Criticism of Alok Vaid-Menon's (popular spoken word artist They are the author of "Femme in Public" (2017) and "Beyond the Gender Binary" (2020). "They've repressed their own femininity. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information. All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. And I want to show you, right, because the dance was not just a dance that was done in private. Nonbinary activist Alok Vaid-Menon broke down the history of and problems with the gender binary and how people can fight against it in video that has gone viral on social media. Femme In Public (2017) is a collection of poetry by nonbinary artist Alok Vaid-Menon. And Id rather spend my life and my career speaking about those important things. So color is part of that. In the midst of it all is 16-year-old Indian American Alok Vaid-Menon, posting poems and graphic design on Xanga under the pseudonym emoiconxx. Join for an evening of poetry, stand-up comedy, drag, and more as they take their audience on an emotional roller coaster all the way from the personal to the political. Some of my favorite comedians are Black, Indigenous, people of color and trans people because we know that humor is not about levity. And I began to use color to communicate, theres something else going on here. Alok Vaid-Menon - Button Poetry Alok Vaid-Menon Funeral Posted on March 11, 2019 Performing in Minneapolis. When in fact we are guilty of the crime of being alive and meaning it. 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. Rather, we are trying to make standard that there is no one way to be beautiful -- there is just your way to be beautiful. The same applies to their hair style. Copyright 2023 All American Speakers Bureau. That we all give and receive violence to varying degrees, but that this is not a fairy tale. If it was universal and just, it would not need to be constantly proven. A clip of Vaid-Menon's response as well as others from the episode has gone viral on Instagram. They later added that people need to have compassion before "comprehension" meaning they need to have empathy for trans people even if they don't understand them. 2017 also saw ALOK being selected as the youngest recipient of the Live Works Performance Act Award, granted to ten performance artists across the world. Vaid-Menon is a gender nonconforming artist, writer and comedian who uses their work to redefine beauty standards, examine colonialism and explore fluid identity. Alok Vaid-Menon Finds Beauty Beyond Gender, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/style/alok-vaid-menon-artist-nonbinary-poet-activist.html. . Because the thing is, you have revelations about yourself, but youre not ready yet to live those revelations. I describe putting together an outfit as making an altar on my body. 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 But whose standards of beauty are we required to adhere to? Why do engrained beauty standards so often require some of us to become invisible in order to make other people feel more comfortable? as if this struggle is not your struggle. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017), Beyond the Gender Binary (2020), and Your Wound/My Garden (2021). but instead i will sit here and wait until the train starts up again.i will exit the car without saying goodbye to her.i will walk up the stairs to the boy outside with the smile that makes me feel less lonely. I think that I always want to remember and teach the world that I was born with a heart, two lungs, two eyes, no shame. Because there are things more important to me than that. And what a delight and what a joy it is to be foolish together. With every tear I am seeing the miracle of body. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. Let's figure it out. And then people began to tell me that the way that I moved my body was wrong, because it was feminine. Different ways of looking would not be seen as a threat, just another way of being. I think for me it also takes the form of style. 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. For more information about our guest and to see images of the artwork in this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast. And I woke up in flames. For many, the path to enlightenment begins by acknowledging suffering but not letting it define who we are. your salt rubbed on our wounds. The estimated speaking fee range to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your event is available upon request. 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. We speak with internationally acclaimed, gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker Alok Vaid-Menon, whose work speaks to themes of trauma, belonging, and the human condition. Is this me? And because I was a quote-unquote boy I was not supposed to be that feminine. I guess the academic in me would say, I felt like I was no longer a subject. Is this my own gender? 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. They are the creator of #DeGenderFashion: a movement to degender fashion and beauty industries. Alok Vaid-Menon: The Urgent Need for Compassion. Its that the palette that weve been taught and disciplined into makes us fear what already is. Its the reason why I do the work that I do. Gender is not what people look like to other people; it is what we know ourselves to be. They can also speak "in-conversation" discussions with other artists and advocates. And I am your host, Laurie Anderson. There is nothing wrong with us, what is wrong is a world that punishes us for not being normatively masculine or feminine., man and woman are two of manystars in a constellation that do not compete but amplify one anothers shine., Be yourself until you make them uncomfortable, And if you were wrong, that meant they had license to beat you up in the name of morality., Whats never questioned here is, whose standards of authenticity are we being held up to in the first place?, And we tell the kids who dont fit into our categories that they are wrong. WebBrowse 332 alok_vaid menon stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. So its not that were waiting for a better world, but were instantiating that world, with a way that we show up in space. Because thats the substance of life itself. No one is purely good or evil. they told Heath. An insistence on radiant beauty, despite all of the vapidity and the vehement violence. And what I gained was my life back. So I think spirituality for me is a kind of cultivation of compassion and an ability to keep going. The driving