Recent Transgender Articles
5 Things You Thought You Knew About Transvestites
Our Doodle contributor from England, Catie Maye, is not only a cartoonist but she is an author. Her book, set to be released in the U.K. in early February, is title Men Can Wear Dresses Too. It tells the story of Catie’s life and incorporates information taken from the most influential and respected surveys of the past 40 years. By special arrangement with her publisher, Authorhouse, we’re happy to bring you an excerpt from the book.
Fear
Many of us live in fear. Everything from fear of missing a bus to fear of being mugged; fear of paying too much for something or fear of being outed as a crossdresser or TG. All of these fears exist and sometimes, like the one about being outed, the fears can repress us and dominate us. They can keep us from being who we really are. Sophie Lynne has been facing her fears. Today she tells us about them and tells us a secret about fighting fear.
Dressing Up — With The Occasional Woman
Lorraine Anderson is a seamstress and theatrical costumer who has been making clothing for the crossdressing community for many years. What started as a sideline to help her crossdressing friends has become a business called The Occasional Woman. Tell Lorraine what kind of dress you want and she can make it for you. Today she begins a new column on TGF giving advice and counsel to those who wish to dress in women’s clothing and look good doing it. Today — the basics.
TransVocalizers: CD Review — “God Shave The Queen!”
While cruising around the Internet our intrepid music columnist Pamela DeGroff came across a drag queen music classic. She stumbled onto a copy of a 1996 CD release called God Shave The Queen! it features music by 10 artists, most drag queens and the musical genres range from dance to funk, smooth jazz to cabaret, and more. The CD is still available online so check out Pamela’s review and see if you’d like to add it to your music collection.
A Christine-Jane Cartoon 12/30/13
Christine-Jane has been commenting on the crossdressing lifestyle for years. First appearing in trans-magazines and newsletters before there was an Internet, she now comes to TGForum to skewer corssdresser foibles and fears with her pens and pencils. If the ladies in her cartoons seem familiar it’s because they are. We’ve all either met them or been them. Today she presents a CD fantasy.
Posing for Photos as a Woman
There’s more to getting a good photo of your femme self than standing in front of a camera. Wardrobe, hair, makeup and your pose are all essential in making the photo show your femme side. TGF member Leah Valdez has been doing amateur modeling as a female and she has some tips and tricks that will help you look your most feminine in photos whether you take them yourself or go to a professional photographer.
David de Alba Interviews Robin Price
Of all the interviews I have done, this is the most difficult for me since I have known Robin Price for so many years. When I purchased my first home in the early ’70s in San Francisco, he lived across the street. We became friends quickly and though he had retired from Showbiz I learned […]
Important Info About Chat
Happy New Year everyone! With the coming of the new year we are making improvements and changes to TGForum. The content will still be arriving and all the features will be there but we’re doing some sprucing up and polishing. One of the first changes coming is that after the 1st of January the Chat […]
Blend or Not…What Outfit Should I Wear?
Many crossdressers say they just want to blend in but then you find them wearing outfits that make them stand out. Not because they are so well put together but because they are badly coordinated and not age or place appropriate. So Tasi Zuriack says why not standout from the crowd in an attractive way that makes the first comment your provoke be about how great your outfit is and not something on the order of “That guy’s dress is awful.” Get fashion advice on how to find your go-to look so you can dress to impress.
A List of Buckets
Nikki Nicole, our contributor with two first names, is full of wisdom. Or silliness. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the two. But today she takes on a topic we often hear about — the bucket list. And she asks the question, “What’s in your wallet?” We don’t expect she really wants you all to send her a list of what’s in your wallet, or even a list of buckets, but we think you’ll agree she covers her topic well and presents us with a bucket filled to overflowing.
Video Fashion Tip — Putting Yourself Together
So you’ve acquired lady’s clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry and the undergarments you need to totally dress in femme fashion. But how do you decide what goes with what? Putting an outfit together is more than just throwing on some clothing. The stylish woman makes her clothing work together. Each piece compliments or reflects every other item of her attire. Victoria Williams gives you some pointers in today’s Video Fashion Tip, Putting Yourself Together.
Parallel Lives
Our correspondent in Thailand had an opportunity to get together with old friends and talk about this, that and the other thing. The “other thing” that came up was how they were all living parallel lives, being successful males in one life and secretly (or mostly secretly) expressing their feminine sides. Meet Marc, Trevor and Roland and see if they sound like your long lost sisters.
Changing Gender Markers to Match Reality — Victories and Hope in NJ
The New Jersey Legislature has passed a bill that allows transgendered individuals to change the gender on their birth certificates with only a doctor’s statement that they have undergone treatment for gender transition. They no longer have to have reassignment surgery once the governor signs the bill. Babs Casbar Siperstein looks at this development and some other legal advances TGs have made recently.
