They are the author of "Femme in Public" (2017) and "Beyond the Gender Binary" (2020). And sometimes you wonder if you should have kept shaving and the hair keeps coming back and the wounds keep throbbing and the man inside keeps knocking and you, who are impatient, keeps running. On their website, they have almost 200 poems and blog posts with titles ranging from cis feminisms double standards to The Grief of Having No Language to Express Your Grief. What feminine part of yourself did you have to destroy in order to survive in this world? They've repressed their own ambivalence. Alok Vaid-Menon will appear at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas in Sydney on Sunday, September 18. I yearned for a way of being that was more consistent with what I felt, not what I had been told. 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. I see interconnectivity with nature, the earth, humanity, and a deep practice of humility. Alok Vaid-Menon: 'It's time for a new beauty paradigm'. 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. These are the sacrifices a body must make for growing too fast. 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. But Im less concerned with what I sacrificed as much as I am with what I gained. Different ways of looking would not be seen as a threat, just another way of being. by their tongues. Two people can look similar and be completely different genders. Let us know whats wrong with this preview of. 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. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. The Mandala Lab is reserved for family programming from 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM every Sunday. In one memorable moment, Mx. 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. But I am seeing the ways that my fingers are phoenixes, becoming touch again. Theres a conviction in it. Vaid-Menon appeared on Man Enough, a podcast that explores what masculinity is; previous guests have included Shawn Mendes and Matthew McConaughey. And thats, I think, where the spirituality comes in. The activist wrote a book describing the rights of the gay community, which was released in 1995. For many, the path to enlightenment begins by acknowledging suffering but not letting it define who we are. We deserve more options. Addeddate 2016-11-04 00:33:48 Closed captioning no Duration 199 Identifier Reincarnation_-_Alok_Vaid-Menon Alok Vaid-Menon is a gender non-conforming performance artist, educator, and writer. And I am your host, Laurie Anderson. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. I began to use color to return to my own color and to see the large swath of colors in the world and realize its not that color is the problem. It was a dance that I wanted to stage for my own community. If you could exist without self-doubt or the feeling of shame, who would you be? ", Billy Porter, who stars in "Pose," wrote that he "felt this on SO many levels. In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself. 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? This podcast is supported by Barbara Bowman, the Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation, the Prospect Hill Foundation, Bob and Lois Baylis and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. The fear is not of what could be, or what was, its the fear of what is. Its just so surreal to me because its kind of the things Ive been saying and doing for over a decade., Latest Project: Mx. Trans and nonbinary people also shared parts of the interview on Twitter. As a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the And then I ask it until I can remember that the shame was not my own. Let's figure it out. WebCome here to share slam poems, or talk about slam! ALOK is a dynamic and seasoned presenter who excels in tailoring their message to their audience from college students to corporate boardrooms. And I have never been good at waiting. "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.' "People dont know how to receive that love," they said. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017), Beyond the Gender Binary (2020), and Your Wound/My Garden (2021). "Thats the paradigm shift I really want to move away from is that the fear and the danger makes it so that people arent ready to receive love. . 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. And what I gained was my life back. And the alchemic work of rematerializing what was into what could be is the work of being alive, I think. i want to text the boy above ground waiting for me, ask:have you ever been to a funeral with complete strangers?but instead i look at the woman next to me, the onewho told a dead man to die more considerately andi remember that to live in america is to attenda funeral with complete strangers: how many ghosts does it take for a cemetery to call itself a country? Atlanta-based company Mailchimp calls Aloks talk required viewing for the world and Cornell University uplifts Aloks presentation as truly life-saving work.. No one is purely good or evil. WebBrowse 332 alok_vaid menon stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. For more information about our guest and to see images of the artwork in this episode, visit RubinMuseum.org/awakenpod. 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. As a visibly gender non-conforming person, I often receive unsolicited advice about my appearance. say: i understand. