Addressing drag culture and the transgender community

‘Tis the season for trick-or-treating, candy chomping and costume wearing. And if you’re not a fan of those, at the very least, you can curl up your couch and enjoy a cult classic, such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

The movie, starring Tim Curry as Dr. Frank N. Furter, the “sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania,” is overtly sexual in nature. The British rock comedy paints Furter as a lunatic and sex crazed mad scientist, who is still loved by audiences everywhere who watch the film religiously or don a Furter Halloween costume.

Furter is merely fictional, and the end of the film reminds us all that he is just Tim Curry in drag. That’s the thing: He’s playing a transvestite, but he’s merely a man fulfilling a role for entertainment purposes.

But we have transvestites and drag queens in the real world and here in Philadelphia. Drag kings and queens get decked out in their best attire for the annual Henry David Halloween Ball. Lisa Lisa’s Thursday night shows at Bob & Barbara’s, at 15th and South streets, are well received – and full of drag performers.

Many mistakenly think of transvestites and drag queens as synonymous terms. The fact is, transvestites cross-dress, or wear the clothing of opposite sex to fulfill some sort of gratification, which can sometimes be sexual. Drag queens are different and are typically men who dress in female clothes and put on makeup for some sort of routine. The term for females impersonating male counterparts is drag king.

Regardless, my concerns arise when people in and outside of LGBTQ culture start associating any type of cross-dressing with transgender individuals.

“There’s a difference between being a transgender person and a cross-dresser,” Director of Women’s Studies Laura Levitt said. “They are different kinds of identifications. Cross-dressing can be done by straight people and can be performative, using the performative space as a venue for trying things out.”

Not knowing the difference is mostly a matter of being misinformed, and sadly, that’s the fault of media, society and even individuals within the LGBTQ movement.

As a friend once said, the “B” and the “T” are often left out in the alphabet-soup acronym for queer culture and the battle for equality. I will continually bring this up in succeeding columns, because it’s the truth. When we leave out or neglect people from our community who aren’t fitting in with the mainstream idea of queer, we’re doing them and ourselves a great deal of injustice.

To be a transgender individual as opposed to someone who is cross-dressing as a drag queen or king or transvestite is very different.

“A drag performance is not the same thing as a transgender person working on performitivity of their gender identification in the culture, and the stakes are higher,” Levitt added.

Those stakes include but are not limited to discrimination of various forms, verbal harassment and violence being the more extreme forms.

In regards to any confusion of transgender and drag or transvestitism Ash Yezuita, a junior history and Asian studies major, says “it’s problematic because at the end of the day [cross-dressers] can take off the clothes and be done with it because they’re still a guy dressing in girls clothes and visa versa.

“But in the trans community, to sort of cross them is completely off the mark because it doesn’t matter whether or not I’m wearing girls or guys clothes, it’s my body, and it’s who I am,” he added.

It’s important to understand this difference. In spite of it all, there are some things drag culture specifically does for the LGBT community that are positive.

When I went to Bob & Barbara’s for the first time with my friends, I never expected to see such a diverse crowd, and by that, I’m referring to the equal ratio of queer to straight attendees. When Lisa Lisa began her drag show, everyone in the crowded bar was enthusiastic and eager to interact with her and her fellow drag queen performers.

My assessment is that drag culture is somewhat helpful in presenting individuals of all backgrounds with a positive message about the LGBTQ community.

Cross-dressing — whether it be for role fulfillment as in the case of transvestitism or for entertainment purposes for drag queens and kings — has its pros and cons. Stereotypes about the gay community can perpetuate and add confusion about transgender individuals.

If we can keep in mind that it’s all different and take into account that drag culture can be used to the LGBTQ community’s advantage, we can sit back and enjoy the show, whether that be Lisa Lisa’s Thursday nights performances at Bobs & Barbara’s or The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Joshua Fernandez can be reached at josh@temple.edu.

Translating Gender

Since last year’s merge with TransAction Student Network, Queer Student Union has expanded both its membership and diversity. Still, some issues in the transgender community are beyond reach of a student organization.

Ash Yezuita describes his elementary school-aged self as a somewhat girly tomboy.

“I had this long, flowing, wavy blond hair,” Yezuita, a junior history and Asian studies major said. “I loved skirts and dresses and corsets, but I’ve always been told I’ve been a little androgynous.”

