Saturday, December 29, 2007
Female Olympic pole vaulter to become a man
Olympic pole vaulter Yvonne Buschbaum, who finished sixth in 2000, has said on her Web site that she is beginning the process to become a man.
“I feel as if I am a man and have to live my life in the body of a woman,” Buschbaum said in a statement on her Web site, according to AOL Sports blog FanHouse. “I am aware of the fact that transsexuality is a fringe issue, and I do not want to be responsible for it remaining on the fringe.” . . .
Pakistan: Govt grants no special representation to eunuchs in assemblies
* Around 1.5 million eunuchs in the country
* APEA says eunuchs harassed at men’s election booths
* NADRA spokesman says providing special treatment to eunuchs could ‘create trouble’ for others
By Hasan Ali
LAHORE: The government has not fulfilled the demands of eunuchs to register them as a third sex and to reserve seats in the national and provincial assemblies of the country. This is not fair to many members of the community, the All Pakistan Eunuchs Association (APEA) told Daily Times on Tuesday.
APEA also said that there are around 1.5 million eunuchs living in Pakistan and they are all treated as male voters while most of the eunuchs prefer to be recognised as females. . . .
Challenging Transsexuality?
"Without gender differentiation... There would be no need to reconstruct genitalia to match identity - interests and life-styles [would] not [be] gendered."
– Judith Lorber
The above quotation by sociologist Judith Lorber is an example of the so-called gender-progressive challenge to transsexuality (understood as a process of surgical changes to the body that would transform one’s sex or gender identity). The standard argument goes something like this: Transsexuals are victims of society’s oppressive gender diktat. They mutilate their bodies because gender norms require having ‘the right’ genitalia in order to be a ‘real’ man or a ‘real’ woman. Wearing dresses and high-heels is contingent on having a vagina and breasts; facial hair and tuxedos are only for those with penises and a flat chest. And as good gender-progressives, we all know that these norms are a sham, and that many people with vaginas do ‘masculine’ things and many people with penises do ‘feminine’ things. We are aware of the terror and discrimination faced by these gender non-conformists, and thus, we are tempted to explain away transsexuality as a relic of gender oppression: transsexuals are forced to change their bodies because that is the only way they can construct a socially acceptable gender. They would be subject to shame, prejudice and violence if they did not change their bodies to conform fully to the gender prerogatives they want to enact. Thus, in a world without a tyrannical, binary gender ideology, transsexuality would cease to exist. . . .
Club in transgender dispute now caters to gays
Brian Powell, Tribune
Club Forbidden opened its doors Friday evening in the same building that once housed the rock, comedy and dance club at 6820 E. Fifth Ave.
Bar owner ends transgendered patron ban
Club slapped with complaint from gay rights group
Scottsdale bar owner fights discrimination claim
“This will be more like a New York nightclub, and I couldn’t do that under Anderson’s Fifth Estate,” owner Tom Anderson said.
Anderson, who recently lifted his ban on transgendered customers and settled a discrimination dispute with transgendered woman Michèle deLaFreniere, said the club’s change is a business — not a political — decision. . . .
OPINION: It looks like Ford Motor Co. is into more than just selling cars -- promoting sex changes
The American Family Association, which has called for a boycott of Ford Motor Co. because of their aggressive advocacy for and support of homosexual causes including redefinition of marriage, has brought to light another of Ford's efforts along these lines -- promoting sex changes.
According to an AFA email action alert,
The December 18 edition of The Advocate, a magazine for homosexuals, featured the transgender issue. A transgender is a person appearing or attempting to be a member of the opposite sex, as a transsexual or habitual cross-dresser. The Advocate article showed numerous pictures of people who had sex operations to change from male to female, and vice-versus (I'll spare you the details).
Ford Motor Company placed a full page ad for its Volvo brand in the publication.
Ford offers medical benefits to help pay expenses of those who choose to undergo sex change operations. Ford pays for mental health counseling, hormone therapy, medical visits, and short-term disability after surgical procedures for employees who desire to change their sex. . . .
Friday, December 28, 2007
CITY'S FIRST CROSS-DRESSING 'WEDDING'
08:00 - 24 December 2007
A glamorous drag queen with a tiara to rival Jordan's has tied the knot in Lincoln's first cross-dressing 'wedding'.
Stunning Simon Hollingsworth wore the most expensive dress ever sold in one Lincoln shop when he wed David Tuxworth.
The popular 25-year-old drag artist also brightened up the aisle by wearing a five-and-half-inch tiara at Saturday's ceremony.
Roller Coaster Ride: 2007 Trans Year In Review
12/27/2007
By Jacob Anderson-Minshall
From a transgender perspective, 2007 was a year with a lot of peaks and valleys. The entertainment field, in particular, witnessed many accomplishments but the community as a whole was tested with some significant blows.
ACHEIVEMENTS
A number of trans folk received recognition for their notable achievements including Just Add Hormones author Matt Kailey, who became the first trans managing editor of a LGBT publication (Colorado’s Out Front). Performer Scott Turner Schofield received a special award from the Princess Grace Foundation. Trans actor and screenwriter M.C. Brennan won an Outfest Screenwriting Lab award for her transgender teen comedy script, Dramatis Personae. Filmmaker scholar Joelle Ruby Ryan became the first MTF-spectrum trans person to receive a prestigious Point Foundation Scholarship. Transgender consultant Debra Davis clocked her 1,000th presentation while your friendly TransNation columnist passed the 100th column mark. After 20-years as a sports writer for the Los Angeles Times, Mike Penner came out and transitioned in the predominately male field to become Christine Daniels. . . .
Bladensburg woman a mother to many Sarah Williams has cared for dozens of foster children
December 27, 2007
Over the past 15 years, Sarah Williams has been a foster mother to over 100 children, whether it was for a few days or a few years.
Bringing home her most recent foster child has given Williams the passion to work toward starting a group home for gay, lesbian and transgendered youths, as her newest foster child, Kiyana Wills, is transgendered.
‘‘She has so much love and care that I’ve never seen from anybody before,” said Wills, 18, who moved in with Williams in June when she was 17. ‘‘And it’s overwhelming sometimes.”
Wills continues to live with Williams, whom she calls Mom, in Bladensburg, even though she is technically no longer in the foster care system. Williams, 60, who gave birth to four children, also opened her home to one of Wills’ friends, a young gay man, who is not in the foster care system.
‘‘A lot of these kids have been put out because their families don’t accept them. Their families are putting them out and they have nowhere to live so they’re sleeping in the streets,” Williams said. ‘‘I see so many kids in the schools that are transsexual, gay or experimenting with their sexuality. There’s a need for a group home for these kids.”. . .
TransNation Portland’s Not-So-Good Queer
2007-12-26
It would be easy to dismiss Lisa/Lee Iacuzzi as a troublemaker. Iacuzzi—who uses the names Lisa and Lee interchangeably, identifies as bi-gendered and prefers the pronoun s/he—has been arrested four times for petty crimes like jaywalking and calling 911 when a police officer videotaped her/him. One summer, while driving a Volvo on which s/he’d written “Legalize marijuana,” s/he reportedly was pulled over two dozen times by Portland, Oregon police.
