The Week In Transgenderism 12/14/15
Links in TWIT will open in this window. To return to this page use the Back button on your browser.
Meagan Taylor
One of the black trans women, Meagan Taylor, who was arrested after checking in to a hotel in Des Moines is taking legal action against the hotel with the assistance of the ACLU. After filing a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission the ACLU was able to get a recording of the 911 call the hotel staff placed when the women checked in. You can read about it and listen to the recording on The Huffington Post.
There is a choir in Boston called the Butterfly Music Transgender Chorus and as the name implies it is strictly for trans singers. The group was founded last year and have been performing in private shows as they get ready for their first public performance in the spring of 2016. But the choir is not just an entertaining activity. The choir works with its members to train them to alter their speaking voices to match their gender identity. Read more about it on the Associated Press website.
Drag can be a powerful experience. Whether a man is gay or straight if he tries dressing up and gets comfortable with it he unleashes a part of himself that he can’t engage with in his everyday life. Drag performer, makeup artist and drag queen transformation specialist Miz Cracker tells the story of several drag transformations she did in the past few weeks. One of them was a straight hip hop artist. Read about what happened in her column in Slate.
“Thor” in drag.
Talk about transformations. Can you imagine Thor in drag? Of course the Norse god and Marvel superhero has long blonde hair but he seems the height of manliness. On last week’s Saturday Night Live the actor who plays Thor for the Marvel movies dressed up for a skit in which he tries to be “just one of the girls” and fishes for compliments about his acting. Find out how he did as a lady on the Digital Spy website.
Like the It Gets Better campaign says things do get better sometimes. One of the the things that has improved in the U.S. is proper medical care for trans people. Just ten years ago finding a doctor who didn’t think you were a freak if you told him you needed to change your sex was not easy. Read about how things have gotten better and how much more needs to be done to provide medical care to trans people in an article in The New York Times.
Ms. Nimmons
Medicaid in New York state now covers gender reassignment surgery. Medicaid is the state-run health plan for low income people and with the changes moving GRS into the category of necessary procedures availability of the surgery has increased. Read the long journey of one low income woman who endured many trials and tribulations as her identity unfolded; from part-time dressing to drag queen, to living en femme and realizing she needed to be complete as a woman. Her name is Kricket Jerná Nimmon and her story is covered in an in-depth article in The New York Times.
In science news: Ryan Hammond is an artist who has a dream. He also has a background in biology. He is attempting to crowd fund $22,000 to finance his training, lab access, and living costs in Ottawa, as he tries to create a way to make hormones from plants for use in gender therapy. The plant he plans to use is tobacco. No, one does not smoke the plant to get the hormones. Get the story on the Motherboard website.
Irish drag queen Panti Bliss
Irish drag performer Panti Bliss has had a big year. Her impromptu speech on stge about homophobia and social conservatism in Ireland thrust her into the role of LGBT rights activist. Now she has been named as one of Europe’s most influential people for 2105 by Politico Europe. Read about it on the Queerty website.
The Arcus Foundation has just donated $15,000,000 towards trans causes. The money will be donated over the next five years. A coalition of other groups will raise an additional $5,000,000 for this same campaign. Goals include quelling a rising tide of violence against transgender people, increasing job opportunities, and boosting long-term inclusion of transgender people in society. Get the story from the BuzzFeed website.
Transparent co-producer Zachary Drucker
Have you ever wondered what it’s like behind the scenes on a television production? What’s it like outside the frame of the screen? What secret goings on contribute to what you watch? Some of these questions can be answered regarding the Amazon show Transparent. A writer spent a few days hanging out with the cast and crew and writes about the experience on the BuzzFeed website.
While we’re talking about Transparent; Silas Howard, a transman, is directing an episode of the show for season 2. In a recent interview he mentions the true trans story he would like to tell in his next film. Find out what it is by checking out the interview in Vanity Fair.
There is a new magazine dedicated to drag queens. What’s it called? Queen. How much time did they spend picking that? Anyhow, the first issue features drag performer singer Adore Delano. Check out her cover photo on the Out website.