Yezuita, whose birth certificate reads he was born female, revealed to his family as 12-year-old “Ashley Renee” that he was bisexual.

“From an early age, I’ve always known a lot about the [LGBTQ] community, but the ‘T’ wasn’t on my radar yet,” he said. “I had no idea about that ‘T.’”

That “T” refers to transgender, one community encompassed under the umbrella of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer community.

“It wasn’t until I came to college that I really started questioning gender,” said Yezuita, who now identifies as gender queer, a term he said suggests there is no gender binary. “Learning about gender identity in women’s studies classes, I would think, ‘Wow, this is how I feel.’

“This semester, I started asking for people to call me ‘Ash.’ It needed to come at a transition period, as I was starting to get involved in the community and in QSU.”

Temple’s Queer Student Union, formerly Common Ground, serves as a social networking utility, information threshold and safe house for transgender and other LGBTQ members.

Last year, the newly elected QSU Executive Board made the decision to merge with TransAction Student Network, the previous organization on campus that catered specifically to transgender students.

“LGBT has tended to really just cater to the gay and lesbian community,” said senior women’s studies major Kate Moriarty, former TransAction co-chair and current QSU vice president. “The bisexual and transgender aspect have tended to be excluded both on Temple’s campus and in the community as a whole. In a small, but possibly quite large scale, we’re trying to change that.”

President Keith Davis said QSU started addressing transgender issues with the implementation of a Transgender Committee.

“We’re continually pushing toward gender neutral housing and bathrooms, dealing with issues pertaining to roster sheets that still state the identity of individuals as their registered legal
names,”said Davis, a senior political science and anthropology major.

“We’re also working on altering university-wide forms, such as the ones in Student Health Services, that only give the ‘M’ and ‘F’ option.”

Davis said when transgender students are forced to disclose a gender with the choice of only “male” or “female,” it can create embarrassing and awkward situations for those who don’t identify with either.

“The invitation that still happens to trans people in the classroom is that question: ‘Are you a boy or a girl?’” said Scott Gratson, director of undergraduate studies in the School of Communications and Theater. “It’s an intimate question that gets into medical issues. Do people realize that question is as invasive as asking any other personal medical history?”

Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Students Betsy Leebron Tutelman said it’s important for the university to be respectful of and welcoming to its students of all communities.

“We respect our students’ decisions to come forth with their [gender identities], and we’re open to them,” Tutelman said.

“There is, not to my knowledge, a university entity solely devoted to trans [...] or to GLBT issues on campus,” said Gratson, who received a LGBTQ ally award from the Metropolitan State University of Denver, “which, in 2009, in slight, is an embarrassment. Especially at a university that prides itself in such diversity.”

While there may not be an institution dedicated specifically to LGBTQ issues, this Wednesday, Oct. 7, Tuttleman Counseling Center will begin offering half-hour therapy screenings as part of TRANSitions: Transgender Psychotherapy Group.

“Trans people deal with the things that everyone else goes through, with the addition of identity issues,” said Anna Feliciano, a doctoral intern and group leader for TRANSitions.

Yezuita, who is interested in breast removal and hormone therapy, said his personal experience with the initial screening phase of TRANSitions was not as focused on gender identity as he would have liked.

Yezuita battled with his body image for several years and lost 50 pounds in three months last year. He sought counseling for gender identity, but he said the Tuttleman counselor seemed to focus more on his eating disorder.

“The counselors were extremely nice and everything, but I wanted to just say, ‘Come on, what about this identity thing?’” Yezuita said.

Moriarty said while some members of QSU echoed Yezuita’s sentiments regarding Tuttleman Counseling, others said their experiences have been nothing but positive.

According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, there are as many as 3 million transgender Americans. Of the 147 universities that include gender identity and expression in their nondiscriminatory policies, Temple isn’t one of them.

“We would love for Temple to adjust its nondiscriminatory policy, but to a degree, those are just semantics,” Moriarty said.

This fall, QSU will implement transgender sensitivity training, administered by the Bryson Institute of the Attic Center.

“We want to see further steps taken by the university, such as faculty and staff GLBT sensitivity and Safe Space training,” Moriarty said.

In the meantime, QSU’s meetings will continue to serve as a safe space and outlet for transgender students, including Yezuita.

“It’s a labeled society. We’re all obsessed with labels,” Yezuita said. “And there’s always that fear, that ‘Will-I-be-accepted-?’ fear. But Monday nights are my favorite now, because I think by surrounding myself with the people in QSU, we’ll have the ability to change that.”

