Hey Gang! The KL Word has moved to a new address. Please drop by at www.theklword.com, all are welcome at our Open House. New year, new plans, new challenges, with a new home, the KL word will be able to serve you better and continue to bring you PLU news, events and gossip plus so much more. And with a new web site coming soon which will allow us to do loads of crazy shit, I just can’t wait! . So get over there girlfriend and bring me good luck! Special thanks to all who have paid me a visit or two, I hope to see you round at the new pad.

www.theklword.com

This site (www.theklword.wordpress.com) will cease to exist as of Saturday 24th January. Thanks for visiting.

The 18 year old duo released their debut album, ‘Here, Not There’ in May of last year. They really remind me of another sister act, Tegan and Sara, who I love. The music is really infectious and has the kind of fun and free innocence and naivety you’d expect from two teenage girls coming of age. Check their MySpace. Here’s a clip of them doing Tegan and Sara’s, 19 which just gets me all sentimental for back in the day when I was 19 hanging out with people who could sing and play guitar, and who would play impromptu in living rooms and around camp fires. Warms the cockles.

One more day kids!

Since the unofficial fatwa on so-called pengkids there has been a whole spate of knee jerk responses from various people and institutions trying to define, represent and pin point the actual meaning of what a pengkid is, both from the Left and the Right. From the fatwa protest outside KLCC to the fashion show Tomboys and Angels at the Annexe to Katagender’s tomboy photo project and of course the film, Article 8, which was a response to the prevailing human rights issue and touched on the fatwa, activists and concerned citizens in and outside the LGBTIQ community have campaigned on this issue. One of the criticisms that arose from all of this was the question of ‘representation’. Who were these groups representing? And should a protest/campaign be delivered without consulting the ‘pengkid community’? Does having a campaign without pengkid’s present de-value the protest and is it in fact a problem if the ‘pengkid community’ was not asked what they believed before acting on their behalf?

For me, the fatwa was an affront to all women, gay or straight. It was of course just another way of controlling women by dictating to them what they can and cannot wear, bottom-line. The use of the term ‘pengkid’ seems to just have been a convenient term used both by media and the fatwa council to generalise the people it was targeting and using a colloquial term at that, which neither the fatwa council or majority of society truly understand. The fatwa council should probably have just said – ‘women’. That’s what they really meant. Some gender-based groups who make up most of the opposition have tried to tackle this question, particularly Katagender with their online photo project.

Now Malaysiakini want to make a documentary about pengkids to finally get their opinions to, I suppose, show the ‘other side’, and to give voice to the community which is being targeted. A very noble thing when most media don’t bother to portray a balanced view. But my question is – what or who are pengkids?? Is there such a thing as a community that identifies itself as ‘pengkid’ and if so what are the defining traits? Who will Malaysiakini actually interview to get the ‘real’ story?

I did a quick Google search on ‘pengkid’ and found a few entries like the Wikipedia entry. This was particularly interesting –

1) “Pengkid is girl who trying too hard to act, talk, and dress like a guy.”
Source:
http://wongahbeng.blogspot.com/search

3) “tomboy is:
-those girls that wearing boys outfit but they still have feeling to boys.. means it’s only their “looks” not their feeling.. and they still attracted to boys.. means they are normal =)
lesbian is:
-those girls that wearing girls outfit, looks girly [same like the normal girls] but they only attracted to girls..
pengkid is :
-those girls that think they are boy, they wearing outfit same like boys[some of them wearing "bengkung" just to cover their breast so looks like a real MAN],and they attracted to GIRLS ONLY
gay pengkid is:
-those girls that wearing boys outfit and their COUPLE also are same like them.. both of them pretend as a boy”
source http://209.85.135.104/search

As you can see there is no clear definition. And in fact these definitions sound like possible explanations of the term ‘lesbian’. I don’t know who wrote the above but it does represent the various views I have heard from people about who pengkids are. Are pengkids necessarily lesbians? Are they butch lesbians? Are they only Malay? Defining the term ‘lesbian’ has itself become increasingly hard to define as we can all see. So, who will Malaysiakini interview and profile and what would be their angle?

