Event and Ticketing Details
Dates & Times
Thursday 27 November
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM
Our understanding of gender diversity has shifted exponentially over the past few decades, even reaching into the classroom. More than ever before children are dressing and living in their chosen gender, and courts are increasingly supporting their choices through mandated access to puberty blockers leading into their adult years. But what are the public attitudes to trans bodies, and how are these attitudes evolving? How is the trans community constituted and how is it faring?
We ask these questions of Melbourne’s Sally Goldner, a trans singer/songwriter, drummer, activist and a self-identified ‘bisexual Jewish cowgirl’; Jez Pez, a queer trans man who works as youth worker, educator, and project manager; and of renowned ftm (female-to-male) porn star and documentary maker Buck Angel.
Hosted by Kath Duncan.
Buck Angel appears courtesy of Feast Adelaide Queer Cultural Festival.
Middlesex: Queer Week
We’ve come a long way since the bad old days when any sexuality that wasn’t heterosexual, monogamous and sealed by marriage was kept behind the bedroom door and between the sheets (or up against the wall). In a week of open discussion and joyous celebration, we’re exploring sexuality and identity in all their alternative forms.
Featuring
Jez Pez
Jez Pez is a queer trans man. Professionally he works as a youth worker, educator and project manager in the field of trans and gender diversity. Jez is the creator of Dude magazine, a resource about trans masculinity and sexuality.
Jez recently managed a national trans sexual health program with Buck Angel, an international award winning sex documentary maker.
Sally Goldner
Sally Goldner is an educator, speaker, MC and occasional performer. Her involvement in Victoria’s queer community has spanned more than twenty years. She has worked as executive director and treasurer of Transgender Victoria, presenter of 3CR’s queer program 'Out of the Pan', co-facilitator of Transfamily and treasurer of Bisexual Alliance Victoria. She is also a contributor to the 2018 book Living and Loving in Diversity.
Sally is the focus of an autobiographical documentary, Sally’s Story, and a life member of four LGBTIQ organisations. She was inducted into the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll in 2016 (the first trans and first known bi woman inductee) and awarded LGBTI Victorian of the Year in 2015. She spent two weeks in St Petersburg, Russia as a juror for the Side-By-Side LGBT Film festival in November 2015.
Kai Clancy
Kai Clancy is 19 years old and was assigned female at birth. Kai is a Brotherboy (an Aboriginal transmasculine person); he comes from Wakka Wakka and Wulli Wulli nations. Kai has been heavily involved in Aboriginal politics in Brisbane. He is also a part of the newly formed collective WAR - Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance. Kai is a staunch advocate for aboriginal inclusivity and visibility in the transgender community.
Kath Duncan
Kath Duncan is a 50-something writer, activist and raconteur with many decades of feminist and disability pride under her belt. Kath works in social media, and has a background in journalism and teaching communications.
Buck Angel
Buck Angel was born a biological female and conquered a lifetime of adversity to undergo his transformation and become the healthy, happy, self-confident man he is today. Buck created the first FTM adult website in 2003 and became the first FTM adult entertainer and film producer. In 2007, Buck made history again as the first transsexual man to ever win the AVN Transsexual Performer of the Year award (the academy awards of the adult industry).
From early childhood, there was no doubt Buck Angel was born in the wrong body. He roughhoused with the toughest bullies and was accepted as a boy by friends and family. When he started to grow breasts and menstruate, it was devastating, as he felt his body was betraying him. This caused severe depression and led to substance abuse problems.
In the 1980s, Buck got his first break in the entertainment world as a high-fashion female model, under contract with two of the world’s most prestigious modeling agencies, Elite Model Management and Z in London. Not surprisingly, Buck pushed the envelope in the high-fashion world, as well. His look as a professional female model was progressive, beautiful, and almost androgynous, which opened the doors for some of today’s most successful models. Many girls dream of becoming models, but this career was painfully difficult for Buck.
He turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the unbearable distress between his inner and outer selves. He ended up living on the streets, homeless and hopeless. Buck even attempted suicide on more than one occasion.
Buck sought professional help from a number of therapists, most of whom did not know how to deal with his problems, which stemmed from his gender identity issues. One suggested he was simply a ‘male identified female’.
Life for Buck finally took a turn for the better when he came across a documentary about a female-to-male transsexual. This film changed the course of his life forever. Not long after, Buck finally found a therapist who understood the nature of his problem. He then began taking the necessary hormones and later underwent breast-removal surgery.
His transformation was a dream come true, and for the first time in his life, Buck was able to live comfortably in his own skin. After becoming the man he had always perceived himself to be, he began to live a productive and fulfilling life with peace and self-acceptance.
Following gender reassignment, Buck began working in the adult entertainment industry as a fetish filmmaker and website developer for the male-to-female (MTF) on-line market. After a few years, he came to realize that there were no female-to-male (FTM) adult entertainment sites on the internet.
As an icon of popular culture, Buck has appeared on the Howard Stern Show, Spike TV, Much Music, OUT TV, the Tyra Banks Show and has been featured in every media outlet: television, radio, web, and print.
Recently, Buck has devoted himself to informing and enlightening the world. As he demonstrated in his speaking engagements at Yale University and IdeaCity 2010, Buck is not only inspiring people to think outside the box, he is redefining gender and educating an entire generation on the fluidity of sexuality and identity politics.
In 2012 Buck was appointed to the board of directors of the Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance. Buck produced a documentary, Sexing The Transman, in 2012, which went on to win awards and has become a film festival favorite. This very important documentary has opened up much needed dialogue about the sexuality and the effects of hormone on trans men during their transition from female to male.
2013 a documentary about Buck’s life was released, Mr. Angel. The film has become a Netflix favorite and has also won numerous awards including a Telly Award.
2014 Buck now travels the world speaking and educating using his own transition to help change the world.