Today our Correspondent in Thailand, Christine Burr, takes a break from the Thai scene and blogs about a common characteristic of closeted crossdressers worldwide. The extreme planning and precision that must be implemented to take advantage of windows of dressing opportunity that open with short notice. See what happens when “Tom” hears his wife planning an excursion for the coming Saturday.
In this TGF Re-run we bring back a series on trans people in America history written by former TGF contributor Lauren Rene Hotchkiss. The series was published originally in the 1990s. Today Lauren writes about the women who adopted male identities to fight in the Civil War.
Restrooms and locker rooms. The ban of many a trans woman’s existence. Should she go into the lady’s room to do what is necessary or should she hold it till she can get home. Many trans people plan their public outings around when they will be able to use the facilities or around a single stall restroom they are familiar with. Why the paranoia? Because of the straight world’s fear that trans women represent a threat to cisgender women in women’s “safe spaces.” Angela Gardner has some thoughts on the matter in a Dispatch From The Restroom Wars.
A trans woman is representing Ireland in an international pageant. Chelsea Manning has been ordered to cut her hair by prison officials. The woman arrested on suspicion of prostitution at the Drury Inn in Iowa is suing. The Cleveland VA opens a trans medical center. Caitlyn Jenner gets a Glamour award and faces protestors. Could the 1964 Civil Rights Act already offer protections for trans people? A trans teen just misses being homecoming queen. A major sports team comes out in support of anti-trans discrimination in Massachusetts. You could be a living Jessica Rabbit if you have $200,000 to spend. Congress’s LGBT Equality Caucus is creating a Transgender Equality Task Force. Heklina has won a Queerty Award. Drag queens will again march with Philly’s Mummers. There’s all that plus much more and several TWIT Awards waiting for you in this week’s TWIT!
What’s a car wash skirt? Something you wear when you and your sorority sisters do a car wash fundraiser? No. A car wash skirt is one that has slits all around like the sponges that you drive your car through in a car wash. They vibrate and rub your car clean. A car wash skirt flounces around your legs and exposes them as you walk. They can be daring, and demure, depending on the fabric, length and the length of the slits. Get all the info on car wash skirts and how to integrate them into your wardrobe from our fashion maven Tasi Zuriack.
When The Artist D says that her husband is a coffee table she means that he has a fetish for being used as a coffee table by dominates. There are plenty of other what could be considered “odd” fetishes but is there really a line separating the ones that seem strange from more everyday fetishes? Could baking apple pies with a willing partner also be a fetish? Expand your thoughts and read this post from The Artist D.
Babs Casbar Siperstien helped to get anti-discrimination legislation passed in New Jersey in 2006. That passage took a full court press and featured testimony from trans people and their families, a television ad and a lot of time spent walking the halls of the state capital. Babs feels that the efforts in Houston to get the HERO bill passed fell short in reaching many of the demographics that needed to be won over. See what she believes went wrong in Houston and how it could have been handled better.
Today Pamela DeGroff reviews two Christmas albums. One is from last year, Future Christmas by jazz bassist Jennifer Leitham. The second is Kylie Christmas by Kylie Minogue. Then Pamela reviews some new music from a new artist who has a “throw back voice,” Andra Day.
On November 8 The Cuban Legend, David de Alba, brought his Judy Garland impersonation back to the stage in Las Vegas with his David de Alba’s LIVE Tribute to Judy Garland — Judy Forever In My Heart. He appeared in an afternoon one man show at the Jewel Box Theatre, located in the Erotic Heritage […]
The Week In Transgenderism is loaded with all the trans related news we could dig out of the Web! Today we learn that federal authorities have given an Illinois school 30 days to let a trans girl use the girl’s locker room. The Union for Reform Judaism supports the trans community. There’s a new Miss International Queen. The play Southern Comfort is looking for trans actors. There’s been big media reaction to the defeat of HERO. Sir Elton John weighs in on what Germaine Greer said about TGs. New info has come out about Roberta Cowell. A 5000-year-old tree has changed genders. There’s all that plus more news and a few TWIT Awards waiting for your attention in this week’s TWIT!
When Southern Comfort pulled up stakes and moved to Florida many of the people in the Atlanta area who had volunteered and done work for that conference were left with skills in conference producing that were no longer needed. The Transgender Health Education Alliance stepped in the produce a new conference with a focus on trans health and improving the lives of LGBTQ people. Dana Bevan reports on how the conference turned out.
Many crossdressers have busy lives full of duties and obligations that preclude dressing up for fun on a regular basis. It may be the demands of a full time job; family time; time spent with friends who don’t know about their pal’s “hobby,” or a combination of things that keeps a CD from slipping into femme mode when they want. Chanelle Nirok, our young CD contributor, has some time management tips to get you dressed up more often.