Phoenician fans of Willam Belli and other Drag Race participants will be happy to learn that Willam and several other ladies will be appearing from a Christmas show on Dec. 27 in their city. That’s Phoenix, Arizona, not somewhere in the Middle East. The ladies will be performing songs from their Christmas Queens album. Learn more in an interview with Willam in the Phoenix New Times.
Chris Mosier
A trans athlete who has been mentioned before in TWIT has made the cover of his college alumni magazine. Chris Mosier is his name and he first competed in a race as a man in 2011. In 2015 Mosier earned a spot on the Team USA sprint duathlon men’s team for the 2016 World Championship. His alma mater Northern Michigan University put him on the cover of the current issue of Northern Magazine. Thanks to Christie Woods for the tip.
Tamara Adrian
Tamara Adrian, a transgender woman, has been elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly. Ms. Adrian, a lawyer and professor, was elected as her party, the Popular Will Party, defeated the United Socialist Party, the party of the late Hugo Chavez. Ms. Adrian is the first trans person to be elected to office in Venezuela. Read more on the Sun Times Network website.
Autism spectrum disorders mean that people have trouble communicating, using abstract thought processes and have trouble making social connections. Is there a connection between ASD and transgenderism? Several studies of trans people find that signs of autism are more common among female to male trans people than they are in male to female trans people and the general population. Take a look at the statistics in The Huffington Post.
Trans porn star T.S. Foxxy.
Have you considered getting into the trans porn biz? To many it seems like a glamorous way to be a part of show biz. What it essentially is though is sex work. Learn what the industry is like for trans porn “actresses” by meeting three of them in an interview in Cosmopolitan.
Why would a trans woman openly state that trans women are not really women? One such trans woman in the U.K. has posted that belief on her blog. Helen Highwater says that the “female brain in a male body” diagnosis is a life line for trans people with low self esteem and shame about being different, but it sets them up for more abuse as they try to fit into the female gender and are mis-gendered by others. Is rejecting the idea that trans women are fully women a way to short circuit damage to self-worth caused by mis-gendering? See what you think about her theory and read the article on the Slate website.
Miss Fame made the list.
What fierce ladies with awesome looks were featured in the fiercest drag queen photos of November? The list is out and there are 20 different looks that range from femme queen realness to the bizarre. Where can you see these stunning photos? They’re available on the Queerty website.
The end of the year is coming up soon, and Meredith Talusan, a staff writer at BuzzFeed who specializes in LGBT matters, has compiled a list entitled 26 Times Trans People Ruled In 2015. We guess that gives us a bit over two more weeks to do what we can to add ourselves to the list. Check it out on BuzzFeed.
Jazz Jennings
We’re happy to report that the school that canceled a reading of I Am Jazz after threats of a lawsuit from a right wing hate group has decided to add the words “transgender status” to their non-discrimination policy. Read about it on Madison.com.
Cincinnati has become the first city in the U.S. to ban “conversion therapy” for minors. Chris Seelbach, a member of the Cincinnati City Council, tweeted, “We just made the death of Leelah Alcorn ‘Mean Something’!” Learn more on the WLWT-5 website.
Drag dad Morgan Davis.
Can a drag queen be a good dad? Many would argue that a man who dresses up like a woman and prances around on a stage isn’t suited to carrying out the traditional role of a father. They would be wrong. Meet Kenn Murphy, a.k.a. Morgan Davis. His story is on the Good Men Project website.
TWITs
Heidi Owens has five children, including a 10-year-old trans daughter, DeeDee,and a 9-year-old trans son, Karri. (She also has a wife who used to be her husband.) Both of her trans children are being barred from using the lavatory of the gender with which they identify while at school, despite a note from the doctor saying that DeeDee needs to use the nearest bathroom. This is the result of a new policy from the TWIT Award winning Marionville, Missouri, school district. She is exasperated, and she told Metro Weekly about it.
