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Kate Bornstein's book "A Queer and Present Danger"

Petey C

Silver Meritorious Patron
Anyone read this book? Kate Bornstein is Al Bornstein that was. I've read a sample but want to know if it's worth reading. Any recommendations?
 

PTS

Elliott
Yes I have a copy, it an excellent read. It is very personal and very honest. Kate says she wrote it to her daughter who is still in the cult and disconnected from her.
I would hardly give the book anything but glowing praise, I just love Kate to bits! She is very inspiring and very entertaining, and very profound. She is such a delight in person too, very engaging and very personable.
I recommend!
 

JustMe

Patron Meritorious
Yes I have a copy, it an excellent read. It is very personal and very honest. Kate says she wrote it to her daughter who is still in the cult and disconnected from her.
I would hardly give the book anything but glowing praise, I just love Kate to bits! She is very inspiring and very entertaining, and very profound. She is such a delight in person too, very engaging and very personable.
I recommend!

I 100% agree with PTS's recommendations above.

The book is an amazing read and very touching.

I also knew Kate's daughter that he wrote this for as well as Kate's ex-wife Molly for years and years, was a neighbor and met them hundreds of times. It broke my heart to find out the cruelty of the ex wife and scientology to take Kate's child away from her and to turn the then innocent young girl away from her loving father.

Kate has not seen her daughter since they were disconnected by scientology in early 1980s and now has two grandchildren she also loves but has never seen.

It is an amazing story written for them but everyone should read it. It's like a glimpse into the soul of one of the most loving people you will ever know (Kate) along with the kind of truth the world needs to know about scientology and what it does to love and family.

I highly recommend this book.
 

Lurker5

Gold Meritorious Patron
Anyone read this book? Kate Bornstein is Al Bornstein that was. I've read a sample but want to know if it's worth reading. Any recommendations?

I am reading it right now - and yes, it is a good read, funny, revealing - and moves along, IMHO - like a good fiction or movie. All the more incredible, it is real and true. She's not telling any lies. If you are fundamentally religious, and/or homophobic, you'd probably be horrified, but if you've no problems with people living life as they see fit, as long as not harming others, then you'd find it a great ex-scno book. :yes:

BTW, anyone here know Al/Kate when she was a he? The book got me interested and curious - of course I have not finished it yet. All that might be satisfied by the time I am finished with it.
 

afaceinthecrowd

Gold Meritorious Patron
I am reading it right now - and yes, it is a good read, funny, revealing - and moves along, IMHO - like a good fiction or movie. All the more incredible, it is real and true. She's not telling any lies. If you are fundamentally religious, and/or homophobic, you'd probably be horrified, but if you've no problems with people living life as they see fit, as long as not harming others, then you'd find it a great ex-scno book. :yes:

BTW, anyone here know Al/Kate when she was a he? The book got me interested and curious - of course I have not finished it yet. All that might be satisfied by the time I am finished with it.

Yep.

http://www.forum.exscn.net/showthre...Kate-Bornstein&p=722453&viewfull=1#post722453

I used to sometimes teasingly call Bornstien "Big Al" as he was from Jersey and a little over 6’ tall, IIRC. Al always struck me as effeminate in a non "Gay" and way, if you catch my drift. Always really liked and enjoyed my time with Bornstein and we got along quite well...intellectual, cerebral, erudite, polished manners, well educated, fun to be with a razor sharp wit and refreshing sense of jumor.

Didn't surprise me all that much when I found out that "Al" was now "kate", but it is kinda shocking that kate is as good lookin’ as she is 'cause Al had coarse dark hair and a thick beard (mustache and sideburns). However, she was a handsome man.

I haven’t gotten around to reading the book yet but I’m gonna…lots of stuff coming down the pike to read.

Face:)
 

Petey C

Silver Meritorious Patron
Thanks all. I didn't know Al in the SO but I do know that gender reassignment can be a hard slog, so anyone who has the courage to go through with it, I takes my hat off to them.
 

Claire Swazey

Spokeshole, fence sitter
God, I'm soo behind on my reading. I do want to get that one. I saw Kate last year and she was autographing copies. I didn't have one but she told me it was in print and I could easily get one.

She's got a lot of great ideas and is obviously an amazing person.
 

