Recent Transgender Articles
Drag in the Cinema: The Seventies: Serious Drag
Laurie Sheril’s look at Drag in the Cinema looks at drag in more serious films in the 1970s. From George Sanders in drag in The Kremlin Letter to a miscast John Hanson playing the title role in The Christine Jorgensen Story, This column from TGForum in the 1990s covers drag in films of the ’70s.
The Week In Trans 1/14/19
Time for the news! What do we learn today in The Week In Trans? A trans woman is the new president of a New York state lawyer’s association. Two women assaulted a trans woman in a nightclub ladies room. A trans woman is Texas was denied competing in a rodeo barrel race. More trans women have been victims of violence in the new year. North Carolina is still losing business because of their stance on trans people. The state of Idaho was told by a judge to provide GRS to a prisoner. The governor is appealing the ruling. Marvel Comics has introduced a drag queen mutant hero. Our Lady J is labeled one of the worst dressed at The Golden Globe Awards. Former TGF contributor Bobbi Swan has passed away. Safiey Illias has turned down tea with the mufti. Jennifer Pritzger is a transgender Republican who condemns her party’s stance on trans issues. There’s all that and a lot more, plus a few well deserved TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
Dina’s Diner January 14, 2018
It’s been four weeks and we just know you are hungry for some takeout from Dina’s Diner. Dina has added some low fat items to the menu and you can get a healthy salad, but her speciality the comfort food. Today she mixes up some Valentina, a RuPaul’s Drag Race girl, then adds in a touch of a British trans ballerina, a pinch of award show gender bending and finishes the dish off with a sprinkle of cleavage. Then for desert she brings out a serving of the pretty Brolitas “girls.” Don’t miss this edition of Dina’s Diner.
Review: Merissa Sherrill Lynn: Her History as She Wrote It
In the past few years a lot has been said about “missing emails.” Today we have a Page Pundit Review by Sophie Lynn about a book that has been made out of the decidedly not missing emails of Merissa Cheryl Lynn. Ms. Lynn was one of the pioneers in the trans movement back in the late ’80s and ’90s. She passed away in 2017. She founded the “Tiffany Club” near Boston, and eventually formed the International Foundation for Gender Education. Around 2008 and 2009 she wrote a lot of emails to a friend about her history in the movement. That friend has compiled those emails into the book Sophie reviews today.
The Facebook Gauntlet
When you reach the point in your life that demands a decision on how you need to spend the rest of your life. When you have to come out in the open and claim your true gender identity, that’s when the thing many fear is sure to happen. People who don’t know you, don’t understand why you must change gender, they will attack you. This is more true than ever in the social media years. Today Claire Hall writes about her experience with Facebook haters.
The Car Hop in the ‘50s
Former TGForum contributor Bobbi Swan passed away last month. During her time as a contributor she wrote a column titled Maidhood. Her first foray into the world of maid dressing wasn’t about maids per se. Bobbi extolled the charms of the Car Hop. Those were the young women who took orders and delivered food and drinks to patrons of the drive-in restaurants that got popular after WW II. We suspect it was the Car Hop costume that drew Bobbi’s praise. Take a step back, both in the TGF Archives and into the post war world, with Bobbi Swan.
Retro Review: The Man in The Red Velvet Dress
In 1996 JoAnn Roberts, one of our founders, reviewed a book titled The Man in The Red Velvet Dress. It was written by Justine Sahnjay under the name J.J. Allen. The book stirred controversy for a few things. Prime among the complaints was a broad definition of what made a crossdresser: “. . .any person who wears clothing of the opposite sex.” JoAnn found that objectionable along with a couple of other points but overall she felt. . . well, you’ll have to read her review and see.
