Category: Transgender Opinion

Quislings: Why?

| Apr 20, 2015 | Reply

Sophie Lynne asks some questions about just who has put trans people in the crosshairs. News stories abound about the progress trans people have made but there are also news stories about the states and municipalities where legislators are targeting trans people with discriminatory bills based on a fundamental lack of knowledge about trans issues. Who are these legislators? Sophie asks that — and then answers the question.

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Dina’s Diner 4/13/15

| Apr 13, 2015 | Reply

Once again our culture cook Dina Amberle has skimmed up a variety of ingredients from the Internet and whipped it together, popped it in her cerebral oven and dishes it up as the main course in Dina’s Diner. Today she talks about leggings as pants, discloses what pinup girls really looked like, appreciates a financial reporter’s assets, introduces us to some Jewish drag queens and a bit more. Come on into the Diner, take a seat, order a cup of java and be prepared for a tasty treat.

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Ladyboys: Ignorant and Unconscionable

| Apr 13, 2015 | Reply

To many Thailand seems like a transgender paradise. A place where beautiful ladyboys live as pampered courtesans or acclaimed entertainment stars. This view of Thailand is not what the real Thailand is like. While trans people have been a visible part of the Thai landscape for many years acceptance of their existence is not the same as embracing their presence. Christine Burr reports on the discrimination the ladyboys face in the “Land of Smiles.”

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Chanelle’s College CD Survival Guide, Part 3

| Apr 6, 2015 | Reply

Attention all crossdressing co-eds, our college girl, Chanelle Nirok, has put together a video series on how to crossdress and have fun while you’re living in the dorm. Is that possible? Dorm life is a bit restrictive so how does a young CD express herself in that environment? Chanelle educates you further in Part 3 of this series. There will be a test.

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Footnotes of Orientation

| Apr 6, 2015 | Reply

Popeye said “I yam what I yam and that’s all that I yam.” The Artist D on the other hand is many things. But lately she has found that some of the things she is are getting her more attention than the things she want to get attention for. And it all has do do with how society defines people. She is The Artist D and that can’t be much clearer. Read on and find out what other people think she is.

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Land of the Free: Hardly. When did that change?

| Apr 6, 2015 | Reply

Linda Jensen comments to today on the ongoing “restroom wars” that are being waged in several states around the country. Being from Canada, a country that shares many values with the U.S.A., Linda has a unique perspective. How about if we stop trying to convince people that restroom use is a civil right and use a different approach for a return to commonsense? Find out what Linda suggests.

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Chanelle’s College CD Survival Guide, Part 2

| Mar 30, 2015 | Reply

Attention all crossdressing co-eds, our college girl, Chanelle Nirok, has put together a video series on how to crossdress and have fun while you’re living in the dorm. Is that possible? Dorm life is a bit restrictive so how does a young CD express herself in that environment? Chanelle will educate you further in Part 2 of this series. Be prepared for your exam.

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Dina’s Diner 3/16/15

| Mar 16, 2015 | Reply

Welcome to Dina’s Diner where the pie is always warmed up for you and the coffee has just been brewed. Have a seat while your hostess Dina Amberle talks about the growing presence of TGs in our culture; a male makeup artist who transforms himself into beautiful women; and what’s up with young women who go without nail polish. Is that a fashion trend or are they just lazy? Dina also discusses formerPhiladelphia diva Jeffrey Marsh, who is now a star on Vine. You’ll simply have to read Dina’s Diner to learn what Vine is.

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No Love in Charlotte!

| Mar 16, 2015 | Reply

“Religious fascists outflank and out gun LGBT activists.” That’s what Babs Casbar Siperstein believes happened in Charlotte, NC when they tried to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance. The anti-LGBT groups descended on the City Council and intimidated its members while trans people were harassed in the hallways and restrooms. Babs asks some important questions about what happened in Charlotte.

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Tracheal Reduction — Another Step

| Mar 9, 2015 | Reply

Christine Zee felt that her neck needed to be smoothed and the trachea bump had to go. She investigated the options for a tracheal shave and picked a surgeon she trusted. What is it like to commit to having your neck opened and your trachea reduced? How is the recovery process? Is Christine happy that she elected to have her trachea shaved? Read Tracheal Reduction — Another Step and learn the answers.

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Fortunate or Unfortunate

| Mar 2, 2015 | Reply

Nikki Nicole has some advice for those who put themselves out there on social media in the big, bad world. There may be times that small minded, insecure people attack you because of who and what you are. Nikki shares her secret strategy on how to deal with the abuse. Oops! Now it’s not a secret anymore.

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Where, Oh Where to Tinkle?

| Feb 23, 2015 | Reply

Trans people want their rights — their toilet rights! But the forces of ignorance are aligned against us. While in some places in the world the public restroom is open to both genders (like on “Boston Legal” and in Europe) here we segregate males and females and this causes problems for some people. Some people including trans people. Today Angela shares her thoughts in the Restroom Wars.

