M hadn’t been feeling so good and two things happened that gave them a much needed boost. We don’t want to give it away since it would undercut you need to read M’s post. Let it suffice to say that you will most likely rejoice with M when they share the news. Read on to learn what perked them up.
Today The Artist D! muses on the nature of intentions, being an internet pioneer, the necessity of boring small towns, and how it’s not easy to be in the right place at the right time, even if you have the artistic chops to cut the gig. This will be the last regular contribution from The Artist D! so savor the nuance and quality of their thoughts. They are invited to return to TGF again and may do so at some point in the future when they decide they’ve been on sabbatical too long.
Back in the 1950s and ‘60s a hitchhiking trip across the country could be a life changing experience. That was probably never truer than for Claire who told Linda how she started hitchhiking across Canada as Calvin and returned on the road to becoming Claire. The tale is long and yes, there is some sexual activity so it’s NSFW but you’ll be drawn along on Calvin’s journey, across the continent and across gender borders, and sexual boundries.
Dr. Dana Bevan digs into the story behind Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria. If you’ve been paying attention to your TWIT news column you know that a woman named Lisa Littman of Brown University published an article warning of a rise is the number of children announcing they were transgender and attributing it to early trauma, rather than recognize that the children may actually have been born trans. She then went on to attempt to discredit affirmative treatment for trans children. Dr. Bevan digs into the claims made by Littman, which were of course picked up and amplified by conservative websites and news outlets, and gives you the facts.
Suzzie has been participating in the crossdressing scene since before it was a scene. She’s been dressing up and going out for fun for 75 years. At one point, while attending a get-together at The Tiffany Club in New England she saw someone in a wheelchair dressed in male attire except they wearing a lady’s shirt. She noticed the way the buttons worked. His name was Bill and he was an older man who Suzzie surmised was unable to fully crossdress but still attended the group’s meetings. That was the first time she noticed that time marches on, and one day she might be that person. But even though adjustments had to be made Suzzie is still living the crossdressing life and having fun.
Sophie Lynne journeyed to New Orleans at the beginning of August. We know, what was she thinking? The heat and humidity there at that time are brutal. She was invited to go by the leadership of her fraternity, Phi Kappa Sigma, to present Trans 101 to the fraternity members who were assembled in New Orleans for their Grand Chapter, a meeting of all active members and alumni. The goal of her presentation was to educate the members so they could vote on transgender inclusion for female to male individuals. How did it go? Read on and learn.
If you’ve been following our west coast correspondent Amanda F. Steele’s posts for the last few years she has been living in northern California where she gets by on a minimum wage job while she fights with anxiety and keeps leaning toward going back to the east coast. In today’s post she again wonders why she stays there. She lists the positives and the negatives and talks about her state of mind. Will she make the decision to pack up and head east? Read on and find out.
Claire Hall has only recently transitioned and for her everything has gone pretty smoothly. One problem she has faced is criticism from people who can’t wrap their heads around the fact that trans women are real women. It’s the old complaints — “He looks like a man in a dress.” “All this person is about is clothes and makeup.” “It takes more than a pair of heels and some lipstick to be a woman.” Claire hits back, in a ladylike manner, in today’s post. Does she seem to take delight in feminine attire? Yes. Because for years she denied herself those clothes and the other things that go with her true gender. Read her post for all of her thoughts on what it is that makes you a real woman.
In a very short time our agender Youth View correspondent M will be off to college. How do they look forward to the beginning of a new phase in their life? With eagerness and some trepidation. The dark cloud over the college experience is the dreaded possibility of the possible uttering of their deadname by college professors who don’t know any better. All of M’s admission info is in their old name and M would rather that remained a secret. Get all of M’s thoughts on the coming, possible, crisis in today’s post.
In Theory and Practice Cheryl Ann “Cassie” Sanders gives a little bit of space to theory and devotes a lot of space to the joys of crossdressing. You might say the post is a a celebration of all the time and effort it takes to be out and about in the world and accepted as a woman. This post, like the others we’ve shared by Cassie in the past few months have all been featured on TGForum back in the last century. Cassie has spruced them up with some new makeup and a spritz of perfume so we could present the to you again.
Suicide is a problem among members of the transgender community. Transitions that are well planned often go smoothly but now and then someone’s life seems to be on a good path, living in their preferred gender and suddenly you learn that they took their own life. If things are not going well and they are losing family, friends and their job it’s understandable that the “black dog” of depression could take them over. The Artist D last had suicidal thoughts in their teen years. Today they write their thoughts on suicide, within and outside the trans community.
Our science writer, Dr. Dana J. Bevan, has embarked on the USPATH. That’s the US Professional Association for Transgender Health. She has been elected to join the USPATH by the U.S. members of the WPATH, The World Professional Association for Transgender Health which publishes the Standards of Care (SOC) document for transgender health and treatment. As a new USPATH member Dana is looking to the community for help in identifying issues of importance to the trans community.
