Saturday, September 22, 2007
Transgendered Woman Says She Was Asked to Leave Church Positions
Updated at: 09/20/2007 10:50:40 PM
By: Kim Johnson
kjohnson@wdio.com
This spring, Eyewitness News told you about a Duluthian who was born a man and the struggle with becoming a transgendered a woman. Since our story aired, Marla Evans received support form some people while she says she was let go from two roles at her church, St. Mary's Star of the Sea in Duluth.
"I was really stunned, stunned speechless," said Marla.
She says she was told she could no longer volunteer there as a Sunday school teacher. She also played guitar in the church band--a paid position, but she says she was let go from that as well.
Marla says that when the original story aired, people at church were surprised to learn about her transgenderism. Whenever she attended services she always dressed as a man, Mark.
"I would never present at church on Sunday," she said.
Marla says a couple weeks after the story aired, she was called into Deacon Roger Birkland's office.
"To make a long story short I was told that I would not be asked back as a school teacher," said Marla. "I was told I was no longer needed as a musician because of the interview."
She says the Deacon said he had spoken to Bishop Dennis Schnurr and that the Bishop approved the action.
"What I was told was the perception in our society of this type of behavior is unacceptable in the church, that was almost verbatim," said Marla. "I was like whoa! But I didn't want to let on that that hurt as much as it did."
Deacon Birkland declined an interview for this story. Over the phone, he said "Personell matters are personal." He said there was more to the situation than Marla's transgenderism. When asked to elaborate he declined. Marla says she was given no other reason. Eyewitness News also tried contacting Bishop Schnurr to comment on this story. He did not return our phone calls.
Even in Marla was fired because of her transgenderism like she says, legally nothing can be done about it. Although the Minnesota Human RIghts Act prohibits discrimination against the transgendered community, churches are in some cases exempt from that law.
Marla sought legal advice from a Minnesota organization focusing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. A lawyer there with Outfront Minnesota says there are no legal options.
"For the same reason you could never sue the catholic church on behalf of a woman who is denied a job as a priest. It just wouldn't happen," said Phil Duran, an attorney with Outfront Minnesota. "Is it sex discrimination? You bet. Is there any law that would ever touch that? No."
Marla says she had no choice but to move on, but it won't be with the church.
"I'm kind of on a hiatus from organized religion right now," she said. . . .
By: Kim Johnson
kjohnson@wdio.com
This spring, Eyewitness News told you about a Duluthian who was born a man and the struggle with becoming a transgendered a woman. Since our story aired, Marla Evans received support form some people while she says she was let go from two roles at her church, St. Mary's Star of the Sea in Duluth.
"I was really stunned, stunned speechless," said Marla.
She says she was told she could no longer volunteer there as a Sunday school teacher. She also played guitar in the church band--a paid position, but she says she was let go from that as well.
Marla says that when the original story aired, people at church were surprised to learn about her transgenderism. Whenever she attended services she always dressed as a man, Mark.
"I would never present at church on Sunday," she said.
Marla says a couple weeks after the story aired, she was called into Deacon Roger Birkland's office.
"To make a long story short I was told that I would not be asked back as a school teacher," said Marla. "I was told I was no longer needed as a musician because of the interview."
She says the Deacon said he had spoken to Bishop Dennis Schnurr and that the Bishop approved the action.
"What I was told was the perception in our society of this type of behavior is unacceptable in the church, that was almost verbatim," said Marla. "I was like whoa! But I didn't want to let on that that hurt as much as it did."
Deacon Birkland declined an interview for this story. Over the phone, he said "Personell matters are personal." He said there was more to the situation than Marla's transgenderism. When asked to elaborate he declined. Marla says she was given no other reason. Eyewitness News also tried contacting Bishop Schnurr to comment on this story. He did not return our phone calls.
Even in Marla was fired because of her transgenderism like she says, legally nothing can be done about it. Although the Minnesota Human RIghts Act prohibits discrimination against the transgendered community, churches are in some cases exempt from that law.
Marla sought legal advice from a Minnesota organization focusing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. A lawyer there with Outfront Minnesota says there are no legal options.
"For the same reason you could never sue the catholic church on behalf of a woman who is denied a job as a priest. It just wouldn't happen," said Phil Duran, an attorney with Outfront Minnesota. "Is it sex discrimination? You bet. Is there any law that would ever touch that? No."
Marla says she had no choice but to move on, but it won't be with the church.
"I'm kind of on a hiatus from organized religion right now," she said. . . .
Most patients who have male to female sex-change surgery are happy, despite complications
20.09.2007
The majority of patients who undergo male to female sex-change surgery are happy with the results, despite the fact that complications are common, according to a study of over 200 patients in the September issue of the urology journal BJU International.
A research team from the Departments of Urology and Psychiatry at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, UK, explored the initial experiences of 222 patients who had undergone surgery and 70 who took part in detailed follow-ups.
They found that 88 per cent of patients were happy with their surgery at their first post-operative clinic visit, seven per cent were unhappy and five per cent made no comment.
All the patients studied had had their penis surgically removed, their urethra repositioned and female labia constructed. 93 per cent had a clitoris constructed using a section of the glans of their penis and 91 per cent had a skin-lined vagina.
“The outcome of this complex surgery depends on a number of factors” says lead author, urology registrar Jonathan C Goddard.
“These include the technical experience of the surgeon, the amount and quality of tissue that each patient has available for reconstruction and, most importantly, the realistic expectations of the patients themselves.
