Saturday day was just another night for Sophie Lynne. A dinner of hamburger helper and relaxing after a long day at work. But for other transgender people there either was no Saturday night or they had to tolerate another night of mistreatment by bigoted people who use “difference” as a focus for their hate. Today Sophie reflects on her Saturday night and how other people with trans identities were treated.
Katherine Diaz, our correspondent from Bogota, Columbia is getting into drag performance. She is rehearsing a song to lip sync and working on her moves. When her act is ready Katherine promises she will write about her performing experience. As always Senorita Diaz presents her report from Bogota en Español. You can copy and paste her words into Google Translate to read it in other languages. And she has another video!
You’ve heard the song Bad Day? It got a lot of radio play a few years back. Well the title of the song only begins to touch on the kind of bad week that our Amanda Steele had to endure. Things started off well and it looked as if a plan to move out of her crazy rooming house was going to work out. She and her cat would be free from the landlady’s immense collection of stray felines and all the confusion. Just a couple of things needed done and soon Amanda would be free. But the best laid plans. . . .
Joanne Meyerowitz is professor of History and American Studies at Yale. She is the author of How Sex Changed: A History of TransSexuality in the United States. She wrote a series of articles that were published on TGF in 1998 that presented the history of “sex change” before Christine Jorgensen made headlines as the “first” person to have a “sex change.” Since this is all three parts of her series be prepared to spend some time reading this fascinating history.
Fasten your seat belts and keep your hands inside the cockpit at all times. The Week In Trans is taking off! Today we learn that a trans woman from Texas is running for the U.S. House. Lots of military trans ban news. A cis woman was attacked by people demanding she prove she wasn’t trans. Studies were released that show it’s the victimization that makes trans kids depressed and suicidal. A trans woman was excommunicated from the LDS for holding positions only open to men — then she was baptized again as a woman so she’s back in the church. Tasmania shows remorse for its outdated and now repealed anti-crossdressing law. Trans men are not welcome at a man-free rock festival. There’s all that and a ton more news, plus a few TWIT Awards, waiting for you in TWIT!
Our Page Pundit Sophie Lynne takes a look at the latest book from trans advocate, activist, writer and editor Janet Mock. It’s title is Surpassing Certainty: What My Twenties Taught Me. Does Sophie feel the book teaches readers anything? She praises Janet Mock’s contributions to the continuing fight for trans rights, but as for the book. . . ? Read her review and see.
While our TWIT column scans the news for anything about members of the trans community, Dina Amberle scans the news for items she can view and comment on from the perspective of a crossdresser. This leads to some tasty confections that are as nourishing as anything. Sometime amusing but always informative. Today she mixes plastic surgery for survival with the plight of the black trans woman community, Wonder Woman’s costume, and the Afropunk trend and some spices to produce a wonderful menu for your enjoyment.
CHRISTIAN EVANGELICAL LEADERS VICIOUSLY ATTACK THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY Since my last column post, God Made Us This Way, the volume of bigotry has been turned up by Christian conservative, evangelical leaders. The so-called “Nashville Statement,” released on August 29th by 150 evangelical leaders from across the United States, viciously attacks the LGBTQ+ community as immoral. […]
Today we dive deep into the TGF Archives to 1996 to pull out an article by founding editor Cindy Martin. Her topic was blusher. How to do it correctly so you don’t look like a painted doll. Keep in mind that this was written in the late 20th century and we’re getting on into the 21st, but the tips Cindy wrote back then can still be helpful. Keep in mind your blush should be subtle during daylight hours. At night it needs to be heavier but not war paint.
The trans news from around the world is all here in The Week In Trans! Today we learn that RuPaul’s Drag Con drew a large number of young fans. Amendments to the Defense Authorization Act would slow the enacting of the trans military ban. Chelsea Manning was offered a visiting fellowship at Harvard till they said, “Oops. Our mistake.” Gavin Grimm is crowd funding his college expenses. Kid Rock does anti-trans raps at his shows. Danica Roem’s campaign agains “Bigot Bob” is heating up. LGBT kids had Camp Rainbow for summer fun. Eddie Izzard will run for parliament in the next general election. Britain’s ITV announces a show about a differently gendered child. Munroe Bergdorf has a new modeling gig. There’s all that and more plus a few TWIT Awards in this week’s TWIT!
Have you seen the bold African print fashions that feature what’s known as Ankara? If you have and you’ve thought they might be fun to wear but you weren’t sure about how to successfully wear them, fear not! Our fashion maven Tasi Zuriack has advice on how to bring the Ankara prints into your wardrobe and make yourself look fabulous.
A teacher reads to her class from the Jazz Jennings’ book I Am Jazz and parents are outraged. A male student is allowed to wear dresses at school and the parents of another student remove their child from the school. If everything doesn’t comply with how people think it should be then they explode. Meanwhile the things that should create outrage are quietly ignored or swept under the rug. The Artist D! has a few words this month about the oppression of kids that comes from their parent’s expectations. And then there’s the outrage over those different colored crayons. . . .
Does the plethora of gender identities sometimes seem overwhelming? If it is for trans people then just imagine what the vanilla gendered population makes of it all. There’s gender non-conforming; non-binary; gender fluid’ gender queer, and that’s not to mention the load of new pronouns that have been created to use when talking about the differently gendered. “I’ll have to ask per and see what zee thinks.” Our Correspondent in Thailand, Christine Burr, would like to return sanity to the gender labelling process. Read on to get her view on the subject.
Linda meets up with a long-time friend who says she has some startling news for her. What could it be? Her friend was going to have gender confirmation surgery? But then she would still be the woman Linda liked, and, she had always identified as a crossdresser. Could it be something personal? Linda didn’t think there was anything wrong between them. Why would this be the last time they might see each other?