Iacuzzi is the blogger behind NotAGoodQueer.Blogspot.com—not to be confused with notagoodqueer-oae.blogspot.com, which seems dedicated to undermine Iacuzzi and “her fantasy that, contrary to physiological evidence, she is a ) a male; or b ) a transgendered female.”
Once a schoolteacher, Iacuzzi allegedly lost her/his job to gender discrimination four years ago. Afterward, s/he publicly accused the school of mishandling asbestos removal, and s/he’s still hoping to organize a class action suit against the school. . . .
That's one large step for women
A new specialty shop offers large shoes for large feet.
By PAUL SWIDER, Times Staff Writer
December 26, 2007
ST. PETERSBURG
Jodi Grace is not a big woman, only 5 feet 2 with a proportionate size 7 shoe. But like the market she is addressing, she knows people with big feet.
"When a woman has big feet, all her friends and family know it," said Grace, who in October opened Big Foot, a store that caters to women needing large shoes.
"I've had a lot of people come in and say, 'My father saw this store and told me about it.' How many fathers know their daughter's shoe size? Fathers of big-footed women do."
Grace's best friend is a size 12 so she has heard the stories for years about how impossible it is to find stylish shoes for big female feet. . . .
McCulloch County gender bender
12/25/2007
Cliff Smallwood of White Oak took a business trip to McCullogh County shortly after Thanksgiving. It is a convenient place for Smallwood to work. He has a 550-acre deer lease just outside of Brady and keeps a travel trailer at a nearby RV park.
Small took off work early on the afternoon of Nov. 30 so he could do a little deer hunting. He and Jeff Cox, a Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden, were approaching Cox's box blind when they heard a grunting noise coming from some brush beneath the ridge.
Initially, the men thought the noise might be a feral hog. They scanned the brush and eventually spotted a buck moving through the mesquites, about 30 yards away. The deer appeared to have a respectable rack with tall tines.
"I actually thought it was the same buck I'd passed on opening morning of the season," said Smallwood. "I killed a real nice buck out there last year and I didn't want to shoot another one unless it was better than that one, especially during the first hour of opening day. So I let it walk." . . .
Appellate court upholds annulment
Tucson, 12/25/2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Life as a Trans Woman Ain’t Easy
| posted by Guest Blogger | Sunday, December 23, 2007
Hi, all, I'm RachelPhilPa (a totally goofy, non-clever handle, I know). I've been reading and commenting on Shakesville for a couple of years now, and recently started my own blog. I'm honored that Melissa asked me to write a guest post about a series of articles about harassment on my blog.
By way of (brief) introduction, I'm a trans woman in her late 40's; I started transitioning 4 years ago. I'm white, middle-class, Jewish, queer, dealing with multiple disabilities, and a survivor of long-term adulthood sexual abuse. I identify strongly and proudly as a feminist. I don't classify my feminism (second-wave, third-wave, etc, etc), but I think that I take a decent amount of my thought and ideas from radical feminism (even as I argue with some radical feminists over trans issues).
Now on to the subject. As I have progressed in my transition, I have become increasingly aware of, and subject to, both sexual and transphobic harassment. Like many women, I live with an undercurrent of fear. It's not at the level that makes me want to hide and withdraw, but is at the level that it influences the decisions that I make every day and that affects my mood throughout the day. I've read many posts and comments from women (and not a few gender-variant and/or gay men) expressing the same fear, here on Shakesville and throughout the feminist blogosphere. I've also read the comments of many men (and a few women) who are dismissive of this and accuse us of exaggerating or making this stuff up. For myself, and for many other trans folk, my fear is heightened by the transphobia and cissexualism that is inherent in our patriarchal society.
So, I decided to keep a log of incidents of harassment, both to help myself quantify what I'm facing, and to have something to refer people to when they say "It isn't really that bad." Not all of these incidents targeted me directly. But when a judge says that a sex worker can't be raped, or Michael Savage viciously slanders trans people, they are telling all women, and all trans folk, that we are less worthy, that we had better shut up, that we had better hide ourselves. . .
Zulu boy returns as drag-queen diva
December 22, 2007
Talented Sfiso is back in SA, all sass and style.
Sfiso was a starry- eyed Zulu boy from a humble township home when he left for London seven years ago.
This week he returned to South Africa as a glamorous drag queen — adorned in lipstick and long lashes.
The youngster has been recording tracks with British producers including Kwame Kwaten, who has worked with international stars like Jay Z and Mick Jagger.
Sfiso, whose name means “wish” in Zulu, has come a long way since being raised in a traditional family in the sugar-producing town of Mtubatuba, in northern KwaZulu-Natal. The once bashful lad has met Madonna, now addresses people as “honey” and prefers to be referred to as a “she”.
Sfiso performed in front of thousands of revellers at British gay and lesbian events in London and Manchester earlier this year.
She also took to the stage at the Mother City Queer Project (MCQP) bash in Cape Town last night and is determined to captivate local audiences with her single Diva and a cover version of Dontcha by the Pussycat Dolls.
The Sunday Times met the doe-eyed diva at a guesthouse in Cape Town .
She spoke of mingling with the rich and famous in London, but said she regularly visited her home in South Africa. . . .
Editorial: Third Sex: Illusion or Reality?
Sadhana Ghimire
Masculine characteristics are referred to as aggressive, more logical, made for policy level decisions and heading the families among others whereas feminine characteristics implicate more emotional, loving, depending and caring nature, which leads to assisting people and devoting their lives to others.
Exception
However, despite hundreds of historical examples about exceptions to these generalized sex identities, there are some humans who don't fall under the category of either male or female. Although it is said that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, these people are often deprived of some rights.
Some organizations working for the rights of the people claim that they are neither male nor female. They say that these individuals are different than the general sex identities i.e. man and woman. They are somewhere in the middle, means, they possess characteristics of both men and women. Either they look like a man but behave like a woman or vice versa. The advocates claim that these people should be called the third gender (most commonly known as transgender) people who want to become a woman, despite being a man by nature, or a man despite being a woman by nature. . .
Wayne's tranny bridesmaid
WAYNE Rooney's gay transvestite cousin is BEGGING for a major role in the football star's June wedding—as a BRIDESMAID.
But friends fear drag queen Stephen will turn the England striker's big match of the day into a Rooney-tunes farce.
The plump relative—who loves wearing lipstick and a blonde wig—vowed: "If Coleen wants me as a bridesmaid then she won't be let down. I've been hitting the shops."
Man Utd striker Wayne has ruled out a leading MALE roles for family members of the family at the wedding. He said: "We aren't going to have any pages as we don't really have any young lads in our families. They're all a bit older and I think it looks a bit stupid to have grown lads dressed up."