“One of the biggest problems with research of this nature is that many patients are difficult to contact. Having gone through a two-year real-life test before extensive surgery, which can include breast as well as genital construction, many want to start a new life and compartmentalise their past. This can include moving to a new area.”
Despite this, the research team managed to contact 70 of the patients who had undergone surgery at the hospital between 1994 and 2004.
They ranged from 19 to 76 years of age, with an average age of 43. Most had had surgery about three years before. 91 per cent had had a clitoris created and 89 per cent had had a vagina created.
The researchers found that:
• 23 per cent of the patients had, or were having, regular intercourse and 61 per cent were happy with the depth of their vagina.
• 98 per cent had a sensitive clitoris and 48 per cent were able to achieve orgasm. 14 per cent were hypersensitive but none had elected to have their clitoris removed.
• 29 per cent were troubled by vaginal hair growth, six per cent had had a vaginal prolapse and three per cent had vaginal necrosis (tissue death).
• 27 per cent reported urinary problems and the majority of these needed revision surgery.
“Despite these problems, which were mainly minor and easily corrected by secondary surgery, 76 per cent of the patients who provided detailed feedback were happy with the cosmetic result of their surgery and 80 per cent said the surgery had met their expectations” concludes Jonathan C Goddard.
The majority of patients who undergo male to female sex-change surgery are happy with the results, despite the fact that complications are common, according to a study of over 200 patients in the September issue of the urology journal BJU International.
A research team from the Departments of Urology and Psychiatry at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, UK, explored the initial experiences of 222 patients who had undergone surgery and 70 who took part in detailed follow-ups.
They found that 88 per cent of patients were happy with their surgery at their first post-operative clinic visit, seven per cent were unhappy and five per cent made no comment.
All the patients studied had had their penis surgically removed, their urethra repositioned and female labia constructed. 93 per cent had a clitoris constructed using a section of the glans of their penis and 91 per cent had a skin-lined vagina.
“The outcome of this complex surgery depends on a number of factors” says lead author, urology registrar Jonathan C Goddard.
“These include the technical experience of the surgeon, the amount and quality of tissue that each patient has available for reconstruction and, most importantly, the realistic expectations of the patients themselves.
“One of the biggest problems with research of this nature is that many patients are difficult to contact. Having gone through a two-year real-life test before extensive surgery, which can include breast as well as genital construction, many want to start a new life and compartmentalise their past. This can include moving to a new area.”
Despite this, the research team managed to contact 70 of the patients who had undergone surgery at the hospital between 1994 and 2004.
They ranged from 19 to 76 years of age, with an average age of 43. Most had had surgery about three years before. 91 per cent had had a clitoris created and 89 per cent had had a vagina created.
The researchers found that:
• 23 per cent of the patients had, or were having, regular intercourse and 61 per cent were happy with the depth of their vagina.
• 98 per cent had a sensitive clitoris and 48 per cent were able to achieve orgasm. 14 per cent were hypersensitive but none had elected to have their clitoris removed.
• 29 per cent were troubled by vaginal hair growth, six per cent had had a vaginal prolapse and three per cent had vaginal necrosis (tissue death).
• 27 per cent reported urinary problems and the majority of these needed revision surgery.
“Despite these problems, which were mainly minor and easily corrected by secondary surgery, 76 per cent of the patients who provided detailed feedback were happy with the cosmetic result of their surgery and 80 per cent said the surgery had met their expectations” concludes Jonathan C Goddard.
When Frat House Is Home
By: TIFFANY WONG
09/20/2007
. . .Gay fraternities have popped up all over the country, the largest and fastest growing of which is Delta Lambda Phi (DLP), which boasts 26 non-residential chapters across the nation, including one here in New York at NYU. Launched more than two decades ago, DLP is the only national fraternity that has put out a welcome mat not only for gay men, but also bisexual and indeed all progressively-minded college guys. The fraternity now has two straight-identified members. . .
One emerging controversy involves transgendered applicants. At this point, DLP requires any pledge whose gender identity is challenged to produce documentation demonstrating that he is in fact male, a requirement that most trans people would find objectionable, even humiliating.
"A number of transgendered men are currently looking to join, and at least one brother is in the process of transitioning from male to female," Corcoran said. "When this happens he will have to have honorary membership." . . .
09/20/2007
. . .Gay fraternities have popped up all over the country, the largest and fastest growing of which is Delta Lambda Phi (DLP), which boasts 26 non-residential chapters across the nation, including one here in New York at NYU. Launched more than two decades ago, DLP is the only national fraternity that has put out a welcome mat not only for gay men, but also bisexual and indeed all progressively-minded college guys. The fraternity now has two straight-identified members. . .
One emerging controversy involves transgendered applicants. At this point, DLP requires any pledge whose gender identity is challenged to produce documentation demonstrating that he is in fact male, a requirement that most trans people would find objectionable, even humiliating.
"A number of transgendered men are currently looking to join, and at least one brother is in the process of transitioning from male to female," Corcoran said. "When this happens he will have to have honorary membership." . . .
Shanda's Aurora Bans Transsexuals
Aurora, Gaming, Internet, King of the World, MMORPG, Online Game, SNDA, Shanda
Posted by: Riki Hsu on Sep 20, 2007 | 17:09
Editorial Summary
Shanda (Nasdaq: SNDA) subsidiary Aurora Technology has frozen game accounts of male players who chose to play female in-game characters in its in-house developed MMORPG King of the World, reports 17173. Aurora stipulates that only female gamers can play female characters in the game, and it requires gamers who chose female characters to prove their biological sex with a webcam, according to the report.
