Monday, December 03, 2007
Can A Penis Atrophy From Lack of Use?
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Q. I've been married to my husband for two years. We've been separated for a year now, as he's overseas dealing with family issues. Sex was never a focal point in our relationship prior to marriage, which was fine by me, since I was abused as a child and needed to address those issues. But since we've been married, whenever I want to talk about sex, he has become very evasive. Now he tells me that since he was so sexually active before meeting me, he feels it is time for him to leave sex behind. He says he doesn't even masturbate anymore, and when I last saw him in March while visiting, I noticed that his penis seems to have shrunk in size. Can a person become asexual after being so active? Can his penis atrophy from lack of use? He has (or had) a lovely, thick, eight-inch beauty. Can atrophy be reversed? Is it low testosterone? —Crazy Ol' Cock Kisser
A. There's only one thing I know of that can permanently shrink a man's dick, COCK, and that's a course of female hormones in advance of sex-reassignment surgery. Those 'mones will shrink a soon-to-be-ex-man/never-was-a-man's junk, destroy his sex drive, make it difficult for him to maintain erections, and cause his balls and prostate to waste away. So... uh... gee, it may not just be sex that your husband intends to leave behind, COCK, but his sex. Or, hey, it could be something else. But when someone's being evasive and distant—emotionally, physically, and geographically—it's usually something big. . . .
Realtor by day, drag king by night
Nov 29, 2007
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Last September the drag king troupe All the Kings Men brought their second annual Drag King Idol contest to Machine, and the competition was fierce. The dykes came out in full force, goatees meticulously glued into place, socks securely stuffed in their jeans, and channeling their most authentic cowboys, rappers, and classic rockers, all for the chance to take home the title of Boston’s best amateur drag king. And then a strange performer using the stage name Ryan Stone took the stage, with shoulder-length hair, pajamas, a face with nary a trace of facial hair and clutching a stuffed sheep. As the familiar intro to David Cassidy’s "I Think I Love You" began pumping through Machine’s sound system, Stone began lip-synching the cheese-ball lyrics, all the while maintaining a look of absurd seriousness on his face. He used a fake penis to simulate an erection, in keeping with the song’s theme of Cassidy dreaming about his lady love. During the song’s long bridge section, Stone picked up a pair of ribbon sticks and began twirling the ribbons across the stage, again with a stony look on his face. The audience ate it up, laughing and applauding wildly, and when the time came at the end of the show for the audience to select a winner with its applause, Stone took home the Drag King Idol title.
But Ryan Stone, known in her daily life as Robin Maxfield, wasn’t like most of her competitors. A straight, married mom in her early 40s from Jamaica Plain, Maxfield works by day as a real estate agent, one of the co-owners of Prudential Unlimited, which has offices in the South End, Brookline, J.P. and Belmont. And she first dabbled in the world of drag a mere three weeks before blowing the competition away at Drag King Idol.
She said her friend David Elliott, owner of the Taylor House bed and breakfast in J.P., told her he was doing drag at Jacques Cabaret as Hazel Nutz, and she was immediately intrigued.
"I said, ’David, I want to be a drag queen. I am a drag queen. I want to do that.’ I have always made costumes, I’ve always liked acting out, but I’ve never really had the opportunities growing up. I didn’t have dance and theater and all that stuff. So I think it’s just been constantly there, but I’ve been living it through other people," said Maxwell. "He said, ’Well, Robin, you can’t be a drag queen, but you can be a drag king.’ And I said, ’What’s a drag king?’" . . .
Voices In The Family
12/03/07
Transgender Youth
Listen via Real Audio | mp3
If a little girl insists that she is really a boy, the parents might think , "it's a phase, it will pass". But what if it doesn't? Some children are affected by what is called Gender Identity Disorder, more commonly known as transgenderism. It is defined by the APA as evidence of persistent discomfort about one's assigned sex or a sense of inappropriateness in the gender role of that sex. The number of transgender children in the U.S. is unknown. However, there are more suicides among transgender teens than the general population. We will hear from 17-year-old high school junior Tye, who was born in girl's body but now lives life as a boy. Tye continues to undergo procedures to change his sex. His parents will share their experience along with Tye. We will also be joined by Dr. Laura Edwards-Leeper, clinical and research psychologist in the gender management service at Children's Hospital Boston, and by Pennsylvania lawyer Ellen Fischer, who will discuss some of the legal issues affecting transgender youth.
