While non-transgender individuals – often called cisgender — are referred to with the same pronoun for their entire lives, for many transgender individuals, the gendered pronouns of “he” and “she” do not always align with the gender that they identify with. Advocates across the country have discussed the development of a third-person pronoun, and how […]
Last month Linda wrote about an ‘eternal love triangle’ involving a ‘CD admirer’ named Stan, Stan’s wife Susan and a pretty young crossdresser named . . . Well, she wasn’t given a name and we weren’t told whether she was pretty or young. Come to think of it she could be you or she could be me if we were to be dating a married man. The last article ended by repeating an e-mail titled ‘Final Message from Stan’s Wife’ where the wife reported finding evidence that rather than being remorseful about his dalliances her husband was planning further trysts for his upcoming business trip to New York.
It might seem at times that whatever you are for The Artist D is against it. But that’s the nature of the artist, isn’t it? They exist to prod our brains with images and sounds that make us question, think, and appreciate. Today The Artist D looks at people and finds them made up of a collection of cells and organs that create each individual. But the individuals have a problem combining with other individuals to create something for the greater good. But what is the greater good, anyway? Prepare to be prodded.
Babs Casbar Siperstein reports on three things that just might get your riled up. She looks at why the first trans person to ever be nominated for an Oscar decided to boycott the ceremony. She discusses the startling fact that the Republican National Committee has issued an official statement urging Republican legislators to vote in favor of bills to restrict trans restroom rights. And she gets you riled up in a positive way over a new trans movement to support Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Democratic Party nominee.
There are many things people expect in life. Often times not getting what they expect causes problems. Their expectations don’t become reality. A son can grow up to become a daughter. A father can stop being a man and become a woman. Adjusting to the fact that accepting people in your life for who they are and not who you expect them to be can be hard. Cate O’Malley has some thoughts on the subject. Along with her impressions of Kinky Boots.
Chanelle Nirok is a young crossdresser who is always looking for a lady to call her own. It’s hard enough finding someone special no matter who you are. Adding crossdressing into the picture makes it even harder. But Chanelle has dated many women and has some advice on what you should keep an eye open for in any relationship. Find out what she feels are Dating Red Flags.
Sophie Lynne is a staunch liberal and progressive when it comes to politics. Today she makes comments on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. As you might expect Sophie is not mourning the passing of a judge who used his strict interperation of the Constitution to make decisions that have been at odds with the needs of LGBT people, and the general public. Sophie has some things to speak about the deceased that she feels are true. Give her blog and read and see how you feel.
A wise man once said it’s important to know your enemy. While there are many people that could be considered enemies to members of the trans community the hardest ones to understand are not those who are totally ignorant. Ignorance can be a factor in why someone would treat trans people badly. The ones that are hard to understand are those who have been a part of the community and left to advocate for laws allowing discrimination against trans people and telling the world that there is no such thing as transgender and trans people are deluded and sick. One such person is anti-trans activist and writer Walt Heyer.
Come in out of the cold and take a seat at Dina’s Diner. Have a hot cup of coffee or a bowl of Dina’s delicious chicken soup and warm yourself while she tells you what’s going on. Today her specials include the tale of a young woman who believes she is a cat. There’s the dish on a new modeling agency for trans models; the story of how Justin Bieber’s feminine beauty (he’s like a prettier Miley Cyrus) got him his record deal; Dina’s appreciation of the “snow bunny” winter look, and some dish about weather women and weight loss commercial stars. Are they enhancing their figures? Read Dina’s Diner and learn!
Diane Hutchinson transitioned in 1999 and has been using the lady’s rooms in public spaces for years. She doesn’t often think about the ginned up “controversy” over trans people using the restroom that matches their gender. She just walks right in when she must. But recently she had the experience of hearing two people she knows and likes talking about the issue in a misinformed manner. Find out what she purposes as one way to attack the bills being introduced to ban trans people from the restrooms that match their gender in her opinion piece, Can We Just Pee? Please?
It’s a big, wonderful world and it’s full of possibilities. Why should we be limited to expressing only two gender identities? That’s the question The Artist D poses today. Why not be able to be femme one day, masculine the next and a mixture of both, or none, on another day? The Artist D wants to shake the gender identity tree and see what falls out. See if you agree.
The U.S. military is currently examining the ban on transgender people serving openly. But directives issued last year by the Department of Defense make it clear that the military is aware of its trans soldiers and is going to let them serve openly. Dana Bevan believes that while the road to trans acceptance in the U.S. military is going to be short one the various branches of the service are not at all prepared to deliver medical care to trans soldiers, sailors and airmen/women. Does she think they can get their act together? Read on and see.
