Recent Transgender Articles
Emily: Robert is Going
In the last episode Emily and all her girlfriends attend the church dance. Several boys asked her to dance and it got to the point that might have been some jealousy among the other girls over Emily’s popularity. This exploration of a feminine lifestyle all started when small-for-his-age Robert grew curious about why and how girls were different. With help and encouragement from his mother and sister he has lived as a girl for the summer. But summer will end in a short while and Emily finds that she doesn’t really want to bring Robert back. She also wants to let her girlfriends know what she has been doing all summer. How will they handle her deception?
An Open Letter to the Vatican
Transgender people have existed throughout history and are best helped with love and encouragement, not through oppression. Dana Bevan writes an open letter to the Catholic Church advising it to stop treating transgender people as if they were part of some fashion trend and to accept that they exist and they are not sinners. She calls for evidence based policies about transgender issues, not the adoption of the hardline rule that men are men and women are women, as is taught in Abrahamic religious doctrine.
My Transformation Room
There is one very important room in Pauline’s house. It the guest room bathroom. That’s where the important process of transforming into Pauline takes place. In this post Pauline writes about all the steps she goes through in her transformation bathroom. From shaving all body hair to her technique for shaving her face and the steps she takes in makeup application, it’s all here in today’s post.
Secret Lift Temporary Facelift: A Review
Back in the day, 1997 to be exact, TGForum would run product reviews by TGF readers. (We will do that today if you have any products you would like to let readers know about.) One such reviewer was Diane Barker who evaluated a temporary facelift kit called Secret Lift from a company in California. The company, CosmeSearch, Inc., is still in business and selling their products over the web. Read Diane’s review of the product and decide if it will work for you.
Do You Like To Write? Join the TGF Contributors
Would you like to add your voice to TGForum? We’re always looking for new voices and different perspectives to present to our readers. If you like to write and have something to say to the TG community we offer you a platform. Right now we need people who can cover the following areas of the […]
The Week In Trans 6/10/19
Time for The Week In Trans! Today we learn Jazz Jennings has a Pride Month message for trans youth. Donald Trump tweets support for LGBT rights abroad while showing his ignorance of transgender people in the military. Caster Semenya has been allowed to run races without taking testosterone reducing drugs. A trans woman athlete has said she hasn’t gotten performance benefits from being trans. An op-ed in The New York Times takes conservatives to task for being outraged over drag queens reading to kids while they let kids stay locked in cages at the border. The only transgender public official in Georgia has been honored with an award. A trans woman race car driver is preparing to compete in the LeMans race. Another trans woman is found dead in Dallas. More and more children are calling a British help line with gender question. Billy Porter wore a gown made from the curtains used in Kinky Boots to the Tony Awards. Drag Race star Shangela appears in a McDonalds commercial. There’s all that and more plus several TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
Surreal Opening Night
Often members of the transgender community stay defensive when they are out and about with the general public. That’s one reason support groups and trans specific parties and events are popular. It’s a chance to be among others who are living the same reality and relax without fear that someone will attack them for being who they are. Our blogger Sophie Lynne is an amateur actress who has appeared in a few of her local theatrical troupe’s productions. Just last week she made her debut as a character in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. After the play premier she and the cast did what actors do and went out for a celebratory drink. Then a funny thing happened in the bar. At first Sophie was playing defense but then understanding stepped onto the stage.
Advice for the Young at Heart
Lynda Martini does get out and and about. Today she blogs about some of her recent adventures. She begins by listing some places in Philadelphia where a girl can have a good time. Friday night at the Philadelphia Free Library for instance. Then a bit about the best areas in town to party and girl watching tips on the commuter train. Lynda is working hard at having fun and that’s why this blog is titled Advice for the Young at Heart. Lynda is staying young at heart and passing on her advice. Then she embarks of a flurry of gala affairs. The kind of event you can wear a sexy cocktail dress and satin heels for. Three of the events are Pride Galas and the other one was a charity fundraiser. Tune in to Lynda’s busy social schedule!
A Woman Finds Her Niche
Good news from Baltimore. Amanda has found a job and she not only gets paid, she enjoys the work. Just as things were at their most dire and she didn’t know where to turn she decided to give a new job a try. It pays and she likes doing the work. Now she’s getting out of the house and making money. Find out what her new employment is and read today’s blog, A Woman Finds Her Niche.
