"There is a revolution that is slowly setting up, which the press doesn't seem to have detected yet. If I had to sum up the whole idea in only one expression, I’d say that the new political attitude for our era is to "die alive". In other words, being aware of and participating in things until the day we die - something that does not occur very often. People end up dying to the world on the day they renounce their dreams. After that, one departs on a journey as did Ulysses, accepting the challenges and knowing that sometimes one must fight alone, yet understanding he stands in for the entire human race." -- Paulo Coelho
My business life has been quite tumultuous of late. It seems whenever I'm close to achieving my vision of a financially successful business, something happens to bring it down, and then up again, and then down again. Change is the word that best characterises my business life currently. Yet I'm not prepared to renounce my dreams, not now, not ever.
May the universe conspire to bring me sincere,understanding and supportive clients. Together, we will transform Talk Sense into a name to be reckoned with.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Mustafa, my Ottoman prince
“I look up from my notes and catch him stealing a glance at me. I blush. He smiles. He waits for me at the school gate after our lesson is over. He looks into my eyes. I look away shyly. He asks if I would like to catch a movie with him. I nod in assent...After the movie, he brings me to an ice-cream parlour where we share an ice cream and chat about school. He takes my hand and leads me gently to the beach. We sit and listen to the symphony of the Aegean sea and gaze at the stars. He shares his dreams with me. He hopes to run a windsurfing centre one day and coach the future national champions of Turkey. He says he wants to have a beautiful wife and three children whom he will nurture to be windsurfing professionals. He holds my hands. I lean against him, my Ottoman prince, imagine I am a simple village girl and dream of having his babies...Of course, this is just my fantasy for he can't even speak English and I'm a good eight years older than him (even though I am beautiful)...but what the heck! A woman can dream, no?”
- Ottoman Dreams, Leona Lo
- Ottoman Dreams, Leona Lo
A Rose and A Thousand Soldiers
How often do you read world news, in particular, news about atrocities committed against minority groups? Do you actively seek out such news or does the daily dose of man's inhumanity towards man turn you off?
Here's a news story lifted from Amnesty International's website that touched me deeply today: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/good-news/major-step-forward-paraguays-investigations-sexual-slavery-girls-20080814
At 33, a rose is no longer a simple, sweet-smelling flower to me. She's the emblem of something beautiful forged by the fires of hell and human degredation.
Julia Ozorio Gamecho, the rose in question, is the first woman to come forward and talk to the Truth and Justice Commission about how she was subjected to sexual slavery by the military during the dictatorship of Stroessner in Paraguay.
Read her story. Share her broken dreams. Help her rebuild her future.
Here's a news story lifted from Amnesty International's website that touched me deeply today: http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/good-news/major-step-forward-paraguays-investigations-sexual-slavery-girls-20080814
At 33, a rose is no longer a simple, sweet-smelling flower to me. She's the emblem of something beautiful forged by the fires of hell and human degredation.
Julia Ozorio Gamecho, the rose in question, is the first woman to come forward and talk to the Truth and Justice Commission about how she was subjected to sexual slavery by the military during the dictatorship of Stroessner in Paraguay.
Read her story. Share her broken dreams. Help her rebuild her future.
I'm Sorry
These are perhaps the hardest words to say, because it means taking responsibility for our lives and not playing the victim. It does not mean we will not have to bear the consequences of our actions, but it is only by taking responsibility that we can move confidently forward. Yes, I've made some bad judgment calls recently - in my professional life and in my relationships with men. It's up to me to own up to my role in the mess-ups - even if it's just a 1% role (but most of the time it's a glaring 50%), and face the music. I'm sleeping early tonight, so I can have a fresh start tomorrow. How about you?
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Screening of Pecah Lobang in Johor Bahru
I'm pleased to inform you that Poh Si Teng's Pecah Lobang - a moving documentary on the plight of Malaysia's Muslim transsexual sex workers - will be screened at the Tropical Inn in Johor Bahru this Saturday, 13 Sep 08, at 8pm, followed by a short discussion session.
Please head over to JB for this and other exciting Malaysian documentaries screened as part of the Komas Freedom Film Fest.
Please head over to JB for this and other exciting Malaysian documentaries screened as part of the Komas Freedom Film Fest.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Gender Confused Kids? Who's confused here?
I read with concern The New Paper's front-page article on MOE's ongoing efforts to train teachers to counsel gender-confused kids (TNP. 11 Sep 08). My question is - do the counselling sessions aim to help the child find his/her true gender identity or influence transgender youth to conform to social norms?
