Tiq Milan and Kim Katrin Milan: A queer vision of love and marriage
Tiq Milan y Kim Katrin Milan: Un amor que nos permite ser auténticos
Already a tireless advocate for positive and honest portrayals of LGBTQ people in media, Tiq Milan now evangelizes for the unifying power of love. Full bioKim Katrin Milan - Writer, educator, artist
Through her art and writing, Kim Katrin Milan advocates for queer, trans and feminist issues. Now she’s using her own love story to help bridge communities. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
was on Facebook,
conversación fue vía Facebook
that I knew she was going to be my wife.
que supe que ella iba a ser mi esposa.
durante nuestro cortejo,
amount of time for our courtship;
más vulnerables por adelantado.
the vulnerable truths up front:
de nacimiento debería significar "Falso",
certificate should have stood for "False,"
con piedras en los zapatos.
pebbles in my shoes.
I took forward.
a mí mismo,
a cisgender queer woman.
cisgénero queer.
I was assigned at birth
que me asignaron al nacer,
the many different ways
las muchas distintas formas
restricted by gender
por el género
maneras
of who I am and how I've loved.
de quién soy yo y cómo he amado.
from the very beginning.
cortejo desde el principio.
from institutions and traditions.
de instituciones y tradiciones.
lo convencional,
que intercambiamos,
comprometernos el uno con el otro
to commit to each other
of the "Golden Rule,"
"Regla de Oro", que deberíamos
the way we want to be treated.
que nos gustaría que nos trataran.
somos el estándar de otras personas,
the standard for other people,
the way they want to be treated,
de la forma cómo queremos ser tratados,
of love that Tiq needed
que Tiq necesitaba
about his fears, his insecurities --
sobre sus miedos e inseguridades,
kind of love I needed.
qué clase de amor necesitaba.
todo un año de confusión,
of their love because I was trans.
de su amor por ser trans.
a las personas transgénero.
transgender people.
and often signed into law.
a menudo, consensuada como ley.
from internalizing that message,
de interiorizar ese mensaje,
descompuesto en ese momento.
of community work behind us,
de trabajo comunitario
of a family in front of us,
de tener una familia,
increíblemente diferentes.
y soy algo huérfana,
and a bit of an orphan,
de una familia enorme,
the differences in our strengths
diferencias en nuestras fortalezas
but we don't live marginalized lives.
pero no vivimos marginados.
new ways of existing.
crear nuevas formas de existir.
frecuentemente cruel y violento
too proud and too freeing.
y que son libres.
was going to be my helper or my rib,
mi salvación o mi costilla,
completo ser humano,
to reign in, control or critique.
yo la reinara, controlara o criticara.
sight of her empathy.
desde el primer día.
intentado darnos libertad mutua.
about setting each other free.
que le hice fue:
de la cual estar orgulloso,
his mother's incredible legacy.
increíble legado de su madre.
were able to start from that place,
desde ese punto,
that was around figuring out
que estar descifrando
funcionáramos como pareja.
to grow into the people that we were
en las personas que fuimos
y en un futuro.
comprometidos el uno con el otro
committed to each other
encontrarnos en persona.
al hacer mi transición
concern when I transitioned
tal y como soy.
precluded me from love and monogamy
ser amado y ser monógamo
born in the wrong body?
en el cuerpo equivocado?
that has to be reframed
la que debe redefinirse
binary thinking on gender
el binarismo de los géneros
along the numb keloid scars
cicatrices queloides
all the way out to my outer torso.
pecho hasta la parte exterior del torso.
reminders of my strength
de mi fortaleza
lo que estar avergonzado.
a pedir su mano
más convencionales
conventional trajectories
no bendeciría nunca una unión
to bless a union for folks like us,
y la ley tampoco la reconocería.
supposed to recognize it.
after meeting online,
después de conocernos en linea,
of City Hall in Manhattan,
ayuntamiento de Manhattan,
in every conceivable way.
concebibles.
reimagined some traditions,
algunas tradiciones,
that we worked in,
en las cuales trabajamos,
that worked for us.
para nosotros.
with wildflowers from Brooklyn --
de flores salvajes de Brooklyn
and sage to keep us grounded
para tranquilizarnos,
sister healer friend of ours.
curandera amiga nuestra.
las convenciones no son lo mío,
are not my thing,
del morado más profundo,
de mis piedras del zodiaco.
my father's bastard child,
reconocida de mi padre,
an apology, a secret, an imposition.
un secreto, una imposición,
who chose me first.
que me escogió a mí primero.
and some close friends,
y amigos cercanos,
as we took our vows.
incluso tras decir nuestros votos.
