Dina’s Diner 10/17/22

BOOSTING VISIBILITY

I saw an article on Fiona Dobson’s crossdressing blog headlined The Importance of Being Visible. It appeared on her site September 23, 2022.

I was surprised to find out that the sort of visibility Fiona was advocating for was a more subtle form than I imagined from the headline. Here is a brief excerpt from the post:
“For a smaller group, a minority for example such as trans people, being able to identify our own supporters and allies is important. Imagine being lost in a crowd, possibly hostile, and having no idea who one’s allies are. For this reason I am a strong proponent of carrying symbols that convey support for trans, bi and LGBTQ values. I show my colors, as it were. I also know that while not everyone will recognise my message, many people who are aligned with me will recognise the symbols and take some comfort from them. The idea of this is not to provoke. It’s to signal to allies, ‘Yes, I am here.’ Not everyone needs to be a Valkyrie or social justice warrior. Gently assuring our sisters and friends, these are my choices and I am unashamed of them is important.”

It’s an interesting idea. The rainbow has become a widely recognized symbol for the LGBTQ community and supporters. Did you know there was a specific trans flag? I did not. It is a blue-white-pink stripe design as pictured here. There is also a symbol that combines the traditional ‘male-female’ graphic into one that includes both genders.

What Fiona is suggesting would still take some individual courage if one is not ‘out’ or would fear confrontation by an opponent. Trans issues have become such a hot button issue for those opposed to any support that even wearing pink (for a male, anyway) could invite derision. On the positive side, it could give silent comfort to community members who recognize it.

Looking back at the photos from the 1960s Civil Rights protests, it is powerful to see white faces in the crowd supporting the movement. Today, we see some parents, teachers, and others who are supporting LGBTQ expression in schools and elsewhere because they believe in righteous causes. A subtle but visible sign of support for trans people would be akin to the lambda symbol that was an understated sign of gay-friendliness in the early years of gay rights.

LGBTQ and M?

I came across a posting on Reddit.com showing a Thai Buddhist monk who transitioned and became a social media influencer. Unfortunately, the Reddit photo post or the comment string on the post did not reveal the name of the monk. How hard could it be (I thought) to find a Buddhist monk who transitions as a social media butterfly? Well, it turns out it isn’t as uncommon as all that.

Monk to social media influencer.

I found a handful of online articles about Buddhist monks who are part of the LGBTQ community including some who are trans. One of the Reddit commenters explained it this way: “Being a Buddhist monk in Thailand is very different than being a monk elsewhere. It’s not a lifelong gig like a vow of chastity you see in China and other Northern Asian countries. Many people just join for a while when they’re having a hard time or are sent there by their parents.” Another commenter wrote, “I was told it’s a rite of passage thing, like every boy would need to spend a year or two when they turned a certain age. I thought it’s a good idea as long as the society gives youth the space to do it, and not just for boys. It’d be like a gap year but more focused on inner growth and simple lifestyle.”

A 2013 article in the Bangkok Post covered the issue of trans monks. “Many parents with gay sons, especially those in upcountry communities, believe that the monkhood will resolve their children’s gender identity crises,” said Jetsada Taesombat, coordinator of the Thai Transgender Alliance, which among other things provides a telephone and web-based support service for people with gender issues. “It might sound strange, but they truly believe that becoming a monk will turn their gay sons straight.” The article also mentioned that as a result of the constraints on expression, “Social media platforms provide a means of communication for young monks. Like all young people, they want to express themselves and sometimes that means wearing makeup or women’s clothes.” Hmmm, sounds familiar even to these western ears, yes?

There have been former Thai Buddhist monks who became local pageant princesses, one a bona fide runway model in Paris, and some celebrity ladyboys. And at least one case of a celebrity ladyboy who went the other way – leaving the glam behind and becoming a monk instead.

The original hook for my interest was the before and after photo in the Reddit post. I was impressed by the BME in both versions. That’s Big Monk Energy on the left and Big MILF Energy on the right.

BRINGING HIS ‘A’ AND CD GAME

I saw an article about an online gamer and video streamer named Finn. The article was from 2021 but the subject was interesting. It appeared on the site AllAboutCrossdresser.com.

Finn

The article reported, “Finn identifies himself as a cis male crossdresser/Femboy. Upon being asked by his fans whether he considers himself as Trans, he stated in one of his video that he actually considers himself as a Femboy/crossdresser and prefers to use he/him pronouns.” Finn is based in England and is now 22 years old. But he started his crossdressing journey (at least publicly) in early 2019 when he was 18. The legend was that he “lost a bet” and let his friends make him up as a girl. The video he posted of that initial foray racked up thousands of hits on the Omegle chat platform. His handle is F1NN5TER and adopted the name Rose for some of his online presences.

I don’t understand the gaming universe or how the crossdressing angle would play into it. I remember years ago writing an item about gaming guys using feminine personas and avatars while playing. But to appreciate Finn’s crossdressing you needn’t know anything about Minecraft (where it began) and you can watch his YouTube videos and view his Instagram page as a non-gaming civilian. When I was 22, 8-track tapes were the latest technology. So it is a brave new world indeed.

