INFORMATION BELOW:
11th International
TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20th
To commemorate the 101 trans and gender variant people who have been murdered around the world in 2009!
To remember all of those who have come before & to actively speak out and move towards a better future!
5:30pm
Vigil at Barlett Quad
6:00pm
filmmaker Jules Rosskam*
shows his film
"Against a Trans Narrative"
&
talk back
5710 S. Woodlawn
Community Lounge
Dinner provided!
Sponsored by UChicago's Queers & Associates
*"Jules Rosskam is an internationally acclaimed trans filmmaker, artist, educator and longtime activist who is dedicated to creating work that is by, for, and about trans/queer communities." More at www.julesrosskam.com
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Vigil in honor of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
Sunday, November 22, 2009
4:00pm - 6:00pm
Paseo Boricua (Division and California) Humboldt Park
A peace walk will depart from the corner of Division Ave and California Ave at 4pm and head west on Division Ave to the Humboldt Park Boat House for a candle light vigil.
A Candlelight vigil/march is being planned in Humboldt Park in memoriam of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, a gay and trans young person who was violently tortured, murdered, and dumped near Caguas, Puerto Rico. We will stand/march in solidarity with other vigils taking place across the country as well as with the LGBTQ community of Puerto Rico!
For more info or to volunteer sound equipment or candle, see the Fb event: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=195426852240&ref=mf
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Also, don't forget that GqC will be at TDOR festivities at Center on Halsted Saturday, starting at 5:30. See the calendar for details!
Friday, November 20, 2009
University of Chicago to Host TDOR Events Tonight/ Sunday Vigil in honor of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Let Me Tell You About a Moment, That Moment is Now: Notes on Transgender Day of Remembrance
By: Kate Sosin
Co-Founder
Their names are read off one by one. And each name is followed by a mid-toned chime that climbs up the plaster and into the church rafters. Some of them have stories, and some of them do not. Some are statistics from entire countries, and some from whole continents. When they are totaled, the number reaches 127.
127 people were reported murdered in the last twelve months for being transgendered. Countless more went unreported. Many estimate that a trans person is murdered every single day of the year. The church pews go silent, the candles go dark. This is a funeral, we are told.
I glance up and down the aisles. A few dozen blond bobs loom over the lines of pews. Trans women in smart suits and curly hair sit breathless and ready for prayer. These are the mothers of my movement, I know. Many of them came out after I did, but I know I live in gratitude to their trials and courage.
Outside, an autumn cold presses against the church. The streets of white suburbia are quiet and clean, brightened by house lamps in symmetrical yellows. For a minute, I think of the transgender community that I know- the Chicago one, the one that hangs loosely from curbs and struts, eyes to shoes, through dark thankless streets.
The church is asked to stand. It’s time to go downstairs and eat spaghetti. I look for people my age, and I find less than a handful. Everyone else is over the age of thirty-five.
Something has gone missing here. Something is not right.
When I think of transgender struggle, I picture the fierce queens of Stonewall, trans women of color with fists raises and teeth gritted. I hear the urgent cries of Compton. I feel the fists on Brandon Teena. I don’t think of warm quiet churches in suburbia.
But Transgender Day of Remembrance seems to be the one thing we all agree on in this community. Yes, it’s sad that transgender people are murdered every year.
Something has changed. Something has been pacified.
On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, I ask myself why it is that my community only comes together for this mass anonymous funeral. If I knew it already, I’ve re-learned something really important in the last few months: the act of remembering is often incredibly painful and always absolutely crucial. But more than that, the act of remembering is as much about honoring the past as it is re-directing the future. In our efforts to mourn our dead, I hope we will commit to change circumstance for the living.
The moment is right now. And it’s in Chicago. And when history looks back at this, it will say: it started in Chicago. From quiet back alleys, to 24-hour diners, to offices, and health clinics and LGBT centers and trains and most of all, from the streets you take home, something is changing.
We will not live funeral-to-funeral. We will not keep time with church bells or mark the passing years by extinguished candles. As I walk the autumn streets alone at night, I feel a distinct change. And it is not the weather, which is still too cold, even for November. It is that I am less afraid than I have ever been. I am more visible, but I am less afraid.