Kimberly writes about the early years when she would step out into the world in her female persona. The exhilaration she felt was indescribable. Many who would love to follow in her footsteps and feel that same rush are too reluctant to ever get all dressed up and go out in public. There is always a fear that someone will cause problems. Kimberly has found more people who are accepting and helped her feel accepted as a woman.
Award Winning Public Servant and Transgender advocate Karen Kendra Holmes shares her passion for helping others transition and to foster acceptance and support from those around them, and how life can be fulfilled by being true to oneself and to others. Karen educates others who are not transgender to foster understanding that she and others […]
Amanda F. Steele continues to wrestle with her anxiety. If being exasperated by her hormone treatments? Is it just due to the instability of her life in California? What ever the culprit is it has Amanda in its grasp and will not let her go. Read her report today and if you want to offer counsel or advice use the comment area at the bottom of the post.
Katherine Diaz is our correspondent in Columbia. She is a resident of Bogotá and she enjoys dressing up and walking out through the city as a Princessa de la Noche. Today she writes about the experience of being a long time crossdresser.
Today our Youth View contributor M writes about how their dysphoria has changed during the past few years. The word dysphoria means an extreme discomfort or a feeling of unease. It has manifested differently for M over the years. For example when M was 14 their Adams Apple and chest caused deep feeling of discomfort for them. Now they sometimes feel the dysphoria centered on the chest but because, due to hormones, their chest is getting more feminine. Read all about M’s dysphoria in today’s Youth View.
As Claire moves forward into her new life as a woman she is buoyed by support from friends and associates. For the most part her circle has approved of the move she made. But she is also a public official and that means she is open to a wider range of criticism than a private citizen. Her friends said she shouldn’t read the comments on her Facebook page but she did. Was that a good idea? Give her newest blog entry a look.
Some crossdressers are fascinated by what many find to represent femininity at it’s height — the wedding gown. The white lace, satin and crepe creations are meant to make ordinary girls into something special for their big day. Crossdressers want to also experience the joy of stepping into a beautiful wedding gown and seeing their reflections in a mirror showing them in all their feminine glory. Most are only willing to buy a used gown at a thrift store and try it on at home. Back in the 1990s TGForum contributor Jennifer Blake wanted more than a thrift shop gown. She and a friend went to the bridal salon where Jennifer tried on a gown, bought it, and took it home. Her story is today’s Retro Rerun.
Back in 2014 Dana’s transition was about to take off. She had been on hormone therapy for a few years and the rest of her plan was set to implement. Then, because life is not predictable, she had to put the brakes on transition. What Dana calls “transitionus interruptus.” When something else in life keeps you from moving ahead with transition it is called a “flight.” It can be a family obligation, military service, getting that advanced degree, or any other thing that keeps one from moving forward with their gender transition. Read on and learn how various “flights” kept Dana trapped between genders.
The late Roberta Angela Dee wrote many articles for TGForum back in the 1990s. From time to time we reach back into the archives and pull out content that is still relevant. Today’s Retro Rerun is Ms. Dee’s how-to article on creating a workable feminine voice.
Pauline Estelle is part of a group of trans ladies who get together over the summer at each other’s homes for weekends of femme fun including cooking on the deck, swimming when someone’s home has a pool, and just mingling and chatting about a variety of issues, not the least of which is transgenderism and how it interacts with society. While the get together is fun it can also be a learning experience.
Today Susan Grant shares her advice, gained through years of experience. Don’t bother trying to “pass” as a woman. It is very hard for some males to do given the physical equipment they have. A wide face, large hands, big Adam’s Apple, all our burdens to camouflage or cover up while seeking feminine perfection. Suzzie advocates that it’s better to perfect your feminine “illusion” rather than trying to “pass” in public. Read on and see if you agree.
The drug Amanda was taking to ease her anxiety started to seem as if it was giving her anxiety. To try and feel like herself again she stopped taking it and then the intense anxiety she that had made her go on the drug returned with a vengeance. She had been making plans to pack up and return to the east coast but this renewed anxiety made it hard to just get through a day, let alone plan a big move across the country. She started taking Lexapro but it’s been 17 days and she is not getting any relief from the anxious, debilitated-feeling that has her in its grip.
Today Katherine Diaz, our Columbian Correspondent, visits Bogota’s headquarters for femme transformations. It’s called Tranxtienda and with the help of Angela Gardner, who asks questions about the service, Katherine get information on the business from the owner.
Claire writes today about meeting a controversial figure in the trans community. Caitlyn Jenner. Ms. Jenner arrived in the community when she came out at 64 with no ties to the community. She didn’t even know any transgender people. Then she made several mistakes that opened her up to attacks from some trans community members. Claire was aware of all that when Ms. Jenner came to her area for a college speech. Knowing some would not approve, Claire managed to meet Ms. Jenner and blogs about it today.
