Session 9

The recording features panelists Conrad Johnston, Mani Bruce Mitchell, and Sandra Dickson. These speakers embark on discussions surrounding gender identities extending beyond the binary framework and share personal narratives regarding their own gender journeys.

At the onset, panelists introduce themselves, discussing their personal experiences with gender identity. The conversation touches upon topics like blending into societal norms, childhood experiences with gender roles, and the implications of being non-binary or genderqueer in society. One panelist narrates their journey, mentioning the struggles with gender identity, including having to present as male in professional settings which feel incompatible with their sense of self. They also recount their upbringing in a damaged town plagued by social ills and detail how this experience shapes their sense of safety in their current environment.

The panelists expand on their experiences of being intersex, illustrating the challenge of finding a fit within the gender binary. It is highlighted that for intersex individuals, gender identity can be fluid over time and that societal expectations and treatment based on gender presentation often pose significant struggles. The importance of defining personal gender beyond traditional labels, especially as it relates to body autonomy and personal comfort with one's own body, is addressed in depth.

The conversation veers towards community support, with an emphasis on the queer community's potential to uplift and protect each other. A recount of community self-defense practices against violence is cited as a powerful historical precedent of community unity and self-preservation. Such anecdotes stress the importance of community vigilance and solidarity in the face of discriminatory challenges.

In the dialogue, the topics of language and its inadequacies to express non-binary identities are also vastly inspected. The English language, in particular, is criticized for its restrictions, leaving room for the creation of new terms to articulate the multiplicity of gender experiences. The panel underscores that the static binary structure of modern culture, particularly in media and consumer products, significantly influences societal perceptions and dynamics related to gender. The discussion also touches upon the bureaucratic complexities of non-binary existence, like the difficulties inherent in legal gender status changes in documentation.

Towards the end, the session encourages audience engagement through small group conversations to ensure everyone has the opportunity to voice their thoughts in a safe space. The session concludes with a group activity meant to symbolize the need for collective action and support within the community. The lively conversation aims to spark thoughts on constructing solutions for a more inclusive society, where personal experiences and identities are validated rather than constrained by binary classification.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Conrad Johnston Mani Bruce Mitchell Sandra Dickson

2010s, aotearoa new zealand, attitude, behaviour, beyond conference (2013), bullying, census, children, clothing, colonisation, community, conrad johnston, discrimination, drag, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genderqueer, intersex, language, laquisha redfern, mani bruce mitchell, media, ngāruawāhia, non-binary, social media, support, the queer avengers (wellington), to be who i am (2008), transfemininity, transgender, transmasculinity, two ticks campaign (2011 census), wellington, wellington high school

1950s, abuse, access, accident, advertising, agenda, alcoholism, androgynous, anxiety, artist, arts, assumptions, bear, beauty, binary, bisexual, blood, books, broken, butch, campaigns, celebration, change, communication, computers, conference, conflict, conversation, culture, data, david, design, desire, diversity, drag queen, dream, dress up, education, email, energy, english language, entertainment, equality, face, family, fashion, femme, film, fluidity, food, freedom, friends, fun, gambling, gay, gender binary, gender neutral, god, government, guilt, gym, health, health care, hit, identity, journey, labels, lego, love, magazines, makeup, marketing, marriage, marriage equality, martial arts, masculine, masculinity, other, parents, parody, passport, people, podcast, popular culture, power, queen, queer, rage, reading, reflection, rent, romantic, running, sad, safety, san francisco, school, school counselor, scotland, sex, sexuality, skirt, smoking, sociology, space, spaces, spectrum, straight, stuff, surgery, survey, teacher, theatre, therapist, time, top, trans, trans man, transition, transport, trauma, treat, trust, unemployment, uniform, violence, visibility, voice, walking, water, women, work, yellow, yoga