In honor of our dead, in gratitude to those who have gone before, I issue a call to my community today: live. It is the same call that has been made before by community leaders to come out of the closet. But I do not have the gall to ask you for that because I know that the world sometimes wishes to extinct you. But what I do ask for is the commitment, at least to yourself, to be the best version of you that you know possible. You must stay alive. And however, you can do that, please do. Let the rest come after. This is the way we honor the dead.
Co-Founder
Their names are read off one by one. And each name is followed by a mid-toned chime that climbs up the plaster and into the church rafters. Some of them have stories, and some of them do not. Some are statistics from entire countries, and some from whole continents. When they are totaled, the number reaches 127.
127 people were reported murdered in the last twelve months for being transgendered. Countless more went unreported. Many estimate that a trans person is murdered every single day of the year. The church pews go silent, the candles go dark. This is a funeral, we are told.
I glance up and down the aisles. A few dozen blond bobs loom over the lines of pews. Trans women in smart suits and curly hair sit breathless and ready for prayer. These are the mothers of my movement, I know. Many of them came out after I did, but I know I live in gratitude to their trials and courage.
Outside, an autumn cold presses against the church. The streets of white suburbia are quiet and clean, brightened by house lamps in symmetrical yellows. For a minute, I think of the transgender community that I know- the Chicago one, the one that hangs loosely from curbs and struts, eyes to shoes, through dark thankless streets.
The church is asked to stand. It’s time to go downstairs and eat spaghetti. I look for people my age, and I find less than a handful. Everyone else is over the age of thirty-five.
Something has gone missing here. Something is not right.
When I think of transgender struggle, I picture the fierce queens of Stonewall, trans women of color with fists raises and teeth gritted. I hear the urgent cries of Compton. I feel the fists on Brandon Teena. I don’t think of warm quiet churches in suburbia.
But Transgender Day of Remembrance seems to be the one thing we all agree on in this community. Yes, it’s sad that transgender people are murdered every year.
Something has changed. Something has been pacified.
On this Transgender Day of Remembrance, I ask myself why it is that my community only comes together for this mass anonymous funeral. If I knew it already, I’ve re-learned something really important in the last few months: the act of remembering is often incredibly painful and always absolutely crucial. But more than that, the act of remembering is as much about honoring the past as it is re-directing the future. In our efforts to mourn our dead, I hope we will commit to change circumstance for the living.
The moment is right now. And it’s in Chicago. And when history looks back at this, it will say: it started in Chicago. From quiet back alleys, to 24-hour diners, to offices, and health clinics and LGBT centers and trains and most of all, from the streets you take home, something is changing.
We will not live funeral-to-funeral. We will not keep time with church bells or mark the passing years by extinguished candles. As I walk the autumn streets alone at night, I feel a distinct change. And it is not the weather, which is still too cold, even for November. It is that I am less afraid than I have ever been. I am more visible, but I am less afraid.
In honor of our dead, in gratitude to those who have gone before, I issue a call to my community today: live. It is the same call that has been made before by community leaders to come out of the closet. But I do not have the gall to ask you for that because I know that the world sometimes wishes to extinct you. But what I do ask for is the commitment, at least to yourself, to be the best version of you that you know possible. You must stay alive. And however, you can do that, please do. Let the rest come after. This is the way we honor the dead.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Don't Forget: Safe Space Meeting Tomorrow!
Our weekly safe space meeting will be held tomorrow from 7-9PM at the Gerber/Hart (1127 W. Granville). And you should come.
Please remember, safe space discussion meetings are open to anyone with personal issues/ questions about gender. Meetings are not open to members of the press/ researchers. For inquiries, please contact us at genderqueerchicago@gmail.com.
Please remember, safe space discussion meetings are open to anyone with personal issues/ questions about gender. Meetings are not open to members of the press/ researchers. For inquiries, please contact us at genderqueerchicago@gmail.com.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Reminder: IGA Day of Remembrance is Tonight
Illinois Gender Advocates will host their Day of Remembrance this evening.
5:00PM at
New Spirit Church at
542 S Scoville Ave.
Oak Park, IL
A candlelight vigil will be followed by a pasta dinner. Recommended donation is $10.
5:00PM at
New Spirit Church at
542 S Scoville Ave.
Oak Park, IL
A candlelight vigil will be followed by a pasta dinner. Recommended donation is $10.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Genderqueer Chicago Expands to the South Side/ Teams up with Affinity!
