DUDE4DUDE :: I have a huge problem with the fact that people are giving Chaz Bono such a hard time on Dancing With The Stars. I wanted to write this post before the show started, but I thought I would see how he dances before I let loose.

Philip Tetro’s Madonna Watch

Besides that fact that I have such a kindred connection with Chaz’s mother, Cher, I have followed Chaz’s transition from female to male since the beginning. I have seen his documentary, Becoming Chaz, and I have such a soft-spot in my heart for him (and, no, not just because we could be brothers. And, no, not because I am going to be him for Halloween this year). It has been a long, torturous ride for this son of a bitch (I use “bitch” in the most loving terms). He is the face of Transgendered America – one of the most confusing, taboo sexual identities of the 21^st Century. As if being gay isn’t hard enough, Chaz has proved that it’s even harder when you can’t even connect with your own gender. It’s two completely different things, yes, but my gay brethren can relate to growing up being and feeling different than the rest of the hetero world. It’s the same feeling. We’re all different. So let’s show him some fucking compassion. He is the Rosa Parks of the huge transgender population of the world, and watching it all unfold with all this backlash is terrifying. We’re not called LGBTLMNOPQRS for nothing. And can we not forget that he has to live with the weight (no pun intended) of Cher’s legacy on his shoulders.

Jennifer Breakspear on Chaz Bono :: Dancing To Understand

The public cry for Chaz’s dismissal on the show is just awful! “We don’t want to confuse our children,” “how do we explain to them that he was once a girl and is now a boy?” First of all, I think you should be more concerned with your children’s confusion with the amount of murder, bullying, war, racism, hunger, and hatred in the world. Chaz is a boy. What’s so confusing? What is there to explain? Ignorance is not bliss, my friends.

So he can’t dance. Neither can Cher. Sure, they shimmy great, but the Transgendered Male apple doesn’t fall far from the Tree. Chaz’s Cha-Cha was entertaining, for sure (and a little funny). But, my Goddess, does he try. And can’t we all just get by now that if you try really hard, you succeed?

LEAVE CHAZ ALONE.

Philip Tetro is a panellist on MTV’s 1 girl 5 gays, and really does look like he could be Chaz Bono’s brother.

Let’s start with an introduction.  WE are Pride Toronto.

A collection of 26 volunteer committees, a handful of paid staff, a community of appointed Board of Directors, and 30 years of experience, stories and contributions that make Pride Toronto the largest Pride festival in North America, – and one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world.

Over the next few months, Words of Pride – The Official Blog for Pride Toronto, will feature a regular update called “Community of Pride”, in which we will bring GayGuideToronto.com readers around town to meet the individuals and share the stories of those who have been part of the Pride experience over the past 30 years – past, present, and looking towards the future.  From this BLOG as our platform, we will explore the personalities, memories, coming out experiences, and first “Pride” memories of Church and Wellesley, as well as get to know what Pride means around Toronto.  From the Village to King St W, from the surrounding GTA to individuals from other cities around the globe.   Together we share common experiences under an umbrella called Pride.

Together, we are a Community of Pride.

Want to share your own stories about yourself or someone you know ?

We’d love to hear them.   Talk to us about what “30 Years of Pride” has represented.  And help us meet the individuals who have been changed for the better because of their own Pride Experiences.

Send Pride Toronto a direct email to [email protected] — with the SUBJECT “Community of Pride”.

If you submit a story about yourself or someone you know, please also submit a photo or graphic (with permission to post from that individual) and we will consider the posting for an upcoming Community of Pride update.

Start with “My name is ….”

And if possible, share with us which of the LGBTTIQQ2SA* categories your story falls within – as these facets make up our community, and together, create a phenomenal historic relevance.  Community of Pride will explore the individuals that make up our famous acronym.

*Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited and Allies

Along the way we hope to share few warm laughs, shed a few tears, and commemorate some important milestones along the way.

Oh yea -

And don’t forget to join us in Toronto for Pride Week, June 25 – July 4, 2010!

Yours with Pride,

Pride Toronto

(as written by Michael Ain, Marketing & Communications Manager)

This week I attended a Human Rights Panel Discussion on International Transgender Politics at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel. It was one of the most fascinating and moving evenings I have experienced in a long time.

Among the speakers was Victor Mukasa – who is this year’s Pride International Grand Marshall – who spoke with incredible eloquence, frankness and humour about his experiences being a Trans person in his home country of Uganda where he is not even recognized as a human being.

