All coffee, all the time, all South London

I realise that I’ve been doing an awful lot of posts about trans issues lately and, while that’s in no way a bad thing, it leaves me with less time to prattle on about the other important things in life – music, books and coffee. Before heading into the series of genderqueer answers (two weeks time) I thought it was important to have a coffee break. A proper coffee break, that only a real coffee snob would appreciate. So, fellow Londoners, check these places out, if you haven’t already – and recommendations in the comments most gratefully received. I’m not going to comment on the quality of the coffee at each cafe, because they’re all wonderful – just try them and see.

 

 

No. 67 at The South London Gallery

 

 

Pros: Attached to an incredible (and affordable) restaurant and free gallery, beautiful environment, friendly staff who give you extra marshmallows in your hot chocolate when you’ve been caught in the rain.

Cons: Only really accessible by bus, but worth the trip for combined art/coffee/cake/brunch good times.

Try: The cortado if they’re doing them, otherwise a flat white.

 

 

Macaron

 

 

Pros: French ice-cream and viennoiserie! Perfectly placed to combine with a long walk on the Common.

Cons: A little too noisy and yummy-mummy-ish at the weekends.

Try: A cafe au lait, and an eponymous macaron – they’re gorgeous.

 

 

Camden Coffee House, Balham branch

 

 

Pros: A great place to work and to chat to baristas about tattoos/body art, amazing selection of tea for the people who don’t like coffee.

Cons: Sometimes the music can be a little loud.

Try: a double espresso if you like a strong citrus/floral note in your coffee – a cappuccino if you don’t.

 

 

Cable Cafe

 

 

I’m slightly hesitant about sharing this one, as it’s my favourite coffee shop in London and where I go to get most of my work done – that childish thing of ‘MINE!’. But, ultimately, it’s too good not to share.

Pros: Gorgeous little garden, open to the early morning at the weekends, friendly resident dog, proper Aperol spritzes in the evening.

Cons: A bit too hipster for its own good, the only food they serve is cake (obviously not a con for all of us…)

Try: An Americano – very strong and sweet – and the Italian hot chocolate that you have to eat with a spoon.

Good news everyone!

And rather old news to some of you, I’m sure – but I just realised that I haven’t written up the results of March’s Cinematic Edition of Transpose.

 

First off, and with the most enormous thanks to everyone who came and donated – we went past our target and made £460 for PACE – how awesome is that? And we couldn’t have done it without the Cinema Museum giving us such an amazing venue for such a low price – if you’re in London please make time to visit – or, even better, take in an old French movie with a slice of cake and some real ale.

 

The acts were absolutely wonderful (Jason Elvis Barker, My Genderation, Wild – check them out) – the audience was fabulous (thank you) and a good home was found for the William Morris Tampon print – I couldn’t be happier.

 

Do watch this space for some rather exciting news about the next Transpose – and, until then, watch and share My Genderation’s fantastic video made on the night. Thank you again.

 

 

Translations – a call out for a new art project

A friend of mine is teaming up with the wonderful photographer Ajamu to create/curate a new project – I can’t wait to see the finished result. Please spread the word as widely as you can – and sign up? Details:

 

Translations: Portraits of Trans, Gender Variant and Intersex People of Colour.

 

 

This project will show the variety, beauty and importance of the lives of Trans, Gender Variant and Intersex People of Color in the UK. There’s no one experience, all the participants tell their own stories and determine their own images.

 

 

We are male, female, transgender, no gendered, mixed gendered, genderqueer, intersex. We are much more.

 

 

We are here.

 

 

This groundbreaking project is seeking people for photo shoots and interviews.

 

 

You’ll need to be able to travel to London for photo shoots and video interviews in July. We’re seeking funding to cover travel expenses .We would also like to interview you either in person or by email/Skype/phone in June.   You’ll be contributing to the biggest ever project of its kind in the UK and telling your story, anonymously if preferred. To get involved, ask questions, email me, Camel Gupta at: translationspoc@gmail.com.

 

 

Who is a Person of Colour?

 

People descended from anywhere in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Indigenous peoples of Australasia, the Americas, the Islands of the Atlantic, Indian Pacific, and Roma Sinti (and) Travellers. We explicitly welcome mixed heritage people.

