos definir. Una vez que pensamos que hemos hallado la definición exacta de lo que es una mujer o un hombre, aparece otra tecnología que nos permite nuevas variaciones y excepciones.
El problema es que por no poder concebir la diversidad se somete desde
la infancia a muchas personas a tratamientos dolorosos y generalmente irreversibles.
Para muchas de las personas intersexuales, su condición no es algo que haya sido claro desde su nacimiento, es algo que apareció más tarde, y para los niños, los hermafroditas que son detectados en la infancia, hay cirugías y tratamientos hormonales, cosas muy difíciles porque muchas veces se requieren varias intervenciones para reformar, para cortar el clítoris o para que el pene esté más en conformidad a lo que los médicos de esa sociedad piensan que es necesario para ser varón. Es algo que es muy traumatizante, muy difícil y todo se hace sin el consentimiento del niño, de la niña; por si fuera poco, se lleva a cabo sin asegurarse de la identidad de la niña, del niño. Y sabemos que en muchos casos, la persona no está de acuerdo con la asignación de sexo. Por eso es importante que los padres tengan una idea de la identidad de género más probable y, sobre todo, que los médicos les digan que el niño o la niña puede cambiar de opinión más tarde.
En nuestras sociedades tenemos que estar haciendo constantemente
una declaración de sexo: formularios, documentos, baños…
El problema fundamental es la idea de que existen solamente dos sexos, porque eso no es exacto. El problema radica en el binarismo, el heterosexismo, y el sexismo. Los tres son una violación a nuestros derechos humanos, es por eso que soy activista. Por ahora es imposible luchar contra una asignación de sexo porque es algo obligatorio en casi todos los países: antes de salir del hospital es necesario un sexo en las actas de nacimiento. ¿Por qué es necesario poner el sexo en las actas de nacimiento? Yo pienso que no es necesario, salvo para continuar con el sexismo en nuestras sociedades.
Por ejemplo, en el estado de Louisiana donde vivía antes de venir aquí a Carolina del Sur, era necesario poner la raza de todas las personas en las actas de nacimiento, pero como el sexo, definirla es muy difícil, pues hay personas que no son blancas ni negras, así que en el estado de Louisiana había varias clases de personas, y si solamente se tenía un octavo de sangre negra había que poner raza negra en el acta de nacimiento. Ahora eso es ilegal en el estado de Louisiana. En el caso del sexo es igual: es por sexismo, es una manera de oprimir a las personas intersexuales y a las mujeres.
Cuidado, psiquiatras y psicoanalistas, deben escuchar esto y revisar sus teorías.
Si existiera tanta diferencia entre los dos sexos, las personas intersexuales no podrían existir. Si hubiera tantas diferencias entre los dos sexos ¿cómo es posible que haya personas que pueden fácilmente cambiar de uno a otro? Y para muchas personas intersexuales es muy fácil cambiar de uno a otro. No sería posible todo eso si verdaderamente hubiera tanta diferencia. No, todo eso es una invención para oprimir a muchas personas, eso es lo que pienso.
Newbie
Posted by: "ahdbiz" ahdbiz@yahoo.com ahdbiz
Sun May 17, 2009 9:21 am (PDT)
Hi everybody! I'm new to the group and would like to introduce myself.
My name is Amy and I work with a pro bono international lawyer who has a non-profit group called SOS Dignity (www.sosdignity. org).
The purpose of the group is to help transgender people with the various difficulties they face, from general discrimination to specific hate crimes, lack of or problems with educational and work situations, health and legal issues, etc. At the moment the group is focused on helping the transvestite community in São Paulo, Brazil, in particular the sex-workers, but the idea is to make this an international group to advocate for all transgender people.
We are starting up a blog quite soon, but how soon this happens depends on our finding people who have stories to tell so that we can post them in the blog. Our feeling is that if a few people put up their stories, then others will be encouraged to do so as well, and this will help spread the word about SOS Dignity and perhaps get us some needed funding so that we can go ahead with our work and expand it.
These stories can be any length, and can of course be anonymous if the writers wish. If you or someone you know or knew has been the victim of a hate crime, or if you have encountered prejudice on the job or in an educational environment, or had problems with the legal or health systems, etc., we'd like to hear about it. Just tell your story in a natural way and e-mail it to me privately. I thank you in advance for this!
These stories will be kept confidential until they are posted on the blog. I will be collecting them in a file until we have a few to get the blog started. I will keep in touch with every writer and be sure to let you know when your blog entry has been posted, and give you the URL to the blog.
If you have any questions, please post them here or e-mail me privately.
Also, please check out www.sosdignity.org -- thanks!
Much love to you all,
Amy
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Sun May 17, 2009 9:21 am (PDT)
Hi everybody! I'm new to the group and would like to introduce myself.
My name is Amy and I work with a pro bono international lawyer who has a non-profit group called SOS Dignity (www.sosdignity. org).
The purpose of the group is to help transgender people with the various difficulties they face, from general discrimination to specific hate crimes, lack of or problems with educational and work situations, health and legal issues, etc. At the moment the group is focused on helping the transvestite community in São Paulo, Brazil, in particular the sex-workers, but the idea is to make this an international group to advocate for all transgender people.
We are starting up a blog quite soon, but how soon this happens depends on our finding people who have stories to tell so that we can post them in the blog. Our feeling is that if a few people put up their stories, then others will be encouraged to do so as well, and this will help spread the word about SOS Dignity and perhaps get us some needed funding so that we can go ahead with our work and expand it.
These stories can be any length, and can of course be anonymous if the writers wish. If you or someone you know or knew has been the victim of a hate crime, or if you have encountered prejudice on the job or in an educational environment, or had problems with the legal or health systems, etc., we'd like to hear about it. Just tell your story in a natural way and e-mail it to me privately. I thank you in advance for this!
These stories will be kept confidential until they are posted on the blog. I will be collecting them in a file until we have a few to get the blog started. I will keep in touch with every writer and be sure to let you know when your blog entry has been posted, and give you the URL to the blog.
If you have any questions, please post them here or e-mail me privately.
Also, please check out www.sosdignity.org -- thanks!
Much love to you all,
Amy
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Accept history and move on
Fonte/ Source: www.expressbuss.com
by Vaibhav Saria First Published : 16 May 2009 01:44:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 15 May 2009
One has always bristled when the media captures the stories of Hijras contesting for seats during the elections in the most sensationalist, offensive and unhelpful manner. They call them the “odd man in the race” and seem stunned by the fact that the hijras would have any interest in politics. It makes me wonder what notions of being a hijra are being assumed by the media that leads them to think of them and politics as two domains that are exclusive. Hijras do not reside in caves locked away from the world — it would be hard for the police to harass them there — they too drink water, use buses, and mediate the high prices of food in the face of poverty. There is a history of hijras participating in the politics and I am not talking about yesteryears where they held important positions in the small principalities in the pre-colonial times — I am talking of much more recent times.
The All India Hijra Kalyan Sabha fought for over a decade to get voting rights, which they finally got in 1994. In 1996 Kali stood for elections in Patna under the then Judicial Reform Party and gave the Janata Dal and the BJP a bit of a fight. Munni ran for the elections as well from South Bombay that year. They both lost, but that is not the point; the point is that 13 years of Hijras participating in the political rigmarole should be enough for everybody to get used to the idea and to take the proposal seriously instead of dismissing it under offensive headlines.
