Lately, I’ve been on a binge of poetry videos, and I thought I’d mix some up here to share with you.

My suggestion: If you are uncomfortable with performances that contain queer references blasting out of your speakers……use headphones.

That was Dakota Camacho — on Myspace and Youtube.

Marty McConnell questions the revolution on a very popular poetry tv show. If you like what you see/hear, plenty more available here. I like the videos of female figureheads(?) who have passed away, speaking to contemporary pop culture stars. Or, start here, a poem about gay domestic violence.

Followed by Paul Mabon (very into audience participation, this one).

Regie Cabico, who also gets a bit angry about the kind of guys who are attracted to him.

Digression: If “You bring out the [noun] in me” sounds like a familiar sentence in poetry by now, it might be due to Sandra Cisneros’ “You Bring Out the Mexican in Me“.

For other examples, check out Bao Phi’s You bring out the Vietnamese in me; or queer poet Maiana Minahal’s You bring out the Filipina in me.

For poetry somehow a bit closer to home, Sharanya Manivannan’s You bring out the Sri Lankan in me (she performed regularly in KL, before moving to Madras and helping to organise the first Chennai LGBT pride parade).

A court in India recently overturned a law used to criminalise same sex relationships, by the way.

Skim, on the damages of hate. For more of Skim, I found another video here, a Myspace account, a new blog and a Facebook page.

Sarah Dopp, who also engagingly discusses queer identities, andgender, sexuality and mom. Sarah Dopp also runs a wonderful website called Genderfork. I’m personally very attracted to the Profiles section, because I get to check other people out (ie: almost be a creepy internet perve, but it doesn’t count if you don’t google anybody!).

And finally, for those with a Youtube account (and who are older than 18), you can watch Ernesto Sarewale perform in the buff, waxing poetic about Her Penis.

Image used for call for entries

BODY 2 BODY
Writings on Alternative Sexuality in Malaysia

Edited by Jerome Kugan and Pang Khee Teik

Published by Matahari Books

Yes, you read that right. Malaysia has its very own queer anthology.

For a feel of what the book may be like, you can read the submission guidelines that were released earlier.

Contents:
Introduction
1. What Do Gay People Eat? – Brian Gomez
2. Breathing Pure Oxygen – Cheryl Leong
3. Roommates: Not A Love Story – Sharil Dewa
4. The Wedding Present – Sonia Randhawa
5. The Man From Berali Carpets – Maya Tan Abdullah
6. And I Love You – Hwa Yi Xing
7. Hafiz’s Dilemma – Ann Lee
8. Dude, Don’t Tell Me – Kung Khai Jhun
9. The Friendship Dictator – Faizad Nik Abdul Aziz
10. Muslim 2 Muslim – Shanon Shah
11. Cream Of The Crop – Pang Khee Teik
12. Pirate Girl – Marisa Repin
13. Good Job – O Thiam Chin
14. Harry Is Dead – Shih-Li Kow
15. The Old Fig Council – Zed Adam
16. The Wives Story – Tan May Lee
17. Have You Seen My Son? – Abirami Durai
18. Friends Of Everyone – Julya Oui
19. Monsoon Massage – Paul GnanaSelvam
20. Queering The Meme – Ray Langenbach
21. In Search Of – Ho Sui-Jim
  22. Alvin – Jerome Kugan
23. Sunset – Azharr Rudin

Seems quite a few lovely friends of mine are involved in this book (no, I’m not getting paid to pimp this out). For those of you around KL, you can keep an eye out for the booklaunch in Annexe, Central Market during Seksualiti Merdeka, 12th-16th August 2009.

The rest of us can already pre-order Body 2 Body from Amazon.com.

All Matahari Books titles are available in major bookstores, so Body 2 Body should be as well, bar any insanities from the authorities. Otherwise, Amazon.com carries all their titles.

As a part of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the theatre community gives back to society by putting up an extravagant burlesque show. Lots of skin in the name of charity!

A mix of genders may perform, but men are the ones who shine in this show. Watch Daniel Robinson get it on in Broadway Bares 2009 — Tight End:

I would usually warn that the video is NSFW, but with that video preview, it seems relatively self-explanatory.

More videos available from Youtube: BroadwayBares2008.

