Have you ever had the urge to jump up and get the heck out of Dodge? To just pack up, and well, move to a new state? A new neighborhood? Well I, being the preverbal gypsy, have done all of the above and then some. I took it a step farther and left the country. As I sit here in my Berlin flat watching my download of Nip Tuck, I am realizing how much I miss a good conversation. Or for a better analogy I miss the simplistic beauty of the english language. When I left the country I did not choose London or Australia where English is the native tongue. No, I chose Germany and being the typical American I assumed that EVERYONE spoke English. Well people that is not the case. How many times have you said to some store worker or taxi driver, “you’re” in America, learn english!”  Well, as many times as you have said it, I have heard it said to me as I try to speak German and very badly at that. Now the German language is extremely difficult and filled with words like ‘gucken’ which means ‘look’ and ‘kuchen’ that means ‘cake’.

When pronounced they sound very similar, at least to my ears, and the words don’t exactly translate the same. I am the mother of a teenage daughter and all of you mothers out there, at one point or another, have said to yourself or a girlfriend, “she is such a bitch!” To us it means her attitude sucks and she has plucked your nerves beyond plucking. After  talking to some friends, after a stressful conversation with my kid I uttered, “she can be such a bitch!” If you could have seen the looks on their faces!  How could you say such a thing?, they probably thought.  Bitch in the German language means whore or slut. That is so not what I meant!

Imagine the miscommunication one has when trying to have a relationship. I’m sure couples have communication problems when speaking basic English with one another, but throw a communication barrier into the mix and you have trouble! My time here in Europe has been wonderful and I am not done. But in this time I have had the pleasure to learn what it is to be an alien, a stranger in a foreign land. I now know what is to be lost in translation. So the next time that taxi driver or store worker has a hard time understanding you, and you them, think before you utter the words, ‘moron’ or ‘idiot’ in you’re American English. Think about me, your sister living abroad, and remember its not as easy as you think to learn another language. And ENGLISH is not spoken everywhere. Have a little tolerance and patience, be a teacher not a tool used to break another’s will and spirit. You have no idea what courage and will it takes to make such a bold move. To leave all the things that are familiar and makes sense to you is very, very hard. Should some non-english speaker stumble over words take a breath before you get annoyed. Use it as a chance to learn something. So we can all stop being Lost In Translation.

Kyss Major was born in the Bronx, New York. Her given name Kisha Seabrook by her mother Toni Seabrook, a singer/model who traveled Europe on USO tours. Her mother continued singing after Kisha was born, bringing her along to her many rehearsals. Kyss’s earliest musical memories are bouncing around in her walker with mic in hand singing along with the band. A passion for the entertainment industry was in her blood. Kyss left home at the tender age of 16 to travel to the west coast in pursuit of her dreams. Blessed with seemingly perfect pitch and determined to fend for herself, Kyss earned her living working as an extra in various films and also appearing in several music videos before being signed to Bobbi Ball Talent Agency. She was subsequently signed to Gasoline Alley MCA, replacing a lead vocalist in the group E.V.E.; a short lived all female R&B project.

Since then Kyss has been writing, recording and working with the likes of producer/artist Davina, Wu-tang producer Goldfingaz (aka Scott Kinchen), producer Billy Moss (Brownstone), producer Battle Cat and Aaron Freedom Lyles (Angie Stone, Erykah Badu). Kyss is a song bird in the true senses of the word. Kyss not only possesses the ability to belt out soulful vocals on uptempo dance tracks, Kyss also writes her own material which she says is drawn from her life experience. When she takes on a ballad her pain is reminiscent of the late great Phylis Hyman. Currently living in Germany she self released her freshman LP Kyss the Girl and is currently in the studio working on ” My Own Me “.

She has performed all over Europe, and was the opening act for Boys to Men and Dru Hill . In 2008 began penning her memoirs, three years later she has completed her first literary work “A Whores Prayer ” and is searching for the right publishing house for her baby.  A whores Prayer is the real life story of a young woman, who in the face of adversity, with the odd stacked against, SURVIVED ! Her future plans are to devel into the film and television industry behind the scenes writing and directing.

Kyss, it is a pleasure to meet you! I understand you are from the Bronx. So am I! What was if like growing up there and can you tell us a little bit about your childhood?

I was Born In Jacobi hospital on Phelam Pkwy I remember attending PS 20 something for maybe a month or two. Soon after I was shipped to the USVI where I lived for several years with my Mom followed by Teaneck NJ with my Granny. Not much Bronx experience really.

Having a mother who is an entertainer must have exposed you to many different kinds of music. Can you remember what  kinds of music you were into back then?

DISCO, FUNK, and R&B. 

You never really knew your father and there is a rather sad story about him. Can you share this with us?

Well, my mother told me my father died when I was a pre teen only I later found out as an adult he passed away in 2008. He always wanted me and searched for me when he was not incarcerated. He was a gangster who ran with the likes of Niki Barnes. A brighter side to the story is from a post I did about my dad on Youtube. My Paternal siblings found me.

When you were 16 you left home to make your mark on the world. That is young and very brave. Where did you go and what kinds of film and video projects were you involved in?

I left home because I was miserable. School sucked, the kids were mean and life at home was no picnic either. I ran away to Midtown and 42nd street where I sold crack on the corner of 8th Ave and 42nd. Later I began stripping at Peepland, remember the place on 8th Ave with the eyeball? Thats where I was. Later, at show world, is where I met Heather Hunter and began making adult films in 1989.

At one point you took a brief turn and worked in porn. What was that time in your life like?

This was the beginning of my dark ages, filled with drugs, unfulfilled relations and depression.

You are back in the states now but for awhile you were living in Germany. How did you end up relocating there?

I met a young woman from Berlin with whom I stayed in contact. When I had grown weary of the hole I had dug for myself I had my then boyfriend, who lived in Paris, get me a ticket to Europe where I decided if I don’t sing, I don’t eat. Birthing Kyss Major,  it was then the dawn of a new era in my life.

You have built up a great reputation as a vocalist. How would you describe your style?

One word, Soulfull.

Who would you say are some of the musicians and vocalists who have most influenced you?

