It’s that time of year; time to go through your wardrobe and decide what gets packed away for the spring and summer and decide what cold weather attire gets the old heave ho. Are you really going to enjoy wearing that old sweater again in the fall? What about that dress you said you’d wear for some event but that event never arrived? Why let it keep taking up space? Toss it. Lorraine Anderson has some tips on how to sort out the keepers from the items to be tossed.
In Christy’s world things happen after careful planning. Little by little she has progressed through her transition and just recently she passed a milestone. Her church members have accepted her fully as a woman. But her mail from the church was still going to that guy. After requesting an update her next mail from church will be sent to Ms. Christy Lewis. Sometimes it’s the little things that bring validation.
As Savannah’s visit to her mother’s nears its end she has an important appointment with a doctor who does breast enhancement. Then the night before her flight back to Chicago there’s dinner with the Franklins at the Club. Of course Fred arrives in the morning to drive her to the airport.
What’s new today? A trans woman is running for the Montana House of Representatives. San Francisco has a special place for homeless trans people. Should we add our pronouns to our email signatures? Persistent attacks against trans youth is taking a toll. Meanwhile another study shows that gender-affirming care prevents mental health issues. A judge in Texas issues an order forbidding the governor’s executive order mandating that parents of trans children be investigated from going into effect for one family. An eight-year-old trans girls from Texas was at the State of the Union address. Iowa’s governor has signed a trans athlete ban into law. Trans woman swimmer Lia Thomas gives a long interview to Sports Illustrated. The Maryland house defeated a trans athlete ban. The Transgender Day of Visibility is coming on March 31. There’s all that and more, plus a few well deserved TWIT Awards waiting for your perusal in TWIT!
Dina’s Diner serves up a sobering entree as this month’s special. It’s composed of the suffering of our sisters caught in a senseless war. To cleanse the palate Dina Amberle provides a tossed salad featuring a nonbinary actor who has been added to the cast of Space Force. Then it’s back to the entrees with a Canadian makeup artist whose transformation is nothing short of amazing. The next course is info on where Hooter’s wait staff get their shiny tights. A light dessert of the happiest countries on Earth wraps up the menu.
Rabbah Rona Matlow shares their feelings about the war being waged against Ukraine by Russia. Hir thoughts range from the motivation to engage in this war to the effect it will have on trans people in Ukraine. They will face all the problems the cisgender citizens face and more. Even leaving the country may not be possible for them if the “wrong” gender is on their ID and passports.
Time for our monthly report on transgender people in film and video. Today we begin with a BBC documentary about The Frock Destroyers recording their album and going on tour. Then we’ve got info on a film from New Zealand in which a trans man returns to his family home after being estranged for ten years. We cover the career of the late Indonesian entertainer Dorce Gamalama, and another documentary on a U.K. drag queen who is a real gypsy queen. Justin Vivian Bond performs on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series. Tyler Perry speaks on whether Madea is a drag queen. Survivor has its first out trans contestant. Okay, action!
We dove into the TGForum Archives today and pulled out this article from 1998. It’s called Best Mates and is by the significant other of a crossdresser in Australia. Colleen, the SO, became attracted to a fellow worker and over time their relationship grew into more than a friendship. At some point Colleen found out about her boyfriend’s other personality, Claire. She was open to meeting Claire but was shocked by this strange woman who had taken away her boyfriend. Claire almost led to a breakup but Colleen, after initially saying she couldn’t cope, found a way to keep them together.
A deputy fired for changing genders runs for the sheriff’s office. A state committee in Virginia rejects a bill that would have created exemptions allowing religious organizations to discriminate. The Arizona legislature has introduced 12 anti-transgender bills. A Black trans woman was convicted on trumped up drug charges and was in jail for six months; She is getting $1.5 million from Atlanta. Governor Abbot of Texas wants the parents of trans children to be charged with child abuse. Meanwhile another study shows that gender affirming care is the opposite of child abuse. It allows kids to flourish. Apple beta tests a gender neutral voice for Siri. The creator of Hedwig and the Angry Inch admits Hedwig is not transgender. Another contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race has revealed she is trans. Amy Schneider and her girlfriend Genevieve Davis are engaged. There’s all that plus more and a deep pile of TWIT Awards to confer in this edition of TWIT!
Linda and her friend, Linda, go through the 1970s with barely a nod to the growing world of crossdressing but for one of them — the other Linda — there happens a relationship and a sexual awakening that allows her to slip into an active and ‘analyst-free’, guilt free CD lifestyle in the 1980s. Warning: this article borders on adult content. Tri-Ess members may be offended.
Shelley Anne reached out to Kandi’s Land to request an interview with our contributor Kandi Robbins. Ms. Robbins granted the interview and it is today’s edition of Tell Shelley Anne. Kandi talks about her modeling work, being featured is several movies, and her philosophy of crossdressing.
