vagina monologues update
Jan. 15th, 2006 10:53 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
jjblue.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
transFirst, I got some very valuable advice from a friend last night who (news to me!) is an actor. This tipped me towards doing the monologues.
Then today Beth and I went to the vday (vday.org) organizational meeting. After meeting and talking with the women there I am 100% on board to do this, in the monologue they picked for me. Although my experience is with wanting a penis and not a vagina and I told them this, the emotions and ideas expressed in it are the same, and the women know where I am, know where I am coming from, and think that I am a good addition. They also said wear whatever I am comforable in, and don't worry about my voice or facial hair etc., just be me. I'm very grateful. And thanks to all of you who chimed in.
So tomorrow night I go to the first read thorough, and that will be the deciding factor. The organizer/producer I met today had had some reservations, but she said after meeting and talking to me she is comfortable with me doing it and will tell the directors so. But I also told her that if the group as a whole feels it is inappropriate, or is uncomfortable with it, then I will bow out, no hard feelings. It's not fair of me to force myself in if this does not work for them.
There was also discussion about emailing the vday people because one of the rules is "no men performing, no men onstage", and they don't want to violate the rules. But I am a man with a vagina raised as a woman. So does it apply? The producer says she does not want to bother emailing, that she thinks it is fine and that Ensler herself would probably be on the side of inclusion. But if they do decide to email for permission and the answer is no, then that's fine as well, and I will lobby for changes in the future. Hell, maybe they can add a transman monlogue, or a more general transgender monologue.
The producer also made the point that she would like me involved because it will likely be the last year I can be. By next year I will (hopefully) be fully visibly male, and this will definitely exclude me.
But whether they keep me in this year or not I will still work with the organization, because I really believe in what they are doing.
Then today Beth and I went to the vday (vday.org) organizational meeting. After meeting and talking with the women there I am 100% on board to do this, in the monologue they picked for me. Although my experience is with wanting a penis and not a vagina and I told them this, the emotions and ideas expressed in it are the same, and the women know where I am, know where I am coming from, and think that I am a good addition. They also said wear whatever I am comforable in, and don't worry about my voice or facial hair etc., just be me. I'm very grateful. And thanks to all of you who chimed in.
So tomorrow night I go to the first read thorough, and that will be the deciding factor. The organizer/producer I met today had had some reservations, but she said after meeting and talking to me she is comfortable with me doing it and will tell the directors so. But I also told her that if the group as a whole feels it is inappropriate, or is uncomfortable with it, then I will bow out, no hard feelings. It's not fair of me to force myself in if this does not work for them.
There was also discussion about emailing the vday people because one of the rules is "no men performing, no men onstage", and they don't want to violate the rules. But I am a man with a vagina raised as a woman. So does it apply? The producer says she does not want to bother emailing, that she thinks it is fine and that Ensler herself would probably be on the side of inclusion. But if they do decide to email for permission and the answer is no, then that's fine as well, and I will lobby for changes in the future. Hell, maybe they can add a transman monlogue, or a more general transgender monologue.
The producer also made the point that she would like me involved because it will likely be the last year I can be. By next year I will (hopefully) be fully visibly male, and this will definitely exclude me.
But whether they keep me in this year or not I will still work with the organization, because I really believe in what they are doing.