JustMe

Patron Meritorious
Thanks all. I didn't know Al in the SO but I do know that gender reassignment can be a hard slog, so anyone who has the courage to go through with it, I takes my hat off to them.

It took great courage for Kate to do what she did.

If you read the book you will see many of the horrors she went through, the frequent times she contemplated suicide and all the rejection she had to bear especially from those who were supposed to be her closest loved ones. She even kept a special suicide packet of supplies.

Petey it is really hard enough without scientology involved. With scientology involved it can almost be impossible.

I know three ex scientologists who are transgendered woman and all went through and are going through so much.

I can tell you that sometimes not a week goes by that you don't at least think of suicide at the rejection and loss you can feel combined with raging hormones that sort of make you feel like a girl having a really hard time going through puberty COMBINED with a woman going through menopause. What a trip! At least that is how I have heard it explained by two experts in that field.

You can cry at just so many happy things and sad things. And while I think it is indeed great to be a loving person who cares for others, sometimes it gets almost unbearable when you see so much hatred, prejudice, ignorance and ill-will in the world. And it does not even have to be directed at you. You just want to love and, hopefully, be loved and you want others to love others but that is so often not the case.

You can be incredibly loving, like Kate, and just not be able to understand how it is that so many others are not so loving towards each other.

It's sometimes like you are looking at a world you can't understand and you feel like you really don't belong in it as you desire to just "go home" to a loving place you somehow just know exists.

As hard as transitioning can be, not doing it is even worse. It's like you have no place of respite where you can be yourself at all.

It is my belief that Kate has been experiencing something like this for decades. And to think she doesn't even have the ones she most loves (her daughter and grandchildren) to care for her at all is, well IMO, pretty much unbearable.

And I somehow suspect that Kate rises up from all this regularly, she understands this hell and strives so very hard to help others in a similar situation. She even has spoken about and written a book just to appeal to our transgendered or otherwise different youth not to kill themselves.

Kate is one of the most loving people I have ever had the privilege to know. I love her. She is beautiful in every way.

Definitely read that book.

And anyone studying the effects of scientology should especially read it to see yet another important example of what can be done to people under the banner of scientology.
 

Smurf

Gold Meritorious SP
Anyone read this book? Kate Bornstein is Al Bornstein that was. I've read a sample but want to know if it's worth reading. Any recommendations?

[video=youtube;z4781uQv7fE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4781uQv7fE[/video]

[video=youtube;aR22mbPfJ8s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR22mbPfJ8s[/video]
 

Lurker5

Gold Meritorious Patron
Well, I finished it, and wow, yes, she goes through some shit. And BTW, this book is not for prudes or the straight laced. Really. Not joking. Lots of sex (kinky sex - that should sell some books) :biggrin: I am a bit straight laced, but have seen so much, that at my age nothing much shocks me anymore except hatred, abuse, torture and murder. There is hate in this book, directed at her and others like her, but that just opened my heart (more) to compassion - for those who feel they don't belong, have no place among us. Dear Kate, you belong alright, Sweetheart, with all the rest of us lost souls, who feel we belong with no one and have no place - for all kinds of reasons. :bighug:

And check out below, lots of other Kate threads . . . .
 
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JustMe

Patron Meritorious
Well, I finished it, and wow, yes, she goes through some shit. And BTW, this book is not for prudes or the straight laced. Really. Not joking. Lots of sex (kinky sex - that should sell some books) :biggrin: I am a bit straight laced, but have seen so much, that at my age nothing much shocks me anymore except hatred, abuse, torture and murder. There is hate in this book, directed at her and others like her, but that just opened my heart (more) to compassion - for those who feel they don't belong, have no place among us. Dear Kate, you belong alright, Sweetheart, with all the rest of us lost souls, who feel we belong with no one and have no place - for all kinds of reasons. :bighug:

And check out below, lots of other Kate threads . . . .

That was lovely Lurker, just lovely. :bigcry:

:grouphug:
 

Petey C

Silver Meritorious Patron
It took great courage for Kate to do what she did.

If you read the book you will see many of the horrors she went through, the frequent times she contemplated suicide and all the rejection she had to bear especially from those who were supposed to be her closest loved ones. She even kept a special suicide packet of supplies.

