Our fashion consultant Tasi Zuriack says it’s time for a return to elegance in fashion. Casual Friday has lead to a landslide of sweat pants, workout clothes and other less than elegant attire being seen on the streets and in the malls. But can you be feminine and elegant without being a wimp? True elegance commands a room and lets people know you are a woman to be reckoned with. Let Tasi give you her tips on how to work the look in today’s post.
With news from entertainment and the arts, here is Amanda’s Trans Media Arts column. Today she features news about the 17th Street High Heel Race, Elton John’s purchase of some drag art, GLAAD’s annual report on how the television industry is treating trans actors and characters, word of an Ed Wood musical and a lot more. Don’t miss Trans Media Arts!
Our Correspondent from Thailand, Chriatine Burr, files an article with her feelings about why we are seeing more and more older trans people. We have seen a rise in the number of children who identify as trans but there are many older folks who are coming out. Christine puts it all together and offers some reasons why we are seeing this increase in elder trans people.
Like many people in the LGBT community The Artist D is upset by the recent election and the prospect of a Trump presidency. There is good cause to be concerned but The Artist D is a pragmatist. She advocates not whining and moaning about it but getting organized and come up with a plan to push a progressive, inclusive agenda. The next four years is no time to be a wimp.
Our political correspondent Babs Casbar Siperstein takes a look at the possible ramifications of the Trump/Pence administration for members of the trans and LGBQ communities. She looks at everything from the progress our community has made through President Obama’s executive orders to the Affordable Care Act, trans in the military, and more. For some enlightenment on the dark days ahead read what Babs has researched.
It’s The Week In Trans — All the trans related news from around the world gathered in one place for your perusal. Today we learn that Bob The Drag Queen flew to the west coast to Trick or Treat with a nine-year-old fan. Trans kids can use the restroom they like in any Dept. of Defense program or activity. The Bud Light Party is over — because it was too LGBT friendly? An app to find trans-friendly services is coming soon. Health Insurance is covering more gender transition services. Trans people are more ethnically and racially diverse. Myanmar holds its first trans beauty pageant. The Boulet Brothers create a dark alternative to “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” A trans woman is the Oprah Winfrey of China. All that and much more plus a boatload of TWIT Awards is waiting for you in TWIT!
Our political correspondent, Babs Casbar Siperstein, has been fighting for our rights as trans people for many years. Most often in that struggle she has had elected officials from the Democratic Party as allies. She has worked with and for Mrs. Clinton and she has words of advice for those in the trans, and the LGB communities about who has their best interest at heart. Read her comparison of the Democratic platform that Mrs. Clinton promotes and the Republican agenda that Mr. Trump would defend and promote. It is clear which party and which candidate will stand for you.
November 2016, has been designated as Transgender Awareness Month to help raise the visibility of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and address the issues the community faces. The intention is for all of us to use this time to build our voices into one load call for awareness, understanding, education, acceptance and inclusion.
A funny Chilean television series from 2015 is about an all-female taxi company that can’t find enough women who know how to drive. Funded by a grant that requires the management and staff to be all women means that the founder’s recently returned home son can only help out by dressing up. One thing leads to another and soon his secret life is the time he spends as a man — while the rest of the time in public he is known as a trans woman cabbie. It’s called Fabulosas Flores which means Fabulous Flowers.
This “how to” TGForum Rerun appeared on TGF in December of 1997. It’s by the late Roberta Angela Dee whose advice on beauty remains sound in the 21st century. In this post she talks about minimizing masculine facial characteristics and accentuating feminine ones. She also discusses using shading and highlighting to make a nose or chin more feminine looking.
Today in her personal blog Amanda talks about her day to day routine and what the possible causes of her anxiety might be. She feels that one of the big things is uncertainty over pursuing reassignment surgery. Should she go for it when she has anxiety? Is surgery the right path to take? While she feels daily anxiety she feels she is not operating at 100% — and that causes her more anxiety. What she would like to be is far, far away, flying above the fray.
It’s all the trans related news that’s fit to print! The Week In Trans is here and ready for your perusal. What do we learn today? Plastic surgery fan and singer Pete Burns has passed away. Gavin Grimm’s case is going to the Supreme Court. Controversy over taking the rights we can get or holding out for more. Kataluna Enriquez is the winner of the 2016 Trans Nation Pageant. A trans model is featured on the cover of Elle Brazil and another is on the cover of the Spiegel Catalog. Big turnout for the D.C. High Heel Race. 10 trans soldiers come out as trans. Bianca Del Rio creates a comedy special. Are you ready for Ed Wood the musical? All that and more is waiting for you in today’s TWIT!
