Kate Bornstein's Blog for Teens, Freaks and Other Outlaws

Text of Keynote Address to Western Regional Queer Conference, '08

Hey there. Long time, no write.

I've just returned home from tour. I've been either on the road or in the hospital (woo-hoo!) from September up to now. Touring and writing are activities that demand all of me, so I don't do both at the same time. So, I'm back. To everything, there is a season. This seems to be the season for writing.

While I was on the road this year, I either performed my solo show, "On Men, Women, and The Rest of Us," or I delivered some sort of keynote address. The show is a cut-n-paste piece—drawn from all my favorite words to read/perform at that moment.

The keynote address is something that evolves over the course of months, even years. I spoke the latest version of something I'm working on at the 2008 Western Regional Queer Conference, hosted by UCLA. So, I'm including the text here because this is as far as I've gotten with it. The conference theme was "Viva the Queervolution!" Some conference attendees asked me to make my keynote text available, so here it is.

The Queerest of the Queer—in America's Heartland!

I've just returned from a visit to Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois. I was there as part of a trans-awareness weekend, which included an amazing drag show which included participation by one of the fraternities on campus, and and a genderfuck party in the frat house later. I was happy to hang out with a collection of perfectly delightful queers of all genders, sexualities, and persuasions.

Top Row, Left to Right: Kelli, Mercedes, Kate, Haley, Will, Maddie. Front Row, Left to Right: Ellen, Kari (the photographer), Courtney, Rachael

Ugly Ducklings: scary fairy tale with a happy ending

Okay, here are some sobering statistics for ya. They may not be surprising, but the numbers sure scare me.

According to Sexual Information Council of the United States:
41.7% of LGBTQ youth do not feel safe in their school.
28% of queer teens drop out of school annually. That's three times the national average.

And according to 2005 report from Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)
95% of school counseling services have few or no gay, lesbian or bisexual resources. And...
99% of school counseling services have little or no transgender resources.

Thank goodness there are national campaigns like Ugly Ducklings, run by Hardy Girls Healthy Women, out there actually doing something about this quiet horror.

shameless self-promotion. live with it.

I'm sorry. I haven't posted here recently. I'm in the thick of booking my college, university, high school and conference touring season. I've been writing a fuck of a lot, just not here. I'm sorry. I am. I'm still trying to figure out how to keep this blog updated and interesting, while keeping my other online spots up to date, and still have room for a life.

I would surely appreciate your help on the having-a-life part.

and now some encouraging words from mr. rogers

On this past Monday, Labor Day, I gave a welcome-to-school talk to First-Years at Hampshire College, as a guest of their Office of Student Development. And just last night I gave the keynote welcome address to new and returning LGBTQ&A Students at New York University, as a guest of the NYU Office of LGBT Student Services. What a rush! I felt truly welcome at both schools, and I met some brave and awfully fun students who I'm now in touch with on my myspace page.
Makes me feel really good about the future.
 

But now I'm exhausted, and I'm letting Mr. Rogers describe the kind of world that probably would be equally welcoming to both you and me and gosh just about everyone else I can think of, even and maybe especially Mr. President himself. Wouldja be my neighbor, George?

Will Bush Go After Ahmadinejad for His Denunciation of Liberal Educators?

It's back to school in Iran, too. But Ahmadinejad is welcoming Iran's students back with a challenge:

"Today, students should shout at the president and ask why liberal and secular university lecturers are present in the universities!"

SEEING THE FOREST For the Trees has an interesting take on this, comparing the fundamentalist Iranian regime with fundamentalist US Republicans. But I think Bush and Company are in a bind. Are they actually going to defend the liberal and secular professors in Iran? Can't wait to see that!