Petey it is really hard enough without scientology involved. With scientology involved it can almost be impossible.

I know three ex scientologists who are transgendered woman and all went through and are going through so much.

I can tell you that sometimes not a week goes by that you don't at least think of suicide at the rejection and loss you can feel combined with raging hormones that sort of make you feel like a girl having a really hard time going through puberty COMBINED with a woman going through menopause. What a trip! At least that is how I have heard it explained by two experts in that field.

....
Kate is one of the most loving people I have ever had the privilege to know. I love her. She is beautiful in every way.

Definitely read that book.

And anyone studying the effects of scientology should especially read it to see yet another important example of what can be done to people under the banner of scientology.

Thanks, JustYou. There's no way I can fully comprehend what transgendered individuals go through as I am not such a person. But as someone with a large circle of gay friends of all denominations and stripes, I have certainly done a lot of talking and reading. Jan Morris has a very moving book about her experiences which I found absolutely mind boggling, and I also worked with a man who was undergoing the change yet was deeply conflicted as he lived as man and wife with someone, and they had a small child whom he absolutely adored. So I have an outsider's sympathy.

And it also boggles my mind to think of how hard it would have been for someone in the SO to manage to stay on an even keel.
 

JustMe

Patron Meritorious
...And it also boggles my mind to think of how hard it would have been for someone in the SO to manage to stay on an even keel.

What you have to do is exactly what you should not do.

In the sea org there is no "case" on post and you must "rise above it". And it is in that maxim that the true danger lies. People need to embrace their problems in order to work their way through them, not "rise above" them leaving them still there and festering.

It is so dangerous really. Being transgendered, you have something that is completely tearing you apart and you really need professional help. Yet you get none of that in the sea org or scientology as they try to treat being transgender as "bank" or "out ethics" while they have no comprehension whatsoever of how to deal with those truly transgendered nor any understanding of the subject at all.

Yet they promote themselves as THE experts in the field of mental health while their crazy policies keep their staff and public away from the very people capable of assisting them.

And while I do know something of the subject of being transgendered, I suspect there are many others besides those transgendered who could use professional help being badly hurt in the sea org such as people who are gay (a completely separate thing than transgendered), people suffering from PTSD, people who are bipolar and so many more in the sea org, suffering and not being helped.

What a mess it is in there.

And it is all that more amazing that Kate worked her way through this and is now helping others.
 

Operating DB

Truman Show Dropout
I finished Kate's book last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. What a fascinating life he/she had! It had me laughing and crying (real tears) and other heavy emotions. With each book or story I read of someone who was a victim of the cult I get another new viewpoint and more profound sense of how despicable hubbard and his cult was/is.

This book isn't for everyone such as my older conservative easily grossed out sister. But I do know two transgendered people and other LGB members that are in my choir that would appreciate it. I like the idea that they can also get a real education about the dangers of the scientology cult.

I wish Kate could come to my area to give a speech or whatever. I would love to experience her in person.
 

In present time

Gold Meritorious Patron
Thanks all. I didn't know Al in the SO but I do know that gender reassignment can be a hard slog, so anyone who has the courage to go through with it, I takes my hat off to them.
I probably would have never come across this book if she hadn't been in the so or on the ship. This book is SCANDALOUS! It has some very sexy things in it that I am not sure I would have ever known about. I really enjoyed this book, Kate does some things that would be easy to mark off as just aberration, yet you are forced the take the ride with her compassionately. I am never seen someone try so brutally as she did to become a whole and happy person. She is amazing.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
Meet Kate Bornstein, the one-woman whirlwind who's lived many lives

Caitlyn Jenner's got company: meet Kate Bornstein, the one-woman whirlwind who's lived many lives.

http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-r...-bornstein-interview-caitlyn-jenner-i-am-cait

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Caitlyn Jenner's got company: meet Kate Bornstein, the one-woman whirlwind who's lived many lives

She’s been a ship’s mate, a sex worker and a Scientologist. As her one-woman show hits Britain, we talk peace and pronouns with Kate Bornstein, the new co-star of I Am Cait

By Emine Saner, The Guardian

Kate Bornstein has crammed a lot of lives into her 67 years. In no particular order, she has been: a man, a woman, a father, a husband, a performance artist, a novelist, a playwright, a gender theorist, a ship’s first mate, a sex worker, and a recovering Scientologist. She may be the closest person real life has to Virginia Woolf’s gender-shifting, multiple-existence character Orlando, only with cute round glasses and a Tardis necklace.