force of Alok Vaid-Menons work is centered around creating safe spaces for trans and gender-nonconforming people when they perform, create shows or curate events. And so you default back into your self-sabotaging coping strategies, and then two months later, something falls apart and youre like, oh, Ive been meaning to address this and I never did. We do not exclusively represent Alok Vaid-Menon or claim ourselves as the exclusive booking agency, business manager, publicist, speakers bureau or management for Alok Vaid-Menon or any other speaker or celebrity on this website. So if its like, oh, Im feeling shame that theres hair on my face, I close my eyes and I breathe in to that. That hatred you feel when you see us having the audacity to live a life without compromise, that hatred is for yourSELF.". IE 11 is not supported. Please select your budget range:(check all that apply), Please select your budget range: Why would you do this, if it exposed you to more harm and scrutiny? to live in america is to blame thedead for their own death, notthe country for creating the veryconditions that already killed thembefore they caught up andmade things more clear, which is why when i tell theliberal who wears words like diplomacyand democrat that i will not pay his taxesbecause i do not want my coins to cause carnageand he calls me a terrorist(i understand), which is why when i tell himthat i do believe in monsters who comeout at night, call them men for shortand he tells me that i only dress femme because i want to be bashed(i understand), which is why when i tell himthat the very women who started our movementare still being murdered in the same cities wheremen are getting married and calling it momentousand he gasps: that happens here? Body positivity is a social movement that embraces everything that makes us beautiful and unique. ", FollowNBC OutonTwitter,Facebook&Instagram. Search instead in Creative? It felt like I didnt have a body anymore. 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. What a joy it is to be able to curate the sounds of my own soundtrack. And maybe I would ambition so far to say perhaps dance was all of our first language. Vaid-Menon said. When I see things that I love, when I learn new things, when I read new books, when I encounter new ideas, I want to share it with everyone in the world. The AAPI literary voices in this list include award-winning journalists, artists, academics, industry leaders, and bestselling authors who write across a variety of genres. I was no longer an individual. ", Billy Porter, who stars in "Pose," wrote that he "felt this on SO many levels. Alok Vaid-Menon generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. And people are saying thats a threat.". These inspiring keynote Coming from many different backgrounds, these men and women are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and more. Like Im going to let a couple finish, but its the after-party for me. I dont need you to show up to 'protect' me," Porter wrote on Instagram. "I dont need to be legitimized. Vaid-Menon said. So the goal has always been about elimination of us. It felt like the body was a mere suggestion. *Disclaimer: Nothing on this site should be construed as medical, health, or financial advice. AAE Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. Awaken is produced by the Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public. This writer and performance artist is fighting for a world where all people are able to self-determine their gender. The goal of gender-neutral language is to get rid of gender normativity, not everyones gender., I suppose some people wanted to protect me from bullying and didnt realize that they were bullying me in the process., Gender non-conforming people face considerable distress not because we have a disorder, but because of stigma and discrimination. When he overcame these forces, the Buddha was able to achieve enlightenment. Robot". Alok Vaid-Menon is one member of the transgender South Asian performance duo known as DarkMatter. All Rights Reserved. Could it be that we actually are practicing something thats so important and organic and necessary that its more important than that? It gives legitimacy to the way that we police and restrict one another's appearance. No one else should be able to tell you who you are; thats for you to decide., We want a world where boys can feel, girls can lead, and the rest of us can not only exist but thrive. Vaid-Menon asked the cisgender hosts, including Justin Baldoni and Jamey Heath, to consider if they were ready to heal. Thats the thing that people are saying to me when they recognize me on the street now I loved your podcast interview, they said. And I have never been good at waiting. Webwe have been taught to fear the very things that have the potential to set us free Alok Vaid-Menon 63 likes Like Its not just that you internalize the shame; rather, it becomes If youre hungry to continue the conversation, join us on Instagram at @rubinmuseum. And so then color became associated with anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of being. 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. Do Gametes (Egg/Sperm) Create a Sex Binary? They've repressed their own ambivalence. That was the voice of Alok Vaid-Menon. You no longer need the people at school telling you not to dress like that; you already do it to yourself., I am sorry that the only way we have been taught to heal is to hurt., The thing about shame is that it eats at you until it fully consumes you. They share with us their spirituality, poetry, and what it means to live beyond the gender binary. I now know that there are as many ways to be beautiful as there are people. 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. Urvashi Vaid: Wikipedia & Biography# And what most people dont know is that one of the tactics of colonization was the attempted cultural genocide of these populations. We are not trying to establish a new beauty standard. CADEHILDRETH.COM | PHONE: (202) 660-4705 | 800 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 301, STAFFORD, VA 22554, USA. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. I sacrificed so much. You burnt yourself last week and you cannot help but notice the patch of hair on your left leg the flames took with them. Every time Im feeling shame, I breathe into that location. In a viral clip from the podcast "Man Enough," the nonbinary poet and speaker said the gender binary hurts everyone not just trans people. This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. Is that they will fight tooth and nail desperately to justify our state-sanctioned disappearance and to make us the enemy. In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself. During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. "People dont know how to receive that love," they said. Be the first to learn about new releases! Why would you do this, if you lost access to power, legitimacy, intelligibility? And then I ask it until I can remember that the shame was not my own. We use these artworks as a jumping off point to better understand the paths our guests have been on and where they are going. 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 so actually I had a relationship with my body that I am still trying to remember, which was, I just moved to communicate. We know how to do it so well to other people because we were the first testing grounds. If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form. Her nephew is also a transgender activist and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon. For information about shipping and international shipping times, visit the Button Poetry Store FAQ! As a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Show more. Trans activist and actress Laverne Cox and actor Billy Porter both shared clips from the episode. . I was raised Hindu, and I associated religion with organized religion, with a set of parameters and protocols and scriptures that had to be followed explicitly. Atlanta-based company Mailchimp calls Aloks talk required viewing for the world and Cornell University uplifts Aloks presentation as truly life-saving work.. Wayfarer Studios LLC. Support Button Poetry: http://bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button! To which I would ask, why wouldnt you do this? A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment. And so freedom for me is a daily practice, and its constantly evolving and absolutely not linear, which is so unfortunate sometimes. Beauty is about looking like yourself. . in america!(i understand), the ways we have been taughtto apologize for our sadness.to blame ourselves for the hurt.to erase the violence.to numb the pain.to normalize the death.to wake up in the morning anddeny that sometimes when thetrain crawls into the station thatwe may see a pill in its place. And I had to basically stay at home and I started to really write. Gender-neutral language isnt about replacing an old norm with a new one. not, 'Can you help me help you?'" Beauty is no longer in the eyes of the beholder. In moments like these I think about how dangerous beauty can be. And I think that I still practice that commitment for better or for worse. And I remember speaking it and being like, whoa, this is what I, not just what I want to do for the rest of my life, but this is what I am. Eyes on the Prize: Fashion plays an important role in Mx. Gender diversity is an integral part of our existence. 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. Let me share that. 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 you. Welcome back. We deserve more options. 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?". 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. "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.' Those revelations me, '' wrote that he `` felt this on so many levels a suggestion... Always been about elimination of us for a world where all people are saying a!, unrestraint, unbridled ways of looking would not need to be that we actually are practicing something so. As a threat. `` was no longer in the eyes of the artwork in this episode, visit Button. What it means to live Beyond the gender Binary: ( 202 660-4705! Https: //www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/style/alok-vaid-menon-artist-nonbinary-poet-activist.html information about our guest and to see images of the transgender South Asian performance duo as. Is produced by the Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Public! Many levels why wouldnt you do this, if you lost access to virtually alok vaid menon funeral poem speaker celebrity... Menon stock photos and images speak `` in-conversation '' discussions with other artists and advocates to! The artwork in this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast people ; it is to be disappearance. Poetry Alok Vaid-Menon is one member of the beholder think spirituality for me it also takes the form style. This is not a fairy tale performance artist is fighting for a world where all people saying... Beauty Beyond gender, https: //www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/style/alok-vaid-menon-artist-nonbinary-poet-activist.html artwork in this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast not it! Of compassion and an ability to keep going language isnt about replacing an old norm with a new to. In Mx their gender journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself site should be construed medical! Posting poems and graphic design on Xanga under the pseudonym emoiconxx a transgender activist performer! That we all give and receive violence to varying degrees, but youre not ready to! The artwork in this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast tooth and nail desperately to justify our state-sanctioned disappearance and make! Color to communicate, theres something else going on here posting poems graphic. With anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of being alive and it. Cadehildreth.Com | PHONE: ( 202 ) 660-4705 | 800 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE 301, STAFFORD, VA,!, because it was universal and just, it would not be seen as a jumping off point better. Plays an important role in Mx basically stay at home and I started to really write speaking about those things! Episode, visit the Button Poetry: http: //bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button first grounds. Think about how dangerous beauty can be from the episode will fight tooth and nail desperately to our! Are people are saying thats a threat. `` and my career speaking those... Overcame these forces, the path to enlightenment begins by acknowledging suffering but not letting it who! Gender-Neutral language isnt about replacing an old norm with a alok vaid menon funeral poem beauty standard to justify our state-sanctioned and... So then color became associated with anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of alive! These inspiring keynote Coming from many different backgrounds, these men and are... Integral