It’s heartwarming to see all of the blog posts since Friday titled “Transgender Day of Remembrance.” I follow blogs with WordPress.com’s “Tag Surfer” feature, which selects blogs based on tags and categories. One tag/category I follow is “transgender” and today there is post after post tagged transgender and relating thoughts on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which was Friday, November 20. Here is my post with this title.
So Thursday, the TGAW activity was a special production of Transcriptions, the gender queer open mic event I attend sometimes. At Transcriptions last week, Penny had encouraged me not only to attend this one, but to bring a piece to read. She suggested that since it was the day before TDOR, that maybe something lighter would be nice. That was apparently all the encouragement I needed. I read “Born in the Wrong Body” as roughly copied in my previous journal entry.
I wrote the first draft of this over drinks at Charlie’s last week after leaving Transcriptions, came home and tested it on Alyson. I could see by her reaction that it needed work. I mulled it over over the week, always thinking I should rewrite it, and practice delivery in front of the video camera, but of course I never did. Instead I scrawled revisions on top of the original on the train ride downtown last night, arrived at the event at exactly the starting time, and then furiously copied my revision to a clean piece of paper as the first readers took the mic. I finished copying just before my name was called. Nothing like doing homework at the last minute.
Before reading, I ad-libbed a bit about the background behind me. Instead of the usual location in JP, that night’s special Transcriptions was being held in DTX, coincidentally right across the street from Wig World. The mic was set up in front of the all glass store front, so the audience saw as backdrop for the performers, the huge sign across the street saying “Wig World”, the large neon sign in the window screaming “Wigs”, and, if you looked into the darkened window, rows of wigs displayed on styrofoam heads. I thought it was hilarious, and couldn’t resist pointing it out to the audience, saying I thought it was fitting, and adding that I had personally bought a couple of my favorite wigs from that store.
One little thing I learned from my reading in front of Alyson was not to overact. I tried to read at a level of emotion that I felt I could do authentically. This nevertheless brought my voice close to cracking a few times. I think it was the best I could do without practice. Gosh, I was showered with compliments later. It was almost embarrassing.
I may have a chance to see my performance some day. The whole event, including my reading, was filmed for a college project to produce a documentary. I do hope the project comes together and produces something good. I expect to be horrified at my presentation, but I want to watch it anyway. Also as part of the documentary, they interviewed a few of the readers, me included.
That was Thursday. Friday I met Alyson at her office downtown and we went to TDOR together. We took the Green Line to the Packard’s Corner stop to meet some friends for dinner. There were actually ten or so of us that met at the 88 Market..I can’t remember everyone now, as I don’t know these people too well… There was Calyb, who kind of loosely organized the dinner. Trish (or Trisha?), Moe, Theodora, Jesse, Mel, Alyson, me…a couple of others, I’m sure. I had spring rolls on vermicelli and a papaya bubble tea.
The TDOR service was just across the street. As more and more people filed in, I was impressed at how many more people were attending this night than the TDOR I attended three years ago. The candle light vigil this year was a fairly long walk–about 3/4 mile–then the reading of names, then the same walk back to the church. Like three years ago, there were a number of questions from curious people on the street. I heard of one negative comment; I didn’t hear it personally. With a much larger group, and with the different setting, it wasn’t quite as somber as three years ago, but was still quite moving. After the walk back, there was hot cider and *lots* of cookies and snacks back at the church. We each spent some time mingling and chatting with friends.
Later, home in bed, Alyson and I fell asleep to each other’s sugar twitches.
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