Recent Transgender Articles
Oppression Continues During the COVID Crisis
During the current crisis things are tough all over but marginalized transgender people are being hit harder than most. Today Claire Hall discusses the threats to trans people that were present before the pandemic and are exacerbated by it. She does see some positives however. Give her blog a read and see if you agree.
The Cedar Chests, Chapter 8
Several months have passed since Mary Jo talked her husband Tom into attending the the Kentucky Lady’s Association Gala as Claire. It turned out that Tom didn’t need to worry that anyone would realize he was Claire. In fact Claire was the belle of the ball. Of course being five foot five in his stocking feet meant Claire was sized about the same as all the other ladies, and with her tightly laced corset she looked fabulous in both her modern cocktail dress and her vintage gown. Mary Jo had told the woman who put the ball together about Claire’s collection of vintage dresses and corsets. When another major gala is planned Mary Jo is asked if Claire could attend and model those vintage dresses. Tom has taken on more responsibility in his father’s business and is reluctant to be a model at such a public event. Of course, Mary Jo talks him into it.
TransTainment for May 4, 2020
What do you call it when transgender actors, musicians, singers and other performers create exciting characters and works in the arts? We call it TransTainment! Today we bring news of the winner in the Secret Celebrity Drag Race, it’s an actor from Riverdale, learn about Billy Porter’s Met Gala Instagram challenge, meet Brazilian drag queen singer Pabllo Vittar, and several others. Do not fail to get caught up on trans people in the arts with your monthly dose of TransTainment!
The Week In Trans April 27, 2020
Time for The Week In Trans! Today we learn Jennifer Finney Boylan has a new book. Advocacy groups sue ICE over trans detainees. More lethal violence toward trans women. An ex-transgender, ex-gay advocate passes. The pandemic puts transgender people at greater risk. The former Living Ken Doll talks about her gender transition. Protections for LGBT people under the ACA may be stripped away. Nikkie De Jager’s outing has left her with PTSD. A bar in Minnesota has drag queens delivering cocktails curbside. Shangela has a new show on HBO. The UN commissioner for civil rights calls out nations using the pandemic to implement anti LGBTQ laws. Priscilla Queen of the Desert had a huge effect on Australians. There’s all that plus much more and a few TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
Somewhere On Facebook
Living in the 21st century we are now able to use the internet to learn things, communicate with others and even set up musical jam sessions with players located at many different places. This wonderful technology is even more useful and important during the current pandemic. That said, some of the social networking that goes on seems to be more “anti-social.” Rather than unite the transgender community platforms like Facebook seem to be doing more to divide us. Today Julie Slowinski has some thoughts on this phenomena.
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
Linda Jensen’s beat for TGForum is covering the social scene. That’s gotten plenty hard to do in the new world of Coronavirus isolation. However that’s not going to stop Linda from turning in her post on time for publication. The world may hit the off switch but TGForum and Linda Jensen keep on keeping on. For your amusement and edification we present Linda’s new blog, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore.
Sabrina Symington’s “She” Episode 28
Kay finds herself running through endless, dark corridors with the sound of pursuit behind her. Where can she find sanctuary? Where can she find Nat? How can she hide? Can she hide? Will the crazy man with the sharp knives find her no matter what she does? Episode 28 awaits your attention.
The Development of Lingerie
What crossdresser hasn’t at one time or another become fascinated by women’s undergarments? Either the look of a nipped in waist contained by a tight, unyielding corset or a black lacy bra with bikini panties and thigh high hose — or just a pretty, silky slip — undergarments can provide that sexy feeling crossdressers love. Today Pauline Estelle takes a look back at the history of lingerie.
When I am SHE I am not HE
Christine Burr has been living her life in two genders. Doing her job as a male, a successful male, and enjoying her a social life based on expressing her femininity. She has been able to transform from male to female presentation and finds that when she is being “her” all traces of “him” seem to evaporate. Everything male is gone. In today’s blog she wonders just where it is “he” goes while she is being herself.