It is cool that some media are now sitting up and taking note of LGBTIQ issues and on a level, want to give an alternative voice, but I think we need to be careful of using colloquial terms and repeating terms without first anylsing their meaning. Because as soon as terms and words are published and used in popular media it very often becomes popular understanding and therefore, truth. I hope that a documentary about pengkids will explore the term which would make for very enlightening viewing.

And if you identify as a pengkid, please get in touch. I can put you in contact with Malaysiakini if you want to be on tv.

Post Script – In reference to the post above, I just wanted to add that I hope that if you are concerned about this issue and it affects you directly, that you do volunteer yourself as a subject. A film featuring everyday people in the community talking about their lives would be very empowering and a real show of solidarity. One of the criticisms about Article 8 was that it lacked more profiles and that’s because people are afraid to come out and be seen. How can we even begin to criticise society/media (as I often do:) ) when we are ourselves are not brave enough to tell our story?

Wah, I feel so proud. The film, Article 8 made it onto MalaysiakiniTV. If you subscribe you should be able to watch it direct from the site otherwise just watch it here lah. YouTube is playing funny buggers and won’t let me upload it due to some breach of copyright with the music at the end, so that’s why you can’t find it there. Please please please tell me what you think! So far I’ve had ONE comment. If you don’t like it tell me. I can take a little criticism. Caaaaaaaaaaaaan.

Popular media would have you believe that women barely exist outside the realm of porn, domestic life and beauty products. Dark as this situation is, the reality is, thankfully, so much brighter. There are great great talented women in politics, film, TV, science, literature, and of course, music! With the ‘Best of 2008′ album charts collated and published women are conspicuously, as usual, missing from these lists. There I am looking for good new music, a list of say, 50 or 100 and barely ten of the albums recommended are by female artists. What can I say. It’s more than predictable what with an 80/20 ratio of male to females working in the music industry. The irony is that it’s female artists that rake in most of the money for these male lead record company conglomerates, you know, your Mariahs, Beyonces and Katy Perrys. The US Billboard aside, there have been heaps of noteworthy albums released by women this year. Unfortunately I haven’t listened most of them. For this I blame the industry who make it relatively impossible for me to know about these deserved ladies! That and my own laziness to look beyond the popular…

Anyway, here’s a list I put together, made up of ten albums, some of which I have heard and others which are recommendations from friends, to help remind you and inspire you to take a different look at the greatest hits of 2008.

1. Ladyhawke by Ladyhawke (I love the 80s!)
2. Red Letter Year by Ani Di Franco (Go girl go, fight the power!)
3. Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart by Rachael Yamagata (What a voice…)
4. Santogold by Santogold (Very dance- able)
5. Esperanza by Esperanza (Latin and Brazilian flava)
6. Rockferry by Duffy (Surprisingly NOT pop)
7. Youth Novels by Lykke Li (Swedish but not meatballs)
8. 19 by Adele (mmm mmmm)
9. Me and Armini by Emilliana Torrini (Icelandic but not as crazy as Bjork)
10. Comme si de rien n’était by Carla Bruni (Featured on the L word Season 5 and married to the French premiere)

How about we put together our own Top 50! If you have heard a really rockin’ album by a female artist or a female fronted band, which was released in 2008 please email me at theklword@rocketmail.com or post a comment here and add to my list. Male monopolised music industry? Pah! We’ll show em.

Late additions to the list –

11. Seventh Tree by Goldfrapp
12. Third by Portishead

I don’t know about you but I really like Jenny. From her little Jewish princess lost, confused heterosexual, girl next door albeit manipulative and bitchy persona to the suicidal artist/writer and then her egomaniac Hollywood director, Jenny seems to have come full circle at the end of Season 5 to, what I believe is, her true narcissistic but sensitive self, Jenny truly was the character everybody would have voted to have been killed off. And well folks, your prayers have been answered. By now I’m sure you all have heard the gossip, seen the teasers or just well, figured it out yourself as it is one of the most obvious and predictable L Word story lines to date – the death of our beloved Jenny. I can’t imagine many of you will be shedding tears, but for me, Jenny was a girl I truly empathised with. Poor Jenny. Poor Jenny??? Yes, poor Jenny.

