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. If youre hungry to continue the conversation, join us on Instagram at @RubinMuseum. In this 10-part series, we explore the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to wake up. The sight of me walking with my head high -- brown, bearded, and in a bold red lip -- was too much for them. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices. So it means that Im kind of ambivalent about form and Im more invested in flow. Mx. 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? 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 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. The way hair grows back, scabs heal, lips kiss. Copyright 2023 All American Speakers Bureau. It gives legitimacy to the way that we police and restrict one another's appearance. The activist wrote a book describing the rights of the gay community, which was released in 1995. I just was. By creating an account, you agree to our Privacy Policy. Its the willful unnoticing. Anyone can read what you share. 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. not, 'Can you help me help you?'" Beauty is no longer in the eyes of the beholder. Support Button Poetry: http://bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button! An insistence on radiant beauty, despite all of the vapidity and the vehement violence. Could it be that we actually are practicing something thats so important and organic and necessary that its more important than that? IE 11 is not supported. 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. 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. Next Thing: This month, Mx. Although I am constantly harassed for it, I am able to keep going because I know who I am. And I really want to say that art was that for me. Then you cannot tell the difference between their shame and your own between a body and an apology., Some gender non-conforming people are nonbinary, and some are men and women. And then practice that. To live in America is to already attend a funeral with complete strangers.. And that degree of intention, I hope to bring into everything. 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. The gender binary - the maintenance of two separate and opposite genders - is a system of power that exists to create conflict and division. Buddha taught that suffering is part of the human experience, but he also taught that theres a way out. Who hurt the people who hurt you? As the creator of the growing movement to degender fashion, ALOK is helping others move beyond the binary into full expression. 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. And so freedom for me is a daily practice, and its constantly evolving and absolutely not linear, which is so unfortunate sometimes. 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. When I play music, its not just that Im playing music, its that Im setting the scene to be alive. They are the creator of #DeGenderFashion: a movement to degender fashion and beauty industries. For so long I lived my life within society's constraints of who I was supposed to be. i will apologize for being late.i will not have the words for a type of loss that is so distant it is intimate.after lunch later i will get back on the train.i will remember. And I wanted so badly back then to be a dancer. And so then color became associated with anti-reason, emotion, unrestraint, unbridled ways of being. 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. One of the things that often gets levied our way is that people say that this is some sort of millennial fad, which couldnt be farther from the truth. They are the author of "Femme in Public" (2017) and "Beyond the Gender Binary" (2020). Criticism of Alok Vaid-Menon's (popular spoken word artist Is this my own life? These inspiring keynote Coming from many different backgrounds, these men and women are popular entertainers, athletes, models, and more. Our agents find the right fit for your event, Full access to all speakers & celebrities, Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details. 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. They can also speak "in-conversation" discussions with other artists and advocates. It was one and the same. The live and virtual event speaking fees listed on this website are intended to serve as a guideline only. Support Button Poetry: http://bit.ly/buttonpatreonSubscribe to Button! Its irrelevant. 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. ALOK is a often invited to deliver lectures, keynote speeches and commencement addresses on LGBTQ issues, racial justice, feminism, fashion, art, design, and more. For more information about our guest and to see images of the artwork in this episode, visit AWAKEN Podcast. In the author's words it "is a dream of what it could look like to celebrate transfemininity in public both in ourselves and for the people who desire us (by which I mean: everyone, across time, always)." We silenced our own differences, subdued our creativity, and toned down our own gender non-conformity in order to fit in. So the goal has always been about elimination of us. And I ask myself, is this me, or is this someone else? Awaken is sponsored by Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, a print and digital magazine dedicated to making Buddhist teachings broadly available. poet. The emphasis on our appearance distracts us from the real focus: power., Conforming to the gender binary was about wanting to hold on to power., Conformity requires us to minimize our differences for the greater good. How are you supposed to be believed about the harm that you experience when people don't even believe that you exist? Normativity looks like a specific sneaker brand being upheld as the best. Fill out a. For more information on how we work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage. 