6/9/10

Dallas Voice Interview of Protesters at Ft Worth "Ticked Off Tra**ies with Knives"



First interview is Pamela Curry, health activist. Pamela is a loyal friend and advocate to all who find themselves discriminated against, but she doesn't call herself a "transgender advocate" and she will correct you if do do. I think whatever she calls herself she is one awesome person.

Next to speak is my pastor, Curtis Smith. I love this mans bravery and courage. After learning about this movie he brought me to speak in front of the "Would Jesus Discriminate" council comprised of our MCC Church's where it was decided unanimously to buy a FULL page in the Dallas Voice and express there love and support for there transgender parishioners. Curtis is truly one of the few, the brave and the blessed.

Next is a cisgender male, Gary Lidell, a female impersonator whom I have never met. Our experiences as transgender and and transsexual woman really have very little in common with impersonators baring perhaps our earliest days of going "full time", before our skills and personalities had not had a chance to grow and mature. I like Gary though, he has a air of sincerity about him and he is part of of our rainbow.

Lastly is a interview with myself. As you can tell we had been out in the 100 degree heat all day and that really served to get may juices going so I was pretty animated, maybe to much so I had thought immediately following the interview.

The last splice segmented me into a disjointed conversation stating "that's the reaction I get from gay men".

What you didn't hear.

The interviewer had just asked me "What do you find most offensive, the tittle or the content of TO#WK".

I answered him with a question, "What would you find more offensive about a movie called 'F@ggots chained, dragged to death behind cars'? The name, the content or that I could could fill theaters with homophobes, institute discussions normalizing the word f@ggot after screenings, or my me saying gay people should be proud of the word "f@ggot" get over it and claim it?"

And whats wrong with a little body dragging as long as we can have a discussion about it?

The interviewer lost his affable smile, his features clouding with anger and the small space between us became became charged with tension. That's when I said "That's the reaction I get from gay men" because in a instant I had demolished his detached sense of security, I had made us mutual owners equally responsible for the letter "T" in "them transgender" and made this interview as personal to him as it was to me.

I would ask the Dallas Voice, you are the only ones to blur the word tra**y with an "@" to this point. You have long used the word "tra##y" to bait us on you blog. You claim a right to do so because you beleive there is nothing wrong with the word, it is empowering and we should "own it".

You have admitted by your own actions by replacing the "a" with the symbol @ in Tra**y that you acknowledge that the transgender people find this word highly offensive yet you superciliously slap us in the face by inserting a symbol @ in the place of the letter a.

That is the same as me writing smugly about the movie 'F@ggots chained dragged to death behind cars' and feeling smugly justified in having blurred the letter a in faggot with @.

Gay Misogynists, I know you hate that I am an you face advocate for transgender dignity and respect, well thats tough. We did not ask for your hate. We could have lived longer and happier lives without you.

Israel Luna should know this. What you have done is an injustice that we will not forget or forgive. Wherever your movie goes there will be two or three transgender people out front, protesting and educating about it.

Where ever.

6/8/10

"TOXIC TO*WK Clearinghouse" to Warn, Inform, Advocate, Protest

TOXIC TO#WK clearinghouse is a outreach to transgender organizations and indivuadals who wish to make a premtive move to stop "Ticked off tra**ies with knives" from being shown at local Film Festivals and a resource for those who need to protest and educate at venues screening TO#WK.

TOXIC TO#WK Clearinghouse was founded to warn, inform, advocate and lastly, protest.

TOXIC TO#WK Clearinghouse establishes contact with Transgender organizations country wide and informs them about the toxicity of TO*WK.

TOXIC TO#WK Clearinghouse will provide suggestions on pro trans movies and the steps needed to have these movies shown instead of TO#WK.

Mission: TO#WK Clearinghouse will provide suggestions on protest/educational material and historical information if requested from Transgender groups.

"TOXIC TO*WK Clearinghouse"

6/7/10

Metropolitan Community Churches Supports Protesters of "Ticked Off Tra**ies With Knives"


The MCC's of the DFW bought this full page of the Dallas Voices June 4th print edition so their unedited message of love and support for transgender people would be heard loud and clear.

*************

Dear Dallas Voice Readers:

The recent release of Ticked-Off Tra**ies With Knives (TO*WK) has sparked both critical acclaim and public outcry. This movie positions itself in the Transgender narrative and is highlighted in local Dallas-Fort Worth LGBT community venues. We the Metropolitan Community Churches that make up the Dallas-Fort Worth “Would Jesus Discriminate? WhyWouldWe.org” Campaign; wish to state our position of support to our Transgender Sisters and Brothers.

MCC churches have been in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area over 40 years. Since our beginning, MCC churches have been at the vanguard of civil and human rights movements and addressing the important issues of racism, sexism, homophobia, ageism, and other forms of oppression. We are called as Christians to stand in solidarity with those that are marginalized and oppressed, and to be partners with those for change.

From the MCC Statement of Purpose: “At MCC, we believe that Jesus led the way in acts of compassion and acts of justice. Because we have been a people in the margins of society, we understand fully the grace that God has extended to us. We seek to distance ourselves from exclusion and draw ourselves closer to including all those who are marginalized in any way. We stand boldly with those who resist the structures of exclusion, as Jesus did, and work to insure freedom for all people. In the margins, we are blessed.”