McCartney and Arquette 'spending time together'
By ninemsn staff
Things are heating up for Sir Paul McCartney and his new flame Rosanna Arquette, according to Arquette's sibling.
Alexis Arquette, Rosanna's transsexual sister, told People magazine at a recent AIDS charity event in LA that the ageing rocker and television actress "are spending more time together", and have a common bond — music.
"She's been a big fan of his music for a long time, and I know that they befriended each other several years ago.
"Who knows, if something came out of it, that's cool, it's great."
Last week McCartney and Arquette were spotted strolling through Hampstead Heath in London, with Arquette's representative confirming the two were "good friends".
McCartney has had a rough trot with the ladies of late — the ex-Beatle and former wife Heather Mills have been slugging it out in the courts and the British tabloid press over Sir Paul's billion-dollar fortune. . . .
Suit vs. transgender GA pol thrown out
3 December 2007
By GREG BLUESTEIN
In this image made from video, Riverdale, Ga. city council member Michelle Bruce speaks to a reporter outside her home on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007. A lawsuit claiming the transgender city councilwoman tried to fool voters by running as a female was dismissed Monday, Dec. 3, 2007 clearing the way for a runoff that will decide her political fate.
Atlanta - A judge dismissed lawsuit Monday that had claimed a transgender city councilwoman tried to fool voters by running as a female, and the candidate was set to seek re-election Tuesday.
The ruling cleared the way for a runoff to include Michelle Bruce, who is running for a second term on the city council in the suburban Atlanta town of Riverdale.
"It was a waste of taxpayers' money and the court's time for a frivolous lawsuit," said Bruce, 46. "They're trying to derail the wish of the voters."
City Attorney Deana Johnson said the decision means the runoff slated for Tuesday will be held as scheduled, barring a ruling otherwise from the Georgia Supreme Court.
Bruce landed one of Riverdale's four council seats in 2003 after running unopposed. She was believed to be the state's first transgender politician. She has declined to say if she had surgery to change her gender.
Bruce captured 312 votes in the Nov. 6 election, not enough to avoid a runoff against Wayne Hall, who earned 202 votes. Third-place finisher Georgia Fuller, who collected 171 votes, filed a lawsuit.
The complaint, identifying Bruce as "Michael Bruce," claimed she misled voters by identifying herself as a female and asked a judge to rule the vote results invalid and order another general election.
Fuller and her attorney Mike King did not respond to phone calls Monday.
King has said her female name gave her an "unfair advantage" because the town's voters tend to vote for females - particularly incumbent females. . . .
Transgenders come out, take up AIDS fight
December 1, 2007
New Delhi: According to the latest UN figures, nearly 2.5 million men and women are HIV positive.
But these figures have overlooked transgender people. And the very reason that they face social discrimination makes it difficult to spread awareness about the disease among them. But that hasn't stopped a determined few to take the initiative.
“When I walk on the road, I don't want to be seen just as a eunuch but I want an identity of my own,” says a transgender person, Muskaan.
This 24-year-old transgender is a graduate in Economics, who like many others of her 'Samaj', always lead a life in isolation.
“We can’t live everywhere because the society doesn't let us. What can we do? And we even if we are literate, we don’t get jobs,” says Muskaan.
But the last few months have been different. Muskaan has been roped in to work with Naaz foundation to create awareness about HIV and AIDS in her community.
“In my community not everybody is aware. So through this project I am trying to spread awareness so that nobody gets affected,” says Muskaan.
Today, 2.5 million Indians are reported to be affected with HIV or AIDS, but experts feel that the numbers that go unreported…are far more.
“There is no count as such that so many number of TG people are effected and so many from other communities but its prevalent everywhere, so they are at risk,” says Project Manager, NAAZ, Sumit Dutta.
Muskaan is now training to make a film to promote the use of condoms. While the project is going to last another month or two, Muskaan hopes to achieve much more.
