Recent Transgender Articles
Proud To Have Served
In 1968 Cate O’Malley enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. While she was not “out” as a trans woman she volunteered to join the military and serve our country. Now she finds herself decades later being told that she and her trans brothers and sisters are not wanted in the United State armed forces. She has some words for our Commander-in-Chief in her blog post today.
The True Cost of The Trans Military Ban
Today our political correspondent Babs Casbar Siperstein looks at the actual cost of the ban on transgender soldiers in our military. President Trump tweeted the ban after consultation with several of his advisors who all argued against banning trans people from the military. He went ahead and issued a Twitter statement in three tweets. Part of the justification of the ban was the supposed high cost of providing medical care to trans soldiers. When Babs looked at the numbers they just don’t add up. Kicking trans soldiers out of the services will cost millions of dollars more than keeping them.
Metamorphosis Chapter 11
Raquel and Mark, two parts of one person that became separated after drinking a strange potion, have been transported to another land. They have been told by a witch, who first appeared as old and ugly but later was young and beautiful, that they must trek to the north and battle “the Magistrate” but that one of them will not survive the confrontation. They are now crossing an empty land but obstacles are thrown in their path. Some of the obstacles are internal. Learn more in Chapter 11 of Metamorphosis.
Kimberly Pauses to Reflect
Kimberly is living in both worlds. She spends time expressing a male identity and time spent expressing her female identity. While she is not comfortable being seen as male she has not fully accepted the idea of permanent transition. Today she pause in her adventure and ponders what path to choose. Give up being a part time woman or continue as she has been, shifting gender to suit circumstances.
The Week In Trans 8/7/17
It’s time for The Week In Trans! What transgender news has made headlines? A drag performer who asked to conduct a “drag queen story time”event gets death threats. A music distribution site gives its profits for a day to a trans law center. A clinic devoted to trans kids and teens opens in St. Louis. Gavin Grimm’s case is kicked back to a lower court. The Trump ban on trans in the military is causing reactions. Caitlyn Jenner was mad at him but then she was caught wearing a M.A.G.A. cap. A 10-year-old trans girl from New Jersey appeared on a British morning “chat show.” There won’t be a transgender emoji. More research is being conducted on a physical cause for trans identity. A boxer from California has become the first to compete as both male and female. There’s a lot more waiting for you in TWIT, including a raft of TWIT Awards! Don’t forget your TWIT!
Rally Speech
On Saturday, August 5, 2017 Sophie was asked to speak at a rally against hate toward trans people. Today she shares the text of the speech she delivered that day. We at TGForum say, well done Sophie.
The Occasional Woman — Summer Clothes
It’s summertime, summertime and Lorraine Anderson, proprietor of The Occasional Woman, has some tips for your summer attire. This column was first published in 2014 but her advice remains timeless. Follow her guidelines put forth in this post and spend the remainder of your summer in fashionable comfort. Ignore her words and be prepared for the consequences. Lorraine says “If it doesn’t fit, you must toss it.” Read on for more words of fashion wisdom from The Occasional Woman.
Princesas de la Noche – Compartiendo Entre Amigas
Katherine Diaz writes to us from Bogota, Columbia. Being trans there is much the same as it is everywhere. Today her video contains some of her friends from around the world and in her blog she gives some tips on how to be successful as a woman.
6 Tips On Creating a Trans Friendly Environment
(Philadelphia, PA) “Transgender people want to be treated “normally” just like other people – the key word is respect,” says transgender surgery pioneer, Dr. Sherman Leis. As people head back to school and work from summer activities, Dr. Leis, founder of The Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery, offers some valuable tips on enhancing a work […]
The Week In Trans 7/31/17
Last week the tweets hit the fan when President Trump announced on Twitter that he was “banning” trans people from the military. Searching for transgender news brought up loads of stories on the presidential ban. So TWIT is a bit heavy on that news. We did manage to find other news so it’s not all about the ban. There’s the study by MSU that says married trans folks are less likely to face discrimination. The “third gender” of Pakistan don’t like the rise of the transgender identity. A trans man is peddling across the country to highlight assaults by intimate partners. The LDS church excommunicates a trans woman for being a woman. News about The Louise Lawrence Transgender Archive. All that and more along with a couple of TWIT Awards is waiting for you in TWIT!
