What does it mean to be trans* gender?

I must say I don't understand the issue fully but I am aware that it is still classified as a mental disorder. Being labelled with a mental illness is an unpleasant experience. It also is the only way somebody can transition. Hate crime, misunderstanding and misconceptions about the issue have isolated people in the community. Through this event we hope activists in this field can share their experiences with us. 

National Preoccupations and Art or Why Aliens Don't Come to India

Sonia Soans, a researcher at MMU, will be giving a talk on Indian comics and how they reflect the concerns of the society that produced them. Looking at the Amar Chitra Katha series in particular, her talk will deal with the way that Indian comics reflect stereotypical ideas about the distant past and contemporary anxieties.

Venue - Room G35 in the new business school. The room has disability access and accessible restrooms. http://www2.mmu.ac.uk/travel/allsaints/Parking around the area is usually free from 6.00 pm onwards.

Follow us on Twitter @SoniaSoanspsy  & @MancsterCon

The event is free we need to know approximately how many people are coming. 

click here for tickets

Reading Rey Chow this month

I met Rey Chow a few months ago in Manchester. The day began with her lecture on films , Chinese films in particular and the representation of nation and a history that never was in these films (some of which are quite famous). What struck me are the parallels in Indian cinema and the re-imagining of the nation and its past. This was followed by another seminar at The Connerhouse which involved looking at clips from Spring in a Small Town. Repression and the nation were the title I think. What struck me is how much more relevant Chinese cinema of that era was as compared to now. It didn't use common tropes or clichés but told the story of a decaying land owning class. The emphasis was on the characters and their story as opposed to the past becoming a character of its own. 

This book challenged assumptions of what constituted 'Chinese culutre' especially when presented in the west. The issue of gender and it's representation were particularly important. 

Interesting feminist slant on the Guardian's 'CiF' section

This link is to a range of views on conflicts within feminism , very appropriate given the I.H.S.S.R 5th March event. I liked it and I think you gals will as well...http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/07/international-womens-day-defence-feminist-dissent-argued-priorities

Meeting in March

An interesting article at this link about calling women in the media 'feminists'. If it doesn't work for you let me know at strapping6footer@yahoo.co.uk and I  will send it as an attachment. [ I would tweet it but I have a habit of tweeting too many articles , one I am trying to curb.]

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116114/beyonce-lorde-bettie-page-are-feminists-really

Meeting in January

Hi All to follow up from Diane's blog post here are the details of the next meeting in January. See you at the next meeting.

Here's a link to the reading http://tinyurl.com/despentes-kingkongtheory