Maybe it was the wannabe writer in her, her struggle to find her true identity, the confusion caused by trying to reconcile her sexuality with pre-conceived ideas of a conventional middle class life and the pressure from family and society to lead a ‘normal’ life, and of course, the agony caused by a difficult past which left her untold amounts of emotional baggage, I think I can easily relate to Jenny. Love her or hate her, Jenny has been a lynch pin to the show (I mean really, the end of Jenny comes with the end of the L word itself!) driving many narratives throughout all five seasons with interesting results. I think she deserves a break. From getting her heart broken by her first love, to dating a girl who eventually dumps her for another guy (Max), to having her best friend screw her girlfriend right before her eyes, Jenny really has been punished in every season. And for what? Being a flakey, indecisive, vain, neurotic woman? Like the original Femme Fatale, Jenny Schecter has been used and abused over and over again by the writers of the L word to satisfy an audience who just can’t allow the vixen to ever be the heroine and ultimately, like all Femme Fatales, Jenny will pay the ultimate price.

Season 6, the Grand Finale of the L word premieres on Showtime in the US on January 18th and no doubt it will be down loadable by Monday.

Is Pink Sofa the ‘older’ lesbian’s alternative to Purple Lab? Was wondering if anyone uses this for finding ‘friends’ or knows of anyone? I’ve come across a few lesbian social networking sites in my internet travels including LMsia. Does this ring any bells to anyone?

It’s only the first week of January and I’m bored already. What is it about the L scene that renders everything pas se in a matter of months, weeks even? And as much as we may talk about how the community isn’t united, we all seem to be able to agree on one thing and that’s what’s not cool anymore, a collective ‘over it’. Like the droves we came in, the mass exodus is just as ceremonious. Funny dat. In an effort to keep myself entertained in these first few weeks of 2009, I’ve decided to re-visit old hobbies and old haunts and perhaps, with the year over, I guess I’m feeling all sentimental.

Remember those Enigma days? The first ever (as far as I know anyway) all lesbian bar in KL. Taman Desa is an unlikely location for an all woman joint, but it did not stop us all from traveling there, often in convoy for safety, to some back water suburban address only to be welcomed inhospitably by what appeared to be a CCTV camera and an alarmed vault like door. Like illegal gambling clubs, someone would eye you through a peephole to discern if you actually meant to knock on that door. Ah yes, Enigma, the only alternative in it’s day, to KL super clubs and men’s pubs and, the only place you could safely presume that the occupants were all looking for the same thing; to meet other girls. Once inside, it was nothing special, a small smokey room, pool table, expensive booze, but hey, it was a lesbian bar, a place to call home and after a few beers with the very hospitable owner, Cheph, a place you could drop in at 4am and expect to get served. I think I can remember why I stopped going, but I reckon it still holds that ‘dyke’ charm which I found refreshing the first time I discovered it. Enigma definitely deserves a re-visit, for old times sake.

On the other side of town, in Hartamas, one of my favourite karaoke places is Club 22. You can’t go wrong with this somewhat private singing haven. And sing I often did! A lot more out in the open than Enigma (the shop lot is on the same row as the popular Souled Out), but still cozy and safe, Club 22 is another place I always felt I could over stay my welcome. Run by some of ex-staff from Enigma, Club 22 always has drinks promos on, sometimes an all girl live band (well it did way back when) seating in and out side the bar, cool modern decor, a pool table and occasionally, parties and other special festive events. If I had a car, I would probably frequent the place more…oh and singing kaki. Anyone?

It’s time to hark back to the past, girls and take stock of what we have. KL ain’t the be all and end all of lesbian socialising.

Updates – Enigma is now open to the public but you’ll find the girls there usually on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.