Kimberly takes you back to those thrilling days when she first set foot outside of her home while dressed en femme. The first year she views as a write-off but she was starting to get her act together by the second year. She was still making mistakes but she was finding acceptance. Take a trip back to those exhilarating days with Kim’s Adventure Time!
Now that Cate O’Malley doesn’t have to go to the office every day and pretend to be a man she has the freedom to dress as she likes. You might think that she would spend her days in feminine frills and flouncy dresses. Skirts and high heels with lacy tops and the proper accessories. You would find, if you chanced to visit Cate in her Florida home, that while she is 100% woman, she is practical about her attire. A linen frock and high heel sandals would not be appropriate for cleaning out the gutters. Oh, sure. Cate and her wife could dress up for evening outing. With all the things to do around the house does she really have the energy to gussy up and go out?
It’s a story that seems like a crossdressing fantasy but it really happened. A con man who was living as a woman started a bogus automobile company in California while he was on the run from charges of counterfeiting and bail jumping. He was so confidant of his female identity that she risked the public eye to head the bogus car company and court investors. Even though she wasn’t that convincingly female. It all happened back in the 1970s. Guest contributor Susan Grant tells you all the details of this amazing story.
Get ready! Here comes The Week In Trans! Today we learn that Jeffrey Tambor is officially fired from Transparent. The Pentagon has issued a memo that could affect trans soldiers, while the troops don’t seem to be too concerned about trans soldiers. Daniela Vega is gaining celebrity for her role in A Fantastic Woman. Bath salts will help promote trans rights. One third of Americans believe that being trans is a sin. More info on the breast feeding trans woman. News about trans kids. South Dakota won’t be adding warning signs to restroom doors. A Japanese boy who dresses up and posts photos on the web gets caught by a male friend — who asks him out. Courtney Act talks about gender. There’s all that and more plus a few well deserved TWIT Awards waiting for you in TWIT!
Sophie Lynne has been putting up with a job that exposes her daily to rude comments from customers and she has had to take it with a smile or risk being fired. A job that once fulfilled her has turned into a soul sucking burden that she can’t afford to quit. She needs the money. All that changed last week when she was suddenly, without prior warning, relieved of her soul sucking job when they showed her the door. Now the question becomes, will not having to suffer in a bad job allow her to blossom into another area, or will she succumb to the soul sucking despair of depression?
Our Man in a Dress, Graham Holmes, writes about the “boy in a dress” character on the reboot of the Roseanne television show that premiers March 27 on ABC. The boy who wears girl’s clothes is played by Ames McNamara and the character’s name is Mark Conner-Healy. He is the son of one of the Connor family women. Graham has a lot to say about assumptions made about the character by the show’s producers. See if you agree, or disagree with his assessment.
Amanda has made some changes recently as her California odyssey continues. She has reason to be optimistic since her new living situation is saving her money and the stress factor of current home is vastly diminished from the level it hit in her old place. So that’s all good, but, she is having trouble weaning herself from an anti-anxiety medication and that along with longing for the east coast is making her anxious. Get the latest from her personal blog.
Our Columbian correspondent and Princess of the Night Katherine Diaz files another report on the trans scene in Bogotá. In today’s blog she talks about getting stuck inside on a rainy night in the city but finds that she meets interesting and stimulating people. People like the trans woman who is running for office. Read her blog and practice your Spanish and watch the accompanying video about Senorita Diaz’s rainy night.
Welcome to Dina’s Diner! The coffee is always brewing. Dina has specials of the day, and there’s pie! Today’s specials include Dina’s commentary on Tasi Zuriack’s commentary on how the umbrella term “transgender” has started to push out crossdressers and only apply to those who are going to transition. Then she has thoughts on all the kids who are reporting that they are trans, musings on pre-teen drag queens, and the trials and tribulations of being a working drag performer. For dessert she offers some thoughts on the royals depicted in The Crown. Take a seat at the counter or hop into a booth. Time to eat your fill at Dina’s Diner!
This month’s book is a bit of a curve ball — Trans*: A Quick and Quirky Account of Gender Variability by Jack Halberstam. I saw it in the book store, and said to myself, “Self, quick and quirky sounds perfect!” It was a mere 136 pages of text, but the 27 pages of notes, sources, […]
It’s only been a few months since Claire H. took her first steps toward living as her true self. She finds that as she moves into the future every barrier she saw ahead would dissolve away as she approached. Today she writes that while she had not been expecting to start hormone therapy till April the advocacy of her therapist got her an early appointment with a nurse practitioner and she can begin hormones this week. Will all of the obstacles be as easily overcome?
When things are going badly there is so much to say about how you’re being affected and how you feel. When things are all moving along smoothly there doesn’t seem to be that much to talk about. Just, “Hey, I’m okay. All is well.” That was the dilemma of our agender youth correspondent M when they were trying to come up with a topic for today’s post. So they decided to go ahead and write about how everything is okay.
It’s The Week In Trans time! Today we learn that around 40 trans candidates have filed to run for office. The DOJ is switching positions in the trans military ban lawsuit. A former admiral defends keeping trans soldiers in the military. A Swedish trans girl is Sweden’s “Transgender of the Year.” The Bar Association passes a resolution urging support for Title VII. A trans woman is dancing the samba in Rio De Janeiro’s Carnival. Canadian trans women find that they earn one third less than men. Trans kids don’t get good healthcare and more kids are declaring they are trans or nonconforming. Researchers at Mt. Sinai have a way for trans women to nurse their babies. Desmond Is Amazing walked the runway for Fashion Week. There’s all that and a lot more, plus several TWIT Awards, waiting for your attention in TWIT!