But cheeky 23-year-old Stephen— who works in Kentucky Fried Chicken—still has big hopes of following the happy couple up the aisle on their big day...in a frock.
And he says: "I'm good mates with Coleen and she knows what I'm like. I came out about two years ago and both she and Wayne are cool about it."
A friend said: "Wayne didn't rule Stephen out so we reckon he's still in with a chance as a bridesmaid—and he'd do as good a job as posh friends like Victoria Beckham any day. . .
Colin Firth and Rupert Everett Q&A
IGN: How's it going?
Rupert Everett: We're very tired.... you have to say something completely scintillating!
IGN: That's a lot of pressure to be honest! So I expect viewers will enjoy your onscreen chemistry, but how did you guys find it?
Rupert Everett: Well it made me a bit uncomfortable because I thought Colin was just a little too hot-to-trot, he was meant to be restrained...
Colin Firth: He was fighting me off!
Rupert Everett: I just had to put the breaks on.
Colin Firth: I started to wonder what was wrong with me, it was too strong. I was thinking "Is it him, is it me?"
Rupert Everett: At least I was trying to be professional about it and maintain some dignity and decorum. . .
OPINION: A "Gay Man" Trapped in a Woman's Body and Other Nonsense
Case in point: A recent report on a popular homosexual “news” site declares, “A transgendered student says he is the victim of discrimination at a small Massachusetts community college because he is biologically female.”
Say what? “He” is “female”? Welcome to PC-ville. Come for the oxymoron, stay for the cognitive dissonance.
In other news, “French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte says he is the victim of discrimination because he is biologically Bob from Detroit.”
Apparently, this clearly confused 20-year-old woman who “presents as a male and wears male clothing” is upset that Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, Massachusetts, will not allow her to undress, shower or otherwise cavort with the fellows in the men’s locker room. She’s reportedly filed an “affirmative action complaint” against the school.
Even Haverhill’s local newspaper, the Eagle-Tribune, plays along, saying that she was “denied the use of the men’s locker room … because of his female anatomy.”
“His female anatomy”!?
Okay, wait a minute. … Is this one of those, “it depends on what the meaning of the word ‘his’ is” moments?
But it gets worse. The paper goes on to explain that this young woman — er, man … whatever — actually identifies as a “gay male.” It explains that her, “public unveiling as a transgender gay male happened as an adult two years ago. His designation means he has a female body, but identifies as a male and is sexually attracted to men.”
Geeze-oh-Pete! My head hurts. Can this be for real? How can any newspaper that wants to be taken seriously report this with a straight face? A “gay” man trapped in a woman’s body? And all this time I thought they were just straight gals in Dockers and flannel. When I was a kid we called them “tomboys.” They were great fun to play softball with, but they still had to shower with the rest of the girls. What unenlightened bigots we were back then.
Look, I don’t mean to single out this young woman. She very possibly suffers from Gender Identity Disorder (GID). Even the left-leaning American Psychiatric Association (APA) acknowledges this unfortunate illness. She’s clearly very confused and needs therapy and prayer. I wish her nothing but the best.
But unfortunately, her story embodies everything that’s wrong with liberalism and political correctness (well, maybe not everything). This girl is no more a man than Charlton Heston is Moses. And despite the fact that the left has never found a victim they don’t like (except for Christians), she’s not a victim of discrimination either.
She’s a victim of reality. . . .
A Transgender Odyssey Takes Teacher From Michigan Campus to National Stage
12/21/2007
When Julie Nemecek first told the president of Spring Arbor University that she was transgender and would be assuming her female persona, the president, Nemecek said, was supportive. But in the weeks that followed she was subjected to a series of ever more restrictive rules.
Nemecek, an ordained Baptist minister who changed her name from John, could not wear women's clothing or makeup on the campus of the conservative Christian school, which prohibits same-sex relationships. She could not teach on campus, only online. She could not discuss her transition with anybody from Spring Arbor University. She could not identify herself as an employee of Spring Arbor. Her salary was cut.
But all the repressive actions by the university, located 30 miles south of Jackson, were not enough to stop Nemecek from becoming who she was. . . .
"My parents said they had always known there was something a little different about me."
If you're lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ), you may struggle with the decision of whether to come out to your parents. Telling your parents can definitely have its rewards — sharing such important, personal information about yourself can strengthen your relationship with your parents, and may even deepen their trust in you.
But while some parents will welcome the news, others may react poorly. Tina, 17, says she doesn't think she'll ever tell her mom or dad she's a lesbian. "My parents raised a girl, and they just wouldn't understand that I like other girls," she says. On the flipside, even if your parents are LGBTQ themselves, they may understand and support your decision, but worry about the homophobia and heterosexism you may have to face.
Thinking It Over
If you're thinking of coming out to your parents, it's important to know if one or both of them will understand and support you. If coming out means that you risk losing your family's support, you may need to wait until you can find a way to support yourself, both emotionally and financially. Think carefully about your answers to these questions before making your final decision: . . .
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Teen Transsexual
Sunday, December 30, 2007
10:00pm EST /7:00pm PST
Repeated at 1:00am EST / 10:00pm PST
All Richard Parker wants for his 18th birthday is to be Lucy Parker.
Richard has spent his life dealing with gender identity issues and has
long dreamed of the day when he can have surgery to become a real
woman. Unable to get the surgery until he turns 18 and has proven to
doctors that he is psychologically committed to life as a woman,
Richard has spent the last two years living as Lucy. This is her story.
Premieres December 30th at 10pm et/pt. Part of BBC America Reveals.
Schum Says Family Helped Him Through Ordeal
Former Principal Cited For Loitering For Prostitution
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- "It's nice to know that the truth finally does reveal itself and that we've gotten to the bottom of this."Dr. Paul Schum says his citation for loitering for prostitution has been an embarrassing, difficult and trying situation.“There's been an enormous amount of time, effort, energy and taxpayer’s money, and not to mention my own expense and the expense of my family to rectify this, when in fact, most everyone that knew the facts of this case was certain that the charges would eventually be dropped."
It all started Oct. 30 -- Halloween Eve. Schum said that as he headed home from a costume party, he decided to stop by a rental property he owns in west Louisville to change out of his costume.On the way there, he said, he stopped in an alley to take off part of his costume. Dash cam video provided by Louisville Metro Police shows what happened next: Schum was stopped and cited for loitering for prostitution while he was wearing black leather, fishnet stockings and false breasts.“I was very embarrassed,” he said. “Very, very nervous. Big, bright light in your face. A thousand questions." . . .
The Gender Neutral Throne
In the back room of Dante’s, a revolution was being plotted. A small group of activists and artists decided to cut to the chase. If we are serious about creating communities and places that are inclusive and welcoming of diversity, complexity and ambiguity, what can be more defining than where you go to pee? The badge on the gorgeous Jonathan summed it up: “Fuck Gender.”
We all related stories of mistaken identity and discrimination in toilets:
“I remember going to the public toilets at a caravan park when I was about ten and these two girls a few years older than me were there and just started laughing and saying things like ‘was that a boy or a girl?’. I sat in the cubicle crying until I thought it was safe to leave.”
