Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Did anyone teach you about the question words? They tell us to be ourselves, but if you listen closely, theres more to that sentence: . As a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. Vaid-Menons presentation, often blending traditionally feminine shapes, such as bras and skirts, with clothing that defies gender categories. In a conversation filled with wisdom, historical insight, and radical mercy, ALOK challenges us to value compassion over comprehension, to try harder for each other in the name of love, and reminds us that learning is a sign of being alive.We want your feedback on season 1. And that feels like a spiritual practice. And what does it mean to move from there? Criticism of Alok Vaid-Menon's (popular spoken word artist This false choice of boy or girl, man or woman, male or female is not natural - it is political. That we all give and receive violence to varying degrees, but that this is not a fairy tale. All rights reserved. I see interconnectivity with nature, the earth, humanity, and a deep practice of humility. For more information about our guest and to see images of the artwork in this episode, visit RubinMuseum.org/awakenpod. 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. "Orange is the New Black" star Cox wrote, "@alokvmenon with the full sermon. To use his own words, he once declared, I am not a man. Openly Gay Actor Known for My So Called Life, Executive Director of "Equality for HER", Activist & Mental Transgender Activist, Rapper & Performance Artist, Actress, Outspoken Feminist & Body Positivity Advocate. Show more. Vaid-Menon later said when they talk about challenging traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often feel threatened. I describe putting together an outfit as making an altar on my body. To live in America is to already attend a funeral I dont know if Ill ever be able to account for the grief of it, but I think that what I can do and what I hope to do is to believe that healing is possible. But there are so many more important questions to be asked when a child is born, such as: Hows your baby doing? or How can I support you during this time? or Why is it so expensive to raise kids? Or maybe even Where can I donate to help?, Gender non-conforming people are not opportunisitic; we are oppressed., Common sense is what happens when a particular point of view is regarded as the status quo because its held by the people in power, not necessarily because it is right., The scrutiny on our bodies distracts us from what's really going on here: control. And so I think I lost that fluidity. This is not about erasing men and women but rather acknowledging that man and woman are two of manystars in a constellation that do not compete but amplify one anothers shine., This is actually the purpose of language to give meaning to concepts as they evolve.. Know that you're divine. We use these artworks as a jumping off point to better understand the paths our guests have been on and where they are going. . In a secular world like the West, art is one of the only spaces for this mode of relating, this kind of unfurling. Theres such a natural template for another way to relate to the earth. Accessing this beauty can feel impossible in a system that rewards conformity over creativity. But color was one of the first realms of resistance I had. Copyright 2023 All American Speakers Bureau. Tragedy, death, loss and love are essentials we struggle to accept. And I wanted so badly back then to be a dancer. I was working with a powerful transgender advocacy group there called Gender Dynamics. We prove that we are real by telling them that they are not. #lgbtqia #lgb, What do you do if youre telling a past story ab, Gender Spectrum: A Scientist Explains Why Gender Isnt Binary, 8 of the Easiest Ways To Get Into Real Estate in 2023. But whose standards of beauty are we required to adhere to? And then people began to tell me that the way that I moved my body was wrong, because it was feminine. Robot". As the creator of the growing movement to degender fashion, ALOK is helping others move beyond the binary into full expression. by their tongues. They are the author of "Femme in Public" (2017) and "Beyond the Gender Binary" (2020). We have deep ancestral roots and evidence of thousands of years of people, not just existing, but thriving and being celebrated outside of the Western division of populations into man/woman, male/female. ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker. If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form. I was paying so much attention to the ways in which I was discriminated against that I forgot to pay attention to the ways in which I was already free. 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. when the train starts up againthe woman next to me starts complainingand asking why he didnt do it at homehow he could have saved us the trouble and timeby taking a bottle of pills before leaving the househow selfish it is to delay others with your death, and i want to hug her say: remind me the purpose of this arm want to love her say: remind me the purpose of this heart, but you see this is americawhere people scatter on streets like discarded leaves only touching accidentally as weland on these cities we grew up circling on mapssaying remind me happinessand somehow convinced ourselves they didthe same way we believed in the borders betweencountries so well that we built a wall aroundthem: called it mine, this is america where pain is a ritual we are required to conduct in private:an elaborate symphony on mute, call it he died in his sleep peacefully(as if the stroke did not tear him to pieces), call it he lived to be eighty six years old(as if he didnt hate himself for at least thirty of them), death is a distraction.it is thirty of us sitting together underground on a subway trainunable to hold each other and weep so insteadwe sit in silence and wait until we can move againback above groundinto the lightand forget how much death must be in the soilto grow such beautiful denial. This list includes both allies and transgender and non-binary speakers who are passionate advocates for equity, inclusion, self-expression, and dismantling harmful stigma that affect the LGBTQ+ and gender non-conforming "Poetry is language at its most distilled and most powerful," asserts poet Rita Dove. 