 

 

Translations is curated by Camel Gupta and Ajamu

 

Camel Gupta is an Asian British Trans Man. He’s been an activist on sexuality, gender, mental health, race and ethnicity for more than a decade in LGBT, bi, trans, queer and Asian and black community settings.

 

Ajamu is a London based fine art photographer whose work has been shown in galleries, museums, and alternative spaces worldwide and work has been printed in a wide variety of publications.

 

Examples of his work and CV can be viewed at www.ajamu-fineartphotography.co.uk

 

 

Translations PoC at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/414019528695249

Beyond the binary – questions, anyone?

2nd EDIT: I’ll be closing questions on May 8th – so if you want to ask something, ask now.

 

EDIT: Many thanks to all who’ve left questions so far – the panel is already working on responses. I just want to make it clear that all kinds of questions are welcome (well – all polite questions are welcome) – as with the broader trans Q & A series, we’ll take the 101 questions as a starting off point and hopefully move on to more complicated ground later in the series. As a knowledge sharing exercise, it’s extremely useful to have some of the more common questions we face on a regular basis presented – so, as before, we’re tilting more towards expanding general awareness, rather than focusing solely on internecine debate. So, fellow gq/androgynous/neutrois etc. etc. people – if you want to add the questions you’re constantly faced with, that would be really helpful. Thanks again.

 

 

As the enormous general trans project is now over, and more than a few people have asked for something similar on genderqueer/androgynous/neutrois/binary-breaking issues – what would you like to know? What kinds of questions do you frequently hear/have to answer? What questions would you like a shiny panel of people to address? Leave them as comments and we’ll do our very best. Same caveat as before – any genuine question gets a genuine answer – any obvious trolling gets mocked. We were lucky and didn’t get any trolls last time…but the sarcasm is ready and waiting in the wings, should it be needed.

Twenty-One questions on trans issues answered

The master blog! We’ve spent the past month answering common questions on trans issues – some 101, some a little further along – and it’s been an interesting ride. Many thanks to the panel, and everyone who contributed in the comments – and if you know anyone who might find it helpful, do pass it along.

 

 

The lovely  panel

 

 

Natacha Kennedy

Natacha Kennedy has known she was a girl since a very young age, having the wrong gender written on her birth certificate. A former primary school teacher she now lectures at Goldsmiths College and her main research interest is trans children. In addition she is an activist who campaigns for trans rights, is co-chair of Camden LGBT Forum, a member of LGBT Labour executive and helps organise the London transgender Day of Remembrance. She is married, lives in North London, speaks several languages, loves Japanese food, travelling, photography and shoes.

 

 

Maeve

I’m Maeve, the cis female partner of a trans man. I’ve been with my partner for almost three years. He is active in the world of trans activism, both at grassroots and as a professional researcher, and I have been involved in some of his work. I have also been part of a regular group that meets in Edinburgh called “Me and T”; for partners, friends and family members of trans people. I recently trained as a peer supporter for people thinking about or just starting transition.

 

 

Roz Kaveney

I’m a queer lesbian trans woman in my 60s making a living in the arts. I knew I was trans from my middle teens and made contact with trans street workers then. I put decisions on hold until after university planning to transition when I did graduate work. In the event, I was persuaded not to by feminist and gay liberationist friends and had a breakdown in my mid-20s. I transitioned around the age of 30 and had some medical problems – nonetheless I lived pretty happily ever after.

 

 

Naith Payton

I’m a 24 year old writer, comedian and filmmaker. I’m a trans man who made a very gentle, casual transition that took many years in different aspects of my life. I have gone as far as I feel I want to in my transition right now, but I may change my mind in future. I’ve done plenty of trans activism, talked about being trans on stage (which is terrifying but incredibly rewarding), and I run a blog on sex, relationships, and feminism which uses my trans experience to inform a lot of my writing.

