New Stonewall Japan Coordinators

[Stonewall Japan]

So after tooling around on the Google group, checking out what all we
have, and changing a few things, we think it's about time to introduce
ourselves -- we are your current Coordinators for Stonewall Japan!
Now, who exactly is "we," you ask. "We" would be Jonathan and Fiona,
currently living in Okayama Prefecture (sometimes affectionately
called "Okama-ken"). If you attended the Stonewall Dinner and the
Naked Man Festival last year, you probably remember one of us, though
I have my doubts due to the dubious amount of alcohol consumed.

If you were there, then you might remember me, Jonathan. You know,
that kind of tall, blonde guy holding the wine bottle on the bus.
Fiona, on the other hand, was a slacker, and wasn't there, but that
doesn't cut back on her fabulousness.

So, some stuff, Q&A-style.

Q: What are your names?
A: Jonathan and Fiona

Q: How are you?
A: Fine, save for the soul-sucking activities of AJET. Though it's
summer, we're both quite busy.

Q: Where are you from?
A: America (Jonathan) and Scotland (Fiona).

Q: How old are you?
A: We are both 23.

Q: Do you have a girlfriend/boyfriend?
A: No. (always a fun one to answer, right? -- I've told my elementary,
"No. I like boys," but they always think it's a joke.)

Q: What do you like to do?
A: People --- haha. Just kinding (kind of). We like to do things that
make for good times, whether it's bars, clubs, karaoke, camping,
biking, hiking, drinking, sightseeing, and so forth.

Q: What are your jobs?
A: Clearly, we're English teachers. Both of us work in primary and
junior high schools.

Q: What do you want to do in Japan?
A: More than we can write here.

Now, we've taken some time to look over all of our resources, and
check out what all Stonewall Japan as available to it. Over the past
couple of years, the Stonewall activity has waned, and we really think
we need to fix that -- but, we're going to need your help! We've got a
lot of ideas running around in our two little heads, but we're
completely open to ideas and suggestions that you have to help bring
Stonewall Japan back to life.

Anyway, we hope that you're excited about this new year, and we look
forward to seeing all of your lovely faces at some point or another!
If you've got any questions, comments, suggestions, or anything, feel
free to send a mail to stonewa...@gmail.com!



Jonathan and Fiona

[Tobleroni]

Oh hey, new coordinators????

I suppose Doug left this year? Is it true, Doug, you leave Japan?
Well, anyway, welcome and thanx, Jonathan and Fiona, for the
introduction and taking on the reigns of our queer little ship.

I hope I can get a chance to visit Okayama someday and meet you guys
in person.
So, what kind of ideas you got a-brewin'? I'm excited to hear them.
Last year, there weren't many events that I could attend considering
alot of activity happened in the south....dinners in Oita (I wish I
coulda gone and visited Angelo), Naked Man in Okayama, etc.

I guess part of that comes from how much participation the rest of
have within Stonewall. Last year,
I helped Doug with the Orientation B, had alot of fun with the newbies
in Nichome...I was excited about the new year.....getting involved in
Stonewall activities...but all of them seemed so far or on
inconvenient weekends.

By the way, as for this summer, Is anyone interested in a gay Fuji
climb or a weekend camping trip on the Izu? I live in Shizuoka
ken....and I could help arrange something like that since I'm often
going camping and planning to climb Fuji in early September.

Oh, I suppose I should introduce myself....My name is Toby Siguenza, I
live in Shizuoka-ken,, from California, am 29 and have spent 2
birthdays in Japan, so far....I live in a small inaka town in the
middle of Shizuoka City and Hamamatsu City....Things I've gotten used
to/my hobbies:: a town where almost nobody speaks English, frogs who
sing to me from the rice fields at night, a new obsession with mikan
and ocha, playing tennis with my high school girls on Mondays, Futsol
with local JEts on Tuesdays, ramen and nama-biru with my drinking
buddy on Wednesdays, enjoying the 6-9 Biru-houdai for 1000 yen at
Advocates in Nichome when coming to play with the ladies in Tokyo on
the weekends, riding my bike and looking for pretty rivers in the
forest behind my house, writing in my blog, studying Japanese, and
wandering around the internet trying to find cool and fun things to do
in Japan.

