This history site is pretty cool; every day there’s a new ‘icon’ (historical figure). It’s fun exploring the names; nice to see Mara Keisling right up there! She rocks. I took a workshop or two from her at a trans leadership conference a couple of years ago, and see her in the media regularly.
Movie: Beautiful Boxer
Beautiful Boxer is a beautiful film, from lush foggy mornings to flashing legs in bright shorts in kickboxing arenas. It’s also difficult to watch at times; the utterly solo pain of not being able to be who you are, of how stereotypes are used for money-making, of simple family struggles. This is the story of Parinya Charoenphol, a poor child, a “transvestite” in Thai parlance, who discovers a talent for kickboxing, and goes on to be a champion who revitalizes the sport. The ultimate male sport, done to support hir poor family, and to save for sex reassignment surgery.
The actor who plays adult Parinya is a professional kickboxer! How cool is that? Can you imagine a US fighter who would be willing to play an MTF? I was pretty wow’d by the acting throughout the film, from the little boy who was Parinya as a child monk (hungry for lipstick) to the adult fighter.
What I liked best perhaps was that this movie is about *showing,* not telling. It’s not a talking heads movie, despite the interview wrapper. Strong and lovely film.
Suicide is preventable.
Last week was the annual Suicide Prevention Week. Unhappily, every week must be trans suicide prevention week, as we kill ourselves more often – and especially we do as teens – than even other LGBT people. But we also can look out for each other.
If you’re feeling suicidal, or are afraid you know someone who is, check out the National Center for Transgender Equality’s new resource, at http://transequality.org/PDFs/NCTE_Suicide_Prevention.pdf.
It’s been forever since I posted; I’ve moved and more, but this needs signal boosting.
