Tasi’s Musings, September, 2016
Greetings from Merida
One of my most favorite Mexican dishes is Chile Rellenos
and while not a specialty of the Yucatan, there is a very
special offshoot of this dish called Chiles en Nogado served
during August and September. A recipe more than 200 years
old… the story goes that to celebrate the independence of
México from Spain, and the saint of one of the key
personalities of this event the Augustine nuns from the Santa
Mónica convent in Puebla decided to create a dish with the
colors of the “Trigarante” army to present to Agustín de Iturbide. The army flag
colors were green, white and red, which were captured with products of the season,
including chiles and parsley, nogada (walnut sauce), and pomegranate. The dish
consists of a chile poblano stuffed
with minced pork and beef, with
seasonal fruits, tomato, onions,
almonds, nuts, pine nuts, etc. and
covered with a sauce of walnuts,
sherry and cheese; and topped off
with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
Get your appetite ready to enjoy this
delicious dish!
From the middle of August to the end of September, restaurants throughout Merida
will offer their traditional “Chiles en Nogada” made with the original recipe of the
nuns of Santa Mónica, with their special touch…one of which is that they bring the
walnuts from Mexico City to guarantee the delicious flavor of the “nogada sauce.”
In the News
New service in Guadalajara Mexico counsels those who seek sex-change. A
new service was recently founded in western Mexico to provide assistance in the
difficult process facing people who decide to have a surgical sex-change and have
been rejected by their families because of their transgender condition.
Casa Impulso Trans is the first establishment in Mexico to offer counseling along
with medical, psychological and legal aid, its president Izack Zacarias, a young
man who decided to leave behind his life as a woman, told EFE. This is a place
where they can come, settle in and "find a solution so they can go on with their
lives," said the activist, a native of Tequila municipality in the western state of
Jalisco. Since 2015, the Mexico City Civil Registry has allowed those who have
undergone gender reassignment to obtain a birth certificate reflecting their new
gender identity.
Despite court ruling, EEOC to continue taking anti-gay bias claims. Despite a
federal appeals court ruling that determined current law provides “no protection
from nor redress for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation,” the U.S.
agency charged with enforcing federal workplace civil rights law will continue to
accept and investigate charges of anti-gay employment discrimination in the
court’s jurisdiction.
U.S. Circuit Judge Ilana Rovner, the judge writing the decision, admitted “it seems
illogical to entertain” the idea laws against sex discrimination cover gender nonconformity, but not sexual orientation, but nonetheless refused to change precedent
in the jurisdiction to allow the claim of anti-gay discrimination to go forward.
Sarah McBride just became the first openly trans person to speak at a
national convention. The Democratic convention made history on Thursday:
Sarah McBride, a transgender woman, became the first openly trans person to
address a national party convention.
“My name is Sarah McBride, and I am a proud transgender American,” she said.
“Today in America, LGBTQ people are targeted by hate that lives in both laws and
hearts. Many still struggle just to get by. But I believe tomorrow can be different.
Tomorrow, we can be respected and protected.”
We Can Still Hear the 'Screaming Queens' of the Compton's Cafeteria Riot.
Though history has forgotten and dismissed the transgender women and drag
queens who stood up to police violence 50 years ago in San Francisco, their brave
response paved the way for our lives today. Without a trace of bitterness in her
voice, Flames expresses a desire for younger LGBT people to respect the bravery
and fortitude it took for the queens of Tenderloin to stand up to their abusers.
"Now there's more stuff for [LGBT] kids," she says. "Television shows where
young kids transition; it makes me happy. But if it wasn't for those girls from the
'60s, at places like Compton's and Stonewall, they wouldn't be where they are
today."
GALLERY: The New Digital Transgender Archive Keeps Trans History
Alive. Although the transgender community is a major force in queer history, their
contributions often get erased. To combat this, the College of the Holy Cross, with
20 other non-profit organizations and universities (including Harvard), created the
Digital Transgender Archive, an archive with over 1,400 images including photos
of trans people, publications from trans organizations, zines and more. The earliest
items come from the 1910s! Click the link to sample some of the offerings in the
collection
Books, Movies, Theater, and Television
People are angry about Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen’s new ad. Comedy
favorites Amy Schumer and Seth Rogen have teamed up for a new beer ad
campaign in the US — but the latest ad in the campaign hasn’t been well received.
The 30-second spot sees the pair address a crowd as heads of the ‘Bud Light
Party’, promising that the party is for everyone: men, women and “people of all
genders”, says Rogen.
Fashion
A transgender model at Amsterdam Pride this month revealed a very
powerful dress. 26-year-old transgender model Valentijn de Hingh collaborated
with fashion designer Matthijs van Bergensi and artist Oeri van Woezik to create
the stunning piece, which features the flags of the 72 countries around the world
where it remains a crime to be gay.
Carmen Dell'Orefice, supermodel, muse, icon, inspiration: at 85 years young,
model Carmen Dell'Orefice continues to prove that beauty is ageless! Check out
the living fashion legend's recent runway highlights, and hear what she has to say
about true beauty ...
50 Women Who Prove Personal Style Gets Better With Age
To fund a charity, students of the Boys Academy, Saleciano Primero, in Peru,
decided to produce a calendar of boys transformed into sweet girls
Humor
Magician perfectly destroys anti-transgender bathroom argument in 2
minutes.....you know, for the kids!
The Rube Goldberg Machine. Only an engineer could dream this up
So until next month,
Hugs……Tasi