Comments on fem.men.ist: Thoughts on Jamaica, Masculinity, Performing Gende...

I was already planning to go to the White Horse (A...

2009-08-04T16:47:32.829-07:00

I was already planning to go to the White Horse (America's 2nd oldest gay bar, right here in Oakland!) tonight with a friend for some karaoke, which made me think about our conversation about masculinity and sexual identity.
(Considering I'll be wearing my sparkle shirt and singing Queen in a gay bar, I'll find it understandable when everyone assumes I am gay)

Now that I read this entry, it reminds me that I have yet to wear my new pair of high heels (which, unlike the pair I wore to my high school prom, actually FIT!).
Now I am looking forward for an excuse to bust them out of the closet (no pun intended)

Thank you for this.

hey aimee, that link is broke...

2008-05-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

hey aimee, that link is broke...

heh! will sit with that, they are definitely quest...

2008-04-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

heh! will sit with that, they are definitely questions that make one think! right now i am mentally and logistically preparing for doing the Walk Against Rape tomorrow, will revisit this later :)

Thanks Richard - don't suppose I can tempt you to ...

2008-04-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks Richard - don't suppose I can tempt you to complete the HIMAN dancing questionnaire? If you have time and inclination to answer send it to me at
transpontine@btinternet.com and I will post it (anybody else too).

1. Can you remember your first experience of dancing?
2. What’s the most interesting/significant thing that has happened to you while out dancing?
3. You. Dancing. The best of times…
4. You. Dancing. The worst of times…
5. Can you give a quick tour of the different dancing scenes/times/places you’ve frequented?
6. When and where did you last dance?
7. You’re on your death bed. What piece of music would make your leap up for one final dance?

great blog, HIMAN! i love your definition of the p...

2008-04-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

great blog, HIMAN! i love your definition of the politics of dancing.

for anyone who clicks on this awesome blog "the politics of dancing and musicking" also peep the link to DJ Ripley who also covered my post. givin thanks for y'all.

Excellent post, I have commented on it at History ...

2008-04-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Excellent post, I have commented on it at History is Made at Night

I am so glad you posted this. I am one of those b...

2008-04-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

I am so glad you posted this. I am one of those blessed to have had conversations w/you on this topic...and as a lover-of-dance and someone constantly observing gender expression (at odds often with the impulses to move or express as felt internally), it's amazing to have a man/men reveal more about these impulses (because isn't dance an impulse from spirit? Is spirit gendered?)

There is more I want to comment, but for now, it struck me to post something from an article I wrote about the Babaylan. This is inspired by the part where you mention emulation of the Orishas. I am fascinated by the fact that in many cultures, shamans transcended gender. A bit away from the dance topic, but in line with the gender & spirit piece. This is just an introduction, but folks can read the whole article at http://www.pusod-us.org/CallofNature/2001/babaylan.html

"The unique figure of the babaylan (also called shaman, baylan, daetahan, tambalan, and manggagaway), prevalent in pre-Christian Philippine society and throughout Southeast Asia, embodies the balanced coexistence of female and male energies. While the babaylan is feminine, she functions differently than most women do in a patriarchal society. On the physical level, men who become babaylan take on the feminine appearance by dressing in feminine clothing. Sometimes the babaylan is a hermaphrodite, literally possessing both female and male sexual properties..."

man, that was so beautifully said.i'm feelin 100% ...

2008-04-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

man, that was so beautifully said.

i'm feelin 100% of everything you said.

if you have ideas you would like to contribute to this blog, just holla.

I remember a specific night, on a dance floor, hou...

2008-04-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

I remember a specific night, on a dance floor, house pumping, I let myself go, and I learned to dance, by mimicking a woman. It was a sort of lightness that I had never "performed." I remember going to Shelter and something similar happening.

Some house asks the dancer to embody a sort principal of acceptance. The same principal that informs the ecstatic possession of Jimi or Prince in the midst of a solo. To know the ecstasy requires that one let the sound "enter" one's self.

I have watched other young men walk up to this line, subconsciously holding on to a sort of policed gender in terms of their movement. Standing on the wall, head nodding. Even some of the dancers who star in the ciphers resist "crossing."
Straight males have step across this imaginary line in order to understand the possibilities of the music.

ish! wassup empress!! so good to hear from you! an...

2008-04-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

ish! wassup empress!! so good to hear from you! and thank you for your kind words. wondering when i might get to hear you spit some of your lovely and powerful words on the mic! hmmm... think i need to add someone's website to the community links section...

hey richard ~ beautifully written piece! thank you...

2008-04-21T23:04:00.000-07:00

hey richard ~
beautifully written piece! thank you for your thoughtful spiritual insights. you gave me a new appreciation for house music and the community it builds thru movement, freedom, sensuality, and dance.

peace,
ishle

yup. Lukas thursday nite=good times. sadly my mot...

2008-04-18T10:24:00.000-07:00

yup. Lukas thursday nite=good times. sadly my motivation wanes after a work day so my outings are sporadic at best. even in non-profit work, the day can drain. this is when peer pressure to dance can be beneficial. :)

thanks diana! glad you were feelin it :) I enjoyed...

2008-04-18T00:53:00.000-07:00

thanks diana! glad you were feelin it :) I enjoyed reminiscing, writing it and putting it out there. heh, i enjoyed our last dance experience too!

and thanks for your comment too michelle! you're a regular now :) i agree, i think more young folks need to experience something like this. I know there are queer youth centers in Oakland that throw balls/dances where kids can play with gender in a safe communal space, but whew, hetero folks need to stretch too. badly. but yes, you should getcher dance on! have you done the thursday Luka's thing?? its the closest to this experience that one can get in the East Bay that i can think of. I was all ready to go and get open on the floor tonite, especially after seeing all the YouTube links of house dance battles and stuff, but after seeing some good spoken word at La Peña and dinner and getting home at 12:30... yeah. gnite! so yes, have u been?

amazing to have that experience of playing with ge...

2008-04-17T22:08:00.000-07:00

amazing to have that experience of playing with gender identity in safety, community & fun. if more folks had that safe space, esp young, we'd mitigate gender rigidity, judgment & fear. thanks for the share. my teens were soo not that fun, but it was great to hear about yours. obviously, i need to get my dance on.

thanks, fflood! i love this piece.

2008-04-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

thanks, fflood! i love this piece.