Posted by: Riki Hsu on Sep 20, 2007 | 17:09
Editorial Summary
Shanda (Nasdaq: SNDA) subsidiary Aurora Technology has frozen game accounts of male players who chose to play female in-game characters in its in-house developed MMORPG King of the World, reports 17173. Aurora stipulates that only female gamers can play female characters in the game, and it requires gamers who chose female characters to prove their biological sex with a webcam, according to the report.
Ireland: 'I was Paul for 51 years - then I became Paula'
Thursday 20, September 2007
When Paula Grieg's first grandchild was christened last year, she could only be there in spirit. Her presence in the little rural parish church would have been too unsettling for many of the other people there. The reason was an unusual one - in her former life, she would have been the little boy's grandfather.
For Paula used to be Paul, who for over 25 years was married to Karen. They had three healthy children, lived in a beautiful house overlooking a lake, and enjoyed many of the material trappings of the early boom years of Celtic Tiger Ireland. To an outsider, it appeared they had the perfect family life.
But the outwardly successful Paul, in secure employment with a big international company, had a secret that even those closest to him never suspected. He believed he was a woman trapped in a man's body. A vague yearning which at first he struggled to comprehend eventually grew into an overpowering desire to become the person he felt he had always really been.
It was a gradual realisation that ultimately gained irresistible momentum, with enormous personal consequences. He was forced to walk away from his family, home, friends, and well-paid job to live an entirely new life alone in another country.
Paul came to Ireland when his family moved here from Germany in the late 1960s. He was just 17. As a youngster, he found himself inexplicably drawn to secretly trying on his mother's underwear. But his teenage hormones pointed him strongly in the direction of girls. While working as a barman, he met Karen. They became engaged when he was almost 20 and she was 17.
His liking for women's clothes became apparent early in their marriage, though the pair never spoke openly about it. He loved his wife, but he had other deep feelings for which he had no rational explanation. He had the normal sexual urges of a man, but secretly desired to be loved like a woman. He deemed it wise not to mention this to anybody.
They had a son and twin daughters. But he felt he was living under false pretences.
Nowadays Paula Grieg lives in Manchester. She has written a book describing the personal confusion and turmoil which would ultimately lead to a sex change operation. Grieg is a nom-de-plume. Likewise, the names of family and friends have been changed and geographical locations have been blurred to protect those dearest to her. But otherwise the story is told in sometimes graphic detail.
Recalling her growing young family, she says: "I can't say if my urges towards my children were more maternal or paternal, but I knew that I loved them with every heartbeat."
Married life too had its contradictions. " Physically, I was perfectly able to function sexually as a man. But the processes going on in my mind, while doing so, were usually anything but male." . . .
When Paula Grieg's first grandchild was christened last year, she could only be there in spirit. Her presence in the little rural parish church would have been too unsettling for many of the other people there. The reason was an unusual one - in her former life, she would have been the little boy's grandfather.
For Paula used to be Paul, who for over 25 years was married to Karen. They had three healthy children, lived in a beautiful house overlooking a lake, and enjoyed many of the material trappings of the early boom years of Celtic Tiger Ireland. To an outsider, it appeared they had the perfect family life.
But the outwardly successful Paul, in secure employment with a big international company, had a secret that even those closest to him never suspected. He believed he was a woman trapped in a man's body. A vague yearning which at first he struggled to comprehend eventually grew into an overpowering desire to become the person he felt he had always really been.
It was a gradual realisation that ultimately gained irresistible momentum, with enormous personal consequences. He was forced to walk away from his family, home, friends, and well-paid job to live an entirely new life alone in another country.
Paul came to Ireland when his family moved here from Germany in the late 1960s. He was just 17. As a youngster, he found himself inexplicably drawn to secretly trying on his mother's underwear. But his teenage hormones pointed him strongly in the direction of girls. While working as a barman, he met Karen. They became engaged when he was almost 20 and she was 17.
His liking for women's clothes became apparent early in their marriage, though the pair never spoke openly about it. He loved his wife, but he had other deep feelings for which he had no rational explanation. He had the normal sexual urges of a man, but secretly desired to be loved like a woman. He deemed it wise not to mention this to anybody.
They had a son and twin daughters. But he felt he was living under false pretences.
Nowadays Paula Grieg lives in Manchester. She has written a book describing the personal confusion and turmoil which would ultimately lead to a sex change operation. Grieg is a nom-de-plume. Likewise, the names of family and friends have been changed and geographical locations have been blurred to protect those dearest to her. But otherwise the story is told in sometimes graphic detail.
Recalling her growing young family, she says: "I can't say if my urges towards my children were more maternal or paternal, but I knew that I loved them with every heartbeat."
Married life too had its contradictions. " Physically, I was perfectly able to function sexually as a man. But the processes going on in my mind, while doing so, were usually anything but male." . . .
POV, Critique, Opinion: Three fundamental problems with Oprah
Filed by: Guest Blogger
September 22, 2007 11:00 AM
[EDITOR'S NOTE:] The following guest post comes to us from Kim Pearson. Kim is a founding board member and the current Executive Director of TransYouth Family Advocates. She is also the proud parent of a teenaged transgender affirmed son. Together they live and do advocacy work for gender variant children and youth in Arizona.
Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge fan of Oprah. I constantly express my desire to have families that are involved with TransYouth Family Advocates featured on her show or in O Magazine. I have always been confident that she would tell our stories with respect and would be attentive to providing positive portrayals of gender variant and transgender children and youth. I also hoped it would be an amazing opportunity to share the ground breaking work we are doing at TransYouth Family Advocates on behalf of these children and families. You can imagine how disappointed I was to find myself telling her producers this week that I would not be willing to go on the show and that I was not willing to recommend that other TYFA families participate either.