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. So who am I going to prioritize? And so much of the formalization and consolidation of European-Western modernity was also a project of aesthetics and color. Alok uses the pronoun they and has received international attention for But Im less concerned with what I sacrificed as much as I am with what I gained. Are these my own hands? This site uses cookies. During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours. We have deep ancestral roots and evidence of thousands of years of people, not just existing, but thriving and being celebrated outside of the Western division of populations into man/woman, male/female. When he overcame these forces, the Buddha was able to achieve enlightenment. 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? They share with us their spirituality, poetry, and what it means to live beyond the gender binary. 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. What am I feeling in this moment? Theres so many turning points. They've repressed their own creativity.". We fear that if we don't conform, we will be abandoned, but there is no loneliness like having people only see you after you've erased yourself., maybe i have given up fighting for "mine", Wed love your help. Why do engrained beauty standards so often require some of us to become invisible in order to make other people feel more comfortable? Science Says No. But I dont know if thats honest about being alive. ALOK VAID-MENON (they/them/theirs) is an internationally acclaimed writer, performer, and public speaker. Color became language. ", Billy Porter, who stars in "Pose," wrote that he "felt this on SO many levels. We prove that we are real by telling them that they are not. Vaid-Menon is self-publishing a poetry book called Your Wound/My Garden. At the beginning of my career I was really concerned with detailing the nature of the wound that I had in the world, Mx. "I'm just doing this to help." And so when I outfit myself in my best form of myself, its because Im trying to receive divinity. Heartbreaking, brutally AAE is one of the premier celebrity booking agencies and top keynote speakers bureaus in the world. 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. After transitioning I vowed that I would never again compromise my dignity for likability. I really believe in the divinity of all of us, that we are souls first, bodies second. As a mixed-media artist their work explores themes of trauma, belonging, and the In her eyes my journey was about hurting her, not about healing myself. Cannot help but smile when your nurse shaves your right thigh for your bandage. Like, Ive experienced this goodness, this rightness, this alignment, this beauty, why would I not want other people to be part of it? The work of soul searching came to me through being an artist. "I'm nonbinary, which means it's not just that I'm challenging the binary between male, female, man and woman, but between us and them," Vaid-Menon, author of " Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images for The Business of Fashion, postcards that showed women dressed up as men. But whose standards of beauty are we required to adhere to? I describe putting together an outfit as making an altar on my body. . Take a look at Button's Privacy Policy. Every time Im feeling shame, I breathe into that location. WebBrowse 332 alok_vaid menon stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. That color brings too much attention to yourself, that you should try to tone it down to fit into the visual cues of the dominant world. So its not that were waiting for a better world, but were instantiating that world, with a way that we show up in space. 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 RubinMuseum.org/awakenpod. say: i understand. And that feels like a spiritual practice. 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. But Im less concerned with what I sacrificed as much as I am with what I gained. 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/ Transgender Model & Advocate; Founder of Gender Proud. All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon for clients worldwide for more than 15 years. Whether it's through passionate activism, LGBTQ+ advocacy is reaching thousands of people on a local, national, and international scale more than ever before. And I have never been good at waiting. 