Slut Walk 2012 Speech

This speech has been really hard to write. Hard because part of me wishes I didn’t have to write it. That part of me that wishes the need for this march would have faded in this last year. I love this gathering and I hope women around the world continue to gather like this in celebration. I just wish that the need for this was over. I wish that we lived in a world free of sexual harassment. A world free of rape.

Now I’m not silly enough to really believe that this would have changed in the last year. I just wish that in this last year I didn’t have to help 4 of my friends deal with rape or sexual harassment trauma’. That people I know weren’t still being constantly hurt. Hurt because some people don’t understand that No Means NO.

When I was a child my mother often would tell me No when I asked for things at the supermarket, especially lollies. Like a sugar craving kid I would ask her again and again. begging her. PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASSSSSSEEEEEEEE. Exasperatedly she would turn to me and exclaim “I Said NO Which part of the word don’t you understand the N or the O?”

So I guess I ask those out there pressuring women and men. Which part is it that you have trouble with? Is it the N or the O? See maybe if I understand this we can bring greater education to the world about this issue. We can clarify this misunderstanding of the simple two letter word.

But I see the problem is you think they don’t mean it when they say no. That stop is just a joke. Cause you are king of the world and everything is yours to say and do. It’s owed to you.

Perhaps you could try shutting up. Not saying everything you think as you think of it. That your compliments are not needed or necessary. In fact they are creepy. You don’t have to tell me I look pretty with my make-up or without it. You definitely do not need to tell me my dress makes you think dirty things. I CAN live my life without your running commentary.

Don’t you get it I dress this way for ME.

I don’t do anything to please you. It is all for me.

Learn to keep your opinion to yourself. I don’t want to hear it. Not when I’m on the train reading my book. Not when I’m dancing at the bus to to my ipod. Not when I’m walking briskly down the street in the way to cold for this dress weather. Not even now. I don’t care what you think. Not now not EVER!

If I don’t want the compliments I definitely don’t want the insults.

I also want you to stop laying the blame for your mistakes and your stupidity on me. It is not my fault you can’t keep your mouth shut. It is not my fault you cannot keep it in your pants. Last time I checked most people can be around me without throwing themselves at me. I mean I know I’m hot, but everyone else seems to be able to keep their composure.
So please I need to know.. What part of No don’t you understand? Is it the N or the O?

Mar 2

Self Injury Awareness Day

I used to cut myself, it was the only way I could let the overwhelming pain flow from my body, the physical pain releasing the emotional pain. I used to do it in places no one would ever see along my inner thighs and my rib cage under my arms. One day I cut to deep and the bleeding was too much. I didn’t go to the hospital I didn’t want them to think I tried to kill myself. I was able to make the bleeding stop, and in that moment, I realised all of it had to stop. If I didn’t stop this cutting even that would begin to grow numb, and soon I would need to cut deeper and deeper, and maybe next time I wouldn’t be able to stop the bleeding. Or even worse I wouldn’t want to stop the bleeding. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy and sometimes still when I feel emotionally frustrated I want the run a knife along my skin. But I don’t. I stop, because there are better ways to deal with emotions, and I deserve those better ways. I see that now.

Oct 20

Things I Like Thursday!

Giving speeches, esp speeches on the steps of parliament. (Keep and eye out for the video)

Nail polish… I’ve been a bit addicted to it lately… painting my nails at least every 3 days!!!! I started a nail tumblr feel free to follow me over there

Larping… I was in an awesome Victorian LARP last weekend I have one next weekend and another in November!!! WOOT!

Sewing… I have heaps of things to get through! hopefully this weekend will be all sewing all the time!

My Hair… It’s so long it’s Bra Strap length at it’s longest!

and finally Wreck My Journal being on it’s way!!!!

(sorry this is incredibly short I wanted to get this out there and done before I forgot AGAIN! :-p )

Oct 11

Queer Our Schools Speech

I want to tell you a story. Like all good stories it takes place in a land far away, but not a time long ago. The place is a school in a small town of no more than 1,000 people. The students are around 16 years old. We are in the the hallway between classes. The boys are dressed in baggy jeans and t-shirts. The girls are wearing trouser or skirts except in a few tragic cases where they are wearing skorts, and simple blouses.

