If you’ve noticed the site here has been moribund, one of the reasons is too little time to live life. I am resigning as the permanent host of Trans Talk on 90.1 FM KKFI and today I will be interviewed about my nearly 8 years on the air. I’m going to speak some hard truths but not dish specific dirt. My hope is cutting that out will allow me to complete my work here on this site.
I apologize for the late posting – TransasCity has been under fairly regular and increasing attacks by what we assume are anti-transgender hackers, based on the nature of the attacks. So while this is late, you can hear the broadcast recording on The KKFI Broadcast Archive (Last 2 Weeks)
Today we are discussing a very serious subject, which is the tremendous burden placed upon our own community to provide support for ourselves, the lack of support in many ways from the greater community, how the greater community can lend some positive energy to help further the cause, and the creeping doom of activism fatigue. Join Una, Fiona, Nightshade, and special guest Kate Redman today!
Hello everyone,
You may notice that announcements made since September are missing from the site, and the reason for this is that our hosting service started sending us very cryptic messages in November telling us that our site was going to be moved to a faster server, but that “something was wrong” with the move and we needed to fix it.
We spent literally person-days on the phone with very clueless tech support persons in December who basically repeated, to sum up hours of conversation, “something is wrong migrating your database…we don’t know what it is, but you need to figure it out.” They could not even tell us if it was a software issue, file locations/paths, database issue, etc. They could tell us absolutely nothing. Even the “Level 2” tech people could not tell us, and just made guesses that we had “too many files” (not true) or that our site was hacked (not true) or it was “something we would just have to figure out.”
Well, since the site was working perfectly for us and everyone out there, how can we fix a problem when we don’t see it? It’s like telling you “something on your car is about to break…what it is, we cannot say. Where it is located, you must never know. How bad the failure will be, only fate shall determine such.” We may as well have asked a psychic numerologist for $3.99 an hour.
Well the holidays came, and just like how a cat will inevitably knock down even the best-supported Christmas tree, every single one of our 5 sites went dead. A fun-filled week of mad scrambling to fix everything ensued – while both admins had to work their usual 60-70 hour a week day jobs, and we fixed it. Unfortunately, thanks to Godaddy, we lost 4 months of posts and changes, and NO despite us having set up things to automatically do weekly backups, apparently they lost those as well.
So the bad news is, 4 months of posts/updates were lost, but we can recover most of them by some painstaking hard work which to be honest isn’t really worth it since much of the posts were advertising local events now past or Trans Talk episodes now past. The good news is that no new historical archive material was added in the last 6 months due to a broken scanner and no computer to run a new scanner, so the historical archives are safe. There were changes to two pages remaining which we are fixing today, we are manually doing weekly backups of the entire site from now on and storing them in a cloud space, and we are seeking a new host who will guarantee daily backups and monitoring.
So we apologize for the outage and lost content, but the lost content was fairly ephemeral at least. Since we have managed to kill of some side work, and I am getting a new scanner and computer to run it and a new workspace, the updates will soon continue and the thousands of pages of irreplaceable trans, intersex, and non-binary history will soon be growing – as always, in maximum resolution without watermarks or phoney copyright restrictions. Remember, this site is an educational site for the preservation of OUR history, and we do NOT charge any fee, we have NO advertisements and never will, and are a completely non-profit historical academic site.
Nightshade
Site Administrator
Photo by Alex Perez on Unsplash
Following on from some recent discussions in outreach and education where I have urged people to talk to their children about gender and sexuality early, and to encourage friends to do the same, here’s a link from Parents magazine with advice about how to do that – specifically about how to explain about being nonbinary, but the tips and information in here are adaptable to any gender identity and can extend to explaining about the fact that some people have two mommies, or two daddies, or two parents, or just one, or three or more.
Kids understand so much more than people tend to give them credit for, and if you talk to your kids early and often about gender and sexuality, you could spare them years of fear and struggle as they try to work out if it is safe to come out to you, and years of not being themselves. From a purely selfish viewpoint, you can save yourself years of guilt at not seeing that your child was struggling and not realising and helping them sooner. Some children have even committed suicide because they were too afraid to come out to their parents, and their parents would have been accepting. Don’t put anyone through that. Talk to your children.
https://www.parents.com/kids/how-to-talk-to-kids-about-gender/
Today we are going to start out with the transgender news of the month as presented by Nightshade, then we are going to interview Chandra Klein, who is an electrologist joining us not only to talk about hair removal, but also a bit about her life as a transgender woman who helps people throughout the community.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, August 28th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
We have another busy show this week that you will not want to miss! We will start with the transgender news of the month as presented by Mistress Nightshade, then continue our series of transgender film reviews with a look at “Kiki,” a 2016 film about the drag and voguing culture in New York City. We will then have a roundtable discussion about Pride and the trans community, the growing numbers of LGBTQIA+ persons in America and what that means for the future, and an essay on lateral violence in the community and an example of how it is so destructive. Finally Fiona will give you the highlights of the community calendar update.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, June 26th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
It is the fourth Saturday of the month and time again for Trans Talk on The Tenth Voice. Join hostesses Una and Fiona Nowling as they welcome Kendall Martinez-Wright on the program to talk about her life and why she has decided to run for Missouri State Representative next year.