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Dina’s Diner 2/16/15

| Feb 16, 2015 | Reply

What’s cookin’ in Dina’s Diner today? Our Dina Amberle has perused the papers and dug out some tasty tidbit to tantalize. She takes some of the not-so-positive appearances of TGs in the news and stirs them around till we begin to see that there’s a positive side after all. Then she adds a dash of Bruce Jenner and a pinch of an alluring underwater star. She tops that off with a double dash of stewardesses in their 1960s uniforms and viola! You’ve got this edition of Dina’s Diner.

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Remembering Virginia Prince

| Feb 16, 2015 | Reply

Virginia Prince was one of the first pioneers of the modern era of crossdressing. She was not afraid to go on television shows in the ’60s to discuss the concept of men wearing women’s clothing. She published the first crossdressing magazine, Transvestia, and she founded Tri-Ess. She also was homophobic, denied transsexuals entry to Tri-Ess and was an opinionated old curmudgeon. Dallas Denny shares some of her interactions with the woman she both admired and despised.

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Work Transition For TG People

| Feb 12, 2015 | Reply

Whether you need to have a special on-the-job TG transition or you are currently looking for a new job that would better fit your new life coordinates, you can start by visiting the online Center for Gender Sanity and take a look at the useful resources there. Don’t add up to the number of unemployed […]

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Restroom Wars — Discussions about TG in the WC

| Feb 9, 2015 | Reply

Question: What do members of the TG community in Ottawa, Canada have in common with Florida State Representative Frank Antiles? Answer: They both had discussions about the use of rest rooms by members of the TG community. Their views are quite different. They were having an online chat but it was as if they were […]

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Be Kind, Rewind

| Feb 9, 2015 | Reply

The Artist D feels that our western society has gotten so enamored of the idea that everyone should get their fifteen minutes of fame that it’s gotten out of hand. Andy Warhol would be appalled. What’s wrong with just “being”? Why do people seem to feel they need to be “something”? And what’s wrong with being a purple penguin? Read The Artist D’s “Be Kind, Rewind and see.

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Out & About With Angela

| Feb 9, 2015 | Reply

Recently our columnist Dana Bevan wrote a piece promoting the idea that we must change the culture and not rely on laws and ordinances to make trans people an accepted part of society. I think that’s true and I have always counseled people to not be afraid of mingling with the general public. Only a […]

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Culture Change for TSTG Issues

| Feb 2, 2015 | Reply

Every week we make more progress in acceptance of trans people and more and more localities amend their human rights anti-discrimination laws to add protections for trans people. But while this goes on in the legislative bodies and the courts are charged with enforcement we still hear of incidents of violence and discrimination against us. What can we do to change that? Dana Bevan believes we need to work harder at changing our culture. Today she tells you how.

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Left Behind

| Jan 26, 2015 | Reply

The weekend before last Sophie Lynne wanted to get out to have fun with her trans sisters at a local TG gathering spot. But snow arrived and icy road thwarted her desires. That left her home alone with nothing to do but settle in and try to write her column for TGForum. Since she was alone again, naturally her thoughts turned to her gender journey. She got a few of those thoughts compiled and here they are.

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Who Gets to Say They’re Transgender?

| Jan 26, 2015 | Reply

It’s only words. But words can break apart a community that needs to stand together against ignorance. Divisions over who gets to use the word “transgender” as a gender identity descriptor are still around in the transgender community. Do crossdressers get to call themselves “transgender”? That’s the question Angela Gardner comments on in this op-ed.

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Dina’s Diner 1/19/15

| Jan 19, 2015 | Reply

Do you know what a “trap” is? It’s a biological male who takes photos dressed as a female and posts them on social networking photo sites. The idea is to fool men into believing they are females. Who knew? Dina Amberle knew and she tells you about that today along with news about former Playboy Bunnies, harnesses, and a runner-up in Brazil’s Miss Bum Bum contest who paid a price for her vanity. Find it all in Dina’s Diner!

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Your Suicide is Not Acceptable

| Jan 12, 2015 | Reply

The recent suicide of a young trans woman who was faced with total rejection of her gender from her parents has caused a stir across the world. No one should have to believe that only ending it all will give them peace. While many call for more education and more support for trans teens The Artist D says it’s not that simple and other things will be required to stop people from ending their lives.

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Now What?

| Dec 29, 2014 | Reply

Sophie Lynne has been living as a woman full time for nine months. Today she pauses to reflect on what, after facing several challenges in the past year, she can expect in the new year. What will 2015 hold for her? Learn what she imagines things will be like in this essay titled “Now What?”

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Video Fashion Tip: Body Type

| Dec 29, 2014 | Reply

Before you can choose flattering femme attire you must first learn your body type. A dress that looks fabulous on a slim hipped body can look disastrous on a pear shaped body. Today Victoria Williams talks about how to figure out your body type so you can choose the best fashions to flatter your figure.

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Breaking the Rules

| Dec 22, 2014 | Reply

For those that read my columns, you’ll know that I advocate some rules and guidelines to help us look our best as we don’t go through the fashion experimentation stage that most young girls do. Many of us come to dressing late in life and our fashion sense is, well, lacking to be frank. I’ve […]

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