Phyliss Hyman, Erykah Badu, Diana Ross, and Billie Holiday.

While in Europe you traveled and performed extensively. What were some of your favorite places you went to?

Warsaw, Poland and Verona, Italy.

You say you write based on personal experience. Can you tell us about  the heartbreaking lyrics in your song, “How Can I”?

Believe it or not that song was written about an ex-girlfriend. I loved her very much as my lover and simply as my friend. I began seeing her downward spiral into drugs and she was no longer the woman I once knew. I did not want to let go but how can you love or care for something or someone who is not loving/caring for themselves? It’s hard! So the song’s meaning is how does one let go.

Much different in style is your song “Take Me High” and it’s video. How did you like making the video?

It was so much fun! I produced and directed the shoot myself and with the help of Videographer/editor Corbet Santana, came out with a pretty cool finished product. I think not so bad for my first endeavor!

What is your creative process like? Do you write the lyrics and compose the music after or the other way around?

I don’t produce music. I get the tracks from different producers and then write. Sometimes I catch melodies in my head and record the ideas in my phone.

Do you remember your first time performing live? Were you nervous?

I’m nervous every time I perform. My first big performance was an amazing experience! I discovered a new drug and I have been addicted ever since!

Which do you prefer, live performing or studio recording?

Live performance, hands down!

You are also an author and have written your memoir, “A Whores Prayer”. Tell us more about the story and what a reader can expect from your book?

It’s haunting, not a fun read yet funny. I have a quirky, colorful way of expressing myself. My personality is definitely reflected in my writing and in the forward I say I hope that within these pages, whomever should happen to  pick up this book, that it inspires and encourages you change your own life or help to  fix someone else’s  life. If nothing else may it help lead you out of darkness and help you find the light.

What is next for you? Can you tell us about any current or future projects you have coming up?

Im am currently signed to NBA player Joe Smith’s record label  and we are developing a reality show based on our relationship as well as a few other television projects in the works but I can’t speak on those as of yet

What do you like to do when you have down time?

NOTHING! I am a serious couch potato.

Where can we go to find out more about you?

Follow me on Twitter!  I post EVERYTHING that goes on, personal and professional there. I can not keep life’s daily lessons to myself. They are to be shared. Also go to  my website www.kyssmajor.com

Zainora, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m a Pre Op Transwoman. I’m second in a family of 7. Working with the Transwomen community more than 15 years.I went to a local college and decided not to further my study due to my personal conflict and depression. I moved to Kuala Lumpur at age of 19 to find freedom to express and be myself.

I used to dream to become completely as a woman but never go for SRS due to long time struggling with self denial. Eventhough going for SRS is still at the back of my head, I have to forget it due to the high cost of the surgery. I think the self-acceptance is most important to me so I can move on without guilt.

When did you first realize you wanted to live your life as a woman?

At the of 4 or 5, I remember wearing my mom’s dress but at that point of time I was still a child and did not realize anything. I started to feel different when I reached puberty and started to wear women’s clothes at the age of 16, secretly. I was so scared that my parent and relatives know about it. I met a few friends (peers) who has also the same feeling and tendency, however I still not sure about myself. I pretended not to think about it and suppressed my feelings to accept the fact that I’m a girl. At the same time at the back of my head says that I’m wrong and I should not be like this. Years went by but I still stuck up with confusion and in a state of denial. I know exactly how I feel but everybody around treated me like a boy. I started transformed fully in my early 20s when I moved to Kuala Lumpur to enjoy my freedom of expression. After went through ups and down, I began to accept myself during my late 30s and till now living proudly as a Transwoman.

Various terms are used to describe transgender people, such as transvestite, cross-dresser, bi-gendered, androgyne, transsexual and drag queen. Can you tell us the differences in them?

They are many you can find in the internet under the Transgender term and for sure a Transwoman like me is all about gender identity.

There are a number of good articles online and these articles reposted here:

Defining Gender Variance

I have read the term for a person, “Mak Andam”. Can you tell us what this person might do and where the role stands in Malaysian society today? Can you also explain to us the term, “Mak Nyah”?

Mak Andam- wedding planner was very popular amongst the Transwomen in Malaysia in early 60s until now.At that early time the Mak Andam was accepted in the society and become an important person during the wedding season in smaller village in rural area

Mak Nyah is a term used by Malaysian Transwomen to differentiate them from the gay community. In the year 70s, the society generalised gay men and Transwomen and used the same term which is very derogatory and confusing. Mak Nyah sounds feminine and accepted by most of the Transwomen

You work for an NGO called the PT Foundation. Can you tell us about it at what their goals are?

The PT Foundation has spoken out against the boot camp for “sissies” as it violated the Child Act 2001. Can you tell us a bit about this boot camp and why it is so harmful?

It was stopped when the Women Ministry objected the program which violated the Childs act

Malaysian criminal law was inherited from the British and reflects that country’s Victorian values of the 19th century. Britain has amended its laws, leading to the decriminalisation of sexual activity between males and subsequently laws that provide greater support and protection of their rights. In Malaysia, are there still laws that criminalise the conduct of those in the sexual minority?

Still using the sodomy act but only for gay man. The muslim Transwomen can be arrested under Islamic law, accused of committing sharia offence and will be charged for “crossdressing in the public ” and will be fine up to MYR1000 or jailed for 6 months

If Malaysia is perceived as being a homophobic and transphobic nation, what might the long term effects be on the nation in general?

Stigma,violence,bully,transphobia will become common against the Trans community and will be living in fear all their life.

In the US there have been efforts to bring awareness of bullying in schools. In Malaysia, is it common for LGBT kids to be bullied or do you think society and the government are becoming more open-minded to the harm it can cause children?

No. Mostly at school there will be school counsellors(not an expert or specialist on gender and sexuality) and they will eventually misguide the kids to become “normal” .Yes, bully happens but lgbt kids never come forward due to low self esteem and scared.

Is transexualism a medical condition?

