Dr. Sherman Leis talks about treating TG teens. Because transgender teens are in the middle of experiencing puberty, transitioning strategy for them is not the same as for adult TGs. Special protocols are necessary for teens to delay normal early pubertal changes, and then to add hormones appropriate to their true mental and emotional gender in order for them to experience a puberty congruent with their desired gender.
It’s strange how certain words or phrases come into vogue, slip into “fashion,” reoccur in regular usage–perhaps initially being used by a small group of people, and then becoming adopted by the wider community at large. Language is always evolving and we’re forever seeing new “tech” words or words or phrases, which often begin as […]
Dr. Dana Bevan believes that being transgendered is not a choice. She also believes that most of the choices we make are not made by our conscious minds but by the bits of programming and wiring that integrates our nervous systems with our brains. As she puts it, most people believe there is a “little person” inside their head that makes decisions for us. They call it a soul or spirit. Evidence though points to our “decisions” including acting out TG behavior, are all made by parts of our brains that are not under our control. Food for thought indeed.
Victoria Williams has been working on her feminine presentation for several years. She has gone from dreaming about mingling with others in public en femme to actually doing it. Along the way she has picked up knowledge and today she shares some of the things she has learned on her journey. She wishes she had known them at the start and hopes she can pass them on to her sisters so they don’t have to learn the hard way.
Dr. Sherman Leis is one of the world’s pre-eminent transgender surgeons and founder of The Philadelphia Center For Transgender Surgery, in Bala Cynwyd, PA. It is recognized as one of the leading facilities in the world specializing in gender reassignment surgery. In the course of his work Dr. Leis has found himself counseling family and friends of his patients. He has compiled a list of ten tips on how to interact with a transgendered person.
A letter to the editor of The New York Times from a “Big Shrink” concerning the case of Coy Mathis, the young TG who can now use the girls’ room at her school, raised the hackles of our contributor Dr. Dana Bevan. Dr. Bevan takes the shrink to task for not understanding transgender issues and for pushing an agenda of “reparative therapy” for TG children. And the shrink makes statements that aren’t backed up by scientific evidence. Decide for yourself who’s the winner in Coy vs. the Big Shrink.
Linda Jensen takes a chance path along the Internet and finds herself reconnected with a little-known autobiography from a little-known figure in TG history. Linda recalls how the book and its photos influenced her interest in developing a femme persona. When she was young she came across the autobiography and thought that it might turn out to be her story too. Puberty brought a different path but Linda remembers the excitement that came from reading that book.
We use words to describe people and things but many times there are disagreements about the words, or the way we use the words describing ourselves. The gay community has fought over the use of “queer” by some of its members. Others don’t want to be called “gay.” In our neck of the woods we have had the “cross dresser vs. transvestite” battles. Now there is conflict over how to use the word “transgender.” Should it ever have an “ed” added? Giving a bit of history around TG terms and speaking her mind Angela Gardner takes this topic on in “Transgender or Transgendered?”
Our Video Fashion Tip blogger Victoria Williams had camera trouble this week and instead of a video fashion tip she has filed a piece on how she became the woman she is today. Her story takes us from the days when she dressed up alone at home to meeting people on the Internet, taking those late night trips outside, contacting a support group and then setting goals and working on all the things she needed to become herself.
“Dream a little dream with me.” That’s the thrust of Sophie Lynne’s post today. Whether the dream is one you have at night while you’re tucked into your bed or if it’s one that you think about throughout your day, a longing for something more in your life, all your dreams are important. The one’s you have when you sleep are out of your conscious control but Sophie thinks the waking ones you hold dear and strive to achieve are more than dreams. They’re goals that you can work toward and someday achieve.
This month our correspondent in Thailand has left the country for a trip to Hong Kong. Christine has highlighted the lot of transgendered people in Thailand but what has she found in Hong Kong? Fortunately it seems that progress is being made on transgendered rights and recognition. When Christine lived in Hong Kong, just a few years ago, the trans community was completely underground. Now thanks to the efforts of local TGs things are beginning to change. But is it enough progress?
A news report about a FtM transgendered teen — or perhaps just a a teen with gender confusion — has prompted Dee Levy to write her contribution to TGF. The teen, born female, established and online male identity and courted a young girl. The teen went to visit the girl and they engaged in sexual activity without the girl knowing her boyfriend was not born with male parts. The boyfriend was arrested and is now a sex offender in the eyes of the law. And the “boyfriend” now identifies as female. See what Dee thinks of this complex affair.