“I’m always getting told I’m in the wrong bathroom in the women’s but people look at me weird in the men’s as well so I try and find the closest gender neutral bathroom just cause it means I won’t get hassled.”
“I’ve had the ‘oh my god there’s a boy in the women’s toilet” since I was a kid. Before I realised that I was trans and later felt safe and comfortable in my identity, it used to really hurt when other kids would freak out or laugh at me.” . . .
Want Ads: Looking For Mr. or Ms. Goodbar
Need individual with a smiling face and a Can-Do Attitude! Personal Ambition a serious plus! Must take directions well. Must be able to learn public relations marketing from a gay and lesbian perspective (Marketing experience a huge plus) Must like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Gay and Lesbian Equality. Must possess ability and willingness to both raise funds or to be able to attract leads for fundraising for HRC. Can easily substitute a great personal story (author of an autobiography or esp. high-profile job loss, lawsuit or hate crime victim) for fundraising skills.
To be filled: Immediately.
Very competitive salary commensurate with other transgender activist salaries, plus perks! We are an EEOC employer. Only transgendered applicants, preferably white, docile and above-average income need apply. . . .
. . . Seven out of Ten Gay Adults Own a Pet
By Chrys Hudson
Seven out of ten (71 percent) lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults today say they own pets, compared with 63 percent of heterosexual adults, according to the results of a new national survey.
The same survey also shows that nine in ten (90 percent) LGBT pet owners say their pet is a member of their family and 64 percent also add that they have bought their pet a holiday present.
The new nationwide survey of 2,455 U.S. adults, of whom more than 6 percent, or 158, self identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, was conducted online between Nov. 7 and 13 by Harris Interactive in conjunction with Witeck-Combs Communications, Inc. . . .
My response to Carlin
I just read your opinion piece in the Providence Journal and I am shocked and dismayed that a historian, educator, and Democrat would write such an ignorant and offensive column attacking transgender people.
I'm going to assume that you're simply ignorant, however, and proceed from there. I'm guessing that you're ignorant of the problems faced by many transgender people when it comes to using a bathroom. There is no standardized point during the transition process where one can reasonably say "Okay, it's fine to use this bathroom now." And in any case, a transgender person will continue to face the threat of public humiliation or physical assault if someone disagrees with their choice of which bathrooms to use.
I don't know if you've been following the news, but recently in Utah, a transgender man was denied housing in a male dorm, because the school felt he had not progressed far enough through gender reassignment surgery to "prove" to them that he is a man. On the other hand, he was also told he would not be welcome in the female dorms. This creates an unfair and unworkable situation, don't you think? . . .
-Kynn Bartlett
Tucson, Arizona
OPINION: David Carlin: Bathrooms for the transgendered
December 22, 2007
WHEN I WAS YOUNG (about a half-century ago), there was a social rule that every young man understood. It went like this: “If you get a girl pregnant, you have to marry her.” One of the results of this rule was that relatively few unmarried girls got pregnant. Another was that those who did usually married the father before the baby was born.
But then American society decided that the rule was too strict. After all, a boy and a girl shouldn’t get chained to one another for a lifetime simply because one day (or more likely one evening) they made a mistake. So we relaxed the rule; we relaxed it to the point where it hardly exists anymore. And what has been the result? Millions of babies have been born and grown up without a father. It should be remembered that kids who grow up without fathers are, on average, at high risk for living troubled and unhappy lives.
Law professors have a maxim: “Hard cases make bad law.” In other words, when you re-write a rule to accommodate special cases, the new rule is likely to be worse than the old rule. Better to stick with the old rule, imperfect though it may be. A small number of people suffered under the old and “bad” rule; vast numbers suffer under the new and “improved” rule.
Recently a number of New England colleges have had feelings of compassion for transgendered students and the difficulty such students face when choosing a bathroom.
“What is a transgendered person?” you ask. . . .
Suffolk resident guilty for injecting silicone in transgender person
SUFFOLK
A person charged with injecting silicone into another transgender individual pleaded guilty Friday to practicing medicine without a license. . . .
Young Adult Novels With Transgender Themes
looking for stories about the lives of young trans people
By Michelle Garcia
An Advocate.com exclusive posted December 26, 2007
The National Center for Transgender Equality estimates there are
between 750,000 and 3 million transgender people in the U.S. And as
Barbara Walters showed recently in a 20/20 story last spring,
questioning one's gender identity can begin at a very young age. With
that in mind, we pulled together some literary inspiration worth
passing on to the inquisitive teenager in your life.
Luna by Julie Anne Peters (Little, Brown; 2004)
For years Liam secretly transforms himself into Luna each night with
the help of his sister's clothes and makeup. As he yearns to reveal
his nighttime identity, his sister Regan finds it more difficult to
keep Luna a secret with each passing day. Are Liam's family and
friends ready to accept Luna into their lives? Julie Anne Peters's
well-received novel was a 2004 finalist for the National Book Award in
Young People's Literature.
Freak Show by James St. James (Dutton; 2007)
James St. James's story of a teenage drag queen at an uptight private
academy is the classic tale of an outcast wanting acceptance. Our
hero, Billy Bloom, however, wants to be homecoming queen. St. James's
irreverent humor and lively writing make this an endearing and
entertaining read that shirks the idea of being confined to a label of
sexuality.
Choir Boy by Charlie Anders (Soft Skull Press; 2005)
Berry, a 12-year-old church choir darling, is starting to notice the
effect of puberty where it matters most to him: his voice. After a
botched attempt to castrate himself, he decided to use hormones
intended for men transitioning to women to keep his high vocal range.
The story may seem cartoonish, but this Lambda Literary Award winner's
emotional, sexual nature may be best for older teens; . . .
Friday, December 21, 2007
Where's Our History?
December 21, 2007
[An editorial written for, but never published in, Transgender Tapestry magazine; published here with the author's permission.]
Until 1990 or so, the transgender community had little sense of its history — I suppose because we were so very busy defining ourselves. Outside of the hands of private collectors and the occasional gender-bending article or item in gay and lesbian archives, there was nothing. Even collectors had little idea of the value of something like a 1955 program book from Mme. Arthur’s cabaret in Paris, or a 1915 postcard of the famous female impersonator Julian Eltinge, or a program from the First International Symposium on Gender Identity or an issue of Virginia Prince’s early magazine Transvestia.
I remember, in fact, way back in 1993 discussing this with Ms. Bob Davis (then plain old Bob Davis) over the telephone. We decided that if we were patient, a market would develop and would determine values. Today, thanks largely to eBay and the emergence of booksellers who specialize in transgender materials, Ms. Bob and I have notions of what transgender historical materials are worth. One might expect to pay more than $400 for the Mme. Arthur’s program, for example, or $425 for an early copy of Transvestia, or $65 for an Eltinge postcard, or $50 for the rare, but rarely collected, symposium program.