In an effort to make GqC accessible to more Chicagoans, Genderqueer Chicago will alternate safe space meetings and events between the north and south side of Chicago.
Affinity Community Services will begin hosting GqC on December 16 at their space (57th and Woodlawn) in Hyde Park. Meetings will be held weekly, alternating between the Gerber/Hart and Affinity Community Services. Make sure you check the calendar weekly to find out where we'll be week-to-week.
We're pumped to team up with Affinity! And we're pumped to be on the south side!
As always, safe space meetings are open to anyone looking to discuss personal issues with gender. Folks not in need of such a space are encouraged to participate in GqC in other ways. Genderqueer Chicago is an inclusive community, and anyone wishing to take part is considered family. Members of the media and researchers are not welcome at safe space meetings. Please e-mail genderqueerchicago@gmail.com for press/research inquiries.
Questions? Comments? genderqueerchicago@gmail.com
Affinity Community Services will begin hosting GqC on December 16 at their space (57th and Woodlawn) in Hyde Park. Meetings will be held weekly, alternating between the Gerber/Hart and Affinity Community Services. Make sure you check the calendar weekly to find out where we'll be week-to-week.
We're pumped to team up with Affinity! And we're pumped to be on the south side!
As always, safe space meetings are open to anyone looking to discuss personal issues with gender. Folks not in need of such a space are encouraged to participate in GqC in other ways. Genderqueer Chicago is an inclusive community, and anyone wishing to take part is considered family. Members of the media and researchers are not welcome at safe space meetings. Please e-mail genderqueerchicago@gmail.com for press/research inquiries.
Questions? Comments? genderqueerchicago@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
NY Times: Can a Boy Wear a Skirt to School?
This New York Times article explores high school dress codes and gender expression. Warning: As expected, this reporter is not so great about discussing gender identity.
Monday, November 9, 2009
A Trans-Cend Story
By J. Gifford
If there is a binary, I fall between it. Racially, I am half-white, half-Chinese. Culturally, I never identified with either despite being raised by my Chinese grandparents- a certain political leader effectively silenced any desires for my family to delve into traditions and memories associated with the Cultural Revolution, and let’s just say that my white-half is more of a wandering capitalist breed than the firm Anglo-Saxon protestant breed they claim to be. In terms of my gender, I’m a boi who binds.
Explaining all of this to my steadfast American grandparents was a rare opportunity to endure a thorough aesthetic critique. My facial piercings became symbols of the antichrist; my Mohawk was pure savagery. We had a common country, a common language, and perhaps even a common childhood experience in suburban America. The thought of broaching the same subject with my Chinese grandparents, whose home lay in communist China, whose English comprehension is humorously questionable (I often check-mate my Grandpa in “cheese”), and whose unspoken traditions promoted the same binaries I fell between, was daunting. I avoided it.
Not seeing my Chinese grandparents for a while, I decided to send them a recent picture of myself through an email. The following is part of the email I received back from my Grandpa:
“The photos are so cute and we love them, the single one of you is very good and like a BOY! Grandma says that you run to fast to come to the world that miss the important signals for a male that must to have, it just a kidding!”
The misspelled words and wonderfully mis-executed idioms speak volumes. Clearly there is a common bond between us that goes beyond mere blood relations. Yes, I am a genderqueer trannyboy, but they are “trans” too… against all odds, they transcended language, culture, and history to transcend the gender binary with me.
If there is a binary, I fall between it. Racially, I am half-white, half-Chinese. Culturally, I never identified with either despite being raised by my Chinese grandparents- a certain political leader effectively silenced any desires for my family to delve into traditions and memories associated with the Cultural Revolution, and let’s just say that my white-half is more of a wandering capitalist breed than the firm Anglo-Saxon protestant breed they claim to be. In terms of my gender, I’m a boi who binds.
Explaining all of this to my steadfast American grandparents was a rare opportunity to endure a thorough aesthetic critique. My facial piercings became symbols of the antichrist; my Mohawk was pure savagery. We had a common country, a common language, and perhaps even a common childhood experience in suburban America. The thought of broaching the same subject with my Chinese grandparents, whose home lay in communist China, whose English comprehension is humorously questionable (I often check-mate my Grandpa in “cheese”), and whose unspoken traditions promoted the same binaries I fell between, was daunting. I avoided it.
