A sharing session for transgendered, transsexual, crossdresser, intersexed, sistas … community. This is not a talk. Feel free to just drop in and listen but we would love for you to come forth and share your experiences and knowledge.

Sisters sitting in a circle, Sisters in Solidarity.

Enquiries
endtransgenderdiscrimination@gmail.com

CNN iReport: “I am transgender, and I want my voice to be heard.”

Avery was one of several people who participated in an iReport assignment that asked transgender, transsexual and questioning people to create a message they wanted others to know.

The task was simple: Make a sign with your message, and take a photo of yourself holding it. The responses were powerful and surprisingly candid.

Avery’s message simply said, “I am talented, creative, and beautiful, and I refuse to be tyrannized by a letter.”

She was referring to the letters “M” and “F” commonly used on forms to denote gender. Avery says that a choice like “male” or “female” that usually seems like a no-brainer is fraught with consequences for transgender people.

“That M or F on a document” too often is used to discriminate against us.

Legally, because Avery has not had gender reassignment surgery, she is still referenced as male on some documents and female on others.

Read full CNN iReport here

Marla Bendini, 24, "人妖" 也是人. Transsexuals are human too. - Photo taken by Charles Lim

Pink Dot 2010 takes their core message – to celebrate the Freedom to Love – a step further with a special focus on love within families.

Sisters in Solidarity hopes that transgenders will enjoy unconditional love like everyone else too because we LOVE too.

Marla Bendini was there to thank every SIS supporter who took time to come down despite the rain.
Tricia Leong was also there in the afternoon to lend her presence to the cause and also explained to visitors about discrimination against transgenders in Singapore.
Leona Lo is on a business trip and was with us in spirit.

We sisters at SIS would like to thank all 56 of you. You given us great moral support, dignity and most importantly, love. We hope you wear our SIS badges with pride.

After the petition, we had dinner with 5 more sisters who added their names to the cause!

We decided to unwind at a transgender-friendly bar called “Cows and Coolies” & “Dixies” and the owners and patrons added 39 more names to the petition!

Cows & Coolies| 30 Mosque Street | Mon-Thu 5pm-1am, Fri & Sat 5pm-2am

Dixie’s is just next door! Please support these transgender-friendly establishments!

In total, we have 100 exact signatures today, on top of the 116 online signatures so far!

**

We have 3 more petition signing opportunities to meet Marla Bendini and Tricia Leong in person:

13 May 2010 @ The Substation Gallery Conversations between father and son, art exhibition  6.30pm til late

14 -22 May 2010 @ The Substation Gallery Conversations between father and son, art exhibition  12pm-9pm daily

15 May 2010 @ PINKDOT 2010 Hong Lim Park 5.00pm-6.30pm

We Sisters in Solidarity hope to see you soon!

HELP US REACH 1000 SIGNATURES HERE

Here are some comments from our supporters so far…

Adrian Lai : Customers are always RIGHT, esp they are paying to keep your business running…

Eileena Lee : Transgender women are women too!

Eveline How: Treat all women, including transgender women, with respect!

Kris Lee : Do NOT discriminate!!

Mike Phang: These ladies have every right to have a good time at nightspots and clubs

Wong Heng: Business should not perpetuate discrimination

David Seah: Ignorance is the root of all hatred and discrimination

Nicholas Leow Bullies are cowards.

Val : It is a pity that even modern society such as Singapore, transgendered people must suffer the ignorance of those who are so “blessed” not to suffer the anguish of being born in a gender that does not belong to you

Fanny Ler: Discrimination against Transgender womamn should be STOP worldwide, not just in Singapore… Transgender Women are NOT men but are WOMEN… It is in the BRAIN not between the LEGS…

Michael Larcombe: We are all human beings and all deserve respect.

OH AI NI IRENE: We should not support businesses which have discriminatory practices. This is also an opportunity to look at the marginalized groups in our society and how they are being treated.

Roy Tan: The media should also play an active role in fostering acceptance and non-discrimination of transgender people in Singapore.

Deborah Francini: To those who discriminate and preach hate against sexual minorities, I do feel sorry for your ignorance and bigotry. You think we have a problem but you certainly have a bigger one. To the management of ChinaOne and other similar establishments that have utter disrespect for their fellow humankind, while you clearly have “no balls” to do the right thing, do not expect all your patrons to have “no balls” like you – pun very much intended!

Quek Ser Ming: Let’s be upfront and honest. If nightspot and club operators have issues with the transgender, put prominent signs, so as to avoid unnecessary awkwardness. Transgenders are fellow human beings and deserve respect as well. Not to be the subject of humiliation by your bouncers and ‘unwritten’ rules.

Sisters@Work

Left to right: Ming, studio director of Arco Polates with Tricia Leong, Marla Bendini and Leona Lo at the launch of the Sisters in Solidarity campaign

I am but one transgender woman. I will respond to and blog with regards to any misquotes and issues pertaining to transgender individuals in my own time. If you feel you need to express any opinions, please write to me at marlabendini@gmail.com.

Right now, I will have to focus on my upcoming exhibition, “Conversations between father and son”.

I would like to take some time to thank the following media, independent writers and journalists:

RazorTV

Alex Au, Yawning Bread

蔡依桃, 新明日报 Shin Min Daily News

Sylvia Tan, editor of Fridae.com

Andrew Loh, Chief Editor of The Online Citizen

Thank you for kind consideration and respect as to using the correct pronouns when referring to me and my fellow sister, Ms Tricia Leong, as transgender women. This comes as a rarity amongst the disheartening disrespect and indifference some local media has shown towards transgender individuals despite my plea at the press conference held on 5th May 2010. I would also like to thank them for the kind photos of me that they’ve taken and chosen to publish, unlike the media reports that conveniently took pictures off my facebook or website and published them out of context.

“Referring to transgender people with the right pronouns — meaning the gender they identify with — is a huge gesture toward respect. It’s a slap-in-the-face to ignore how someone feels, dresses, and presents themselves to the world. It’s also a bit inaccurate to call someone who wears dresses and is known to all their friends as Candy as a man. Remember, it’s not our job to tell anyone they’re not really a man or woman, or they’re not doing it right.

Ask people if they go by “he” or “she” then refer to them that way. For those who are truly forward-looking, and believe in a spectrum of gender, there is a third option. In Australia, where recognizing a third gender was recently debated, try the gender neutral “ze.” - Jessie Torrisi article on Human Rights website, “Reporters: How to Get it Right on Transgender Issues”:

I apologise if I have left anyone out in this special mention. Sisters and dear readers, please kindly comment on this post and inform me if you know of any article and writer that deserves special mention here.

Buy our SIS’s badge at $2 each and support our cause this Saturday petition signing at Food#03.

Maybe it does take a simple badge pinned on ourselves to remind us what respect truly is.

Love,

Marla Bendini

www.marlabendini.com