The showstopper from 2008 was apparently Matthew Morrison’s Humpty performance, which you can watch here:

You may recognise him as Sir Harry in the latest film rendition of Once Upon a Mattress. If you think he’s dreamy, look out for his cameo in musical theatre comedy series on Youtube, The Battery’s Down.

Catch more of Broadway Bares from the official website (hint: Media, Videos section).

Mr. JVR Prasada Rao, Director, Regional Support Team, Asia and the Pacific, Joint United Nations
Program on AIDS (UNAIDS), added, “the 9th ICAAP promises to be an even better and bigger conference
than previous ICAAPs. There will be evidence-based discussion on whether Universal Access can be an
achievable goal by 2010 for many countries in Asia and the Pacific. Every facet of the epidemic and the
region’s responses are featured in the wide array of session and activities.”

The congress will take place at the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC) in Nusa Dua, and is
scheduled to be officially opened on 9 August by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Mr. Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono, in a ceremony at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park.

ICAAP is a biennial gathering for the release and discussion of scientific, programmatic and policy
developments in the global response to HIV/AIDS and is convened by AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP).

In his message to the 9th ICAAP, Professor Myung-Hwan Cho, President of ASAP said that
“Indonesia has been given the opportunity to take bold and innovative steps n support of the regional
response to HIV and AIDS. Countries of Asia and other regions will be waiting to see Indonesia take the lead.”

According to the Independent Commission on AIDS in Asia (2008), AIDS remains the most likely cause of
death and loss of work days among people aged 15 to 44. The number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Asia in 2007 is an estimated 5 million, with a number of new infections (380,000) comparatively speaking equal to the number of people who died from AIDS-related illnesses (380,000). In Oceania an estimated 740,000 people were living with HIV in 2007 of which 13,000 were new infections.

Reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on HIV and AIDS requires all member countries to
halt and reverse the spread of the epidemic by 2015; this includes the Universal Access target of 2010 whereby all those who need treatment should also receive it, and the urgency to strengthen each country’s health system to ensure effective delivery of services and response.

Mr Rao continued, “what is really impressive is that the conference will showcase the immense progress
made by community groups, working together and in partnership with government and other partners, in
spearheading the response in many countries in the Asia Pacific region.”

Similar to previous ICAAPs, sessions will be divided into Plenary Sessions where distinguished
researchers, community leaders and policy specialists share the latest information and experiences; 24 symposia on topics such as addressing legal barriers and criminalization of at-risk populations, and a leadership session for delegates from the Pacific region; 64 oral sessions on topics related to prevention, care support and treatment of HIV and AIDS, understanding socio-cultural, economic and political determinants in the AIDS response, and on leadership.

Besides these, 32 skills-building workshops will also be held to help delegates improve various skills that
can apply to their daily work; Satellite Meetings and Exhibitions showcase the efforts of civil society and the private sector in the response to HIV and AIDS.
Distinguished guest speakers will include Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director; Michel Kazatchkine, Director of the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM); Kyung-Wha Kang, UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights; Dr Nafiz Sadik, Special Envoy for AIDS in Asia and the Pacific; Myung Hwan Cho, President of AIDS Society of Asia and Pacific (ASAP) and representatives from Seven Sisters, Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV (APN+), Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), CARAM Asia, Asian Harm Reduction Network (AHRN), APCASO, APN Rainbow.

A Community Forum will also take place before the congress on 7–8 August, where various communities
each have their own conference to identify and share common issues and experiences. Seven
communities will be represented including people living with HIV (PLHIV); Injecting Drug Users (IDU);
Interfaith; Men who have sex with Men (MSM) and Transgender; Sex Workers; Women, including
Lesbians; and Youth.

The Asia-Pacific Village will be a friendly, fun and colorful venue to celebrate the region’s diversity, with arts and music performances, small group discussions, informal education activities, and regional stalls selling handicrafts and snacks made by people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.

The Asia-Pacific Village will be open to the general public. Prior to the official opening ceremony on 9 August, a high-level meeting of AIDS Ambassadors will be held, co-hosted by the First Lady and National AIDS Ambassador, Mrs. Ani Bambang Yudhoyono, and AIDS Ambassador of Australia, Murray Proctor. The AIDS Ambassador’s Meeting will address the role of AIDS Ambassadors in the region in mobilizing greater action and accountability for the response.