Princesses of the Night — An Experience called Chuquy
Katherine Diaz, our correspondent from Columbia, had an artist as a social media friend. She became aware of a drawing club at a local university that used models from the LGBTI community in Bogota. Then she learned that the drawing club was the brainchild of her social media artist friend. It wasn’t too long before she found herself modeling for the club’s artists. She blogs and vlogs about that experience today.
Jan Goes to a Trans Film Festival, Again!
Last year Jan Brown attended the 31st Annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival and wrote a report for TGForum. Last week she attended the 32nd annual event and today she shares the experience with you along with her impression of the 9 films that had transgender themes. Several of the films were premiering at the festival. The nine films range from three minutes to eighteen minutes in length. Jan and her companion were both touched by the content of all of the productions.
The Week In Trans 6/3/19
What do we learn in this TWIT column? A library in Ohio canceled a class devoted to teaching drag after threats were made to attendees. There have been developments in response to the Trump administration’s “religious freedom” regulation. The Los Angeles Times profiled trans soldiers and vets on Memorial Day. The Supreme Court won’t hear the case about trans students using the restroom of their preferred gender. San Francisco wants to increase its housing for trans and non-conforming people by two million dollars. Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera will be honored by a permanent memorial. A non-binary actor portrays a non-binary character in the new John Wick movie. A trans man has become the first trans person of color to win International Mr. Leather. There’s all that and plenty more culled from the internet by Cecilia Barzyk for your entertainment and edification. And we hand out several TWIT Awards!
Dina’s Diner June 3, 2019
While our chef Dina Amberle is always serving comfort food down at Dina’s Diner, she’s not afraid to experiment with different ingredients. No matter what she whips up it’s always sure to please. Today she takes a collection of old-time ladies garments, combines them with an 87-year-old Parisian female impersonator, sprinkles in the attraction of “homely girls,” adds a dollop of the fashion mask craze and tops it off with the delightful spice of young men in drag for “womanless beauty pageants” or YouTube transformation videos. Check out this flavorful specialty of the house down at Dina’s Diner.
Transition Means Changes
It’s been seventeen months since Claire started her transition. In that time she has lost two hundred pounds, had over 150 hours of electrolysis, slowly ramped up hormone therapy, and had a little filler and Botox in her face. It’s been expensive and painful at times but she is pleased, and more than slightly amazed at the results she has achieved. Her friends say she looks twenty years younger. Read all about Claire’s changes during the past seventeen months in today’s blog post.
June Brides: Behind The Bridal Mystique
Our Retro Rerun today is from 1996. It is apropos since June is the “wedding month.” TGF contributor Coreen Clark wrote about the urge many crossdressers have to wear a wedding gown, or in some cases have the whole bridal experience. She admits to having tried on her wife’s wedding gown at least once or twice but she wonders what the real fascination is for some people. To investigate she conducted some research with cisgender women and asked several of her crossdresser friends why they were attracted to the idea. It led to this essay on TGF about The Bridal Mystique.
The Week In Trans 5/27/19
Prepare for a deep dive into all the transgender news that fits! It’s time for The Week In Trans! Today we learn that Laverne Cox gave a commencement address and urged trans men be included in the abortion debate. The Trump administration is changing housing rules to remove protections from trans people, and they’re also revising the ACA language to let healthcare providers who take federal money deny treatment to trans people. Danica Roem is up for reelection this year and her opponent is an anti-trans candidate. The trans man running for judge in Philadelphia lost his race. A trans man teen won prom king. A 14-year-old trans girl is a trans advocate. Transitioning? There’s an app for that. A film shown at Cannes was the first to star a trans woman of color. We’ve got a video called Drag is Magic. A judge says Brazil has to classify attacks on trans people as crimes. Something they’ve avoided for 18 years. There’s all that and a lot more in this edition of TWIT!
Dreams Take Flight: Part 4 Discovered (or How it Hit the Fan)
It was the 1970s. Patrick, the gay flight attendant liked singing karaoke en femme and he was pretty good at it. When his airline colleagues caught his act they conspired to have him work a shift as Patricia. He was pretty good at that, too. One of the pilots who had always been a bit cold towards gay Patrick seemed to take an immediate liking to the new Patricia. No one could figure out why. After returning from a short vacation at a Palm Springs Gay Pride Week Patrick decided he wanted to spend more time, including work time, as Patricia. His crew mates were all for it but would the airline agree?
