Yesterday I gave a long on-camera interview to SexTV for a proposed segment on voluntary eunuchs. I found the interviewer (Matthew Hanson) to be very professional and the questions to be very good ones, though I was surprised at how many of them had to do with prostate cancer eunuchs – not my specialty.

If the nature of the questions that were asked are any reflection of their intent with the program, I think it should be a very fine one.

The name of the program, SexTV, sounds very different from the generally non-sensational ten-year run of programs that it has actually broadcast. A listing of their 9-1/2 seasons to date is available on the Internet Movie Database ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0210450/).

Unfortunately, the program is only available in Canada and on cable. The two shows that I have seen were both very well balanced. If I were still teaching, I would probably use one of them in class.

Judith Pyke, the producer of the show, is currently searching for normal everyday eunuchs who are willing to take part in the show. She wants to show them as no different from the average people in your neighborhood, EXCEPT for the one detail. She is comfortable with both GID and BIID reasons for voluntary castration.

I will try to keep you informed as this project develops.

Will they want to confirm your eunuch status or take your word on it? How can they tell if you're telling the truth unless they look?

Hash

Hash (imported) wrote: Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:51 pm Will they want to confirm your eunuch status or take your word on it? How can they tell if you're telling the truth unless they look?

Hash

Who's going to LIE about that?

The kind of people silly enough to lie about something like that are the same kind of people that would never even consider suggesting that they are carrying around anything less than a pair of ripe grapefruit between their legs.

I spoke with Judith a little recently and certainly felt she came across as compassionate and openminded. As Jesus points out, SexTV has run for 10 years... covering (as Judith reminded me today!) a range of subjects including intersexed conditions and other sensitive topics.

Most reporters or journalists are 'here today gone tomorrow' because they can move to a new subject matter and leave behind shattered lives and social repercussions without care. But I think this is something SexTV cannot afford to do, if they are to continue being a success. I would trust them, and I think this could be a tremendous opportunity for something good to grow.

She is currently looking for UK looking for volunteers who might wish to be interviewed. I was asked to take part, but I think I'd really rather someone else took part. I don't want this to be about "the boy who cut his balls off" but more about "a group of people who...". I can totally understand the hang-ups with appearing on television, so I just wanted to suggest some things that I wish I had known before taking part in any interviews. And - at the risk of being an annoying know-all - I would like to offer some brief advice on how best to deal with any possible backlash in the workplace.

Firstly, don't feel like you have to answer every question. If you are being pressed for an answer you don't like, tell the interviewer to go fuck themselves! (though hopefully you will be a little more polite than this!) They may persist, or rephrase the question. Don't fall for it

In this spirit I suggest you don't mention anything about self-harm. I really wished I hadn't, something let slip to Form Media which EVERY subsequent interview asked me about. Some gay and transgendered people self-harm too. Some straight people self-harm. I see no reason why the gory excitement of self-harm should be a label we need to accept. I don't see why we should be any different.

Don't feel the need to fill any uncomfortable pauses. A good technique that unscrupulous interviewers will use (especially with live interviews) is to leave a pause, and hope you get uncomfortable enough to fill the gap.

Don't hide your face. Anyone so ashamed of being a eunuch that they need shadows or distorted speech to have their opinion heard should do us all a favour and crawl back under the rock from whence they came. These freaks-in-hiding will do more damage than good.

Some questions can be non-questions in disguse. You cannot ask a gay person why they chose to be gay. Or a black person, why they are black. Some things just are. And sometimes the question is wrong.Dealing with any repercussions in the workplace

This advice is only for UK residents, because I know absolutely nothing about U.S. law or any other. But here, protecting minorities is serious business. Most (smart?) employers would be terrified of being accused of discrimination, because employment tribunals almost always favour the vulnerable individual over the faceless corporation.

It is important that you talk to you boss(es?) before the program goes out. They will likely be quite concerned about what the documentary contains and what this means for you (and them). It is important to bring them on side. I really wished I had done this myself - though fortunately I was surrounded by some great friends and people who were very sympathetic. At the time of being interviewed by Form Media I worked two jobs and had to go through this twice!

No doubt, you will need to have a little chat with whoever is in charge. Remember: It would be good to explain that (1) The documentary is about your personal life and in no way involves the business. (2) You are not different in any way which threatens anyone around you (3) You are sexually different to others in no way that affects the job you do. And employers cannot treat you differently once discovering this, because that would be discrimination. I guess 'gender issues' or some similar catchphrase would do just nicely? I know I used that with one of mine, and that immediately gave a good picture.

Hopefully you will be in a position where not everyone you work with will understand. (A few may even have trouble accepting?) But they all understand that they cannot treat you badly or bully, harrass because of your sexuality. Some (as I found) may even be slightly curious.

Well, sorry everyone for being so long-winded. I really hope people take part in this, because I feel this could be something very positive for us.

thefraj thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience with us. I am sure that knowledge will help anyone considering taking part in a documentary.

tugon (imported) wrote: Fri Feb 08, 2008 2:41 pm thefraj thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience with us. I am sure that knowledge will help anyone considering taking part in a documentary.

I second this opinion. Rog has been one of our finest spokepersons on his side of the pond. I only hope there is a bit wider future dissemination of the productions he has been involved in, like the US, perhaps. Stir up the prudes, heheh.