 

 

1. 101 Recommendations
2. “Why do we have to label people?”
3. “How can you respect your body if you take hormones/have surgery?”
4. “Will taking hormones change your sexual orientation?”
5. “When’s the right time to start transitioning?”
6. “What common insensitivities do you encounter, being trans?”
7. “Where do cis people fit in the fight for trans equality?”
8. “Why are people trans, and what does it really mean?”
9. “Do trans people ever feel comfortable in their bodies?”
10. “Why do you have to call me ‘cis’?”
11. “Which trans books should I read?”
12. “Is trans* the preferred term?”
13. “What’s the best way of dealing with accidental misgendering?” 
14. “When should trans people disclose?”
15. “How is being trans different from a delusion stemming from a mental health condition?”
16. “Is there a generational divide in the trans community?”
17. “Does it undermine a trans man’s identity for a lesbian to say ‘I like butches and trans men’?”
18. “What kinds of meaning are attached to ‘transgender’ and ‘transsexual’?”
19. “Should I speak up if someone misgenders a trans friend?”
20. “Should cis people let trans people do the talking on trans issues?”
21. “Is there a nonbinary manifesto?”

Question Twenty-One: Is there a nonbinary manifesto?

The last question of the series! I’ll be putting together a master blog post later today – and see below for further developments along the same theme. Panel bios here – and an enormous thanks to them all – drinks are owed. And thank you to everyone who left a comment – the more viewpoints are presented the more helpful it is.

 

 

Question Twenty-One

This a question about the importance of using language that doesn’t erase nonbinary people. The idea that orientation labels like straight, gay and (especially) bi are problematic in this regard comes up in queer conversation a lot. (It’s probably important to note here that these conversations often erase the existence of nonbinary straights, gays and bis.) What do nonbinary people want from their allies on this topic? Is there a nonbinary manifesto?


 

 

Natacha: As someone who basically identifies within the binary, it is difficult for me to say, but there is a lot of erasing of binary identities by our very language as you have shown. IMO it would be better if we started the words “Gynephillic”, “Androphillic” and “Biphillic”, which described the sexual preference rather than the gender of the individual, thus straight men and lesbian women would both be described as “gynephillic”.

 

 

Roz: Too many flavours of non-binary for this question to be answerable, I fear. Again, context…Accept there is a problem and we probably all get it a bit wrong. Humility is a good idea.

 

 

CN: I must admit that I’m rather tickled by this question – being someone who many would count as ‘non-binary’ when I have real problems with that word, and the demarcation it connotes. I do find the words ‘straight’, ‘gay’, ‘bi’ rather confusing when it comes to acknowledging more than two sexes and genders – if I’m gay then am I only attracted to people who have the same gender as me? But if I acknowledge that all genders are unique then…? I know that some people specifically use the word ‘pansexual’ as opposed to ‘bisexual’ to make sure that all genders/sexes are included – and other people include all sexes/genders in the word ‘bisexual’, because it’s used so often that it’s a useful term to expand upon. As always, I think it starts with asking people which terms they feel are most correct and comfortable and going from there. I’m afraid that the older I get, the more I like to give facetious answers to the ‘so how would you describe your sexuality’ question – ‘dusty from neglect’ and ‘picky’ are the current favourites.

As to a ‘nonbinary manifesto’? For me, part of dismantling the notion that there are only two fixed options for gender and sex also means challenging the notion that there are only a few fixed options for attraction and desire – I don’t believe that sexual orientation and gender identity are distant categories that don’t inform each other. But there are plenty of people who would disagree.

On a slightly more helpful note – as this series seems to have gone down well, and following some requests – I’ll be doing the same kind of thing with a panel of thoughtful, knowledgable people answering questions on genderqueer/androgynous/neutrois/bigender/beyond the binary style issues. Updates to follow – watch this space.

Sparks

Another song from the upcoming album Aether – there are exciting things in the works for the video of this one…

 

No hold – mercurial bounds – which rules will we play?

A very good game - 

What was said, what was seen? Who gets hurt in between? 

What gets lost in the way?

 

 

And I don’t know what I know,where we are, what you want - 

You come and go - 

With these sparks like little blows.

 

 

Twin poles – an unshakeable round – and what will you do?

A slip of the hand.

A halt at the pass. I know nothing lasts - 

But didn’t want that with you.

 

 

And I don’t know what I know…

 

 

Left cold – unworkable ground – and what will it mean?

A very good game,

A slip of the hand – who to fold, who to stand?

Who got hurt in between?

 

 

And I don’t know what I know…