As regular readers of Notes from the Underground will have already observed – and as I Threatened to do in the last newsletter I have made some changes to NFTU. While the look is different, all of the regular columns that were successful in the past and which you’ve praised so profusely (sarcasm, I’m sorry) remain intact. What you see is probably not yet the final version as I’m still an unbelievable klutz with computers and so didn’t have the time to complete the project.- I’m planning a few new items for when I become more adept at moving around in this program and I hope the result is a bigger and better NFTU. These changes were effected for a number of reasons. Aside from simply wanting to keep things fresh, I felt that with our organization taking a turn in an exciting new direction, the newsletter should do the same. I haven’t been completely satistied with the issues we’ve put out lately. There was always something missing or something hurried that didn’t turn out right. (Frankly, I think it possible the same will be said about this issue, but I’ll leave that to you.) Despite my other duties, Notes from the Underground is still my chief interest and I know we can do so much better. This is especially important now that we’ve established our fee structure for annual memberships. NFTU being one of the benefits of membership. it’s important to keep on top of things so that people feel they’ve received their money’s worth.

Similarly, we hope our subscribers won’t dump us when I tell them that the price has gone up to ten dollars per year. Postage and the GST alone have made a seven dollar subscription unrealistic, but we hope that ten dollars is still a reasonable price for supporting us through the newsletter. Please note that we welcome original submissions from individuals and news from the other crossdressing organizations to whom we send our newsletter. We’ve recently received a` letter from the Toronto Crossdressers Club inviting a newsletter exchange with their group and we’re happy to see them join the ever expanding list of organizations in the country. I note also from their newsletter that another group is forming to serve the Kenora and Winnipeg area Mean while, Jenny is working to revive the group inMontreal. Things are happening? Here at Gender Mosaic, we are ready to proceed with our much delayed pamphlet and advertisement. The problems we have had co-ordinating the cover art, the mntent and the formatting for the pamphlet are too bewildering to mention, but it seems we’re finally set to go. The advertisement is ready and should be in plarz in early March. Personally I expect a big response and I hope we’re ready for it. I know that the recent surge in membership we’ve had has made me think about the practicality of our social meeting as it currently stands. For this reason, I welcome Niki-Ross’ plan to hold an alternative meeting where people will be better able to discuss their personal views withmare honesty than is possible in a large social set ting. She also plans to invite members of the community from time to time to meet with us. 

This type of diversity in what we do will, l think, appeal to a broader range of people, and will have the beneficial side effect of taking some of the pressure off our very successful social meetings. I should also mention the good work Belinda is putting into our Crossdressers’ Survival Guide. This is one of the many benefits of our annual $35 membership and to judge by the rough draft, it should be a smashing success. Lastly, I have to thank Leigh for the technical assistance I’ve received in putting out the newsletter. lf I’m a computer klutz now, you should have seen me earlier.

Alison

Letters

 

The Magazines, Again

While I don‘t wish to bore people with a never ending dialogue on the subject of TV magazines, there are a few points about Be1inda’s discussion of them, and in particular Belinda’s interpretation of my opinion, that I couldn’t let go. For one thing, I never set out to enforce a “standard of uniformity”. On the contrary, in my perusal of crossdressing publications I don’t see much of the diversity that Belinda is celebrating. The magazines are boring, that was my one and only point. Almost all TV publications are inward looking: they’re either autoerotic or outright fantasy. They are not about people doing something about their situation or creating art from their experiences. ‘I’hey’re about people fantasizing. Fantasy, of course, is a healthy component of life, but only if you’re rooted in the real world. Crossdressers are so fearful of people’s opinions and so isolated that their world is limited to almost complete fantasy. I don’t think that’s healthy at all.

Please note that I did not say “Crossdressing is not about sex at all”, but rather that “Crossdressing is not really about sex…” That one word makes a big difference. It implies that fundamentally sex is not the motivation for crossdressing. There are some who might argue that opinion does not hold for everyone, but that’s an argument for another day.

Undoubtedly TV sex magazines will always exist, but as Belinda says, their sole purpose “is to stimulate sexual arousal” They may say something about sexual diversity, but l can find that in non-crossdressing publications. The point I was making is crossdressing publications are boring. They’re boring because they’re limited and they’re limited because they reflect a repressed and tearful culture. To quote George Orwell: “We know that imagination, like certain wild animals, will not breed in captivity?

Alison

 

MSC Gender Mosaic Joint Meeting

Karen and I are both looking forward to getting the Monarch Social Club (MSC) and Gender Mosaic together on the fourth of May. Our property is almost 100 acres with several kilometers of good walking trails. The house is spacious, about 200 feet off the road and out of sight of any neighbors. With luck the- weather  be good and May 4th will be before the black flies so we can spend some time indoors and out, on the deck and walking around. We’ll keep the fireplace crackling and get the barbecue going for dinner. The possibility exists for potluck salads and desserts if anyone is interested. The plumbing is fine, although only one washroom. I’m sure we’ll manage. I’m going to put a notice in the March MSC Newsletter. I will forward a copy to you when it is available. lf you’ve got any ideas or questions, give us a call in ‘T.O.

