TransTainment 8/1/22
Louisiana Purchase
A drag performer from Austin, Texas is set to strut her stuff on the runway during this fall’s New York Fashion Week. Her name is Louisiana Purchase and she originally is from Louisiana but has been performing in Texas since 2013. She quickly became one of Austin’s most prominent drag performers. That fame led to meeting Austin fashion designer Renacio who invited Louisiana to walk in his show during Fashion Week. Learn more about Louisiana Purchase from the Austin American-Statesman.
NPR has a contest every year in which songwriters submit videos of them performing a Tiny Desk Concert. After all submissions are judged a winner is announced. An entry from nonbinary and transgender songwriter Wryn was praised by the judges as one of the standouts of the 2022 contest. Their song Pushing did not win but you can hear for yourself how it speaks to trans people everywhere.
Jungle
If you thing that Transparent is a television show, well, you would be correct. It’s also a party series in Seoul, South Korea that is hosted by a model, performer, and “creative” called Jungle. Born and raised in Busan, Jungle left there for the big city lights of Seoul. But, as soon as she was able she went on to Paris and London to pursue acting, before returning to Seoul in her early 30s. Full acceptance of who she was made her into an activist for transgender issues and the party series Transparent. “Just like the name says, I want to be transparent,” said Jungle. “I have no shame about myself, and I don’t want anyone to feel like they have to hide who they are. Learn more about the South Korean transgender scene and Jungle from Vogue.
Willow Pill
Drag Race Philippines makes history on August 17 by featuring two transgender judges. It’s the first time a Drag Race competition has by hosted by multiple trans women. The judges are KaladKaren Davila, a transgender Filipina drag queen and entertainer, and franchise superstar Jiggly Caliente. The show will be available on WOW Presents Plus.
In Drag Race related news, Willow Pill, the first out transgender winner of the main Drag Race franchise, has a song that she originally performed on the April finale of Drag Race called I Hate People. There is a possibility that that performance may make her eligible for consideration for a music Emmy. Willow has released a remixed version of the song, the “XL Version” of I Hate People and you can hear it right here.
The club scene in New York City is always in a state of flux. The musical styles, the club wear, and the DJs are always shifting, moving and evolving. The latest trend is the rise of trans woman DJs who are providing the soundtrack for underground parties. These women include Jasmine Infiniti, Honey Dijon, Juliana Huxtable, and Eris Drew. Learn more about them, their music and their activism from the Pitchfork website.
Kate Godwin
Most people who are into comics think that Alysia Yeoh, introduced as Barbara Gordon’s best friend in Batman comics, was the first transgender woman to appear in comics. She appeared to be the first of many including Dr. Victoria October, Charlene McGowan, and most recently in the DCU, the superheroes Dreamer and Jess Chambers. But Yeoh was not the first. Thirty years ago a trans superheroine was created by writer Rachel Pollack in The Doom Patrol the misfit toys of superheroes. Members included Robotman, a race car driver who was forced to live the rest of his life in a robotic body after a crash. Negative Man, who, after experiencing severe radiation poisoning, became able to emerge from his own body as a powerful Negative Spirit, but had to wear specially treated bandages at all times to protect others from his radiation-ridden body, and the final member of the original trio was Elasti-Girl. Subsequent manifestations of The Doom Patrol added other members and when Rachel Pollack, a trans science fiction writer took charge of the plot she introduced a trans woman superheroine called Kate Godwin. Kate’s power was the ability to turn solids to liquid and vice versa with a touch. Learn more about Kate and The Doom Patrol from Polygon.
The Breaking the Binary Festival is coming in October to New York City’s Theatre Row. The festival lasts from the tenth through the sixteenth and is a showcase for “. . .transgender, gender nonconforming, two–spirit, genderqueer, agender, gender-expansive, bigender, gender-fluid, or lives otherwise outside of the cisnormativity gender binary.” for more information on the festival and the featured performances visit the American Theatre website.
Sasha Allen is the first openly transgender singer on the NBC competition series to make it past the Battle Rounds in the entire 21 seasons of the show. Now he has signed not one, but two record deals with Republic Records. One contract is for Allen as a solo artist and the other is for him and his father as a duo. Pretty impressive for a singer who just entered his 20s. Learn more about Sasha Allen from Heavy.
Like to make a comment? Login here and use the comment area below.
Category: Transgender Community News
About the Author (Author Profile)
Angela Gardner is a founding member of The Renaissance Transgender Assoc., Inc., former editor of its newsletter and magazine, Transgender Community News. She was the Diva of Dish for TGF in the late 1990s and Editor of LadyLike magazine until its untimely demise. She has appeared in film and television shows portraying TG characters, as well as representing Renaissance on numerous talk shows.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