Normal Is A Setting on Your Washer
What is “normal”? We live in a world where people always want a label to use in defining themselves and others. Jaelle Tarrell finds that when it comes to the many labels that exist for those who don’t fit into generally seen categories of gender identity and sexuality, or asexuality, things can get confusing. She finds that “normal” is not necessarily normal.
The Week In Trans April 20, 2020
Time for the most comprehensive collection of trans related news in the galaxy — The Week In Trans! Today we learn star of Pose Indya Moore raises money for black trans people suffering because of the epidemic. Virginia’s governor signs the Virginia Values Act which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to the state’s civil rights law. Idaho’s anti-trans laws are being challenged in court. There’s news about the trans military ban. Some trans students suffer in home schooling. Nicole Maines gives an interview. Pride events are canceled over concerns about Covid-19. The virus is also affecting people’s ability to get HRT. Poland may jail teachers who include LGBT in their courses. There’s all that and a lot more from the trans world in TWIT! Along with a few well deserved TWIT Awards.
Ask Amanita
Do you have a gender question and don’t know where to turn? If so Ask Amanita! Amanita is a gender counselor who offers counseling to trans people around the world online. We’re happy to have her available here on TGForum. Today Amanita answers a question how to cope as an isolated trans person in a quarantined world.
Trans Role Models and Breakthroughs
Kristine Holt starts to recognize people throughout the ages who are seen as role models for transgender people. Along the way she gets caught up in not just the individuals who have helped transgender people win recognition but list many of the events that occurred because of trans people’s effort to be seen and accepted. She starts off in 204 BC and follows our progress up to 2015.
Retro Rerun: Book Reviews — Day Of Confession & The Golden Globe
Our Retro Rerun today is Book Chat from TGForum in 1998 by Elizabeth Parker. She reviewed two books back then that had gender switching featured. The first is a thriller titled Day of Confession and the other is a science fiction novel by John Varley titled The Golden Globe. Varley is known to feature characters who change gender like we change our pantyhose and The Golden Globe does not disappoint. LEarn more about both books from Elizabeth’s reviews.
Personality and Being Transgender
For the past eight months or so Dana Bevan has been intensely studying the literature on transgender personalities and pathological personality disorders because of experiences she described in a previous post on narcissism. Do pathological disorders of personality contribute to transgender causation and, if so, which ones?
Sabrina Symington’s “She” Episode 27
Kay finds herself running through endless, dark corridors with the sound of pursuit behind her. Where can she find sanctuary? Where can she find Nat? How can she hide? Why bother? It all looks the same. She’s running through what could be a maze and there’s no escape. The demented surgeon will have her soon.
The Week In Trans 4/13/20
In TWIT Today we learn the story of the Orthodox rabbi who transitioned will be coming to the screen. Virginia has a non-binary driver’s license option. Joe Biden’s anti-violence plan for women includes federal funding for local efforts to help transgender communities. Arizona introduces a ban on trans women in high school sports. The Idaho governor seems to not be familiar with the anti-trans bills he signed into law. Former gubernatorial candidate in Vermont, Christine Halquist, tests positive for Coronavirus. A Navy lieutenant sues to stay in the service after transitioning. The president’s new press secretary believes trans women in the ladies’ room are a threat to children. A trans teen girl traveling with her mother is groped by the TSA after a false positive scanner reading. COVID-19 hits trans people hard. Tiger King’s Saff Saffrey speak out. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights awards monetary compensation to a trans woman raped by police in Peru. There’s that and much more, along with several TWIT Awards, waiting for you in TWIT!