Sandy

 

Short Notes 

Montreal En Femme

For all you girls who could not make it toMontreal, we had a great time. We stayed at the Delta Montreal right downtown. Belinda and Sharon shared a room on a smoking floor, while Natalie and I shared a room on a non smoking floor. Jennifer, the editor of the Garter Press, had planned a full evening for us. We spent a little more time on dressing and make·up for the night ahead. On the elevator we got a few odd looks and in the lobby of the hotel we turned a few heads. We took a cab to a nice little Italian restaurant, Tony Du Sud, to meet Jenny. The food was delicious and the best thing was we were very welcome en femme. After dinner Jenny took t us to Cleopatra’s, a haven for ‘TS‘s, ‘I’V’s and gays dressed en femme. We blended right in. During the evening, we danced and watched two very good female impersenatien shows. At the end of the night, or should I say the wee hours of next morning, we walked back about ten blocks to our hotel rooms. We needed the fresh air and to walk off some of the intoxicating liquids we’d consumed. When we awoke later that day, Belinda and Sharon went their own way, while Natalie and I went to Olympic Stadium for a few pictures. Then back to Ottawa to wind down. We all had a good time and plan to do it again. Thanks Jenny for being our hostess in Montreal and thanks Belinda for planning the Ottawa end of the trip.

 

Joanne Meets Her Daughter

 

One of the most exciting times in my cr0ssdressing life happened to me January ll, 1991. I met my daughter dressed as Joanne. Over the last couple of months, I had my daughter over for supper on several occasions and explained to her my new lifestyle. I have been separated for about six months now and living in a nice one bedroom apartment. I guess my wife did not accept it. We are still on friendly terms; we just realized things were not going to change. This was the turning point in my life. On that special day, I made an appointment with Sande for a facial and make-up session. I explained to Sande the reason for the appointment. I was her first appointment of the day and Sande pampered me for two and a half hours. Afterwards I put on my wig, which I had cleaned and set at Lady Jacqueline’s upstairs. When Sande let me look at myself in the mirror, I didn’t recognize myself. The image in the mirror was female. Sande did an incredible make over to make this day a memorable one. I gave her a hug and thanked her for the extra time she spent to make its a perfect illusion. I left for my rendez vous with my daughter at a shopping centre near to where she lives, as we had planned, so if she was nervous about meeting Joanne she could leave without upsetting anybody. 

Well, everything turned out better than expected. The only thing that gave me away was the wig, which she had recognized in some of the photographs l’d shown her. I was still very nervous about my daughter’s reaction to Joanne. but she followed me to my car as we planned. Out in the parking lot, I gave my daughter a big hug. I felt more love between us than I can remember. It felt good to have my daughter return that hug. She count not get over how feminine I looked. The tension was over after all these years; no more trying to hide my inner feelings. It will be awhile before everything sinks   but she understands why I have been very unhappy in my marriage, and why Joanne had to go into her closet and turn on the lights. It was like I had met my daughter for the first time.

Joanne

Gender Exploration Week

 

One man. one woman, one small dormitory room and two twin beds. And no hanky panky.StanfordUniversitystudents called it “Gender Exploration Week.” Officials called it “a fun sociological experiment that has nothing to do with university policy.”

Forty·eight residents inBurbankdormitory · 24 men and24 women · traded in their same sex roommates for randomly assigned roomies. “We wanted to demystify the different: between the sexes,” said junior Valerie Paz Soldan, 21, who  lived with a male sophomore from Feb. 10 through Feb. 15. “A lot of people found it very fun,” she said. “Some said, ’l could just stay with this roommate all quarter.’”   as s ‘ s` The new roomies undressed in bathrooms down the hall or simply turned their heads. In the evenings, they went to gender workshops and heard a professor ask, “How do you know l’m male?“ They watched Wien Harry Mel .and debated whether true platonic friendship was possible. The roommate swap caused little commotion on a campus that offers a “gender theme house” and a “gender studies” degree. One student co—op even has co-educational showers. Co-educational housing, on campus since 1966, means putting men and women in the same dorm but not the same room. Except for fraternities and one women only house, all student halls here are now coeducational. University officials, who normally do not allow unmarried roommates of opposite sexes, had no problem withBurbank’s one week trial, housing director Rodger Whitney said. A smaller group fromBurbankdid the same thing last year. Parents were another matter. Many learned about the swap after the fact. “A couple of parents thought it was amusing,“ Paz Soldan said. “A couple of parents didn’t think much of it. A couple of parents said, ’Don’t ever do anything like that again.”‘

Nick Anderson

Knight·Ridder

 

Madonna and Crossdressing

 

 

Madonna has stayed in the public spotlight partly by constantly creating new trends. Now, her latest contribution to the continent’s pop culture could elevate crossdressing into a sweeping fad. Her millions of quick to imitate fans are about to learn that Tony Ward, her current lover, who also starred in her scandalous and widely banned video, Jusfy My Lam likes to dress up in women’s clothing and is a popular item in oriented magazines. A growing wave of crossdressing could also benefit from two new star filled movies now being planned. ln a remake of one ofHollywood’s classic films, the 1959 comedy Some Like it Hot Tom Cruise and Michael Keaton will appear in female clothes. The movie will also star Madonnagin the role made famous by her idol Marilyn Monroe. As well. Gpermm fzbeéire musclevbound hard-bodies Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarznegger will team up as police officers who go undercover to solve a crime while dressed in drag. Reported in Maclean’s Magazine (l doubt very much that crossdressing will “benefit” from the Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarznegzer movie. It sounds to me like the usual sniggering man in a dress routine. Alison) .