photos on Facebook,
nuestra boda a Facebook,
than just a union of two people,
una unión entre dos personas,
for the millions of LGBTQ folks
para la comunidad LBGTQ
is antithetical to who they are --
son contrarios a quien son,
who rarely get to see ourselves
vez nos podemos ver
debido a nuestras identidades,
because of our identities,
to be the people that we are.
las personas que somos.
receptive and shape-shifting.
abiertos, receptivos y cambiantes.
source of, our strength.
increíble de fortaleza.
of that strength.
una fuente de esa fortaleza.
poet Brandon Wint:
del poeta de Ottawa Brandon Wint:
de ser homosexual;
queer like escaping definition.
de escapar toda definición".
and limitlessness all at once.
sin limites, todo a la vez.
muy extraña como para ser conquistada.
too strange to be conquered.
to imagine what love can look like,
imaginar cómo puede sentirse el amor,
una comunidad de personas.
who are living their authentic selves
que vive de forma auténtica
amenaza de violencia,
que siempre está presente,
that always is present
bajo sus propios términos.
is murdered every 21 hours.
a una personas transgénero cada 21 horas.
trans murders on record this year
más asesinatos de personas trans,
than this rigid dichotomy
más que esta inamovible dicotomía
complexity on these margins,
de los humanos en estos margenes,
on these margins.
that we have literally never seen before;
un mundo jamás antes visto;
on love and not by blood,
y no en lazos sanguíneos,
have been shown ourselves.
de nosotros se nos ha mostrado.
love from our families --
amor de nuestras familias,
en las que más confiábamos.
that we trust most.
entirely new languages of love.
lenguajes del amor completamente nuevos.
for us to be our authentic selves
donde ser nosotros mismos
is supposed to be.
la masculinidad o la feminidad.
en el amor y la inclusión
in love and inclusion
revolucionaria de cambio.
nociones preconcebidas
gender, in their skin --
estos prejuicios enraizados en nosotros
to unlearn these deep-seated biases
las personas puedan autodeterminarse,
to be self-determined,
world than the one we were born into.
un mejor mundo que en el que nacimos.
este tiempo en la historia
that we were here.
into our relationship
a nuestra relación
pueda ser testigo,
to make maps to the future
queremos trazar mapas de futuro
other peoples' experience,
la experiencia de otras personas,
complicate this idea
complica esta idea
are supposed to be.
ser el amor y el matrimonio.
de rol que hemos sido,
a mirror up to ourselves.
always the best listener,
el mejor escuchando,
of our progress as a couple.
de nuestro progreso como pareja.
these deep-seated, sexist ideas
esas ideas sexistas tan enraizadas,
of a woman's experience in the world.
experiencia de una mujer en el mundo.
to be in allyship with my wife.
aliado de mi esposa.
of a lot of things, too.
muchas cosas, también.
ser firme con los problemas,
we got into a massive fight.
tuvimos una pelea enorme.
and our lived experiences --
nuestros valor y experiencias de vida,
puts ourselves entirely on the line.
nos pone enteramente en el punto de mira.
over the course of two days --
together to each other,
to each other and to our marriage.
con el otro y en nuestro matrimonio.
some of the most passionate parts
más apasionadas
cuestionar la masculinidad,
con la suficiente frecuencia.
la masculinidad;
with being a man don't define me,
ser un hombre no me definen,
for how it shows up in my life every day.
cómo se refleja en mi vida diaria.
to do all of the emotional labor
todo el trabajo emocional
when I'd rather clam up and run away.
cuando yo preferiría callar y huir.
de enfrentar mis propias vulnerabilidades,
instead of facing my own vulnerabilities,
espontáneo que sufrimos el año pasado.
miscarriage we suffered last year,
we get to take the easy way out.
podemos tomar la salida fácil.
is about reimagining masculinity.
acerca de reimaginar la masculidad.
que no pueda ser medida
that isn't measured
by the entitlements afforded to it,
por los derechos que se le otorgan,
that it can muster,
que pueda reunir,
en tándem con la feminidad,
for my femininity to flourish
mi feminidad florezca
experimentado antes.
por mi sexualidad,
vestirme o cómo actuar.
of the cleaning than I do.
más veces que yo.
para salir de la casa,
to get out of the house
arreglarme el pelo y maquillarme.
as though it is frivolous or superficial,
como algo frívolo o superficial,
of gender every single day.
con los géneros todos los días.
get dressed in the morning.
vestirse por las mañanas.
and colorful, and tight,
colorido y ajustado,
negotiate her decisions
con sus decisiones
to get the least amount of attention,
menos atención posible,
de la mujer vibrante y sexy que es.
of the vibrant and sexy woman she is.
her for her beauty,
celebrarla por su belleza,
beautiful and special and free,
especial y libre,
pertinaz de persona de color.
