Dallas Denny’s contributions to transgender activism, knowledge, and history are legendary and span four decades. She was the first voice thousands of desperate transpeople heard when they reached out for help, and she provided the information and referrals they so desperately needed. She is a prolific writer. Her books, booklets, magazines she has edited, and articles fill an entire bookcase and are in danger of spilling over into a second bookcase. She has created and led several national nonprofit organizations, been present at the creation of at least five transgender conferences, and led two long-lived support groups, She created the first trans-exclusive archive of printed and recorded literature, which today is available to the public at Labadie Collection at the University of Michigan. She has been a fierce advocate for transgender autonomy and access to medical care. Through it all, she has stayed on task, and made it all about the task at hand rather than about herself. Now, in her mid-seventies, she maintains the same frenetic pace she has kept up since the 1980s.
Dallas’ work is viewable in its entirety on her website.
An op-ed in the New York Times this past weekend put forth the theory, supported by some data, that homophobes are likely to have homosexual tendencies. Coincidentally Dallas Denny feels that transphobic individuals are probably drawn to TG behaviors — or there’s some other issue at work.
Rick Santorum makes no bones about the fact that he is for good old fashioned family values. Those of a family of Catholics from the 13th century. In Santorum’s world view there is no room for diversity. Dallas Denny points out one instance that reveals Santorum’s attitude about gender roles.
Dallas Denny digs into the history of attempts to “fix” crossdressers and transsexuals with everything from psychoanalysis to sleep deprivation and high doses of meth. She zeros in on “reparative therapy” and disgraced practitioner Geroge Rekers.
Sweden, thought of as one of the most liberal countries on the planet is far from liberal in its treatment of transsexuals. Hoops must be jumped through and conditions must be met. One of the conditions is forced sterilization. Dallas Denny comments.
Injected silicone — pumping — disfigures and kills transgender women who turn to it seeking a quick fix for feminine curves. The results of pumping can be twisted and distorted features, severe pain and death. Yet the practice persists. Dallas Denny talks about pumping and its deadly toll.
Dallas Denny contrasts the treatment of TGs in the ’80s to the way we are treated today. She finds that while we have made an enormous amount of progress as we get closer to the mainstream, we’re not there yet.
Keeping our transgender history and making it available for research, study, and just there for young TGs to look at is an important thing. We need to remember where we came from, what we’ve been through and how we became who we are. Dallas Denny visits a GLBT archive.
What should you do if you have a child who is gender nonconforming — or one who does conform to a gender role, just not the biological one? What if the doctor recently told you your child is intersexed? What if your child is telling you she wants a sex change?
Dallas Denny has mixed feelings about the Standards of Care and gives us both the pros and cons in this installment of WPATH and The Standards of Care. Do the Standards serve transmen well? Why shouldn’t a transwoman get breast augmentation when she wants? Dallas answers those questions and more.
Since 1979 the primary professional organization for professionals working with TG and TS people has published guidelines for the hormonal and surgical treatment of people seeking sex reassignment. Dallas Denny takes a look at the origin and evolution of The Standards of Care.
Where ever you have humans there’s a tendency for those humans to ignore the common things they share and instead focus on the minor differences. Dallas Denny wrote an essay on the subject back in 1994 and it was never published. It’s still relevant today.
Since they no longer have a convention, publish a magazine or have a bookstore is IFGE, The International Foundation for Gender Education, still fulfilling its mission? Dallas Denny says no, it isn’t. And things may be worse than that.
Dallas Denny discusses how the variety of trans identities has blossomed since the 1980s. Now people can be a “tomboy lite,” a homoflexible lesbian,” a lipstick dyke,” a femme bear” and many other things at the same time. It’s not just transsexual, transvestite or drag queen anymore.
Dallas Denny provides an in depth look at the various techniques used to modify the body to make it more feminine or masculine. From hormones and electrolysis to surgeries and silicone, Dallas takes you through it all.
Dallas Denny has a second life, and she tells you how you can have one, too. There’s no need to be limited by physical restraints. Be all you want to be in virtual reality. Learn how in Part 2 of Dallas’ Virtual Personae.
Introducing, to those who don’t know her, our newest contributor (who was a contributor ten years ago) a major figure on the TG scene and a really nice person, Dallas Denny.
Our newest contributor Dallas Denny joins us this week with an article on virtual personae, from the days of text only Compuserve identities to Second Life.