Several years ago it was a suggestion from Sophie’s wife that lead her to break down the wall that sealed off her feminine spirit. Her wife suggested that they go to a Halloween party with Sophie as Lois Lane and her wife as Clark Kent. It turned out to be the suggestion that turned Sophie’s life upside down and lead to her transition. That’s why since that fateful All Hallow’s Eve the holiday has had even more of a special meaning for her. Read all about her relationship with the Holiday and wearing costumes in today’s post.
All the photos in Jan Brown’s Fantasia Fair report, and several that weren’t published in that reprot, are here in a photo gallery for your viewing pleasure.
The weather has been changeable with warm days, almost like summer, and then cooler, rainy days. But the big change to solid fall and winter will be with us soon. Of course that means one thing. Coat shopping! Today Lorraine Anderson, head seamstress at The Occasional Woman, counsels color when choosing new autumn and winter outerwear. There’s nothing like a dash of color to brighten up a dreary winter day. Lorraine tells you what to look for on your coat quest.
Today Chanelle continues her tutorial on how to “bi-directionally lace” a steel boned corset. (That means you use two laces rather than just one.) Why would you need this skill? Chanelle suggests that you may wish to, at some point, change the color of your corset’s lacing. How sexy would it be if the laces matched some other color in your outfit? Check out Part 2 of Chanelle’s video on corsetry for your figure.
Our contributor Jan Brown spent the week at Fantasia Fair October 16 — 23 and she has filed a report on the Fair. Jan attended all the events from the Fashion Show to the Follies, the Saturday Nite Gala, and many of the workshops and seminars. She tells you all about it in this Fan Fair report.
On the night before Halloween all the ghouls, monsters, dragons, witches and sexy cheerleaders did gather at the Sheraton in Philadelphia for the Henri David Halloween Ball. That’s right. This year for reason unknown Henri was forced to have his gigantic costume party on the night before Halloween. This has only occurred very, very few […]
Julie Gaum is 91. She’s been crossdressing since she was 15, after an earlier incident at age 7. Now she has written a book to share her story with the world. The book is called “Never Climbed His Mountain.” On TGF Julie tells her story. She graduated from Wharton, went to Hollywood to work in the film industry and found herself romantically involved with a Hungarian woman while Julie collected more women’s clothes in secret. She left Hollywood to work for a home improvement chain in Canada and logging many miles on the lonely road. Then she reconnected with the widow of her cousin and the two decided to move to Florida together. Things were looking up.
TGF welcomes a trans voice from Bogota, Columbia. Her name is Katherine Diaz and she has produced a video and written a blog post in her native language about trans life in her country. (Those who don’t know Spanish can use Google Translate to get the gist of her message.) Hola Katherine! Welcome to TGForum.
We received the following press release from Dr. Aaron Devor at the University of Victoria: I am very pleased announce that Lynn Conway will be receiving an Honorary Doctor in Engineering from the University of Victoria on Wed., Nov. 9th at 10:00 AM PST (-8 Hrs GMT). You can watch it streamed live on the […]
Marc Mitnick,MS, CCC-SLP, is a speech pathologist practicing in the South Florida areas of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. He is blogging with TGForum to provide information on how to successfully, without damage to the vocal cords, achieve the voice that matches your gender identity. He works with both FtM and MtF trans people. Today he provides an overview of how speech therapy can work for you and how to find a therapist in your area.
It’s The Week In Trans! Today we learn many things. “Beauty boys” are gaining greater acceptance from cosmetic companies. Johns Hopkins will start doing GRS again next year. Many legal rulings in the restroom wars have occurred. A 16-year-old trans girl gets an award in Australia. A school newspaper says we should avoid Halloween costumes that offend. A trans woman in the U.K. went on a reality TV dating show. A film maker has done a video documentary on trans life in Iceland. Was “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” re-make worth it? There’s all that and a whole lot more, not to mention a sizable selection of TWIT Awards, in this edition of TWIT!
Men in female masks. Young men in makeup. Models being put out of work by drag queens and female basketball players. Baseball players in stockings. What’s it all mean? It’s all part of the ingredient list for the Special of the Day in today’s edition of Dina’s Diner. Dina mixes it all together, adds some of her special spices and let’s it simmer into a tasty dish that’s sure to please the most discerning palate. Don’t miss out on your serving of today’s special! It’s yummy!
Today Pamela DeGroff reviews the new CD from trans man singer songwriter Ryan Cassata. It’s titled Shine. Then Pamela dives into to some music news from her favorite artists like Rev. Yolanda, Georgie Jessup, and Calpernia Addams. She also has Hedwig tour news and a note about the new Lady Gaga album, Joanne. She rounds out the column with a mini review of a new EP by a Norwegian rocker names Dagny. You’ll find it all in Perpetual Change, TGF’s longest running column.
