Comments | ganimede: Sparkle

ganimede

Sparkle

Jul 12, 2009 20:14

As most of you will hopefully know, I spend a lot of time raising awareness of Trans people and have done for quite some time. I think yesterday has to be the most bizarre place I've ever done that though, and that's because it was at a so-called 'National Transgender Festival', otherwise known as Sparkle which has got to be one of the worst names ( Read more... )

i get paid for this?!, little trans activist me, ryan

Comments 22

hobbitblue July 12 2009, 19:34:10 UTC

I'd heard of Sparkle, did get the impression it was more for the drag queen type of person.. rather weird that being male and wearing normal clothes you didn't seem to register on their radar.. there's more to being trans than lots of make-up and pretty frocks, surely!

ganimede July 12 2009, 19:44:36 UTC

Not as far as Sparkle is concerned, but in reality, hell yes. But like I said, I don't know if that's down to the person who started the event being MTF. Maybe she's just stuck with what she knows, which is the whole female side of things, and hasn't given a thought to those who don't fit into that.

hobbitblue July 15 2009, 20:25:20 UTC

Doesn't sound like she wants to give it much thought.. which is fine, but calling it a "trans festival" is a bit misleading. "Pretty Rainbow Sparkle Girly-girl In Heels Festival" might be a bit more accurate! Other MTF folk I know are nowhere near that blinkered, I have to say.

jamiethegrey July 12 2009, 21:54:55 UTC

I kind of gave that up as a bit of a lost cause, that one

Seems there's one man fighting it (points at you), but I took one look at the website, and died of femininitystereotypes

ganimede July 13 2009, 20:08:22 UTC

Oh, I know, it's so horrendously dated, but it's not going to change if they don't know there's an issue and the best way to do that is by going there.

ticket_to_zen July 13 2009, 14:36:53 UTC

I think that it would be useful if they just called a spade a spade and said that it was an event for people who identify as cross-dressers, transvestites and those (few?) (MTF?) transgender people who feel like that particular space suits them. No use saying that it is a transgender festival because it is really so restricted. CD/TV people definitely need safe space too, but if it is going to be called "the" national transgender celebration, there should be an attempt to make it appealing to all.

Don't forget to let me know about Friday :)

ganimede July 13 2009, 20:11:15 UTC

I agree. It's not a Trans festival by any means. There's either the option of changing the name so it's more representative of what it is, or changing the festival so it's more inclusive. I wonder which is more likely to happen? :-P

Actually, I don't think I'll be able to go on Friday :( I just can't afford the travel at the moment, not after paying out over £400 for various car related things last week. Hopefully next month though.

ticket_to_zen July 13 2009, 20:33:50 UTC

I completely understand re: car costs. The MOT for Cassy's car is coming up and we're trying not to think about it.

Keep in touch about next month. :)

ganimede July 13 2009, 20:59:58 UTC

Will do, and good luck with the MOT! :)

adam_snake July 13 2009, 18:49:04 UTC

i was there even see your stall i did not do the quiz because i only new about 5 people and thought that would not be enough! i got a rub out homophobia rubber from your stall and i talked to the people running the stall however i did not see you there shame because it would have been good to meet you! Sparkle is ok and there was some trans men there but yes 99% of sparkle is geared at mtf sadly i wish there was more involvement for ftm as well

ganimede July 13 2009, 20:12:06 UTC

Aww, you must have got there while I was off having a break and something to eat. What a shame. Aren't the rubbers cool though? :)

adam_snake July 13 2009, 21:04:26 UTC

yeah the rubbers are well cool not going to use it though would be a shame but if i get a office job i will sit in on my desk so everyone can read it. curse me going on your break grr i did meet 3 nice people on the stall though. And filled out a form for the box that was on the stall

ganimede July 14 2009, 21:33:16 UTC

Oh, you did the Transphobia research? Excellent. We were piloting it at Sparkle to see if the questions were okay before launching it properly so thanks for helping out! :)

slammerkinbabe July 13 2009, 19:21:59 UTC

Uh, what are TVs and CDs when they're not televisions and compact discs?

ganimede July 13 2009, 20:12:45 UTC

Oh sorry! Transvestites and crossdressers.

slammerkinbabe July 13 2009, 20:28:20 UTC

Oh! Perhaps I should have been able to figure that out on my own. Sorry!

Is there a difference between "transvestites" and "crossdressers" in queer parlance, or is it just a question of what the individual is most comfortable with?

ganimede July 13 2009, 20:36:55 UTC

It's okay, sometimes I forget that not everyone reading my journal is immersed in the Trans community and knows all the jargon.

Basically, they're the same thing, but crossdresser is now the preferred term because the word transvestite has a connotation of a 'transvestite prostitute', and also because most people automatically think 'fetish' when they hear the word transvestite. A tremendous number of crossdressers really don't crossdress for sexual arousal at all so it's something they don't want to be related to. Does that make sense?

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