Transgender people and the transgender experience lack adequate representation in legitimate cinema. Therefore, the potential for negative stereotyping damage is exponentially multiplied in that:
“The film, its title and its marketing misrepresent the lives of transgender women and use grotesque, exploitative depictions of violence against transgender women in ways that make light of the horrific brutality they all too often face.” (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Call to Action, March 25, 2010)

We know there is power in our words, either to heal or harm. The names we call ourselves and allow others to call us can be either inspiring or devastating. “Tranny” is a pejorative word. The cavalier usage of insulting and derogatory words in media (movie titles and newspapers included) is unacceptable.

We understand that Q Cinema (Fort Worth’s GLBT Film Festival) will be featuring this film during their festival. We understand that there will also be positive and pro-trans films and shorts featured the same weekend, including the documentary "Would Jesus Discriminate?” featuring some of our local MCC churches.

Before and during the screening of TO*WK, we choose to stand with those that will participate in an Informational Rally/ Protest. We respect Q Cinema and Mr. Luna’s rights to feature this movie, we also respect that many (even some from our churches) may choose to watch it. The Director and Q Cinema have invited us and others with opposition to this movie to sit on an educational panel Sunday Afternoon. We appreciate and accept that extension of hospitality.

We encourage those that choose to view the film, to use their God-given conscience and in the future endeavor to understand and support the transgender community and other marginalized peoples in more positive engagements. Please understand that it is only fictional entertainment and not a complete and true narrative of transgender people and the real violence they too often face.

Truth and TO$WK Scorching Sunday Edition: No place to Hide.

Our intense methods employed to protest of TO$WK demanded the full attention of the morally responsible theater goers, made others angry and sent a few scurrying away in fear like mice from a feline telling of truth and humanity.


The ghosts of the sidewalk, now impressed permanently into the souls of Q Cinema patrons held memorized in the blistering sun, unmoving, while learning of the horrors of their demise. "They are OUR sisters" I heard myself and others repeating "who were used by Luna as a cheap advertising ploy to promote his unrepentant reprehensible grab for cash."

We drew the outlines of our murdered sisters there to instill a sense of reverence and reality to those patrons who questioned us about them....

It was extremly effective as most all of the patrons had no idea we are getting murdered at a rate of over two per week and the way to$wk's violent images further endangers us by empowering those who may have otherwise not acted on impulses to harm us. It was extremly effective in opening a direct pathway to peoples hearts as we explained why we objected to this movie.

I am fully aware that we will never advance in equality without our LGB community, I love them and value them. I pray with our community weekly and they supported us in this protest because we are there sisters and brothers. This was not a attack on the gay and lesbian people, but a statement protesting Israel Luna's movie.

We will not be silent in the face of tyranny. There are people all across our county who see this as a campaign for human dignity and women's well being.

TO$WK will be protested and educated about where ever it goes by a ever widening swath of society led and inspired by some of the most passionate human rights campaigners, transpeeps!


kelli anne Busey
June 7, 2010

6/5/10

Protesting Educating and Opening Hearts at Q Cinema TO$WK Saturday Edition

Today, we transgender advocates and allies, sisters and brothers gathered together at Q Cinema in Fort Worth. It was HOT but our message was even hotter. We were there protest and Educate about "Ticked Off Tra**nies With Knives"

We needed to help the patrons of Q Cinema to understand how damaging this movie is to the transgender community and instill in them a intimate experience in 30 seconds of being in close emotional contact with a transgender person.

We wanted to make this experience real and for the moments before they entered the building one that they would always remember as the most powerful, meaningful moment when asked by anyone, well how was it? (comments heard often from patrons "They said there would be awful protesters outside but you people are so nice")

Many were so unbelievable sensitive and receptive to our concerns when after the protest, the police commented to me on how peaceful the protesters were I told her "It was peaceful thanks to the patrons, they were so nice."

This held true for most, save the few transgender woman that entered the building. I was abused by some with divisive name calling and even one telling me to "SHUT UP"!

That energized me like a thousand volt shock sending me parading again down the side walk laughing because every protest I have ever participated I was never told to "SHUT UP". Well ladies I didn't and will not acquiescent to your demand.

Future protesters of TO$WK. Contact your local police department and ask them to define the laws that govern public gatherings.

In Fort Worth Texas you do not need a permit and you are within your rights to protest as long as you stay on public property and do not impede the public or block entrances or exists to buildings. Vital to know!

When we arrived in front of the building a Q Cinema attendant officially tried to tell us where we could protest at, which was a building down from the front of there building.

After he finished, I looked him in the eye and told him "Thanks for your input but we will be protesting directly anywhere we want to as long as we do not violate any laws mentioned above. He became extremly agitated and told us he was going to call the police.

Imagine his response when he saw me drawing ghost outlines with chalk on the sidewalks! He was livid and told me to stop, that I was defacing public property, was going to get arrested, well I kept on drawing.

The police just looked on and the little man scurried back inside his building.

After the protest and Q Cinema was only able to fill 3/4 of their seats a theater representative invited everyone to see the movie FREE OF CHARGE! I was not present at for that invitation probably by design because it was made in a attempt to subvert and humiliate should everyone accept.

NOT ONE SOUL ACCEPTED. They told him if it comes on TV I still would not watch this horrendous movie.

We owned the day. The message is ours. The protest was a fantastic success.

We will be back Sunday,