After the defeat of Kali and Munni, three years later we saw Kamla Jaan run and win the position of the mayor of Katni in MP. Then there was Shabnam Mausi, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2002 as well. In the huge political machinery, Heera won a seat at the city council of Jabalpur, Meera won a similar position in Sehora, and so did Gulshan in Bina. In December 2000, Asha Devi became the mayor of Gorakhpur, and Kallu Kinnar was elected to the city council in Varanasi. I am sure there are many more low level, inconspicuous bureaucratic positions that were held by the hijras but did not whip up any excitement for the media — not to mention the cases where they were probably threatened, bullied and killed to prevent them from running for seats. This brings us to the current elections, which has Mangesh Bharat Khandye running for the Thane Lok Sabha seat.
When the media does report hijras running for seats during elections, their tone of
surprise undermines this entire 15 years of history of the hijras taking part in the political process; always voraciously and often successfully. The point they seem to miss out is that some of these hijras — Kamla Jaan, Asha Devi, Shabnam Mausi won elections, they were elected to their seats — why would this happen if they had nothing substantial to say, nothing substantial to do. And what’s more Kamla Jaan even got jubilant reviews for her work as the mayor of Katni — she had fixed bus stations, sunk tube wells, and fixed
drainage pipes.
My point is that one needs to see how worries regarding safe water, proper drainage and bus stations form the entirety of everyday concerns for a large part of the country — even when we speak of blindingly shining India. Hijras by their marginal position in society (poor, harassed, ill treated, facing the hatred in all “respectable” eyes) can see what is going wrong with the country — wrongs that rarely make the headlines if it does not affect the middle class. Asha Devi and Kamla Jaan were removed from their position two years ago because they had contested elections as women as the seats were reserved for women and the law did not think they were women. The intelligent thing would have been to legislate and reserve the seat for non-males and give more people an equal chance as this country preaches but rarely practices.
I am sure everybody knows this myth from the Ramayana. Rama was followed by men, women and hijras to the forest where he was exiled. When he came to the river that separated the kingdom and the forest he had asked all the men and the women to return and they did so. The hijras remained and they waited for 14 years and Rama, then blessed them by making them the rulers during kalyug. I have no reason to believe that this is not kalyug. There are dogs that bark in sequestered hate about chopping the hands of the Muslim citizens of the country and in contrast, what the hijra politicians are offering seem much more appealing.
— Vaibhav Saria is a doctoral student
at Johns Hopkins University researching
HIV and AIDS in India. He can be contacted
at vaibhavsaria@jhu.edu.
by Vaibhav Saria First Published : 16 May 2009 01:44:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 15 May 2009
One has always bristled when the media captures the stories of Hijras contesting for seats during the elections in the most sensationalist, offensive and unhelpful manner. They call them the “odd man in the race” and seem stunned by the fact that the hijras would have any interest in politics. It makes me wonder what notions of being a hijra are being assumed by the media that leads them to think of them and politics as two domains that are exclusive. Hijras do not reside in caves locked away from the world — it would be hard for the police to harass them there — they too drink water, use buses, and mediate the high prices of food in the face of poverty. There is a history of hijras participating in the politics and I am not talking about yesteryears where they held important positions in the small principalities in the pre-colonial times — I am talking of much more recent times.
The All India Hijra Kalyan Sabha fought for over a decade to get voting rights, which they finally got in 1994. In 1996 Kali stood for elections in Patna under the then Judicial Reform Party and gave the Janata Dal and the BJP a bit of a fight. Munni ran for the elections as well from South Bombay that year. They both lost, but that is not the point; the point is that 13 years of Hijras participating in the political rigmarole should be enough for everybody to get used to the idea and to take the proposal seriously instead of dismissing it under offensive headlines.
After the defeat of Kali and Munni, three years later we saw Kamla Jaan run and win the position of the mayor of Katni in MP. Then there was Shabnam Mausi, who was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2002 as well. In the huge political machinery, Heera won a seat at the city council of Jabalpur, Meera won a similar position in Sehora, and so did Gulshan in Bina. In December 2000, Asha Devi became the mayor of Gorakhpur, and Kallu Kinnar was elected to the city council in Varanasi. I am sure there are many more low level, inconspicuous bureaucratic positions that were held by the hijras but did not whip up any excitement for the media — not to mention the cases where they were probably threatened, bullied and killed to prevent them from running for seats. This brings us to the current elections, which has Mangesh Bharat Khandye running for the Thane Lok Sabha seat.
When the media does report hijras running for seats during elections, their tone of
surprise undermines this entire 15 years of history of the hijras taking part in the political process; always voraciously and often successfully. The point they seem to miss out is that some of these hijras — Kamla Jaan, Asha Devi, Shabnam Mausi won elections, they were elected to their seats — why would this happen if they had nothing substantial to say, nothing substantial to do. And what’s more Kamla Jaan even got jubilant reviews for her work as the mayor of Katni — she had fixed bus stations, sunk tube wells, and fixed
drainage pipes.
My point is that one needs to see how worries regarding safe water, proper drainage and bus stations form the entirety of everyday concerns for a large part of the country — even when we speak of blindingly shining India. Hijras by their marginal position in society (poor, harassed, ill treated, facing the hatred in all “respectable” eyes) can see what is going wrong with the country — wrongs that rarely make the headlines if it does not affect the middle class. Asha Devi and Kamla Jaan were removed from their position two years ago because they had contested elections as women as the seats were reserved for women and the law did not think they were women. The intelligent thing would have been to legislate and reserve the seat for non-males and give more people an equal chance as this country preaches but rarely practices.
I am sure everybody knows this myth from the Ramayana. Rama was followed by men, women and hijras to the forest where he was exiled. When he came to the river that separated the kingdom and the forest he had asked all the men and the women to return and they did so. The hijras remained and they waited for 14 years and Rama, then blessed them by making them the rulers during kalyug. I have no reason to believe that this is not kalyug. There are dogs that bark in sequestered hate about chopping the hands of the Muslim citizens of the country and in contrast, what the hijra politicians are offering seem much more appealing.
— Vaibhav Saria is a doctoral student
at Johns Hopkins University researching
HIV and AIDS in India. He can be contacted
at vaibhavsaria@jhu.edu.
Beyond borders
Fonte/ Source: www.tribuneindia.com
by Rumina Sethi
Same-Sex Love in India: A Literary History
Eds. Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai.
Penguin.
Pages 479. Rs 450.
PURITANISM does not allow us to talk about the subject of same sex love in a country where homosexuality is often blamed on "foreign invaders". Yet, the shastras are replete with instances of celebration of same-sex pairs, be they twins, sisters, co-mothers, rivers or friends. Few of us know that Agni, to whom most of the hymns of the Rig Veda are dedicated, is born of two sticks which are its two mothers. In the Jataka tales, there always exists an intimate relationship between boys or monks who are without fear of betrayal or infidelity. That love between women was cherished is clear from the concept of swyamvara sakhi in the 11th-century Kathasaritsagara.