It has long been established internationally that one's gender identity is distinct from one's sex at birth. When the two do not match, the individual experiences the medical condition known as "transsexualism". While I recognise that a sex change operation is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all transsexuals, it is certainly a "natural" and valid recourse for the majority of transsexuals, contrary to the sentiments expressed by Professor Tsoi. And contrary to what Ms Sarah S, a counsellor from NuLife Care and Counselling Services says, male to female transgender children do not necessarily behave the way they do because they lack a masculine father figure in their lives. Has she done a nationwide survey to substantiate her claims? Or is she commenting based on two to three individuals she has counselled? A more important question in light of MOE's initiative - is she one of their trained counsellors?
I myself was a victim of the lack of support in my childhood years. There were lots of well-intentioned but misguided individuals - including a prominent leader of the religious group mentionned in your article - who tried to convince me that being transsexual was "wrong". This compounded my loneliness and sense of alienation, leading to a suicide attempt in my late teens. It was only when I fled to the United Kingdom for my studies in a more tolerant and welcoming environment that I flourished academically and socially.
I have remained in Singapore because I feel I still have lots to contribute to this beautiful society of ours - a society founded on secular, meritocratic principles and love and respect for racial and religious diversity. I hope MOE will adopt the same open-minded, enlightened approach when conducting its training sessions - and when selecting the service providers.
Yours Sincerely
Leona Lo
Author, From Leonard to Leona, A Singapore Transsexual's Journey to Womanhood
It has long been established internationally that one's gender identity is distinct from one's sex at birth. When the two do not match, the individual experiences the medical condition known as "transsexualism". While I recognise that a sex change operation is not a one-size-fits-all solution for all transsexuals, it is certainly a "natural" and valid recourse for the majority of transsexuals, contrary to the sentiments expressed by Professor Tsoi. And contrary to what Ms Sarah S, a counsellor from NuLife Care and Counselling Services says, male to female transgender children do not necessarily behave the way they do because they lack a masculine father figure in their lives. Has she done a nationwide survey to substantiate her claims? Or is she commenting based on two to three individuals she has counselled? A more important question in light of MOE's initiative - is she one of their trained counsellors?
I myself was a victim of the lack of support in my childhood years. There were lots of well-intentioned but misguided individuals - including a prominent leader of the religious group mentionned in your article - who tried to convince me that being transsexual was "wrong". This compounded my loneliness and sense of alienation, leading to a suicide attempt in my late teens. It was only when I fled to the United Kingdom for my studies in a more tolerant and welcoming environment that I flourished academically and socially.
I have remained in Singapore because I feel I still have lots to contribute to this beautiful society of ours - a society founded on secular, meritocratic principles and love and respect for racial and religious diversity. I hope MOE will adopt the same open-minded, enlightened approach when conducting its training sessions - and when selecting the service providers.
Yours Sincerely
Leona Lo
Author, From Leonard to Leona, A Singapore Transsexual's Journey to Womanhood
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Negaraku (Versi Bahasa Melayu)
I'm not sure if you have seen this version of the Malaysian national anthem on youtube. Just do a search on youtube and you will find it. One of the award winning documentaries at the FFF in KL, Project X, showcased the aftermath of the video release - and the shockwaves it sent through the community. Malay Muslims were incensed. The Chinese agreed with the sentiments expressed by Namewee, the brash and obviously talented singer. As a Singaporean Chinese, I find the clip laugh-out-loud funny, although Namewee makes a quick reference to "ah kuas", but this is not a transgender issue, so let's not make it one.
What's interesting is his in-your-face parody of Malaysian community life became a catalyst for the FFF documentary, which focussed on music as a medium of socio-political expression, and sparked a scintillating debate between Islamic scholars and the educated elites on freedom of expression within the country. Certainly, Malaysia is divided on the issue along religious and ethnic lines - but if the divide did not exist in the first place, a mere video would not have exposed the faultlines.
Some may argue that the Chinese are oppressed in Malaysia, others feel the bumiputera policy merely protects the interests of the Malay Muslim community. Yet the most important takeaway for me, having watched the documentary and participated in the discussion thereafter, is that regardless of the deeply divided viewpoints, we must at least allow everyone to have his/her say on the matter.
And that is the beauty of Malaysian politics - that there is actually tremendous freedom of speech in the country. Apparently, Namewee returned to Malaysia to visit his family and he was not detained. And they have also asked him to be involved in some government propaganda, it seems.
