FemmeNoir
A Web Portal For Lesbians Of Color

Imani Henry
Writer / Performer / Activist

"The best of the as-yet untold tales of the queer underground still belong to the FTMs; and the most exciting of these tales are being told in Imani Henry's B4T (Before Testosterone). Mr. Henry combines the raw experience of his subject matter with the finely-honed precision of his acting, and the result is breathtaking. This is exactly the kind of fresh, proud, high quality new queer theater I've been looking for. This is standing ovation stuff. " -- Kate Bornstein, author of Gender Outlaw

Imani Henry is a Transman, Activist, Actor and Writer and the National Coordinator of Rainbow Flags for Mumia, a coalition of lesbian, gay, bi, two-spirit and trans people fighting to stop the execution of and win a new trial for African-American journalist and political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. Henry lives in NYC.  Her play, B4T, takes a real hard look at what transgender individuals face on a daily basis---discrimination, abuse, acceptance. The show dares us to actually acknowledge our gender privilege and see beyond what society has designed for us.

Resume – (Selected Excerpts)

Awards 2003-2004 Artist Residency, Brooklyn Arts Exchange
2001-2002 Space Grantee, Brooklyn Arts Exchange
2001 Glam Slam Champion, House of Xavier
2001 Community Service Award, Trans World II People of Color Conference

Featured or Solo Performances 2002 Creating Change Conference, NGLTF, Portland, OR
2002 International Drag King Extravaganza, Columbus, OH
2001 Sept 29th Stop War and End Racism Rally, Washington D.C
2000 Gender Splendor Institute, NGLTF National Conference, Oakland, CA
1999 Spoken Word Jam, Apollo Theater, Harlem, NY
1999 TransVersive, sponsored by JRI Health, Boston
1997 Does Your Mama Know Book Tour, Boston, NYC, Washington DC
1997 Shared evening with Letta Neely, Cheryl Boyce Taylor and Jocelyn Taylor, Dixon Place, NYC

Featured Panelist/Guest Lecturer 2002 North Atlantic Training Institute for Sexual Health Educators Retreat, NY
2002 “Barriers to Healthcare for the Transgenders”, Bellevue Hospital, NYC
2000 “Making the Links – LGBT Activists Response after S11”, NYC
2000 New York City LGBT Kwanzaa Celebration
2000 QPOC Conference, (Queer People of Color), Smith College, MA
2000 “Trans/Forming Gender: Sager Symposium”, Swarthmore College, PA

Publications Forthcoming Other Countries, 4th edition, Other Countries Press
Forthcoming Bullets & Butterflies, Queer Slam Poets Anth, Pier Queen Press
1999 “In the Land of the Free, in Rhapsody Magazine
1997 “Can’t Manage It”, in The Evergreen Chronicles
1997 “In the Air”, in Virgin Territory 2,edited by Shar Rednour, Masquerade Books
1996 “Bits and Pieces”, in Does Your Mama Know? Edited by Lisa Moore, Red Bone Press

Ensemble Performances 2000 The Fraud by Susana Cook, WOW Café Theatre, NYC
1999 “The Angel” in Conga Guerilla Forest by Susana Cook, WOW, NYC
1999 Hot Tamale by Susana Cook, WOW, NYC
1997 “Big Red” in Frisco Café by Renita Martin, Center Stage, Boston

Related Experience 2001-2002 Stage Manager, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Brooklyn, NY
2000 Asst. Stage Manager, Evening for Mumia Abu-Jamal, (hosted by Ossie Davis), Madison Square Garden, NYC
1999 Asst. Stage Manager, An Evening for Town Hall, NYC
1999 Co-Curator, Poetry Slam, Lambda Literary Foundation Writers Conf., Atlanta
1997-1998 Co-Producer, Tryst: Pride Party for All Women, Boston LGBTA Pride Comm.
1998 Stage Manager, Plays at Work Festival, The Theater Offensive, Boston
1997 Stage Manager, Out on the Edge Festival (featured Peggy Shaw, Greg Walloch & Luis Alfaro), The Theater Offensive, Boston

Activism 2002 Member, National Writers Union, UAW, Local 1981 AFL-CIO
2002 Planning Committee, Transgender Institute, NGLTF Creating Change Conference
2002 Advisory Board Member, F.I.E.R.C.E (LGBT youth organization)
2001 Founder and Administrator for support internet listserve TPOCX
2000 - Present Internet List Administrator, TGPOC
1999 - Present Co-Founder and National Coordinator, Rainbow Flags for Mumia

Contact: 
646.342.9673 • imanihenry@yahoo.com
55 W17th Street, 5th Floor New York, NY 10011
Website:  http://www.geocities.com/imani_henry

B4T - Before Testosterone
A Theatre Piece by Imani Henry

B4T is a smart, funny, and moving multi-media theatre piece that explores race, sexuality and gender expression through the lives of three Black, masculine, female-bodied people. Written and performed by Imani Henry

B4T played to sold-out audiences and standing ovations in NYC. B4T has been featured on national television and presented at festivals, conferences and campuses across the country.

B4T National Tour is made possible by the generous contributions of: African Ancestral Lesbians United for Societal Change, Antonieta Gimeno & Pat O'Brien, Astraea National Lesbian Action Foundation, The Audre Lorde Project, The Brooklyn Arts Exchange, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies, Collette Carter, Fast Friday Productions, Jesse Ehrensaft-Hawley, The International Action Center, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, The National Writers Union, Henri Nereaux, Marya Warshaw & Jane Raferty, The WOW Cafe Theatre and Administrative & Technical Support Provided by: BF Sound, DYKE TV, Rosamond King of Eating Artist Services, Janet Mayes, Akilah Oliver, Elena J. Peckman, Peoples Video Network, Ivory Sampson, Lallan Schoenstein, Daniel Solitis & Workers World Party