In my conversations with them I expressed concern over how the show was being framed, how the families would be portrayed and if the safety of the children participating was being adequately considered. After these conversations I was not confident that the producers were looking at the bigger picture of these kids and their families lives.
On Oprah.com there was an appeal to families asking them to appear on this show. I find three fundamental problems with their call for participation. The rest of this post addresses those problems. . . .
September 22, 2007 11:00 AM
[EDITOR'S NOTE:] The following guest post comes to us from Kim Pearson. Kim is a founding board member and the current Executive Director of TransYouth Family Advocates. She is also the proud parent of a teenaged transgender affirmed son. Together they live and do advocacy work for gender variant children and youth in Arizona.
Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a huge fan of Oprah. I constantly express my desire to have families that are involved with TransYouth Family Advocates featured on her show or in O Magazine. I have always been confident that she would tell our stories with respect and would be attentive to providing positive portrayals of gender variant and transgender children and youth. I also hoped it would be an amazing opportunity to share the ground breaking work we are doing at TransYouth Family Advocates on behalf of these children and families. You can imagine how disappointed I was to find myself telling her producers this week that I would not be willing to go on the show and that I was not willing to recommend that other TYFA families participate either.
In my conversations with them I expressed concern over how the show was being framed, how the families would be portrayed and if the safety of the children participating was being adequately considered. After these conversations I was not confident that the producers were looking at the bigger picture of these kids and their families lives.
On Oprah.com there was an appeal to families asking them to appear on this show. I find three fundamental problems with their call for participation. The rest of this post addresses those problems. . . .
Friday, September 21, 2007
Brandon Teena killer recants his story
Thursday, September 20, 2007 / 05:05 PM
SUMMARY: Though another man is on death row, Marvin Nissen now says he was the lone killer of Brandon Teena, whose 1993 murder inspired "Boys Don't Cry."
One of two men convicted in the 1993 murders that spawned the movie "Boys Don't Cry" now says he was the only attacker who shot and stabbed a transgender person and two other victims.
Marvin Nissen's new account that he was the lone killer could reignite a case that drew the country's attention to the issues of transgender people.
The man Nissen once blamed for the killings, John Lotter, is now on death row in Nebraska and has asked for a new trial.
Brandon Teena was born a female but for a time lived as a man in rural southeast Nebraska and dated a female friend of the two men. Prosecutors said the 21-year-old was killed in a farmhouse near Humboldt after reporting being raped by Lotter and Nissen.
During the trial, Nissen said he had stabbed Teena but that Lotter fired all the shots that killed Teena and the others.
"He has finally admitted that the testimony that secured John Lotter's conviction was all a lie," Lotter attorney Paula Hutchinson said Thursday.
Lotter has maintained since his arrest that he is innocent.
Nissen, who is serving a life sentence, made the admission in a sworn affidavit now being used in Lotter's motion.
"I am the person who shot and stabbed Teena Brandon. I am the person who shot Philip Devine. I am the person who shot Lisa Lambert," Nissen says in the affidavit. He says that to avoid the death penalty, he initially testified that Lotter pulled the trigger.
Lisa Lambert, 24, and Philip DeVine, 22, witnessed Teena's death in a farmhouse.
Hutchinson said that the double-jeopardy rule against trying people for the same crime twice will likely keep Nissen from being tried again and possibly receiving a death sentence. Lotter is seeking complete exoneration, saying he had no role in the crime. . . .
SUMMARY: Though another man is on death row, Marvin Nissen now says he was the lone killer of Brandon Teena, whose 1993 murder inspired "Boys Don't Cry."
One of two men convicted in the 1993 murders that spawned the movie "Boys Don't Cry" now says he was the only attacker who shot and stabbed a transgender person and two other victims.
Marvin Nissen's new account that he was the lone killer could reignite a case that drew the country's attention to the issues of transgender people.
The man Nissen once blamed for the killings, John Lotter, is now on death row in Nebraska and has asked for a new trial.
Brandon Teena was born a female but for a time lived as a man in rural southeast Nebraska and dated a female friend of the two men. Prosecutors said the 21-year-old was killed in a farmhouse near Humboldt after reporting being raped by Lotter and Nissen.
During the trial, Nissen said he had stabbed Teena but that Lotter fired all the shots that killed Teena and the others.
"He has finally admitted that the testimony that secured John Lotter's conviction was all a lie," Lotter attorney Paula Hutchinson said Thursday.
Lotter has maintained since his arrest that he is innocent.
Nissen, who is serving a life sentence, made the admission in a sworn affidavit now being used in Lotter's motion.
"I am the person who shot and stabbed Teena Brandon. I am the person who shot Philip Devine. I am the person who shot Lisa Lambert," Nissen says in the affidavit. He says that to avoid the death penalty, he initially testified that Lotter pulled the trigger.
Lisa Lambert, 24, and Philip DeVine, 22, witnessed Teena's death in a farmhouse.
Hutchinson said that the double-jeopardy rule against trying people for the same crime twice will likely keep Nissen from being tried again and possibly receiving a death sentence. Lotter is seeking complete exoneration, saying he had no role in the crime. . . .
Please call me "Miss," transgendered Thais say
Thai transvestite, Yonlada Krerkkong Suanyot, answers a question from a reporter at her stall in Bangkok, on 06 September 2007. Yonlada says she's every bit a woman, except for on her identity card which identifies her as a "Mister."
