As Halloween is just around the corner (sorta) I thought I’d send you the pics from last year’s party as a reminder of wicked things to come…

To view you will need a flickr account and then to fren me lah…klword

Share on Facebook

Hailed as the most significant English language play of the 20th Century, Waiting for Godot is a masterpiece by the Nobel Prize winning Irish avant-garde writer, dramatist and poet Samuel Beckett. It is a prominent example of a “Theater of the Absurd” work.

This adaptation is based on a performance concept conceived by Jerome Kugan and Rohaizad Suaidi. It is ambitious as the two leading male characters will be portrayed as two transsexual females – played by Fairuz Tauhid (Fee) and Yuki Choe. This performance also features singer-songwriter Jerome Kugan in his stage debut in the role of ‘the boy’. He is also the production’s music designer.”

“Waiting for Godot is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait for someone named Godot. Godot’s absence, as well as numerous other aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the play’s premiere.”

Waiting for Godot is Beckett’s translation of his own original French version, En attendant Godot, and is subtitled (in English only) “a tragicomedy in two acts”. The original French text was composed between 9 October 1948 and 29 January 1949. The première was on 5 January 1953 in the Théâtre de Babylone. The production was directed by Roger Blin, who also played the role of Pozzo.” wikipedia

SAMUEL BECKETT’S WAITING FOR GODOT

Presenter : The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac)
Director : Kimmy Kiew
Artistic Director : Joe Hasham OAM
Executive Producer : Dato’ Faridah Merican
Featuring : Fairuz Tauhid, Yuki Choe, Jerome Kugan
Duration of Show : 70 mins

Date & Time: 1 Sept @ 8.30pm (preview); 2 – 4 Sept @ 8.30pm, 5 Sept @ 3pm
Venue: Pentas 2, klpac (location map available on klpac website)
Ticket Prices: RM 35.00 & RM 23.00 (students & the disabled)

Promotions
PREVIEW NIGHT (1 Sept, 8:30pm): RM10 donation at the door
DRAG NIGHT (3 Sept, 8:30pm): Come in drag & get tickets @ RM23
STUDENT MATINEE (4 Sept, 3:00pm): RM15 for students

Box office
Call or Walk In – klpac @ Sentul Park (03 – 4047 9000)
Call or Walk In – The Actors Studio @ Lot 10 (03 – 2142 2009 / 2143 2009)
Walk In only – Axcess @ main office (Jln. Semangat) & 1-Utama outlet Online purchase – via www.klpac.org

Share on Facebook

Tegan and Sara play old favourite ‘Back In Your Head’ for fans at the Tower Records store in Dublin. The girls crack jokes about Irish accents sounding like pirates but ‘cute’ and Tegan makes an unsavory discovery. She’s cute.

Share on Facebook

A group of us went to SUHAKAM on Friday and handed over a memorandum to complain about the representation of LGBTS in the media. Here is the petition online – please sign to show your support of this issue. The more signatures we get the more power we have to push for equality.
…
If you have any questions about this petition or the issue or want to get involved with the campaign please email me – elainefoster78@gmail.com Please share this link and send to your friends and family, people you know who will support this issue.

http://www.petitiononline.com/kryss/petition.html

Share on Facebook

MILY CHOO, INTERN: Yes, I’m Chinese, but I’m also Awesome and no one seems to talk about that.

As a person who represents four minorities (Chinese, Jewish, lesbian, woman), I often feel trapped/beaten by all the stupid jokes and comments I’ve heard and that made me the angry adolescent I was in high school. I never said “I’m Chinese”; people said it for me. I hate when people assume things about me. Yes, I’m Chinese, but I’m also Awesome and no one seems to talk about that.

My race does not affect my feminist identity one bit. In fact, I’d rather identify as Canadian rather than Chinese because I feel way more attached to Canadian culture. However, most people see me as Chinese when they look at me because, well, I look Chinese. Out of the four minorities I represent, I identify the most with lesbian woman. Firstly, no matter how much people say that being gay is only a small part of who they are, it is a HUGE part of who I am and has played a huge role in making me the person I am today. Secondly, being a woman is fucking awesome. I would rather be a woman than be part of the sex that repressed and treated women like shit for centuries. Kind of like how I feel ashamed of the way Europeans crossed the Atlantic and shat on the natives.
I would rather be a woman than be part of the sex that repressed and treated women like shit for centuries.

China is really far away for me. I’ve never been there, I don’t speak the language, and my household is so “Canadianized” that it’s almost impossible to get a grasp of what “Chinese” is really supposed to mean. However, I have a first-hand account of what it’s like to be a woman. As a woman, I’ve faced struggles and sexist comments, and I feel a connection with other women who can understand period problems or how it feels when an unwanted guy tries to grope you at a club.

Life isn’t easy being a minority x 4. But I feel like definitely, as a woman and as a bisexual lesbian, I have something to fight for and a person I can be proud of.