Please See:

How Boys Become Boys (and Sometimes Girls)

A Sex Difference in the Human Brain and It’s Relation to Transexuality

Baby Comes With Brain Repair Kit for Mum

What role does religion play in the Is it true that non-Muslim transsexuals are not prohibited from sex change but Muslim transsexuals are? Is it also true that transexuals are not allowed to change their gender in identification documents?

Yes but it doesn’t stop the muslim Transwomen go for Sexual Reassignment Surgery (SRS) in other country. You can change name on your ID but not the gender. It is very saddening that to feel that you are still officially male.

Do many transexuals move abroad and can you give us an example of some who have found good jobs and integrated to society?

Yes, some of my friends,too. I think they are happy living in a country where they are respected an accepted as who they are. They are many Transwomen succeeded in life and had got away from societal stereotype. Some are working in the corporate/private sectors,restaurant owner, musician etc. They are some also living in stealth due to stigma and discrimination.

What do you think is one step that a person can take in order to promote equality for all at a personal level?

Respect and accept diversity

Chris Zownir is te President and Founder of Cuffwear, Inc. Cuffwear provides its customers with stunning and unique cufflinks that help you complete your look and dress up any moment. From formal to casual, classic to wild, our collection of cufflinks can suit any personality on any occasion. Our cufflinks catch the eyes of people passing by, and will help you create a wardrobe that says more about you than just your job description.

Who are you? What is your past like? What did you enjoy doing at young age?

I started working in the financial markets right after University, trading interest rate futures for institutional accounts. When I was younger I played a lot of sports and enjoyed that and I always had a big interest in fashion. When I was 13 I had my whole bedroom wall covered in ads and editorial pictures form GQ. I remember looking at the amazing suits and thinking, I’m going to dress like that. In my last year of high school I had my mom take me to get buttons sewn into all of my school pants so I could wear proper suspenders, I loved the wall street suspender look at the time and refused to wear clip on ones.

I was so impressed with what filmmaker Debbie Lum did with her film “Seeking Asian Female” that I sought her out to ask her for an interview. Failing at that but still desperately wanting to tell people about her film I acquired her press kit and I am reposting her interview here. It is not something I normally like to do but, in the case of this documentary, I will make an exception. The site contains original interviews, many of whom are not to be found elsewhere, but I hope you will forgive me and see the film and discover why I chose to post this.

You should check her website for screening locations and times as well as ways to support the film!

http://www.seekingasianfemale.com/

DEBBIE LUM
Director, Producer, Writer, Editor

Debbie Lum is a Chinese American woman whose work raises questions about what it means to be an Asian woman in America. As an editor and producer, she has worked with Wayne Wang, Spencer Nakasako and Philip Kaufman. Recently she directed and produced two short documentaries for Wayne Wang about his early two works, CHAN IS MISSING and DIM SUM (distributed by Koch Lorber Films). She also co-produced and edited the award-winning KELLY LOVES TONY (directed by Spencer Nakasako), which aired on the PBS series POV and played at festivals internationally. Her documentary editing credits include, among others, TO YOU SWEETHEART, ALOHA (winner, Audience Award, VC LA Film Festival) and the acclaimed A.K.A. DON BONUS (winner, National Emmy), which aired on the PBS series POV. Debbie’s writing and directing work has focused primarily on fictional films, including CHINESE BEAUTY, A GREAT DEAL! and ONE APRIL MORNING, which have screened at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival among many other festivals. Previous awards include a Media Grant for Script Development from the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM/formerly NAATA) and the Murphy Cadogan Fellowship for the Arts. She was also nominated for a Rockefeller Media Arts grant. Debbie was an editing instructor at the Vietnamese Youth Development Center’s Media Lab and San Francisco State University. She recently completed the PBS Producer’s Academy, holds an M.F.A. in Cinema from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in Religious Studies from Brown University.

Photo by Debbie Lum

The Film, “Seeking Asian Female”

A Personal Documentary by Debbie Lum

I first met Steven, a 60-year old white man with a full-blown obsession for Asian women, over five
years ago in a suburb of San Francisco, California. As a Chinese American woman myself, I originally
intended to make an exposé of what I thought were his demeaning and racist attitudes about Asian
women. The film that develops – a story of cross-cultural challenges, love and friendship – comes as a
complete surprise to me.

Shot in DV, mostly with a handheld camcorder, the film observes Steven from my point of view as he
searches for his dream woman: a young bride from China. Twice-divorced and working as a garage
attendant at the San Francisco airport, Steven writes to numerous women through an online dating
site that specializes in connecting Western men with Asian women. As we watch him, often interacting
with me behind the lens, his pursuit seems like utter fantasy. He falls for a 24-year old woman across
the Pacific entirely through pictures and email. When she eventually breaks his heart, he then meets
and becomes engaged to another Chinese woman, a 30-year-old known as Sandy. To my surprise,
Sandy comes to California with intentions to marry him. I film Sandy and Steven, capturing intimate
moments during Sandy’s first months in America, and get pulled deeper into their lives.

As Steven and Sandy negotiate cross-cultural differences huddled around their computer and Google
Translator, I witness how they communicate despite an enormous language barrier. Then one day
Steven calls me in desperation. He and Sandy have had a huge fight. I rush over to film them – but
quickly become enlisted as translator using the broken Mandarin I learned in college. Finding myself
caught in the middle of their tumultuous lives, I begin to see their complicated relationship from many
different angles. They rely on me to bridge the large gap between their two separate cultures and I
am reminded of how difficult this has been in my own history growing up Chinese American. Sandy
realizes that neither Steven nor living in America is as ideal as she had expected. And as she confronts
many of the bad habits that I have deplored in Steven, I see him begin to change. His obsession with
many Asian women becomes a deep commitment to one – and he recognizes that in order to keep
Sandy, he must learn how to be a mutually caring, respectful and culturally-sensitive husband. Above
all he must confront the reality of marriage not to the sweet innocent girl he imagined, but to a
demanding, strong-willed Asian woman.