Maria Zankey can be reached at maria.zankey@temple.edu.

Coming out 101

In his debut queer-living column, Josh Fernandez discusses the rewards and challenges many LGBT students face when assimilating to the college atmosphere.

Three years ago, I was working on a chemistry lab involving some ingredient from the periodic table of the elements and a Bunsen burner. My lab partner, who was really nice but the type of person who often ends up with her foot in her mouth, was trying to make small talk.

This time she decided to talk about a guy she was dating.

She must have realized I rarely spoke to her about my love life, as she began asking about my own relationship status.

“I’m currently single,” I told her uncomfortably.

She didn’t seem satisfied with my response and continued asking questions. While I wasn’t necessarily required to disclose the crucial aspect of my sexual identity to her, I said, “Well, I’m gay, but that has nothing to do with my lack of love life. I’m just fickle.”

Her response: “Oh, what’s that like? I’ve always wondered what it’s like for two guys to kiss. I wonder if stubble is ever a problem.”

Coming out as a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender individual in our society is considered one of the scariest things about queer life. Rejection by friends or family can shatter your self-esteem into a thousand tiny pieces, and it can take years to put them back together.

As terrifying as it is, we do it. People continue bursting through closet doors, fingers crossed, hoping for acceptance.

The question is: Why do LGBT people have to “come out” in the first place?

“Coming out,” as we know it, was started by Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, a gay rights advocate in Germany during the late 19th century. Ulrichs seemed to believe invisibility was a hurdle to mobilization of the gay rights movement, so he encouraged all LGBT people to come out.

Today, although I’ve heard stories about middle school-age kids coming out, college tends to be the place where many LGBT youth tiptoe the first stepping stones to queerdom.

I’ve come across many Temple students (whether freshmen, transfers or anyone else previously peeking out the crack in the slightly-open door) with their own on-campus coming out experiences, risking acceptance from roommates, friends and peers in the process.

For example, take my good friend, who came out to his roommate last fall. And by came out, I mean he was getting some guy action — when his roommate walked in. Oopsies! For the remainder of the year, his roommate seemed to sport his homophobe hat.

Years after Ulrichs, National Coming Out Week emerged. LGBT centers and groups in major U.S. cities and on college campuses – groups like Temple’s Queer Student Union – celebrate this week to encourage people to come out.

NCOW is the first week of October and will be very encouraging for new students on Temple’s campus, as QSU, HEART, Student Activities and Residential Life will all have a presence. A more accepting, 21st-century environment doesn’t change the fact this rite of passage to queer-ville.

Perhaps one day, we gays will have the chance to learn what it’s like to not have to “come out,” but it will likely take time.

Until that day comes, all you boys, girls and transgender individuals can keep kicking down those closet doors and filling out your Facebook profiles.

Joshua Fernandez can be reached at josh@temple.edu.