BANGKOK (AFP) — Yonlada Krerkkong Suanyot says she's every bit a woman, except for on her identity card which identifies her as a man.
Yonlada was born male but completed her sex change operation five years ago and has lived as woman for even longer.
Although Thailand has a worldwide reputation as a paradise for transsexuals, with gender reassignment surgery widely available and relatively cheap, the kingdom does not allow people to officially change their gender for legal purposes.
Activists are now trying to change that, proposing a new law that would allow transvestites and transsexuals to legally change their gender and adopt the title "Miss".
It's a minor legal change with profound legal implications.
The difference between Yonlada's appearance and the gender on official documents such as her national identity card and passport has caused her countless problems, including rejection for bank loans and refusal of jobs.
"I have lost a lot of opportunities to work for good companies or even government agencies," she said.
When she tried to get a bank loan to start her own business, the loan was refused because the bank thought she was using a stolen ID.
"I know the bank thought I didn't look reliable," she said.
Some transsexuals also have problems travelling overseas, because they are listed as men on their passports but appear as women at the immigration counter.
Natee Teerarojjaongs, chairman of the Gay Political Group, said he had proposed the legal change to Thailand's parliament specifically to end such discrimination.
"This would clear obstacles for them working and travelling," he said.
Natee is also pushing for the law to cover people who dress as the opposite sex or have undergone some surgery, as well as those who have completed their gender reassignment surgery.
Thailand is believed to have one of the largest transsexual populations in the world.
Transsexuals, known locally as kathoey, have long had a place in Thai culture, with roles reserved for them in traditional festivals, in folk theatre, and even as geisha-style "companions."
Kathoey are also among Thailand's most visible cultural exports, with Vegas-style transsexual cabarets performing to audiences of thousands and popular movies about their lives playing the global film festival circuit.
That history of acceptance, combined with easy access to Thailand's top-rate hospitals, has made it relatively easy for people to undergo a sex change.
Academics estimate at least 10,000 live in Thailand, though other guesses are more than 10 times higher. Even the conservative number would mean that per capita, Thailand has many more transsexuals than most developed countries.
"We estimate that only three percent of transvestites complete their sex change because the medical bills are so expensive, but we want to make sure everyone is equal and can be covered by the law," he said.
There would be conditions to legally change genders, including a mandatory psychiatric evaluation and a background check, he said.
Natee found a sympathetic ear in member of parliament Kanjana Silpa-archa, who heads the subcommittee on women's affairs.
"I believe people should have equal rights. Transgendered people should have the same rights as any other sex," she said. "For a person who is not happy with his sex and who lives as the opposite sex, he deserves the chance to receive what he wants."
Kanjana's committee has taken up Natee's proposal, but the measure still needs approval from the higher-ranking committee on women, youth and the elderly before going to the entire parliament.
The current parliament was appointed by the military after last year's coup, so Natee and Kanjana acknowledge that there's not much time to give the bill a hearing before legislative elections on December 23.
Yonlada said the current system just encourages transgendered people to break the law by getting fake IDs. She admits to bribing a Bangkok city worker to get a fake card with the title "Miss," but said that didn't help in the long run as potential employers found her out anyway.
"If we could really have the title 'Miss,' it would help us live our lives more easily," she said.
What do you think of post op MTF transgenders who like women?
. . .from AfterEllen.com
I wasn't sure where I was meant to post this, so basically I'd like to talk about my experience and just ask in general what women here think about post op mtf transgenders who like women. I have also seen them being referred to as trannydykes or lesbian transsexuals on various sites. But I don't want to go into naming because that may be a sensitive issue for some here. Neither is the question about whether you would date a completely transitioned mtf woman, but basically about where you think they fit in the lesbian and bi women community and if you think they belong.
I'm midway in the process of transitioning in order to become a complete female. For my whole life I have seen myself as a woman, but only recently, the past 7 yrs or so, have I had the courage to live openly as an mtf transgendered woman. I was always scared of the reaction of others. Ever since I was young I always knew that my body was not suited to me, that it felt wrong, disgusting even. I felt repulsed whenever I touched my body and saw myself in the mirror, more than anything I wanted to have a female body. Instead of sharp planes I wanted to have smooth curves. I remember dressing and putting make up on to try to change my gender. When I got older most of my friends were lesbian and straight women as well as some gay guys. I could never get along with straight males because I couldn't understand them. Besides I always faced ridicule and homophobia as they considered me a gay man because of my feminine mannerisms and long hair. I thought maybe I was a gay guy, but I realised I have no attraction whatsoever to the male gender, and that's not what I'm meant to be. I dated straight women for a while, but I just felt wrong about my body in such a relationship. It took me a long time to come to terms with my identity as a female who loves other women.
Since then I decided that until I can gain some insight or further understand women's experiences others would not be able to see me as one. Sometimes I feel like I'm way out of my depth in certain situations because I've never had, never lived through certain experiences as a female. Not that I'm saying female experiences are homogenous. I also realised just how much sexism there is out there. I knew it was out there before and I was outspoken about it, but I never realised the extent to which it occured in all aspects of life. So if there are any other mtf transgenders reading this (or anyone else reading this) I recommend "Whipping girl: A transsexual woman on sexism and the scapegoating of femininity" written by a lesbian transgender activist whose name kind of escapes me at the moment. . .
See comments, bottom of article.
