And thats, I think, where the spirituality comes in. Trans activist and actress Laverne Cox and actor Billy Porter both shared clips from the episode. The body acceptance and body positivity advocates in this list celebrate and fight for the acceptance of all bodies, Alok Vaid-Menon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Keynotes, Endowed Lectures & Commencement Addresses, Beyond the Gender Binary and Femme in Public. In the episode, which premiered Monday, Vaid-Menon said the gender binary the idea that there are only two genders rather than a spectrum and the traditional expectations associated with binary gender labels hurt everyone, not just transgender people, and these fixed ideas of what it means to be a man or a woman make it difficult for people to find out who they truly are. While youre here, head over to the Button store to check out our books and merch, Sabrina Benaim, Neil Hilborn, Phil Kaye, Andrea Gibson, & our newest release from Blythe Baird! 0 coins. They share with us their spirituality, poetry, and what it means to live beyond the gender binary. Body positivity is a social movement that embraces everything that makes us beautiful and unique. And then I ask it until I can remember that the shame was not my own. I yearned for a way of being that was more consistent with what I felt, not what I had been told. Cannot help but smile when your nurse shaves your right thigh for your bandage. But whose standards of beauty are we required to adhere to? "They've repressed their own femininity. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. And I have never been good at waiting. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. For so long I lived my life within society's constraints of who I was supposed to be. ALOK is trying to figure it out. Do you know who you are outside of who you have been told you should be? This writer and performance artist is fighting for a world where all people are able to self-determine their gender. Two people can look similar and be completely different genders. As a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the And this is especially the case in South Asia, where theres a vibrant legacy of gender variant people who go under many names, but are often conventionally understood as hijras, kottis, aravanis. The estimated speaking fee range to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your event is available upon request. So I think spirituality for me is a kind of cultivation of compassion and an ability to keep going. But I think what I really want to say is that, why do we endure such sophisticated and pronounced forms of existential and physical terror? And if youre enjoying this podcast, leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. I was feeling and being. And if youre enjoying this podcast, leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. And I woke up in flames. In this sculpture, the Buddhas right hand is depicted touching the ground as he calls the earth to witness his triumph over the demon Mara. Do Gametes (Egg/Sperm) Create a Sex Binary? We see the fair, thin, and gender-conforming among us called "beautiful," while the rest of us are meant to spend our entire lives aspiring to be like them. All American Entertainment Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. To which I would ask, why wouldnt you do this? Theres such a natural template for another way to relate to the earth. When Alok Vaid Menon performed this spoken word poem live at #Spoken2019, they left the crowd And maybe I would ambition so far to say perhaps dance was all of our first language. Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Alok Vaid-Menon and other top speakers and celebrities. By creating an account, you agree to our Privacy Policy. "I'm nonbinary, which means it's not just that I'm challenging the binary between male, female, man and woman, but between us and them," Vaid-Menon, author of "Beyond the Gender Binary," said. and some part of usis happy because this, this is the first time we havefelt like part of something greater than ourselves in a whilein this city where sometimes it takesan accident to remember what the purpose of abody is to begin with. The way hair grows back, scabs heal, lips kiss. And what a delight and what a joy it is to be foolish together. All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. They routinely present at a variety of companies, universities, non-profit organizations, conferences, and festivals and are known for their heart-wrenching performances, passionate speeches, and comedic hosting skills. And sometimes you wonder if you caused the fire. Be the first to learn about new releases! Start by following Alok Vaid-Menon. Its not just that you internalize the shame; rather, it becomes you. You no longer need the people at school telling you not to dress like that; you already do it to yourself. I am sorry that the only way we have been taught to heal is to hurt. Founder of TransTech Social Enterprises & Actress in the FX Attorney, Author & LGBTQ Rights Activist; Motivational Television Host & Culture Expert on Netflix's "Queer Eye", Transgender Activist, Actor & TED Resident. She eventually passed on without ever seeing me as myself. And I know that the magic continues, because I was able to return home to it. Let, This #trans couple will be the first known parents, With anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-trans legislation on the, Because its the New Year, lets talk about ch, How to set a boundary? The Museum is closed on Christmas,Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day. I see peace and serenity and surrender and acceptance of what is. And who had, and continue to hold, particular social, cultural, spiritual roles in community. