X-jenda

Yesterday 24th /5/14 went to CGS to prepare for the R-week(Rainbow Week) exhibition on my work mostly trans issues and politics in malaisea. Yesterday there was quite alot of people on the train towards Mitaka or Kunitachi, usually its not that many people.

Had a light lunch only vegetable soup & miso soup, couple of pastries. Then to CGS and print artwork. Quite a lot around 60-70 pieces all A3 size and few A4s. Mao san was also help printing and putting up the artwork on the wall at the library.

Before we print the artwork, Maosan invited me to this new professor talk about her project on Asexual people in Japan. Its great that i have this opportunity because i always wonder about the phenomenal Asexual people in Japan.

The would-be professor's name is Sonja Dale and she's a Singaporean. Her lectures in point form: - recently more people diagnosed with GID but not MTF/FTM trans but X-jenda -diagnosed GID is easier to explain to family/colleagues the situation of being X because its more like medical condition -in a way media reprentation on GID is more recognized than homosexuality -with GID certificate, its easier to tell their parents they are X -gender roles, x-gender is a trump card??? -sei doitsu sei shogai (GID) diagnose is necessary in order to -get SRS -officially change sex -name change -diagnose instituitional recognition,possibility of social recognition -GID signify the decsire to transtion from either male-female/female-male,more increasingly individual diagnosed with GID and X-jenda

Sexuality -gay/lesbian terms too well known Separation of gender/sexuality -homosexuality imagined as gender-normative

-Categories are shrinking, women,gay,men are insufficiant for describing individual identity -2011-now socially recignized the term more institutionized

(Dis)orientation

Im not troubled but people around me are

-X-jenda identity is means to orientate trans issues into society -Is it possible to mov?

-No matter how free an individual desires to be of gender, this is possible even concepts such as 'androgyny' were used of gender in their difficulties

*Fieldwork *Theory *X-function From K-function individual coming out- Micro(individual) Move out to Macro(society) *Think of yourself as the X *Mapping -Trace social phenomenon-specific context

- Mapping X-gender: study how the concept of X-genda in contemporary society

Findings (X-jenda people/characteristics) -identify as X-jenda (not women) is what allows her to move beyond determinism of female gender expectation -distinguish themselves from the catogary 'gay'. Its a term that they feel adequately captures how they identify themselves, -appearances as intentionally confrontational -tall,wide frame, wear skirts, -the term X-jenda id a means to express their opposition to the gender binary in society. Its a political statement. -Not a choice, perfectly describe the situation they're in. Diagnosed GID. -Some against the term GID as they said they're perfectly normal.

Photos by Mao san: