Babs Siperstein is a superdelegate who is pledged to Hillary Rodham Clinton. While Babs admires Bernie Sanders and gets his message of revolution she believes, from seeing it with her own eyes, that Mrs. Clinton and the Democratic Party are the best choice for trans people in November. LGBT rights are hammered into the Party platform and trans women are featured in Mrs. Clinton’s Primary Victory video. Read why Babs supports Mrs. Clinton.
While cruising around Facebook we came across a status post from Elizabeth Jenkins, the President of Louisiana Trans Advocates. Her topic was “passing privilege.” The idea that trans people who fit into the niche of the gender they wish to express to the world will be accepted as members of that gender. Ms. Jenkins expressed her thoughts on the issue so well that we asked her if we could share it here on TGForum.
Oftentimes department stores send out lists of “must-have” items. If a lady wishes to stay trendy then she simply has to have the listed items in her wardrobe, and by some strange coincidence, those trendy items just happen to be on sale. Today Lorraine Anderson, the seamstress behind The Occasional Woman service, takes a look at a list of items you just can’t live without this summer. Or can you?
When it comes to conservative core beliefs people will not be swayed by experts. They can read what an expert has to say about something and state that the expert, who has devoted years to particular area of study and learned as much as there is to know about it, is wrong. In the case of trans issues the conservative thinkers are certain a man is a man and a woman is a woman. How do we get through that kind of certainty?
It takes a master (or is that mistress?) chef to take such diverse ingredients as 17 year cicadas, YouTube star Gigi Gorgeous, office dress codes, the shift away from super femme presentation on RuPaul’s Drag Race and a sprinkling of Night Flowers, and whip it into a delightful treat for the discerning palate. If there’s one woman who can do it it would be our Dina Amberle. Step into Dina’s Diner today and see what’s cookin’!
Today Emyli Evyrling takes a look at just what it is that keeps humans from living together in harmony. That’s a big topic and while Emyli doesn’t have a solution to the problem of people making fear based decisions about how they will interact with others who are different she does think that it will be possible at some point in the future for humans to accept the diversity of life. It’s just going to take awhile.
Cate O’Malley has gotten her dander up. What has her riled? She lives in Florida in an area where there are human rights ordinances that protect her from discrimination. But she works just across the county line in an area that offers no such protections to LGBT people. What has her angry and proposing civil disobedience is the lack of protections for every citizen, everywhere.
The current hype over restroom and locker room rights for trans people is just that, hype, intended to arouse Republican conservative voters so they will come out in large numbers in the fall and re-elect their legislators, replace some Democrats, and install a Republican president. When we look at the kerfuffle from our side, the […]
Today Amanda wrestles with the conservative’s biggest attack line against the trans community. “You people are delusional.” Amanda’s answer to that is that she doesn’t feel delusional, but she is willing to examine their charge and try to discern if it has any merit. What do you think she arrives at in her conclusion?
This Retro Rerun bobbed to the surface of the TGForum Archices and shows that using the lady’s room has always been an issue for members of the trans community. Particularly for crossdressers who would definitely attract more attention in a men’s room. This article by Leslee M. Anthony was included in the Passing Tips category of TGF content in the 1990s. Find out how CDs approached the restroom issue in the carefree days before conservatives started making it illegal to use the lady’s room. Some of the tips are still good and others, maybe not so much.
Emily Ott has been observing the Restroom Wars and she was moved to write down some of her thoughts. One of her observations was about a “Christian” group that promised to send its cisgender male members into the lady’s rooms at Target stores to “test” the trans restroom policy. Emily has a strong belief that doing that is not only unethical but creates a situation in which the “testers” are sinning to expose “sin.”
With all the negative news about anti-trans laws keeping us out of public restrooms of our choice it’s important to know that we have big guns on our side — from major corporations to rock stars — many powerful people have got our backs. Babs Casbar Siperstein today presents an in-depth look at the blow back North Carolina is experiencing since they passed HB 2, and she looks at Target’s restroom policy. Babs believes that the Jedi Nights will win.
TGF reader Alvaro Hrgic was so upset with the recent spate of restroom laws that he decided to apply some philosophy to refuting the need for these laws. In this opinion piece he uses thr Harm Principle to evaluate the restrictive restroom laws. The Harm Principle says that the only legitimate restraint of someone’s rights is to limit their rights in order to protect others from harm. Read his argument and see if these laws violate the Harm Principle.
Recently President Obama admonished Black Lives Matter protesters that they need to be doing more than shouting if they want to move their agenda forward. Protest is often necessary but there needs to be another step beyond protest which leads to real change. Too much shouting can actually hurt the cause. There is real science that can be applied to creating change in a culture. Dana Bevan reveals some of it today and urges its use in the fight for trans rights.