What a colourful, vibrant, chaotic country! And what a pity the culture of creative expression does not translate into treating its transgender minority with the understanding and respect it deserves.
So this is a transgender issue after all.
What's interesting is his in-your-face parody of Malaysian community life became a catalyst for the FFF documentary, which focussed on music as a medium of socio-political expression, and sparked a scintillating debate between Islamic scholars and the educated elites on freedom of expression within the country. Certainly, Malaysia is divided on the issue along religious and ethnic lines - but if the divide did not exist in the first place, a mere video would not have exposed the faultlines.
Some may argue that the Chinese are oppressed in Malaysia, others feel the bumiputera policy merely protects the interests of the Malay Muslim community. Yet the most important takeaway for me, having watched the documentary and participated in the discussion thereafter, is that regardless of the deeply divided viewpoints, we must at least allow everyone to have his/her say on the matter.
And that is the beauty of Malaysian politics - that there is actually tremendous freedom of speech in the country. Apparently, Namewee returned to Malaysia to visit his family and he was not detained. And they have also asked him to be involved in some government propaganda, it seems.
What a colourful, vibrant, chaotic country! And what a pity the culture of creative expression does not translate into treating its transgender minority with the understanding and respect it deserves.
So this is a transgender issue after all.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Transsexuals need our compassionate understand, not armchair moralising
I am very luck, I am. And I'm not being sarcastic this time. Perhaps I've been too sarcastic in this lifetime.
I've just emerged from the Freedom Film Festival in KL. Only this morning I was debating whether to fly to KL, but here I am, full of thoughts and emotions.
I watched two documentaries. Both were very inspirational, but of course, the one that touched me the most was Pecah Lobang by Poh Si Teng. Pecah Lobang explores the lives of Muslim transsexual sex workers in KL. The 30-mins documentary features interview snippets with a few key transsexual women including the tireless activist Suhana from PTF.
One of the Muslim sex workers, Natasha, recounted how she was arrested one day for soliciting and imprisoned with two other transsexuals. Because she had augmentation mammoplasty, the prison officers made her expose her breasts to the other inmates.
The key character is a young transsexual woman who left her hometown to work as a prostitute in Kuala Lumpur because she could not earn a living back home, and her parents did not accept her status. The problem of clients not using a condom cropped up during the interview. She said by going without the condom, she could earn as much as RM 75 per session. What she yearns for is official recognition. The Islamic clerics issued a fatwa against Muslim transsexuals in 1982, forbidding them to go for a sex change. Since then, they have been trapped in a no man's land.
Transsexuals in Malaysia cannot look for decent jobs as women since they're not officially recognised as such, and prostitution puts them at the mercy of the police. Thus they are in a no man's land, living in daily dread of being arrested and humiliated.
I almost could not watch the documentary as I did not book the tickets beforehand. Suhana saved the day by passing me an extra ticket. A simple yet rich gesture. That's the grace and dignity with which these ladies live their lives, regardless of society and religion's inhumanity towards them.
Compared to them, I'm really very lucky. I've got my own business, my leisure pursuits, a man who truly cares for me (and who shares a ginger bread with me to cheer me up when I'm down), parents who love me deeply, a sister who is more like a soul mate, friends to share my joys and troubles with...
While I'm sipping on hot chocolate at Ritz Carlton, Natasha probably has to hit the streets soon and earn that 30 RM sleeping with a faceless, uncaring stranger.
The least I could do is share the story of these courageous, noble and beautiful women. The least I could do is continue to build my business so that some day, I can make a more significant financial contribution towards a cooperative that will help give these girls back their dignity and voices.
It doesn't matter if I can't be an NMP or a talk-show host anymore. I just hope you can pass this story on to as many people as you can, locally, internationally, wherever. You receive so many chain letters every day, all saying that if you pass the email on to 9 more people, you will receive love, money, joy, etc. I can't promise you will receive anything, except the light of truth and compassionate understanding.
I am crying. Because I cannot do more for these noble women. Because I cannot move God to do more. Ironically, these ladies are being punished in the name of God.
To find out more about the good work of the PTF Mak Nyah outreach, log on to http://www.ptfmalaysia.org/transex.htm
Thank you.
God bless
Leona
Kuala Lumpur
I've just emerged from the Freedom Film Festival in KL. Only this morning I was debating whether to fly to KL, but here I am, full of thoughts and emotions.
I watched two documentaries. Both were very inspirational, but of course, the one that touched me the most was Pecah Lobang by Poh Si Teng. Pecah Lobang explores the lives of Muslim transsexual sex workers in KL. The 30-mins documentary features interview snippets with a few key transsexual women including the tireless activist Suhana from PTF.
