Dina Amberle is back at the grill down at Dina’s Diner and she’s cooked up a patriotic repast for today as we celebrate our red, white and blue American holiday. Dina has taken a bit of Mariah Carey, added some womanly hips, a pinch of Bill Cunningham memories, some high heel hacks and The NYT’s focus on drag for Pride month to create a delicious feast for the mind. Enjoy and bon appétit!
Tona Brown is a violinist and vocalist who performs across genres, from classical to jazz to R&B. Ms. Brown is a trans woman from Baltimore and she has been interviewed in this column before, back in 2009. Pamela DeGroff interviewed her again recently and brings you that interview today. Ms. Brown has been active in music and also as a presence on social media doing a live interview show. After the interview Pamela has some music news and a mini review of the new Ariana Grande album.
Today’s Retro Rerun is from the early days of TGForum. The late Roberta Angela Dee did a series of articles on learning several feminine skills. Today we bring back her “Twenty Ways to Look More Beautiful,” first published in July of 1997. Ms. Dee passed away in 2003.
Look out! It’s The Week In Transgenderism and it’s careening down the information superhighway directly into your browser! Today we learn that Dr. Marci Bowers is feeling at home in her Bay Area practice. It looks like Gavin Grimm will be using the boy’s room in the fall. A Chicago gender clinic gets a big grant. August will be the 50th anniversary of the Compton’s Cafeteria Riot. Stonewall is a national monument. There is no StingRhonda. A trans dating site under development in the U.K. wants your suggestions. The ACA will ban discrimination against people based on their gender identity. The Pentagon will let trans soldiers serve openly by July. A trans veteran runs for Parliament in Australia. Meet 15 men who produce makeup videos on YouTube. There’s a book about Charles Pierce. All that and several TWIT Awards are waiting for you in TWIT!
Trans Media Arts is our column dedicated to trans people and trans subjects portrayed in the art and media. Today Amanda has a look at trans topics as diverse as a new drag singing sensation in San Francisco; the new season of Orange is the New Black; a trans man athlete featured in a magazine in the nude; a drag mural; a trans super hero, and much more. Don’t miss Trans Media Arts!
Linda Jensen was called upon to test wear the Underworks Body Shaper, a garment which pulls in your waist and pads out your hips and butt. Committing to the test run Linda wore the garment steadily for two weeks (practically around the clock, she says) and today she files her report. As a woman who has used padded derriere garments for years what does Linda think of the Underworks Shaper? Read her product review to find out.
Our resident cartoonist Sabrina Bria Symington has another commentary on this thing we call transgender. Today she points out that there are many, many different women in the world and they have many characteristics besides, as The Big Bopper sang, “That wiggle in the walk, and giggle in the talk.” They are all unique and some have characteristics that just might make us feel better about ourselves.
Ruffles! You may think that ruffled attire is strictly for the pre-teen set but, as Tasi Zuriack reveals, you would be wrong. More mature ladies can integrate ruffles into their wardrobe by following a few simple rules on when and where to ruffle. Find out where a ruffle is appropriate and flattering and where a ruffle can mean fashion disaster. Read on and learn the ruffle secrets from Tasi Zuriack.
In the ’80s we had Madonna, a material girl living in a material world. Today we bring you The Artist D, a non-labeled girl living in a non-binary world. And that non-binary world can be confusing. It seems to The Artist D that many people today are rejecting labels so they can sink into a bland beige background noise and give up on any of their unique qualities. Either that or they are piling on so many labels the essential person is submerged under them all. And, why would anyone want to be “just” human?
Time again for The Week In Transgenderism! Today we learn about a trans woman runner who made the cover of a women’s running mag. We get some insights into how the Orlando attack has affected members of the LGBT community. Thailand — not just ladyboys. They have trans men too! Pakistan moves to help trans women. A trans woman is running for U.S. Senate from Utah. Trans health is featured in The Lancet. RuPaul’s All-Star Drag Race is coming soon. Lucky Cheng’s has reopened in NYC. A ton of news on the Restroom Wars, several TWIT Awards and a kitty cat criminal are all waiting for you in TWIT!
Should toys be gendered? Is it okay for a boy to play with dolls or a girl to play with trains? Play is a very important factor in the development of humans. If they don’t get to play with what they want when they want children can develop differently. Learn the importance of play and both the good and bad of having toys that are marketed to specific genders in today’s post by Dana Bevan.
Babs Siperstein is a superdelegate who is pledged to Hillary Rodham Clinton. While Babs admires Bernie Sanders and gets his message of revolution she believes, from seeing it with her own eyes, that Mrs. Clinton and the Democratic Party are the best choice for trans people in November. LGBT rights are hammered into the Party platform and trans women are featured in Mrs. Clinton’s Primary Victory video. Read why Babs supports Mrs. Clinton.