SEEKING ASIAN FEMALE is primarily a film about facing and unlearning stereotypes and the
judgments that stem from them. All three of us – Steven, Sandy and myself – change the
expectations that we held of each other before we met. The film is also a rare glimpse into the
immigrant experience upon first arrival in America, and it gives the unique opportunity to view the
early stages of a marriage as it develops in the face of significant cultural barriers. In the end, my
personal narrative illuminates a hidden dimension of the Asian American female experience, one living
in the shadow of, but quite distinct from, its Asian origins.

AN INTERVIEW with DEBBIE LUM (Director, Producer, Writer, Editor)
What’s your film about?

Two strangers, a white, American man obsessed with Asian women and a young woman from China
half his age, meet online and become engaged. This intimate and quirky personal documentary is told
from my POV, as a Chinese American woman who always wanted to know why so many Western men
are obsessed with Asian women. As I film them attempting to build a marriage from scratch in
California, I become their translator and unwitting marriage counselor – all the while trying to
determine, could it possibly be for love?
What else would you like audiences to know about your film and your work?

This is a real life story about two people with questionable motives who are thrown into a crazy
situation – but above all, I really want to show both the humor and the human side of the story.
“Yellow fever” (Western male obsession for Asian women) is a really polarizing issue in the Asian
American community, and probably pisses off a lot of women as well. I really tried to get beyond black
and white polemics and dig into the layered complexities of the issue through a very personal story.

Tell us about yourself, your background? And why did you choose to make movies?

I was a child when the term blockbuster was first used to describe films like Star Wars and E.T. My
house in St. Louis, Missouri, was right behind one of the largest single screen movie theaters in town,
and we loved going to the movies. I remember the huge disappointment I felt when I saw Sixteen
Candles with Molly Ringwald – and the character Long Duc Dong, the stereotypical, heavily accented,
freaky, embarrassing Chinese foreign exchange student. My family has been in America for four
generations but my roots are Chinese. And I realized that the only stories that vaguely represented
where I came from were gross stereotypes at best, and demeaning at worst, but generally nonexistent.
You don’t have to be Asian American to feel a disconnect between what you see in the
movies and your own real life. There are so many untold stories out there. Those are the stories that
really interest me, the ones I really want to tell.

What was your biggest challenge in developing or producing this project?

It’s hard to choose only one challenge – there were so many! Romance and relationships are
unpredictable. Chasing the story took over five years. I had to wait for my main character to find a
Chinese woman who wanted to marry him. There were so many late night calls to me after she
arrived, as I went from documentary filmmaker to translator to marriage counselor. I didn’t realize I
had become a character in my own film until halfway through shooting it. My editor will tell you how
much work that created in the editing room. And of course, don’t even get me started about trying to
fund an independent documentary…

What would you like audiences to come away with after seeing your film?

I’d like audiences to be surprised by the way two seemingly strange characters are so relatable. I’d
like them to see a different side of the stereotypical international bride story, and have a new image of
what it means to be a Chinese woman and a Chinese immigrant in America. I’d really like people to
ponder how powerful and troubling stereotypes and expectations are in romance and relationships,
and to think twice before making judgments about others based on a few details they may know.

Have any specific films inspired you in making this movie?

The film ‘a.k.a. Don Bonus’ by Spencer Nakasako – the first documentary I ever edited – was shot
entirely POV by a 17-year-old Cambodian immigrant kid with virtually no filmmaking experience. Not
“beautiful” it is still incredibly vivid, intimate and powerful because the subject/cinematographer could
only be true to his life. Other recent docs I love with similarly obsessed main characters are
Marwencol and Anvil. On the other side of the spectrum, I often thought of fiction films with awkward,
unconventional love stories as I was creating this, movies like Annie Hall and Punch Drunk Love.

SEEKING ASIAN FEMALE – PRESS

“I loved this movie” from “2012 In Review: 10 Films Worth Going Out of Your Way For”
–Linda Holmes, monkey see NPR

“engrossing” – Ernest Hardy, LA Weekly

“mesmerizing… nearly every assumption at the film’s beginning is ultimately countered
and overturned” – Jeff Yang, Wall Street Journal

“terrifically engaging… a compelling, subtle story” – Catherine Shoard, The Guardian UK

“masterful meta-narrative… hilarious, unsettling, heartfelt and just plain icky all at the same time”
–Nicole Wong, Hyphen Magazine

“absolutely extraordinary” – Rachel Blank, Austin Indie Film Examiner

“what will impress and engage auds is the honesty on display” – Maggie Lee, Variety

“stands out as the rare film to examine the moral quandary of a documentary filmmaker deeply
ensconced in their subject matter.” – Alex Cranz, FemPop

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=how-boys-become-boys-and

May 6, 2008

How Boys Become Boys (and Sometimes Girls)

New research explains how three proteins conspire to determine an embryo’s sex

By Nikhil Swaminathan

In research that could give doctors a way to reassign sex in cases of unclear gender, scientists report this week that they have figured out why some children with genes that should make them boys are instead born as girls.

The study, published in Nature, explains why some embryos with X and Y chromosomes—which should be born as male—develop ovaries and eventually become girls.

The key is whether a gene called Sox9, involved in formation of the testes, is active. “There are a surprisingly large number of cases where this process goes wrong,” says Robin Lovell-Badge, a biologist at London’s MRC National Institute for Medical Research, who estimates that this phenomenon could effect up to 1 in every 20,000 genetic males. “Maybe one could treat some of these sex reversal or intersex cases after birth by manipulating whether Sox9 is active or not. This is all speculation but it’s possible.”

If Sox9 is somehow switched on in a genetic female—an embryo with two X chromosomes—it causes male gonads to form; if it fails to turn on in males, the cells it controls will become follicle cells, which mature into ovaries.

To work out this process, Lovell-Badge and his colleagues manipulated the Sox9 gene in genetically engineered mice. They found that what switches on Sox9 is the product of two other genes. When either of those genes—one of which is found on the Y chromosome, only carried by males—is defective, Sox9 remains off and the embryo develops ovaries.

Richard R. Behringer, a geneticist at the University of Texas’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, called the study “an important step.” Behringer, who was not involved in the research, says scientists must now determine how Sox9′s activity actually leads to the creation of testes.

