Wednesday, August 15, 2007
The Mural Stays!
From the Philadelphia Inquirer Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER (8.14.07):
A city appeals board this afternoon unanimously rejected an Historical Commission order to remove a mural painted on the wall of a building at 410 S. 15th St.
The Board of Licenses and Inspection Review took just eight minutes to decide that Dee Chhin's The Death of Venus could remain on the wall where she painted it more than six years ago.
"I'm just happy it's over," said Chhin. "Finally, I can focus on something else that's not so controversial."
"I'm shocked. This has been six years in the fighting. I am just amazed," said Michael Sher, the Center City real estate broker who commissioned the mural and funded the legal fight to keep it.
City officials said it would be up to the Historical Commission to decide whether to appeal today's ruling to Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.
Sher has said that he commissioned Chhin, a Cambodian emigre, a transsexual and an aspiring artist, to paint the mural in 2001 in part to dissuade graffitists from tagging the building's north wall on narrow Waverly Street.
When officials at Peirce College, whose campus is across 15th Street, learned that the mural did not have a permit, they complained to the Historical Commission.
The commission, in turn, cited Sher because the 1850 brick townhouse is in the Rittenhouse-Fitler Residential Historic District.
The designation, established in 1995 to preserve the character of the old residential neighborhood, means owners cannot alter building exteriors without obtaining Historical Commission approval.
But through the complexities of Philadelphia's permit laws, the mural was granted "interim approval," which allowed it to remain for four years before Sher had to apply for an extension.
Those four years passed, and in January the Historical Commission twice voted that the mural must be removed, setting the stage for today's hearing.
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER (8.14.07):
A city appeals board this afternoon unanimously rejected an Historical Commission order to remove a mural painted on the wall of a building at 410 S. 15th St.
The Board of Licenses and Inspection Review took just eight minutes to decide that Dee Chhin's The Death of Venus could remain on the wall where she painted it more than six years ago.
"I'm just happy it's over," said Chhin. "Finally, I can focus on something else that's not so controversial."
"I'm shocked. This has been six years in the fighting. I am just amazed," said Michael Sher, the Center City real estate broker who commissioned the mural and funded the legal fight to keep it.
City officials said it would be up to the Historical Commission to decide whether to appeal today's ruling to Philadelphia Common Pleas Court.
Sher has said that he commissioned Chhin, a Cambodian emigre, a transsexual and an aspiring artist, to paint the mural in 2001 in part to dissuade graffitists from tagging the building's north wall on narrow Waverly Street.
When officials at Peirce College, whose campus is across 15th Street, learned that the mural did not have a permit, they complained to the Historical Commission.
The commission, in turn, cited Sher because the 1850 brick townhouse is in the Rittenhouse-Fitler Residential Historic District.
The designation, established in 1995 to preserve the character of the old residential neighborhood, means owners cannot alter building exteriors without obtaining Historical Commission approval.
But through the complexities of Philadelphia's permit laws, the mural was granted "interim approval," which allowed it to remain for four years before Sher had to apply for an extension.
Those four years passed, and in January the Historical Commission twice voted that the mural must be removed, setting the stage for today's hearing.
Hearing to decide fate of city mural
Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writer When artist Dee Chhin began painting her mural The Death of Venus in 2001 on the wall of a Victorian townhouse in Center City, she had no idea the title would be prophetic.
Today, Chhin's patron goes before a city appeals board to fight a Historical Commission order to destroy The Death of Venus for having it in a historic district without a permit.
Inquirer Staff Writer When artist Dee Chhin began painting her mural The Death of Venus in 2001 on the wall of a Victorian townhouse in Center City, she had no idea the title would be prophetic.
Today, Chhin's patron goes before a city appeals board to fight a Historical Commission order to destroy The Death of Venus for having it in a historic district without a permit.
The Board of Licenses and Inspection Review meets at 1:15 p.m. in the 18th-floor conference room at 1515 Arch St. to hear the appeal by Michael Sher, a Center City real estate broker who commissioned the mural on the building he manages at 410 S. 15th St.
Lawyer Harry J. Sher, who is representing his brother in the appeal, confirmed yesterday that the hearing was on: "It won't be postponed by us. We're ready to go."
Michael Sher has said he commissioned Chhin, a Cambodian emigre, a transsexual and an aspiring artist, to paint the mural in 2001 in part to dissuade graffitists from tagging the building's north wall on narrow Waverly Street.
When officials at Peirce College, whose campus is across 15th Street, learned that the mural did not have a permit, they complained to the Historical Commission.
The commission, in turn, cited Sher because the 1850 brick townhouse is in the Rittenhouse-Fitler Residential Historic District.