I wasn't sure where I was meant to post this, so basically I'd like to talk about my experience and just ask in general what women here think about post op mtf transgenders who like women. I have also seen them being referred to as trannydykes or lesbian transsexuals on various sites. But I don't want to go into naming because that may be a sensitive issue for some here. Neither is the question about whether you would date a completely transitioned mtf woman, but basically about where you think they fit in the lesbian and bi women community and if you think they belong.
I'm midway in the process of transitioning in order to become a complete female. For my whole life I have seen myself as a woman, but only recently, the past 7 yrs or so, have I had the courage to live openly as an mtf transgendered woman. I was always scared of the reaction of others. Ever since I was young I always knew that my body was not suited to me, that it felt wrong, disgusting even. I felt repulsed whenever I touched my body and saw myself in the mirror, more than anything I wanted to have a female body. Instead of sharp planes I wanted to have smooth curves. I remember dressing and putting make up on to try to change my gender. When I got older most of my friends were lesbian and straight women as well as some gay guys. I could never get along with straight males because I couldn't understand them. Besides I always faced ridicule and homophobia as they considered me a gay man because of my feminine mannerisms and long hair. I thought maybe I was a gay guy, but I realised I have no attraction whatsoever to the male gender, and that's not what I'm meant to be. I dated straight women for a while, but I just felt wrong about my body in such a relationship. It took me a long time to come to terms with my identity as a female who loves other women.
Since then I decided that until I can gain some insight or further understand women's experiences others would not be able to see me as one. Sometimes I feel like I'm way out of my depth in certain situations because I've never had, never lived through certain experiences as a female. Not that I'm saying female experiences are homogenous. I also realised just how much sexism there is out there. I knew it was out there before and I was outspoken about it, but I never realised the extent to which it occured in all aspects of life. So if there are any other mtf transgenders reading this (or anyone else reading this) I recommend "Whipping girl: A transsexual woman on sexism and the scapegoating of femininity" written by a lesbian transgender activist whose name kind of escapes me at the moment. . .
See comments, bottom of article.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Looking Back: Two Dads With a Difference—Neither of Us Was Born Male
The Village Voice
Family Values
by Patrick Califia-Rice
June 21 - 27, 2000
Patrick (left) and Matt with their son Blake
photo: Timothy Archibald
Our mornings follow a set routine that any parent with a high-needs baby would recognize. We stagger out of bed, sleep deprived and anxious. Our eight-month-old son has reflux, and has only slept through one night since he was born. He usually wakes up every two or three hours, frightened and hurting. We have become expert at consoling the inconsolable child. While Matt shovels food and medication into the baby, I try to assess how much my fibromyalgia is going to hurt me today, and eat some breakfast. Somehow we coordinate showers, getting dressed, and packing Blake up for his stint at day care. Matt heads out with the baby in tow, and I am off to work as well, either in my therapy office or the home office downstairs.
Since the baby arrived, there are precious few moments when Matt and I can meet each other alone. The occasions when lust can break through the fence are even more rare. We are oddly shy during these adult-only interludes, as if becoming parents has made us strange to one another. The house is sticky. Piles of clean laundry that we can't find time to put away topple over and get mixed up with the dirty clothes. Yet we continue to be loving and kind with each other and with Blake. Matt especially is a monument of patience. I am often struck dumb by his profound and consistently deep love for our son.
Matt and I are doing something most people take for granted. We are two people in love who live together and raise a child. We plan to be together for the rest of our lives. But our family is not like other families, and so we are always afraid that some malicious person or powerful institution will take action against us and disrupt our lives. That's because we are both transgendered men (female-to-male or FTM), and my boyfriend is the mother of my child.
It happened like this. I met Matt nearly 10 years ago, as one of the "jack-booted dyke thugs of ACT-UP Chicago," as Matt called himself then. This was before he transitioned. I was living in what was supposed to be an open relationship. But my primary partner couldn't tolerate the threat of my torrid affair, so I broke things off with Matt. We connected again three years ago, after Matt had been on testosterone for several years, had chest surgery and a beard, and was a bartender at the Lone Star, San Francisco's notorious bear bar. I had been single for more than a year, and was dealing with my mother's impending death from breast cancer.
I chased Matt shamelessly, alternating sincere and humble apologies for my bad behavior in the past with X-rated e-mail. I probably didn't deserve a second chance, but he gave me one anyway. Our relationship was a scandal. We were generally perceived as a fag/dyke couple rather than two gay/bi men in a daddy/boy relationship, which was how we saw ourselves. When I had to go to Utah to care for my mother in the last month of her life, Matt came out for her funeral, and was promptly fired from his bartending job. That was when I started talking to Matt about maybe transitioning too.
I was having early symptoms of menopause, and I simply couldn't see putting estrogen in my body on purpose. As a child, I frequently told people I was going to be a boy when I grew up. Puberty made me even more uncomfortable with my female body and identity. I investigated sex reassignment in my twenties, but was discouraged by the poor quality of genital surgery and terrified of the isolation. I wasn't sure I could separate the effects of misogyny from gender dysphoria. So I tried to be a different kind of woman, a sexually adventurous gender-fucking dyke who enjoyed every possible male prerogative. But it just wasn't enough.
At 45, I was terrified of changing my gender, afraid it would mean that I'd no longer be able to make a living, since my income was based on being a lesbian therapist and journalist. But I didn't know what else to try, and the cognitive dissonance had worn me out. Matt started talking to me about wanting to raise a child. He had been unable to take testosterone for a couple of years because of side effects like blinding migraines. He didn't think he could adopt a child, so he wanted to have one of his own.
