Recent Transgender Articles
The Week In Trans 4/29/19
What time is it? Time for The Week In Trans! Today we learn there is a transgender woman candidate for president. The SCOTUS will hear arguments in the case of the trans woman fired by a funeral home. More on Kirsten Gillibrand and the drag show. The CDC says one out of seven trans woman have HIV. A Canadian drag queen was instrumental in decriminalizing homosexuality. Several states have announced their National Guard will not follow the Mattis Plan. Sarah Huckabee Sanders lied about trans in the military. San Francisco opens a shelter for homeless transgender teens. A Honduran trans woman has been granted asylum, after waiting a year. The police in one area of Pakistan are recruiting trans community members. There’s all that and more plus a good helping of TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
A Sabrina Symington Cartoon
Sabrina Symington is with us today and she’s brought along a cartoon that should make you laugh out loud. If you don’t, what’s the matter with ya? It’s getting near time for those of us in the northern hemisphere who want to think about wearing a swimsuit, out in public, when the summer arrives, to get to work on our winter bodies and tone them up. But what if there was another way? Sabrina has a new swimsuit design that takes advantage of what you’ve got.
Dreams Take Flight, Part 3
Patrick was a closeted gay flight attendant with a major U.S. airline a few decades ago. He and his crew-mates were based in Denver but often had to stay overnight in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and San Diego. It is during one of those layovers that our story starts to unfold. Patrick is outed to his crew-mates and instead of rejection he is encouraged to present himself as Patty. After being Patty around his fellow crew members while off duty the women on the crew presented Patrick with a women’s flight attendant outfit. Then they helped him with hair and makeup so he could work as Patty. Find out how that goes in this part of Dreams Take Flight.
Trans Media Arts
Amanda F. Steele covers the trans entertainment beat and today she files her report from the road. She has info on trans people on TV, trans children of Hollywood stars, the drag queens of Glasgow, and more. Settle in and keep up with transgender people and themes in entertainment with Trans Media Arts.
Transmute: Episode 2.4 – “New Beginnings”
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 2.4, New Beginnings.
Beating Up Bullies! Tactics for dealing with aggressive males
Gianna Israel provided nationwide telephone consultation, individual and relationship counseling, and gender specialized evaluations and recommendations since 1988. She passed away on February 21, 2006 after a long illness. Her writings on gender issues had a significant impact on the field. TGForum published many of her columns in the 1990s. Here is a Retro Rerun column from 1999 on how trans women can handles aggressive men who harass or attack them.
The Week In Trans 4/22/19
Time for all the transgender news we could find! It’s The Week In Trans! Meet the new transgender member of Thailand’s parliament. Learn more about the effects of the trans in the military ban. A beer company brews up a beer named for Marsha P. Jackson. The AMA tells a judge that trans kids need to be allowed to use the restroom of the gender they identify as. A university in England runs an online survey about the trans community’s take on transgender athletes. Presidential candidate Kristen Gillibrand hung out with drag queens backstage at a show in Iowa. All-male Morehouse College will admit trans male students. Beto O’Rourke got so worked up over the Texas bathroom bill he broke a promise not to cuss. Harry’s Shaving Company features a trans man in their TV ad. The stars of Pose will lead the New York Pride Parade. A trans teen from Brunei fled that country to seek refuge in Canada. There’s all that and much more along with several TWIT Awards in this edition of TWIT!
Updates: Transgender Science in the News
Dana Bevan follows up on a couple of stories she previously reported on in her blog. One is the fallout from the paper by Dr. Lisa Littman purporting to prove that Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria is a thing, and is being caused by kids following trends and experiencing peer pressure to claim they are transgender. The second is the rise in stories about “transgender regret” or “detransitioning.” The conservative media latches onto any story about a transgender person transitioning and then having regrets and going back to their birth gender. Dana has facts to refute those claims.
A Week in Paradise
Pauline Estelle went on a vacation to Mexico and she packed a couple of Pauline’s evening outfits. She spent most of the tropical vacation in shorts and a t-shirt but a couple of evenings were spent as Pauline. She describes the week and offer suggestion on what attire to bring along if you decide to follow her path the the Mexican Riviera.