  

More Bad News From the Movies 

The latest Jodie Foster movie The Silence of the Lambs features yet another transvestiteserial murderer. lt joins the likes of Psycho, Dressed to Kill and what seems like a thousand other schlock movies with killer crossdressers. Buffoons and murderers, that’s theHollywoodview of transvestites.

We’ve got a lot of work to do.

Alison

An Adventure in Leaving Home – En Femme

 

On the 29 Sep 90 the group had its annual BBQ in Cottage Country. The Party was starting at 2:30pm, therefore I had to leave my place around 2:00pm. I had my exit scenario planned with my wife so nobody would see me getting into the van. The babysitters were my parents-in-law; they do not know about Natalie. The scenario was like this”. I had to be ready before they arrived. I would get dressed in our bedroom, sneak down to the main floor bathroom without the kids seeing me and remain there until my in·laws arrived. When they did arrive, I would sneak in the garage by the side door and wait for my wife to leave. When the coast was clear, my wife was to open the garage door using the -  remote control; back in the garage open the trunk of the van; I would get in; and, she would drive away, closing the garage door with the remote control. No problem! If her parents had asked her why she opened the garage door before leaving, she would tell them it was to pick up chairs for the party; they didn’t know what type of party we were going to, only where it was. Sounds simple… Hum! Everything went as planned, but only to the point when I went into the garage. My daughter almost foiled it. Seeing my in-laws arrive, I went into the garage by the side door. Thinking I should hide behind something when my wife opened the garage door, I used as a shield the 5’ empty box that carried the hockey net I bought my son. This box when opened, would hide me from view, one side facing the garage door and the other facing the access door to the garage. Perfect  cover. Suddenly… The side door opened. I bent down behind the box. The light came on. Then a voice… my daughter: “Who is that behind the box”. I told her in a low voice to close the light and leave, but she wouldn’t listen. She continued repeating the same question. I told her again, angrily, to turn off the light and close the door. She finally closed the door and left. I hurried to turn off the light and returned to my hiding place. ln the mean time, I was wondering, what my wife was doing; busy probably with my in- laws. Then, little steps were coming to the door. My daughter was back! She opened the door, turned on the lights and was calling over my mother in-law. I could hear my daughter tell her she wanted to show her something behind the big box in the garage. My mother in ·law was coming, I could hear her footsteps.

She stopped in the doorway. My daughter was telling her to go look behind the big box, somebody was there. I was just about to jump up and say: “Surprise”, when my wife suddenly realized what was going on. She came rushing to the door, told my daughter to stop nagging grandma. And closed the door. God, that was close! Luckily for me, grandma doesn’t have a good eyesight. The reason my daughter came to the garage was that she wanted to give a guided tour of the house to my in-laws. What a time to decide to do this, especially as this was not the first time my in-laws babysat the kids. I finally got in the car and we drove away. Even though you plan very well, there is always the unexpected. When we got back that night, I dropped my wife off at home, and drove away. I would then wait till my in-laws Were gone to return home. As it turned out, the rest of this true as planned. Definitely, dressings at home and trying to leave inconspicuous has its drawbacks, but when you have no other options, you have to plan ahead. Luckily for Natalie, her little secret is still intact, but only till the next time. This is another adventure in the Natalie Saga… For sure!

Natalie B.

 

A Salute To Craig Russell

 On Tuesday, October 30, Craig Russell died in a Toronto hospital from a stroke resulting from AIDS. Russel’s impersonations of great lady stars like Mae West, Judy Garland and Barbara Streisand in the semi-autobiographical 1977 movie “Outrageous” catapulted him from Toronto’s gay club circuit to such prestigious venues as the city’s Imperial Room and New York’s Carnegie Hall.

“Craig was a warm and generous person who was Just unable to cope with the question: who is Craig Russell a man or a woman?” said Gino Empry, his publicist and manager. “He had no discipline. If he had harnessed his talent, he would have been a world star. It was his lack of discipline defeated him.”

Craig Russell had a voice that ranged from Louis Armstrong to Barbara Streisand and, unlike, most female impersonators, he used it. He also had the ability to convey his affection for the ladies he was playing.

“Once, when I was doing all my Jokes, a friend said: “You’re not big enough to put down these people who are the reason for your professional existence. At that point, I stopped doing put downs and started doing send ups. The important thing is that the ladies know that I really dig them.”

Apparently he always really dug them. Of his school days, he said: “I preferred hanging out with the girls. They dressed better and smelled nicer. I was only 13 but, somehow, I knew that’s where my future was.”

It’s sad that the person who, in his own words, was, “too cute to be a boy, but not cute enough to be a gir,l” never did find his peace of mind. Writing in Toronto Life, critic Martin Nelman observed, “Russell’s act is a kind of tribute – a fond, witty commentary. He doesn’t merely mime, and what he does goes way beyond female impersonation. Its inspired and original … when Russell is at his best, it’s clear that what we are witnessing is some weird and wonderful show business form of possession. He orchestrates his own pandemonium, and he gives the audience a good time.”