One of the Muslim sex workers, Natasha, recounted how she was arrested one day for soliciting and imprisoned with two other transsexuals. Because she had augmentation mammoplasty, the prison officers made her expose her breasts to the other inmates.
The key character is a young transsexual woman who left her hometown to work as a prostitute in Kuala Lumpur because she could not earn a living back home, and her parents did not accept her status. The problem of clients not using a condom cropped up during the interview. She said by going without the condom, she could earn as much as RM 75 per session. What she yearns for is official recognition. The Islamic clerics issued a fatwa against Muslim transsexuals in 1982, forbidding them to go for a sex change. Since then, they have been trapped in a no man's land.
Transsexuals in Malaysia cannot look for decent jobs as women since they're not officially recognised as such, and prostitution puts them at the mercy of the police. Thus they are in a no man's land, living in daily dread of being arrested and humiliated.
I almost could not watch the documentary as I did not book the tickets beforehand. Suhana saved the day by passing me an extra ticket. A simple yet rich gesture. That's the grace and dignity with which these ladies live their lives, regardless of society and religion's inhumanity towards them.
Compared to them, I'm really very lucky. I've got my own business, my leisure pursuits, a man who truly cares for me (and who shares a ginger bread with me to cheer me up when I'm down), parents who love me deeply, a sister who is more like a soul mate, friends to share my joys and troubles with...
While I'm sipping on hot chocolate at Ritz Carlton, Natasha probably has to hit the streets soon and earn that 30 RM sleeping with a faceless, uncaring stranger.
The least I could do is share the story of these courageous, noble and beautiful women. The least I could do is continue to build my business so that some day, I can make a more significant financial contribution towards a cooperative that will help give these girls back their dignity and voices.
It doesn't matter if I can't be an NMP or a talk-show host anymore. I just hope you can pass this story on to as many people as you can, locally, internationally, wherever. You receive so many chain letters every day, all saying that if you pass the email on to 9 more people, you will receive love, money, joy, etc. I can't promise you will receive anything, except the light of truth and compassionate understanding.
I am crying. Because I cannot do more for these noble women. Because I cannot move God to do more. Ironically, these ladies are being punished in the name of God.
To find out more about the good work of the PTF Mak Nyah outreach, log on to http://www.ptfmalaysia.org/transex.htm
Thank you.
God bless
Leona
Kuala Lumpur
My own talk show?
So it was mentioned in the Straits Times today that I long to host my own Talk Show on Singapore television. This was brought up in the section which featured several Asian trans women in the mainstream.
I had lunch with my ex boss the other day and she said I was just too loud, just too brash and irascible etc. etc. etc. to fit into Singapore society, but the point is, Singapore needs chilli padis like us to add colour and spice to a cosmetic social landscape.
I have not chosen to flee my country and take my "fight" elsewhere. This is my country. This is where I belong. And I will contribute towards building a gracious, enlightened and humane society for as long as I can read, speak, write and...host my own talk show?
I had lunch with my ex boss the other day and she said I was just too loud, just too brash and irascible etc. etc. etc. to fit into Singapore society, but the point is, Singapore needs chilli padis like us to add colour and spice to a cosmetic social landscape.
I have not chosen to flee my country and take my "fight" elsewhere. This is my country. This is where I belong. And I will contribute towards building a gracious, enlightened and humane society for as long as I can read, speak, write and...host my own talk show?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Oh! The unfairness of it all
I highly recommend this blog posting:
http://ngsb.blogspot.com/2008/09/isnt-this-sign-of-unfairness-and-double.html
http://ngsb.blogspot.com/2008/09/isnt-this-sign-of-unfairness-and-double.html
Monday, September 1, 2008
The Law Society Refuses to Engage...
The Law Society refused to comment on my query regarding whether I can sue a person for calling me "ah qua, pondan, bapok, ladyboy, etc." under the Miscellaneous Public Offences Act. Instead, the society referred me to its Legal Aid department. Presumably, I have to make an appoint with one of their volunteer lawyers to discuss the matter. The reason cited for not responding was that I'm an individual member of the public. Does it mean the society will respond to an association, organisation or society? Regardless of the society's stance on the matter, common sense tells us it is of course an offence to call anyone "ah qua, pondan, bapok, ladyboy, etc." in public and with the intention of causing distress. Only in a lawless society will such invectives be allowed to be used on anyone with the intention of causing distress. Case closed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