The new century has brought increased interest in transgender historical materials. Year 2000 started out with a bang, as the new nonprofit Gender Education & Advocacy (formerly the American Educational Gender Information Service) sought proposals from other nonprofit agencies to receive its National Transgender Library & Archive (see Tapestry #109 for an article about the disposition of this collection; it went, after a rigorous decision-making process, to the University of Michigan). Also in 2000, Rikki Swin, under the auspices of the Rikki Swin Foundation, purchased the private collections of early transgender activists Virginia Prince and Betty Ann Lind and the archives of the International Foundation for Gender Education. Swin subsequently purchased a personal collection from Ariadne Kane, one of the founders of Fantasia Fair and another early transgender activist. . . .
. . .posted by
The Week in Gay Geek: At the Closing of the Year
21 December 2007
- How can a show can go so long with a Pet Shop Boys theme song and no gays?
This has me cautiously excited. A GayGamer.net reader spots a Craigslist post seeking gay geeks for a show that "will teach (gay geeks) how to have 'game' with other guys". The ad mentions Beauty and the Geek after promising a prize that just happens to be the same as what BatG offers. Hmmmm. I've wondered what a gay version of the show would be like, though considering how badly this past season's "girl geek" twist went, I don't have high expectations for a gay twist.
Uhm, wow, I never heard any speculation about the gender of Final Fight baddie Poison, but now a Capcom producer has outed the pink-tressed street thug as transgender. Reading the character's entry on Wikipedia the character was first declared transgender because some people at Capcom were concerned that having a female foe in the game would mean depicting violence against women ... okay, so they decided hitting a transgender wasn't as bad? Poison will be a character in the upcoming Street Fighter IV. I have to admit I'm feeling mixed about this, as it's great to see a transgender character in a fighting game but the rationale leaves a bit to be desired.
Additionally, I understand Poison isn't the only queer character in the Street Fighter universe, as a character from the original Street Fighter, Eagle, was visually inspired by Freddy Mercury and conceived as gay. . . .
Richardson claims best record on gay issues
LOU CHIBBARO JR
Friday, December 21, 2007
Democratic presidential contender Bill Richardson said he would call on Congress to pass a transgender-inclusive employment non-discrimination bill, saying he disagrees with the strategy of Democratic leaders that a gay-only bill is all that could pass in the next few years.
“I would go for the full-blown protection, including transgender,” he said in an exclusive Dec. 15 interview with the Washington Blade. “I think we’ve got to do what’s right and not do halfway measures.”
Richardson, who spoke to the Blade by phone while campaigning in New Hampshire, noted that as governor of New Mexico, he pushed through and signed into law a comprehensive, transgender-inclusive gay rights bill in 2003 in a conservative, “red” state. The bill bans discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and public accommodations, among other areas.
“I think the American people are a tolerant people,” he said. “The country’s changed a lot. And I would push to get it through [Congress] and I think I could get it through as president.” . . .
Having big breasts is very tough
Thursday Dec 20, 2007
"When you’re famous these days, it’s just part of the deal - unfortunately. People will make up all sorts of things that are not true. . . . There ain’t gonna be no wedding."
- Queen Latifah, responding to recent tabloid rumors that she was soon to come out as a lesbian and announce that she’s marrying her alleged partner, Chicago Sun-Times, Dec. 10.
"Usually, the hard women are after me! When I got my divorce, the women jumped on me like white on rice! I said, ’Look, I ain’t ever did fish, I don’t intend to do fish so leave me alone.’ I said, ’I’m looking for a man and you’re not a man!’"
- Singer Patti LaBelle, HX magazine, Dec. 7 issue. . . .
Transgender to bare it all in autobiography
Rose, the first transgender to host a TV show in India, wields the pen to fight the system
CHENNAI: Rose (28), the first trangender in the country to host a television programme and the first one to openly advocate scientific sexual reconstruction surgery (SRS), has taken to the pen. Two leading publishing houses have evinced interest in publishing ‘her’ autobiography, tentatively titled ‘My Sexuality’.
“Use the feminine pronoun when you write about me,” Rose tells DNA after sending the manuscript of the first chapter of her book to Penguin and Harper Collins, “because that is what I use for people of my ilk in my book”.
Both the publishing houses, she says, have responded positively. The book will be of about 200 pages, in 14 chapters. Tamil channel Star Vijay will soon telecast a talk show on ‘alternative sexuality and other bold sexual themes’ with Rose as the host.
“A large part of my book will be about how I discovered my sexuality, my sexual fantasies and experiences and, well, some silly things. The first chapter is about how a man wooed me, how I fell in love with him and how he ditched me. People writing autobiographies want to project the best part of their lives, but I will bare it all.” Rose says. . . .
Pundit: Transgender student is giving me a headache
by Nick Langewis
December 21, 2007
J. Matt Barber, attorney and policy director at Concerned Women for America, is experiencing pain in his cranial region over an ongoing case involving a transgender gay man denied locker room accommodations at his college.
Barber's chosen headache remedy includes Democrat jokes and mockery.
Northern Essex Community College and Massachusetts student Ethan Santiago, 20, are at odds over Ethan's application for a men's locker at the school's facilities. While Santiago has lived as a man for two years, he has been denied accommodations, as he is considered a woman by the school.
"Geeze-oh-Pete!" exclaims Barber. "My head hurts. Can this be for real? How can any newspaper that wants to be taken seriously report this with a straight face?"
Barber goes on: "She very possibly suffers from Gender Identity Disorder (GID). Even the left-leaning American Psychiatric Association (APA) acknowledges this unfortunate illness. She's clearly very confused and needs therapy and prayer. I wish her nothing but the best."
"She wishes she were male," Barber continues. "I wish I had a Harley. Howard Dean wishes he had decaf. Ted Kennedy wishes he had swerved." . . .
80% of Bulgarians Don't Accept Gay People
The research, which examined the discriminative adjustments of Bulgarian nation, was conducted on September 10-30, this year, Darik Radio informed.
53% of the inquired Bulgarians have extremely negative attitude towards gays. 17% declared that can freely communicate with person homosexually orientated.
Most clearly are expressed the prejudices to transsexuals, most weakly to gay women, shows the research. . . .
The devil’s in the details: our guide to the candidates
associate editor
Wednesday Dec 19, 2007
With the Iowa caucuses (Jan. 3) and the New Hampshire primary (Jan. 8) just around the corner, you can’t flip on the television, pick up a newspaper or log on to YouTube without encountering images of a weepy Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton trying to soften her edges or Rudy Giuliani perusing holiday tchotchkes at a barn in New Hampshire. The pundits are opining endlessly over minutia like whether the fact that John Edwards prefers campaigning in jeans or that Mike Huckabee used to be fat will help or hurt their chances in the presidential sweepstakes. And what of the impact of Oprah’s endorsement of Barack Obama? We’re guessing it’s got more heft than Sen. Joe Lieberman’s nod to candidate Sen. John McCain and Clinton’s endorsement from Babs combined. Obviously, we’re just as guilty of contributing to the media cacophony, especially given the fact that Massachusetts voters will be going to the polls on Feb. 5, about month earlier than we usually do.