On The Subject Of Magazines

Reading “Mulling over the Magazines” (NFTU Nov/December, 1990) left me with an uneasy feeling. Although I had no difficulty accepting the final conclusion, I did find myself disconcerted over the reasoning used to reach it. It directly opposed the manner in which the new group name was arrived at, etc., and described in such glowing terms on the previous page. It fails to recognize the diversity of the world of cross dressing, and implies a hidden belief that problems can be solved by enforcing some standard of uniformity. Since we’ve all experienced this phenomenon from society’s attitude towards cross dressing in general, it is disappointing to find that the same thing may be happening “in house”. The magazines referred tarticles which contained depictions of sympathetic aunts, heavenly orgasms and TV’s male sexual organs are pornography. Please note that, as I write the dreaded word PORNOGRAPHY, the ground is not shaking, lightning bolts are not striking me down, nor is there a smell of sulphur in the air. Pornography has only one aim, and that is to stimulate sexual arousal. Period.

It was not created to educate, nor to display opinions of integrity, nor to prove to TVs that they are men. At its root, pornography is about sex and sexual fantasy; nothing less, nothing more. It is a fact that pornography has been misused, and has been relied upon to be the primary sexual educator of puritan western society. It is also fact that the cause for this is ironically linked to the hysterical reaction to anything sexual from ostensibly well-intentioned people. Then again, kitchen utensils have also often been misused. I have no intentions of eating with my hands.

Sex, of course, is one of the long-standing taboos of is society. No matter how one tries to intellectualize sex, it is, for most, a highly personalized affair. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that people react in an emotional, not necessarily rational, manner when confronted with sexual subject matter – especially if it depicts activities which run counter to one’s own inclinations. Unless one was bi or homosexual (and there are a few cross dressers who are so inclined), then the sight of a male in lingerie and see through panties is strongly distasteful, if not downright nauseating. Then again, there are lots of people who are not too impressed with what makes me tick, either. This reaction is dangerous if not understood properly. Too often this sensation of disgust toward someone else’s sexual tastes carries over to a judgment of that individual’s moral standing. It is this reaction that causes people to quite guiltlessly beat up gays in the park and ridicule their attempts to build relationships. Contempt for those that are different can come into play and, in my mind, contempt is nothing more than a self-defeating method of justifying oneself.

I disagree completely with the author’s comment, “Cross dressing is not about sex at all.” Please. Our sexualities do not necessarily pack up and leave the instant we put on women’s clothes. The simple truth is that a significant number of TVs have incorporated cross dressing into their sexualities, diverse as they are, or at least, have fantasized about it.

Cross dressing is about emulating the female gender. I think its safe to say that sexuality is a component of gender. It should come as no surprise that many cross dressers would enjoy being treated as a lady by a man; taken out to dinner or a night of dancing. It should come as no surprise that some would take it further. The nuances and variations possible are almost infinite. I feel a more accurate sentence would have said: “Cross dressing is not all about sex.” There are so many facets to what we do, it is almost impossible to fully develop one’s potential through only ones own perspective, which is so heavily influenced by one’s experiences through puberty. The very name of our club acknowledges this diversity. Can you imagine how absolutely boring the club would be if everyone dressed the same way, and had identical approaches to emulating their femme selves? Can you imagine how boring the world would be if everyone was the same? Society would stagnate. Nearly every destructive period in history has been accompanied by some latent desire for uniformity. Hitler and the Ku Klux Klan are extreme examples of this phenomenon but it does not take a genius to see it working at every level of human interaction. Living is all about learning and learning means being aware of other people’s perspectives. This is not always easy. In fact it can be downright scary. It’s not pleasant to realize that you may have been missing out on something or that your own personal hang-ups are really groundless in the eyes of others.

This is a fear, however, which must be overcome. This is the fear which exaggerates surface differences, and sets people against each other. This is the fear with which society’s institutions (and some individual’s) regard cross dressers. This is a fear which caused our club some of its own growing pains and, if we are not careful, it can still separate us into cliques. It can also act as a barrier between us and some of the other clubs with which we have just forged some links. Despite all that we have in common, every one has a different approach to things. That is what makes us individuals. It is one thing for a cross dresser to expect negative reaction from a misinformed public. It is quite another when they have to wonder if other cross dressers will judge them to be the right “type”. Coming out of the closet, to me, means gaining one’s freedom. In particular, it means freedom to make choices about all the facets of cross dressing which had previously been unknown to me and deciding which ones I wish to incorporate in my experience. A club which limits, or enforces by peer pressure, the choices which can be made by its members, is nothing more than a roomier closet. Keeping ourselves blissfully ignorant of any aspect of cross dressing for the sake of image is, to me, the most efficient method of ensuring that we continue to victimize and alienate ourselves. Let’s not let a little squeamishness foul things up.

 Belinda Doree

The Value of Women

A California doctor has patented an ultrasound technique that he says can determine the sex of a fetus at 12 to 14 weeks. Dr. John Stephens has promoted his service recently among Vancouver’s large East Indian community where, according to Dr. Stephens, there is still a belief that male babies are more desirable.

“We know that, if the sex (of the fetus) is not the one they wish, they will go off and have an abortion,” he said in an interview from his ultrasound clinic in Palo Alto, CA.