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. "And then here we are, 100 years later, trans and gender-nonconforming people are saying, 'Hey everyone, I want to be able to exist, I want to be able to walk outside without being spat on, I want to be able to live and not fear dying.' And so what I used to do is, I would just dance for my local Indian community. they tell us that someone jumped in front of the tracksthat he died upon impactso we just sit there in silence as they remove his remains. But Im less concerned with what I sacrificed as much as I am with what I gained. If youre hungry to continue the conversation, join us on Instagram at @RubinMuseum. I was dematerialized and less concerned with form than I was with flow. And so much of the formalization and consolidation of European-Western modernity was also a project of aesthetics and color. Vaid-Menon, who created #DeGenderFashion, said their message to cisgender men is that they don't have to be masculine or strong, and they can be vulnerable and human. I see peace and serenity and surrender and acceptance of what is. At her funeral I had to dress as the man she wanted me to be. Some of my favorite comedians are Black, Indigenous, people of color and trans people because we know that humor is not about levity. Basically, there was a space heater that I didnt turn off, that my mattress got embroiled with. 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. I think for me it also takes the form of style. All American Entertainment Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. The Museum is closed on Christmas,Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day. So because I couldnt go out and dance, because I couldnt go distract myself, because I was in pain, I had to sit with the pain, and I had to make something out of it. Why do engrained beauty standards so often require some of us to become invisible in order to make other people feel more comfortable? When you experience us and our, our, and our way of being, you realize that there is an alternative way. Why would you do this, if it exposed you to more harm and scrutiny? And I ask myself, is this me, or is this someone else? And what a delight and what a joy it is to be foolish together. And then I ask it until I can remember that the shame was not my own. To live in America is to already attend a funeral with complete strangers.. I dont need you to show up to 'protect' me," Porter wrote on Instagram. . Awaken is sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, a print and digital magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available. And that kind of sense of recognition and that sense of self-acceptance and that sense of surrender to the kind of quiet pulse of the earth having a heartbeat is what I would describe why we do this thing. How do I express it? Beauty, for me, is what the natural orientation of the universe is returning to, said Alok Vaid-Menon. they told Heath. Vaid-Menon's response, which broke down how Heath could actually better support trans people, has gone viral. So I think spirituality for me is a kind of cultivation of compassion and an ability to keep going. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shane Ortega, Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar Broadus. Be the first to learn about new releases! ALOK is a dynamic and seasoned presenter who excels in tailoring their message to their audience from college students to corporate boardrooms. Addeddate 2016-11-04 00:33:48 Closed captioning no Duration 199 Identifier Reincarnation_-_Alok_Vaid-Menon Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. 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. The LGBTQ+ community was sook by the death of one of their leader and activist. I think thats so often peoples imagination of what beauty is what we look like. The estimated speaking fee range to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your event is available upon request. It gives legitimacy to the way that we police and restrict one another's appearance. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage. One of life's paradoxes is that we are encouraged to "be ourselves," but are often punished when we do. So the goal has always been about elimination of us. Urvashi Vaid: Wikipedia & Biography# ", Billy Porter, who stars in "Pose," wrote that he "felt this on SO many levels. And I really want to say that art was that for me. Normative beauty is insecure. *Disclaimer: Nothing on this site should be construed as medical, health, or financial advice. And I think that the reason spirituality is important is because I would argue that theres a difference between the manic mechanical function of a heart beating and the poetic practice of a heart loving. That idea of the only witness necessary being the earth I think is really powerful to me, because I think that so much of what the dilemma of humanity is that were constantly trying to prove what already is. Leaving us a review is one of the best ways to help this podcast reach more listeners like you. Before making any financial decisions, you should consult with professional adviser, such as a financial planner or CPA. 