Are you a male who reads TGForum, sees photos of the lovely ladies and wishes you could crossdress? What’s stopping you? Sure, if you’re in a relationship there are issues that must be dealt with. But, if you are single the only thing stopping you from having crossdressed fun is you. We start a series of articles today that offer tips to the novice CD who is just starting out. You’re not getting any younger, and the younger you start wearing dresses and heels the more fun you’ll have. More sophisticated TGF CDs may wish to add their tips using the comment area.
Today Lorraine Anderson, owner and operator of the seamstress service The Occasional Woman, discusses whether or not you really, really need those “must have” fashion items that the stores and magazines say you can’t live without. Rompers? The “New Shorts”? Are they really as important as all that? Lorraine has some ideas on the subject.
Are you a woman of a certain age? Think you can’t wear a trendy tulle skirt? Why not? Fashion maven Tasi Zuriack believes that women of all ages can express themselves in the great variety of tulle skirts that can currently be found in your favorite store. Whether short, mid, or long length Tasi has recommendations on how to rock that tulle skirt without being mistaken for a ballerina or a bride.
Our Correspondent from Thailand joins us with a blog about ladyboys and the meaning of transgender. Is all the media attention transgender issues have been getting helping people to understand what being trans is all about? Or, is it simply giving people labels they can apply to people and not give them any clue about those people’s lives, needs and desires? Labels can be handy but Christine Burr thinks that it’s the contents that really matter.
Our political reporter, Babs Casbar Siperstein, has the latest on the legislation being used as ammunition by the conservative right in the Restroom Wars. She has tales of victories and defeats, and offers some tactics that the trans community should implement in order to achieve the right to go to the restroom whenever we need to, wherever we need to.
TGF Contributor Jan Brown went to the theater and she learned a lot about Tupperware. Tupperware in the theater? Of course, darlings. It’s a one woman show that not only entertains but allows you to purchase practical storage solutions for all your wheat germ, whole grains, gluten free kale and other kitchen haunting substances. Dixie Longate is the woman (drag queen) who tells you all about Tupperware in her one woman show “Dixie’s Tupperware Party.” Learn what Jan thought of the performance.
Spring is in the air and spring fashion is on lady’s minds. We all want to look stylish and many love to be on trend but are all the spring fashions right for everyone? Lorraine Anderson, seamstress from The Occasional Woman and fashion maven, has some thoughts on the matter. Find out what Lorraine recommends when it comes to designer trends like “cold shoulders” and “paper bag” waistlines.
It’s an election year and in November the nation decides who will replace Barack Obama in the White House. There are also many congressional races up for grabs. Republicans want to put the Obama years behind them and get busy repealing everything he has done. Democrats want to elect someone who will maintain the progress and make greater headway on improving the country. Diane Hutchinson is an Independent who has voted for candidates from either party in the past. This year she is voting Democratic. Find out why.
Last month Linda wrote about an ‘eternal love triangle’ involving a ‘CD admirer’ named Stan, Stan’s wife Susan and a pretty young crossdresser named . . . Well, she wasn’t given a name and we weren’t told whether she was pretty or young. Come to think of it she could be you or she could be me if we were to be dating a married man. The last article ended by repeating an e-mail titled ‘Final Message from Stan’s Wife’ where the wife reported finding evidence that rather than being remorseful about his dalliances her husband was planning further trysts for his upcoming business trip to New York.
Babs Casbar Siperstein reports on three things that just might get your riled up. She looks at why the first trans person to ever be nominated for an Oscar decided to boycott the ceremony. She discusses the startling fact that the Republican National Committee has issued an official statement urging Republican legislators to vote in favor of bills to restrict trans restroom rights. And she gets you riled up in a positive way over a new trans movement to support Hillary Rodham Clinton as the Democratic Party nominee.
There are many things people expect in life. Often times not getting what they expect causes problems. Their expectations don’t become reality. A son can grow up to become a daughter. A father can stop being a man and become a woman. Adjusting to the fact that accepting people in your life for who they are and not who you expect them to be can be hard. Cate O’Malley has some thoughts on the subject. Along with her impressions of Kinky Boots.
Sophie Lynne is a staunch liberal and progressive when it comes to politics. Today she makes comments on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. As you might expect Sophie is not mourning the passing of a judge who used his strict interperation of the Constitution to make decisions that have been at odds with the needs of LGBT people, and the general public. Sophie has some things to speak about the deceased that she feels are true. Give her blog and read and see how you feel.