Emily: Summer as a Girl
Young Robert, a boy small for his age, begins to consider what it is about girls that makes them so different from boys. As part of his research he tries on his sister’s clothes — and gets caught by his sister. Instead of being mad, after she gets over her initial surprise, she helps him transform more fully into a girl. Then his mother finds out about what has been going on and agrees that he should explore femininity. Now he is Emily, a cousin from Portland, who is staying with the family for the summer while Robert has told everyone he is going to work on his uncle’s boat. Emily has moved into Robert’s old room, which has been feminized, and even talks to some of Robert’s friends who have no idea who she is. In fact one of them seems to be crushing on Emily. Find out what happens in Chapter 4.
Retro Rerun: Ranma 1/2 Manga, Anime
Back in the 1990s Dov Sherman wrote a column for TGForum on Japanese manga and anime. While much of the manga Dov reviewed is no longer available the runaway success of Ranma 1/2 has made it so popular around the world that the manga and anime are always available. Ranma is on interest to us because in the first adventure he falls into a cursed spring and it changes him into a girl. Hot water can change him back into a boy. Think that might make life and love a little difficult? Here is Dov Sherman’s Manga Focus column on Ranma 1/2 from 1997.
The Week In Trans 4/15/19
What time is it? Time for The Week in Trans! What do we learn today? A trans activist in Armenia gives a stirring speech to parliament. Betsy DeVoss admits she knew trans students would suffer but she rolled back protections anyway. A report is in on the death of a trans immigrant while in ICE custody. The DOJ issues an equal opportunity statement that includes gender identity and sexual orientation for its employees. An NBC reporter uses masculine pronouns when referring to Chelsea Manning. The Ohio teens who won a lawsuit they filed because a judge told them they were too young get their new names. Japan has its first transgender elected official. According to a study trans men are at greater risk for heart attack. A senior trans activist explodes the myth that trans women have to dilate for the rest of their lives after surgery. There’s all that and a ton more stories in TWIT!
How Breasts Feel
Today Sophie Lynne tells you what it’s like to grow your own breasts through hormone therapy. She fills you in on the details of what it feels like when they are growing, what it’s like to hide them because you’re not out yet as a trans woman, and what it’s like to live with them everyday. She shares all from the point at which they got bouncy to what it feels like when they’re squeezed too hard. For insight into what it’s like to grow your own don’t miss Sophie’s blog today!
The Occasional Woman — Spring Fashion!
Our resident fashion maven, Lorraine Anderson, the lady in charge at The Occasional Woman custom clothing service, has some thoughts on spring fashion. There are new outfits waiting to be coordinated and worn and Lorraine has tips on the hottest and easiest to wear fashion trends. Also some examples of what could wrong with some styles. Check out her advice in today’s fashion post.
Spring Cleaning
Lynda Martini is always busy. After returning from the Keystone Conference she finds herself cleaning her mental house with exercise and preparations for swimsuit season. And since it’s spring time she also finds her thoughts turning to the possibilities of dating. She attends a rooftop mixer and recalls what it was like in those type of situations when she was the guy trying to get a woman’s phone number. Now she hopes to be the woman who gets asked for her phone number. Check in on Lynda’s newest adventures in her blog.
Story of a Girl
Spring is in air but Amanda is in Baltimore. She’s not working and her cash reserves are running low. Time is going by and she needs to keep moving forward but she finds herself reluctant to start the job application process. Will fear and anxiety stop her from finding a place in her new home town, or will she take the necessary steps to get a job, make some friends and maybe, just maybe find someone special? Read Amanda’s Blog for her latest feelings about life, the universe, and everything.
Princesses of the Night — Female Impersonation Night in Bogota
Katherine Diaz reports on a “cross night show” in her hometown, Bogota, Columbia. What’s she attends is a female impersonation show called Zapatilla Dorada. Such shows are regular events in the LGBT friendly parts of Bogota and are considered a part of the nightlife when people on the LGBT spectrum want to party, or as they say in Columbia, “rumba.” Read Katherine’s report in both English and Spanish and view her accompanying video in this edition of Princesas de la Noche.