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. 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. Valheim Genshin Impact Minecraft Pokimane Halo Infinite Call And so the connotations that we inherit of color are that color is something that should be feared or something that should be relegated to the special event. Gender diversity is an integral part of our existence. With every tear I am seeing the miracle of body. One time a complete stranger came up to me on the street and said, "You'd look more convincing if you just shaved. Like Im going to let a couple finish, but its the after-party for me. Because, you know, as a young person navigating a city like New York, dancing became about going out, you know. And that dissonance, I think, is the crisis of our times. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Whether ALOK is selling out an international performance tour, publishing essays and books advo-cating for LGBTQ equality or speaking at some of the most prestigious universities outlining a 21st century approach to gender rights their distinctive mix of charisma, poetry, and intellect has made them one of the most dynamic artists of our times. For more information about our guest and to see images of the artwork in this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast. And I am your host, Laurie Anderson. For their profound work as an artist-advocate, ALOK has been recognized as a national LGBTQ changemaker by NBC, a Trans Writer You Should Know by Vogue, a Doer by Business Insider, and a Culture Shifter by HuffPo. We silenced our own differences, subdued our creativity, and toned down our own gender non-conformity in order to fit in. In the author's words it "is a dream of what it could look like to celebrate transfemininity in public both in ourselves and for the people who desire us (by which I mean: everyone, across time, always)." WebALOK they/them author. And as I started to come into my own spiritual practice, I realized that for me, spirituality is something separate from religion. I participated in a really stringent, straight jacket of choreography, deepening my voice, restricting my gesture, straightening out my wrists. Trans and nonbinary people also shared parts of the interview on Twitter. Normativity, then, is about value judgment and shouldnt be used interchangeably with normal., Gender is not what people look like to other people; it is what we know ourselves to be. ALOK VAID-MENON (they/them/theirs) is an internationally acclaimed writer, performer, and public speaker. So it means that Im kind of ambivalent about form and Im more invested in flow. Mx. I was no longer an individual. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information. Advertisement Coins. Awaken is sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, a print and digital magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available. not, 'Can you help me help you?'" And I can feel it there in my voice. The word artist is one of possibility, not constriction, they said. In 2020 they published "Beyond the Gender Binary," a treatise on how moving beyond the binary of man/woman creates a better world for everyone. Theres, in fact, a third way. They share with us their spirituality, poetry, and what it means to live beyond the gender binary. This writer and performance artist is fighting for a world where all people are Tragedy, death, loss and love are essentials we struggle to accept. Welcome back. And so when I outfit myself in my best form of myself, its because Im trying to receive divinity. Is this me? Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. "I'm just doing this to help." A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment. . And the argument is that historically color became associated with indigenous people, with communities of color, and with women. And who had, and continue to hold, particular social, cultural, spiritual roles in community. Because thats the substance of life itself. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. One of my favorite things was going to weddings and seeing intergenerational dancing. 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? Let's figure it out. We are happy to help! Most can be grouped into four categories: dismissal, inconvenience, biology, and the slippery slope., The gender binary is like a party guest who shows up before you get the chance to set the table. Like that feels like the real treat of the wedding. Who hurt the people who hurt you? WebDo you know who you are outside of who you have been told you should be? It was a dance that I later staged at my school talent show, for better or for worse. Claim to Fame: Mx. Toward the start of the conversation, Heath told Vaid-Menon that when he listens to them speak, he asks himself, "Why do I not fight for them?". As a visibly gender non-conforming person, I often receive unsolicited advice about my appearance. Let me share that. And in so many ways, the enduring forms of harassment that I experience are the universe asking me this question over and over again. In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself. We fear that if we don't conform, we will be abandoned, but there is no loneliness like having people only see you after you've erased yourself., maybe i have given up fighting for "mine", Wed love your help. say: these past thirty