Our 2000 years’ literature also contains many instances of sex change where men-turned-women marry men, exhibiting the innate attraction that exists between the same species. King Ila of the Matsya Purana is turned by Shiva into a woman who then marries Budha, the son of the moon. In the Mahabharata, Sikhandini changes her sex to become a man, has children with his wife and is full of "manly" valour.
The Panchatantra, again, is an excellent example where same-sex friendship exists among a mole, a crow, a deer and a tortoise whose ‘skin tingles’ and ‘limbs thrill’ in one another’s company. All four are male, unmarried and without domestic commitments. Loyalty to the opposite sex never comes in the way of risking their lives for one another. At the root of these ancient texts is the idea of complementarity which same-sex pairs experience more deeply than heterosexual couples.
Vanita and Kidwai attempt to bring respectability into one’s sexual preference by giving evidence through literature that homoeroticism has existed in Indian society right through the ages. As such, their book has an incredible breadth: it includes translations from many ancient texts on the subject of homoerotica. Apart from drawing on an ancient Indian literary tradition from the Puranas to the Ramayana, there is a wide spectrum of narration from the Perso-Urdu tradition ranging from Amir Khusro to Mir Taqi ‘Mir’ as much as from more modern Indian literature, where we find Amrita Sher-Gil, ‘Firaq’ Gorakhpuri, Josh Malihabadi, Ismat Chugtai and even Vikram Seth and Ambai, all of whom have written on the subject.
Homoerotic love has definitely been part of medieval poetry. The tradition of the ghazal sung or recited in all-male gatherings, the custom of wine drinking among men in taverns and even at celebrations around tombs and shrines of religious men, the oft-mentioned "maikhana", "saqi", "jaam" and "mina" in muslim poetry, where men and not women are the wine-servers and entertainers, the very practice of keeping slaves and eunuchs demonstrate that homo erotica was very much a part of mainstream society and not always punishable. It was in Sufi literature that the relationship between the human and the divine was also articulated in "homoerotic metaphors" which alone could be pure and spiritual.
As one moves closer to the 19th century, the inward male gaze becomes more self-conscious. Love between women enters literary representation whereas that between men virtually fades. The female counterpart of the ghazal now emerges in the form of "Rekhti" poetry, often referred to as "chatpatbaz", which is usually dismissed as a debased form of love between women. Not surprisingly, Rekhti poetry was written by male poets—a prominent example being Amir Khusro—in the female voice and may have never been heard or read by women. The reason why men assumed a female voice may be linked to the British law of anti-sodomy that was passed in 1860.
Although the sections on Sufi poetry are among the best, it is the 20th century that would interest the readers more owing to their closeness to the milieu and a corresponding familiarity with the writer. Chugtai’s Lihaf, Siddiqa Begum’s Urdu story Taare Laraz Rahe Hain and Kamala Das’s autobiographical My Story belong to this period. In these and many other narratives, lesbianism appears to be the result of neglect of women (also cited as a reason in Deepa Mehta’s film, Fire). Clearly, lesbianism as a form of female sexuality remains largely unexplored if it is explained away through circumstantial reasons.
In spite of the use of choice epithets such as "Ghasleti" literature, as used by the Hindi writer Pandit Banarsidas Chaturvedi for describing, what Gandhi called "unnatural vice", Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai have produced a revolutionary book. They have done remarkable research in bringing to light gay and lesbian writing as well as new interpretations about non-sexual male and female bonding in film and literature. The separate introductions to each section expose common misconceptions and aversions, and sensitively bring out hitherto hidden aspects of male and female sexuality.
by Rumina Sethi
Same-Sex Love in India: A Literary History
Eds. Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai.
Penguin.
Pages 479. Rs 450.
PURITANISM does not allow us to talk about the subject of same sex love in a country where homosexuality is often blamed on "foreign invaders". Yet, the shastras are replete with instances of celebration of same-sex pairs, be they twins, sisters, co-mothers, rivers or friends. Few of us know that Agni, to whom most of the hymns of the Rig Veda are dedicated, is born of two sticks which are its two mothers. In the Jataka tales, there always exists an intimate relationship between boys or monks who are without fear of betrayal or infidelity. That love between women was cherished is clear from the concept of swyamvara sakhi in the 11th-century Kathasaritsagara.
Our 2000 years’ literature also contains many instances of sex change where men-turned-women marry men, exhibiting the innate attraction that exists between the same species. King Ila of the Matsya Purana is turned by Shiva into a woman who then marries Budha, the son of the moon. In the Mahabharata, Sikhandini changes her sex to become a man, has children with his wife and is full of "manly" valour.
The Panchatantra, again, is an excellent example where same-sex friendship exists among a mole, a crow, a deer and a tortoise whose ‘skin tingles’ and ‘limbs thrill’ in one another’s company. All four are male, unmarried and without domestic commitments. Loyalty to the opposite sex never comes in the way of risking their lives for one another. At the root of these ancient texts is the idea of complementarity which same-sex pairs experience more deeply than heterosexual couples.
Vanita and Kidwai attempt to bring respectability into one’s sexual preference by giving evidence through literature that homoeroticism has existed in Indian society right through the ages. As such, their book has an incredible breadth: it includes translations from many ancient texts on the subject of homoerotica. Apart from drawing on an ancient Indian literary tradition from the Puranas to the Ramayana, there is a wide spectrum of narration from the Perso-Urdu tradition ranging from Amir Khusro to Mir Taqi ‘Mir’ as much as from more modern Indian literature, where we find Amrita Sher-Gil, ‘Firaq’ Gorakhpuri, Josh Malihabadi, Ismat Chugtai and even Vikram Seth and Ambai, all of whom have written on the subject.
Homoerotic love has definitely been part of medieval poetry. The tradition of the ghazal sung or recited in all-male gatherings, the custom of wine drinking among men in taverns and even at celebrations around tombs and shrines of religious men, the oft-mentioned "maikhana", "saqi", "jaam" and "mina" in muslim poetry, where men and not women are the wine-servers and entertainers, the very practice of keeping slaves and eunuchs demonstrate that homo erotica was very much a part of mainstream society and not always punishable. It was in Sufi literature that the relationship between the human and the divine was also articulated in "homoerotic metaphors" which alone could be pure and spiritual.
As one moves closer to the 19th century, the inward male gaze becomes more self-conscious. Love between women enters literary representation whereas that between men virtually fades. The female counterpart of the ghazal now emerges in the form of "Rekhti" poetry, often referred to as "chatpatbaz", which is usually dismissed as a debased form of love between women. Not surprisingly, Rekhti poetry was written by male poets—a prominent example being Amir Khusro—in the female voice and may have never been heard or read by women. The reason why men assumed a female voice may be linked to the British law of anti-sodomy that was passed in 1860.
Although the sections on Sufi poetry are among the best, it is the 20th century that would interest the readers more owing to their closeness to the milieu and a corresponding familiarity with the writer. Chugtai’s Lihaf, Siddiqa Begum’s Urdu story Taare Laraz Rahe Hain and Kamala Das’s autobiographical My Story belong to this period. In these and many other narratives, lesbianism appears to be the result of neglect of women (also cited as a reason in Deepa Mehta’s film, Fire). Clearly, lesbianism as a form of female sexuality remains largely unexplored if it is explained away through circumstantial reasons.
