Activist Kate Bornstein is at Allen Hall 10/9/17 - 10/12/17
Kate Bornstein is an author, performance artist, and public speaker who has written several award-winning books in the field of Women and Gender Studies, including Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and The Rest of Us; and My New Gender Workbook. Her 2006 book, Hello, Cruel World, propelled Kate into the position of international advocate for marginalized and at-risk youth. Kate's books are taught in six languages in over two hundred colleges and universities around the world. The title of her memoir pretty much sums her up—A Queer and Pleasant Danger: the true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology, and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today. All events take place in Allen Hall, 1005 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana. Free parking after 5pm in the garage across the street.
Sunday, October 15 – 7:00 p.m. World Peace Through Gender Anarchy and Sex Positivity (Main Lounge). Power (access to resources), identity, and desire are three of the best ways to make life more worth living for both individuals and civilizations. Sometimes, whatever it is that gives us the most joy, pleasure, or relief—like great sex or fun gender—also gets us into the deepest trouble—especially when we try to explain it to other people. Kate Bornstein uses gender and sexuality to examine the mechanics of oppression, and the fifteen cultural structures that hold them in place in the U.S. and around the world. And yes, you’ll learn how sex positivity and gender anarchy are legitimate paths to world peace.
9pm – Tea Time - for trans-identified folk and their lovers (guest apartment)
Monday, October 16: 7:00 p.m. - On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us: a performance (Main Lounge). Come spend a cozy evening with your very own Auntie Kate, who promises you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll gasp out loud as she speaks about the last thirty years of her life as a nonbinary identified queer trans dyke. This is an evening of her most favorite heartwarming anecdotes, touching and sometimes painful personal trials and tribulations, as well as inspiring tales of putting the world to rights. Her performance is at once deeply personal and universally accessible, weaving together stand-up comedy, theatrical monologues, and heart-to-heart storytelling to convey the experience of her long, rich non-binary trans life.
Tuesday, October 17: 7:00 p.m. – Trans, Just For the Fun Of It! (Main Lounge). In mid-May, 2014, Time Magazine proclaimed a transgender tipping point. Since then, Kate Bornstein—who identifies as non-binary trans—has been studying and exploring trans identities that have made no such headway into mainstream culture. In this talk, Kate will use basic tenets of postmodern theory, Tibetan Buddhism, and quantum physics. “They all three overlap at slapstick comedy,” she insists, going on to say, “transgender life has gotten awfully serious as of late, and I want to remind people that there’s a great deal of physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual joy that can be had by creating and living one’s gender mindfully.”
9:00 p.m. – Tea Time for Allen Hall students only, all Allenites welcome (guest apartment)
Wednesday, October 18: 4:00 p.m. – T&A Time - for trans-identified folk and allies (guest apartment)
7:00 p.m. - Your Gender: Now You See It, Now You Don’t: workshop (Main Lounge). We’re all
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