Posted December 18, 2000

Come to Fantasia Fair 2001

From Miqqi Alicia Gilbert, Gilbert@yorku.ca

Fantasia Fair 2001 will be held from 14-21 October 2001 in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Crossdressers, transgenderists, and transsexuals from all over the world will assemble in this historic tourist community on beautiful Cape Cod for seven wonderful days of shopping, dining, seminars, and companionship. Oldtimers and newcomers alike will revel in the freedom to be themselves in a warm and welcoming setting that features great shopping, fine dining, and beautiful scenery, and hundreds of quaint guest houses.

There's nothing else like the FanFair experience, a fact to which previous attendees will attest. Rather than confining itself to a single hotel, the Fair spans the entire town, spilling into the streets; there's no need for fear here, for everyone will love you -- but be sure to bring your flats, for no one drives in this town built for walking. The "full immersion" seven-day experience gives attendees a taste of what it's like to crosslive full-time -- and for those who already live full-time, the joy of being oneself is amplified by being with so many similar others.

The 2001 Fair is surprisingly inexpensive. Organizers have set the fee for the Sunday-to-Sunday event at the low, low price of $450 (and only $300 for significant others of attendees) -- but act quickly, for the price will increase to $500 ($350 for significant others) after 1 February and will increase again after 1 August. Those who can't take a full week away from work can remit a proportional amount for either the first half of second half of the Fair.

Think of it: a welcoming reception, daily luncheons, the fashion show, our great Follies talent show, the grand banquet, and evening events that change from year to year: a progressive dinner, concerts, gala museum shows, a wine-and-cheese tasting. Hear exciting, well-known luncheon speakers and workshop presenters: Dr. Sandra Cole, Alison Laing, Miqqi Gilbert, Dallas Denny, Dianna Cicotello, Ari Kane, David Prok, Diane Ellaborn, Virginia Prince, Holly Boswell, and others. There are late-night (and sometimes all-night) house parties at the inns; shopping and sightseeing on your own time, or perhaps a whale watch, dunes tour, or bicycle jaunt along the beach; elegant dinners with newfound or lifelong friends; shopping at hundreds of charming boutiques and galleries; dancing until the wee hours at the A- House. The opportunities are unlimited!

For more information about Fantasia Fair 2001, go to http://www.fantasiafair.org or contact:

Registrar
P.O. Box 33724
Decatur, GA 30033-0724
404/299-7405 (voice mail)
fanfair@gender.org

.     .     .

Fantasia Fair is already gearing up for 2001. This year we are beginning an announcement list called FF-ANN. This is a low traffic announce only list intended to keep the community abreast of developments regarding the Fair. There will, for example, shortly be an announcement regarding new low prices for early bird subscribers.

To join the list, please send an email to FF-ANN@gilbert1.net with the subject line: FF-ANN, and in the body of the message, ONLY your name and email address. For example:

cutie@isp.com Cutie Smith

Yours,
Miqqi Alicia Gilbert

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Posted December 17, 2000

Join the ACLU in Protesting
the Firing of a TG Employee

From The American Civil Liberties Union Lesbian and Gay Rights Project

We believe that the discrimination this Winn-Dixie employee experienced was based on the company's enforcement of gender stereotypes. We believe that discrimination based upon gender stereotypes affects many Americans. Indeed, many gays and lesbians are subjected to discrimination based upon gender stereotyping on a daily basis. Along with local, state and regional groups who work on these issues daily, we believe the situation with Winn-Dixie presents a unique opportunity. Now is our chance to put into action our beliefs that freedom from gender stereotyping in the workplace is part of the lesbian, gay and bisexual struggle -- and part of a much broader movement against discrimination in all its forms. But we can only do this together -- and only if we act quickly.

America Has a Beef with 'The Beef People'
Mobilization Against Winn-Dixie for Firing TG Employee

The National Mobilization Against Winn-Dixie will run from December 18 through January 5. The specific goals of this are: (1) To educate Winn-Dixie that it was wrong to fire this person, and that such actions will not go unnoticed; (2) To raise awareness in the general public about transgendered people and all who are harmed by gender stereotyping, and to place discrimination against transgendered people in the broader context of basic fairness, showing that transgendered people have support outside their immediate communities; (3) To move lesbian, gay and bisexual people into action against all forms of discrimination arising from gender stereotyping; (4) To strengthen transgender communities' connections with other groups and invest them more in political/community organizing.

By focusing on the firing of a transgendered person in the context of other discrimination, the mobilization will engage a diverse cross-section of people. There are specific actions for people who live in the 14 Southern states with Winn-Dixie stores -- as well as people in all 50 states.

• In the Winn-Dixie States (AL, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MS, OH, OK, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA) people will be encouraged not to shop at Winn-Dixie Dec. 18 through Jan. 5 (one of the busiest times in the grocery industry). Demonstrations outside Winn-Dixie regional corporate offices are also being planned locally.
• In all 50 states, people will contact Winn-Dixie directly to express their disgust with the company's actions. People in all 50 states will also ask their friends and family who live in the South not to shop at Winn-Dixie from Dec. 18 to Jan. 5.
• Jan. 5 is the one-year anniversary of Peter Oiler's termination for off-duty cross-dressing. A massive phone, fax and e-mail campaign to Winn-Dixie will take place that day, as well as demonstrations outside Winn-Dixie's corporate headquarters.

What You and Your Organization Can Do

All of our organizations are tight on resources and staffing, especially at this time of year. But there are three simple things you can do to make this effort a success:

1. Disseminate information to your constituency asking them to participate (We will give you an e-mail action alert that you can send as-is, or alter as you'd like.);
2. Post a banner ad on your organization's web site, linking visitors to a site with much more information on all this. (The web site, http://www.ShameOnWinnDixie.com, will be operational in a few days. We will e-mail you simple instructions on how to place a banner ad on your site.);
3. Allow your name and/or your organization to be listed as part of the coalition taking part in this effort.

Please e-mail the ACLU's Eric Ferrero at eferrero@aclu.org, or call 212-549-2568, to let us know if you're able to participate.

.     .     .

Complete information on the ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights Project's lawsuit against Winn-Dixie on behalf of Peter Oiler -- including the legal papers with the specific facts of the case -- is at: http://www.aclu.org/features/f102300a.html.

.     .     .

For more background, read these articles about Peter Oiler.

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