In spite of the use of choice epithets such as "Ghasleti" literature, as used by the Hindi writer Pandit Banarsidas Chaturvedi for describing, what Gandhi called "unnatural vice", Ruth Vanita and Saleem Kidwai have produced a revolutionary book. They have done remarkable research in bringing to light gay and lesbian writing as well as new interpretations about non-sexual male and female bonding in film and literature. The separate introductions to each section expose common misconceptions and aversions, and sensitively bring out hitherto hidden aspects of male and female sexuality.
sábado, 23 de maio de 2009
Phil Vassar Gives Cross-Dressers an Anthem All Their Own | CMT Blog
Phil Vassar Gives Cross-Dressers an Anthem All Their Own | CMT Blog: "Growing up, I hated it when girls spelled their names with i’s where a y would’ve done the job. Brandi, Tiffani, Maddi. Ditto for girls who dotted those i’s with hearts. So when I saw that Phil Vassar had a song called “Bobbi With an I,” I thought I knew exactly what it would be about. But I was so completely wrong. How could I have known there would be a country song about a transvestite (or cross-dresser or whatever they are calling themselves these days) climbing the charts? About a former linebacker who now dresses in pink and has platinum curls? It’s so bizarre in that catchy, never-thought-I’d-have-a-song-like-this-stuck-in-my-head kind of way. If you haven’t heard it yet, go listen and tell us what you think."
Brain Gender Identity - a presentation by Dr Sidney Ecker, MD FACS
by A.E. Brain, Australia
Friday, 22 May 2009
A letter I recently received from Dr Ecker, to whom many thanks:
Hi Zoe,
Yes, we gave our presentation to 60 plus psychiatrists from the
US, AU, FR, IT, EU, UK, Holland etc.
We spoke for 2 1/2 hours on why cross gender identity was a normal
inherited variation of humans. We showed how Transgender Brains think,
smell, and hear like the opposite sex. We presented internationally
accepted guidelines for hormonal treatment of transsexuals to be
published Summer 2009.
Here are my slides and with my participants' permission I shall
send you theirs. We are now in print in the APA Syllabus and soon in
the APA Journal this summer. I am checking if we were recorded.
My greatest personal compliment came from Frank Kruijver, from
Holland, whose research of the human brain in TSs started it all. He
thought we have taken his work very far in our understanding of the
human brain. Hope you can do something with this. Sid Ecker, M.D.
I will indeed endeavour to "do something with this".
Starting with publishing it, broadcasting it as far and as wide as I
can. This stuff needs to be known.
Dr Ecker is not a psychiatrist, he's a urologist, with very extensive
clinical experience in observing the effects of hormonal treatment of
a variety of patients, transsexual and otherwise. He has no particular
axe to grind, but he has seen so much misinformation, he wants to set
the record straight. To put some Science into the issue.
As the e-mail states, Dr Ecker was invited to give a presentation to
the American Psychiatric Association as part of a seminar at their
annual meeting. From their letter to him:
Symposium Title: The Neurobiological Evidence for Transgenderism
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
The participants shall learn the current definitions of
Transgenderism, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Gender Role
Behavior, Gender Dysphoria and Transsexualism and understand the
Standards of Care (WPATH) for treatment. The neurobiological evidence
for gender differences in the human brain and genetic inheritability
of Transsexualism will be presented. Current US medical practices in
the Treatment of GID in children, adolescents and adults will be
discussed.
SYMPOSIUM ABSTRACT:
The topic of Gender Identity Disorder is one of great controversy
in the world because of the diametrically opposite approach of
treatment advocated in different medical centers. The prevalence and
incidence of Transgenderism, which reflects the thinking and behavior
of the opposite genetic sex, cannot be known because the non-dysphoric
patient does not present for medical care for a multiplicity of
reasons. What we can estimate and understand is the mild to severely
dysphoric patient who seeks medical attention and is given a diagnosis
of Gender Identity Disorder under DSM-IV-TR. The panel shall present
the current scientific literature pertinent to our understanding of
the concept of a male, female or transgender brain. They shall discuss
the current research undertaken with Transsexuals, which lends
evidence to genetic inheritance and biological causation. Finally they
shall discuss the appropriate medical care that can help bring the
patient’s physical being into congruency with their Brain Gender
Identity. While treatment in the form of surgery or cross-hormonal
medication has been denied to these individuals at certain prominent
medical centers, the number of patients seeking help has increased. As
more patients see the psychiatric community as a welcoming entity
listening to their concerns, instead of trying to reverse or repair
their Transgender thinking, they will be encouraged to allow
psychiatry to join in the multi-disciplinary treatment of their
condition.
Title of Presentation: Brain Gender Identity
Abstract:
Gender Identity is that innate sense of who you are in this world
with reference to your sexuality and behavior, not necessarily
corresponding to your genitalia and reproductive organs. Transgenders
are atypical and “think” as the opposite gender. Certain areas of the
brain have been shown to be sexually dimorphic. They are different in
structure and numbers of neurons in males versus females. Protein
Receptors for the sex hormones in different areas of the brain (limbic
and anterior hypothalamic) must be present in sufficient numbers to
receive those powerful hormones. There are androgen receptors (AR),
Estrogen Receptors (ER), and Progesterone receptors (PRs). ARs or ERs
are predominant at different times in different parts of the human
brain. Hormone receptor genes have been identified in humans, which
are responsible for sexually dimorphic brain differentiation in the
hypothalamus. The groundwork in brain gender identity is gene-directed
and takes place by forming male and female hormone receptors in the
brain before the gonads and hormones can influence them. Multiple
genes acting in concert determine our sexual identity. The human brain
continues to make neurons and synaptic neuronal connections throughout
life. This contributes to Gender Role Behaviors making individuals in
the continuum of gender identity. Gender behaviors must be
differentiated from gender identity (Hines). Gender Identity cannot be
predicted from anatomy (Reiner). Brain gender identity is determined
very early in fetal development, but gender expression, expressed as
behaviors requires hormonal, environmental, social and cultural
interactions, which evolve with time. One cannot deny the profound
effects of Testosterone, Estradiol and other steroids on genital
differentiation in-utero or their effects on behavior from birth or
the physical and mental cross gender changes caused by exogenous
hormones, but gender identity is determined before and persists in
spite of these effects.
References:
1.DF Swaab, WC Chung, FP Kruijver, MA Hofman, TA Ishunina
Structural and functional sex differences in the human hypothalamus
Horm Behav. Sep, 2001; 40(2): 93-8. Review
2. DF Swaab
Sexual differentiation of the human brain: relevance for gender
identity, transsexualism and sexual orientation
Gynecol Endocrinol. Dec, 2004; 19(6): 301-12. Review.
3.IE Sommer, PT Cohen-Kettenis, T van Raalten, AJ Vd Veer, LE
Ramsey, LJ Gooren, RS Kahn, NF Ramsey
Effects of cross-sex hormones on cerebral activation during
language and mental rotation: An fMRI study in transsexuals
Eur Neuropsychopharmaco l. Mar 2008; 18(3): 215-21.
