All Posts in “Activism”

Text of Keynote Address to Western Regional Queer Conference, ’08

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Hey there. Long time, no write.

I’ve just returned home from tour. I’ve been either on the road or in the hospital (woo-hoo!) from September up to now. Touring and writing are activities that demand all of me, so I don’t do both at the same time. So, I’m back. To everything, there is a season. This seems to be the season for writing.

While I was on the road this year, I either performed my solo show, “On Men, Women, and The Rest of Us,” or I delivered some sort of keynote address. The show is a cut-n-paste piece—drawn from all my favorite words to read/perform at that moment.

The keynote address is something that evolves over the course of months, even years. I spoke the latest version of something I’m working on at the 2008 Western Regional Queer Conference, hosted by UCLA. So, I’m including the text here because this is as far as I’ve gotten with it. The conference theme was “Viva the Queervolution!” Some conference attendees asked me to make my keynote text available, so here it is.

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Gay Pride ’07

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Gay_pride_danceGreetings from New York City. I’m writing this on Saturday, June 23rd. It’s the day before the big Pride parade here. Lots of proud lesbian women, and a whole lot of proud gay men, as well as a healthy sprinkling of proud bisexual folks, and a nice assortment of proud transgender people. A lot of people turn out for Gay Day in New York, and the weather is supposed to be fairy-tale appropriate: sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. I won’t be going. I’m proud of a lot of things in my life, but it doesn’t seem that I’m proud of what I’m supposed to be proud of.

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The Queerest of the Queer—in America’s Heartland!

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AmazinggroupbykarilynnI’ve just returned from a visit to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. I was there as part of a trans-awareness weekend, which included an amazing drag show which included participation by one of the fraternities on campus, and and a genderfuck party in the frat house later. I was happy to hang out with a collection of perfectly delightful queers of all genders, sexualities, and persuasions.

Top Row, Left to Right: Kelli, Mercedes, Kate, Haley, Will, Maddie. Front Row, Left to Right: Ellen, Kari (the photographer), Courtney, Rachael

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“One Less” Is a Lot More

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Oneless_image
This is gonna be a weird Xmas Eve posting, but fuck it. It’s important. Merck & Co. (not my favorite big drug company) seems to be doing a very good and important thing: they’ve just released a vaccine called Gardasil, and it could be the greatest thing since sliced tissue samples. Gardasil is currently the only vaccination against cervical cancer, and that’s great news! What’s more, the company has launched a PR campaign called "One Less," aimed at girls and young women, promoting the vaccine; and you hafta agree: one less case of cervical cancer would be a great thing indeed.

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Ugly Ducklings: scary fairy tale with a happy ending

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Hghw_logo Okay, here are some sobering statistics for ya. They may not be surprising, but the numbers sure scare me.

According to Sexual Information Council of the United States:
41.7% of LGBTQ youth do not feel safe in their school.
28% of queer teens drop out of school annually. That’s three times the national average.

And according to 2005 report from Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
95% of school counseling services have few or no gay, lesbian or bisexual resources. And…
99% of school counseling services have little or no transgender resources.

Thank goodness there are national campaigns like Ugly Ducklings, run by Hardy Girls Healthy Women, out there actually doing something about this quiet horror.

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Katenypubliclibrary2

shameless self-promotion. live with it.

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Katenypubliclibrary2I’m sorry. I haven’t posted here recently. I’m in the thick of booking my college, university, high school and conference touring season. I’ve been writing a fuck of a lot, just not here. I’m sorry. I am. I’m still trying to figure out how to keep this blog updated and interesting, while keeping my other online spots up to date, and still have room for a life.

I would surely appreciate your help on the having-a-life part.

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Rogers

and now some encouraging words from mr. rogers

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RogersOn this past Monday, Labor Day, I gave a welcome-to-school talk to First-Years at Hampshire College, as a guest of their Office of Student Development. And just last night I gave the keynote welcome address to new and returning LGBTQ&A Students at New York University, as a guest of the NYU Office of LGBT Student Services. What a rush! I felt truly welcome at both schools, and I met some brave and awfully fun students who I’m now in touch with on my myspace page.
Makes me feel really good about the future.
 

But now I’m exhausted, and I‘m letting Mr. Rogers describe the kind of world that probably would be equally welcoming to both you and me and gosh just about everyone else I can think of, even and maybe especially Mr. President himself. Wouldja be my neighbor, George?

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Ahmadinejadinpulpit

Will Bush Go After Ahmadinejad for His Denunciation of Liberal Educators?

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Ahmadinejadinpulpit
It’s back to school in Iran, too. But Ahmadinejad is welcoming Iran’s students back with a challenge:

"Today, students should shout at the president and ask why liberal and secular university lecturers are present in the universities!"

SEEING THE FOREST For the Trees
has an interesting take on this, comparing the fundamentalist Iranian
regime with fundamentalist US Republicans. But I think Bush and Company are in
a bind. Are they actually going to defend the liberal and secular professors in Iran? Can’t wait to see that!

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No Child Left Behind… Indeed!

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Nochildleftbehindbyusa_1
Happy Labor Day weekend. I’m home working on some talks i’m going to be delivering next week: Monday, Sept. 4th I’m at Hampshire College as part of Orientation Week for new incoming students and all first-years. Then, on Wednesday, Sept. 6th, I’m at NYU, speaking to newly incoming and returning LGBTQ students as part of their welcome back party. I’m looking forward to both engagments. So for a few days, I’m going to post some old favorites, stuff I like that maybe you haven’t seen.

"No Child Left Behind" is a theme I’ve been grappling with. This article is from a piece I did for the GLBT Pride Week edition of Seattle’s The Stranger. Surely, you must be a fan of Dan Savage! So, plunk the magic twanger that is your "read more" button, to read my message for Pride just the way I turned it in to Dan, right before the paper went to press.

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Fly High, Enjoy the Burn: The Icarus Project

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Fly_high_enjoy_the_burn_4"Creating a new culture and language for people with manic depression and related madness."

The Icarus Project

I met Sascha Scatter and some other members of the New York branch of The Icarus Project at a reading I did at Bluestockings Books in New York City. I was there for the release of my new book, Hello, Cruel World, this past July. Now, Sascha and I are friends on myspace and we’re plotting to take over the world via the group ze’s part of: The Icarus Project. From the group’s website:

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