Kendall Martinez-Wright is the first transgender woman to run for the Missouri House of Representatives. She is a Black-Puerto Rican Trans woman, running for office in Missouri, amid a spate of nationwide and local anti-trans bills. She is a resilient woman, community organizer, and a statewide LGBTQ and Human Rights legislative strategist. As a child, Miss Martinez-Wright, along with her mother and younger sister, made the move from Chicago, IL where Martinez-Wright was born, to Palmyra, MO for a better quality of life.
Upon graduating from Palmyra High School in 2012, Kendall relocated to the Missouri State Capitol, Jefferson City, to attend Lincoln University. During her tenure at Lincoln University, she became a critical advocate for policy and legislative action that impacted funding for education and civil rights. She has served as the leader for social justice marches, fundraising campaigns, and statewide initiatives. Since, Kendall has continued her involvement in serving within approximately thirty-six civic organizations, establishing a wide range of relationships with elected officials, and serving as a discussion facilitator on a wide range of issues from racial justice, access to education, diversity, and healthcare.
Currently, Miss Martinez-Wright resides in her hometown of Palmyra. Her mission is to utilize her position at the table to amplify her voice and elevate your concerns. She is dedicated to community, and working diligently alongside stakeholders and partners in order to cultivate unity within and awareness of the valuable residents of District 5.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, May 22nd at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
We have another busy show this week that you will not want to miss! We will start with the transgender news of the month as presented by Mistress Nightshade, then have an interview with K.J. Rawson, the Director of the Digital Transgender Archive, to tell you all not only about the Digital Transgender Archive itself, but about their new effort to expand their collections of black and indigenous persons of color. Then we will continue our film reviews with a group review of the film “Paris is Burning,” about the 1980’s and 1990’s ballroom culture of New York City and the African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender communities. Finally Fiona will give you the highlights of the community calendar update.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, April 24th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
We have another busy show this week that you will not want to miss! We will start with the transgender news of the month as presented by Mistress Nightshade, then talk with Teri Miles, a local transgender woman who was recently elected to the city council of Creighton, Missouri! We are going to talk to her about what it was like running for office out and proud and learn a bit about her life and her journey.
Then we are going to have a summary of what is happening with laws and bills pushing for a purge of transgender youth and adult athletes that has spread like a pandemic of panicked paranoid prejudice across the country.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, March 27th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
Keep up to date with all thing Tenth Voice by visiting our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TenthVoice
We have another busy show this week that you will not want to miss! We will start with the transgender news of the month as presented by Mistress Nightshade, then talk to some local transgender activists from the TGNC group with big hearts who are going to host a public Zoom streaming of the transgender documentary Born to Be (which is a great film that we reviewed last November).
Then we will continue our film review of the month with another look at indigenous culture – this time going to Hawaii to review Kumu Hina. Time permitting I am going to make a monologue about misgendering and deadnaming, and end with Fiona and the community calendar.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, February 27th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
Greetings! Welcome to the first episode of Trans Talk for 2021. We have a jam-packed show this week that you will not want to miss. We start with a news rant from Una, follow up with a conversation with the amazing Erika Dapkewicz, after that a discussion of the documentary Disclosure and end with Fiona and the community calendar.
Our guest Erika is a fascinating and very talented woman.She is currently the Lead Editor on the SONY Animated Pictures & Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, “VIVO”. She is an ACE, ASCAP, WIA and Academy Awards Member. During her career Erika has helped create such DISNEY films as (Lilo & Stitch – Mulan – Pocahontas) and DREAMWORKS films (The Croods – Puss In Boots – Monsters Vs Aliens – Flushed Away) In addition to Animation and editing, Erika has written and directed many live action short films including the 2012 sci-fi feature film, “PARADOX ALICE” for Orchard Pictures.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, January 24th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
This week we will kick off the show with the transgender news of the month, then we will interview a new pioneer in the transgender community – Stephanie Byers, who made history twice last month by becoming Kansas’s first transgender elected official after winning her bid for the Kansas House of Representatives 86th District, and she is the first Indigenous trans person elected to any state legislature!
Representative-elect Stephanie Byers is the recipient of the GLSEN-Kansas state Educator of the Year and the GLSEN National Educator of the Year (2018), and recently retired after 29 years of teaching for Wichita Public Schools. For 28 years, she was the award-winning director of Bands and Orchestras and Fine Arts Department Chair at Wichita North High School. Stephanie is an Oklahoman by birth, a member of the Chickasaw Nation, and has called Wichita home for the last three decades. She and her wife, Lori, own and operate a company that assists corporations, community groups and schools with understanding of working with diverse communities.