Not seeing my Chinese grandparents for a while, I decided to send them a recent picture of myself through an email. The following is part of the email I received back from my Grandpa:
“The photos are so cute and we love them, the single one of you is very good and like a BOY! Grandma says that you run to fast to come to the world that miss the important signals for a male that must to have, it just a kidding!”
The misspelled words and wonderfully mis-executed idioms speak volumes. Clearly there is a common bond between us that goes beyond mere blood relations. Yes, I am a genderqueer trannyboy, but they are “trans” too… against all odds, they transcended language, culture, and history to transcend the gender binary with me.
Not Trans Enough: Part II
Join us this Wednesday, November 11, as we continue our discussion on owning trans identity and history!
This Wednesday
7:00PM
The Gerber/Hart(1127 W. Granville)
Safe space discussion meetings are intended as spaces for folks interested in exploring personal issues related to gender. Those not in need of such a space are encouraged to participate in GqC in other ways. GqC is an inclusive community, and anyone wishing to take part is considered family. Meetings are not open to the media or researchers. Please e-mail genderqueerchicago@gmail.com for more information.
This Wednesday
7:00PM
The Gerber/Hart(1127 W. Granville)
Safe space discussion meetings are intended as spaces for folks interested in exploring personal issues related to gender. Those not in need of such a space are encouraged to participate in GqC in other ways. GqC is an inclusive community, and anyone wishing to take part is considered family. Meetings are not open to the media or researchers. Please e-mail genderqueerchicago@gmail.com for more information.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
I want to Blog! I have an Event!
You ever read the blogs and think: "hey, I could write that?"
Well you can!
Genderqueer Chicago is an open community group, which means that the blog is open to you. If you have something to contribute (writing, pictures, video, links, etc.), please e-mail your submission to genderqueerchicago@gmail.com. Please include a title, and a preferred publishing name. Non-copyright only! GqC reserves the right not deny material deemed inappropriate or offensive. You need not reside in Chicago to submit.
Also, if you have a relevant even in Chicago and you'd like to be added to our calendar, e-mail the info/flier/image to genderqueerchicago@gmail.com. We'll post events relevant to gender issues in Chicago.
Well you can!
Genderqueer Chicago is an open community group, which means that the blog is open to you. If you have something to contribute (writing, pictures, video, links, etc.), please e-mail your submission to genderqueerchicago@gmail.com. Please include a title, and a preferred publishing name. Non-copyright only! GqC reserves the right not deny material deemed inappropriate or offensive. You need not reside in Chicago to submit.
Also, if you have a relevant even in Chicago and you'd like to be added to our calendar, e-mail the info/flier/image to genderqueerchicago@gmail.com. We'll post events relevant to gender issues in Chicago.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Transgender Day of Remembrance- It's That Time of Year, Again
Reports project 19 violent murders against trans people this year. This number does not account for violent crimes, unknown deaths, or the slaying of folks whose identities as trans are ignored or omitted from report.
Join Genderqueer Chicago as we honor those who have fallen, show gratitude for those who have fought, and celebrate trans life as it endures and resists.
The schedule is as follows:
November 14 at 5:00PM is Illinois Gender Advocates' Transgender Day of Remembrance at New Spirit Church at 542 S Scoville Ave in Oak Park. Candlelight service will precede a community dinner. $10 donation recommended
UIC- Transgender Day of Remembrance
Friday, November 20, 2009
12:30-2:00 p.m., Quad, Memorial
3:00-4:30 p.m., 183 BSB Discussion
Saturday, November 21- 5th Annual Night of Fallen Stars
Center on Halsted
5:30pm: Reception (with Trans groups and vendors)
7:00pm: Performance
An evening to celebrate Chicago’s Transgender community featuring performances of poetry, music, comedy, dance and more.
$5 Donation at-the-door
Appearance by Jaila Simms
First Transgendered artist to win a reality series MTV / P. Diddy’s “Making His Band”.
Official member of Bad Boy’s “Dirty Money Crew”.
Events are sponsored by:
Broadway Youth Center
Center on Halsted
Equality Illinois
Howard Brown Health Center
Illinois Gender Advocates
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