Dr. Stephens operates three clinics inCalifornia and another just across the Canadian border, in Blaine,Washington, about 50 kilometers southeast of Vancouver. He said he would have preferred to have a clinic right in Vancouver, but was unable to obtain a license to practice in Canada. Establishment of the clinic and Dr. Stephens’ marketing of it caused a furor in Vancouver.

“He is trying to make money in a way that is despicable and unethical,” said Reminder Dosanjh, a director with the India Mahila Association. “He’s doing his best to cash in on some of the values that unfortunately still exist in our society. It’s a total abuse of technology.”

Dr. Stephens is seeking a New York medical license in order to open a clinic in Niagara Falls, NY, “that would attract business from Toronto. I’m told there are enough East Indians there to make it commercially viable.”

Diane Marshall, a therapist with the Institute of Family Living in Toronto, said the current Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies should call for a ban on practices such as Dr. Stephens’. He has a marketing campaign aimed directly at groups in society which value a male child more than a female child,” she said. “And he administers a technology which can lead to abortion of a female fetus. I think that’s disgusting. People’s morality should be based on more than what sells in the marketplace.”

D.r Stephens said he doesn’t condone the attitude that a family must have a male child, but, “if I don’t make money, I don’t survive. As a businessman, I need a competitive edge.”

Priests and Sex

A psychiatrist, family therapist and former Benedictine priest has written a book on priests and sex called “A Secret world: Sexuality and the Search for Celibacy”. A. W. Richard Sipe based his book on psychiatric counseling sessions and less formal talks that he held from 1960 through 1985 with 1,000 priests and 500 lay people who were lovers of priests or were victims or “otherwise direct 0bservers” of sexual behavior of priests. Some of his conclusions: About 50% of priests practice celibacy; 20% are or have been involved in heterosexual relationships; 10% to 13% are actively homosexual; 6% are sexually involved with children or minors and 1% practice transvestism. A spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC, has criticized the study because it relies not on a random sampling of priests but rather on clergy who went to Sipe for counseling.

 Washroom Problems

A Houston  police officer who arrested a woman charged with using a men’s restroom during a concert said he was unfazed by her presence in the bathroom. Steven Andrews, a Vice officer for almost two decades, offered his testimony for the state, which then rested its case against Denise Wells. The 33 year old legal assistant is accused of entering a men’s room without permission in a manner calculated to cause a disturbance. She admits to using the men’s room at the Summit Arena during a July 7 concert by country music star George Strait because the line at the women’s room was too long. She was arrested and removed from the concert, for which she paid $125 to attend. Two police officers have testified Wells left the stall in the men’s room and announced: “There – I left the lid up Just like y’all like it.”

Crossdressing and High I.Q.s

Noted in a recent issue of the Mensa International Journal:

“Cross dresser would like to correspond with other Ms who have similar feelings or any females who are understanding /interested. Statistics show TVs, TSs, etc., to be generally above average in intelligence. There must be more of us. Please write. Privacy and discretion assured. Denise, P.O. Box 116635, Carollton, Texas 750115535 USA.”

Items compiled by Alison T.

Gender Mosaic’s Official Makeup Artist

TVO Responds

Arts & Entertainment

Colin Campbell at the National Gallery: Video artist Colin Campbell’s exhibition is currently on view at the Winnipeg Art Gallery and will begin a touring schedule which will include a stop at the National Gallery. Trained in painting and drawing, Campbell began working in video as early as 1972. ln his gender oriented videos, Campbell explores the nuances of male and female stereotypes by having artists play their opposite genders. Its both an examination of gender and a reference to the history of cross dressing in vaudeville, which came to television in the guise of Milton Berle, and others, and is still a staple of “Saturday Night Live’s” Church Lady. Dates for the Colin Campbell exhibition at the National Gallery are February 14 to April 14, 1991.

TV Peaks

Further to cross dressing and television, “Twin Peaks” watchers witnessed the arrival of a new character in the last show of 1990. Denis Bryson, the special investigator sent by the FBI to investigate the conduct of Agent Dale Cooper, with whom he once worked, strolled confidently into the sheriff’s office wearing a smart Jacket and skirt and looking very much the professional woman investigator. Please, call me Denise, he said. although there was considerable humor in the presentation, I thought it was pulled off sympathetically. It will be interesting to see how long the character lasts.

The opportunity for character development is endless but I find most television shows write out a cross dressing character from the story line when he ceases to be titillating or ceases to provide amusing situations. Television is not yet ready to let him exist as himself.

More Rocky Horror: The careful marketing of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” video cassettes has proven immensely successful. Only a certain number of cassettes were released and the run is all but sold out. I have heard so many talking heads expounding on why Rocky Horror is so popular, but I have never once heard anyone suggest that maybe, just maybe, the cross dressing might have something to do with it. It amuses me how people can convince themselves that they’re not at all fascinated by cross dressing.

_______________________________________________________

A Final Word

This month was to have witnessed the grand unveiling of the new-look “Notes from the Underground”. As our regular readers can plainly see, it didn’t happen.

The reason for this, besides the mundane one of Christmas rush, was my inability to make my computer software do what I wanted it to do in the short time available before my deadline came due. After working at it feverishly for some time, the thought came to me in a flash, “What the heck am I killing myself for?” So, you’ll have to wait a few more months.