Other speakers from here in Canada as well as Mexico and Venezuela told stories – both personal and anecdotal – of being cast adrift, abandoned, forced into prostitution, beaten and even killed by police and left on the road. And while they are happy to be here in Canada where there is relative freedom and safety, they still feel invisible and marginalized.

They are reaching out to us.
For the most part, we are ignoring them.

What shocked me was how abandoned these people feel by the gay community. One of the constant themes from many of the speakers was how they feel misunderstood, invisible and unaccepted by the gay community despite the TT & I in LGBTTIQQ2S. They are reaching out to us. For the most part, we are ignoring them.

I have no simple solution or master plan to bridge the gap between the Trans community and the rest of the queer community. For my part I can open my mind and my heart to better understand their experiences and reality. I need to learn more. The key to closing the gap, I believe, is education, understanding, and acceptance. That is, after all, what we all have been fighting to achieve for decades.

Argh… Amongst the wildly hectic world that is the lead up to Pride in Toronto, my mind keeps coming back to an issue that’s very popular in the Trans community right now - should Gender Identity be included as a protected ground in the Ontario Human Rights Code?

Now, for those of you who are not totally up on Trans rights and politics, transsexual and transgender people are one of a series of marginalized groups who are not specifically covered by the the Ontario Human Rights Code.   Instead, we’re protected under an OHRC policy interpretation that says that discrimination against a Trans or gender variant person is discrimination on the basis of sex.

The up side of inclusion:  

Having gender identity included in our Human Rights Act would send a clear message to everyone that Trans people are valued and discrimination against them wil not be tolerated.  Likewise, it will also be a meaningful sign to those who are struggling with GD and GID that society recognizes and values them, something that way too many Trans people continue to struggle with, particularly before they fully come to terms with their inner selves.  Oh, and we also can’t forget that specific inclusion would also help bolster our case for services and appropriate medical care.  These are all really great things and there are some wonderful people working towards making that a reality.  However…

The downside of inclusion: 

“Gender Identity” is a very specific term that applies to only a portion of the whole Trans community.  Crossdressers, gender queers and many other people are, by its very definition, totally excluded from this protection, leaving them feeling left behind or seeking protection under other grounds of the Act.  And what about people who identify as Two Spirit or those who come from cultures where the term Gender Identity has no meaning?

I was dumbfounded one day to find out that French language speakers (Canada’s other official language) have no word or concept for gender identity as most people would define it.  By pressing for its inclusion in our Human Rights Act, are we  forcing others to be defined by our narrow doctrines of what does or does not qualify as Trans? Is that not exactly what so many of us rail against every day?  Just to be ourselves?

I’m honestly not sure what the right answer is and the debate goes way beyond my space limitations here but in my soul, it is my belief that because of our history and struggles, we must accept the challenge to be inclusive of all and work hard not to marginalize those who have no voice because that’s what we ask for ourselves.

Yup… that’s me up there. Arial, the Littlest Mermaid… no wait… Sinclair! Arial Sinclair!

You’ll have to forgive me for getting confused. You see, much like Ms. Ariel, I’m also well proportioned with flowing locks of red hair and sparkling blue eye shadow. I just don’t have a fish tail, although like my namesake, I’ve been through my own transformation. You see, I’m a woman with a transsexual history.

Now I know what you’re thinking. There are lots of trans guys and women out there now and maybe it’s not such a big deal anymore. Join most any group or go out on Church St most Saturday nights and you’ll see at least a couple of trans people. I’m different though and it has nothing to do with my involvement with large sums of money, a doctor and a cuisinart! You see… I’m the person who just walked by you in the street or sat beside you in the movie theatre. I’m just a woman. Once you get past the whole binary gender construct and just start seeing people as people instead of someone with this set of genitals or that set, you realize that there are an infinite number of points on the gender spectrum. Some of us are comfortable with where we are and others have found or are in the process of finding their own spot. And all are equal and all deserve our respect. My place is that of a woman who had a medical issue some years ago, dealt with it and moved on, however I still remember how incredibly hard it was to be trans. The struggles, the fear and the shame.

So now I try to make the world a better place for everyone, including trans individuals by working as a diversity trainer, community activist and columnist.

Looking forward, I think you’ll find this blog to be a place where I do some education around trans issues, talk about the challenges of transition, particularly in a VERY corporate environment and some of the negotiations I struggle with as I try to maintain my personal privacy around trans while still trying to make it easier for those coming behind me.