4.H Berglund, P Lindstrom, C Dhejne-Helmy, I Savic
Male to female transsexuals show sex-atypical hypothalamus
activation when smelling odorous steroids
Cereb Cortex. Aug 2008; 18(8): 1900-8.
A more complete list of his references is in this PDF file
, at
http://cs.anu. edu.au/~Zoe. Brain/BGI REF 3.pdf.
Now onto the powerpoint presentation itself: Brain Gender Identity
, which I have
mirrored at http://cs.anu. edu.au/~Zoe. Brain/BGI 3.3.2.ppt
I'll quote the first slide:
Most of our information on the Neurobiology of sex comes from
animal studies (Becker et al., 2005), but nearly all of what we know
about variations in human sexuality, including hetero- and
homo-sexuality, and disorders of gender identity (transsexualism)
comes from clinical material, anecdotes or even fiction (the three
overlap).
Herbert, J., (Brain, 2008)
And one of his meticulously reasoned conclusions, led to inescapably
by the biology of foetal and post-birth neural development:
Brain gender identity is determined very early in fetal
development, but gender expression, expressed as behaviors requires
hormonal, environmental, social and cultural interactions which evolve
with time.
The Logic is immaculate, the conclusions obvious when presented so clearly.
While there are still pieces of the puzzle missing, and many details
still to be determined, Dr Ecker has solved it - we now have the Big
Picture, incomplete, but still recognisable. All the things I had
observed and deduced had to be true on the basis of external
observation, Dr Ecker now shows the chain of causality, what happens
and when.
His exposition of the biology might even give me some clues as to my
own anomalous situation, which genes and which proteins to look at -
but this is of secondary interest to me. It's why I got into all this,
but now I'm in, it's others I'm more concerned about.
Dr Ecker's first communication with me on the first of March
was as
follows:
Hi Zoe,
My name is Dr. Sidney W. Ecker, M.D., F.A.C.S. and it appears that
I have made it to your informative blog. I would ask you to stay tuned
for my Symposium at the American Psychiatric Association' s 2009 Annual
meeting in May as my abstracts and presentation is their property for
publication at the moment.
http://pn.psychiatr yonline.org/ cgi/content/ full/44/4/ 8
S10. The Neurobiological Evidence for Transgenderism
1. Brain Gender Identity Sidney W. Ecker, M.D.
2. Transsexuality as an Intersex Condition Milton Diamond, Ph.D.
3. Novel Approaches to Endocrine Treatment of Transgender
Adolescents and Adults Norman Spack, M.D.
What I am trying to do is to logically sequence the scientific
evidence to date that you quote and put it into an understandable form
for my peers and eventually the public. My current Reference list for
Brain Gender Identity is attached. This is certainly not "dogma" as
Dr. Zucker claims, but like you I possess the ability and education to
understand (biological) science. As a Urologist with a specific
interest and expertise in Prostate Cancer, I have administered DES,
Estrogens, LHRH agonists and Androgen Blockers to thousands of men for
PCa. I make the analogy that these men voluntarily took female
hormones to improve the quality of their lives much the same way
TransWomen do. Do you need to fear death or be suicidal to take
cross-gender hormones? Emphatically, No! Will they prevent eventual
death in either scenario? No!!
After the meeting I shall send you my PowerPoint Presentation, but
I must keep my powder dry for the moment.
You may publish my reference list, but I can't imagine anyone
could access all these articles as I have from the National Library of
Medicine's Reading Room. So we'll just have to wait to hear from the
opposition and peer review.
Thanks for your Web blog.
Sid Ecker
Thank you, Dr Ecker. I'll help as much as I can.
http://aebrain. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/brain- gender-identity- presentation- by.html
Friday, 22 May 2009
A letter I recently received from Dr Ecker, to whom many thanks:
Hi Zoe,
Yes, we gave our presentation to 60 plus psychiatrists from the
US, AU, FR, IT, EU, UK, Holland etc.
We spoke for 2 1/2 hours on why cross gender identity was a normal
inherited variation of humans. We showed how Transgender Brains think,
smell, and hear like the opposite sex. We presented internationally
accepted guidelines for hormonal treatment of transsexuals to be
published Summer 2009.
Here are my slides and with my participants' permission I shall
send you theirs. We are now in print in the APA Syllabus and soon in
the APA Journal this summer. I am checking if we were recorded.
My greatest personal compliment came from Frank Kruijver, from
Holland, whose research of the human brain in TSs started it all. He
thought we have taken his work very far in our understanding of the
human brain. Hope you can do something with this. Sid Ecker, M.D.
I will indeed endeavour to "do something with this".
Starting with publishing it, broadcasting it as far and as wide as I
can. This stuff needs to be known.
Dr Ecker is not a psychiatrist, he's a urologist, with very extensive
clinical experience in observing the effects of hormonal treatment of
a variety of patients, transsexual and otherwise. He has no particular
axe to grind, but he has seen so much misinformation, he wants to set
the record straight. To put some Science into the issue.
As the e-mail states, Dr Ecker was invited to give a presentation to
the American Psychiatric Association as part of a seminar at their
annual meeting. From their letter to him:
Symposium Title: The Neurobiological Evidence for Transgenderism
EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES:
The participants shall learn the current definitions of
Transgenderism, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, Gender Role
Behavior, Gender Dysphoria and Transsexualism and understand the
Standards of Care (WPATH) for treatment. The neurobiological evidence
for gender differences in the human brain and genetic inheritability
of Transsexualism will be presented. Current US medical practices in
the Treatment of GID in children, adolescents and adults will be
discussed.
SYMPOSIUM ABSTRACT:
The topic of Gender Identity Disorder is one of great controversy
in the world because of the diametrically opposite approach of
treatment advocated in different medical centers. The prevalence and
incidence of Transgenderism, which reflects the thinking and behavior
of the opposite genetic sex, cannot be known because the non-dysphoric
patient does not present for medical care for a multiplicity of
reasons. What we can estimate and understand is the mild to severely
dysphoric patient who seeks medical attention and is given a diagnosis
of Gender Identity Disorder under DSM-IV-TR. The panel shall present
the current scientific literature pertinent to our understanding of
the concept of a male, female or transgender brain. They shall discuss
the current research undertaken with Transsexuals, which lends
evidence to genetic inheritance and biological causation. Finally they
shall discuss the appropriate medical care that can help bring the
patient’s physical being into congruency with their Brain Gender
Identity. While treatment in the form of surgery or cross-hormonal
medication has been denied to these individuals at certain prominent
medical centers, the number of patients seeking help has increased. As
more patients see the psychiatric community as a welcoming entity
listening to their concerns, instead of trying to reverse or repair
their Transgender thinking, they will be encouraged to allow
psychiatry to join in the multi-disciplinary treatment of their
condition.
