Those Who Would Destroy Us: Thoughts On a Bully Culture

"It was a clear engagement between those who wished the fullness of their personalities to be met and those that would destroy us physically and psychologically. You do not walk away from that. This is what movement meant. Movement meant that finally we were encountering on a mass scale the evil that had been destroying us on a mass scale. You do not walk away from that, you continue to answer it." - Rev. C. T. Vivian, SCLC, speaking about the Civil Rights movement in Selma, Alabama in 1965

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I have spent much time in deep thought this past couple of weeks; it has been a very dark couple of weeks in many respects. A twenty-six year old transwoman stabbed to death in her own apartment in the Vancouver suburb of New Westminster; a fourteen year-old girl in northern Pakistan shot for standing up for the right for girls to be educated; a fifteen year-old girl in the Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam driven to suicide by severe bullying, including being threatened with death and being beaten; an elderly security guard in the city of Surrey, south of Vancouver, beaten unconscious by a gang of thugs; a man gay bashed in East Vancouver by another gang of young men.

Bully culture pervades us and our world, not just high schools. Sadly, most often, our collective apathy (fear of reprisals) allows it to do so. Bully families, bully bosses, bully churches, bully corporations, bully governments, bully nations. I think that, as we decide to combat bullying among the young, we need to speak truth to power, as adults, in the world at large. Youth, no matter how rebellious at times, get their cues from the adult world. Our acquiescence to predatory power speaks larger than anything we may tell them about how to regard themselves and each other.

We need to speak truth to power, bullying power, in all of its forms, political, economic, social, cultural: we need to answer it through taking back our communities, engaging our political systems, taking courageous steps forward and show that we are willing to live fully, bravely. Our bravery to take up space in this world will clear a path for those behind us. As we pay it forward, our youth will see that apathy is not inevitable, that there is a future for them, one worth living and fighting for.

Thanks and Good Cheer

This Thanksgiving (in Canada) long weekend, I have taken some time to think of the many (countless, actually) things and people that I am very thankful for. In the quiet time I had this afternoon, I pondered how fortunate I am to be in good health, relatively young and that, thus far, my transition is going so well. That my domestic situation, living in the bottom floor of a house owned by two great friends that I have known for fifteen years in an open-minded, vibrant and colourful neighbourhood; that I live well, eating organically as much as possible, gardening some of my food; that I share my space with a healthy, energetic and affectionate house cat; that my job is secure and that I had come around to seeing my career as a vital, and often enjoyable, part of my life's work; that I write and that my writing has come back to me in spades; that I  dance and can express my love for music that way; and, most of all ...

My friends! All of them ... all of you! Thank you for being there, not just for me, but with me!

I am truly blessed to have you all in my life.

Many Happy Returns!

Having a leisurely, colourful end-of-week ... a birthday long-weekend! This birthday, I plan to relax and enjoy myself, doing the things I like to do best (walking around outside on beautiful days, sampling new food in my neighbourhood, writing, gardening, swing dancing) and spending time, both online and in-person, with friends. All at my own pace.

At forty-two years, I have earned it.

And here are some other, famous folks celebrating birthdays today, enjoy!

Jackie Trent

Jo Anne Worley

Rosie Perez

Macy Gray

Michael Winslow

Jane Curtin

Alice Sebold

Natalia Cigliuti

Roger Waters

Dolores O'Riordan

Sarah Danielle Madison

Foxy Brown

Raven Riley

Kerry Katona

Ramiele Malubay

Pippa Middleton

Aren't we a diverse bunch? Happy birthday to us!

Late Additions (September 30, October 13):

Naomie Harris

 

Former Governor-General of Canada, Michaelle Jean

Sylvester

Movies To Watch: Mia

Last year, it was Gun Hill Road; this year, it's absolutely Mia!

Another groundbreaking film dealing with trans issues and starring a transgender actress: in this case the Cordoba, Argentina-born Camila Sosa Villada. Directed by first-timer Javier Van de Couter, Mia has the cinematographic flow and powerful, but not overwrought scenes, that are usually the hallmarks of a director's later works. The supreme acting talents of Villada (as lead character Ale), and Rodrigo de la Serna and Maite Lanata as the grieving father and daughter, Manuel and Julie, respectively, gave the film both its heart-warming humour and heart-wrenching sadness in equal doses.

The film won the OUTtv People's Choice Award For Best Feature at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) last month as well as Best Film, Premio Maguey, at the Guadalajara International Film Festival in July. Mia will be showing at the 7th Annual Sydney (Australia) Latin American Film Festival which begins this Thursday.

Mia was sold out very quickly at the VQFF, but the (currently screening) Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF) also screened it on September 1, as part of their inaugural queer film spotlight. This time, I, and a few friends, caught it. It was well worth the extra wait. With VLAFF organizers and Van de Couter himself in the audience, the film was introduced briefly beforehand.

