Fantasia Fair Day 7

For lunch I went to Bayside Betsy’s and had a taco salad, it was okay but if I had a choice I would have had something else. However, the other choice I didn’t like because they way too many carbs for my diet. After lunch I went to the keynote speech.

They had some fabulous speakers this week including Jamison Green, Rev. Moonhawk River Stone, Dr. Marci Bowers, and today Julia Serano. Ms. Serano is an author and according the fair website,

Julia Serano is an Oakland, California-based writer, performer, and activist. She is best known for her 2007 book Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity, which garnered rave reviews—The Advocate placed it on their list of “Best Non- Fiction Transgender Books,” and readers of Ms. Magazine ranked it #16 on their list of the “100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time.” Her second full-length book, Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive, came out in 2013 to rave reviews. Julia’s other writings have appeared in anthologies (including Transfeminist Perspectives in and beyond Transgender and Gender Studies, Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation, and Word Warriors: 30 Leaders in the Women’s Spoken Word Movement) and in magazines and websites such as The Advocate, The Daily Beast, Bitch, AlterNet.org, Out, and Ms. Magazine blog. Julia has gained notoriety in feminist, queer and transgender circles for her unique insights into gender, and her writings have been used as teaching materials in queer and gender studies courses across North America.

She gave an excellent keynote address about her history and activism and she briefly about her new book. Afterward we sat in the circle and had a great discussion of various topics and later in the week I will be writing about my views on one of the topics that we discussed.

The main reason why I went this year was the keynote addresses that they had at the fair. They all were top notch leaders in the trans-community; it was great to listen to their thoughts. Also it is nice to reconnect with old friends and meet new friends. I was thinking at the Awards Dinner tonight how I have known some of the people here for over fourteen years and have watched they grow old together and some have passed away. One friend that I have known since the beginning who is from Connecticut is extremely stick and is in a nursing home. The first time I came up here in 2000 I shared a room with her and she was my big sister who showed me the fair. Another friend that came up here with me that same and it was her first year also had to be taken to a hospital in Hyannis the other day. We have grown old together.