For more information, please contact:
Ika Nazaruddin
Pacto Convex
Ph 62-21 571-9973
Ika_nazar@cbn.net.id
Elis Widen
Congress Coordinator
Ph 62-21 571-9973
elis.widen@icaap9.org
Ristya Paramita
Public Information Officer
Ph. 62-21-39838845/46
ristya.paramita@icaap9.org

The California Supreme Court upheld a ban on same-sex marriage today, ratifying a decision made by voters last year that runs counter to a growing trend of states allowing the practice.

The decision, however, preserves the 18,000 marriages performed between the court’s decision last May that same-sex marriage was lawful and the passage by voters in November of Proposition 8, which banned it. Supporters of the proposition argued that the marriages should no longer be recognized.

Today’s decision, written by Chief Justice Ronald M. George for a 6-to-1 majority, said that same-sex couples still have the right to civil unions, which gives them the ability to “choose one’s life partner and enter with that person into a committed, officially recognized, and protected family relationship that enjoys all of the constitutionally based incidents of marriage.” But the justices said that the voters had clearly expressed their will to limit the formality of marriage to heterosexual couples.

Heated reaction to the decision began immediately, with protestors blocking traffic in front of San Francisco City Hall, their hands locked.

The same court had ruled in May that same-sex couples enjoyed the same fundamental “right to marry” as heterosexual couples. That sweeping 4-3 decision provoked a backlash from opponents that led to Proposition 8, which garnered 52 percent of the vote last November after a bitter electoral fight.

The opinion marks a new round in the long-running battle in California over the issue, and will almost certainly lead to a counter-initiative intended to overturn Proposition 8, which changed the state constitution, as early as next year.

The opinion focused on whether the use of a voter initiative to narrow constitutional rights under Proposition 8 went too far.

Supporters of same-sex marriage, who filed several suits challenging the proposition, argued that the change to the state’s constitution was so fundamental that the initiative was not an amendment to the constitution but a “revision,” a term for measures that rework core constitutional principles.

Revisions, under California law, cannot be decided through a simple signature drive and majority vote, which is what led to Proposition 8; they can only be placed on the ballot with a two-thirds vote by the legislature.

It has historically been rare, however, for the state’s courts to overturn initiatives on the ground that they are actually revisions, and many legal scholars deemed the challenge against Proposition 8 a long shot.

The question of whether Proposition 8 was an amendment or revision was the centerpiece of the oral arguments before the State Supreme Court during its hearing on March 5.

The justices who had issued the ringing support of same-sex marriage in 2008 presented a far less supportive front during the three-hour hearing. A number of justices who had voted in the majority in the 2008 case, particularly Joyce L. Kennard, strongly suggested in their questions from the bench that they were reluctant to overturn the will of the voters or to undercut the initiative process.

The justices had seemed to be seeking a middle ground that would allow the rights they had affirmed the year before to be preserved in the form of civil unions, which would be different from marriage in name only. Justice Kennard suggested that the substantive rights of gays were the same after the proposition, and all that had changed was “the label of marriage.”

That distinction was deeply dissatisfying to an attorney for plaintiffs, Shannon Minter, who argued that without the right to the word “marriage,” same-sex couples would find “our outsider status enshrined in our Constitution.”

In the months since the case was argued, three other states have legalized same-sex marriage. On April 3, Iowa’s supreme court struck down a state statute that limited civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman — and cited California’s 2008 decision repeatedly in support of its ruling. Less than a week later, the Vermont Legislature narrowly overrode a veto by Gov. Jim Douglas of a bill that allowed same-sex couples to marry. Then on May 6, Maine’s legislature, too, passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, and Gov. John Baldaci signed it.

Initiatives are also moving forward in New York and New Jersey; a similar measure has stalled in the New Hampshire legislature by a slim margin this month, but could come up for a new vote next month.

At the same time, attitudes of Americans toward same-sex marriage favor liberalization of the practice. In an April CBS/New York Times poll, 42 percent of those surveyed favored same-sex marriage, up from 21 percent at election time in 2004, when it was a wedge issue during the presidential campaign. That poll suggests the trend will continue into the future: 57 percent of the respondents favored legal recognition for same-sex marriage, compared with 31 percent of respondents over the age of 40.