Babs writes about the differences between the two main political parties when it comes to how they view the trans community. One party works diligently to add protections for the rights of LGBT people and the other party puts even more effort into trying to suppress LBGT rights. Even when that party tries to be more inclusive they just can’t seem to go all the way. Babs has all the info on where they stand.
If blending in and passing is what you strive for when you’re out and about in public then this column is not aimed at you. Cate O’Malley has made a decision to not adhere to the dictates of fashion or to just blend in. She has firm likes and dislikes and when she dresses to go out for the day she dresses the way she likes. She also urges others to do fashion their way. Will that approach work for you?
Sophie Lynne has been wondering whether people who tell her they know how it feels to be treated differently because she is transgender means can really have an understanding of what it’s like. As a trans person she admits that she doesn’t know what it’s like to have been born with a female body. How can cisgender people have a clue about what it’s like to be trans? Sophie has one idea.
Today Dina Amberle invites you to partake of many specials down at Dina’s Diner. She dishes up hot and nutritious commentary on many things. Would crossdressing be fun without an element of danger? Is it okay to let an 8-year-old boy wear drag queen makeup but not okay for little girls to be in beauty pageants? How about a subversive drag production of Rapunzel? Of course she stirs in a good helping of David Bowie and adds a dash of a deceased ’60s fashion designer. Her concoction has been simmering all day and it’s ready for you to grab a heaping helping of Dina’s Diner.
Dallas Denny has written a piece on the confusion that can arise when gender specific pronouns are avoided. She feels that the world needs new pronouns to replace the old ones because when people start referring to other people as “they” or “them” instead of “her’s” or “his” the potential for increased misunderstanding grows greater. She likens it to the old Abbot &* Costello routine Who’s On First?
Some of the groups participating in the Philadelphia Mummers Parade on New Year’s Day found making fun of Caitlyn Jenner to be funny. They make signs that had Bruce Jenner on a a Wheaties box on one side and a Froot Loops box with Caitlyn on the other side. TGF contributor Diane Hutchinson was not amused. Today she comments on why it’s not just good, clean fun.
This is an opinion piece from the TGF Archives. It was published in April of 1999 by Roberta Angela Dee, a writer and activist in the trans community who published several books and wrote for TGForum and other publications. Ms. Dee passed away in 2003. In this piece she discusses whether gender reassignment surgery is […]
The Artist D is stricken with “year end wrap up fever.” If afflicts many at the end of an old year and the start of a new one. For The Artist D wrapping up means looking back at the columns she contributed to TGForum over the past year and identifying the ones that expressed her hopes for a better year in 2016.
Josy is proud of the way that transgenderism has been brought out of the shadows and made visible to the general public. She thanks trans icons like Jazz Jennings and Caitlyn Jenner for their work in making people aware that trans people are here and we aren’t going away. But she has concerns that some in the community don’t wish to do their part to further acceptance of trans people.
Babs is a bit upset that a convicted traitor to the United States is getting her thoughts on trans matters featured in the media. Babs feels that Chelsea Manning is not the person who should be representing the trans community and she has a number of far better suited people who deserve recognition for all they have done on behalf of the community. Let the media print what they have to say.
Our co-ed crossdresser, Chanelle Nirok, has some ideas on dating. In her opinion the important thing is how you get along with a person. Some, like the old Paula Abdul song, thing that opposites attract. Others feel that you need to find a partner who is just like you. Chanelle feels that it’s important to find someone who is your equal.
Here it is, the beginning of 2016 and I, like so many of us, make resolutions and polish up my crystal ball to try to determine what awaits us in the New Year. My resolutions usually contain lose weight and exercise. This year, however, instead of setting hopeless goals, I’m throwing out the resolutions, setting […]
Dickens Christmas tale has Sophie musing about the ghosts that all of us are haunted by. Some of those ghosts are good and some are bad but they all affected us as we traveled though our lives. Sophie points out that while these ghosts of people in our past, and in our present, can influence us and push us one way or another, in the end we make our decisions and are responsible for them.
Drop in to Dina’s Diner today and check out the menu specials. She has a few tasty treats for you, including an interesting item about the first black trans model. Then she features some tasty news on African actresses who star in African-made films; a report on crossdresser’s wish lists; and she finishes up with some short desert items that are sure to please.
