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Pat Califia - A Three Part Interview
- By Shosho
| Part 1 - Women's Movement, Trans communities and Leather/Queer Online |
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Part 2 - Transitioning, Fatherhood & Partnership |
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Part 3 - Little Sisters legal battle & Pat's Books |
"Being a sex radical means being defiant as well as deviant. It means being aware that there is something unsatisfying and dishonest about the way sex is talked about (or hidden) in daily life. It also means questioning the way our society assigns privilege based on adherence to moral codes. If you believe that inequities can only be addressed through extreme social change, then you qualify as a sex radical, even if you prefer to get off in the missionary position and still believe there are only two genders." - Pat Califia, From her book, Public Sex - 1994
Pat Califia is arguably the most influential S/M commentator and pornographer working today. In the past Califia described herself as, "a dyke, a feminist, a pornographer, a sadomasochist, a poet, a storyteller, an omnivore, a pagan, a social critic, a sex educator, and an activist." In this interview Califia, now Patrick identifies as a "bisexual transgendered person, who will probably be living socially as a man sometime in the next year or two." He is also a therapist serving the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.
In this broad-sweeping interview Califia speaks with absolute candor and eloquence about his life in its newest incarnation; going through hormone changes, having a child, publishing yet another edgy and playful book of erotic fiction entitled No Mercy. Califia talks about his involvement in the Little Sisters pornography case and the online leather community. He also addresses the gay community and queer identities calling women that identify as queer his "spiritual grandchildren" and simultaneously calling to task cultural feminists of yesterday and today.
Califia's previous projects included editing What Color Is Your Handkerchief?, the first pamphlet on lesbian S/M in the English language. His numerous articles and essays have appeared in The Journal of Homosexuality, The Advocate, High Times, Brat Attack, Taste of Latex, Skin Two, Invert: The Journal of Gay and Lesbian Sensibility, On Our Backs, Drummer, Girlfriends and The Spectator. Some of the books he has written, edited and contributed to are; the SAMOIS collection, Coming to Power, Sapphistry, The Lesbian S/M Safety Manual, and Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism and popular erotic fiction such as Macho Sluts. His newest collection of short erotic writings No Mercy will be out in June this year from Alyson Publications. Begin >>
More Stuff Online about or by Patrick:Patrick's website - very interesting, but currently under construction - so ignore the link problems - they'll be fixed shortly Patrick's advice column "Girltalk" at Girlfriends' magazine A list by Pat called "42 Things that You Can Do to Make the Future Safe for Sex"
A column in the Spectator called "Topping the News" by Pat Califia An interesting interview with Pat that appeared in Cuir called "The First Duty of a Revolutionary is to Survive"
Shosho aka Shoshanna Scholar is a Canadian writer, art consultant and Lexicographer living and working in Los Angeles. Her other writings include plays, short stories, interviews and political pieces about queer issues in the areas of sex and health. Contact: shoshos@yahoo.com
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