For over 100 years breasts have been uplifted by a noble garment that is the foundation of a successful woman. We’re talking about the bra. The brassiere. They lift, separate, pushup and add shape to the breasts of women all across the world. But it seems, if we are to believe Cate O’Malley, that it’s a love, hate relationship.
While cruising around Facebook we came across a status post from Elizabeth Jenkins, the President of Louisiana Trans Advocates. Her topic was “passing privilege.” The idea that trans people who fit into the niche of the gender they wish to express to the world will be accepted as members of that gender. Ms. Jenkins expressed her thoughts on the issue so well that we asked her if we could share it here on TGForum.
Our crossdresser cartoonist passed away in February of this year. Relive eleven of her cartoons from the past year in a TGForum slideshow. The slides will change every 10 seconds till they reach the eleventh cartoon.
It’s The Week In transgenderism! A grand assemblage of all the trans related news we can find. Today we learn that there’s a movie about Coy Mathis and her family. People are trying to find out how many of us there are. 10 myths you can catch from trans themed films. Laverne Cox plays a lawyer on TV. Will trans models be as popular? 400 clergy call for the repeal of HN2. Grayson Perry mixes with macho men. A 21-year-old man transforms into all the Disney princesses. An arrest has been made in the torching of Dr. Brassard’s clinic. There’s all that, a ton more, and several TWIT Awards waiting for your review in TWIT!
Recently Sophie Lynne took a trip with her roommate to retrieve her roommate’s belongings from a storage facility in Michigan. Now the collection of stuff her roomy accumulated sits in their living room. The trip made Sophie contemplate the many items she is holding on to that were obtained by the person she used to pretend to be. Why does she keep his stuff when it will all be meaningless after Sophie is gone? Read on and find out why she holds on to the Remains of an Old Life.
Oftentimes department stores send out lists of “must-have” items. If a lady wishes to stay trendy then she simply has to have the listed items in her wardrobe, and by some strange coincidence, those trendy items just happen to be on sale. Today Lorraine Anderson, the seamstress behind The Occasional Woman service, takes a look at a list of items you just can’t live without this summer. Or can you?
Last was the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference 2016 and TGF contributor Jan Brown attended two of the three days of the event. Today she has a report on the conference with her observations and opinions.
Amanda is a one woman woman and in Cali the vibe is not monogamy. People will say they love you but they love you like they love their latte. It’s a different world for a girl from Pittsburgh, Pa. and Amanda is having a tough time finding “the one.” She hasn’t quit yet. She’s still sorting through the fish in the sea and playing The Game of Love.
To go with our report on the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference we present a slideshow of members of The Renaissance Transgender Association, Inc. at their table in the vending/information area. The group was there for all three days of the conference handing out information about their open membership trans support organization in the Philadelphia suburbs. Thanks to Jone Myers of Renaissance for letting us use her photos.
Despite the fact that the United States of America was founded with the idea that religious freedom was important, so important that keeping church and state separate was written into the first amendment to the Constitution, many today find that their religious beliefs should void the rights of those they feel violate the tenets of their religion. What freedom of religion means is, you can practice or chose not to practice any religion but the government will not be influenced by any religion. But too many now feel that their religion is more important than the governments laws. Today Emily looks at religion and rights.
Philadelphia LGBT people marched on Sunday, June 12 and Jone Myers was there with her camera. She tool a load of photos and sent them along to us and we present them here in a slideshow. Check out the festivities in downtown Philly!
When it comes to conservative core beliefs people will not be swayed by experts. They can read what an expert has to say about something and state that the expert, who has devoted years to particular area of study and learned as much as there is to know about it, is wrong. In the case of trans issues the conservative thinkers are certain a man is a man and a woman is a woman. How do we get through that kind of certainty?
It’s time for all the trans news you need! Today we learn that Tinder, the dating app, is getting more friendly to trans people. The VA is moving to cover GRS. Conservative rabbis pass a trans-positive resolution. Painted for Filth has 20 hot queens from May. The Sisters of Mercy practice what they preach. The Simms 4 opens up gender restrictions. Jennifer Finney Boylan goes back to her old school. Meet Dr. Rachel Levine. Puerto Ricans can change gender on their I.D. Annie Thang is going to Harvard. Barbara Satin is appointed by the president. Lots of restroom related news and a host of TWIT Awards are just waiting for you in TWIT!
It takes a master (or is that mistress?) chef to take such diverse ingredients as 17 year cicadas, YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous, office dress codes, the shift away from super femme presentation on RuPaul’s Drag Race and a sprinkling of Night Flowers, and whip it into a delightful treat for the discerning palate. If there’s one woman who can do it it would be our Dina Amberle. Step into Dina’s Diner today and see what’s cookin’!