Like a lot of young crossdressers, he favors playful outfits rather than overtly sexy or suggestive get-ups. Like many crossdressers, he is an average looking guy on whom the makeup works to bring out a natural beauty. He doesn’t affect a feminine voice in the videos. His British baritone lends a dissonance that makes him even more intriguing.

I always admire people who put themselves out there without apology and have a positive attitude about what they are doing. There are hundreds, no, thousands, of young crossdressers who still post anonymously and I’m sure they have good reasons for not going fully public even though the tools to do so are readily available nowadays. We can admire Finn and enjoy his online presence even if it is beyond our reach to follow suit.

SAYING CHEESE

I saw an interesting article about photographer Nadia Lee Cohen on a site called It’s Nice That. It appeared on the site way back in March 2019.

Nadia Lee Cohen is known in the world of photographic art for her hyper-real portraits of models (including herself) in cinematic set pieces. It’s similar in some respects to Cindy Sherman’s self-portraits in archetypal costuming and her “film stills’ series. She also shoots ads and commercials for fashion designers.

I’m always interested in self-portraiture in photography – especially highly stylized work like Cohen’s or Sherman’s – because, like most crossdressers, I like to photograph myself while dressed. In a way, crossdressers have been doing what the pros do ever since cameras became widely available. Sadly, we do not often (or at all) reach the artistic heights of Nadia or Cindy or their compatriots.

Plenty of crossdressers do photo themes with costumes or backgrounds. What is missing that the artists provide is an implied backstory. A seeming quick-snap from a street scene or a facial expression that makes the viewer wonder what was happening in that moment. Holding a feather duster while dressed in your maid’s outfit just isn’t enough.

Another interesting photography related article appeared on a photography site PetaPixel.com in February 2022. It was headlined The Photo Behind the Iconic Columbia Pictures ‘Torch Lady’ Logo.

As shown here on the right side, the painted Columbia Pictures logo of a be-robed woman holding a torch aloft is indeed iconic. The robed woman has been used by Columbia Pictures in various forms since the 1920’s. It’s been enhanced and modernized over the decades including the 1991 update which the PetaPixel article details.

According to the article, the artist commissioned for the update, Michael Deas, asked his photographer friend, Kathy Anderson, to do some test shots that he would use as the basis for the painted final product. They recruited Anderson’s assistant, Jenny Joseph, as the model. They draped a sheet around her and she held an electric candle as a stand-in for the flaming torch. Kathy Anderson told the reporter, “The materials were carefully arranged. Lights were placed to accentuate folds in the fabric and create a catchlight in the eyes of Jenny. We began a fun-filled and creatively fused couple of hours of shooting, studying. During the shoot, Jenny asked if she could sit down for a minute,” says the photographer. “I shot one frame of her seated, which may be my favorite from the shoot.”

It’s an interesting behind-the-scenes story of an image we’ve seen for ages. It also points out that a little artifice, accenting what you want to show, hiding or minimizing what you want to conceal, is a good thing to remember when we’re making our own iconic crossdressing photos. Hold your torch aloft, ladies, and light the world.

THE SURVEY SAYS COME ON DOWN BEHIND DOOR NUMBER 3!

We always see beautiful celebrity women on television. But seeing a beautiful ‘civilian’ woman on television is like finding hidden treasure. Being on television – even after all these decades of watching – is still a rarity for most people and as such invests an appearance as special.

Contestant Janeen.

Game shows are fertile ground for finding the hidden treasure of beautiful mothers, teachers, nurses, students, and even the occasional grandmother on our own television screens. Just yesterday (as I write this), Let’s Make A Deal chose an attractive Asian mom dressed up in some confection of tulle, satin, go-go boots, and cutout stars (see photo) to play. I can still remember being smitten with Kirstin Cutts, the pretty, be-spectacled, dream girl contestant on Jeopardy! in 2017. Even farther back, on The Gong Show in the 1980s, I remember a pretty girl with a gigantic bosom dressed in a cheerleader’s uniform.

I know I’m not the only one either. In researching some of my memories, I found a bunch of websites, YouTube videos, and comment boards celebrating and (sometimes) perving about beautiful game show contestants. There is a YouTube montage of busty girls running (and bouncing) down the aisle or up onstage on The Price is Right. Jeopardy! fans often debate who is the prettiest nerdy girl ever to appear on the show. A Wheel of Fortune contestant nearly spilled out of her low cut blouse while leaning over to spin the wheel. Family Feud, which often has naughty or double-entendre responses is good because the contestants are shown full length. But the best, in my opinion, is Let’s Make A Deal. The women contestants dress up in costumes which are sometimes overtly or inadvertently sexy – like the lady mentioned above. It’s also worthwhile to scour the audience for women who haven’t been chosen to play but who have interesting outfits on. A few days ago, one such lady was wearing a tophat, a lot of makeup, and bedazzled fishnet tights.

Busty women, beautiful women, nerdy pixies, fishnet tights. I’m here for all that.

Tags: featured, news, opinion

Category: Transgender Fun & Entertainment