“What I really want to do is try and bridge the gap. I’d ask people to talk to us frankly and we'll talk frankly too. We are not bad people, please don’t force us. We want to co exist in the society so please help us,” says Muskaan.
With people like Muskaan coming forward to bridge the gap and create awareness there's no reason why we shouldn't do the same and if you find it difficult to fight the apprehension just ask yourself does the virus know how to differentiate when it strikes?
Surgeon Urges Colleagues to Reconsider Their Views About a Medical Procedure for Transsexual Patients
3 December 2007
Newswise — A prominent gynecologic cancer surgeon is urging her fellow physicians to reconsider their views about a medical procedure for transsexual patients making the transition from female to male. Dr. Kate O’Hanlan, MD, a surgeon in private practice in Portola Valley, California, provided evidence that total laparoscopic hysterectomy can be the best approach for many of these patients.
O’Hanlan, former associate Director of Gynecologic Cancer Surgery at Stanford University and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Rockway Institute, believes gynecologic surgeons should learn about the procedure as part of an effort to better meet the needs of transsexual patients. “Transsexual patients face enormous barriers in life, and those continue into their medical treatment. They endure stigma and misunderstanding even when they go to their physicians for medical care,” O’Hanlan said.
Most hysterectomies, or removal of the uterus, are performed through large abdominal incisions or through the vagina, O’Hanlan explained. She has observed in her practice that patients making the transition from female to male, who have not had children and are taking testosterone to assist the transition, have vaginal walls that are too thin to safely perform the procedure through the vagina. Laparoscopic hysterectomy, in which the uterus is removed through several small incisions in the abdomen, rather than through a large abdominal incision or through the vagina, is an option for these patients. O’Hanlan published her findings in an article in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Vol. 110, No. 5, November 2007) that described the outcomes for 41 transsexual patients during an eleven-year period. They were compared to 552 other patients who underwent total laparoscopic surgery.
However, O’Hanlan noted, total laparoscopic surgery is underutilized and few gynecologic surgeons know how to perform it. She reported that about 15 percent of hysterectomies are performed laparoscopically, and only five percent are total laparoscopies. “Transsexual patients are being denied the optimal care they need because doctors are unfamiliar with this procedure,” O’Hanlan said. “The pain and complications of traditional large incisional surgery are simply unacceptable given that laparascopic surgery can be used in so many cases.”
In the paper, O’Hanlan and her co-authors, Suzanne L. Dibble, DNSc and RN, and Mindy Young-Spint, MD, noted that “culturally appropriate gynecologic care of transsexual patients has been identified as an important goal by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in Special Issues in Women’s Health.” Standards for care have been well-established by The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the article said.
“Transgendered persons frequently experience social and economic marginalization once they begin transition, but after their transition, most transsexuals typically establish and maintain partnerships and have a stable socioeconomic status,” the article said. However, O’Hanlan added, the process is quite expensive, and cannot be covered by medical insurance due to an “unfortunate and baseless” amendment to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Transitioning within World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) standards requires ongoing psychotherapy, which can be costly. Similarly, the hormone injections essential to quality of life for these patients are not covered by most insurances because of the ADA. “Because of that amendment to the ADA, the surgeries and medicines used for gender identity disorder are specifically excluded from most insurance policies. It’s a crying shame that Americans citizens are marginalized by this policy and are prevented from getting the medical care they need,” said O’Hanlan. “The transgender diagnosis is a very serious medical reality, and patients deserve compassionate treatment that will carry them forward toward their deserved future as an accepted, valued member of our society.”
An expert on health issues facing lesbians and gay men, O’Hanlan was president of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association and wrote the group’s report “Homophobia as a Health Hazard.” She has been active in urging professional organizations to confront discrimination in medicine against lesbians, gay men, and transsexuals.
About Rockway Institute: The nonpartisan Rockway Institute promotes scientific and professional expertise to counter antigay prejudice and improve public policies affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The Institute’s view is that public opinion, policies, and programs should be shaped by the facts about LGBT lives, not by political ideology. A primary goal is to organize the most knowledgeable social scientists, mental health professionals, and physicians in the United States to provide accurate information about LGBT issues to the media, legislatures, and the courts. The Institute also conducts targeted research projects to address the nation’s most pressing LGBT public policy concerns. . . .