Looking for examples of transgenderism from around the world to include in her next book Dr. Dana Bevan found herself on a virtual tour of the planet, and she found transgendered people in many places. From North American Native tribes to such far flung areas as Indonesia, Siberia, Iran and Mexico Dr. Bevan was able to find not just a third gender but in some cases five genders. And she learned that transgendered people exist in cultures that have religious restrictions against dressing as the opposite sex. Take the tour today with Dr. Bavan and learn about TGs around the world.
Sophie Lynne was at one time, back in the ’80s, an avid gamer on Playstation and her favorite was Twisted Metal 2. The thing that appealed to her about video gaming was the levels of play. You could start out at Easy, then move on to Medium and after you mastered that change the setting to Hard and really test your skills. Today Sophie finds a parallel to the levels of gaming in the transgender world. Find out what Sophie feels defines each “level” in the Transgender Game and see if you agree.
Recently an interview Dustin Hoffman did with the American Film Institute in 1998 surfaced on YouTube and went viral with the TG community. Hoffman talks about what the motivation for doing the film “Tootsie” was and how it affected his understanding of the relationship between the sexes. Much has been made of the fact that he broke down and wept when he realized that he had been judging women not by their character but by their looks. He reveals that he felt “brainwashed.” The AFI interview inspired our contributor Geogria TG to some commentary on the film and Hoffman’s epiphany. She thinks that Hoffman’s male character in the film would not have killed off Dorothy Michaels.
What’s in a name? Is not a rose still a rose if we call it a daisy? Today RachelX talks about what it’s like to transition and have friends and family deal with remembering your new gender label and name. Learn how Rachel handles being called by her old name or with the wrong pronoun.
Some transgendered people are always playing defense. It’s somewhat natural since they have had to deal with mistreatment at the hands of others for all of their lives. Today Dallas Denny reminds us that the best defense is a good sense of humor. She counsels “Laugh a Little!”
There are good reasons that the words “sex” and “gender” are not interchangeable. In her post today Dr. Dana Bevan tells us why this is so and why transgendered people in particular should insist that physical sex and gender identity be kept separate.
Sophie Lynne believes we are all effected by actions and events that send out ripples in reality. She brings that theory to an essay on the passing of JoAnn Roberts, the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference and polluted pond and some lyrics from The Grateful Dead. Like that pond Sophie is deep and this one may make you cry.
Christine-Jane was inspired by the discussion started last week by TransJenn’s post on knowing what you’re talking about when you go out to educate about the TG community. Will Christine-Jane’s cartoon contribution today spark controversy? We’re not sure about that but we hope it sparks a chuckle.
A young man is taking a course in Western Civilization at a community college. One day his professor, a tall woman with large shoulders and an odd fashion sense, takes him aside and offers him a job as a live-in caretaker. Ross Eliot moved in and learned that Babette Ellsworth was a lady with a past. A male past.
Our correspondent in Thailand is feeling let down about the progress transgendered people in Asia are making. While she applauds the strides forward she feels there are two many jumps backward. Thailand’s ladyboys should be not just tolerated but given equal opportunity. Read and learn why Christine is feeling Let Down.
The world loves labels. LGBTQI is a label containing many other labels. Do we really have to choose which label applies to us? The Artist D feels that we’re all human beings and we should all be able to be who we are with no worries about what label fits. It’s Pride Month. Find out why The Artist D promotes pride for all.
Many transgendered people who live dual lives would never consider letting their TG friends glimpse their male side. Others, like Sophie Lynne, feel that letting them get to know the male personae is evidence of a great amount of trust. Today Sophie talks about several aspects of the dual life and its joy and pain.
In 1998 TGForum featured an essay by Dallas Denny on the idea of the “transsexual script.” She discussed the Harry Benjamin model of the “perfect” TS and talked about how that standard began to change in the early 1990s. After taking a look at both models Dallas still has questions.
A Korean TS stars in “Drag Queen.” A Vietnamese TS wears a dress made of condoms. Drag broke out all over the universities of America last week. A Pakistani TS is running for office. A crossdressing performance artist will go for a record number of dresses worn at once. It’s all in TWIT!