Title of Presentation: Brain Gender Identity
Abstract:
Gender Identity is that innate sense of who you are in this world
with reference to your sexuality and behavior, not necessarily
corresponding to your genitalia and reproductive organs. Transgenders
are atypical and “think” as the opposite gender. Certain areas of the
brain have been shown to be sexually dimorphic. They are different in
structure and numbers of neurons in males versus females. Protein
Receptors for the sex hormones in different areas of the brain (limbic
and anterior hypothalamic) must be present in sufficient numbers to
receive those powerful hormones. There are androgen receptors (AR),
Estrogen Receptors (ER), and Progesterone receptors (PRs). ARs or ERs
are predominant at different times in different parts of the human
brain. Hormone receptor genes have been identified in humans, which
are responsible for sexually dimorphic brain differentiation in the
hypothalamus. The groundwork in brain gender identity is gene-directed
and takes place by forming male and female hormone receptors in the
brain before the gonads and hormones can influence them. Multiple
genes acting in concert determine our sexual identity. The human brain
continues to make neurons and synaptic neuronal connections throughout
life. This contributes to Gender Role Behaviors making individuals in
the continuum of gender identity. Gender behaviors must be
differentiated from gender identity (Hines). Gender Identity cannot be
predicted from anatomy (Reiner). Brain gender identity is determined
very early in fetal development, but gender expression, expressed as
behaviors requires hormonal, environmental, social and cultural
interactions, which evolve with time. One cannot deny the profound
effects of Testosterone, Estradiol and other steroids on genital
differentiation in-utero or their effects on behavior from birth or
the physical and mental cross gender changes caused by exogenous
hormones, but gender identity is determined before and persists in
spite of these effects.
References:
1.DF Swaab, WC Chung, FP Kruijver, MA Hofman, TA Ishunina
Structural and functional sex differences in the human hypothalamus
Horm Behav. Sep, 2001; 40(2): 93-8. Review
2. DF Swaab
Sexual differentiation of the human brain: relevance for gender
identity, transsexualism and sexual orientation
Gynecol Endocrinol. Dec, 2004; 19(6): 301-12. Review.
3.IE Sommer, PT Cohen-Kettenis, T van Raalten, AJ Vd Veer, LE
Ramsey, LJ Gooren, RS Kahn, NF Ramsey
Effects of cross-sex hormones on cerebral activation during
language and mental rotation: An fMRI study in transsexuals
Eur Neuropsychopharmaco l. Mar 2008; 18(3): 215-21.
4.H Berglund, P Lindstrom, C Dhejne-Helmy, I Savic
Male to female transsexuals show sex-atypical hypothalamus
activation when smelling odorous steroids
Cereb Cortex. Aug 2008; 18(8): 1900-8.
A more complete list of his references is in this PDF file
http://cs.anu. edu.au/~Zoe. Brain/BGI REF 3.pdf.
Now onto the powerpoint presentation itself: Brain Gender Identity
mirrored at http://cs.anu. edu.au/~Zoe. Brain/BGI 3.3.2.ppt
I'll quote the first slide:
Most of our information on the Neurobiology of sex comes from
animal studies (Becker et al., 2005), but nearly all of what we know
about variations in human sexuality, including hetero- and
homo-sexuality, and disorders of gender identity (transsexualism)
comes from clinical material, anecdotes or even fiction (the three
overlap).
Herbert, J., (Brain, 2008)
And one of his meticulously reasoned conclusions, led to inescapably
by the biology of foetal and post-birth neural development:
Brain gender identity is determined very early in fetal
development, but gender expression, expressed as behaviors requires
hormonal, environmental, social and cultural interactions which evolve
with time.
The Logic is immaculate, the conclusions obvious when presented so clearly.
While there are still pieces of the puzzle missing, and many details
still to be determined, Dr Ecker has solved it - we now have the Big
Picture, incomplete, but still recognisable. All the things I had
observed and deduced had to be true on the basis of external
observation, Dr Ecker now shows the chain of causality, what happens
and when.
His exposition of the biology might even give me some clues as to my
own anomalous situation, which genes and which proteins to look at -
but this is of secondary interest to me. It's why I got into all this,
but now I'm in, it's others I'm more concerned about.
Dr Ecker's first communication with me on the first of March
follows:
Hi Zoe,
My name is Dr. Sidney W. Ecker, M.D., F.A.C.S. and it appears that
I have made it to your informative blog. I would ask you to stay tuned
for my Symposium at the American Psychiatric Association' s 2009 Annual
meeting in May as my abstracts and presentation is their property for
publication at the moment.
http://pn.psychiatr yonline.org/ cgi/content/ full/44/4/ 8
S10. The Neurobiological Evidence for Transgenderism
1. Brain Gender Identity Sidney W. Ecker, M.D.
2. Transsexuality as an Intersex Condition Milton Diamond, Ph.D.
3. Novel Approaches to Endocrine Treatment of Transgender
Adolescents and Adults Norman Spack, M.D.
What I am trying to do is to logically sequence the scientific
evidence to date that you quote and put it into an understandable form
for my peers and eventually the public. My current Reference list for
Brain Gender Identity is attached. This is certainly not "dogma" as
Dr. Zucker claims, but like you I possess the ability and education to
understand (biological) science. As a Urologist with a specific
interest and expertise in Prostate Cancer, I have administered DES,
Estrogens, LHRH agonists and Androgen Blockers to thousands of men for
PCa. I make the analogy that these men voluntarily took female
hormones to improve the quality of their lives much the same way
TransWomen do. Do you need to fear death or be suicidal to take
cross-gender hormones? Emphatically, No! Will they prevent eventual
death in either scenario? No!!
After the meeting I shall send you my PowerPoint Presentation, but
I must keep my powder dry for the moment.
You may publish my reference list, but I can't imagine anyone
could access all these articles as I have from the National Library of
Medicine's Reading Room. So we'll just have to wait to hear from the
opposition and peer review.
Thanks for your Web blog.
Sid Ecker
Thank you, Dr Ecker. I'll help as much as I can.
http://aebrain. blogspot. com/2009/ 05/brain- gender-identity- presentation- by.html
Pictures from GID reform protest
by D. Boyer
Thursday May 21st, 2009 9:37 AM
Here are a few pics from the GID reform protests that was held in front of the Moscone Center, San Francisco, USA
"A coalition of gender-variant and transgender people, medical and therapeutic professionals, and their allies who have grave concerns and direction of the APA work group on Sexual and Gender Identity held a protest outside the Moscone Center in hopes of rallying people to help them fight the APA's dirty deeds when it comes to Gender Identity and treating transsexuals.
Gender Identity Disorder is the formal diagnosis used by shrinks, or more formally psychologists and physicians, for transsexuals, and the APA or the American Psychiatrist Association is poised to rewrite the DSM or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
§GID reform NOW
by D. Boyer Thursday May 21st, 2009 9:37 AM
sexta-feira, 22 de maio de 2009
UFBA: Novos estudos sobre gênero serão debatidos no V Enecult
Novos estudos sobre gênero serão debatidos no V Enecult
O V Enecult (Encontro de Estudos Multidisciplinares em Cultura -
www.enecult.ufba.br), que ocorre na próxima semana em Salvador, vai
contar com a participação de três importantes pesquisadores que
estudam gênero e sexualidade no Brasil. Guacira Lopes Louro, Larissa
Pelúcio e Luiz Paulo da Moita Lopes debaterão os novos estudos sobre
gênero em uma mesa-redonda, no dia 29 de maio, às 10h, no salão da
Reitoria da UFBA. ?Quais são as colaborações dos chamados estudos gays
e lésbicos, da travestilidade e da masculinidade, ainda pouco
desenvolvidos no Brasil, para as discussões sobre gênero? Essa é uma
das questões centrais propostas para a mesa-redonda?, explica o
professor Leandro Colling, vice-coordenador do Cult (Centro de Estudos
Multidisciplinares em Cultura - www.cult.ufba.br), que realiza
anualmente o Enecult.