Seniors promote transgender awareness

To foster a more transgender-friendly community at Temple, seniors Danny Glaubinger and Kate Moriarty decided to create the TransAction Student Network, an organization for transgender students.
TransAction will promote awareness about the needs of transgender students.
“The things [TransAction] wants to accomplish have a lot to do with direct action,” said Glaubinger, who is a senior geography and urban studies and Spanish major. “There are so many goals we have, and it’s hard to fit them in with one group, so it made sense to start a separate group.”
Currently, the Queer Student Union, formerly known as Common Ground, provides a welcoming environment to gay, lesbian and bisexual students on campus.
One group serving the entire LGBT community seemed unrealistic, Glaubinger said.
Moriarty, a women’s studies major, said there should be a group dedicated to the transgender community.
“There was a real need to look at the issues facing the transgender community and deconstruct these issues,” Moriarty said. “It’s necessary to have other spaces or groups that deal with specific issues.”
Glaubinger and Moriarty first thought of the idea to start a transgender organization after attending the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference.
“The idea of starting our own group remained a conversation for a while,” Moriarty said. “[The idea] was so emotional, and we kept discussing our experiences at Temple. We slowly began to brainstorm about the group.”
TransAction began holding meetings during the Fall 2008 semester.
Both said the organization was Glaubinger’s “baby” and therefore, when registration was finalized, it was obvious Glaubinger would be named president.
Glaubinger and Moriarty are in the process of gathering information on what policies and programs are already offered for transgender students.
“There’s certainly room for improvement, but before we start making suggestions, we need to figure out what is available now,” Glaubinger said.
The need of improvements for Temple’s LGBT community is seen in its score from The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. Temple’s score out of 20 categories was 12, a low score compared to other colleges.
According to the guide, a major point missing from Temple’s score is a “nondiscrimination statement inclusive of gender identity and expression.”
Rhonda Brown, associate vice president of Office of Multicultural Affairs, confirmed this.
“We take our cue from the federal government and [gender identity or expression] is not a federal change at the moment,” Brown said. “I look at the report and feel bad we did not do that great a job, but the things that were wrong, such as the discrimination statement, were things I couldn’t fix.”
The nondiscrimination statement only affects a transgender student’s records.
The difficulty in changing names for transgender students occurs with documents such as birth certificates and financial aid records.
University officials cannot alter students’ names on records until they have legally changed their names or completed the transitioning process.
Brown said the policy does not affect the classroom environment.
Brown and Dina Stonberg, a coordinator for Health Education Awareness Resource Team, said Temple will begin to offer a program known as Safe Space, which trains faculty and staff on race, sexual orientation and gender.
After faculty members complete the program, they receive a sticker for their office windows or doors to advertise safe spaces for people with complaints or issues.
Brown said training begins in January.
“I think there are a lot of things we need to do better, and I think people are very aware of that,” Stonberg said.
For now, the primary areas of focus for TransAction are bathrooms and housing.
Bathrooms became a top priority for TransAction because the issue is politicized.
“Just about every bathroom on campus is a multi-stalled, gender-segregated bathroom,” Glaubinger said. “[Transgender] people need a safe, comfortable place to go to the bathroom and not get harassed.”
There is a gender-neutral bathroom in Saxbys Coffee on Liacouras Walk.
For now, Glaubinger and Moriarty want to inform students about the whereabouts of gender-neutral bathrooms on campus and persuade the university place gender-neutral placards on existing bathrooms.
Another priority for TransAction is on-campus housing.
Moriarty had an emotionally devastating experience during her first semester at Temple. Moriarty said her roommate made her homophobic feelings known.
Moriarty approached her resident assistant, who peer mediated the roommates, but nothing was resolved.
Glaubinger’s and Moriarty’s experiences on campus have influenced them to improve conditions for transgender students.
“Everyone deserves to live comfortably,” Moriarty said. “It’s traumatic to be living in a situation where you are not accepted for who you are.”
Joshua Fernandez can be reached at josh.fernandez@temple.edu.

Hope for a Common Ground

With so many different students at Temple, the Lesbian, Gays, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Questioning group Common Ground, is dedicated to creating a close-knit LGBT community.

The organization’s president Deanna Wozniak said the group works to educate students about important issues and host events where members can learn more about themselves in a supportive, open and confidential atmosphere. Common Ground reaches out to both the Philadelphia LGBT community and straight allies on campus.

Not all members are a part of the LGBT community. Half of the organization’s members are heterosexual.

Wozniak said students should not confuse Common Ground with Gay-Straight Alliance groups found in many high schools. “There’s a difference between a high school GSA and an on-campus LGBT outlet,” said Wozniak, a senior biology major. “In universities you really have to bring something to the table.”

What they bring to the table is peer counseling, an open-door policy for anyone with questions or problems, and a resource library on topics from coming out to transgender health.
Common Ground works to make the Temple community more tolerant about housing with gay students, Owl Card policies for students who have had sex changes, and homophobia.

Common Ground also works to educate the Temple students about important issues through its literature, including fliers on coming out and equal marriage rights and pamphlets such as “A Straight Guide to LGBT Americans.”

The largest event the group has participated in is the National Day of Silence on April 17. The day was created in memory of Lawrence King, an 8th grader from California who was shot and killed by a classmate because of his sexual orientation. On this day Wozniak said the LGBT community and its straight allies raise awareness about harassment of LGBT individuals in schools across America. This year the group plans to make sure every faculty member is aware of the National Day of Silence.

Temple Common Ground will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, September 17, at 5 p.m. in the Village, located in the 3rd floor of the Student Center Annex.

Common Ground gives Temple students “a place where they can learn about themselves and who the LGBT community is,” Wozniak said. “We never ask anyone’s orientation, but we do ask our members to be vocal about the causes that they advocate.”

Daniel Assaraf can be reached at daniel.assaraf@temple.edu.