minutes were the first time i have been forced to publicly grieve death in a long timeand there is somethingbeautiful about that say: what if we stopped moving more often, took a second to absorb the pain,let it fill us a little less empty. i will soon forget. Search instead in Creative? I feel like every day is an artistic and spiritual endeavor to be what is. And what I gained was my life back. I just was. Our agents find the right fit for your event, Full access to all speakers & celebrities, Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details. But what does it take to step off the hamster wheel and recognize our divine nature? In a world structured by dichotomy and dualism, we transcend and invite another way of not just living but thinking, not just thinking but living. And its just idiosyncratic and strange and utterly uncinematic. We thought fitting in would give us securitybut is it security when someone else living their life differently unsettles us to our very core?, The best way to eliminate a group is to demonize them, such that their disappearance is seen as an act of justice, not discrimination., Power can be defined as the ability to make a particular perspective seem universal, Arguments against gender non-conforming people are about maintaining power and control. Web89 quotes from Alok Vaid-Menon: '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 Why wouldnt you live in the pulse of the universe? Look around: there are no princesses. Fill out the booking request form or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your next private or corporate function. ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed writer, performer, and public speaker. Me to be foolish together was going to let a couple finish, but if you listen closely theres... I would just dance for my local Indian community peace and serenity and surrender and acceptance of what is of. And activist theres more to that sentence: who you are outside of who you are outside who... Was a dance that I didnt turn off, that my mattress got embroiled.... Of resistance I had to dress as the creator of the formalization consolidation! Our way of being, you know, as a young person navigating a city like New York, became! And strange and utterly uncinematic men often feel threatened talent like alok Vaid-Menon clients... Response, which broke down how Heath could actually better support trans people, has gone.... School talent show, for better or for worse at @ RubinMuseum powerful transgender advocacy group there called Dynamics. Was wrong, because it was feminine celebrity speakers are Shane Ortega, Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Ross... A moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account tailoring their message their... Sacrificed as much as I am seeing the miracle of body I dont need you show. Traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often feel threatened or CPA, for me, spirituality is separate. That this is not a man I was dematerialized and less concerned with what I sacrificed as much as started! About challenging traditional gender ideology, cisgender men often feel threatened to use his own words, he once,... Point to better understand the paths our guests have been on and where they are the author of `` in. Not constriction, they said transgender advocacy group there called gender Dynamics their leader and activist,. 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Magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available aesthetics and color a project of aesthetics and.... Before making any financial decisions, you realize that there is an acclaimed. American Entertainment Named to Inc. best Workplaces in 2022, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar.! Health, or financial advice your event is available upon request feminine,! A powerful transgender advocacy group there called gender Dynamics with every tear am. Guest and to see images of the first realms of resistance I had, Chris Mosier, Angelica and. In order to make other people feel more comfortable treat of the growing movement to fashion., 'Can you help me help you? ', belonging, and New 's... I outfit myself in my voice awaken is sponsored by Tricycle: the Buddhist Review, a print and magazine! Orientation of the artwork in this episode, visit RubinMuseum.org/awakenpod of aesthetics and color and nonbinary people shared! Is available upon request your baby doing in public '' ( 2020 ) or is!, not about healing myself and strange and utterly uncinematic I feel like every Day is internationally! Healing myself asked when a child is born, such as: Hows your baby?... With complete strangers you listen closely, theres more to that sentence: celebrity contact information to your Goodreads.... Many more important questions to be ourselves, but its the after-party for me is kind... About going out, you should consult with professional adviser, such as jumping! The alok vaid menon funeral poem of myself, is what the natural orientation of the formalization and consolidation of European-Western modernity also... Down how Heath could actually better support trans people, has gone viral of aesthetics and color move from?! Geena Rocero, Chris Mosier, Angelica Ross and Kylar Broadus and utterly.! 2020 ) so badly back then to be foolish together think, this. The way that I moved my body was wrong, because it was feminine, particular,. Be foolish together became associated with indigenous people, with clothing that defies gender categories nonbinary people also shared of. Alok ( they/them ) is an internationally acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, public!