Since coming out publicly as a transgender woman, she has advocated about issues impacting the LGBTQIA+ community. She has spoken at rallies on the steps of the Kansas State Capitol and given presentations to several local community organizations, as well as public school faculties and student bodies. Stephanie served as the Communications Director for Wichita Pride, the local organization that hosts Wichita’s local LGBTQIA+ pride events, and has volunteered for a number of other local Wichita non-profits.
Stephanie has a Bachelor of Music Education from Oklahoma Christian University (1986), and a Master of Music from Kansas State University (2015).
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, December 26th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
Hello everyone! Welcome to the November edition of Trans Talk! Today we are going to start out with the transgender news of the month, then we will have a celebration of the life of author, historian, travel writer, and transgender pioneer Jan Morris! Leading the retrospective will be celebrity biographer and historian Eve Golden, who will speak about Morris’ work and life, as well as the personal and professional friendship they shared.
After that we will continue our transgender film review series with the Trans Talk Krewe discussing the brand new film “Born to Be,” a documentary about gender confirmation surgeon Jess Ting, and about the state of the art in surgery to help our community. Finally, we will finish out the show with our community calendar update.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, November 28th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
Hello everyone! Welcome to the October edition of Trans Talk! Today we are going to start out with the transgender news of the month, then we’re going to speak with Larry Altman, formerly the lead compliance attorney for the Kansas City Missouri school district, and a strong ally to the LGBTQIA community. We will then continue our series of transgender film discussion, this time heading down south to Chile, to review the film “A Fantastic Woman,” a drama involving a transgender woman who is portrayed by an actual transgender actress, Daniela Vega.
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, October 24th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
Hello everyone! Welcome to the August edition of Trans Talk! We’re kicking off the show with the transgender news of the month as usual, then we’re going to speak with Riley, a local activist who has done great work for the transgender community. We will then continue our special series of transgender film discussion with a review of “Romeos,” a dark comedic look at the coming of age of a gay transgender man. Rachael Cady and Riley will be joining us for the review, and it should be a great show!
We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, August 22th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.
Hello, I’m Fiona with the Kansas City community calendar. As usual, all the calendar can be found on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TenthVoice/
Every month, I lead the Kansas City SOFFA group for Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies of Transgender and nonbinary persons. Due to the Coronavirus emergency we are having virtual meetings on Zoom & in September, they will be at 6:30pm on the 2nd & the 16th. For more information, you can visit transascity.org/SOFFA or https://www.facebook.com/SOFFA.KC/ or you can always reach me by email at soffakc@yahoo.com
I’d like to welcome back any returning college students, if any are returning in person, and give you a brief update from the UMKC LGBTQIA Office – The UMKC LGBTQIA Programs & Services staff is back on campus and the Rainbow Lounge has reopened with a maximum capacity of 2 individuals.
Fall programming will be largely conducted online and appointments with staff are strongly encouraged to be done virtually. If you would like to set up an appointment either in-person or online, please email us at lgbtqia@umkc.edu. That post and links to resources can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/umkclgbtqia If you’re at KU, you can find more information about LGBTQIA student organizations at this link on the KU Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity’s page – https://sgd.ku.edu/lbgt-student-orgs
Every third Thursday, the Equal Trans Support Group meets at 5:00 PM. They are having virtual meetings during the Coronavirus emergency, so please join their Facebook group to get more details if you are interested. https://www.facebook.com/groups/EQUALTransSupport/ There is also a second group for friends of EQUAL at https://www.facebook.com/Friends-and-Allies-of-the-EQUAL-Trans-Support-Group-2043657289193085/
JoCo Q-Space is a youth group for LGBTQ youth. They are doing some online activities during this, so for more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/jocoqspace/
Gender Spectrum is also doing online groups for teens and pre-teens – you can find more information on them at https://www.genderspectrum.org/groups/
Passages, the LGBTQIA youth group in Kansas City, Missouri, has suspended their meetings but they can still be reached for resources via their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/kcpassages/.
A new group, Transformations: A KC Trans and Gender Expansive Youth Organization, is having regular virtual events and details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/kctransformations/
In compliance with the current ‘Shelter-in-place’ orders, the Trans Women’s support group that normally meets at the Transgender Institute is going on-line. The meetings are on Tuesdays at 6:00 PM & will be hosted via Zoom and Discord. You can join from a computer, or a phone and have a video conference option, or an audio only option.
Please reach out to Kate.redman@boltfiber.net for the login information or for any questions you have.
There is an MTF support group at the Kansas City Center for Inclusion on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6pm – they are suspended but the center is looking into online options during the emergency. There is an FTM support group elsewhere, both for adults and for youth, so if you are interested & want to find out options during the coronavirus emergency, please text or call Gus at 816-785-8686 and get updates on options during the virus lockdowns.
The Kansas City PFLAG chapter, which is Parents, Families, Friends, and Allies of LGBT people has a Facebook page where you can get more details on current activities – they are not meeting in person, but they are doing online events, as we heard last month, so you can reach out to them for support and information at https://www.facebook.com/PFLAGKC
I’m Fiona and that’s the community calendar for the upcoming month.