A professora Guacira Lopes Louro, da Universidade Federal do Rio
Grande do Sul, é conhecida divulgadora e estudiosa da teoria queer no
Brasil. Vários dos seus trabalhos tratam sobre como a escola não está
preparada para discutir gênero e sexualidade, especialmente quando os
professores se deparam com estudantes que não são heterossexuais. O
professor Luiz Paulo da Moita Lopes, da Universidade Federal do Rio de
Janeiro, também trabalha com temáticas semelhantes, em especial como
ocorre a construção das identidades de gênero em várias instituições,
a exemplo da escola, a família e a mídia. Já a pesquisadora Larissa
Pelúcio, da Universidade de Campinas, estuda as travestis. Atualmente,
desenvolve sua pesquisa de pós-doutorado intitulada "Trans migrações:
co rpos, gêneros e prazeres na experiência de travestis brasileiras na
indústria espanhola do sexo".
A mesa-redonda foi sugerida pelo grupo de pesquisa Cultura e
Sexualidade (Cus), que integra o Cult. O grupo pesquisa a
representação da homossexualidade nas telenovelas da Rede Globo. Os
primeiros resultados do estudo já se encontram disponíveis no site
http://www.cult.ufba.br/pesq_cult_sexualidade.htm. No V Enecult, os
pesquisadores do Cus também apresentarão novos resultados da pesquisa,
em uma sessão de trabalhos que ocorre na sala 9 da Faculdade de
Comunicação/UFBA, na quarta-feira (27), das 14h30 às 16h.
Veja o mini-currículo dos integrantes da mesa-redonda:
Guacira Lopes Louro/UFRGS - Doutora em Educação pela Universidade
Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, aposentada como professora titular da
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande Sul - UFRGS, onde conti nua atuando
como pesquisadora e professora do Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Educação. Fundadora do GEERGE (Grupo de Estudos de Educação e Relações
de Gênero (www.ufrgs.br/faced/geerge) da UFRGS, dentre os livros de
sua autoria destacam-se: Gênero, sexualidade e educação: uma
perspectiva pós-estruturalista; Currículo, gênero e sexualidade; Um
corpo estranho: ensaios sobre sexualidade e teoria queer; e a
organização de O corpo educado: pedagogias da sexualidade. Dentre
demais trabalhos: O "estranhamento" queer; Teoria queer: uma política
pós-identitária para a educação; Os Estudos feministas, os estudos
gays e lésbicos e a teoria queer como políticas de conhecimento;
Heteronormatividade e homofobia; Currículo, gênero e sexualidade -- O
"normal", o "diferente" e o "excêntrico"; Sexualidades contemporâneas:
politicas de identidade e de pós-identidade.
Link para currículo
Larissa Pelúcio/UNICAMP - Doutora em Ciências Sociais pela
Universidade Federal de São Carlos - UFSCAR, pesquisadora-colaboradora
do Núcleo de Estudos de Gênero Pagu (UNICAMP) e participante do grupo
de pesquisa Corpo, Identidades e Subjetivações, da UFSCAR. Atuando em
temas como sexualidade, saúde, corporalidade, travestis e gênero,
atualmente desenvolve pesquisa de pós-doutorado intitulada "Trans
migrações: corpos, gêneros e prazeres na experiência de travestis
brasileiras na indústria espanhola do sexo". Dentre as suas principais
publicações, destacam-se: Nos nervos, na carne, na pele: uma
etnografia sobre prostituição travesti e o modelo preventivo de AIDS
(tese); Toda Quebrada na Plástica: Corporalidade e construção de
gênero entre travestis paulistas; Três Casamentos e Algumas Reflexões:
nota sobre conjugalidade envolvendo travestis que se prostituem;
Sexualidade, gênero e masculinidade no mundo dos T-lovers; A prevenção
do desvio: o dispositivo da Aids e a repatologização das sexualidades
dissidentes; "Mulheres com Algo Mais" - corpos, gêneros e prazeres no
mercado sexual travesti; Fora do Sujeito E Fora do Lugar: reflexões
sobre performatividade a partir de uma etnografia entre travestis que
se prostituem; Gozos ilegítimos Tesão, erotismo e culpa na relação
sexual entre clientes e travestis que se prostituem; Travestis
Brasileiras - Singularidades nacionais, desejos transnacionais;
Soropositividade, Pressão e Depressão: da Vida Nervosa das Travestis
Vivendo com HIV/Aids; Mover-se é Luxo - travestis brasileiras e
mercado transnacional do sexo, restrições, desafios e direitos no
cenário europeu contemporâneo; Politização da Aids e formação do
ativismo soropositivo; Academia, gestores públicos e movimento social
- diálogos necessários.
Link para currículo
Luiz Paulo da Moita Lopes/UFRJ - PhD em em Linguística Aplicada pela
Universidade de Londres, Professor Titular do Programa
Interdisciplinar de Lingüística Aplicada da Universidade Federal do
Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ e pesquisador do CNPq - Conselho Nacional de
Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico. Estuda especificamente os
processos de construção das identidades sociais (gênero, sexualidade e
raça), o discurso e práticas identitárias em contextos institucionais
(escola, família, mídia, hospital, sindicato, comunidades de samba, de
hip-hop etc.) e letramentos escolares e não-escolares (digitais,
midiáticos etc.) como espaços de construção das identidades sociais.
Dentre os seus livros publicad os, destacam-se: Identidades: Recortes
Multi e Interdisciplinares; Discursos de Identidades: Discurso como
espaço de construção de gênero, sexualidade, raça, idade e profissão
na escola e na família; Identidades Fragmentadas: a construção
discursiva de raça, gênero e sexualidade em sala de aula. Dentre
demais trabalhos, estão: Discursos sobre gays em uma sala de aula do
Rio de Janeiro: é possível queer os contextos de letramento escolar?;
Discurso como ação social: construindo a identidade de orientação
sexual na escola; Momentos queer no contexto educacional: desafios na
construção de performances alternativas para os corpos;
Desestabilizações discursivas queer no letramento escolar: desafiando
performances corporais naturalizadas; Como ser homem, heterossexual e
branco na escola: posicionamentos múltiplos em narrativas orais;
Gêneros e sexualidades nas prátic as discursivas contemporâneas:
desafios em tempos queer; A teoria queer em Lingüística Aplicada:
enigmas sobre 'sair do armário' em salas de aula globalizadas.