Today Misha muses about the fulfillment we get from crossdressing. Of course high heels, thigh hi stockings and skimpy lingerie makes us feel sexy and desirable. But don’t we feel appreciated when admiring men show us attention for our feminine looks? Do some of us find the idea of pleasing an admirer intriguing?
Todays Sabrina Symington cartoon speaks for itself. . .and to many people who are transgender.
Back in the late 20th century TGForum under the leadership of Cindy Martin ran pictorials featuring the ladies who subscribed to TGF. Today we reach back into the Archives and dust off a lingerie pictorial from 1999, Satin Dolls. You can get a larger view of the photos by clicking on them. Click again to reduce the size and return to browsing.
And now the news. Brianna Titone has changed her mind about running for Congress. A poll shows the number of people identifying as LGBTQ has doubled in the past decade. Over 300 swimmers sign a letter in support of Lia Thomas. GLAAD releases its report on LGBTQ characters on TV. Michaela Jaé Rodriguez wins an award. Anti-trans violence and anti-trans laws keep happening. Elliot Page is writing a memoir. Alabama’s legislature is pushing through a restroom bill. Laverne Cox turns 50 this year. Testimony of trans kids and activists got an Arizona Republican to vote with the Democrats. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars has been renewed for a seventh season. A trans activist in Trinidad takes over a seat in the senate. A well-known transgender entertainer in Indonesia passes away and her family buries her as a man. Kuwait has decriminalized being transgender. There’s all that a more plus several TWIT Awards awaiting your perusal in TWIT!
Carl Sagan identified some useful tools for detection of faulty arguments that have come to be known as his “Baloney Detection Kit”. Dana Bevan has had experience with articles concerning being transgender and she borrows from Sagan to give you six tools that should be in your Transgender Science Baloney Kit.
Kandi Robbins traveled to The Big Apple for Fashion Week and did more than the usual tourist activities. Sure, she got her picture taken on Broadway and visited the attractions on 42nd Street, but most important was he time walking the runway in the International Beautiful You Fashion Show. We’ve got photos!
Japanese visual books, manga, often feature crossdressing in their stories. Whether the crossdresser is the main character or one of the supporting cast they most often are undetected as males dressing a girls unless they are being forced to dress as girls. They are depicted as pretty, sometimes ethereal, and most always, like the other female characters, portrayed wearing short skirts but not always. Meet a few on manga’s crossdressed characters in this post.
In part one of this chapter of The Stained Glass Dream Jennifer was contemplating proposing to Amy. In part two of this chapter her decision is made but to propose one needs to have an engagement ring. Since keeping it secret and making it a surprise Jennifer comes up with a plan.
Like many crossdressers for years the urge to dress and go out in public was there for Pauline. And like many she was too fearful of being recognized by friends or associates. That changed when she went to a crossdresser group meeting in her male aspect and met some other crossdressers. They encouraged her to go out with them for dinner. Next thing you know she’s going across the border to the USA.
What’s going on out there? Lia Thomas is cleared by the NCAA to compete. Female figure skaters will no longer be referred to as ladies. Out magazine features the transgender/nonbinary characters in Star Trek: Discovery. Violence against trans women continues. States keep proposing laws to limit access to medical care for trans kids, and keeping trans women athletes off the field. The first trans star on My 600-Pound Life has passed away. A Republican state senator in Arizona joins Democrats to vote down a ban on treatment for gender dysphoria in minors. Caitlyn Jenner tweets support of Joe Rogan even though he has made fun of her. Bosco, a Drag Race star, comes out as trans. Mexico will allow trans citizens to change the gender on their birth certificates. Australia has a bipartisan vote to protect trans students. There’s all that and more waiting for you in TWIT!
While she may not putter around the house singing the Peggy Lee song, I Enjoy Being a Girl, Christy Lewis does find her new life much more enjoyable. Today she counts the ways that being a woman has improved her existence.
Lorraine Anderson, the lady in charge at The Occasional Woman custom clothing service, has a big shopping tip. Tons of stuff is now on sale! From coats to shoes to lingerie and much more, the stores are trying to get rid of things that you can still wear for awhile. Making room for spring merchandise means savings on winter attire for you.
Time to catch up with transgender entertainers in TransTainment! The already overworked RuPaul Charles will add another television project to her todo list this year. Andreja Pejic appears in a film produced by David Lynch. The Recording Academy donates $150,000 to foster LGBTQ+ musical artists. Actress Rain Valdez makes her feature directorial debut. All that and more is in this month’s TransTainment!
Savannah’s story continues. Suddenly it was Tuesday and she would be heading back to Chicago soon. But there was still a lot to do. Before she could move on to all that she took some time with her mother to enjoy dinner and look back on the whole week’s activities.
In the 1990s TGForum had a regular feature called Manga Focus. Dove Sherman wrote about the plots of manga that included crossdressing or even shape shifting. This Retro Rerun is on a manga titled We Are Mint. A boy misses his twin sister when she goes off to school and he tries to enroll in the school too. When he learns that admissions for boys are closed he enrolls as his sister’s twin sister.