The Week In Trans 1/7/19
Time again for all the trans related news we could find! It’s The Week In Trans! Today we learn that a trans pioneer whose story was featured in a BBC documentary in the 1970s has passed away. The trans military ban staggers on in the courts. A trans man soldier is running for local office while he serves overseas. A representative from Virginia has hung a transgender pride flag outside her new office. New laws allowing a non-binary gender marker on ID go into effect. What is a British trans woman ballerina doing in Montana? The new president of Brazil has clamped down on LGBTI rights. In England people approved for procedures such as hair removal are waiting for months to get the actual procedure. Wisconsin public employees have transgender medical care covered again. Franklin Graham was put in Facebook jail for remarks he made about trans people. A trans cosmetics millionaire in Malaysia has been invited to tea with a Muslim mufti. This could signal a relaxation of Islam’s attitudes about transgender people. That’s just a taste of what’s in store in this edition of The Week In Trans! Dive in and enjoy the news!
Trans Media Arts for January 7, 2019
Trans Media Arts brings you the cream of the crop about transgender people in the entertainment and the arts. Today Amanda F. Steele, newly relocated to the East Coast, has such items as the controversy around the film “Girl,” the story or recently deceased trans woman pioneer Julia Grant who appeared in a BBC documentary about transition back in the ’70s, the idea that it might be time for a trans gender 007, and more. Keep up with trans people in arts and entertainment with Trans Media Arts!
Christine’s Journey — Trans and Catholic? My Dinner with the Cardinal
Many trans people are also people of faith. They often find that their transgender nature keeps them from worshipping as part of the church they were raised in. While the Catholic Pope has made positive statements about how the clergy should deal with transgender people, he has also made statements that indicate the Catholic Church is not a friend to transgender people. On November 29 our contributor Christine Zuba was invited to dinner with Cardinal Joseph Tobin in Newark, New Jersey. This invitation was extended to members of the LGBT community and was an effort by the Cardinal to get advice about how to move the conversation about the Church and LGBT people forward. Christine reports on how that dinner went.
A Sabrina Symington Cartoon — Year’s End
Bria made a New Year’s resolution and it seems as if she’s already broken it. Could it be? She said she was done talking to that bearded weirdo who seems to either hate her for who she is, or maybe is so attracted to who she is that his 4th grade brain wants to pull her hair to get her attention. But what’s this? It turns out that she hasn’t broken any of her resolutions.
Transmute: Episode 1.4
In a future which has gone wrong Zealots seek to purge the nation of trans people. 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 to real. Read episode 1.4 of Transmute, if you dare.
Tasi Zuriack Passes
We are sad to report that our Fashion Maven, Tasi Zuriack, has passed away. Tasi began doing her fashion column for TGForum in 2012. We will miss her monthly take on what to wear and how to wear it. She was admitted to the hospital on December 21 with severe occlusion of the arteries. She […]
The Week In Trans 12/31/18
Happy New Year! Welcome to the last TWIT of 2018! Today we learn that a drag performer is a judge of Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade. 2018 saw much legislation around the country that affects transgender people. A trans woman football player won a settlement from the team that wouldn’t let her play. A trans man in New Zealand says they will nurse their new baby — but they’ve had a double mastectomy. Trans people often get misgendered after they die due to the way death certificates are issued. A team of scientists in Australia have looked into “junk DNA” to see if it can explain why trans people exist. Pakistan has had it’s first trans pride march. Trans people over 60 will get a 40% discount on train tickets in India. A civilization 3000 years ago in Persia recognized a third gender. There’s all that and a few TWIT Awards waiting for you in the last TWIT of 2018!
Aunt Dana Wants You! (To partner with researchers, and so will they)
Aunt Dana wants you! To participate in research on why transgender people are transgender. She feels that more and more researchers are looking into what makes us tick. If we don’t participate in their research studies how will the results of those studies stand up? And Dana realizes that many trans people will be reluctant to share any information about themselves with researchers. Dana shares the guideline followed by researchers and one of those guidelines is about confidentiality. She comments on all the guidelines and gives you good reasons why you should consider being a part of the research into why we are who we are.