A Sabrina Symington Cartoon 5/27/19
While he was running for president Donald J. Trump said he would be the best president ever for LGBT people. He must have a different definition of the word “best” than we do. Because of his positive statements about the LGBT community many people in that community supported him with their vote. Surprisingly there are still some who support him. Sabrina Symington makes an editorial comment on that in today’s cartoon.
Trans Media Arts — Transgender Entertainment News
Amanda F. Steele gets out her lasso and rounds up a whole herd of tidbits about trans people in the arts. From trans actresses and singers to a trans man Alaskan singer/songwriter, and the world’s only trans woman mariachi, Amanda has all the news about trans people in the arts and entertainment. Ruby Rose is Batwoman, Dana International, the 1998 winner, returns to the Eurovision Song Contest, and much more! Videos included! Catch up on all the trans art and entertainment news that Amanda has rounded up this month! It’s Trans Media Arts!
Transmute: Episode 3.1: Friends & Enemies
In a future which has gone wrong Zealots seek to purge the nation of LGBT people. Gay people are illegal. Trans women who don’t “pass” turn to black market meds in order to fully transition and blend in with the population of cisgender women. Spying, paranoia and secrecy are the norms for trans women and being “outed” means more than just mockery and verbal abuse. Raquel Swann is back with a science fiction tale of a future world that could be all too real. Read Episode 3.1: Friends & Enemies.
Product Review: Gold Seal Hip & Rear Padded Panty
Sometimes male-bodied people who love to dress in feminine attire find they need extra help to achieve a feminine figure. Okay. Lot’s of times. That’s why there is such an online shop as The Breast Form Store. In addition to breasts they sell all the items a guy might need for temporary body modification to […]
The Week In Trans 5/20/19
It’s The Week In Trans! Today we learn that Jazz Jennings has been accepted at Harvard. The Republican candidate selected to run against the Democrat in North Carolina is the sponsor of the “bathroom bill.” The House of Representatives of the USA passed the Equality Act. Don’t expect it to make it through the Senate. House Republicans attempted to amend the Act to the point where it would have been anti-transgender. Chelsea Manning is back in the slammer for refusing to testify. Danica Roem has made a name for herself in the Virginia legislature. Texas doesn’t want trans people eating at Chick-fil-A. Trans women have a lower risk of breast cancer than cisgender women. A trans man complained of belly pain in the ER. He was in labor and didn’t know it. Google has created gender fluid emojis. SnapChat has a filter that changes a person’s gender in the app. For some cisgender people it’s just fun but it has possible benefits for trans people. The English cabbie who won £4 million in the lottery and changed genders has passed away. There’s all that and a whole lot more, plus several important TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
Wanted: New Word for Transgender
Dana Bevan feels that the words we use to describe members of the transgender community are no longer adequate or proper. Many of the words, like transvestite, transsexual, and others, were coined by psychiatrists or academics and over the years have picked up bad connotations or been applied in error to people who were not in that category. Why should we let the psychiatric profession label us and dominate the words used to describe our behavior, and our demographic and social groups? Dana thinks it’s time we got some new words and she would like your help in coming up with some.
Diane’s Weight Loss Tips
For those born male bodied who wish to fit in with females in our culture, clothes, hair, and makeup are all important. But since our culture views being thin as a positive, which isn’t necessarily so, you may want to work on your figure by losing some weight. Which brings us to the point of this post from the 1990s by Diane Hutchinson which we have resurrected from the TGForum Archives. Here are Diane’s tip for weight loss. Follow them and perhaps you’ll be able to slip into that size 8 dress.
The Crossdressing Journey
Today Pauline describes the steps on her crossdressing journey as riding a bus. Each step forward is a “bus stop.” They include first becoming attracted to wearing women’s clothes, then searching the internet to find a support group nearby. Attending meetings and getting to know other people with the same desires, then becoming more open about crossdressing and reaching the point where she is so comfortable presenting herself to the world en femme that she goes to the dances held in her semi-gated community every Friday as Pauline. See if her story sound familiar to you and find out which bus stop you have arrived at.
San Diego Police wrongly criticized by flawed NCTE report
TGForum received this press release from the Neutral Corner group in San Diego. Neutral Corner, San Diego In a Monday, May 6, 2019 article, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the findings of a study conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) on San Diego Police Department’s (SDPD) handling of encounters with the Transgender […]
