The Week In Transgenderism 3/25/13
Bornstein
Transgender activist, author and performer Kate Bornstein is being treated for lung cancer. Bornstein was diagnosed last August and it was thought that surgery had removed the disease but in February doctors discovered it had returned. Her treatment costs are very high but friends have set up an online donation site where people can contribute to her medical bills fund. Get the details and how you can make a donation in the Huffington Post.
A Bollywood star who appeared in a drag role in a film called Baazi back in 1995 is again appearing en femme in Indian television commercials. Aamir Khan was a hit in the 1995 film and has done drag before in television commercials. For this commercial appearance he didn’t undergo waxing in preparation. A close shave and a good makeup artist were all that was needed. The story is at NDTV Movies and Aamir’s cabaret number from the 1995 film is below for your viewing pleasure.
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GLAAD, which used to be an acronym for the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, has broadened its mission to include transgendered people. Even though they will now include TGs they say that GLAAD will still be the name of the organization. But “GLAAD” is no longer an acronym for anything. We admit it would be awkward to add a T to the name. The best thing we came up with was GLATAD. Like we said, awkward. Read about the name change and expansion of their mission on the MSNBC website.
Kaley Cuoco, Melissa Rauch and Jim Parsons
Have you ever imagined Sheldon, the nerdy physicist from The Big Bang Theory, in drag? No need to imagine any longer. Jim Parsons, the actor who plays Sheldon, stepped into the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter for a benefit performance of a number from Rocky Horror at Sardi’s in Hollywood. Also appearing in drag that night was Steven Weber of Wings fame. Miss Weber did look young and fetching as she performed a number from the musical Gypsy. Who’s her makeup artist? Photos and a video of the Rocky Horror bit can be found at the Huffington Post.
Legislators in Arizona are real, real scared. These manly men, most likely cow puncher and ranch hand types, are scared that them transgendered people are gonna lurk in women’s restroom facilities all over the state and get up to no good with their gals. To make themselves feel better they have introduced a bill to send you to jail if you’re caught in the restroom that doesn’t match your gender, as determined by the law enforcement officers who arrest you. (The bill comes from the party that always says it wants to get government out of people’s lives.) This comes right on the heels of the city of Phoenix signing into law a tough anti-discrimination law that protects gender identity. Yay Phoenix. Boo Arizona. Get the story in the Vancouver Sun.
Unlike some fearful states (we’re talking to you Arizona) a school in Oregon is working to provide safe toilet facilities to all their students. Oregon passed the Oregon Equality Act in 2007 and Portland’s Grant High School is making sure it complies by creating six unisex restrooms. Get the facts from The Oregonian.
Less friendly to TG students is the attitude espoused by Smith College, an all women’s college in Massachusetts. A transwoman applied to the school and was denied admission because her financial aid document had her former gender identification instead of her new one. It’s another one of those traps that can easily catch the unwary TG. The applicant can’t legally change her birth certificate in her home state or in Massachusetts without a letter from a surgeon who has performed vaginoplasty. Smith students are very supportive of having transwomen at their school. The administration is the problem. The story is in USA Today.
They know how to treat a transgendered lady in Canada. And transmen, too. At least the Canadian House of Commons does. On March 20 they passed a bill to expand hate crimes coverage to make violence against TGs a hate crime. Now the legislation just has to get through the Senate. Read about it in the Letters section of The Star.
The California Department of Education has made an historical move by adding a transgender themed book to its recommended reading list. The book is called I Am J and it’s about a teenage FtM having problems being a teen and being treated like a girl when he knows he’s a boy. The story is on the KPCC website.
Joseph Waugh and Adam Schaff
Deep in the heart of Texas, West Texas that is, and kinda near the panhandle, you’ll find Texas Tech. And deep in the heart of this Texas institution of higher learning you’ll find another of those annual drag shows featuring student participation. The two students who were stars of the show portrayed the Davenport Sisters and danced to Britney Spears’ music. Both college men proudly proclaim their drag queen status. Read about it in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
In Dumbartonshire, U.K. a drag queen has organized an event to raise money for the charity she says helped her out of depression. Miss Desire Able has recruited 10 friend to join her on a seven mile walk in extreme heels. She’s hoping to raise £300 (near $500) to benefit Fusion LGBT Youth Group. Read about her effort in the Lennox Herald.
On April 1 a new national police force takes over the duty of policing Scotland. The new force is called, very creatively (tongue in cheek) Police Scotland. The National Trans Police Association has come out with a call for the new force to recruit more transgendered officers. The NTPA claims that Police Scotland says it’s inclusive but it’s not. Get the scoop on the story from the The Herald Scotland.
L.A. Dreamgirls
Our Canadian correspondent, Linda Jensen, has been doing a series of posts on the now defunct Los Angele’s area drag showroom and TG bar The Queen Mary. Since the Queen closed several years ago what have locals in search of drag entertainment been doing for a good time? That question is answered with a top ten list of the 10 Best Drag Clubs in L.A. Get your flight booked! You can find the list in the LA Weekly.
TWITs
It seems every other month we are admonishing some bandit for crossdressing to commit his robbery. This time it’s no different in most respects. The one variance from the usual story is the historic female to male nature of this robbery suspect. First time that we know of! Houston police are looking for a woman who crossdressed as a man to rob a local bank. What will remain the same is TGF saying loudly, “You get a TWIT Award for carrying out your crime while crossdressed.” The story is on Houston’s ABC TV station’s website.
We turn from simple bank robbery to the world of drug smuggling. Drug “mules” go to great lengths to hide quantities of illegal drugs in and on their bodies so they can take it past customs agents and drug enforcement officers. The key to being a successful “mule” is to not stand out from the crowd. That makes this one of the dumbest smuggling plans ever. A Brazilian transvestite attempted to smuggle almost four pounds of cocaine into Portugal by hiding it in her prosthetic butt. That’s bigger than Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian’s butts combined. And do you really think you’ll blend in with the other passengers dressed in women’s clothing, sweating and nervous, with a giant ass? TWIT Award number two goes to the Brazilian TV. Read about it at Slate.com.
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
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