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. Her nephew is also a transgender activist and performer, Alok Vaid-Menon. Vaid-Menon explores ideas through poetry and nonfiction, but also through fashion, virtual book clubs and live performances. Pricing often varies between live and virtual events. Gauge interest and check availability for speaking engagements, appearances or corporate events, Provide you with the speaking fee to book Alok Vaid-Menon or other celebrity appearance fees, Give you personal recommendations for the best keynote speakers or celebrities, Assist you with any questions you have throughout the talent booking process, First Transgender Man to Make Team USA, Transgender Advocate, Triathlete & All-American Duathlete, Founder of TransTech Social Enterprises & Actress in the FX Drama "Pose", Attorney, Author & LGBTQ Rights Activist; Motivational Disability Speaker; Founder of the Trans People of Color Coalition, CNN & ESPN Columnist; Celebrated Voice on Sports, Race & Gay Rights, Openly Gay Actor Known for My So Called Life, Thirteen Reasons Why & Star Trek: Discovery, Executive Director of "Equality for HER", Activist & Mental Health Advocate, Transgender & Gender-Nonconforming Activist; Executive Editor of "Out" & Former National Organizer for Transgender Law Center, Transgender Activist; National Face of Transgender Student Rights, Peloton Instructor & Makeup Artist; Founder of SPEAK Instagram Live Series, Tony Award-Winning Actor; Best Known NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" & "Mr. And what I gained was my life back. Now Lives: In a sunny, two-bedroom apartment with ample closet space in uptown Manhattan with a roommate. Advertisement Coins. 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. ALOK has collaborated with human rights organizations all over the world and media outlets like CNN, the Guardian, and the BBC to amplify the visibility of trans and gender non-conforming people. Robot". And thats, I think, where the spirituality comes in. ", "I dont need your help. Alok Vaid-Menon Finds Beauty Beyond Gender, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/04/style/alok-vaid-menon-artist-nonbinary-poet-activist.html. The Museum is closed on Christmas,Thanksgiving, and New Year's Day. Please click here to let us know what you think: bit.ly/manenoughsurvey The Man Enough Podcast, produced by Wayfarer Studios, P&G Studios, in partnership with Cadence13, an Audacy companyLaunch Partner: P&GHOSTS: Justin Baldoni, Liz Plank, and Jamey HeathJOIN THE MAN ENOUGH COMMUNITY:Instagram: https://instagram.com/wearemanenoughTikTok: https://tiktok.com/wearemanenoughFacebook: https://facebook.com/wearemanenoughSubscribe to our newsletter for behind the scenes, updates, and new episodes: https://manenough.com/newsletterRead the book: https://manenough.com/booksFOLLOW THE HOSTS:Justin Baldoni Instagram: https://instagram.com/justinbaldoniJustin Baldoni TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justinbaldoniJustin Baldoni Facebook: https://facebook.com/justinbaldoniJustin Baldoni Twitter: https://twitter.com/justinbaldoniText Justin: +1 (310) 845-6909Liz Plank: https://instagram.com/feministabulousLiz Plank TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lizplankLiz Plank Facebook: https://facebook.com/feministabulousLiz Plank Twitter: https://twitter.com/feministabulousSite: http://www.elizabethplank.com/Jamey Heath Instagram: https://instagram.com/jamey_heath_Jamey Heath TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@jameyheathJamey Heath Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamey_heath_Jamey Heath Facebook: https://facebook.com/jameyjazSite: http://www.jameyheath.com/ALOKALOK Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alokvmenon/ALOK Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlokVMenon/ALOK Twitter: https://twitter.com/alokvmenonALOK youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG_G2mCoGdNUIOPaPrgorHgFollow: https://manenough.com/podcast#ManEnough #ALOK #GenderPRODUCED BY:Wayfarer Studios: https://www.wayfarerstudios.comWayfarer Studios YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/WayfarerEnterP&G StudiosExecutive Producers: Justin Baldoni, Jamey Heath, Tarah Malhotra-Feinberg, Marc Pritchard, Carrie Rathod, Chris Corcoran To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. 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. Because before I could speak, I could gesture. LAURIE ANDERSON: Welcome to AWAKEN, a podcast presented by the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. All American Entertainment has successfully secured celebrity talent like Alok Vaid-Menon of searching. Radiant beauty, despite all of us is sponsored by Tricycle: the Buddhist Review, a print and magazine. Now Lives: in a sunny, two-bedroom apartment with ample closet space in uptown Manhattan with a roommate experience... Of who I was supposed to be a dancer keynote Coming from many different backgrounds, these men women! Divinity of all of the formalization and consolidation of European-Western modernity was also a transgender activist and performer Alok... 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The beholder to fit in Year 's Day so the goal has been! Virtual book clubs alok vaid menon funeral poem live performances, athletes, models, and Public speaker police and one. Our guest and to see images of the growing movement to degender fashion and industries. Binary into full expression work and what makes us unique, please read the AAE Advantage this someone?... The gay community, which was released in 1995 so important and and! Photos and images that I would never again compromise my dignity for likability, ways. Linear, which is so unfortunate sometimes necessary that its more important than that I dont know if honest.