How many times have you been around other people who were joking or commenting negatively on a trans person they have seen? Our guest contributor Sophia Swift gives her opinion on people who have to give their opinion when they may, without knowing it, be talking to a trans person — either someone who has transitioned, or a trans person projecting the opposite of their true self. No one should be forced to endure someone’s anti-trans statements.
The Artist D! examines the recent controversy over the tussle between anti-sexual harassment activist and author Rose McGowen and a trans woman during an appearance by McGowen at a Barnes & Noble book event. The trans woman asked McGowen a question about remarks she made on RuPaul’s podcast. At sometime during McGowen’s response things went sideways and soon the two were shouting at each other and neither one was listening. The Artist D! has listened to the shouting and within it she finds rage and pain but she can’t locate the anti-trans statements attributed to McGowen. She includes the video of the incident in this post along with her analysis.
Linda Jensen has been blogging about a critical time in her life. During the summer of ’68 she took some steps in a direction that could have led her down a far different road than the one she took. She could have let it define life life and said, “That’s it I’m a drag queen” or “I’m transsexual” but at the end of that fateful summer she decided to take her life in a different direction. In today’s post she tells you more about what she did in the summer of ’68.
Trans people in entertainment, whether actors, characters, writers, musicians or dancers, are Amanda F. Steele’s beat. She keeps you up to date on who’s doing what in the trans community of arts and entertainment. Today she writes about the controversy between Rose McGowen and trans women. She fills you in on Candis Cayne’s role on Grey’s Anatomy; comments on a film featuring a trans woman that’s up for an Oscar, and has some other tasty tidbits of show biz buzz to keep you entertained and informed.
Good morning campers! It’s time to roll out of your bunk and read The Week In Trans! Today’s TWIT informs us that some members of Congress escorted trans military people to the State if the Union. Ten federal judges have ruled against the trans military ban but the RNC endorses it. Coca Cola wants to sell their fluid to the gender fluid. HHS let’s doctors refuse to treat you because their religion says you’re bad. Trans mayor Jess Herbst runs for reelection. Bathroom bills are introduced but move slowly. Candis Cayne will appear on Grey’s Anatomy. April Ashley wins an award. Courtney Act wins on a reality show. All that and plenty more is waiting for you, alone with a few TWIT Awards, in this edition of TWIT!
Raquel and Mark, two parts of one person that became separated after drinking a strange potion, have been transported to another land. They trek to the north to do battle with “the Magistrate” but have been told by a mysterious woman named Lydia that one of them will not survive the confrontation. In a house that is a duplicate of their childhood home Raquel meets her “mother” and then her “father.” In our last chapter she was handcuffed to a bed and argues with Mark about their life. Then we learn that Mark is not really any part of her. Raquel is dispatched into darkness and begins to fall. Where will she land and what is going to happen in Chapter 17 of Metamorphosis?
Our Fashion Maven Tasi Zuriack takes a fashion break and writes today about crossdressing in general. She asks if crossdressers even exist. Since many of our readers identify as crossdressers we suspect that they do exist. TGForum’s official policy on crossdressers is that they exist under the transgender umbrella. They’re part of the transgender community and the Tasi points out that the word “transgender” may be causing problems for people who just like to dress up like ladies and feel pretty. Read on and see what you think.
Cate O’Malley made a different kind of New Year’s Resolution to start 2018. Rather than resolve to stick to a diet or become a more responsible consumer, or cut back on imbibing alcohol or avoiding toxic people, Cate decided to resolve to stick to some fundamental principles to live by. Today she blogs about the three things she deems most important in living life. You may get a hint at what they are from her blog title.
Constant vigilance is necessary as the media are often not through in researching who they use as an “expert” in shows dealing with trans issues. Dana Bevan is always on the look out for the inclusion of discredited “experts” and she recently caught one on the TLC show I Am Jazz. The offender in question was Susan Bradley, formerly of the Clarke Institute which morphed into the now closed Canadian Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) center. Bradley is against allowing trans kids to be the gender they feel. Read on and find out what other misinformation the show allowed to air.
Today Kimberly offers advice on preparing to take that big step that takes you out of your closet and into the world. Before you jump into a dress and heels and walk out the door there are some things you need to check, and some questions you need to answer. Are you ready to go public? Have you practiced being feminine? Is your outfit attractive but bland enough to blend in with the other women you will be mingling with? I you bread cover working? Have you worked on a feminine voice if someone asks you a question? If you get “read” will you run home? If people point at you and laugh will you be upset?
If you weren’t socialized from an early age as a female you may have to work at presenting yourself to others as a woman. Women are raised soaking in culturally imposed gender related behaviors that trans women don’t get exposed to. Trans women often spend too many years learning to hide their femininity so as to fit in with societal expectations of how they should behave as men. Christine Burr came to understand that she was female after she reached middle age. She had to work to acquire the traits of a mature woman and new when she is expressing her true gender she is left wondering if she is acting.
It’s time for The Week In Trans! Today we learn that the Hasty Pudding theater troupe at Harvard will allow women to perform. A Harris Poll says more people are expressing discomfort with LGBT people. Court rulings, motions and decisions. Hate crimes are up by 85%. Trans Oscar nominations! The Church of England welcomes trans parishioners, but not too much. Abercrombie & Fitch introduces a line of gender-neutral clothes. Rep. Joseph Kennedy will escort a trans soldier to the State of the Union. A study shows kids are more flexible about gender. Russia will allow trans people to legally change gender. A trans woman competes in a beautiful butt contest in Brazil. There’s all that plus much more, and several TWIT Awards will be presented. Don’t miss your TWIT!
Babs Casbar Siperstein, our political correspondent shares some thoughts on Chelsea Manning’s big to compete in the primary for Maryland’s senate seat. Then she updates you on the progress on trans issues being made in New Jersey now that their unpopular governor has left office and been replaced with a Democrat.