Bornstein’s next incarnation will be as a reality TV star, when the second series of Caitlyn Jenner’s show I Am Cait arrives next month. She has already been the subject of a 2014 documentary, Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger, which did well at festivals, but entering the Kardashian world will be something else entirely. Although Bornstein did appear in the first series, which documented Jenner’s transition, she will now feature much more prominently.

<snipped>

All her life she had been puzzled about her gender – she knew she wasn’t a man, which meant, she thought, that she must be a woman. But she didn’t feel like a woman either and Scientology offered an explanation. “They said you’re not your body, not your brain, you don’t have a soul. You are your own immortal soul. And as an immortal soul, you have no mass, no energy, you don’t exist in time or space. Because of all of that, I thought, ‘Oh, then I wouldn’t have a gender.’” Scientology made sense to her. Unfortunately, she says, with a raised eyebrow and a sideways smile, “it’s a totalitarian cult.”

She was a Scientologist for 12 years. Three of them were spent as a lieutenant on founder L Ron Hubbard’s ship in his Sea Org fleet. “He was a physically unattractive man,” she says. “He had a deathly fear of dentists, so his teeth were a mess and so was his breath. Despite all of that, he made you feel like he was your daddy and you just wanted to please him. He would come out on deck at night, under the stars, and spin wonderful stories. He would tell us about who we were millions of years ago, the battles we fought back then, saying that now is our chance to move back in and free Earth from the slavery of the psychiatrists.”

She left after they subjected her to six hours on a lie detector machine, refusing a place on its punishing Rehabilitation Project Force. Instead, she chose excommunication, which meant leaving behind her then nine-year-old daughter, who is still a member of the Church of Scientology along with her mother, who hasn’t spoken to Bornstein since.

<snipped>

Kate Bornstein is at Soho Theatre, London, 23-24 February.

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AngeloV

Gold Meritorious Patron
I've now lost all respect for Kate. Joining a 'reality' show is demeaning and a useless endeavor. Reality show 'stars' are attention seekers, not happy unless there is a camera pointing at them. And 'reality' shows are anything but real. The drama is manufactured. If it were not, they would be the most boring shows on television.

Kate's revelations about her time in the cult and it's brainwashing effects on her are to be applauded. Anything that exposes the cult and it's horrid practices is a good thing.

But c'mon Kate...'reality' TV? That's a bad decision.
 

CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
February 13, 2017: York UK Screening of A Queer and Pleasant Danger, the Kate Bornstein story.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/film...queer-and-pleasant-danger-tickets-30488406645

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Feb 13

Film Screening: Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger

by York St John University

Free

Description

Film Screening: Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger

Meet Auntie Kate.

Trailblazing performance artist-theorist-activist Kate Bornstein takes us on a mind-bending quest through her world dismantling gender and seeking answers to the age-old question: What makes life worth living?

An award-winning documentary by director Sam Feder, screened as part of York LGBT History month.

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CommunicatorIC

@IndieScieNews on Twitter
4/21 - 4/30/17: Kate Bornstein: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us

(Sorry to cross-post this only after the first show. Just saw it today).

http://lamama.org/kate_bornstein/

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Kate Bornstein: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us

April 21, 2017 - April 30, 2017

The Club | 74A E 4th Street; 2nd Floor
Friday & Saturday at 9:30PM; Sunday at 7:30PM & 6PM
$25 Adult Tickets; $20 Students/Seniors; Limited $10 Tickets

Written and Performed by Kate Bornstein

Come spend a cosy evening with your very own Auntie Kate, who promises you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll gasp out loud as she speaks about the last thirty years of her life as a non-binary identified queer trans dyke. This is an evening of her most favorite heartwarming anecdotes, touching and sometimes-painful personal trials and tribulations, and inspiring tales of putting the world to rights. Her performance is at once deeply personal and universally acceptable, weaving together stand-up comedy, theatrical monologues, and heart-to-heart storytelling to convey the experience of her long, rich non-binary trans life.

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