Oh ya, and last year, I was supposedly the Brix editor, but I'll admit
it.....i became disappointed and apathetic when nobody submitted any
material....and i kinda just gave up. Terrible right? Ya, i
know....but perhaps there is a new Brix editor? Oh, and is Gracie
still the porn dealer? heheh, I mean, the sexy Stonewall librarian?
Anyway, the year before me, Danielle was able to get people genki
about submitting entries for the 'zine...so maybe it just takes more
reminding, nagging....oh, no i mean, cajoling...I had set up a
Stonewall blog, with an open administrator to anyone who wanted to
contribute to it....do we have writers this year?

Hmmm, what else? Well, i guess have a good day and feel free to email
me if you're interested in organizing something Fuji-ish, Izu-ish,
beach-ish.....and of course, if any questions.
axlelaser at gmail dot com

By the way, part of the reason there may be a lack of Stonewall Yahoo
group correspondence from ladies might be because most of us send and
get our bulletins from Dykenet.....occasionally, the generous Pixie or
Grace would come transmit the info here as added advertising for
events such as Dyke Weekend during Golden Week (which was pretty
fuckin' fun) and the film festival in Tokyo.....I strongly encourage
the ladies to join that....as we also post links to current articles,
jobs, free stuff, events, symposii (is that how you pluralize
symposium?), random requests to have dinner together on a weeknight,
etc.

If we do have another Brix editor this year...do we? Maybe they could
be in charge of updating what goes on Dykenet to the Stonewall
blog.....i'll volunteer, and this time stick with it...if noone else
is doing it/wants to do it.....

Anyway, i think i've blabbered on enough about things....Have a great
summer Saturday everyone!

xo,
Toby

> free to send a mail to stonewallja...@gmail.com!
>
> Jonathan and Fiona

[Stonewall Japan]

Oh, I love to see posts -- more people should get on top of this.
*wink wink, nudge nudge*
Anyway, sorry it's been a bit of time to respond. Aside from my trying
to get over the urge to vomit this past hour (why must my supervisor's
obentou REEK of old natto, soured milk, and old okra?), I've been way
busy this weekend. If you've been dancing around town with the AJETs
in your prefecture, doing that crazy little mating dance aka
membership call, then you know what I've been doing. ^_^

Now, to hit on some of your main points (just cause that was a lot,
it's much easier to give numbers...):

1. What kind of ideas do we have a-brewing?
I'll address that at the end!

2. Don't inconvenient weekends blow in that bad way?
Seriously -- I feel you on this. There have been events that have
either been on inconvenient weekends or in inconvenient places.
Clearly, this can't really be helped, because some one is going to be
inconvenienced. This is what happens when we're in an organization
with members across the nation. What this means though is that there
are things that we can do to make them less convenient, or make things
to do in different regions so that everyone has more options of things
to do. It really is just difficult for someone Shizuoka to make their
way to Kagoshima, and someone in Kagawa to go to Nagoya. We've got a
couple of ideas on how to address this issue, really, in a way that
makes more sense for an organizaton/group that spans the country. :)
Though, of course, I AM a little biased -- I encourage your Naked Man
attendance. It's kind of fantastic, and Fi and I will most likely be
working with the main details of the event (the joys of being on the
Okayama AJET committee too... haha). -_^

3. How gay can we make Fuji, or can we take episodes of AbFab on a
camping trip to make it a truly campy experience?
One thing that Fiona and I want to express is that not all
Stonewall events need to have a clearly gay connection (i.e. Naked
Man, Nagoya Penis Festival, Osaka Pride, etc.) I mean, the fact is, as
an LGBTA (add your letter) group, we bring the alternative-ness with
us, don't we? We think it's important to have events that aren't
centered around the LGBT world, but just happen to be comprised of a
bunch of LGBTs. hahaha We were talking about how amazing a hiking or a
camping trip would be; you may have read our minds. As well, I think a
Fuji climb is a brilliant idea. OkaJET (Okayama AJET) sets up a Fuji
trip every year actually, and it seems to go off pretty well. Why
can't Stonewall do this kind of thing, too? So, essentially, I fully
support the idea of getting a camping trip or Fuji hiking trip (or
maybe later, a non-Fuji hiking trip) going.