Dina’s Diner 7/31/17
It’s time to take a break and wander on down to Dina’s Diner to see what she has cooking. Today the specials include some tasty info on Amanda Lepore. There’s a filling piece on a woman who became a crossdressing warlord. Tidbits on the decline in the number of gay bars will cleanse your palette and prepare you for a main course of appreciating the Afro hairstyle. Dina offers a pleasing dessert on the the phenomena of unhooked garters in a film she saw recently. She asks “Why?” Partake of it all from the latest menu down at Dina’s Diner.
I Hate My Voice on the Phone
Our voice therapist blogs today on more techniques for voice modification from male to female with emphasis on how to sound like your true gender on the telephone. Without the visual clues to let people know you are female you have to take extra care when using your voice over the phone. Marc Mitnick writes about how to overcome your own misgivings about how you sound and gives pointers for improving your femme telephone voice.
M Has 3 Girlfriends. They’re Polyamorus
Last TGF added a new contributor who brings a youthful voice. Seventeen year old M is gender queer, trending to the feminine and preferring pronouns such as “she” and “her.” She introduced herself in her first post and discussed her gender identity. Today she talks about her romantic relationship with three other young women. They are all part of a polyamorus relationship. As M points out, that is nothing like the polygamists you see on television reality shows. Read her post and see what it’s really like.
Review: “You’re in the Wrong Bathroom”
You’re In the Wrong Bathroom” and 20 Other Myths and Misconceptions about Transgender and Gender-Non Conforming People by Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, and Laura A. Jacobs, LCSW-R. This month’s book is a bit more general than the last few. Written in easy to understand language (but maybe too difficult for a Republican congressman,) this book discusses […]
David de Alba Interview with the Late Aleshia Brevard
Aleshia Bravard, a trans woman who got her start in show business working as a female impersonator before having GRS in 1962 passed away on July 1 of this year. After her surgery she returned to her home state of Tennessee and got a degree in the arts from Middle Tennessee State. She then worked as a theater professor and eventually returned to California to pursue and acting career with appearances on numerous shows from The Red Skelton Show to The Partridge Family, Night Gallery and many more. In 2001 she wrote her autobiography and did a sequel in 2010. Before she passed away our own David de Alba did an in-depth interview with her. We present it here with David’s permission.
The Week In Trans 7/24/17
What’s going on in the world of trans? We’ve got the scoop right here with The Week In Trans! Today we learn that trans issues figure in both federal and state legislation. Bathroom bills and trans-related treatment for military personnel are hot topics. A trans woman took a selfie with the Texas governor to show that he can’t identify a trans person. There are vibrations in the aether over the female Doctor Who. The Trump administration has been stripping away LGBT-friendly policies. A 16-year-old trans girl is elected prom queen. A former Drag Race contestant is the face of a fall collection for a Mexican designer. There’s all that and lots more, plus several well deserved TWIT Awards! Don’t miss your TWIT!
2017 Fall Fashion Trends
Our fashion maven Tasi Zuriack spends her days wearing down her manicure by clicking from one fashion site to another in order to bring you the scoop on just what are the most on trend fashions to come out of the designer houses, and up from the streets. Today she focuses on the biggest fashion trends for Fall 2017. It’s almost upon us and the well dressed lady needs to know she can step out in style when September and October arrive. Everything from fishnets to hats, to ’70s retro and wide belts have shown up on the runways in Paris and New York. Tasi has all the hot style choices waiting for you.
What ’90s Game Show Did Linda Jensen Try Out For?