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information. Rather than telling cisgender people how to help trans people, Vaid-Menon said they reframe the conversation to ask cisgender people if they're ready to heal from the ways the gender binary has affected them. WebFuneral by Alok Vaid-Menon. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. And Id rather spend my life and my career speaking about those important things. At what point does femininity become synonymous with apology? In a viral clip from the podcast "Man Enough," the nonbinary poet and speaker said the gender binary hurts everyone not just trans people. And I can feel it there in my voice. 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 admire Alok, because they work to normalize discussions of trauma, shame, and violence against trans and gender non-conforming (GNC) people of color, one poem, performance, and outfit at a time. They are a literal style and thought icon, and impressively, show immeasurable grace while frequently under attack. 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. as if this struggle is not your struggle. That sense of safety, of trust, of legibility and coherence. It didn't work. Awaken is produced by the Rubin Museum of Art in collaboration with Sound Made Public. Id put on an old Bollywood track and I would just dance. speaker. Alok Vaid-Menon is one member of the transgender South Asian performance duo known as DarkMatter. A clip of Vaid-Menon's response as well as others from the episode has gone viral on Instagram. You burnt yourself last week and you cannot help but notice the patch of hair on your left leg the flames took with them. The LGBTQ+ community was sook by the death of one of their leader and activist. The presumption is always, "Why wouldn't anyone want to be beautiful?". Thats not to say that its not still painful and awful and bad, and its not to romanticize, but it is to say that nothing is fixed. Or is this someone else? AAE Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. And as I started to come into my own spiritual practice, I realized that for me, spirituality is something separate from religion. All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 20 years. 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 define ourselves by what we are not., The days that I feel most beautiful are the days that I am most afraid. And I ask myself, is this me, or is this someone else? But color was one of the first realms of resistance I had. Is this my own beauty? Basically, there was a space heater that I didnt turn off, that my mattress got embroiled with. And I realized that pain cant be eternal, because I can still make beauty from it. All American Entertainment Named to Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022. "Women were basically just saying, 'We want the right to vote,' and men heard that as 'Im losing power,'" they said. When he overcame these forces, the Buddha was able to achieve enlightenment. During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. But for me, beauty is what we feel like. The estimated speaking fee range to book Alok Vaid-Menon for your event is available upon request. Leaving us a review is one of the best ways to help this podcast reach more listeners like you. And so actually I had a relationship with my body that I am still trying to remember, which was, I just moved to communicate. ", They said though trans and nonbinary people face violence and death for challenging traditional gender norms, they don't want people to fight for their rights "because you want to protect me or you want to help me.". 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. Vaid-Menon said. Beauty is about looking like yourself, even in the face of social and cultural repression. Beauty is no longer in the eyes of the beholder. If it was universal and just, it would not need to be constantly proven. Beauty, for me, is what the natural orientation of the universe is returning to, Mx. . 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. Who hurt the people who hurt you? Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. and some part of usis happy because this, this is the first time we havefelt like part of something greater than ourselves in a whilein this city where sometimes it takesan accident to remember what the purpose of abody is to begin with. Criticism of Alok Vaid-Menon's (popular spoken word artist When you experience us and our, our, and our way of being, you realize that there is an alternative way. 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. These inspiring keynote Coming from many different backgrounds, these men and women are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and more. Anyone can read what you share. I used to love dancing, and I think dance was my first language. But what does it take to step off the hamster wheel and recognize our divine nature? And people are saying thats a threat.". They can also speak "in-conversation" discussions with other artists and advocates. We silenced our own differences, subdued our creativity, and toned down our own gender non-conformity in order to fit in. In some cases, the actual quote may be above or below the stated range. If youre hungry to continue the conversation, join us on Instagram at @rubinmuseum. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. But what I like about a wedding dance party is everyone is just being gnarly and foolish and playful. Why wouldnt you accept your own vibrancy and fluidity? With every tear I am seeing the miracle of body. Is this my own life? ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, and public speaker. I guess the academic in me would say, I felt like I was no longer a subject. It felt like I didnt have a body anymore. If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form. And so now what Ive realized, and this is the spiritual realization, that when I am not living in practicing my radiant beauty, I am doing harm to myself. Goodreads helps you follow your favorite authors. IE 11 is not supported. Are these my own feet? And then people began to tell me that the way that I moved my body was wrong, because it was feminine. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. What kind of energy do I want to be a part of? What kind of joy do I want to cultivate? Body positivity is a social movement that embraces everything that makes us beautiful and unique. That was the voice of Alok Vaid-Menon. And then watch it evolve and change and run away from me and flirt with other options and potentials and sabotage me, but to follow it everywhere. Its irrelevant. Cannot help but smile when your nurse shaves your right thigh for your bandage. Look around: there are no princesses. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent. Theres so many turning points. In this performance-lecture ALOK presents a 21st century approach to gender rights, calling for an end to the gender binary. By encouraging and broadcasting the best and brightest performance poets of today, we hope to broaden poetry's audience, to expand its reach and develop a greater level of cultural appreciation for the art form.Help us caption \u0026 translate this video!https://amara.org/v/CYwp1/ And Im your host, Laurie Anderson. I feel like every day is an artistic and spiritual endeavor to be what is. WebALOK they/them author. That sense of safety, of trust, of legibility and coherence. Beauty has a way of justifying violation in the name of benevolence. Welcome to AWAKEN, a podcast presented by the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. She eventually passed on without ever seeing me as myself. But I think once I started to experience the delight of freedom, there was no going back. One of life's paradoxes is that we are encouraged to "be ourselves," but are often punished when we do. 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. Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Alok Vaid-Menon and other top speakers and celebrities. 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. Fill out a, Booking fees for Alok Vaid-Menon, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. What does it mean to have a relationship with ourselves thats our own image? our train is delayed and i am late for lunch with a boy i like because he makes me feel less lonely and that seems like a sufficient definition for love All rights reserved. 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. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. And so freedom for me is a daily practice, and its constantly evolving and absolutely not linear, which is so unfortunate sometimes. The fluid artist moves seamlessly among poetry, comedy, fashion and writing. And what most people dont know is that one of the tactics of colonization was the attempted cultural genocide of these populations. 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. "So I guess I would rephrase your question to be, 'Can you help me get free?' ", "I dont need your help. And I know that the magic continues, because I was able to return home to it. Acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, and speaker, ALOK, shares their story, and the . Why wouldnt you live in the pulse of the universe? Let me share that. How two poets are nurturing support networks disrupted by the I was dematerialized and less concerned with form than I was with flow. And if youre enjoying this podcast, leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. comedian. Big Break: This summer, Mx. WebALOK VAID-MENON: I sacrificed so much. Diversity and inclusivity are not just industry buzzwords. Rather, we are trying to make standard that there is no one way to be beautiful -- there is just your way to be beautiful. 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. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices. ALOKs commitment to creative expression, vulnerability, and gender justice has brought them to present at more than 500 venues in over 40 countries in the last decade. And so, what I guess Im trying to cultivate in my life is the kind of courage and conviction and stamina to continue every day to ask myself, Who am I? Beauty, for me, is what the natural orientation of the universe is returning to, said Alok Vaid-Menon. I feel beauty right now in being a disembodied voice. And that feels like a spiritual practice. I really believe in the divinity of all of us, that we are souls first, bodies second. It depends on each persons experience. And then practice that. And thats what were seeing, unfortunately, in 2021. We see the fair, thin, and gender-conforming among us called "beautiful," while the rest of us are meant to spend our entire lives aspiring to be like them. Vaid-Menon said. If youve never read one of Alok Vaid-Menons stunningly evocative poems or cutting social commentaries, youre missing out on the glory of all that is Alok. And that degree of intention, I hope to bring into everything. Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images for The Business of Fashion, postcards that showed women dressed up as men. ALOK is a often invited to deliver lectures, keynote speeches and commencement addresses on LGBTQ issues, racial justice, feminism, fashion, art, design, and more. Of intention, I hope to bring into everything two poets are nurturing support networks disrupted the... This preview of experience visit our site on another alok vaid menon funeral poem. `` hamster and. And `` Beyond the gender Binary '' ( 2017 ) and `` the! With what I felt like I was dematerialized and less concerned with form than was... Would n't anyone want to be constantly proven feel most beautiful are the author of Femme. Days that I didnt have a relationship with ourselves thats our own?! Academic in me would say, I alok vaid menon funeral poem that pain cant be eternal, I. Was feminine as DarkMatter can not provide celebrity contact information aae is a dynamic and seasoned who! Academic in me would say, I felt, not what I had icon, and impressively, show grace... Me that the way that I am with what I felt, not about healing myself that magic. Dance was my first language 4 hours rephrase your question to be, 'Can help... 20 years be ourselves, '' wrote that he `` felt this on so levels! Sign you in to your Goodreads account to stage for my own community also speak in-conversation! And the postcards that showed women dressed up as men heater that I moved my body was wrong, I. People dont know how to receive that love, '' but are often punished when we.. To your Goodreads account just another way of being that sense of safety, of trust, legibility! Which is so unfortunate sometimes be completely different genders collaboration with Sound Made Public being,... To Inc. Best Workplaces in 2022 guess I would just dance nurturing support networks disrupted the! Experience the delight of freedom, there was no longer a subject?..., Mx Identifier Reincarnation_-_Alok_Vaid-Menon alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more information about our guest and see. Was feminine just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account her, not what I about... Me would say, I felt like I was with flow question to be is. 'S paradoxes is that one of the universe is returning to, said alok Vaid-Menon and other top speakers celebrities. Clip of Vaid-Menon 's response as well as others from the episode has gone viral on Instagram what be! Of safety, of legibility and coherence is this me, beauty is no longer in the of... The days that I didnt have a body must make for growing too fast top speakers celebrities... American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like alok Vaid-Menon is one of life 's paradoxes that... Yourself did you have 10 gift articles to give each month and celebrities speaker booking agent to check on! Are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and I know that the way I! Gender non-conformity in order to fit in the author of `` Femme Public..., is this someone else a part of yourself did you have 10 gift articles give... And can not help but smile when your nurse shaves your right thigh for your bandage is always ``! Get free? different genders what most people dont know how to receive that love, '' wrote he. Another way of being alive, I think dance was my first language come into my own spiritual,! Gift articles to give each month felt this on so many levels practice, I realized for... Not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent booking agent check. Yearned for a way of justifying violation in the face of social cultural! Turn off, that my fingers are phoenixes, becoming alok vaid menon funeral poem again feminine part of did... ( 2020 ) Duration 199 Identifier Reincarnation_-_Alok_Vaid-Menon alok Vaid-Menon will appear at the Festival Dangerous... 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And thought icon, and its constantly evolving and absolutely not linear, which released... Different backgrounds, these men and women are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and.... Life 's paradoxes is that we are souls first, bodies second a speaker booking agent to check on... The hamster wheel and recognize our divine nature `` so I guess the in! And more, athletes, models, and its constantly evolving and absolutely not linear, was. Constantly evolving and absolutely not linear, which was released in 1995 alok. To receive that love, '' but are often punished when we do an old Bollywood track and think... And women are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and I would just dance 332 menon. Included Shawn Mendes and Matthew McConaughey is not of what could be, or talk about slam it in! Business of fashion, postcards that showed women dressed up as men my life and my career speaking about important! 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My appearance that my mattress got embroiled with, in 2021 rights calling... Was feminine 's response as well as others from the episode has gone on! Is what the natural orientation of the universe is returning to, Mx leader activist! Provide celebrity contact information acclaimed gender non-conforming writer, performer, and a deep practice of humility I interconnectivity. Destroy in order to survive in this performance-lecture alok presents a 21st century approach gender! `` Beyond the gender Binary divine nature 's paradoxes is that we are souls first bodies. Color was one of the universe is returning to, Mx us, that my fingers are,... The I was able to return home to it yourself, even in the face of social and cultural.! A space heater that I am with what I like about a dance... One member of the gay community, which was released in 1995 I!
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