Share on Facebook

The handover of the memorandum will be at 3.00pm, Thursday, June 10, 2010 at SUHAKAM. All are welcome to come in support of the queer community. Please send all endorsements to Thilaga by Tuesday, 8 June 2010.
Memorandum on Ill Representation and Discrimination of the Queer Community in the Media

10 June 2010

We refer to the articles published in Kosmo! – Parti Lesbian Berleluasa and the Harian Metro – Aksi Panas Pengkid, Lesbian dated 2nd and 16th May 2010 respectively.

We, the undersigned, are enraged by the usage of disparaging words such as “songsang” (deviant), “lucah” (explicit), and “jijik” (disgusting) in the newspaper reports to describe the queer community. The words used by Kosmo! and the Harian Metro and echoed by other newspapers (such as The Star, 3 May 2010) are heavily loaded with moral connotations and paint the queer community unjustifiably and unfairly as deviants and morally tainted.

These recent attacks were first and foremost attacks on sexual rights and, by extension, on human rights. The claim and exercise of these rights are integral to a person’s identity and self-worth and do not in any way contribute to general misconduct or a decline in moral values as wrongly implied by these journalists and newspapers.

The continued stigma and discrimination perpetuated by the media towards the queer community (more pronounced since August 2003 when a memorandum on similar concerns was sent to Suhakam then) shows that Suhakam has done nothing to effectively uphold the human rights of the queer community as Malaysians of equal status.

These attacks were also a violation of privacy since these gatherings were by invitation only and exclusive to the queer community concerned.

We strongly condemn journalists and newspapers who use unscrupulous tactics to obtain their stories and who further rely on sensationalism and titillation to sell their newspapers. We consider these journalists and newspapers unethical and unprofessional because they break the profession’s own standards of good reporting.

Both journalists and editors should be aware of the impact and consequences of how the news is reported especially when it comes to news about the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities where unethical and biased reporting only instigates hate and violence towards the queer community.

Creating and encouraging an environment of hate and violence is criminal. As a result of such irresponsible reporting, private spaces are being invaded and violated, thus making it harder and harder for the queer community to enjoy their human rights just like other Malaysians.

In light of our urgent concerns, we repeat our call since 28 August 2003, and urge Suhakam:

First, to push for the protection of the human rights of individuals perceived or identified lesbians, bisexuals, gay, transsexual, transgendered, queer, under the Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Second, to pressure the government to repeal all laws that outlaw and criminalise mutually consensual sexual behaviour between adults.

Third, to further educate citizens on constitutional provisions for the protection of the human rights of citizens and non-citizens, and to further educate the public on the spirit and core values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Yogyakarta Principles.

Fourth, to pressure the government to repeal all laws that restrict freedom of expression and freedom of information.

We hope that together, we will all be able to protect the democratic principles enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution, and strengthen the practice of a truly humane, participatory democracy in Malaysia.

The memorandum will be delivered @SUHAKAM

Level 29, Menara Tun Razak, Jln Raja Laut, KL
Thursday – June 10th, 2010
3.00p.m.

Share on Facebook

‘m not gonna bog you down with them all but put one up one at a time so you can read over a lunch break or cup of coffee before work. Alternatively you can go straight to the Autostraddle site and read the discussion in its entirety. Up to you. I’m thinking maybe you guys might be inspired to write your own stories about how you feel about your own identities being queer, gay, lezzie, Malaysian, Asian, Chinese, not Chinese, feminist, not feminist, whateva! Enjoy.

Race, Sexuality & Feminism: Autostraddle Feminist Roundtable Part 2

In which we ask: How does your race and/or sexuality impact your feminist identity? Do you ever feel you have to “pick one”?

BECKY, STYLE EDITOR: I am a feminist because I was born thinking I had to stand up for what I believed in — or die trying.

“Being the crazy Cuban that I am, I think a lot about how my gender/sexuality/race congeals into the person that I am. Most of my thinking on the subject actually comes from my grandmother. Though she’s probably never even heard of the term “feminist,” she’s never taken sh*t from anyone — especially men. The things she did to get out of Cuba are going to be made into a movie some day (hopefully by my hand). I’m talking secret plots, arson, seduction, sleeping outside of embassies for days, working for that Che Guevara t-shirt everyone has come to so blindly adore, cutting deals with the communists, getting her brother out of prison, working three jobs for an extra pound of potatoes and still having to cook my father’s pet bunny in a paella to survive. Oh yeah, and when she was 17, she was the sole provider for her ailing parents, her brother, her toddler son, and her no-good-cheating-drunk-husband she ‘kicked out’ (’cause she took no bullsh*t) but helped support because he actually would’ve died without her and she never wanted to commit murder, at least of him.

Okay, so I just revealed so much of my family history that it’s a little disconcerting. But the point is, being a woman allowed her to do a lot of what she was able to do, but it was also the reason why she had to do most of it. I think about that a lot. When my sister and I were children, my grandma would pull us aside and tell us how pretty we were and how smart we were, and then she would lower her voice and whisper, “trust no one.” Actually she still does that now.
Much of my feminist mentality has been both incited and hidden behind my Cuban heritage.