Anyway, it’s always nice to have something to look forward to, ’ isn’t it?

Aside from my difficulties with my computer, the work we at Gender Mosaic have been doing in the background the last few months has finally manifested itself in some physical evidence. We now have a telephone line! We hope to introduce the phone number officially to the city in a few weeks by way of an advertisement in the paper. The new Gender Mosaic number is (613) 749 5203. Call us!

In anticipation of requests for information, Sharon has put together a pamphlet which dispels the common myths surrounding transvestism and transsexualism. It’s a good, factual starting point for anyone who wishes to learn more about our culture and we hope it will get wide distribution.

There has also been some basic discussion about membership. We hope to have all the details worked out and ready to be voted upon by the February 2 meeting. Please be there or phone me before if you’d like to ‘ participate.

It’s never easy for a cross dressing group to be completely open but, with the improvements we’ve made, we hope to reach more people and be more successful in 1991.

Greetings and best wishes for the New Year from everyone at Gender Mosaic.

The bill, which was originally introduced by the now-retired BC MP Bill Siksay, is now being championed by NDP MP Randall Garrison. This is the fourth time the bill has been before the Commons. Last time, it was officially passed by the House following Third Reading and was before the Senate when Parliament was dissolved in preparation for the 2011 federal election.

Please sign this petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/members-of-canadian-parliament-and-senate-pass-bill-c-279-the-trans-rights-bill#

Curiously – perhaps predictably – the Bill has been generating an uncharacteristically high level of media interest this week as a coattail issue associated with the recent uproar over transgender Miss Universe contestant Jenna Talackova. She was at first disqualified by the Miss Universe Pageant when she revealed that she was not ‘born a woman’. She was later reinstated as a contestant after Pageant owner Donald Trump overrode Pageant management’s original decision.

~ as reported by The Canadian Press, April 11, 2012

www.cornwallpride.com

PRESS RELEASE

February 2012

Embargo : IMMEDIATE

CORNWALL PRIDE 2012

We are pleased to announce that Cornwall Pride 2012 will take place on Saturday August 25^th  Bank Holiday Weekend in Truro.

This is the fifth year for Cornwall Pride and we are planning that this year Cornwall Pride will be bigger & better than ever before!

The theme is HOLLYWOOD! so come as your favourite film star or character, or just as you are, and join in the fun!

The day will start at 11am when the PARADE will leave Lemon Quay to wind its way through the streets ofTruroto Victoria Park.

Throughout the afternoon there will be live music and entertainment as well as an opportunity to wander amongst the many stalls and PICNIC IN THE PARK. And its FREE!

In the evening the PRIDE PARTY (7:00pm - 11:30pm) will take place in the marquee on Lemon Quay with a great line up of acts to entertain you, a dance floor and a bar to slake your thirst!

For Pride Party ticket availability and full details of the day please visit the website.

CONTACT The Reverend Rob Yeomans  Cornwall Pride Media Officer – for further information, interviews and articles.

Phone 01566 781570                      Email media@cornwallpride.com

Post The White Barn, Maxworthy, Launceston PL15 8LY

However, amid the many changes that Guiding has experienced over the past couple of decades, the issue of admitting men or boys to the Girl Guides of Canada has remained firmly and uniformly suppressed as unthinkable. Now, there is a new dimension to the ‘male membership’ question: how to deal with transgender people of all ages seeking membership, as Guides and Guide Leaders.

A thoughtful article on the is currently online (published January 26, 2012) at Yahoo’s Daily Brew national affairs blog (posted at least temporarily at: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/girl-guides-canada-tackles-transgender-membership-wake-u-204454200.html).

Against the day that Yahoo! inevitably delists the article from its system, I offer the text below with all due credit and respect to Yahoo! and the Author, so that visitors to this Web site will be able to read it in perpetuity.

***

It’s not an issue for Scouts Canada, which has admitted male and female youth since 1998. But Girl Guides of Canada now finds itself wrestling with whether to allow children who identify themselves as girls but are anatomically boys into the organization.

“Our board is seeking advice from medical and law professionals, and will deal with requests on a case-by-case basis,” Deborah Del Duca, chief executive of Girl Guides of Canada, told the Toronto Sun.

“Girl Guides of Canada strives to ensure environments where girls and women from all walks of life, identities and lived experiences feel a sense of belonging and can fully participate.”

The Guides, a volunteer organization whose stated mission is to enable “girls to be confident, resourceful and courageous, and to make a difference in the world,” said it was asked recently to consider allowing transgender kids to join.

It’s not clear whether that means a transgender child has applied to become a Girl Guide, but the issue has certainly been on the group’s radar since a controversy erupted in the United States over the admission of a seven-year-old Colorado child.

Bobby Montoya, whose mother said he has identified as a girl for some time, was initially rejected by the local troop leader of the Girl Scouts, as the organization is called in the U.S., because he had “boy parts,” according to the New York Daily News.

But the Girl Scouts’ Colorado chapter reviewed the troop leader’s decision and admitted Montoya under its policy to include transgendered children.

“If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout,” the chapter said in a statement.

Bobby Montoya never did enroll in the troop but the Colorado Girl Scouts’ decision created a backlash elsewhere.

Leaders of three troops, all affiliated with a Louisiana Christian school, quit the organization and disbanded their troops in protest, according to the Christian Post.