Perpetual Change — Year End Buyer’s Guide/Music Review
It’s a holiday tradition at TGForum that our music columnist Pamela DeGroff uses the last month of the year to review the best of the TG music she has reviewed throughout the year. In today’s column Pamela revisits Michelle Rocking Horse Garcia, Rev. Yolanda, Georgie Jessup, Vicki Estrada, Namoli Brennet, BeThisBell and Ryan Cassata. She also has music news and two mini CD reviews. For everything musical check out Perpetual Change.
Part of The Baroness’ Fetish Retinue
RachelX is into whips and chains. Also being wrapped in duct tape, hung from the ceiling in a straight jacket and just about any other fetish found in the initials SMBD. Why does she like it? It’s all about power. Recently Rachel attending a fetish party, or gathering on the retinue of the mistress she serves ,and she illustrates this post why S&M is not what you see in Hollywood movies with some photos from that party.
Oh Tranny, Where Art Thou?
The Artist D is never one to lack an opinion. Today she has an opinion about words. As The Bee Gees said before they went disco, “It’s only words….” Words can have power. Words can hurt. The Artist D feels that words only have the power to hurt you if you let them. Today her opinion is about the word “tranny” and whether those who use it are automatically doomed to the ranks of the transphobic.
Do Not Get Caught RED Handed!
Can crossdressers be self centered? Narcissistic? Lack empathy for their spouses? Sure. But so can football fanatics or obsessed collectors. Today Dee Levy reminds CDs that it’s the holiday season and it might be nice to consider the feelings of spouses and family a bit more at this time of year. Of course Dee was married to a seriously self centered CD and she’s still more than a little angry about it but her cautionary tales may help you to see if you’re a bit too obsessed for the season.
Does ENDA Have A Shot In Congress?
ENDA has long been recognized as an important political bill for the LGBT community. Standing for “Employment Non-Descrimination Act,” the bill has sought to brought about sweeping reform in the workplace, ending by law any discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation. In fact, when you consider this definition of ENDA, and our society’s […]
Crossdressers: After a While You Start to See Them Everywhere
Don’t you find you have a tendency to see transgendered people everywhere? Look at that woman over there. Isn’t she a bit tall? That jawline is a bit heavy, don’t you think? Well, large hand. Do you suppose? It’s an easy practice to fall into and when we spot someone we think is TG we want to somehow let them know that we know and that it’s okay because we’re TG too. But it doesn’t always work out.
Video Fashion Tip — Jewelry
We all, well most of us, like sparkles and beads and glittery jewels to accentuate our beauty. Adorning oneself with jewelry has been a common practice among members of the human race for years and countless years. But what is the right bauble? Should it be beads or pearls? Is silver the proper statement or does it have to be gold? Your jewelry questions are answered by Victoria Williams in this Video Fashion Tip on jewelry.
Flight to Military and Marriage
Did you enlist in the armed forces to escape your transgender tendencies? Did you get married believing that settling down in a committer relationship would “cure” you? Is that really what goes on with TGs who enlist or get married? Some studies say yes, enlisting in the armed forces is a flight to hyper masculinity. Having to be the “man” in a relationship may be seen as another “cure” for TG issues. But are these behaviors what they appear to be? Could there be another reason why TGs join the military or get married? Dr. Dana Bevan has another hypothesis.
First Event 2014, January 22-26, Boston
by Stacey Carla, First Event Committee First Event, held every January, is the only major transgender conference in mid-winter — literally the first event each year. Attendance has been growing in recent years — being indoors when it is likely to be snowing out turns out to be good for a transgender conference! Such gatherings are […]
A Christine-Jane Cartoon 12/2/13
Christine-Jane has been commenting on the crossdressing lifestyle for years. First appearing in trans-magazines and newsletters before there was an Internet, she now comes to TGForum to skewer corssdresser foibles and fears with her pens and pencils. If the ladies in her cartoons seem familiar it’s because they are. We’ve all either met them or been them. Today she comments on the secret life of CDs.
Been Thinkin’ About…
Today Sophie Lynne is making a confession. It was only when she admitted to herself that she was a “she” that she could put in to perspective all the grudges and the need for revenge that she was carrying around. Rather than seeking retribution and demanding justice Sophie is learning that forgiveness is the more feminine path — and the first person she needed to forgive was herself.
TransVocalizers: TG Music 2013
As is her custom in the final month of the year our music columnist Pamela DeGroff devotes her columns to a review of the best music she has introduced us to during the year. Today she has Willam Belli, Foxx Jazell, Sylvester, and KOKUMO among the artists she pulls from the past year and gives a final mention to. Plus a couple of mini-reviews and some TG music news.
Twenty-Nine Linear Feet — The National TG Library & Archive
Those new to the transgender community may not have a grasp of what it was like for transgendered people before the advent of the Internet. Information about crossdressing, transsexualism, gender identity and all of the many issues and conditions under the transgender umbrella was hard to find. It was out there in pamphlets, books printed on mimeograph machines and office copiers. Some tomes were published by actual publishers with hard covers but copies could not be found at your local library. Much of what was printed by and about TGs from those days would be lost without the establishment of transgender archives. Dallas Denny tells of one such effort.