Jim Jefferies Show Features Thai Trans Women
The Jim Jefferies Show on Comedy Central traveled to Thailand for a segment on the transgender women there known as “ladyboys.” The segment was part of Jefferies’s April 9, 2019 show that focused on LGBTQ rights. In the segment, which you can watch below, Jefferies interviews three transgender sex workers and a transgender rights activist. […]
The Week In Trans 4/8/19
Time for all the news from the transgender world! What do we learn today? Mara Keisling is fighting the Trump administration to maintain our rights. Michigan honors the creator of International Transgender Day of Visibility. Monica Helms, creator of the trans pride flag, writes about how it feels to see it in the halls of congress. Euro Pride won’t allow groups that demean other groups to participate. As the Equality Act is debated it’s amazing what representatives believe about trans people. Chelsea Manning is out of solitary but still in stir since she won’t talk. Google has appointed the president of the right wing Heritage Foundation to an advisory council and Google employees are not taking it well. Many rural trans people are happy living where they are. There’s all of that and a lot more, plus a few TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
Dina’s Diner — April 8, 2019
Every month Dina Amberle, our top chef and owner of Dina’s Diner, mixes up a bunch of ingredients, sautes them slowly or deep fries them to a crispy golden brown and serves them up for your enjoyment. Today she stirs up some some Korean boy band beauties who aren’t afraid to look like girls, adds in a muscleman who’s a night time queen, folds in some appreciation for the fantasy nurse archetype and spices it up with some Nicole Maines as Dreamer and a little bit of Alita, Battle Angel. It’s all waiting for you down at Dina’s Diner. Enjoy!
Historical Perspective on Diva’s Closure
Ms Bob Davis digs into the history of the recently closed transgender friendly San Francisco nightclub, Divas. It was a favorite spot for members of the transgender community to hang out, take in some drag performances and mingle with other segments of the greater queer community. From it’s beginning in one spot to the fight with local residents to move to a much larger venue nearby Ms. Bob dishes the history of Divas.
Why Wait?
Within the past decade or so the transgender community has moved out of the shadows to take a place in the spotlight. Thirty years ago men who wore women’s clothing were thought to be gay. Women who dressed as men were viewed as butch lesbians. And all of us were thought of as perverts and possibly child molesters by the majority of the nation. But thanks to concerted efforts by trans activist the real truth about transgender people began to emerge. From weekend support group meetings to the legislatures of several states the transgender journey has marched on. Today Claire Hall asks herself the question, Why Wait? She waited for many years to fully express her true self. Of course there is still resistance to acceptance of trans people and there are haters out there for sure. What kept Claire in her closet till just this past year?
San Diego Empowerment Event Focuses on Academics, Employment, Service
By Melanie Yarborough (Neutral Corner) Photos by Michelle Dungan (Neutral Corner) San Diego’s 16th annual Transgender Day of Empowerment (TDOE) was held this past April 5th at the Hillcrest LGBT Center. It focused on three key elements of scholarship, work, and public service. Academic studies are always a centerpiece at San Diego’s TDOE event, and […]
Being Trans in the #MeToo Era
Women across the world are speaking out about the sexual harassment they have had to cope with, but what about feminine members of the transgender community? Trans women and crossdressers can be victims of #MeToo incidents when they are out among others interacting in a feminine role. Trans women who are employed are also exposed to treatment that far too often comes with the feminine territory. Angela Gardner relates a couple of #MeToo incidents she had to put up with while she was out having fun. She asks that you share any such incidents you have lived through by posting them in the comment area.
The Week In Trans 4/1/19
Today we learn many things in TWIT. Among them, Tanwarin Sukkapisit is the first transgender person elected to the parliament of Thailand. All the court stays on the trans military ban have been lifted. Several members of congress posted the transgender pride flag at their office entrances for the International Day of Transgender Visibility. A bill in California would make it illegal to do genital surgery on intersex children without their consent. A bill in Texas would let medical and legal professionals, as well as barbers deny service to people who offend their “deeply-held religious beliefs.” A research study shows that trans women have better cognitive skills if they take estrogen after GCS. Trans people in the D.C. area can take advantage of a database of healthcare providers. In the midst of the Brexit mess the British government is being petitioned to increase funding for gender clinics. Australian trans actress and advocate Georgie Stone has been cast as a transgender character on a soap opera. Dex Frier was hoping to be prom king but had to settle for being one of two “royal knights.” Denver, Colorado wrapped up its Denver Drag Days festivities with a record breaking drag brunch. There’s all that and more along with a host of TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