This story is about that boy right there , no not the idiot wearing the “no fear” shirt, no that on right there. He’s got bleach blond hair with bright blue fringe that is spiked up. He is wearing a black leotard with a silver sequined tank top and black and blue marbles satin culottes and silver glitter combat boots. He pauses to touch up his pink glitter lipgloss and continues on head down as if trying to disappear despite his outfit. That’s how he doesn’t notice the football player who shoves him hard into the locker and he friend who kicks the boy in the stomach.

The boy picks up his books and continues swishing his way to class.

That night the boy will go home where he’ll take a shower crying lightly and letting the pain out wondering, do I be me, or do I be who they want me to be. Do I win or do I lose?

This boy hasn’t eaten lunch at school in two years because then he might have to go to the bathroom and that’s not possible at the school. The boys won’t let him into the boy’s bathroom, he obviously can’t use the girls bathroom, and the school won’t let him use the locked unisex bathroom that is teachers only. So he doesn’t eat breakfast or lunch so that he won’t have to use the bathroom.

He is the only out gay person in his school and town, they weren’t ready for him.

That was nearly 15 years ago.

As that boy grew up he was determined that he would put a stop the homophobia and transphobia that he dealt with in school. That boy grew up to be a strong, loud spoken ,and fabulous woman. One that spoke at schools and conferences and continues to work hard to end homophobia in schools. One that stands here speaking to you now.

I am saddened that homophobia and transphobia continue to plague our schools, continue to plague our students. The current government and society overall seems to think saying “it gets better” is enough, that it will cure everything. It won’t. The government needs to take a strong hand on homophobia and transphobia, including that which is perputrated by the schools and their officials.

Our children deserve the right to express themselves, to be themselves without being harassed. Deserve the right to go to school without fear of bullying and abuse. Deserve to feel that they are able to stand out and say I am who I am, and not fear the teacher blaming them for the bullying.

We tell our children “to thine own self be true”, we need to support them when they follow that advice.

I’m standing here to demand that the government do something about homophobia and transphobia not only in our schools but within it’s own administration.

I am here and I am queer and I won’t shut up.

This has got to get better, the government has to wake up and help stop homophobia and transphobia in our schools. Our future depends on it. We can’t keep telling our youth that “it gets better” with out making any effort to make it better NOW!

I challenge the government to improve our schools NOW, to make things better NOW, to stop homophobia NOW, to stop transphobia NOW. For the better of the our youth, and our world.

Jul 2

I’ve never been called a Slut.

Below is a speech I gave at the Wellington Slut Walk on June 25th 2011.

I’m Brooklynne Kennedy, a rape survivor and a transwoman.

It’s interesting when talking with friends about this event; we got talking about being called a slut. How we felt about it, and when was the last time. They were all surprised that I had never been called a slut.

I have never been called a slut, not because I am the perfect picture of virtue and purity. No, I have never been called a slut be cause as a transwoman, our bodies have been so sexualized that they no longer belong to humans. Unlike cis-gendered women, many people have only encountered, that they know of, a transwoman via, disgusting and degrading “she-male” porn.

Obviously all transwoman are porn stars; we want nothing but sex all the time. We think of nothing but cock, cock, cock. This attitude gets confirmed at least twice a week, when some guy comes up to me and touches me or exposes himself to me. When some guy doesn’t understand that “I am married” means “I don’t want to fuck you!” I guess the wedding ring is invisible.

Transwomen are no longer human beings, with feelings and emotions, but instead a fancy sex toy. We are little more than a blow up doll to be used then tossed aside. This attitude is far more damaging to the transgendered community than the hatred and transphobia.

This attitude encourages transphobia and violence against transwomen. After all you can’t rape a “sex toy” Beating up a “sex toy” surely isn’t illegal. In many places when a transwoman is raped there is nowhere for her to go. The police will often laugh at her or arrest her for prostitution. That is if they weren’t the rapists themselves.

In my own case I was raped by police, arrested for prostitution, and thrown into a man’s cell where I was raped again. How I wish my case was unique. How I wish my case was rare. It wasn’t tho.

I am here to say this has got to STOP!

I am here to say I am in charge of MY body, I am in charge of MY sexuality!

Trans women are NOT sex toys!

I did not transition for your benefit, and pleasure!

I did not transition for YOU!