Link para currículo
Fonte: Universidade Federal da Bahia - http://www.portal.ufba.br
Rio de Janeiro: Fórum pré-LASA - Sexualidades, movimentos sociais e academia: Pesquisas e intervenções no Brasil
Fórum pré-LASA
Por ocasião do XXVIII Congresso Internacional da Associação de Estudos Latino-Americanos (LASA), que acontecerá no Rio de Janeiro de 11 a 14 de junho, o CLAM realizará um evento pré-congresso, em parceria com a seção de Estudos sobre a Sexualidade da LASA. A proposta é debater a trajetória brasileira de mobilização política e pesquisa social em sexualidade. Convidamos a todos/as os/as interessados/as a participar deste evento, que será realizado no auditório do IMS, no dia 10 de junho.
Veja, abaixo, a programação:
Sexualidades, movimentos sociais e academia:
Pesquisas e intervenções no Brasil
Fórum pré-congresso da Sexuality Studies Section
Latin American Studies Association - LASA
Data: 10 de junho (terça feira)
Local: Auditório do IMS/UERJ – Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro
9h às 13h - Fórum Sexualidades, movimentos sociais e academia
Mesa 1
Histórias e gerações na pesquisa e ativismo LGBT
Palestrantes: Regina Facchini, James Green, Richard Parker, Peter Fry
Mesa 2
Encontros entre militância e academia
Palestrantes: Sonia Correa; Beto de Jesus; Julio Simões
15h às 18h - Fórum Pesquisa e intervenções em política sexual
Apresentação e discussão de projetos institucionais em andamento
IMS/UERJ - R. São Francisco Xavier, 524, 6º andar, Bl. E - 20550-013 - Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil - tel: (21)2568-0599
Fonte: CLAM
La RedLacTrans hace escuchar su reclamo desde Centroamérica
Internacionales
18-05-2009
La RedLacTrans hace escuchar su reclamo desde Centroamérica
Por Aldo Fernandez – San Pedro Sula (SentidoG.com)
Más de 140 activistas de la REDLACTRANS y del Colectivo TTT participaron del primer encuentro centroamericano en el Hotel Crowne de la ciudad de San Pedro Sula el pasado viernes 15 de mayo en el marco del día mundial contra la transfobia.
El Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres y la OPS (Organización Panamericana para la Salud) auspiciaron el evento denominado “Centroamericanas Unidas y Fortalecidas contra la Transfobia” que contó con la presencia de las Referentes Nacionales Titulares de la REDLACTRANS en Centroamérica: Claudia Spellmant (Honduras), Paty Betancourt (México)- quien cuenta con la responsabilidad de coordinar el trabajo de la REDLACTRANS en la región de Centroamérica, Venus Tejada (Panamá), Mónica Hernández (El Salvador), Stecy Velásquez (Guatemala), Alison (Nicaragua) y Marcela Romero, coordinadora regional de la REDLACTRANS. Asimismo, participaron del encuentro funcionarios de OPS: Paulo Lyra, Karla Zepeda y Diego Postigo.
En la primera parte del Encuentro, las referentes de la REDLACTRANS de Panamá, México, El Salvador, Guatemala y Honduras expusieron sobre las graves violaciones de los Derechos Humanos, la falta de acceso a la Salud Integral y exigieron poner fin de una vez por todas a la sistemática persecución policial y crímenes de odio hacia las trans. Luego, se proyectó el documental TRANSLATINA sobre la situación de las personas trans no solo en América Latina y el Caribe, sino también en Europa. Activistas de otras organizaciones sociales, la comisionada de la Defensoría del Pueblo y miembros de la sociedad civil vieron el documental.
Para finalizar, el colectivo TTT y la REDLACTRANS ocuparon las calles céntricas de la ciudad de San Pedro Sula para denunciar los crímenes de odio, la violencia policial, la falta de políticas públicas que garanticen los derechos básicos de todo ser humano: acceso a la salud integral, al trabajo digno, a la vivienda digna. Derechos que, según la Referente de la REDLACTRANS en Honduras, Claudia Spellmant “no son ejercidos por las trans centroamericanas debido a la transfobia institucionalizada en los gobiernos, en el sistema educativo y en la Justicia.
Por ello, Claudia Spellmant contó que “es necesario, de manera urgente, ejecutar proyectos con el objetivo de trabajar arduamente para construir una cultura del respeto de la Identidad de Género en Honduras y toda Centroamérica”. También Paty Betancourt sostuvo que “si bien hay avances importantes, como por ejemplo, el hecho de que Naciones Unidas identifica a las personas trans como una población específica dentro de la Diversidad Sexual, aún falta el compromiso de los gobiernos y las Agencias para promover el protagonismo de las personas trans en la ejecución de los programas.
Marcela Romero, coordinadora regional de la REDLACTRANS, quien además compartió que “para que existan avances dentro de la población trans, es necesario que nosotras estemos coordinando los programas y que no lo hagan por nosotras”
Las Referentes de la REDLACTRANS consideran, en unanimidad, que son muchos los logros obtenidos en los últimos años:
• Diseño de un Plan Estratégico Regional.
• Participación en los espacios de toma de decisión: UNGASS, CONCASIDA, FORO LATINOAMERICANO DE VHI, CONGRESO MUNDIAL DE SIDA, GRUPO TEMATICO DE OEA
• Inclusión dentro de Grupo de Cooperación Técnica Horizontal (GCTH). La REDLACTRANS es una de las siete redes que la componen.
• Implementación de Consultas Nacionales de Trabajo Sexual y Derechos Humanos.
• Ingreso a los diferentes MCP (Mecanismo Coordinador país).
• Diferenciar a la población trans del término HSH.
Fonte: Sentido G
Concurso de Miss na Tailândia coroa a mais bela Travesti
Concurso de Miss na Tailândia coroa a mais bela Travesti
Na última sexta-feira, 15/05, trinta tailandesas competiram pela coroa do concurso "Miss Tiffany's Universe 2009", que elege todos os anos a mais bonita Travesti do país.
A festa foi no Tiffany Show Theater, que fica em Pattaya, na costa leste do país, e Sorrawee Nattee, de 20 anos, foi a grande vencedora.
Como vencedora do concurso, Sorrawee ganhou 100 mil baht (equivalente a R$ 6 mil), um carro e vai representar a Tailândia no Miss Queen of the Universe, que acontece em novembro.
Todas as participantes tinham entre 17 e 25 anos e 23 delas já tinham se graduado na faculdade. O tema do concurso este ano foi "Vivendo e aprendendo com amor a realçar sua beleza" ("Live Learn Love to Enhance your beauty").
O objetivo do concurso é promover o turismo na Tailândia e em Pattaya. Todo o dinheiro arrecadado será doado para o tratamento e prevenção de AIDS/HIV.
Fonte: Divirta-se
Presídio mineiro ganha ala especial para gays
Presídio mineiro ganha ala especial para gays | 19/5/2009 |
Por Redação
 |
O pedido de instalação da ala gay foi feito pelo Centro de Referência de Gays, Lésbicas, Bissexuais, Travestis, Transexuais e Transgêneros, da Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Social do Estado.
De acordo com a Secretaria da Defesa Social, a ala não representa que presos homossexuais tem privilégio com relação aos demais. Segundo informou a Folha de São Paulo, a ideia é retirá-los da situação de risco e de violência.
Fonte: MixBrasil
Assinar:
Postagens (Atom)