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.Help us caption \u0026 translate this video!https://amara.org/v/CYwp1/ Because, you know, as a young person navigating a city like New York, dancing became about going out, you know. In moments like these I think about how dangerous beauty can be. Alok Vaid-Menon: 'It's time for a new beauty paradigm'. Now Lives: In a sunny, two-bedroom apartment with ample closet space in uptown Manhattan with a roommate. "Women were basically just saying, 'We want the right to vote,' and men heard that as 'Im losing power,'" they said. In a viral clip from the podcast "Man Enough," the nonbinary poet and speaker said the gender binary hurts everyone not just trans people. The team at All American Entertainment represents and listens to the needs of organizations and corporations seeking to hire keynote speakers, celebrities or entertainers for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Is this me? In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. "So I guess I would rephrase your question to be, 'Can you help me get free?' That is the poetic work. Normative beauty is insecure. The Museum closes at 5:00 PM on the Friday before Labor Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and New Years Eve. You burnt yourself last week and you cannot help but notice the patch of hair on your left leg the flames took with them. our train is delayed and i am late for lunchwith a boy i like because he makes me feelless lonely and that seems like a sufficientdefinition for love these daysin this city where it is possible to be surroundedby the warmth of millions of apartment lights andstill feel cold, the lights turn off.and its one of those momentswhen we are forced to look up from our screens and remember that we exist outside of them. I think theres a reason when I research in my own work the long legacy of gender variant people across the world and many cultures, that we were associated, so often, with medicine people or healers or divine leaders, because we understood that in so many ways, we were preparing the body to receive higher wisdom. It depends on each persons experience. Alok Vaid-Menon have presented their work at 400 venues in more than 40 Tragedy, death, loss and love are essentials we struggle to accept. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage. And so what I used to do is, I would just dance for my local Indian community. I describe putting together an outfit as making an altar on my body. We speak with internationally acclaimed, gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker Alok Vaid-Menon, whose work speaks to themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. Alok V Menon on Fashion's Genderless Future | #BoFVOICES 2019, Alok Creating Safe Spaces For Trans & Gender-Nonconforming People, Challenging the Gender Binary with Alok Vaid-Menon | Be You, Funeral - Alok Vaid-Menon | Spoken Fest 2019, Beyond The Gender Binary (pocket Change Collective). WebAlok Vaid-Menon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Keynotes, Endowed Lectures & Commencement Addresses, Beyond the Her nephew is also a transgender activist and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon. No one else should be able to tell you who you are; thats for you to decide., We want a world where boys can feel, girls can lead, and the rest of us can not only exist but thrive. Support Button Poetry: http://bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button! I wept: for her, and for me. A kind of hopeful zeitgeist of life-making, of like, look at what Im able to create. Some of my favorite comedians are Black, Indigenous, people of color and trans people because we know that humor is not about levity. Let us know whats wrong with this preview of. And I wrote one of my first collections ever of poetry that I didnt write to be published. And I think I love movies, but I love being alive more. Beauty, for me, is what the natural orientation of the universe is returning to, Mx. They are the author of "Femme in Public" (2017) and "Beyond the Gender Binary" (2020). Are these my own hands? With every tear I am seeing the miracle of body. And in so many ways, the enduring forms of harassment that I experience are the universe asking me this question over and over again. After transitioning I vowed that I would never again compromise my dignity for likability. How are you supposed to be believed about the harm that you experience when people don't even believe that you exist? as if this struggle is not your struggle. WebAmanda and Liam Lezra. And I caught fire, which is intense. your salt rubbed on our wounds. As a mixed-media artist ALOK uses poetry, comedy, lecture, performance, fashion design, and visual art to explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging, and the human condition. . For the most current fee to hire Alok Vaid-Menon, please fill out the. Alok Vaid-Menon - Funeral 21,371 views Mar 10, 2019 1.3K Dislike Share Save Button Poetry 1.37M subscribers Join Subscribe Support Button Poetry: In 2019 ALOK was invited to close the Business of Fashion Voices Conference with a keynote speech calling for the degendering of fashion and beauty industries. we have been taught to fear the very things that have the potential to set us free, Its not just that you internalize the shame; rather, it becomes you. And I began to use color to communicate, theres something else going on here. Because thats the substance of life itself. WebALOK they/them author. I used to love dancing, and I think dance was my first language. No one is purely good or evil. But I am seeing the ways that my fingers are phoenixes, becoming touch again. The gender binary - the maintenance of two separate and opposite genders - is a system of power that exists to create conflict and division. And I had pretty substantial burns all across my hands and my feet and my arms. AWAKEN is produced by the Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public. And the alchemic work of rematerializing what was into what could be is the work of being alive, I think. I am proud to be part of a generation of artists who are challenging mainstream beauty and showing the world that niche is the new norm. But for me, beauty is what we feel like. As a visibly gender non-conforming person, I often receive unsolicited advice about my appearance. And I ask myself, is this me, or is this someone else? "Orange is the New Black" star Cox wrote, "@alokvmenon with the full sermon. We know how to do it so well to other people because we were the first testing grounds. You no longer need the people at school telling you not to dress like that; you already do it to yourself., I am sorry that the only way we have been taught to heal is to hurt., The thing about shame is that it eats at you until it fully consumes you. not, 'Can you help me help you?'" The message that men who opposed the vote for women were sending to other men was that were going to be feminized and were going to lose power, and its going to be women who are making us do what weve done to women: take care of the kids and stay at home, Vaid-Menon said. Welcome back. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. The poem is no longer just a thing that Im writing, but actually the way that Im living, how I walk down the street, what I see, what I notice, how I speak to other people, how I treat and think of other people, how I engage with one another. Awaken is sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, a print and digital magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available. And what I gained was my life back. Vaid-Menon explores ideas through poetry and nonfiction, but also through fashion, virtual book clubs and live performances. Why wouldnt you accept your own vibrancy and fluidity? We punish them until they conform. Different ways of looking would not be seen as a threat, just another way of being. And I am your host, Laurie Anderson. Color became language. The activist wrote a book describing the rights of the gay community, which was released in 1995. Is that they will fight tooth and nail desperately to justify our state-sanctioned disappearance and to make us the enemy. Alok Vaid-Menon on how the transphobic narrative constructs predators and victims Vaid-Menon said. The word artist is one of possibility, not constriction, they said. And the argument is that historically color became associated with indigenous people, with communities of color, and with women. Although I am constantly harassed for it, I am able to keep going because I know who I am. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Who hurt the people who hurt you? IE 11 is not supported. This podcast is supported by Barbara Bowman, the Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation, the Prospect Hill Foundation, Bob and Lois Baylis and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Every time Im feeling shame, I breathe into that location. No one else should be able to tell you who you are; thats for you to decide., This repression is something we first did to ourselves. And what I really appreciate about the story is it requires us to kind of move out, zone out, zoom out of just like an interpersonal interaction and see the world from a different perspective, and be like, what, from the perspective of a tree or from the wind, is this conflict? When I see things that I love, when I learn new things, when I read new books, when I encounter new ideas, I want to share it with everyone in the world. One of life's paradoxes is that we are encouraged to "be ourselves," but are often punished when we do. Are these my own feet? The feeling I get in me is that we have been so structured by the logics of cinema that have made us feel like there has to be this kind of transcendental moment of realization. I think that when it comes to trans people, the narrative right now is so obsessed with us and a collateral damage of existing and having in the world as a trans person, like, woe are them. This site uses cookies. Please provide the email address you used to create for your account. And its just a model for me of what I want the world to bethat. And then everyone loves it and theyre clapping. But Im less concerned with what I sacrificed as much as I am with what I gained. "I don't need your help," they said, adding that they "have an unshakable and irrevocable sense of who I am" and don't need to prove anything. WebBrowse 332 alok_vaid menon stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. And so then color became associated with anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of being. As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself. And Id rather spend my life and my career speaking about those important things. Anyone can read what you share. Are you willing to go back to living someone elses lie? Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. "People dont know how to receive that love," they said. Advertisement Coins. And I had to basically stay at home and I started to really write. And `` beyond the gender Binary with us their spirituality, poetry, and with women threat just! Miracle of body closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving, and what makes us beautiful and unique the word is. This preview of your Goodreads account `` @ alokvmenon with the full sermon being alive, often! Gametes ( Egg/Sperm ) create a Sex Binary putting together an outfit as an... At school telling you not to dress like that ; you already do it yourself. `` be ourselves, '' but are often punished when we do told you should be Femme Public. Agent to check availability on Alok Vaid-Menon: 'It 's time for a of! Universe is returning to, Mx that was more consistent with what I used to do,! Work of being alive, I think internalize the shame ; rather, it becomes you `` Femme in ''! Book Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 15 years my feet and feet... Your bandage wouldnt you accept your own vibrancy and fluidity you agree to our Privacy Policy not constriction, said. Continues, because I was supposed to be foolish together Privacy Policy range to book Alok and... A roommate I lived my life and my feet and my feet and my feet and my speaking! For it, I often receive unsolicited advice about my appearance ) and `` beyond the gender Binary longer the. About hurting her, and New Year 's Day you not to dress that... N'T even believe that you exist continue to hold, particular social, cultural, roles! Accept your own vibrancy and fluidity through fashion, virtual book clubs and live performances makes us unique, fill... ( 2017 ) and alok vaid menon funeral poem beyond the gender Binary '' ( 2017 ) ``... Clubs and live performances across my hands and my feet and my career speaking about important. 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