It’s time for The Week In Trans! Today we learn that a trans woman in Montana is the first openly-trans contestant in the Miss Montana U.S.A. pageant. More lawsuits are being filed against the military trans ban. Spelman College will accept trans women who consistently live and identify as women. The Family Research Council is out to get us. Really! South Park has a video game that incorporates the ability to play as a trans character. A 3-year-old boy will get to have the “princess experience” at Disneyland Paris. More school dress code changes, young activists on the rise, and more homeless trans people on the streets in Portland, Oregon. All that plus more, and a few TWIT Awards is waiting for you in TWIT!
A gender clinic in Canada was diagnosing children as transgender and then subjecting them to “reparative” therapy. The clinic claimed that their therapy was effective in getting eighty percent of the children to stop acting out trans behavior. There was only one major flaw in their data (along with several small flaws). The majority of the children were not transgender. Dr. Dana Bevan looks at the studies based on data from the now-closed clinic and shows why it was wrong and how it has been used to dismiss the accepted fact that being trans is something you are born with.
In 2008 the Democratic Party platform was trans inclusive for the first time. A big part of how that happened can be attributed to the chair of the Democrats’ LGBT Americans Caucus, Rick Stafford. Stafford was a gay man, HIV+ and a real fighter for LGBT inclusion in the political process. He passed away on September 2 and our political correspondent Babs Casbar Siperstein sings his praises. Babs worked with Stafford for many years and today she reveals all of the contributions he made to the advances the community has seen in the past few years.
Cate O’Malley, with a hurricane looming on her doorstep, took the time to send us a blog for today’s New Content. In it she talks about the heroes of the trans community who have put themselves out there and advocated for change in an effort to make all trans people’s lives better. She also talks about the new trans activists who are making their voices heard. She believes that now is the time to fight harder to hold on to the gains we have made in recent years. The political climate has grown colder for trans people and we are under constant attack from right wing religious organizations that want us to disappear from the face of the Earth. See what Cate recommends that you can do to make things a bit better.
Raquel and Mark, two parts of one person that became separated after drinking a strange potion, have been transported to another land. They have been told by a witch, who first appeared as old and ugly but later was young and beautiful, that they must trek to the north and battle “the Magistrate” but that one of them will not survive the confrontation. They have crossed empty fields and in the distance, incongruously, they see a house. A familiar house. Learn more in Chapter 12 of Metamorphosis.
Take all the transgender news you can find and mix it all together in a blender. What do you get? The Week In Trans! Today we learn that a trans model who was just signed by L’Oreál makeup was let go after she made a statement about racism. The 16th Annual Trans Health Conference is headed to Philly. What’s it like to be a trans woman down on the farm? Walmart is guilty, again, of discrimination against a trans employee. Lot’s of trans military ban news. Whatever happened to Mona Foot? A drag performer does a 9-hour Facebook Live event for Houston flood victims. Wins for trans people in court. The first Miss Transgender India is crowned. All that plus a load of TWIT Awards is waiting for you in TWIT!
Sophie Lynne has gotten a raw deal. She is separated from her family. She works a low paying retail job that barely lets her cover the rent. She is college educated, intelligent, and capable. But she’s also a trans woman. Conservatives attack trans people with allegations that they are mentally ill or just acting out to cause trouble. That’s not true. Being trans is not a choice. Sophie only had one choice; she could either live as a trans woman in a low paying job with all the problems that go along with that, or she could end it all. She shouldn’t have to consider that choice because she didn’t ask for any of this.
Every male who dresses up in feminine attire has individual needs to meet. Some want to blend in with the female population seamlessly. Others want to proudly put themselves out there in fashion forward looks that draw attention and have those nearby saying to their companions, “You mean that’s a man?” If your goal is to blend in, for whatever reason, then you won’t want to miss Lorraine Anderson’s Occasional Woman column today. She talks you through the biggest “tells” that make others suspect you are not what you appear to be. And we include a video on how to walk in high heels. What more could you want?
Fall is a time of year that holds special meaning for TGF contributor Amanda F. Steele. Much of her life has seen the arrival of big changes along with the cooler weather. Today Amanda reminisces on all the things that changed throughout her life when the summer season slid into fall.
Today our correspondent in Columbia blogs about the wonder and joy of the transformation brought about by the artful use of cosmetics. The power of eye makeup to enhance the feminine and the use of foundation to hide masculine beard shadow, while taken for granted by girls who have been using it for years, can be amazing to those who first step into the world of feminine presentation. Remember that first look in the mirror when you saw “her”? Katherine Diaz takes you back. In español, of course.
What’s been going on in the world of trans? We tell you every Monday, in The Week In Trans! Today we learn that RuPaul’s Drag Con is coming to New York City. Illinois makes it easier to change your birth certificate gender. A trans woman is running for the 4th Congressional District. News about the trans military ban. A different policy in Canada. Miley Cyrus dances with drag queens. A study shows trans teens abuse drugs more. Violet Chachki has beauty tips in Vogue. Canada offers “X” as a passport gender. There’s all that and more waiting for you in TWIT! And a few TWIT Awards as well.
Today our Page Pundit reviews a book that resonates with her personally. It ‘s The Suicidal Mind by Edwin S. Shneidman, a look into the psyche of people who seek relief from a life that they torments them. Sophie decided to review the book since the torment of too many people within the trans community turn to suicide when they can’t live as their true selves. The book, and the review, dip into what Sophie calls “the Darkness” and the author has named the “pyschache.” If you have wondered how it could be possible to take your own life you can gain some insight into that in both this review and the book itself.