I had always believed there wasn't room for a child in my life. But when my mother passed away, I realized I had also been afraid of her disapproval. A staunch right-wing Mormon, my mother never accepted my queerness, and she would have moved heaven and earth to prevent me from raising a kid. It seemed to me that it was part of Matt's spiritual path to be a parent. Witnessing my mother's death had opened my heart. I needed to be part of creating a new life.
We didn't want to do anything that might harm the baby, so we got the best medical advice we could. We went to see a lot of doctors, who all told us that what we wanted to do was unusual, but biologically possible. So we started auditioning our betesticled friends for the role of sperm donor. That turned out to be quite a soap opera. Guys who thought nothing about throwing away their sperm daily, in Kleenexes or on the floor of a sex club, got very precious with us about their sacrosanct bodily fluids. Time after time we went through the same scenario. The guy we asked to be a donor would say, "I don't want to be a father. I don't want the responsibility." We would say, "That's OK. We don't want you to be a caretaker. And we'll be using multiple donors so nobody will know exactly whose gametes got lucky." Then the guy would freak out and say, "But how can I tell if the baby is mine?"
We are transgendered men (female-to-male, or FTM). My boyfriend is the mother of my child.
Luckily, we found three men who loved us but didn't love children. A year and a half later, here we are with a son who shrieks with delight at the sight of the tortoise-shell cat, viciously bites Cheerios in half and then lets them slip out of his mouth on a waterfall of drool, and opens the kitchen cabinets to drag out the very largest pots, so he can drum on them with a grubby spoon. Our birth families and straight neighbors have been pretty sweet to us. The only people who've gotten upset are a handful of straight-identified homophobic FTMs online who started calling Matt by his girl name, because real men don't get pregnant. One of these bigots even said it would be better for our baby to be born dead than be raised by two people who are "confused about their gender."
Our large and loving chosen family, made up of gay men, lesbians, bisexual people, transgendered people, and straight allies, buffers us from this kind of hostility. We are also hearing from more and more FTMs who have had or want to have children. As Blake's dads, we have created a village to help us raise him.
I started taking testosterone a couple of months before Blake was born. While he learns how to grab things, click his tongue, hold his own bottle, and walk while somebody holds his hands, I am going through my own metamorphosis. My hips are smaller, my muscle mass is growing, and every day it seems like there's more hair on my face and body. My voice is deeper, and my sex drive has given me newfound empathy with the guys who solicit hookers for blow jobs. When I think that I can continue with this process—get chest surgery and pass as male—I feel happier than at any other point in my life. And when I think that something will stop me, I become very depressed.
Most of my dyke and fag friends have been enthusiastic about my change, and so far my therapy practice has not been shut down, nor have the writing assignments dried up. I don't mistake the small island of acceptance that we enjoy in ultraliberal San Francisco for real freedom or tolerance. Our family configuration is bound to be controversial even among lesbians and gay men, especially those who believe mainstreaming is the best strategy for securing our civil rights. But at least among some queer activists, those who are prepared to live in a genuinely diverse society free from gender tyranny or proscribed pleasures, we can enjoy a place at the table. And we do.
Patrick Califia-Rice is the author (under the name Pat Califia) of several volumes of queer theory and smut. His recent work includes "Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism."
Family Values
by Patrick Califia-Rice
June 21 - 27, 2000
Patrick (left) and Matt with their son Blake
photo: Timothy Archibald
Our mornings follow a set routine that any parent with a high-needs baby would recognize. We stagger out of bed, sleep deprived and anxious. Our eight-month-old son has reflux, and has only slept through one night since he was born. He usually wakes up every two or three hours, frightened and hurting. We have become expert at consoling the inconsolable child. While Matt shovels food and medication into the baby, I try to assess how much my fibromyalgia is going to hurt me today, and eat some breakfast. Somehow we coordinate showers, getting dressed, and packing Blake up for his stint at day care. Matt heads out with the baby in tow, and I am off to work as well, either in my therapy office or the home office downstairs.
Since the baby arrived, there are precious few moments when Matt and I can meet each other alone. The occasions when lust can break through the fence are even more rare. We are oddly shy during these adult-only interludes, as if becoming parents has made us strange to one another. The house is sticky. Piles of clean laundry that we can't find time to put away topple over and get mixed up with the dirty clothes. Yet we continue to be loving and kind with each other and with Blake. Matt especially is a monument of patience. I am often struck dumb by his profound and consistently deep love for our son.
Matt and I are doing something most people take for granted. We are two people in love who live together and raise a child. We plan to be together for the rest of our lives. But our family is not like other families, and so we are always afraid that some malicious person or powerful institution will take action against us and disrupt our lives. That's because we are both transgendered men (female-to-male or FTM), and my boyfriend is the mother of my child.
It happened like this. I met Matt nearly 10 years ago, as one of the "jack-booted dyke thugs of ACT-UP Chicago," as Matt called himself then. This was before he transitioned. I was living in what was supposed to be an open relationship. But my primary partner couldn't tolerate the threat of my torrid affair, so I broke things off with Matt. We connected again three years ago, after Matt had been on testosterone for several years, had chest surgery and a beard, and was a bartender at the Lone Star, San Francisco's notorious bear bar. I had been single for more than a year, and was dealing with my mother's impending death from breast cancer.
I chased Matt shamelessly, alternating sincere and humble apologies for my bad behavior in the past with X-rated e-mail. I probably didn't deserve a second chance, but he gave me one anyway. Our relationship was a scandal. We were generally perceived as a fag/dyke couple rather than two gay/bi men in a daddy/boy relationship, which was how we saw ourselves. When I had to go to Utah to care for my mother in the last month of her life, Matt came out for her funeral, and was promptly fired from his bartending job. That was when I started talking to Matt about maybe transitioning too.