Guiding began in 1909 when a large number of girls showed up to a scouting rally hosted by the movement’s founder, Lord Baden-Powell, a Boer War hero. His sister Agnes, and later his wife Olave, Lady Baden-Powell, fostered the new organization, which reached Canada in 1910.

***

The foregoing Daily Brew column reflects the opinions of the author, Steve Merkl, but not necessarily those of Ottawa’s Gender Freedom.

The following is a covering letter accompanying a request for transsexuals to participate in a new survey being conducted by a Carleton University Psychology student, Heather Montgomery. If you are a transsexual at any stage of transition (or even just contemplating transition), your responses will be welcomed and valued by the survey’s administrators.

********

My name is Heather Montgomery and I am an Undergraduate Psychology Honours student at Carleton University. For my honours thesis, I am looking to explore the relationship between experiences of Transphobia, Transitioning, and Personality. My supervisors are Dr. Johanna Peetz (johanna_peetz@carleton.ca) and Leslie Helmus (lhelmus@connect.carleton.ca).

I am currently looking for male to female and female to male transssexual identified volunteers to participate in a 10-15 minute online study. The study has received approval from the Carleton Research Ethics Board for Psychological Research [Certificate 11-182].

The questionnaire consists of asking questions about demographics (ex: age, gender identity), transitioning (ex: how many people are aware of the participant’s trans identity), experiences of transphobia and how stressful that was (ex: has the participant ever been treated unfairly at work because of his/her trans identity), and personality (ex: a rating of how well a variety of words describes the participant such as “understanding”).

Hopefully this research will help to shed light on some of the experiences of transpeople and help them, their loved ones, and service providers to make sense of these complex processes.

I have attached a simple advertising poster. The questionnaire can be found at http://ww2.unipark.de/uc/Honors_Studies/fc30/. I am asking permission to advertise the questionnaire using this poster through your organization. Given the small population of trans identified people, any help in being able to reach potential volunteers would be appreciated.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Heather Montgomery

hmontgo2@connect.carleton.ca

613-262-2364

********

(Reposted from a private blog.)

I dont know if it was Karma, Fate, or overwork and worry, but she soon found her self in hospital with a heart attack.

I care about all of us and I tried to go see Kelly. After an hour and a half on the buses, I reached the hospital and found Kelly’s room, but she was not there. She was out on a day pass. Fate, perhaps? As it turned out, I suspect that she probably would not have enjoyed seeing me.

Kelly recovered. To what extent, I do not know, as she will no longer even accept my e-mails.

Then, as her last-gasp effort – to help her feel better about what she had done before being tossed out of the presidency? – she revoked my Life Membership. This is a clear violation of the Gender Mosaic bylaws, as spelled out in Bylaw Article 19, proudly posted on the GM Web site.

Now… If all this was not enough damage done, there was a falling out between the new Executive and the departing one.

Kelly felt hurt, and in a further act of retribution, she denied the group the use of the domain name ‘gendermosiac.ca’. However, the new regime had already registered .com, .net, and .org. This fit the needs and mandate of the new Amanda Ryan/Sophia Cassivi executive, as they do not want only a support group, but also a captive audience and power base for their profit-making Gal’s Spring Fling company.

This sort of illegal activity is not new to Amanda/Sophia they have been doing it for years!

“Spring Fling” is the Registered Trade Mark of Rogers Stadium Limited Partnership, You may remember them as the Toronto Sky Dome (Blue Jays) .

I have, as a good Corporate citizen notified there trade mark lawyer and have been informed, it will brought to the attention of the board of directors for action.

With Rogers Good Luck you will need it, have you ever been late on your cable bill ?

It is my understanding the Amanda/Sophia regime is now planning to incorporate Gender Mosaic as the group gradually moves further and further from friends, help, and support for all involved toward being a commercial enterprise for the benefit of a select few.

I wonder how the GM membership feels about this apparently inevitable evolution?

Fortunately, there is still, and always will be, Gender Freedom as a preserve of sisterhood and support for trans people in the National Capital region.

(((Hugs)))

~ Judy Kearns

Webmistress
Genderfreedom.me

Founder
Gendermosaic
Genderfreedom

Although there is still a scientific debate on the nature and definition of bullying, most researchers understand this behavior as aggression characterized by:

1. causing intentional harm,
2. repetition, and
3. an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim.

Bullies appear to derive satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering on others, seem to have little empathy for their victims, and often defend their actions by saying that their victims provoked them in some way.

Bullies often come from homes in which physical punishment is used, where striking out physically is seen as a way to handle problems and where friendships and warmth are frequently lacking. Sociologists agree that children who have been bullied tend to become bullies themselves. Researchers also agree that all bullies share two key personality characteristics: Low self esteem and profound insecurity.

Boys and girls bully differently but it is still about power and control.

Boys will beat you up and feel they have won because youre the one with the black eye and bleeding nose. But they have won nothing. The victory is shallow and exists only in their minds.

Girls, on the other hand, tend to choose rumors, criticism and ostracism as methods of bulling. In its own way, this kind of ‘psychological warfare’ can be more damaging and harder to combat than the simple physical abuse traditionally preferred by boys.