Lovell-Badge and his colleagues believe that the findings in mice will apply to humans as well, particularly in diagnosing “male” embryos that are likely to develop into girls. That’s important, he says, because those people are at higher risk for ovarian tumors.

He adds that he’s very hopeful that with further analysis, scientists may determine ways to reassign gender later in life, “perhaps for cases of sex reversal or perhaps even for individuals who want to undergo sex changes,” although he acknowledged that “this is getting very contentious.”

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/mg18725134.300

Baby comes with brain repair kit for mum

20 August 2005 Andy Coghlan

EVERYONE knows that kids get their brains, or lack of them, from their parents. But it now seems that the reverse is also true. Stray stem cells from a growing fetus can colonise the brains of mothers during pregnancy, at least in mice. If the finding is repeated in humans, the medical implications could be profound. Initial results suggest that the fetal cells are summoned to repair damage to the mother’s brain. If this is confirmed, it could open up new, safer avenues of treatment for brain damage caused by strokes and Alzheimer’s disease, for example.

This is a long way off, but there are good reasons for thinking that fetal stem cells could one day act as a bespoke brain repair kit. It is already well known that during pregnancy a small number of fetal stem cells stray across the placenta and into the mother’s bloodstream, a phenomenon called microchimerism. They can survive for decades in tissues such as skin, liver and spleen, where they have been shown to repair damage (New Scientist, 15 November 2003, p 34).

Nature’s ploy to “treat mother” makes evolutionary sense too, because the fetus has a better chance of survival if the mother is fit and healthy both during and after pregnancy. But nobody has seen this effect in brain cells.

“This is the first study to show conclusively that fetal cells cross the blood-brain barrier,” says Diana Bianchi, a world authority on microchimerism at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts.

A team led by Gavin Dawe of the National University of Singapore and Xiao Zhi-Cheng of Singapore’s Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology showed that once the stowaways enter mouse brains, they mature into different cell types.

These include cells resembling neurons, which transmit electrical impulses; astrocytes, which support neurons; and oligodendrocytes, which ensheath and protect nerve cells. “They can become almost all major cell types found in the brain,” Dawe says.

The researchers have not yet demonstrated whether the cells are functional, however. “We need to know, for example, whether fetal cells expressing characteristics of neuronal cells can actually fire action potentials and synapse with native cells in the mother’s brain,” he adds. “There are good reasons for thinking that fetal stem cells could one day act as a bespoke brain repair kit”

To make fetal stowaways easy to spot in samples from the mother’s brain, Dawe and Xiao mated normal female mice with male mice genetically engineered so that their cells contained a fluorescing protein derived from jellyfish, making the cells glow bright green.

This revealed that the fetal cells did not spread evenly. When the researchers induced stroke-like injuries to the brains of some of the mother mice, the fetal cells became six times more concentrated at the damaged areas, suggesting they may be involved in repair (Stem Cells, DOI: 10.1634/stemcells.2004-0169). Dawe says it is not yet clear how they are summoned to the sites of injury, but he suspects they are drawn there by “SOS-like” signalling factors from damaged tissue.

The team is also trying to identify surface molecules unique to the brain-bound fetal cells, and hopes to isolate human counterparts from umbilical blood or bone marrow. This would be vital for medical applications, as a large number of cells might be needed to have any medical effect. “It would be important to enrich for ones that can cross the blood-brain barrier,” Dawe says.

A big potential advantage of using fetal cells as a treatment is that they could simply be injected into the bloodstream and left to find their own way into the brain. This would make it possible to treat conditions with diffuse injury, such as Alzheimer’s disease.

The only existing way of getting cells into the brain to treat injured or defective areas is to inject them directly through the skull into the area where they are required. Parkinson’s disease, for example, has been treated by injecting cells that make the neurotransmitter dopamine into the region of the brain that fails to make the substance in Parkinson’s patients. Some researchers have shown, however, that injected fetal cells are capable of migrating across the brain to sites of damage (New Scientist, 21 March 1998, p 40). “A big potential advantage is that cells could simply be injected into the blood and left to find their own way to the brain”

Dawe and Xiao warn that it could take anything from five to 20 years to develop treatments, not least because in some cases, fetal cells have been shown to aggravate immunological disease (New Scientist, 24 April 1999, p 4). “It’s important we know it’s safe and of benefit before we try it in patients,” Dawe cautions.

One key step will be to establish beyond doubt that the effect seen in mice happens in humans too. Dawe says this can be done by looking for cells containing a Y chromosome in post-mortem brain tissue from mothers of boys. “We’ve already started work on acquiring tissue to answer this question,” he says.

Bianchi says that most research on microchimerism in mice has later been borne out in humans. “In every aspect, the trend has been the same,” she says.

But even if the phenomenon does occur in people, there are many hurdles to be cleared on the way to developing treatments. “It’s unclear how long the newly arrived cells will live, and how well they would integrate into the specialised functional networks of the brain,” says Jakub Tolar, a specialist in microchimerism at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. “Predictions of clinical use must come with caution and reflection.”

From issue 2513 of New Scientist magazine, 20 August 2005, page 8

By the age of three years, most children express an interest in or preference toward activities and behaviors typically associated to their specific gender. We call these behaviors “gender-typical” because the members of one of the sexes favour them. For example, boys enjoy rough-and-tumble play and identify with male heroes, while girls enjoy such activities as playing with dolls and pretending to be a mother. By age five to six years, children have a strong sense of the gender-appropriate behaviour that is typical for their social group.

However, some children develop in a different way. Some children have interests more typical of the other sex and sometimes want to look and act like the other sex. For example, a seven-year-old boy plays with Barbie dolls and pretends to have long hair and be a princess. A six-year-old girl is only interested in playing outside with the boys, refuses to wear anything except jeans and t-shirts, and talks about being a boy. We call these gender-variant behaviours and interests.

Gender variance and gender non-conformity refer to interests and behaviours that are outside typical cultural norms for each of the genders. Children with gender-variant traits have strong and persistent behaviours that are typically associated with the other sex. Sometimes they reject the physical appearance (clothing and hairstyle) typical of the child’s own sex. Gender variance does not apply to children who have a passing interest in trying out the behaviors and typical interests of the other sex for a few days or weeks.