For the past year, we’ve heard candidates parse, parry, flip-flop, backtrack and nip/tuck their positions on LGBT issues. The Democratic candidates have done this all the while promising to advance a pro-gay agenda: All of the Dem contenders support repealing "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell," and parts, or all, of DOMA. With the exception of Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former U.S. senator Mike Gravel, who both support marriage equality, all of the candidates support civil unions. All have expressed support for federal benefits for same-sex partners, immigration equality, trans-inclusive ENDA and hate crimes bills, comprehensive sex education and increased HIV/AIDS funding. Meanwhile, the Republicans for the most part have tried to sugarcoat their anti-gay views with bland statements about tolerance. While it would appear that support for LGBT rights breaks down along party lines our attentions have turned up some little nuggets that might make you wonder. . . .
Thursday, December 20, 2007
A shelter in search of a home
Three girls crowd around the huge mirror in the dining room of Carmen's Place to touch up their make-up and perfect each other's wigs, preparing for a Thursday night out while Father Louis Braxton sits down in the chair next to them and challenges them to a fight over bangs once again.
"You want to know what the bang fight was about. I think they wear them to hide behind their bangs. To hide yourself. I think that women come with different hair lengths, but they all want long hair. They all want to look like Beyonce," says Braxton, who has been running the Astoria homeless shelter that primarily supports transgender and gay youth for about five years.
"Father, of course we want to look like Beyonce. We're young," says Michelle as she brushes Nicole's wig.
On this day the shelter houses only male-to-female transgender young adults and men who are mainly gay, but there have been female-to-male transgender residents in the past.
In the next room Carolina stirs the dinner and more kids pour inside. It is difficult to imagine that many of these young residents have only known each other for a few weeks or even a few days. But what's more difficult is the familiar feeling that they all might be put back out in the cold when the shelter's lease expires Jan. 1 since Braxton still has no housing prospects in sight. . . .
Ann Coulter. . .girl or boy?
Humankind has long questioned conservative pundit Ann Coulter’s gender identity and Cape Cod blogger Aaron Maloy is no exception:
Nobody knows for sure the exact gender of Ann Coulter. People have asked her on several occasions and each time she went into drag mode shaking her head, rolling her eyes and deliver a verbal smackdown.One thing is for sure though, straight women don’t behave or talk as she does. And so she is my favorite Republican Gender Bender. . . .
Case Against Cross-Dressing Principal Dropped
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The former principal of Bethlehem High School in Bardstown has been cleared of loitering for the purpose of prostitution.The charge was dismissed Thursday in court.Dr. Paul Schum was cited on Halloween Eve (Oct. 30) after police stopped him in a west Louisville alley.
Schum was not in court, but since this charge was a misdemeanor, he wasn’t required to be there. A hearing on the case was scheduled, but the Jefferson County attorney's office decided to dismiss the case. . . .
Transgender people on the move to find neutral bathrooms
Columbia News Service
For transgender people, the choice between the men’s room and the women’s room often leaves them stuck in the middle with crossed legs and nowhere to go. They are faced with harassment from security guards, police officers and other restroom users for appearing to use the “wrong bathroom.”
“There isn’t a person who hasn’t had an awkward experience in a bathroom,” said Bailey Stevens, a member of the Bathroom Liberation Front.
But transgender people experience a much more severe problem than just occasional awkwardness, Stevens said. Every time transgender people use the restroom, someone who feels that a sexually ambiguous person doesn’t belong in the restroom may confront him or her.
“This is definitely a problem,” said J. Riley, who lives in Washington. “I used to have to use the women’s bathroom at work while I was transitioning, and even though I had facial hair I had to use the ladies’ room.”
Activists have been mobilizing to create gender-neutral restrooms for about 10 years, with much of their activity based on college campuses.
Recently, the issue moved further into public consciousness because of such new organizations as the Bathroom Liberation Front, a Web-based activist group that recently created safe2pee.org, a Web site that maps unisex restrooms throughout the United States and Canada. The rallying cry? “I just need a place to pee!”
Some transgender people, born and raised as female, become male, and some males become females. For some, but not all, transitioning means having surgery and hormone treatment to become more aligned with their chosen gender. Those who have hormone treatments develop features, like beards and breasts, of the sex they are transitioning into. Women who have become men, and men who have become women are often indistinguishable from the rest of the population.
But for people in the process of changing genders, their features may mark them as not quite male, and not quite female. There are also people who refuse to conform to either male or female gender roles and maintain characteristics of both men and women. For these people, being and looking androgynous is not a passing phase but their chosen gender identity. . . .
LABOR & EMPLOYMENT LAW — 12/20/07
Transsexual job applicant can pursue Title VII sex bias claim
A federal district court in the District of Columbia concluded that a male-to-female- transsexual job applicant could proceed with her Title VII sex bias claim against the Library of Congress, which allegedly withdrew its job offer for a terrorism research analyst position with the Congressional Research Service after the applicant disclosed that she was under a doctor's treatment for gender dysphoria and would be transitioning to a female before beginning work with the agency. (Schroer v Billington, DDC, 90 EPD ¶43,028)
When the applicant met with the decisionmaker to discuss the details of her start date, she disclosed that, consistent with her treatment, she would present herself at work as a woman, change her name and begin dressing in traditionally female clothing. In part to allay any concerns the decisionmaker might have about whether she would be dressing in a workplace-appropriate manner, she brought photographs of herself dressed as a women. The next day, the decisionmaker withdrew the offer, deciding that "'for the good of the service,'" the applicant would not be a "'good fit'" given the "'circumstances that [they] spoke of yesterday.'" After exhausting her administrative remedies, the applicant filed suit under Title VII. Her amended complaint alleged that the decisionmaker's refusal to hire her was motivated by her failure to conform to sex stereotypes. She also alleged discrimination against transsexuals "because they are transsexuals" might "'literally'" be discrimination "'because of…sex.'" . . .
‘We Are Neither Men Nor Women, but Muslims Like Anyone Else’
| Siraj Wahab, Arab News December 20, 2007 | ||||||
MINA, 20 December 2007 — They are neither men nor women. In their devotion to God, however, they are second to none. There are no precise figures as to how many of them are performing Haj this year but according to those who are familiar with them, they have been coming here for years. Since they list themselves as men when applying for Haj visas, there is no definite way of ascertaining their exact number. They are like a drop in the ocean here and would have gone unnoticed but for their mannerisms and the singsong way of talking. This correspondent bumped into four eunuchs (“Aghawaat” in Arabic) here yesterday. All of them were from Bhopal in India. They were a bit shy initially but were later more than eager to narrate their story of the pilgrimage. One of them, Haji Saleem, identified himself as the group’s leader and he did most of the talking. The others nodded their heads, affirming their leader’s statements. “You are right, we are neither men nor women. ‘Hamara dono me shumar nahi hota.’ We are born this way,” he said. “This is my second Haj. I was here in 1998. That is why I have added the title ‘Haji’ to my name. I am revered in my community and they look up to me with awe and whatever I say is taken as a command.” . . . |
Beauty from the rubble
No matter how hard you try to erase the past, there is always something left - a stone, a song, an idea
When the groom is an atheist French Jew born in Paris and the bride an Anglican born in Halifax, what better place to celebrate the wedding than the Unitarian Church of Montreal?