The Occasional Woman — Spring Wardrobe Refresh
Time on your hands because of the lockdown? The Occasional Woman, Lorraine Anderson, says it’s now the right time to spend some effort clearing out your closet. Most of us normally switch out our closet contents at this time of year putting the winter stuff in storage while we bring out the spring and summer attire. Often we do it quickly because we are busy women with places and to go and people to see. This spring we have nowhere to go so we can take some time to do a deep clean on things that should have to go away. Evaluate whether you really need four red, sleeveless tops and get those you don’t want anymore in bags and ready to go. Lorraine has helpful hints on how to determine what to toss.
Insomnia
It’s late and Sophie is trying to get to sleep. Through the thoughts buzzing around in her brain she hears a voice. The voice denies her reality and the conversation is not anywhere close to a delightful session of witty banter. The voice is downright nasty at times. Will Sophie silence that mean voice and get the rest she needs? Read “Insomnia” and find out.
Another Batch of Isolated Beauties
If you’re all alone at home, and are all dressed up wishing you could go out and share your look with the world be aware that we are still posting Isolated Beauties photos. Since the large number of submissions has fallen off we are posting new photos in new posts. If more ladies send us […]
Sabrina Symington’s “She” Episode 26
Kay ran for the door as the mad surgeon/torturer vowed to hunt her down and use his instruments on her body for a long, long time. Where can she hide? How can she escape the fate the maniac has planned for her? Today she finds herself running through endless, dark corridors with the sound of pursuit behind her. Where can she find sanctuary? Where can she find Nat?
Princesses of the Night: Differences
It has been several weeks since our lives forcibly changed making us take the virtual path as the most relevant at the moment, and feel a slight reflection on what our lives were before. Before this, my artistic life ran from bar to bar or from cultural place to cultural place. Now, it goes from […]
Am I Trans Enough?
Christine Burr is with us this week with a new post. She has been pondering questions about the nature of her transgender identity. Why write a book about the questions she is grappling with? For one thing getting it all down on paper helped her get some clarity. She defines what she sees as the three different varieties of male bodied people who crossdress. There’s the part time crossdresser who is content to wear some lingerie, or other femme attire, the ones who dress fully and form social relationships, spending more time every month as their femme self, and those who go full time. Christine wonders where she fits and, as the title of her book reads, “Am I Trans Enough?”
Drag in Cinema: The 1980s
After presenting all of the Drag in Cinema articles from the TGForum Archives we continue to move the series along. Today we look at the use of drag characters in films from the 1980s. From Victor/Victoria to Torch Song Trilogy, these films had an impact on movie audiences. Dustin Hoffman’s character finds the only way he can land an acting job is to cross the gender border and audition as a woman. Along the way he learns things about being a man. Torch Song Trilogy took a four hour play and turned it into a two hour film that educated a straight audience about the life of a drag performer. Read on for more about drag in the cinema of the ’80s.
Transgenderality: A Critique of Patriarchal Institutions
New Contributor Kristina Leigh is working on a series of essays about transgender issues. Today we present her first work, including copious footnotes, titled Transgenderality: A Critique of Patriarchal Institutions. Part of her thesis is “A reinterpretation of gender is not only necessary in the postmodern age; it is inevitable. Society and its institutions will catch up with transgenderality eventually. The fraudulence of sexism and phallocentricity has already been exposed; transgenderality has been one of the critiques.”
The Week In Trans 4/6/20
Today we learn that last Tuesday was Transgender Day of Visibility and even though we are isolating the day caught the attention of the press. Non-binary activist and consultant Rex Wilde opens a consulting firm for business on how to treat trans employees. The matriarch of the Latinx trans community has passed away. More violence against trans women has occurred. Danica Roem confronts a fellow legislator for defending an ignorant teacher. TLDEF issues a guide to your rights in the age of COVID-19. Pennsylvania’s transgender Physician General is guiding the fight against the virus in that state. The only likable character on Tiger King is misgendered. Drag queens Aja and Honey Davenport drop a new single. Fans of David de Alba will enjoy his new video blog. Lot’s of TWIT Awards wrap things up in TWIT!