Commonly Seen Behaviours

Patterns of gender-variant behaviour are usually first noticed between the ages of two and four years. Children with a gender-variant pattern display many of the following characteristics:

Boys may show an interest in women’s clothes, shoes, hair and make-up. They play-act and identify with female characters. They wish to have or may pretend to have long hair, prefer girls as playmates, and avoid rough-and-tumble play and team sports.

Others may describe them as gentle, sensitive, artistic, sweet, cute, and very affectionate. When young, they may express the desire to be a girl or claim that they really are girls.

Girls may insist on wearing boys’ clothing and short haircuts and refuse to wear skirts, dresses and female bathing suits. They tend to reject play activities that are associated with being a girl. Instead, they prefer games and toys that are typically considered more appropriate for boys. These girls may identify with male characters and refuse to assume female characters in play-acting. For example, they may want to be the father when playing house. They prefer boys as playmates and are interested in rough-and-tumble play and contact or team sports. These girls may also express the desire to be a boy, announce that they really are boys, and enjoy being mistaken for a boy.

Behaviours that are observed frequently before the child starts school may become less frequent once the child has more contact with peers. A decrease in observed behaviours may indicate that as the child matures and experiences peer criticism, he/she voluntarily hides or avoids some behaviours in order to blend in.

Why Gender Variance Occurs

Gender variance is not new. It has been described throughout history and in many different cultures. Child development specialists used to believe that gender-typical and gender-variant behaviours were the result of the ways in which children were raised. Today, experts believe that the presence or absence of these behaviours is partly the result of the biological or genetic diversity among individuals. In other words, the genetic propensity for these behaviors is hard-wired in the brain before or soon after birth. Of course, the specific content of male and female roles has to be learned by all children, even though some children seem to be biologically predisposed toward manifesting some of the gender role characteristics of the other sex. Some experts used to believe that gender variance represented abnormal development, but today many have come to believe that children with gender-variant behaviours are normal children with unique qualities just as children who develop left-handedness are normal.

Although science has yet to pinpoint the causes, we know that gender-variant traits are not typically caused by parenting style or by childhood events, such as divorce, sexual abuse, or other traumatic experiences. Children do not choose to have gender variant interests any more than other children choose gender-typical interests. Both types of interests represent what comes naturally to each child. Gender variance is not caused by an emotional disorder. However, because of societal prejudice, children with gender-variant traits may experience ongoing rejection, criticism and bullying causing adjustment difficulties.

What to Expect in the Future

As an adolescent and adult, your child may be emotionally and physically attracted to persons of the opposite sex, the same sex or both sexes. Although these three outcomes are possible, research on boys with gender-variant histories suggests that most of them have a same-sex orientation (i.e., they are gay). These boys may grow up to be masculine and conventional in their appearance. Gender-variant girls are most likely to be conventionally heterosexual or perhaps bisexual in their sexual orientation.

On rare occasions, children continue to develop a strong cross-gender identification as they enter adolescence and adulthood. Such a person may be transgendered and experience persistent discomfort with his or her social sex role. Some may eventually seek sex reassignment, so they can more fully and effectively live as the other sex. Some trans gender persons do not completely identify with either gender.

Child’s View of Himself

Good self-esteem is vital to a child’s ability to deal with life’s trials effectively. However, generalised social stigma and the hostile behaviours that stem from it can cause emotional distress in children with gender-variant behaviours, making their self-esteem development more challenging than necessary. Without support from parents, the child may believe that this stigma is deserved. Affirming parenting is essential in protecting a child from these harmful effects.

Generally speaking, girls with interests or behaviours that traditionally are viewed as masculine-oriented usually have a stronger self-esteem than boys who have traditionally feminine-oriented interests or behaviours. This may be due to greater social acceptance of girls who show masculine interests than of boys who show feminine interests.

Can it be Changed?

At the age of five or six years, children begin to be influenced by social pressure to conform and may adjust their behaviour in public to blend in. This does not necessarily mean that the child’s core traits have changed. What drives gender-typical or gender variant traits cannot be changed through the influence of parents, teachers, coaches or therapists. Although a child may alter his or her behaviour in response to parental pressure or social pressure, such changes may be skin deep and may not reflect how the child truly feels. Furthermore, pressuring/shaming is likely to undermine the child’s self-confidence and esteem. As we explain further below, we strongly oppose parenting approaches or therapies that focus on pressuring children to change and accommodate to a stereotype of how a girl or a boy is “supposed to be.”

How to Help

Love your child for who he or she is. Like all children, your child needs love, acceptance, understanding, and support. Children that have gender-variant traits sometimes need these in a special way. The more that society and their peers may be critical of them, the more important it is for them to have the support and acceptance of their families.

Question traditional assumptions. Do not automatically accept traditional assumptions about social gender roles and sexual orientation. Learn to separate society’s judgments from the love you have for your child. Do not let other people’s critical opinions of what is right and wrong come between you and your child.

Create a safe space for your child. Children are far more resilient and able to cope when they feel that their parent is on their side. Let your child know that you love him/her, no matter what. Let others know that you love your child unconditionally, and let your child know that you are there to support him/her. Many children with gender-variant traits experience social isolation or bullying. You and your home may be the child’s only place of safety. If this is the case, assure your child that you will always allow and encourage him/her to be who they are in their own home. Create an atmosphere of acceptance, providing a safe place for your child to express his or her interests.

Seek out socially acceptable activities. Encourage your child to find activities that respect his or her interests, yet help her or him to fit in socially. These might include gymnastics, swimming, computers or theatre for boys and athletic teams, leadership programs or outdoor adventures for girls. Remember to encourage activities that appeal to the child.

Validate your child. Talk with your child about the fact that there is more than one way of being a girl or boy. Encourage individuality, and avoid using statements such as, “only girls play with dolls”, and “boys love ball play but girls do not.” Instead, explain that although a majority of boys are not interested in dolls, there are some boys that love them and that’s OK too! The same goes for girls: not all girls like to play mommy, some girls like to pretend to be daddy or pretend to be soldiers.