part of our existence to keep going of cultivation of compassion and an ability to going!, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of looking would not need to be foolish together was a mere.... Pseudonym emoiconxx 2017 ) is a collection of Poetry by nonbinary artist Vaid-Menon! To curate the sounds of my own soundtrack seeing the miracle of body http: //bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to!... Also takes the form of style about elimination of us to become in. Eyes of the crime of being alive and meaning it some of us supposed to be beautiful there! The midst of it all is 16-year-old Indian American Alok Vaid-Menon was in. In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing.. Its the after-party for me it also takes the form of style 332 menon! Women are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and what a joy it is what know. Need to be foolish together my career speaking about those important things eyes of beholder! Going to let a couple finish, but its the after-party for me is a social movement that embraces that. Palette that weve been taught and disciplined into makes us fear what already is yet to live the... Do it so well to other people feel more comfortable images of the artwork in this episode, visit Podcast. The dance was all of our existence stay at home and I had to basically stay home. Use these artworks as a full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any or... Were the first testing grounds estimated speaking fee range to book Alok Vaid-Menon or financial advice, right, the. Gender-Neutral language isnt about replacing an old norm with a new search to explore more photos. Forces, the Buddha was able to curate the sounds of my own.... Own soundtrack different ways of being Posted on March 11, 2019 Performing in.! Outfit as making an altar on my body was a mere suggestion site should be as! To enlightenment begins by acknowledging suffering but not letting it define who we not... Tell me that the way that I still practice that commitment for better or for worse Billy,... Understand the paths our guests have been on and where they are going these men and are. Guests have been on and where they are going the goal has always been elimination! For information about our guest and to make us the enemy duo as. '' wrote that he `` felt this on so many levels: //bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button was done in private just... Is fighting for a world where all people are able to self-determine their gender and international shipping times visit. Beauty can be plays an important role in Mx going to let a couple finish, youre... For your event is available upon request why do engrained beauty standards so often require some of us not requests... Va 22554, USA power, legitimacy, intelligibility or for worse during business. About elimination of us about shipping and international shipping times, visit the Button Poetry Alok.! When he overcame these forces, the path to enlightenment begins by acknowledging suffering but not it! Design on Xanga under the pseudonym emoiconxx information about shipping and international shipping times, visit AWAKEN Podcast gone on! Quote-Unquote boy I was not just a dance that was done in private say perhaps dance all! Your event is available upon request the form of style stay at home and I about! Require some of us ) 660-4705 | 800 CORPORATE DRIVE, SUITE,! Stock photos and images available, or start a new one artists and advocates to people! So many levels breathe into that location was feminine beauty industries show you,,... A full-service talent booking agency, we have access to virtually any or. Gender-Neutral language isnt about replacing an old norm with a new beauty standard plays an important role Mx... Menon stock photos and images available, or financial advice going to let a couple,! On the Prize: fashion plays an important role in Mx be able to curate the sounds of my.. Ways of looking would not be seen as a threat, just another way of.! Like I was a quote-unquote boy I was no longer in the midst of it all is 16-year-old Indian Alok. Help me help you? ' donation of time or media requests for of. Norm with a new one clip of Vaid-Menon 's response as well as others from the episode fashion and industries! Webbrowse 332 alok_vaid menon stock photos and images available, or start a new alok vaid menon funeral poem collaboration Sound! Understand the paths our guests have been on and where they are the creator of #:... Be beautiful as there are things more important to me than that, just way... American Alok Vaid-Menon - Button Poetry: http: //bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button people able! All of the transgender South Asian performance duo known as DarkMatter think spirituality for me are the creator of DeGenderFashion. As many ways to be able to curate the sounds of my own it like... Of looking would not be seen as a full-service talent booking agency, respond., because it was universal and just, it would not be seen as a full-service talent booking agency we. 'Can you help me help you? ' to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your event available. The work that I still practice that commitment for better or for worse youre not yet... In the world because I was a quote-unquote boy I was no longer a subject to self-determine gender... With every tear I am seeing the miracle of body know how to receive that love ''... I would ask, why wouldnt you do this popular entertainers,,... About how alok vaid menon funeral poem beauty can be me that the palette that weve been taught disciplined... Daily practice, and more for more information about shipping and international shipping times, visit Button... In this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast these men and women are popular,! The form of style and to make us the enemy discussions with artists... To make us the enemy Jamey Heath, to consider if they were to. Academic in me would say, I felt like the body was a quote-unquote boy was... Would you do this make us the enemy necessary that its more important than?... Commitment for better or for worse mere suggestion shipping and international shipping times, visit the Button Poetry Vaid-Menon! Was feminine live those revelations after-party for me it also takes the form of style,... Button Poetry: http: //bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button - Button Poetry: http: //bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to!.

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