Dawn and Hannah have been together for almost a year. During that time both of them have changed. Hannah has become more feminine and grown as a woman and Dawn has been happy to see how being who she is meant to be has made Hannah a happier person. But as in every relationship there can be a few rough patches. Today Dawn blogs about one that has gone on for a month.
He, him, she, her, hers, his. Pronouns used in the English language to denote the gender of the person being mentioned in conversation. Markers that put you in the male or female category upon which how you are treated by society rests. Lately a new term has entered the language: preferred gender pronoun. Cate O’Malley isn’t too happy with that term. Do you wonder why? Read on.
Many members of the trans community, particularly those who are in the closet about their gender, have found sites like TGForum to be useful and comforting as they explore their gender issues. But often it is hard to even look at trans sites on the Web for fear that family members, spouses or associates may find the sites if they have a reason to look at the browser history. Laura Jade tells you how to create a “secret profile” in Firefox that will hide your online trail.
Today in The Week In Transgenderism we learn many things. There’s another push for Carmen Carrera to strap on the angel wings. A trans woman has become Holland’s Next Top Model. GLAAD says trans characters are rising in streaming shows. Caitlyn Jenner is doing more outreach. The Spanish trans woman did not win Miss World Spain. Sylvia Rivera is being included in the National Portrait Gallery. There’s another TG cheerleader. Guys are getting super femme on Instagram. The Feds weigh in for Gavin Grimm. There’s film and TV news. Find out why Thailand is the gender-change capital. All that and more plus a lot of TWIT Awards is waiting for you right now in TWIT!
Now that Halloween is done people begin to turn their attention to the other holidays that are more family oriented. Thanksgiving and Christmas are approaching. For many people these holidays with with family focus are not joyful. They can be lonely and painful. Especially in the case of people who have been rejected by their families because of who they are. Sophie Lynne has a suggestion that may help some people through the holiday season.
Lorraine Anderson, proprietor of The Occasional Woman seamstress service, has been so busy all of October that she found herself the day before Halloween without a costume of her own for the big night. Being good with deadlines she went to a costume shop for inspiration and came out with an idea that she managed to sew together in one day. She recommends that you take a bit longer to design your costume for next Halloween.
Many girls have the desire to dress up as Elsa from the film Frozen and our contributor Amanda is no exception. This year she decided to do it and do it right with a professional Elsa costume. She and her friend “Cinderella” headed in to San Francisco where they found fun, excitement and some bigoted buttheads.
Christine-Jane has been commenting on the crossdressing lifestyle for years. First appearing in trans-magazines and newsletters before there was an Internet, she now comes to TGForum to skewer crossdresser foibles and fears with her pens and pencils. Today she illustrates how words that sound the same may not be even close in meaning.
Every year since 1968 Philadelphia jeweler Henri David has thrown a gigantic, fabulous Halloween party on October 31. Over 2000 people attend. People spend months working on elaborate costumes. In past years some have used only body paint to create a costume. From sensational to simple there are a lot of men wearing women’s costumes […]
Acclaimed Transgender Surgeon Outlines Pre-Surgical Considerations for Transgender Children (Philadelphia, PA) “Transgenderism has no age limit”, said Dr. Sherman Leis, transgender surgeon of international renown, and founder of the Philadelphia Center for Transgender Surgery. Recognizing that people who are gender dysphoric are that way from birth, Dr. Leis points out that it should be no surprise […]
This week in TWIT: Esquire Magazine features people who transitioned in the 20th century. Caitlyn Jenner takes it on the road. The trans teen homecoming queen speaks out. Undergarments for transition. Asifa Lahore says queens should teach sex ed. Lou Reed wasn’t very nice, it seems. The Ab-Fab movie is looking for ab fab queens. Plus more about New York state’s expanded anti-discrimination move, the ghost of Julian Eltinge, trans sex workers, a new magazine featuring drag queens and whole ton of TWIT Awards. It’s all waiting for you in TWIT!
Dina Amberle has cooked up a big hearty pot of Diner stew to keep you warm on a cool fall day. She’s added in such ingredients as a short history of lady’s leg-wear, some Fook-Yi & Fook-Yu, a touch of jewelry designer Betony Vernon, a dash of a crossdresser robber, and she seasons it with some spicy Rocky Horror Picture Show. Take a seat at the counter or slide into a booth and order your entree down at Dina’s Diner.
David de Alba graciously allows us to re-publish his celebrity interviews. In October of 2000 David conducted the following interview with Carmen. Carmen became gravely ill early in 2003 and passed away on in March of 2003 at the early age of 52. David’s interview ensures that the name of this talented performer will live on.
There are myths and more myths about Thai Ladyboys. Most of these myths revolve around the assumption that everything is fine and wonderful with being Transgendered in Thailand. That Thai Ladyboys live a wonderful life; going about their everyday routines dressing and living as the females they were clearly meant to be. After all, isn’t […]