Speak openly and calmly about gender variance. Acknowledge to your child that he/she is different in positive terms. Talk with your child about what it feels like to be different. Adults who look back on their own childhood of gender non-conformity often recall feeling different, which made them feel ashamed. Help your child realize that although not everyone understands or affirms them, liking different things is nothing to be ashamed of and can lead to special talents and success in adulthood. Most importantly, listen to your child without criticising. Your child needs to feel that he/she is understood by you in order to be open with you.

Seek out supportive resources. Share books and videos with your child that present the full range of human variation in gender roles and sexual orientation. Have these at your home, and ask that they be made available in the school library.

If your child is isolated from peers, acknowledge that this is hurtful but not his or her fault. Assure your child that he/she will make friends with others who have similar interests in the future. Seek connections with families who accept and celebrate differences among individuals.

Talk to other significant people. Include siblings in as many discussions about gender variance as possible. They may find it difficult to accept a brother or sister with gender-variant behaviours or interests; they may feel embarrassed or become abusive. This is a challenge for them as well, so they may need your help in understanding their feelings. This can also be a challenge for other family members. Talk to members of your extended family, baby sitters and family friends. Let them know about your child’s needs and what you expect.

Prepare your child to deal with bullying. Explain to your child that he/she will probably encounter criticism and even bullying, and ask him or her how this feels. Ask what will make him or her feel safe, and tell your child to come to you or other adults in authority for help. Let your child know that he/she does not deserve to be hurt.

From time to time, encourage your child to tell you if he/she is criticized or bullied. Children who are verbally or physically abused by peers are often afraid or embarrassed to talk about it. It is better if your child talks to you about being bullied; however, do not expect your child to always tell you. Be alert to possible warning signs that indicate your child may be in trouble. These signs can include refusing to go to school or outside, complaining of pains and aches, or crying excessively.

Be your child’s advocate. You may want to anticipate problems and talk to the school, before you hear about them. Talk to your child’s teacher or the school administration or guidance counselor, and solicit their help in creating an atmosphere where your child will be safe from negative judgments. Insist on a zero-tolerance policy at school with regard to teasing and criticism. Do not assume that the school has an understanding of this issue; you may need to educate school staff. Sometimes the school environment may be such that an alternative school may need to be considered.

Pitfalls to Avoid

Avoid finding fault. Do not blame your child, yourself or your spouse. Your child’s gender variance came from within and cannot be turned off at will. It was not caused by anyone else and cannot be changed by anyone else. In fact, if you focus on blame or change, you may miss wonderful things about your child and spoil the rewards of being a parent. Your child needs to express himself/herself as much as other children. If your child is interested in an activity more typical of the opposite sex, it is not an act of defiance. She/he is simply following his/her own instincts.

Do not pressure your child to change. Avoid all actions designed to pressure your child to change. Some children may hide their interests and feelings from disapproving parents because they want to be loved and accepted by them, but this does not mean that the child’s deep-seated interests have changed. In fact, it teaches the child that he/she has to live a lie in order to be accepted. Do not negatively compare your child to a sibling or another child; this will only hurt both children.

Do not blame the victim. Do not try to sweep being bullied under the rug or tell your child it is something he/she must learn to accept because he or she is different. Do not make your child responsible for other people’s intolerance. Being outside the norm does not give someone else the right to criticize or torment. Bullying is an unacceptable and cowardly act for which only the bully is responsible. Talk about what happened, and help the child understand why it is wrong.

Dealing with My Feelings

Examine your feelings and learn to accept your child. You and other family members may feel uncomfortable and ashamed of your child’s interests and behaviours. This is common early on. Take time to figure out where your feelings are coming from.

You may have to adjust your dreams of how you expected parenting and your family to be. If these changes must occur, you may experience some of the emotions associated with loss, such as shock, denial, anger, and despair. These feelings are all part of the process towards acceptance. You must reach acceptance in order to affirm your child’s uniqueness.

Look for support. Learning how to parent in a new way can be challenging. Asking for support is a wise decision for you, your child, and the rest of your family. If you are experiencing too much stress from signs of excessive worrying, loss of sleep, anxiety or irritability, do not hesitate to seek professional support. Sometimes, two parents may disagree on how to raise a child, especially a child with gender-variant traits. If you and the other parent have extremely different views, seek counselling to help mediate your discussions. Counselling will make your communication more productive by providing a safe and neutral space in which to share your feelings and differences.

Unfortunately, many times it is not easy to find support. Keep in mind that you are not alone and neither is your child. However, do not feel discouraged if it is difficult to find other families in similar circumstances in your community. You may consider joining or forming a parent support group in your community or joining the electronic discussion group described below as “Useful Resources: Parent List Serve.” In spite of initial apprehension, many parents like you have found support groups to be very helpful.

Seeking Professional Help

Seek professional help if your child becomes anxious, depressed, angry or hyperactive in spite of your efforts to be supportive. If your child shows signs of self-destructive or suicidal behavior, seek professional help immediately. It may be useful to seek out structured approaches that teach children strategies to reduce the impact of bullying and skills to respond more effectively to bullying. Children who are very shy or have difficulty making friends may benefit from training to improve social skills.

Therapists who are competent with other childhood issues do not necessarily have the competence to deal with gender variance, so become an informed consumer and select a professional wisely. A red flag should be raised when the therapist seems to focus on the child’s behaviours as the problem rather than on helping the child cope with intolerance and social prejudice. In the past, professionals assigned the diagnosis of Gender Identity Disorder to children. This approach is flawed because it implies that these children suffer from a mental disorder. Along the same lines, therapists used to recommend techniques to change gender-variant behaviors. Professionals that still make these types of recommendations should be avoided.

Ask prospective therapists how they approach gender variance. Ask about their previous experience treating children with these issues. Discuss with prospective therapists what you have learned from this booklet. If you seek therapy for your child, make sure that guidance and support for the parents is a major component of the sessions. Be concerned if the sessions only involve the child, do not address your parenting questions, or do not provide you with ideas to help your child and your family.

