Amanda has been a travelin’ woman and seen much of the USA. Before she arrived in California’s Bay Area she saw an awful lot of the east coast and made her way through places in the heartland. Now, after being in the San Francisco area for more than two years she compares what she has found there with places she has visited previously. You could say she finds California lacking in a few important areas.
Time to head on over to Dina’s Diner for some tasty treats. Dina has cooked up some specials for today and she’s waiting for you to slide into a booth, order a cup of coffee and settle in. First item on the menu is the increase in trans surgeries. Dina tells us it has gone up 20% in two years. Then she has a light, fluffy item about a middle-aged trans woman who is a “Lolita.” The frillier the better for this girl. Then she turns to a tasty item about a mysterious Playboy centerfold whose breast defied physics. Dina wraps up the menu items with a segment on two piece bathings suits and people who sell lingerie and other clothing through Facebook. Don’t miss today’s edition of Dina’s Diner.
Today our fashion maven Tasi Zuriack shares a secret passed down from the ancients that will transform fashion faux pas into fabulous fashion. It’s a hidden code that sets the rules that make the difference between dowdy and svelte. At the root of it is the Divine Proportion and that stands behind The Fashion Code. The Divine Proportion was used in the creation of the universe and rules all from galaxies to the Eiffel Tower, to the outfits in your closet when it’s implemented as The Fashion Code. Get this secret knowledge from Tasi and start transforming blah outfits into fun outfits.
Today Linda reacts to a recent TGForum column in which the writer proposed steps to help ‘non-transsexual transgender’ people to reduce their stress. It turns out that Linda, a self described “closeted crossdresser” loves the stress. As she has gotten older it has become harder to get that adrenaline thrill she used to get from simple things like wearing a bra. Linda is seeking new challenges that create the stress she loves, so please don’t try to take away her stress.
A non-transsexual transgender person is someone who leads a double life, presenting as their birth gender for much of the time but expressing their “secret” gender whenever they can. Statistics tell us that there are at least 10 times more non-transsexual transgender people (non-TS TG) than transsexuals so today Dana Bevan talks about the issues faced by the non-TS TG and discusses ways to offer support that addresses those issues.
Cate O’Malley is a trans lady who is active in her community and who goes out and about quite a bit so you just know that she’s going to have to make a stop in the ladies’ room now and then. While Cate is a law abiding citizen who observes the speed limit, doesn’t shop lift, or deal drugs, she is classified as a lawbreaker in her home state. Why? It’s the ridiculous law that says people can only use the restroom that matches the sex on their birth certificate. Cate has a lot to say about those laws and the conservative men who write those laws.
Most of the time our Retro Reruns come from TGForum’s archives but this particular re-run comes from LadyLike magazine, Volume #35, published in1998. JoAnn Roberts was the publisher and I was the editor. As editor I got to write an editorial for each issue. Hopefully people found the topics useful. While taking a look at the Digital Transgender Archive I found this issue and decided to bring back the editorial. I think it can still be useful to crossdressers in 2017 so here it comes again.
Sophie Lynne is happy to be living her truth but along with that happiness comes a burden delivered by people who misgender her, people who excoriate her on social media, and disrespect her in many forms, ranging from telling her she needs “professional help” to attacks from social media “friends” who denigrate her politics. How does Sophie react to all this? She is working to stop it. She has decided to “go turtle.” Withdrawing from social media, disengaging from organizations of which she is a member, and taking comfort in her shell may be the solution.
Katherine Diaz writes about the attention that trans women in Bogota receive from the male population. Some see trans women as more willing to give a man pleasure if he plies her with compliments on her beauty and femininity. But Katherine is a strong woman who doesn’t fall for their flattery. Unless she wants to. Take another walk on the wild side in Columbia with the Princesas de la noche.
Our Fashion Mavin Tasi Zuriack talks about her favorite fashion trends for 2017. Tasi lives in Mexico and she talks about how the ladies in her city in the Yucatan are fashion forward and as such are a good indication of what the ladies in the USA will be wearing in the coming months. From ruffles to the slip dress, and from pink to platform shoes, Tasi previews it all in today’s column.
Love her or hate her, Caitlyn Jenner is a large figure in the trans world. Thanks to her celebrity status before transitioning she is possibly the most visible and influential trans figure who regularly gets media attention. While seeing a trans person being interviewed on television is encouraging in that it normalizes the presence of trans people to the general public, on the other hand, do we really want one person’s voice to drown out the voices of many other trans people? Today’s cartoon warns of that danger.
The past is gone and cannot be accessed again. The future is not yet here and no one knows what it will hold. The present is all that we can affect and be aware of. The Artist D thinks that concerns over the past, the future and the will of God may be holding people back from being who they truly are. She explores that theme in today’s post “Tranny Queer, Queers in Church.”
Opposition to LGBT rights is strongest in the southern states of the U.S. Why is it that these states lead the charge by imposing restroom laws and taking steps to make life harder for their trans citizens? Dana Bevan has the answers to the problem and she shares them with you today in an essay titled Alabamafication. There are many threads to this tapestry of hate and they are seen most clearly in Alabama where corrupt politicians maintain control of the purse strings by making LGBT people the “other” that threatens law and order. Dana has the truth about Sweet Home Alabama and how the rest of the country is at risk of moving in that direction.
If you find the roll backs of trans rights being enacted around the country and by the Federal government then you have two options. You can complain about it on social media or you can get off your behind and get out to events that can help make things better. Not just marches and demonstrations but training sessions, meeting with legislators and learning to be an advocate for yourself. Babs Casbar Siperstein has some suggestions that you can follow to take action.
We leave winter behind and step into spring! And the fashions we wear are a step back — to the ’50s. Retro looks and feminine touches are all the rage and today Lorraine Anderson, head seamstress at The Occasional Woman, gives you ideas for how to be fun, floral and femme for the new season. Kitten heels, cinched waists, and full skirts decorated with floral prints will have you feeling all girly and glam.
It’s been over three years since Sophie’s friend Lisa committed suicide. Everyday Sophie is left wondering why, and if she could have done anything, if only she had seen the signs. Lisa removed herself from the world and left Sophie behind. How did Lisa affect Sophie’s life? Before her ultimate act Lisa and Sophie were sisters. They were living their truth together. After she was gone the effect she had on Sophie, and others, before and after her suicide, linger on. Today Sophie talks a bit about before and after.
Come on in out of the weather and take a seat at Dina’s Diner. Today Dina Amberle has concocted a special recipe that has equal parts Men Going Their Own Way, some El Pollo Loco trans hiring news, androgynous dance expressing gender issues, and an artist creating a psychic transition toward free expression. Mix that all well, bake for 20 minutes, and what have you got? Another Dina’s Diner tasty dish that you’re sure to enjoy!
Today Sophie Lynne takes on a new role at TGForum. After featuring her personal story blog for several years we’ve talked her in to taking on a new role as our book reviewer and commentator. She is now the Page Pundit. Today she discusses several books that helped to change her life.
Some members of the trans community, especially on the crossdressing end of the spectrum, love to dress sexy, or some would say slutty. That causes a bit of conflict with those who feel all trans folk should blend in with other ladies of their age in their surroundings. To be tastefully dressed and attractive as a woman is what they feel the goal to be. Today The Occasional Woman looks at the fashion mistakes a girl can make and cautions against them. This is not to say that you shouldn’t ever wear that extreme mini with those ten inch platform pumps. Just think a bit about the impression you intend to make on your audience. If you’re hoping to hear “Look at that sexy slut” then go for it. If you want advice on being sultry while sedate give this post a read.
TGForum contributor Sophie Lynne found herself, unprepared, behind a podium giving testimony to her town’s borough council about an LGBT equality statute the council was preparing to vote on. Moved to speak when the floor was opened for public comment Sophie put up her hand, was acknowledeged, and went to the podium. What she said proved to be quotable and showed up in the local papers, along with her photo taken as she spoke. The statute passed. But Sophie feels many people who have been symbols for the fight for trans rights haven’t gotten the recognition they deserve. Today she writes about those Symbols.
Those in the trans community who live a “double life” having a male identity with male friends and associated and their other female identity with her friends can often find themselves in an awkward place when their male self is having a conversation with someone who knows nothing about the other life and begins to make biased and ignorant statements regarding “trannies.” Our contributor Proja Braga had a situation like that and she writes about the final straw.
Mistress Samantha is a Lifestyle Mistress who has been actively involved in the Transgender/Crossdressing Community for almost twenty years. She started a successful Adult Phone Service over eighteen years ago. Since then, she’s personally advised, guided and fantasized with literally thousands of members of the Crossdressing, Transsexual, and Sissy Communities. In her TGF column, Ask Mistress Samantha, she answers your personal questions.
Down at Dina’s Diner the coffee is always fresh and there is a great selection of pies and pastries. Today the specials at the Diner include a serving of Brit news woman India Willoughby; an entree of show tunes sung by drag queens in NYC cabarets; and role models for crossdressers — TV news women. Dina also offers some tasty side dishes like the allure of pantyhose and her best wishes for St. Patrick’s Day. Find it all at Dina’s Diner!
Looking for maximum fashion effect? You might want to think about adding a maxi skirt to your wardrobe. But, they’re so long. Can you wear a maxi and not look silly? Tasi Zuriack has the answers to all your questions concerning ways to work a maxi skirt into your style menu. From daytime, at work, to evenings out Tasi shows you how to make the maxi skirt look work for you.
Linda set out to discover what different crossdressers did about “coming out.” She has spoken to one who only told her wife. She wrote about another who hasn’t told anyone, even her wife, and another girl who has told all of her friends and associates about her femme self. Then Linda thought about another friend and she realized she was still on a voyage of personal discovery. Her friend shares Linda’s twist on the nature vs. nurture debate on the formation of one’s desire to crossdress and in today’s post the two go on to talk about what keeps them going.
Trans children are gaining more recognition in the world but there are still far too many who are experiencing rejection by their families, bullying and harassment from their peers and many end up homeless. Cate O’Malley feels it’s up to us, the members of the trans community, to treat these children as if they were our own. She feels it’s up to us to lend our experience and information to the kids and to any parents, guardians or agencies tasked with helping trans kids.