Joan and I married 30 years ago in October, 1977. After living in sin for a few years we had decided it was time to formalize our relationship.
Having chosen the church, we had to plan the rest of the wedding. We were from vastly different backgrounds but had a few things in common, both being musicians. Joan played classical piano and I had played jazz clarinet in my Saint-Germain-des-Prés days. So, in a Canadian way, we settled for a compromise - to have the church organist play baroque music.
We first met the organist one evening about 10 days before the wedding. It was an ominous encounter. The church was quite dark and he was upstairs playing alone. Guided by his music, we struggled up the narrow staircase. . . .
LGBT Holiday Stress Reduction, Part 2
Family, Friends & Allies,
Please check out the following link to an interview I did regarding
how families of transgender children, youth and adults can deal
positively with their loved one's gender identity expression during
the holiday season.
http://kboo.fm/node/5254
Also featured on the show is my good friend and President of the
Portland PFLAG Chapter, Dawn Holt and her husband and son, Shawn and
Christopher.
The audio from the program is available for download.
Thank you for supporting our work, particularly at this time of year.
Peace & Unity,
Jenn Burleton,
Executive Director
TransActive Education & Advocacy
"Jenn" missjbnw@gmail.com
Recipient 2007 Ingersoll Center Service Award
Man Made
My short life as a drag king.
Dec. 19, 2007
I asked my drag king buddy, Herbie Hind, if he would apply my beard makeup before I made my stage debut as a man. Herbie offered to advise me, but said I must take responsibility for my own facial hair: "It's your beard, so you should own it." What sweet irony, considering how much I've spent on electrolysis over the years to get rid of my beard.
For Human Guinea Pig, a column in which I do things that readers are too well-adjusted to try themselves, I have subjected myself, and innocent audience members, to many excruciating performances. I have been a street musician, a beauty pageant contestant, a song recitalist, and, most appallingly, a children's party entertainer. But none of these brought as much psychological stress—and revelation—to my family or me as cross-dressing as my alter ego, Johnson Manly, and performing in a drag show. . . .
Trasgendered Artist in Miami Youth Residency & Performance at Carnival Center Jan. 21-26, 2008
Tigertail Productions continues their SpeakOut project for the GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) community with a weeklong residency from January 21 through 26 with nationally recognized FTM (female-to-male) transgendered theater artist Scott Turner Schofield. Workshops and other programs for gay youth will take place in high schools and community venues throughout Miami-Dade County. The week culminates with the East Coast premiere of Schofield’s new show, Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps, co-presented by Carnival Center for the Performing Arts and Tigertail Productions, at the Carnival Center’s Studio Theater, Friday and Saturday, January 25 and 26. The show contains some nudity and mature themes. Friday night’s performance will be followed by a meet-the-artist wine and cheese reception open to all ticket-holders, sponsored by the Miami-Dade Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and other community groups. On Saturday there will be a post-show discussion with Schofield.Scott Turner Schofield brings a sharp wit and unfailing warmth to his work, drawing on his personal experience while illuminating issues of gender, sex and identity for everyone. His new show, Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps, mixes comedy, contradictions, aerial acrobatics and multimedia storytelling, inviting the audience to come along on a surprising journey of finding oneself. Schofield was named a Young Trans Hero of 2006 by The Advocate magazine and has been recently honored with a prestigious Princess Grace Foundation Fellowship for acting. He has toured to colleges, festivals, and theaters nationwide since 2001. He is widely recognized for his educational and informative leadership on transgender issues. . . .
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Sacramento: River City Gems
A Resource For Crossdressing and Transgender Support in Sacramento and Northern California
The River City Gems are a social and support group for crossdressers, their partners, and their families. We are based in
Our primary goal is to provide crossdressers and their significant others with opportunities to socialize in a personally affirming, safe, and supportive environment. We also strive to raise awareness of crossdressing and to promote a positive image of our community to business owners, the media, and the general public. But most of all, we like to have fun! The joy we feel in being who we are is captured in our motto, “Celebrating Feminine Expression.”
We range in age from our twenties through our seventies and come from diverse backgrounds. We are businesspeople, teachers, truck drivers, lawyers, and artists. We are parents, siblings, employees and bosses. In other words, apart from our gender gift, we are ordinary people – just like you. . . .
New club night for transgender Christchurch
By GayNZ.com News Staff - 19th December 2007
Miss Hollywood - Christchurch drag personality and owner of Diva's Boutique - will launch a club night in the New Year especially for transgender people, cross-dressers, their friends and admirers.
"For so long, cross-dressers and trannies have been coming up to me saying how much they would love to have their own 'tranny bar' here in Christchurch," says Miss Hollywood. 
Called Lipstick, it will be the only regular event of its kind currently available in New Zealand catering to the transgendered community.
"Lipstick will be a great new opportunity for trannies, cross-dressers and their friends to meet up weekly for a few drinks and enjoy a fabulous social night out," explains Miss Hollywood. "Similar tranny nights have all been very popular overseas in Europe and Australia.". . .
Less invasive hysterectomy okay for transsexuals
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Total laparoscopic hysterectomy, a type of minimally invasive "key-hole" surgery, is suitable for removing the uterus in female-to-male transsexuals, according to a report in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Transsexuals are individuals with a gender identity that is opposite to their biological sex. Some transsexuals undergo sexual reassignment surgery in an effort to match their appearance to their gender identity.
Hysterectomies often involve an incision in the wall of the vagina. With female-to-male transsexuals, however, this is often not possible because many of the patients have taken testosterone, a hormone that thins the vaginal walls, making them unsuitable for these procedures.
With total laparoscopic hysterectomy, by contrast, incisions are made only in the abdominal wall, not inside the vagina.
In their study, Dr. Katherine A. O'Hanlan, from Gynecologic Oncology Associates in Portola Valley, California, and colleagues reviewed the outcomes of all patients who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy at one center since September 1996. Of the 593 patients studied, 41 were transsexuals. . . .
Gay Ind. teen sues school that wouldn't let him go to prom in a dress
Kevin "K.K." Logan is suing his principal for not letting him attend prom because he was wearing a dress.By Mallory Simon
Court TV
When Kevin Logan went to his high school prom in 2006, he was hoping it would be a night to remember. What he'll remember, though, will be standing outside in the parking lot while his classmates danced inside.
As Logan walked up to the prom, clad in a pink prom dress, West Side High School Principal Diana Rouse blocked the doorway and refused to let him inside.
