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Trans Videos Programme

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Toronto Oasis, Sunday September 5, 2021

Introduced by Dan Cooperstock

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Original TEDx Talk Idea

  • I watched a doc on TV about Yiscah Smith, a transgender Israeli Jewish woman with an amazing life story, "I was not Born a Mistake".
  • Found her TEDx Jerusalem talk, which I will show: �https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSOSNWblMNE
  • Can rent the full doc on Vimeo, but not in Canada - use a VPN to a USA location!
  • There are also longer talks and interviews with her on YouTube

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A Better Trans Experience in a Religion!

  • My friend Ted Heck from LGBTQ Quaker group (more on that later) in “QuakerSpeak” video:
  • “How I Told my Meeting I’m Transgender”:�https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5HOdiyJ5mk&t=389s
  • Explain “clearness committee”, “Ministry and Worship”, “Monthly Meeting”, mentioned in the video

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Additional Great Short Recent Video

  • “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” segment on trans community Alpaca farm in Colorado, and their troubles with the local community:�https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkAPSij4AhU

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Another Excellent Recent Doc on TV

  • "No Ordinary Man“, about jazz musician Billy Tipton who lived as a man in the 50's and later
  • Still paying on Documentary channel on TV if you get that (today 6pm, next Friday, …)
  • Can also rent it on Fibe OnDemand and other rental sites.

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Why My Interest?

  • Interested in and cared about "gay rights" since at least late teens
  • Subscribed to "The Body Politic" LGBTQ newspaper
  • Marched in demos against the 1981 bathhouse raids
  • Also 1981 went to first FGC Gathering (1,000+ liberal Quakers summer gathering), ended up in gay dorm somehow
  • Became active part of FLGC, later FLGBTQC community - increasingly many trans, non-binary, gender queer etc. folks in it, people I love!
  • Always had a special affinity for friendships with those folks

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Why My Interest (2)?

  • Learned through FLGBTQC could love a man romantically, not really sexually attracted (tried a bit!)
  • Very active in pushing Toronto Quaker Meeting and later Canadian Yearly Meeting of Quakers to support same-sex marriage, got to officiate first two (so far only!) such marriages in Toronto Meeting
  • Would like to be more gender queer (purple nail polish a few times)

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OK, time for the videos!