Useful web sites:

Children’s National Medical Center website: www.dcchildrens.com/gendervariance

PFLAG – Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays: www.pflag.org.au

Books for children

Oliver Button is a Sissy (Reading levels 4-8)

The Sissy Duckling (Reading levels 4-8)

It’s Perfectly Normal (Ages 10 and up)

Changing bodies, changing lives: a book for teens on sex and relationships

The little boy book the.little.boy@ftmaustralia.org

Books for parents

Not like other boys by M. Fanta-Shyer & C. Shyer

Mom, I need to be a girl by Evelyn D. Lindenmuth

Cassidy Photography is a Tasmanian photographer and the inaugural 2012 WaterSense photo competition winner.   His portfolio is rich, stunning and diverse.  Amongst many photos, there are landscapes, architecture, fashion, still life, Macro, street photography, portraits etc…

Congratulations on your WaterSense Photo Competition win.  Your photo is a stunning example of detail, as well as black and white photography.   The theme was “Water: The gift of life”.  What was your inspiration?                                 

Simply the rain drops on the rose petals.   And the rose was a small delicate thing.

Do you enter photography competitions often?  Do you think it is important for photographers to enter competitions, so they can promote their work?

In reply to your first question, “No.”  Self-promotion is very important, as a Photographer.  It is not enough to take great photographs and store them in the closet in an album, portfolio, or hard disk, in the case of digital photography.

Your portfolio encompasses a wide variety of subjects.  Has this been a deliberate choice, that is, you enjoy photographing many subjects?  Or, is it due to your clients that you have ended up photographing a diverse mixture?

I am interested in all subjects and take it as a personal challenge to excel in every genre. It is more about proving to myself that I can do it than proving myself to anyone else, though a secondary concern.  Then, again, I should be more marketable, if I do not limit myself to one specific genre.  I believe I can take wedding photos equally as well as creating interesting subjects using macro-photography, for example.

What is your favourite subject to photograph?

My wife.

You photograph models. What makes a great model?         

Yes, when the opportunity avails itself, but I generally do not go out of my way, because I feel there will be more interesting subjects or photographic opportunities I will miss.  “What makes a great model?”, makes a topic for discussion I could devote the entire interview to.  But, here goes.  One who is more beautiful inside than physically.  Demure (I will not waste my time photographing models sporting tattoos or piercings), polite, feminine (if we are talking about female models, only), one who is mentally and physically ready to go to work, one who is not one minute late for our appointed time.

On websites such as ModelMayhem, photographers complain about models with bad behaviour, such as being late or not even turning up to a photo shoot!  Any advice for photographer’s who find themselves in such frustrating such situations?

Send them a bill for your time, scratch them off your list and move on to someone will be punctual.  Don’t bad-mouth them, just do not recommend them.

Many great artists talk of a specific moment, when they knew they wanted to do XYZ for the rest of their life.  Has there been such a moment for you, when you knew that photography was a passion you just had to pursue?

That is a hard question, because I have been taking photographs, for 46 years, since I was a boy.  I have enjoyed many moments of true inspiration.  I do not think I could refer to one specific moment or photograph, though.

Any particular books, websites or guides on photography that you recommend?

Though I have read many, my answer is, No. Everyone has an opinion, like the ongoing debates over which is better, film or digital and the Nikon versus Canon debate.  I am self-taught.  Many great and renowned Photographers, worldwide, were self-taught. Ansel Adams was self-taught, yet he lectured at university level.  It is important to get the basics right, of course.  Learn by taking thousands upon thousands of photographs.  Learn by making thousands of mistakes.  Learn by viewing other photographers’ work and try to imagine how they achieved those results.  Imitation is the greatest form of flattery.  My work has been copied.  I have had Chinese photographers, walk up behind me and stand in my still-warm footprints, when I left the scene or before I have left the scene, tripping over my extended tripod legs.  The more clever ones have stood directly in front of my lens.

What is your favorite camera & why?                                          

I love my Nikon F4S.  I own two.  The camera is 35mm film format, is very durable and reliable and functional.  It feels good in my large hands.  It has interchangeable Viewfinders, Focusing Screens, Battery Holders that will allow it to become a stripped-down F4, or the heavy duty F4E.  Nikon should have developed a digital back for that camera.  I also love the Hasselblad 503CW, for many of the same reasons.  It is just elegant and high quality. 

Do you highly regard any specific photographer?  If so, who and what is it about their photographs that you admire?         

Actually, I like a Chinese Photographer, named Gang Fengwang.  His photos tell a story, tug at my heart, document the difficult living in rural China, outside Shanghai or Beijing, for example.   Of course, I have always admired Ansel Adams, but his magic was really achieved in the Dark Room, much in the same way a modern digital-era Photographer must master Photoshop or Lightroom.

You’re Tasmanian.  Is it true, that Tasmania is beautiful to photograph all year round?  Any favorite places that you never stop tiring of photographing? 

Tasmania offers year round bounty of photographic opportunities, if one is prepared for some unpleasant weather.  That said, it could be raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock, in Bushy park and Sunny in Hamilton, just up the road.  And, I have yet to see all of Tasmania.  So, I am sure my favourite places which I will not reveal, are sure to be exceeded by more beautiful vistas, then they will top my list.

When you are preparing for a shoot, how do you choose the lens or equipment?  Do you have any rituals? For example, visualizing photographs you are aiming to shoot?

Gosh, so many questions.  So little time.  I have an arsenal of lenses and camera bodies to choose from.  Each lens was purchased for a specific purpose.  That was how I justified their purchases to my wife.  No, truly.  I have a variety of Perspective Control lenses, for example.  Close-in work, like in the city, the 85mm would not suit, but the 45mm would.  So, what is it that I will photograph?  How close can I get?  How big or small is it?  If I want to do portraiture, then I will opt for an 85mm f1.4 or a 135mm f2, for example.  Street photography, I will typically grab a zoom lens.  Any rituals?  I pray.  For good light.  For good weather. That I haven’t forgotten any equipment.  And, yes, visualization and imagination are essential.

If clients, models or other photographers want to contact you, what is the best way?

Please email me at- cassidy_photography@yahoo.com

My website is http://cassidyphotography.net