We believe we have uncovered a “politically correct” criticism of Caitlyn Jenner. Recently our Person of the Year made statements about how comfortable the general public is with trans women and what she said is actually one of the harsh truths that some members of the trans community must face: If a trans woman does not meet the standards of feminine presentation she makes people uncomfortable. Trans women with masculine characteristics can seem like a “man in a dress.” Caitlyn’s statement is true. But a writer named Alex Rees did a whole column on her statements claiming she was engaging in “transphobic stereotyping” and slams her for using poorly chosen phrases such as “playing the role” when commenting on “passing.” Of course Caitlyn is new to all this and she is an older woman who is going to stick to the gender norms of her generation. To her being a woman means wearing dresses, heels, makeup and all that girly sort of thing. We’re giving a TWIT Award to Alex Rees for picking on a trans woman who is a work in progress. And ironically his article appears in Cosmopolitan. A magazine devoted to making women into glamour girls.
Dennis Prager is looking to get a TWIT. Not wanting to disappoint him we hereby issue that TWIT Award. Why? The conservative pundit and Los Angeles radio host got upset when he heard about a Jewish rabbi who is trans holding a position at a synagogue in southern California. The rabbi’s congregation accepts him, and they see no real conflict between their religious beliefs and a trans person rabbi. But, Mr. Prager wrote a piece telling everyone that trans people are sinful and mentally ill. The responses to his article have been quite negative. You can find the piece and the responses in the Jewish Journal.
There are those “conservative” pundits, writers and commentators who see trans issues as nothing but fraud, mental illness, sin, or, in the case of trans children, child abuse. One such is Internet writer Victoria Voss. In a recent story about about Jazz Jennings she wins a TWIT Award for taking the view that Jazz’s whole life is a lie perpetrated by her parents who gave her female hormones to “turn him into a girl” so they could “parade her” on national television. Voss then doubles down on the crazy by claiming the purpose is to “normalize the abnormal” and “brainwash people.” Then she links it to a conspiracy by “Zionist elites.” You can read the rest of her drivel (certified as drivel by us since we have had experience with actual trans people for decades and their feelings are real, not a Zionist conspiracy) on the right wing website Red Ice Creations.
Many of the stories in this TWIT were assembled by and introduced by TGF contributor Cecillia.
Category: Transgender Community News
About the Author (Author Profile)
Angela Gardner is a founding member of The Renaissance Transgender Assoc., Inc., former editor of its newsletter and magazine, Transgender Community News. She was the Diva of Dish for TGF in the late 1990s and Editor of LadyLike magazine until its untimely demise. She has appeared in film and television shows portraying TG characters, as well as representing Renaissance on numerous talk shows.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
re: Morgan Davis who appears at the Bottom Line in Fort Myers Florida–good show! and if you are visiting Ft Myers area this winter you should know that this nightclub is very TG friendly–most of us gather in 1 of the bars there-in – Legends-on Saturday nights
>Mr. Prager wrote a piece telling everyone that trans people are sinful and mentally ill.
Wow, are you off base on this one.
I read the article and nowhere does he state trans people are sinful or mentally ill. The article does not even take on the topic of “sin” or “mental illness”.
He even states “One has to have a callous heart not to feel compassion toward anyone who suffers from gender dysphoria.” The premise of the article is as Prager states : “What do these Jews use as their guide? They will likely answer “compassion.””
While it is true transgenders are being seen by society with increased compassion. We continue to not be seen with respect or as having insight to broader issues. Inaccurate commentary such as yours focused on victimhood furthers the slide.
When we make an error we admit it. It’s true that nowhere in the article does Mr. Prager state that trans people are sinful or mentally ill. That mistake is ours. However, the tone of his article is decidedly conservative and seems to rely on things he has heard about trans issues rather than any information from a knowledgable source. He doesn’t outright condemn trans people but he skews toward the idea that the few should not not be accommodated by the many and that trans people want “special rights.” What they want is to be recognized as their innate gender and afforded the same treatment. He reveals his bias when he writes: “And a biological and anatomical male can play on women’s sports teams, thereby depriving a natural woman of a place on the team and giving their team an unfair advantage in almost any sport.” This is definitely not true if the athlete has been on hormone replacement therapy. He obviously does not “get” what liberals and progressives are all about when he writes: “But liberals generally believe that compassion suffices in determining social policies.” No liberal I know is willing to determine social policies based on compassion alone. Careful analysis of the problem and intelligent solutions are what liberals want. Mr. Prager seems to be saying that Jewish people need to follow the Torah and not have empathy and compassion for trans people. That’s the conservative take on transgenderism by the right.