TM: Te amo.
and trans people
this retelling of history
recuento de la historia
to not see ourselves there.
no vernos incluidos allí.
is about that representation.
es acerca de esa representación.
of our inheritance in this world, too.
de nuestra herencia en este mundo.
el amor y las instituciones.
love and institutions.
un futuro de multiplicidad.
de los géneros y de la sexualidad,
of gender and sexuality,
is self-determined and not imposed,
se elijan y no se impongan,
un caleidoscopio de posibilidades
is a kaleidoscope of possibility
masquerading as science or justice.
de la ciencia o la justicia.
una sonrisa en el rostro.
injusticia que existe en el mundo,
that exists in the world,
of people to really change.
verdaderamente pueden cambiar.
of faith and dedication.
de fe y dedicación.
than I ever thought possible --
de los que nunca había pensado.
speaking the same language.
hablando el mismo idioma.
to be married to this man;
por estar casada con este hombre;
the possibility of changing minds,
posibilidad de cambiar las mentes,
where love belongs to us all.
nos pertenezca a todos nosotros.
of self and a community,
del ser y de una comunidad,
not to leave anyone behind.
de no excluir a nadie.
cómo amarnos los unos a los otros,
throughout changes to gender
a través de los cambios de género
in our chat rooms,
en nuestros salas de chats,
and in our community centers.
en nuestros centros comunitarios.
each other for the long haul.
cómo amarnos a largo plazo.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Tiq Milan - Transgender activistAlready a tireless advocate for positive and honest portrayals of LGBTQ people in media, Tiq Milan now evangelizes for the unifying power of love.
Why you should listen
Tiq Milan speaks and writes about intersectional leadership, transgender rights and racial justice. He shares stories of his life and how his transgender experience has informed his views on masculinity, race and the gender binary. A journalist for over a decade, his work has appeared on MIC, Buzzfeed, NBC and CNN. He is also a strategic media consultant, helping organizations and companies create detailed media campaigns that engage diverse audiences in ways that are inclusive and authentic.
Tiq has been most inspired by his years mentoring LGBT youth at the Bronx Community Pride Center and the Hetrick Martin Institute in the New York City. He was able to witness first hand the intersectional lived experiences of gay and trans youth and how it's affected by social systems put in place to help them. He most recently was the senior media strategist and national spokesperson for GLAAD, where he utlilized the media to call attention to the needs of the LGBT community, particularly transgender people of color.
Tiq is currently the co-Founder of Milan Media Arts Productions (MAPS) along with his wife, Kim Katrin Milan. MAPS is a content creation and consulting firm that is dedicated to creating narratives of queer people and their allies. View his published work, features and appearances here.
Tiq Milan | Speaker | TED.com
Kim Katrin Milan - Writer, educator, artist
Through her art and writing, Kim Katrin Milan advocates for queer, trans and feminist issues. Now she’s using her own love story to help bridge communities.
Why you should listen
A daughter of the diaspora -- Afro-Caribbean, Venezuelan Arawak, Indian and Scottish, hailing from Trinidad and living between Toronto and New York -- Kim Katrin Milan is an acclaimed educator, writer and artist.
Kim is the co-founder and Executive Director of The People Project, an initiative to bring forth local and international community development for queer and trans folks of color and their allies through alternative education, art-activism and collaboration. She is also one of the owners of the Glad Day Book Shop, the oldest LGBT bookstore in the world.
As an educator, Kim travels around the world talking to people about justice, equity and human rights. She is dedicated to inclusivity and invested in arousing a sense of curiosity and empathy in her audience. She uniquely weaves together the historical context, statistical analysis, as well as current events.
A public researcher, consultant and human rights educator, Kim has shared hundreds of unique resources and presentations around intersectional issues including race, ability and gender. As a social entrepreneur, she speaks to the opportunities and challenges for women in business and leadership roles. With great openness, she welcomes difficult conversations hosting community dialogues and sharing practical strategies around sexuality and consent, queer and trans allyship. and anti-racism and equity.
Since 2012, Kim has spoken at universities including Princeton, Dartmouth, McGill and Mount Allison. She has opened for cultural scholar Cornel West at UC Davis, delivered the keynote address at HBCU's Morehouse and Spelman's first Pride, and she was a panelist at Amber Rose's first SlutWalk. She has hosted events for the United Nations, acted as the Grand Marshall for Hudson, NY Pride and hosted an session at Dreamforce 2016.
Kim has contributed to Cosmopolitan, MTV, NBC, Larry King Now, Buzzfeed and the CBC, both independently and alongside her husband Tiq Milan. She regularly contributes to TeleSUR English, the Central American news network.
Kim Katrin Milan | Speaker | TED.com