The director, clearly an ally to our community, drew upon his own knowledge and observations of the trans community in Buenos Aires, including the experiences of many of his friends and acquaintances. The "Pink Village" shanytown, that the both the gay and trans characters are paradoxically ghettoized and threatened with eviction from, is based on a real village which existed between 1995 and 1998 and again rougly a decade ago until 2004; the residents were evicted both times. In 2011, not long after Mia was originally released, the Argentinian Gender Identity Law began its journey through that country's parliament. This past May, it received senate approval and on June 4, it officially became law.

After the film, Van de Couter, with the help of a translator, fielded questions from the awe-struck audience. After questions, many gathered around the director to thank him for his powerful statement, including yours truly. Another excellent monument to the dignity of not only those of us in the trans community, but of the human spirit itself. "Thank you!" I said to Van de Couter, "Gracias!"

All Hail Virgo Season!

The earlier nights, the slight chill in the morning dew (already? the west coast barely had a summer this year!), the ripening fruits and vegetables all must mean one thing ... it is now late summer ... Virgo season!

At 10:07 Pacific Daylight Savings Time on Wednesday, August 22, 2012, the Sun moved into the Virgo constellation; it will spend until autumn equinox there.

I usually feel a breath of fresh air around this time of the year and this year is no exception. I use this time to look at my progress so far in the year and think about how best to proceed with any untended commitments: whatever needs to be abandoned or rethought, I do so. Then, I focus on the attainable goals and move towards the last part of the year, which is usually packed with activities, work projects and social engagements. Again, this year will be no exception. With two large writing projects on the go, garden vegetables to harvest, a winter garden to plant (a benefit of living on the Pacific Northwest coast) and lots of household tasks (painting the washroom, getting rid of old belongings including male clothes), this fall be at least as busy as other s have been. Finally, there are transition-related goals: fully transitioning at work, getting my legal name change and the ongoing hair removal and voice training.

Me and my radio program both have birthdays coming up. More on that in another post!

More Trans-Related Films Screening in Vancouver

A little later in the season than last year's Vancouver Queer Film Festival post, nonetheless here is a breakdown of the trans themed films screening between this Thursday, August 16 and Saturday, August 26:

Romeos

Beginning with the Opening Gala film, Romeos, made in Germany, centers around Lukas a nineteen year-old transman who moves to the big city (Cologne, Germany in this case) in the hopes of starting anew. Lukas then struggles to maintain friendships and fit in with the cisgender gay male community. And, yes, there is a love interest to make things ... interesting.

Wariazone

A much anticipated documentary (I saw the trailer for this months ago) on the Warias ("men with the souls of women") of Indonesia. Released at the end of 2011, Wariazone is designed to take the audience on a powerful journey through the "wariazone" of the mostly Muslim country, featuring interviews and depicting the strength and steadfastness of a marginalized community.

Gender Like It Is

A series of short films from around the world dealing with transgender and genderqueer subjects and issues. Just over an hour in total length, the films are as follows:

- My Inner Turmoil 

- Ain't I a Woman

- Putting the "I" in Trans

- Transsexual Dominatrix

- The Multitude of Feverish

- Beauty and the Beast

- Face for Sale: Bitch, Bitch, Bitch


Mia

Of course, last year, all eyes were on the American indie production Gun Hill Road, which I was lucky enough to see.This year, if the sold out ticket status of this Argentinian feature is any indication, Mia is the must see ... if you have a ticket.

This film tells the story of a transwoman, via a deceased (by suicide) woman's discarded diary. As Ale, the one who discovers the writings, pieces together Mia's life, her own life comes together in unforeseen ways.

Angel

The lead character in this French documentary is an Ecuadorian transwoman living and working as a sex worker in Paris to support her family back home. Themes of family, acceptance and personal power are explored.

Funeral Parade of Roses

This year's retro film is a 1969 avant-garde piece from Japan centering around the gay and genderqueer subcultures of Tokyo. The earliest film to do so in any Asian country, Funeral Parade of Roses promises to be fascinating and a visual treat.

So, if you are in Vancouver starting tomorrow, and over the next ten days, be sure to check at least a few of these out. I know I will be.

A New Dawn on Mad Men?

The last season of Mad Men, which ended this past June, broke new ground in many ways. One was to introduce a new, and more prominent, character in Don Draper's new secretary: and African American woman named Dawn Chambers played by the stunning actress Teyonah Parris.

She appeared briefly in most of season five's episodes, but her shining moment was in the scene with Peggy Olson (Elizabeth Moss) in the very tense and disturbing episode called "Mystery Date". The scene, which illustrated the often awkward dynamics between black Americans and liberal-minded white Americans, was very well executed and seemed like the start of some major storylines featuring Dawn. Unfortunately, there was not much focus on her for the duration of the season.

The writers of the series have begun to meet to create season six and the actors are having their contracts renewed; I think that this would be an excellent opportunity to work in an episode or two featuring Dawn as a major character, or even give her a season long story arc. I do not agree with the various opinions out there that her character is a token. How can any series that professes to be an accurate portrayal of America in the 1960s not deal with the Civil Rights movement and its impacts on the workplaces and social life? Gender issues are covered. And 1967, and beyond, where the new season is likely to pick up from was hardly early for any of the movements in the country, and the world, at the time.

And besides, Teyonah Parris needs more room to shine on the series. I am keeping my fingers crossed.