The language of Chief Justice George’s decision seemed almost regretful, as he wrote that “our task in the present proceeding is not to determine whether the provision at issue is wise or sound as a matter of policy or whether we, as individuals, believe it should be a part of the California Constitution.” Instead, he wrote, “our role is limited to interpreting and applying the principles and rules embodied in the California Constitution, setting aside our own personal beliefs and values.”

Picture taken from Queerty.com

From the Guardian.

SINGAPORE (AP) — The gay community in tightly controlled Singapore held its first-ever rally Saturday, taking advantage of looser laws on public gatherings to call for equality.

About 2,500 participants wore pink clothing, played music and sang songs at a park known as Speaker’s Corner, said organizer Pink Dot, which represents Singapore’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

“This is a great opportunity for us to make our pitch for the equal treatment of the LGBT community in Singapore,” said Roy Tan, a Pink Dot spokesman.

Singapore’s government has become more tolerant toward gays and lesbians in recent years, but sodomy is still illegal, Tan said.

Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng told the state-owned New Paper on Friday that gay people “have a place in our society” but warned they must “not assert themselves stridently as gay groups do in the West.”

The government eased a ban on public demonstrations last year, encouraging Singaporeans to air grievances at Speaker’s Corner as long as they don’t discuss race, language or religion. The government says public discussion of those subjects could enflame passions and create instability in the multiethnic city-state.

Last year, Singaporean investors met at the park after losing money on structured notes issued by Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.

I came out of the cinema and upon realizing what had just happened, I froze in my tracks. “Oh wow, our book was just autographed by a S&M top hustler!” Rewind.

Richard Berkowitz is a controversial man. An activist and author, he and two friends, Michael Callen and Dr. Jo Sonnabend, can be credited for bringing about the discussion surrounding “responsible behavior” when having sex. Featured in the biopic documentary “Sex Positive”, released in March 2008, Richard oscillates between headstrong and anxious during interviews with the filmmaker. “I really feel uncomfortable. This feels like a 50 year-old man telling how he got his dick sucked in his younger days,” he said interspersedly with comments about “Everybody just used the term “safe sex” without acknowledging the work we have done.”

During the raging AIDS epidemic of the early 80s, Richard and his friend, Michael Callen, wrote in the Native that gay men should cut back on their “promiscuous” behavior so as to reduce the probability of getting infected with the disease. Through continued and repeated infection and exposure to casual sex, a person’s rate of AIDS infection becomes higher. “It’s time we take responsibility for our behavior,” Richard said. Many gay people at the time found Richard’s sentiments distasteful. Larry Kramer, whose book was nominated for a Pulitzer, engaged directly in debate with Richard and Callen on national TV.

The debates get a bit more technical. Richard, Callen, and Sonnabend were proponents of the multifactorial theory of AIDS infection whereas Kramer’s camp believed that a single agent, i.e. a virus, is responsible for the disease. Today, there is enough scientific evidence to show that a specific virus, HIV, is responsible for AIDS – although links between CMV and AIDS are still being researched on (cf. The Lancet, 2004). However, it was Richard and Callen who tried to look for a solution to counter the infection.

As the debates raged on, Richard and his camp were accused of being sex negative. This was despite the fact that Richard, as a part-time job, was a paid-for-hire S&M top. He and his team began discussing S&M and how through safe behavior, the probability of passing on the infection is low. This is when they started writing the first manual to safer sex: “How to Have Sex in an Epidemic”. It is a guide on having safer sex using protection or engaging in behavior that does not transfer bodily fluids from one to another. Richard continued advertising his services, emphasizing on “safe”: “Safe S&M Top” was his classified ad header.

The documentary ended with a question posed to several activists, healthcare practitioners, and a porn star: Have you heard of Richard Berkowitz? Many of them answered in the negative.

The documentary, however, has done a great job in introducing to us Richard Berkowitz. In an era of huge debates and personalities surrounding the AIDS epidemic, Daryl Wein, the filmmaker has seamlessly weaved several narratives into a huge emotionally-charged and affecting fabric of the earlier half of the 80s.

At the end of the movie, it turns out Richard was watching the documentary with us. He stood up for a QnA session. “Many young gay and lesbian people today think of AIDS as a developing country problem, but we forget that there are many out there who still live through each day with AIDS,” he said of what young people can do in this age to raise awareness and advocacy for the issue. “Too few gay youth are engaged at all with the issue of AIDS.” But he ended on an optimistic note and one that recognizes and appreciates the tireless efforts of activists and scientists before us: “We always still talk about 1% infection rates, and prevalence and what not. But sometimes I think it’s time we pat a gay or lesbian youth on their back and say, “Good job!”"