+
Anyway, anything strong, powerful, independent, and ultimately feminist we did from there on out, we would label it Abuelita Nanny style (that’s what we call her). When we do something bold or abrasive, or stand up for ourselves or for our identity or for any damn thing we feel like we should be standing up for, we call it our Cuban roots kicking in.

It’s interesting because I’m just realizing this now, but much of my feminist mentality has been both incited and hidden behind my Cuban heritage. For me, I never felt like I had to pick between being a feminist and being a “good traditional Cuban” because my grandma already took the initiative to rebel against all that. When my grandma was 14 her parents wanted her to stay home and “help the mother and attend to the men.” I mean, come on, they were Spaniards in 1942. But my abuelita decided to work at a dry cleaners instead so she could pay for night classes at a university. When I was 14, I thought I was rebellious because I’d wear shoelaces around my neck.

Consequently, in the beginning of figuring out my sexuality, I did feel like my queerness was a betrayal of everything my grandma had worked so hard for. (It seems absolutely appalling to say now, but that’s how I felt.) I just kept thinking that she risked her life for the American dream, the white picket fence, the millions of red-blooded great-grand kids …yes, after all of this, suddenly, somehow, I got it into my head that my grandma kicked ass so my sister and I could be Taylor Swift.

I think it was because when she finally did make it onto the plane to America, they were served Coca Cola, and she cried and cried because she hadn’t seen Coca Cola in years. So I equate Coke with the American dream. Seriously. And I thought I was rejecting all that by being gay — throwing it back in her face. It took an outside source (a straight, white, male friend) to ask me something along the lines of: don’t you think you would be betraying her more if you came to a country where you could be so free only to hide who you really are? And that’s when it dawned on me: 1) my grandma risked her life for FREEDOM, not for Taylor Swift grandchildren 2) she loves me more than life itself no matter what — and that includes gender identity and sexuality, ’cause those things are part of life.

I don’t know if this rambling answered the question, and I probably could have said this in far fewer words and with far less mushy stories. But I am a feminist because I was born thinking I had to stand up for what I believed in — or die trying. And for a moment, I forgot my sexuality was an extension of that. But now I know — viva la style de Abuelita Nanny!”

Share on Facebook

Tuan Tuan dan Puan Paun,

You are cordially invited to The KL Word’s 2nd Anniversary bash. This is a party. Some restrictions apply – no undercover career journalists, no moral policing, no bigots and definitely no rules when it comes to what you look like, who you love and how you f$ck.

For your entertainment there is a DJ contest for queer women. Some of the names you will know, some are new comers. Let’s hear them out.

DEEJAY PHINANS
CHRIS O
DJ VAM
DJ RICZO
JULES

Special Guest – DJ Blastique

Also, there are dancers. There are always dancers at The KL Word. We’re practically a fricken GLee club. ‘Kings’ is the word of the night. And so is ‘Drag’. Show me!

If you want in for RM40 please message the admin here. If you want to pay extra, pay at the door. You know we’re good for it.

What else can I say to convince you? Don’t be so cynical. This is a party. What more do you want?

Pre-sales – RM40
At the door – RM50
Comes with one drink
Entry is at the organiser’s discretion.

Share on Facebook

The bios for the ladies – clockwise from left
Tracy, 28: Smokin’ hot film and television development executive Tracy is the newbie to the lesbian scene, and still struggling with the aftereffects of coming out to her family. Throughout The Real L Word, we’ll watch Tracy juggle career, a new relationship and her ambivalent mother.

Whitney, 27: We’re bound to see some drama with this one! The Hollywood special effects artist is a self-professed terrible girlfriend, saying she’s “always looking for love, but losing to lust.” Keep an eye on this street-smart wild child.

Nikki, 37: Already famous in her own right (she’s a rep/manager/producer/industry bigwig, and publicly came out on The Oprah Winfrey Show!), Nikki is now engaged and planning her wedding to Real L Word costar Jill.

Rose, 35: Listen up, fans of the original L Word—Rose was actually the inspiration for Papi. This real estate advisor is a “lotharia” who wants to settle down, but can’t seem to shake her old habits. She’s currently in a loving relationship and has the full support of her family.

Mikey, 34: Also a bit of an L.A. celeb, Mickey is the founder of The Gallery Los Angeles and produces LA Fashion Weekend. She’s also engaged and trying to plan a wedding…reluctantly. We’ll see if she can balance her fiancée, clients and the motorcycle she loves so much.

Jill, 33: This Jersey girl next door is engaged to costar Nikki and enjoys her career as a writer in Los Angeles. She, too, has the support of her family.

The show premieres on June 20th on Showtime. I will be watching torrents like a hawk….

Share on Facebook

Share on Facebook