The Amazing Claire: Part V Conclusion
Linda wraps up her story about her friend Claire who started and still lives a large part of her life as Calvin, the mild-mannered retired banker who in the evenings would shed his male clothes and emerge as Claire the wonder escort of the Toronto sex trade scene.
Fashioning a Fashionable Waist
Today Pauline Estelle has TGF tips on how to create a slim looking waistline. If diet and exercise will not work for you Pauline recommends several undergarments that may do the trick and she has examples of the kinds of dresses, skirts and tops that can be worn to camouflage an unfortunately masculine figure. See if her waistline control tips work for you.
A Special Cut of the David de Alba Documentary
A few months ago David de Alba sat down in front of a camera and talked about his life as a female impersonator. The filmmakers sent David a link to a rough cut of all the footage that was shot that day in his home in Las Vegas. Now you can view the interview right here on TGForum. A must for David de Alba fans.
2018 In TWIT
This look back at the TWIT news of 2018 contains links to publications that may have removed the linked articles from their sites or moved the articles. As always, if the link opens in a new window close the window to return to this page. If it opens in a new tab close the tab […]
The Week In Trans 12/24/18
What do we learn In The Week In Trans today? Ryan Cassata has a Christmas video for you. A trans inmate will be given gender confirmation surgery. Two trans women will take their seats in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. A study has found couples with one trans partner have trouble finding housing. Lynn Conway delivers the University of Michigan commencement address. The GoFundMe campaign to buy ladders to go over The Wall was thought up by a trans woman. Teen Vogue has a feature on seven trans teens. There’s a boy band called Ladyboy that’s composed of trans boys. Meet the first transgender mariachi. Is the world ready for a transgender 007? There’s all that and more plus a few TWIT Awards waiting for you in this edition of TWIT!
The Occasional Woman — Holiday Finery
Today Lorraine Anderson the lady in charge at The Occasional Woman custom clothing service, talks about how to dress yourself up for the holidays! Whether you want to make an elegant fashion statement with a cashmere top over velvet jeans, or want to pull out the stops with a sequined jacket and sparkly heels, this is the season to show off your festive fashion sense. Lorraine provides a slew of ideas to help you sparkle.
On The Road With Amanda
For months Amanda has been having anxiety attacks while living on the West Coast near San Francisco. She has wanted to leave California and head back to her hometown or another place where she know she has friends waiting to lend her a hand. This week she finally got everything packed and much of it shipped back east. On December 15 she got into her car accompanied by her loyal kitty cat and started the journey to a new home. This blog documents the first half of her trip.
And so this is. . .
Sophie Lynne says “bah, humbug” to the Christmas holiday. She’s not a big fan, due to many not fun experiences. Today she writes about one experience when she was the last wait staff member left on duty on Christmas Eve.
No Strings Attached
Lynda Martini likes to get out and about and enjoy life with old friends and new ones. Just after Thanksgiving she took a road trip to the Washington, D.C. area with some plans and some time for things to just happen. What we present here today is her report on what transpired on her journey. There was a time share pitch to be endured but there was also fun.
Princesas de la Noche – Diario de una Crossdresser , Mi 2018
2018 for a big year of change for our Columbian correspondent Katherine Diaz. She enrolled in a course to improve her crossdressing skills and through that course she was noticed by a leading impersonator in Bogota who took her under her wing. Katherine modeled fashions on the runway for the city’s leading transformation boutique, competed in a drag contest and started performing an act in local clubs. In today’s blog and vlog she catches you up on what she has experienced in 2018.
Drag in the Cinema: The Late Sixties
Years ago on TGForum Laurie Sheril did a series of articles on drag in the cinema. She started back in the days of silent film and worked her way forward in time to the ’90s. Today we dip into the TGForum Archives to bring you her thoughts on films from the late 1960s. More examples of feminine disguise being adopted by secret agents, hapless heroes, and just regular guys.