Logan, who goes by the name "K.K." and describes himself as a gay bisexual male, filed a suit Dec. 12 against Rouse and the school board, claiming they violated his civil rights by denying him entrance to the prom based on his attire.
"What should have been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Logan to share memories with friends before graduation became an episode of humiliation and exclusion," the suit states.
When contacted by phone, Rouse declined to speak, referring comment to the school board public information spokesperson before hanging up. The school board declined to comment because of the pending litigation. . . .
Boy registered as girl
A Welsh mum reckons her son will be a laughing stock after he was registered as a girl.
Rachel Chick, 22, demanded a fresh birth certificate giving the correct sex of Ieuan James Jones, reports The Sun.
But she claims an official told her the mistake had been permanently logged in their computer and could not be changed.
Instead, they issued her with a new document listing nine-week-old Ieuan as female on the front - with a correction on the back stating he was a boy. . . .
BREAKING THE TRANSSEXUAL MYTHS
As told to Cara Davis
Info: www.ftmaustralia.org
 Craig Andrews ... |  |
We started a network for the guys in November 2001, and were surprised at how many people turned up. We now have 230 members across Australia, and a lot more who just use the website. FTM Australia (FTMA) is basically a support group for men with transsexualism, as well as female-to-male transgender guys, their partners, family, supporters and service providers.
I was assigned female at birth but it wasn’t until I was 13 or 14 years old that I experienced a very strong sense of dislocation. I was deeply depressed, but I honestly didn’t have words for any of it.
My friends now tell me I was constantly telling them through high school that I should have been born a boy. When I later told my friends I wanted to transition, one said, “Come to think of it, I have never thought of you as any particular gender,” and another said, “I wondered when you were going to do that.”
I would have been 23 or 24 years old when I found out it was possible to have treatment. Transitioning was a natural process. I wouldn’t call it exciting. “Exciting” implies that you are doing something outrageous, whereas this was just “relief at last”.
The surgery options for guys [FTM] are a bit limited, but it is not because there is no demand. One member recently put all his savings into surgery and has flown to Belgium where the best work is being done at the moment.
Testosterone affects the genitals to a degree that a surgeon can shape the flesh that is there. It is probably not what you would look at and think “wow”, but for our guys who, in a sense, have never had anything, to then have something that is sensate, erectile and still orgasmic is something to go “wow” about at the end of the day. . . .
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Comment: Renee Richards is a trans hero
Renee Richards is an athlete who defied all the odds and through her courage was able to change the world.
18th December 2007
Imagine waking up every day and feeling like you were in the wrong body.
Imagine the frustration and angst it would cause to know that although you felt like a human being, those around you didn't treat you that way.
Imagine spending a lifetime trying to excel at a sport only to be told that physically you were unable to compete because an unprecedented gender policy forbids your inclusion.
Imagine being the first person ever to challenge that rule and win.
For former tennis player Renee Richards, those scenarios were reality.
As one of the first recognised professional transgendered athletes, Richards made waves and broke down barriers, creating a legacy that would change the face of sports forever. . . .
Transgender student battles SUU over housing issue
12/18/2007
For his entire childhood, Kourt Osborn felt as if he were playing a character in a play. But when the play was over he kept his costume on and continued pretending to be someone he was not: a girl.
Now in college two years after initiating transgender treatment and living as a man, he has found that Southern Utah University housing officials cannot accommodate him because he won't provide medical documentation that "proves" he is male. Citing criteria that Osborn's supporters denounce as arbitrary and an invasion of medical privacy, university officials insist on proof that transgender students have undergone various medical interventions, including surgery, or that they have been diagnosed with "gender identity disorder."
Neuman Duncan, SUU's housing director, says the school is not discriminating against transgender students, but simply following a policy to ensure the comfort and safety of all students.
"He has not transgendered completely so we are unable to assign him men's housing. It's a housing policy that we require transgender students to provide a letter from a doctor that says they have undergone all necessary treatments and hormone therapy has been completed," says Duncan. . . .
Men donning female tattoos warned
Men who live like women in Samoa have been warned they could be cursed and die if they get tattoos with designs traditionally worn by the country's females.
Males who are raised, dress and behave as women are a traditional part of society in Samoa and other parts of the Pacific, often in families where there are too many boys.
Known in Samoa as fa'afafines, the men dress and live largely as women and even have their own beauty pageants.
But the president of the Samoa Fa'afafine Association, Roger Stanley, has warned some are tempting fate by getting tattoos that are traditionally worn only by women. . . .
Denied at NECC
December 17, 2007
HAVERHILL — Northern Essex Community College has denied the use of the men’s locker room to a transgender student because of his female anatomy.
Ethan Santiago, 20, of Methuen was born a girl but identifies himself as a man and applied for a men’s locker at the school. School officials refused his request for safety reasons, concerned that Santiago may be physically assaulted in the men’s facility.
The student has since filed an Affirmative Action complaint with the school and is pushing to reform what he calls discrimination against transgender people, he said.
But the school won’t budge, citing safety concerns, Santiago said.
“I’ve never been beaten up,” Santiago said. “But I figure that some day I will probably be beaten up. That’s a fact of life for me and I’m not afraid.”
Santiago was born in Lawrence and named Elizabeth. He changed his name about two years ago when he declared to family and friends that he was a man.
Since then, Santiago has dressed as a man and used the men’s restroom wherever he goes, including the college’s restrooms. He has also been taking hormones to appear more male and develop facial hair, and is planning on having breast reduction surgery.
“I just want people to see me the way I see myself,” Santiago said. “And I want sideburns, I have to admit.”
Santiago said he would feel uncomfortable in the girls locker room since he identifies as a man. He decided to use the men’s facilities because he identifies himself as male.
The request was denied by Nita Lamborghini, a school dean, after consulting the school’s lawyers and doing extensive research on the issue, college spokeswoman Ernie Greenslade said. . . .
Korea: The Men Who Wear Women's Clothes
December 17, 2007Crossdressers are men obsessed with wearing women’s clothes. They are neither necessarily gay nor transsexuals and cross-dressing is common across the globe. In fact, a CIA report on cross-dressing in 1993 says they are “mostly heterosexual and they wear women’s clothes usually as a means of reducing psychic stress or tension. In most cases, crossdressers were well educated and were high achievers, driven to seek personal success.”
Things are much the same in Korea. One 40-year-old crossdresser, only identified as Kim, said, “Since childhood, I’ve been unable to stand the expectation and repression that demands masculinity of me. When I dress like a woman, I feel free from that repression.”
Prof. Bae Eun-kyung of Seoul National University’s Department of Sociology says some men “feel frustrated by the clear division of roles between men and women in society. In some cases, such men relieve stress by wearing women’s clothes.” According to Prof. Park Ki-soo of Hanyang University, “In the late 1990s, gender-blind unisex fashion was a trend. We should understand crossdressers as expressing themselves with unique fashion rather than treating them as mentally ill people.” . . .