Linda Jensen is taking a well deserved summer vacation. To fill her spot on the TGF schedule this month we searched the TGF Archives and pulled out one of her columns from 1998. Back in the ’90s Linda had tried out for the game show Jeopardy! a couple of times as her male self and didn’t get picked as a contestant. She vowed that the next time she took their test she would do it as Linda. This is the tale of that day long ago in California when Linda, in her new floral print wrap dress took the Jeopardy! test along with 150 other hopefuls. How did it turn out? Read on!
Entertainment News From Trans Media Arts
Amanda F. Steel covers the trans entertainment beat. Today she has info on an LGBT memorial to be installed in New York. She tells us about a new film titled “And Then There Was Eve” that stars trans actress Rachel Crowl. Can a party hostess/DJ make it in the art world? Amanda says that Juliana Huxtable is doing just that. Then there’s new musical in development that tells the story of LGBT street kids. She wraps up with news about when Gavin Russom of LCD Soundsystem will reveal her femme identity to her fans. Get all the entertainment news relating to the trans community right her in Trans Media Arts.
Tranny Queer, Genderless Identification
Could The Artist D be a reincarnated female unicorn from the planet Zoltar? Anything is possible. An example? In Oregon and the District of Columbia you can get a driver’s license with no gender designation. You can be a neutral person. Today The Artist D discusses that from a few different angles. She asks questions ranging from why does the government need to put what’s between your legs on your driver’s license, to does a neutral sex designation make any sense? See what you conclude after reading The Artist D’s post.
Retro Rerun — Lexy Tranner, Weekend CD
Today’s Retro Rerun is an cartoon from Kyra Kelly. Kyra did cartooning for us for several years. This toon is from 2011 and features her constant heroine, Lexy Tranner, Weekend CD. See if you can relate to Lexy’s situation.
Big Win in Congress for Trans Military
On Thursday, July 13, 2017 Democrats stood together and tall for common sense military readiness, transgender equality and health care equality and were joined by 24* Republicans and defeated an unnecessary and hateful amendment by Rep. Vicky Hartzler, a Republican from Missouri, that would have banned the coverage of transition-related health care for transgender troops.
The Week In Trans 7/17/17
It’s time for our weekly wrap up of trans news, The Week In Trans! What did we find this past week? Lots of news about health care, or lack of it. Movement to block trans health care for the armed forces was defeated. The Senate wants to eliminate health care for trans folks. A woman who fought against trans protections in her state is now fighting to keep them in place. The woman who sued Planet Fitness in 2015 over a trans woman’s presence is still suing. Congress has other anti-trans bills it’s working on. Caitlyn Jenner may try to oppose them by running for the Senate. A trans woman author is running for the House. Jeff Sessions pushes “religious freedom” for some. There’s all that plus a lot more and several well deserved TWIT Awards. Don’t miss your TWIT!
Transgender Definitions
Here at TGForum we have always used the word “transgender” as a term that covers all “trans” activity from fetishistic crossdressers enjoying lingerie in the privacy of their own homes to trans women, fully transitioned and making their mark on the world. Between those two extremes is a broad spectrum of behaviors, identities, and gender expression. To help sort things out and provide some definitions to terms that have come into use over the years Dr. Dana Bevan has written an informative post on Transgender Definitions.
Boob Sweat and Other Camping “Fun”
Cate O’Malley has always dreamed of taking off and traveling across the country. She wants to see those parts of our nation that she has only flown over before, and to make it up close as possible she wants to camp her way across the land. Not just “camp” but “glamp,” which is a mashup of “camp” and glam.” She and her spouse have taken some short trips in their area to try out the glamping experience. Read on and find out what she learned about life in the great outdoors.
Brielle’s Story — Thinking as a Woman
After hiding her female identity through grade school Brielle met a boy in high school who liked her for herself. She could be a girl with him and they could go on dates and do the things that a boy and a girl are inclined to do. But being open about her gender also made her the target of school bullies who never need much of a trigger to attack. Seeing a fellow student they recognized as male wearing makeup and feminine clothing was more than enough to attract their bad intentions. Once again depression took hold of Brielle. And perhaps the treatment was worse than the condition.