4. Old organizers/leaders? Brix? WFT? Go!
As for the previous organizers for different aspects of
Stonewall, I will assume that they are still the same! I have gotten
no word about them being any different, so... THOUGH it is rather
important to kind of figure these things out, right? So, Gracie -- if
you are still the sexy Stonewall librarian (and even if you're not), I
would be terribly appreciative if you would send me an e-mail -_^
Also, in this giant box of Stonewall Japan goodness that I received
from Doug a wee bit ago were all these old issues of the Brix
publications. Needless to say, I have read through most of them
(finishing up that last few today, actually) -- and I in general thing
that is it a great idea. Granted, in any sort of open blog or
publication, we need writers! You are correct in saying that it really
does essentially take some good ol' fashion 'cajoling' to get articles
and things for these. My thoughts: we are generally ALTs. We have
little to do. Why not exercise your mind and write? Thoughts,
opinions, rants and raves, whatever floats your boat.

5. Calling all ladies.
Clearly, I can't do much in the communication of information from
Dykenet to this board -- but if there are any lovely and generous
women out there on the site who would be willing to be a liaison
between the two, essentially, it would be greatly appreciated! It's
hard enough to find things to do for ladies who like the ladies, as
well as find the ladies who like the ladies over all! Soooooo if
anyone would be willing to chat with me and help with that, relay a
little information... mail me? Please? Pretty please?


NOW, for the things that we were thinking about...
Event-wise, there's: Osaka Pride, Tokyo Pride, Fukuoka Pride (supposed
to happen every now and then, I hear), Naked Man Festival (Okayama),
Penis Festival (Nagoya... well. Close to.)
Outside that: Hiking trips, Camping trips, Fun and fab weekends in
some big city (Osaka, Tokyo?), Sightseeing somewhere, anywhere ! (Ise,
Kyoto, etc...)

When it comes down to it, it's hard to place events for people
all over the country, right? So we need regional events! We need
people who can handle organizing smaller events for Stonewall members,
who can, will, or already do keep up with the gay going-ons near them.
We need people to be active and willing to... well, socialize! In all
honesty, it'd be terribly hard for me, in Okayama, to organize events
in oh... Akita or Kumamoto prefectures. Perhaps it's a little
premature, but we are asking for people to assist us in this. To give
it a name, we're wanting regional liaisons or regional coordinators --
because we don't know the best spots to go hiking in Hokuriku, or
camping in Kansai. We can do our research, we can ask questions, and
provide enough information to make your eyes bleed -- but the people
who know the areas best are the people who live there!

We would also like to get Brix back up and running! A regular
publication is a fantastic idea to get people more involved, and to
give a little credit to the organization that we're all a part of.
We would like to work on a guide to an LGBT night life to have
for this group. I found an old guide to coming and going out in Japan
that had this same thing in it; it's a fantastic idea, but these
places close or change or just disappear. We'll need people's help for
this!
We want to make our internet sites (whether it's here or
Livejournal YES there's a Stonewall Japan LJ or elsewhere) active and
up and running, and a place where people can ask any sort of question,
and find out all sorts of information.
The Stonewall Library is a great idea if people would take
advantage of it. We can try to expand and advertise it more than its
current boundaries, if possible.
Likewise, we'd like to get a bunch to sites collected that might
be interesting reads and/or useful to current LGBT sites. This would
include news and information sites, as well as networking sites and so
forth (though, I bet most people know most of these... lol )

We'd really just like to take what we have in Stonewall Japan right
now, get it up and running, and improve on it.
In the end, and let's be honest -- it all depends on our activity. The
more involved and together and blah-blah-woooooo we are, the more
things we can do and the better this group will get! So, um... get
excited! haha ^_^


And now I have gone on far long enough. Thanks for the reply, Toby. I
look forward to meeting you in the (hopefully near) future~

-- Jonathan

[spaciegracie]

I am still the sexy lesbian librarian

I have a pile of books (novels and nonfiction), magazines, and a few
videos in my apartment. Yes, please email me for a list of available
titles I have. Then, if your interested in anything I can send it out
to you (you pay for shipping on arrival) and then just send it back to
me in about a month.

cheers
grace