The designation, established in 1995 to preserve the character of the old residential neighborhood, means owners cannot alter building exteriors without obtaining Historical Commission approval.
But through the complexities of Philadelphia's permit laws, the mural was granted "interim approval," which allowed it to remain for four years before Sher had to apply for an extension.
Those four years passed and in January the Historical Commission twice voted that the mural must be removed, setting the stage for today's hearing.
Cross-dressing boxers draw NZ fans
She looks impeccably dressed, down to the mascara, manicured eyebrows and red lipstick, which matches her tracksuit.
But her softly spoken demeanour hides two things. First, she is anatomically male, and second, she packs a mean right hook.
Training at a boxing gym in a part of South Auckland known more for its high crime rate than its gay community, Queen Mandela isn’t afraid to fight for her rights either.
Born Merota Tasilimu in the Pacific nation of Samoa, Mandela is one of a group of four cross-dressing boxers to appear at a sold-out fight in Auckland tonight.
In her homeland, transvestites are known as fafafine and are an accepted part of the culture.
Mandela, 25, now lives in New Zealand and is taking part in the country’s first fafafine boxing tournament.
“What I am doing in the ring is a message to my sisters that we all can do it. I do it to show people we can defend ourselves,” she told AAP at a training session.
“It is also good exercise for my body,” she adds, with a high-pitched squeal.
A total of 24 fafafine will fight each other in coming months as part of the tournament.
People in Australia wanting to see them in action may get their chance next year, explains Mandela’s manager, fellow fafafine Jennifer O’Brien-Finau.
A tournament is expected to be held in Brisbane in February and in Sydney in November next year.
Trainer Ofisa Vili said the fafafine were as good as any boxers he had seen.
“We are all the same, and god created us all. And when they box, the man comes out in them. They can fight,” Vili said.
As part of the competition, the fafafine will fight over three two-minute rounds.
There were plans to fight multiple bouts on the same night as part of an elimination series, but because of the toughness of the competition the tournament will be spread over several months.
Former New Zealand light heavyweight champion Johnny Nomura was at training to see the fafafine in action.
“He can punch, he is very good,” he said of Mandela.
AUCKLAND
Australia, first person: ALWAYS FEELING DIFFERENT
 Kim* was always attracted to straight women. |  |
I knew I liked girls when I was probably six or seven years old, though I didn’t know why I was feeling that way. When I was about 18 or 19 I decided I was gay – it was all I knew at the time. I didn’t have an understanding of what transgender or transsexual was.
I was always attracted to straight women and I couldn’t understand what that was about. It worked for me at that time though, so I was happy with that.
It was hard to have long-term relationships with straight women, because they would always go back to men. So when I was 30 I decided I would be interested in lesbians. But when I started going out in the gay community I felt different. It was hard for me to come across anyone I found attractive.
I used to have a strong reaction to bridge women, so I would engage them in conversation. I was really surprised to hear that they didn’t feel like men – they dressed like men, but that was about presentation. They didn’t want to be labelled in a particular way.
I was studying counselling at that time and learning about gender issues. I hadn’t had much exposure to it, and I found that lesbians weren’t very open in talking to me about it. There is still so much confusion around the issue.
I then started dating feminine lesbian women and there were also some issues there. Every now and then I found them to be a bit masculine and that made me uncomfortable at times.
But for the last two years I have been with a partner who has a lot of knowledge on the subject. She helped me to understand that I was transgender.
I don’t want to change my sex and I don’t want to become a man. I am happy this way and I am not going to go there. That is where a lot of the confusion and misunderstanding comes from.
Most of the other women I have met who are in a similar position will have the operation and change their sex, so I do feel quite alone. I am sure there are others out there, but I haven’t met them.
I am now beginning to understand why, when I go out on the scene, I am not attracted to lesbians. However, I sometimes find feminine lesbians attractive.
I now formally identify as transgender. I don’t specifically dress like a man or wear men’s clothes. Maybe if I was a man I would be happy to wear men’s clothes, but I am comfortable with the identity I have got.
I wear women’s clothes, but I wear pants and a shirt that are not of a feminine presentation.
People would not know I am transgender by looking at me – they usually see me as a tomboy. Straight women are often attracted to me though. I don’t know whether it is for fun or because they are attracted to a male energy.
If people ask how I identify, I will often say I am gay. But I will say I am transgender if I am talking to someone who has an understanding of gender issues.
In my experience, the straight community has been more willing to understand it. When I talk to lesbians there has sometimes been a negative reaction. A few women I have spoken to when I go out on the scene just look at me in a really confused way. I have definitely found that within the lesbian community there is a lack of knowledge.
* Not her real name.
As told to Cara Davis
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