I am incredibly inspired by Peche Di and the Trans Models team. A Thai beauty queen, Peche arrived in New York City just five years ago, at age 21. Since then, she impressively took the plunge toward making her dreams a reality through founding Trans Models, NYC's first all-transgender modeling agency -- with a little push of encouragement from Roi Ben-Yehuda (who I can vouch for as being extraordinarily good at such things). You can read the full story behind Trans Models here in The Atlantic.
TransGiving is a joint FED/Trans Models creation to express the very essence of Thanksgiving -- it should feel like home, and taste delicious.
And everyone should have a seat at the table.
Here is a video with some of the Trans Models discussing: What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
TransGiving is a joint FED/Trans Models creation to express the very essence of Thanksgiving -- it should feel like home, and taste delicious.
And everyone should have a seat at the table.
Here is a video with some of the Trans Models discussing: What does Thanksgiving mean to you?
On TransGiving, we will hear from two stellar FED/ Trans Models talkers on the topic: "Disrupting Discourse: Refashioning Understandings of the Transgender Experience."
Kelle Carbone is a special education instructor and graduate student in gender, sexuality, and disability. He will highlight gaps and common misconceptions within public conversations about gender expression, the importance of embracing versatile identities, and the need for social alliances to create an inclusive community for all.
Tiq Milan -- media maker, journalist, and human rights advocate -- will talk about the importance of transgender visibility as a socio-political strategy to shift the culture to something that is more inclusive and equitable.
These talks will be given amidst a warm, vibrant dinner party, filled with gourmet food and good company.
I gave considerable thought to the menu and how to best represent everything that TransGiving stands for through the culinary experience. I went back to what I personally find so compelling about Peche. In a world where I was fortunate enough to grow up hearing, "You can become anything you want to in the world," I have personally spent a lot of time thinking about authenticity, identity, and, "Well, who am I really? Really??" The answer, such that it is, is that each of us contains multitudes -- warring and complementary, in contradiction and juxtaposition, and, taken all together, creating a rich, complex, indescribable whole. To reduce that spectrum to the flat black and white does us an enormous disservice. Instead, embracing and even leveraging our uniqueness can dazzle, inspire, and lead us to achieve what we were meant to in this world. To me, Peche's journey shows the power of being yourself -- what tremendous potential there is and what amazing things can happen when someone has the strength and courage to do that.
So, the menu features items that are in transformation: that do not on the surface appear as they actually are inside, are not the stereotypical versions of themselves, or -- as in the case of the homemade ice cream -- will literally change state during the course of the dinner. I also chose colorful foods to show off those impressive spectrums of identity and purpose which we all embody. As per FED tradition, the menu is vegetarian. And here it is:
Appetizers
Stuffed pumpkin fondue
Corn empanadas
Persimmon, chevre, garlic and basil pizza
Blueberry cranberry sauce
Caramelized pear salad
Soup
French onion soup served with warm sourdough bread
Main Course
Gratin rainbow of beets, spinach, mashed blue potatoes, and sweet potato casserole
Stuffed seitan roast
Dessert
Upside-down apple pecan pie
Homemade ice cream
RSVP today!
These talks will be given amidst a warm, vibrant dinner party, filled with gourmet food and good company.
I gave considerable thought to the menu and how to best represent everything that TransGiving stands for through the culinary experience. I went back to what I personally find so compelling about Peche. In a world where I was fortunate enough to grow up hearing, "You can become anything you want to in the world," I have personally spent a lot of time thinking about authenticity, identity, and, "Well, who am I really? Really??" The answer, such that it is, is that each of us contains multitudes -- warring and complementary, in contradiction and juxtaposition, and, taken all together, creating a rich, complex, indescribable whole. To reduce that spectrum to the flat black and white does us an enormous disservice. Instead, embracing and even leveraging our uniqueness can dazzle, inspire, and lead us to achieve what we were meant to in this world. To me, Peche's journey shows the power of being yourself -- what tremendous potential there is and what amazing things can happen when someone has the strength and courage to do that.
So, the menu features items that are in transformation: that do not on the surface appear as they actually are inside, are not the stereotypical versions of themselves, or -- as in the case of the homemade ice cream -- will literally change state during the course of the dinner. I also chose colorful foods to show off those impressive spectrums of identity and purpose which we all embody. As per FED tradition, the menu is vegetarian. And here it is:
Appetizers
Stuffed pumpkin fondue
Corn empanadas
Persimmon, chevre, garlic and basil pizza
Blueberry cranberry sauce
Caramelized pear salad
Soup
French onion soup served with warm sourdough bread
Main Course
Gratin rainbow of beets, spinach, mashed blue potatoes, and sweet potato casserole
Stuffed seitan roast
Dessert
Upside-down apple pecan pie
Homemade ice cream
RSVP today!