To watch the trailer and several snippets from the biopicumentary, visit Richard Berkowitz.com. His book, semi-autobiographical, semi-thoughts and opinion, will also be re-released. Page through Stayin’ Alive: The Invention of Safe Sex.

I seldom say this of any book, but Loren Cameron’s Body Alchemy changed the way I viewed the world. I have seen the cover of this book appear on many occasions. I remember sitting in the audience, listening to a lawyer speak about a proposed International Bill of Gender Rights that would protect the human and civil right of any individual to freely express hir gender.

A slide came up: it was the front cover of the book, with Loren Cameron stealthily standing in a slight contortion. His legs faced the right; a trail of dark pubic hair leads up his abdomen and disperses across the spread of his muscled pectorals, which were facing us. His neck was bent the other way so that his face is turned towards the left, eyes slightly downward-looking at the syringe of testosterone about to be injected into his butt-cheek.

While staffing at a library here on campus, I was sorting books when the same captivating cover captured my attention. Body Alchemy: Transsexual Portraits. The book is a collection of self-written anecdotes and photographs taken by Cameron of himself, his friends, and members of the community. The photographs offered a personal view into the life of being a trans man, their transition processes, their jobs, their relationships. The opening page moved me:

“Everytime I tell someone I am a transsexual, I have a tubulent series of emotions. At first, I am afraid that whomever I’m telling will have a negative response, afraid that they will somehow be repelled and become hostile or in some way reject me. As I begin to speak, my heartbeat races a little, and I feel my face flush with the heat of embarassment. I might even stammer as the words fall out of my mouth, failing to consider my nervousness. My stomach tightens in anticipation.

“But then, if I’ve been given positive reception, I begin to spill it all with myopic enthusiasm, answering every question, which always encourages another. People are naturally curious, and some have a real need to know. By revealing myself, I have consensually invited their voyeurism; they can’t help but watch as I make a spectacle of myself….

“In the end, when I have spilled my guts or exhausted their interest, I begin to retreat a little. A grayness falls over me, and I realize that I feel unsafe. I feel naked. Self-doubt starts to poke holes in my ego, and I begin to think I have exploited myself: I am ashamed of my exhibitionism. I promise myself not to tell anyone ever again. -Carney.”

His intimate re-telling of his experiences with other people struck a chord with me as an ally. I am always teethering between knowing how much to (not) ask. Over the year, as I become more involved in issues important to the trans community, I have decided that it is not my place and not my experience to determine – dictate – how much I know. I used to feel uncomfortable, not knowing enough, not knowing how much more I should know.

But I have learned that knowing does not equal knowing the person. I have found valuable friendships and support from being an ally, without always fully understanding the specifics. My source of information comes from books and websites, if I do need a little bit more of understanding. But I have also learned that being there is just as important.

How much can you know, and will it ever be the same experiences ze is going through?

Body Alchemy has allowed me to question my position as an ally and to re-view the way I interact, engage, and think about my politics. Most importantly, the collection of photographs and their accompanying stories have touched me in a very human way. For the first time, I can slip out of my shoes and into theirs, if only for a little while.

This is Loren Cameron’s website. Check out (pun!) this link to Amazon to purchase the book.

I don’t know if you’re familiar with the film Soldier’s Girl, but here’s a really good clip of the movie (how hot does Lee Pace look??).
(thanks to Liy for the link)

Jay Brannan is a singer songwriter. Give this track a try, and if you like it, here’s his Youtube account (here he is for the Can’t Have It All again, promoting it) and official website. Quite a cute fellow. I’ve been listening to this track over and over again.

Lyrics snippet:

do you want a lover, or do you want a life?
one hand or the other, the butter or the bread knife?
do you choose winter, spring, summer, or fall?
its driving me crazy that i cant have it all

if these walls could talk, theyd probably cry out for mercy
til im outlined in chalk, ill be romantically thirsty
so i drink and drink from the proverbial time sink

fuck this, this cant be my life
tears flowing in full force tonight
why cant i sit down and write,
bring this question to light?

[ Totally NSFW Update ]

And I just discovered Jay Brannan did a song with….deng deng deng…MARGARET CHO!