Bystanders also play a role in bullying:

• The enforcers join in and assist the bully.
• The re-enforcers encourage the bully by observing and laughing.
• The outsiders avoid the bullying by staying away and not getting involved for fear of losing social status or being bullied as well.

Perhaps the greatest tragedy of bullying is that it doesn’t end with childhood. Childhood bullies often become adult bullies. Their methods become more subtle but their basic behavior patterns remain the same.

We have recently been hearing a lot about adult bullying in newspaper and magazine articles addressing office bullying and, in particular, ‘the bully boss’. The bully boss’s leadership style is usually described as ‘my way or the highway’ and he or she almost always surrounds him/herself with multiple enforcers and re-enforcers.

The bully boss is also characterized by a top-down management style. She/he consults the employees under her/his authority only to inform them of decisions already made at the executive level; never to seek their guidance or opinions. If the employees choose to remain ‘outsiders’ and simply ‘go with the flow’, the bully boss is successful in maintaining his/her position of power and control. If, however, any employee dares to question the bully boss’s policies or actions, the employee can expect to face the boss’s retribution. Retribution may come in the form of reprimands, threats and (in extreme cases) material punishments such as demotions or suspensions.

The bully boss can also – and all too often does – appear in the leadership of service clubs, volunteer-based groups and other non-commercial organizations. Almost invariably, the bully boss, as President of the club, surrounds him/herself with enforcers and re-enforcers and alienates any non-outsiders – anyone who disagrees with their top-down policies and poses a threat to their power and control.

So it was with Gender Mosaic.

After getting rid of the Secretary and Media Relations Officer, who threatened her power and control, Kelly Ann felt invincible and set her sights higher – on removing the Webmistress and Founder.

I wonder there the idea come from to phony a mail breach, and release it to the private e-mail list and implicate the Founder in this event.

No proof was ever forthcoming that there had been any mail system breach in the Gender Mosaic online system, as alleged by Kelly Ann and her regime – the pretext on which the Webmistress/Founder was fired.

This brings us to the 1st vice president, Rachael. She holds a very special place in my life as she is only the fourth person that I have ever disliked on sight in my life – even before I had talked to her.

My assessment of the previous three proved to be right on the money, and my Spidey sense on the fourth one quickly proved accurate, as well.

She was, I believe the instigator of the insidious plot to remove the groups Founder and shares the discommodation of the former executive.

More to come.

(((Hugs)))

~ Judy Kearns

Webmistress
Genderfreedom.me

Founder
Gendermosaic
Genderfreedom

At that time, I was approached by the then 2nd Vice President, Kelly Ann. She came to my home and asked me if I would be the 1st Key Note Speaker at Gender Mosaics 20th anniversary.

After some discussion I agreed and a short time later I found my self on stage in front of 100 members and friends at the Ottawa City Hall.

There on stage with the 2nd Key Note Speaker the then retired Deputy Chief of Police Larry Hill and, finally, Dr. Norman Barwin, I was pleased to have returned to the group I started so long ago, and in such good company.

A short time latter, 2nd Vice President Kelly Ann came to see me again. This time, she had a rather unusual request. She wanted me to help her overthrow the current Executive and help her take over the group.

Kelly told me she didnt like transsexuals and the fact that the current executive was a mostly transsexual she wanted to crush it.

She had with her a 4-page letter, berating and badgering the current executive signed only: “Anonymous”.

She asked if I would publish it to the group’s private e-mail list as any other member would be severely sanctioned for such an open post, and there was little they could do to me,  as the founder. (Note this for further reference).

I struggled with this for a number of days. What had the group mutated into?

It was, when I started it a support group of friends. But now, it seemed to be more like the gangsters of the 1950 making “hits”.

After a few days, pushing back from Kelly Ann and engaging in some deep thought, I agreed, and published it.

The results where immediate

The members all raised their voices, and the then-president Beth had her hands full with questions.

She even took a verbal swat at me on the Christmas party issue.

The results where as predicted: The President, 1st Vice President , 2nd and Webmisstress stepped down.

This propelled Kelly Ann to President with carte blanche to put in her own 1st and 2nd Vice Presidents, and Secretary.

She made me Webmistress and things ran well for a while. But but that soon changed.

Kelly Ann begin badgering her hand-picked secretary, and pressed her to step down. She left the group.

Next she went after the group’s Media Relations Officer, and, with the help of her enforcers and re-enforcers, drove her off as well, despite my protests.

By this time, it had become clear that the position had gone to Kelly Ann’s head, and no one could dare question the executive.

This is getting long for a single post, so I will end it here, for now, but there will be more, as all the dark truths about the GM Executive become apparent.

~ Judy Kearns

Webmistress
Genderfreedom.me

Founder
Gendermosaic
Genderfreedom

For those that have been following The Notes From the Under Ground News Letter:

In the last issue I introduced the name change to Gender Mosaic of the N.O.W support group.

In the next series of articles I will reveal all the truths about the group and its executive members.

These articles will demonstrate the pitfalls and show how not to run a support group.

It is my hope that this will help other groups avoid the issues that have come up so they do not make the same mistakes that the Gender Mosaic group has.

This series of articles is meant to be informational and should not be misconstrued as an attack. It may, however, make some members feel uncomfortable.

Keep watching.

Webmistress,
Genderfreedom.me

Founder,
Gender Mosaic
Genderfreedom