I was having early symptoms of menopause, and I simply couldn't see putting estrogen in my body on purpose. As a child, I frequently told people I was going to be a boy when I grew up. Puberty made me even more uncomfortable with my female body and identity. I investigated sex reassignment in my twenties, but was discouraged by the poor quality of genital surgery and terrified of the isolation. I wasn't sure I could separate the effects of misogyny from gender dysphoria. So I tried to be a different kind of woman, a sexually adventurous gender-fucking dyke who enjoyed every possible male prerogative. But it just wasn't enough.
At 45, I was terrified of changing my gender, afraid it would mean that I'd no longer be able to make a living, since my income was based on being a lesbian therapist and journalist. But I didn't know what else to try, and the cognitive dissonance had worn me out. Matt started talking to me about wanting to raise a child. He had been unable to take testosterone for a couple of years because of side effects like blinding migraines. He didn't think he could adopt a child, so he wanted to have one of his own.
I had always believed there wasn't room for a child in my life. But when my mother passed away, I realized I had also been afraid of her disapproval. A staunch right-wing Mormon, my mother never accepted my queerness, and she would have moved heaven and earth to prevent me from raising a kid. It seemed to me that it was part of Matt's spiritual path to be a parent. Witnessing my mother's death had opened my heart. I needed to be part of creating a new life.
We didn't want to do anything that might harm the baby, so we got the best medical advice we could. We went to see a lot of doctors, who all told us that what we wanted to do was unusual, but biologically possible. So we started auditioning our betesticled friends for the role of sperm donor. That turned out to be quite a soap opera. Guys who thought nothing about throwing away their sperm daily, in Kleenexes or on the floor of a sex club, got very precious with us about their sacrosanct bodily fluids. Time after time we went through the same scenario. The guy we asked to be a donor would say, "I don't want to be a father. I don't want the responsibility." We would say, "That's OK. We don't want you to be a caretaker. And we'll be using multiple donors so nobody will know exactly whose gametes got lucky." Then the guy would freak out and say, "But how can I tell if the baby is mine?"
We are transgendered men (female-to-male, or FTM). My boyfriend is the mother of my child.
Luckily, we found three men who loved us but didn't love children. A year and a half later, here we are with a son who shrieks with delight at the sight of the tortoise-shell cat, viciously bites Cheerios in half and then lets them slip out of his mouth on a waterfall of drool, and opens the kitchen cabinets to drag out the very largest pots, so he can drum on them with a grubby spoon. Our birth families and straight neighbors have been pretty sweet to us. The only people who've gotten upset are a handful of straight-identified homophobic FTMs online who started calling Matt by his girl name, because real men don't get pregnant. One of these bigots even said it would be better for our baby to be born dead than be raised by two people who are "confused about their gender."
Our large and loving chosen family, made up of gay men, lesbians, bisexual people, transgendered people, and straight allies, buffers us from this kind of hostility. We are also hearing from more and more FTMs who have had or want to have children. As Blake's dads, we have created a village to help us raise him.
I started taking testosterone a couple of months before Blake was born. While he learns how to grab things, click his tongue, hold his own bottle, and walk while somebody holds his hands, I am going through my own metamorphosis. My hips are smaller, my muscle mass is growing, and every day it seems like there's more hair on my face and body. My voice is deeper, and my sex drive has given me newfound empathy with the guys who solicit hookers for blow jobs. When I think that I can continue with this process—get chest surgery and pass as male—I feel happier than at any other point in my life. And when I think that something will stop me, I become very depressed.
Most of my dyke and fag friends have been enthusiastic about my change, and so far my therapy practice has not been shut down, nor have the writing assignments dried up. I don't mistake the small island of acceptance that we enjoy in ultraliberal San Francisco for real freedom or tolerance. Our family configuration is bound to be controversial even among lesbians and gay men, especially those who believe mainstreaming is the best strategy for securing our civil rights. But at least among some queer activists, those who are prepared to live in a genuinely diverse society free from gender tyranny or proscribed pleasures, we can enjoy a place at the table. And we do.
Patrick Califia-Rice is the author (under the name Pat Califia) of several volumes of queer theory and smut. His recent work includes "Sex Changes: The Politics of Transgenderism."
Gendersafe in a World of Gender Stereotypes
Op-Ed
Article Date: 09/18/2007
By Brittney Hoffman
I never really had to think about my gender identity or expression. I identify as a female, which so happens to correspond to my assigned sex at birth. I have long hair. I feel comfortable wearing skirts (and pants). I wear make up. When making a decision about which restroom to use, the only pause I ever had to take was outside the bathroom door waiting in the inevitably long line for the "women's" restroom. It wasn't until college when I started to ask different questions about my gender and the gendered environment around me.
I had a lot of friends in college whose gender identity was no longer a given. Short hair, strong bodies, pants and ties—these women challenged my own gender stereotypes and those of their campuses and cultures. During my four years on campus, I was often asked to accompany my friends to the restroom in a dorm, a dining hall, a gas station or a restaurant. For a while, I just thought it was the usual group trip to the bathroom to chat about the failures that were our dates or to laugh about some mundane detail of our day.
But one time, I didn't want to go. I was preoccupied, busy, tired. My friend looked at me, took my hand and said, "But I need them to know that I'm a girl." Without me, she said, she couldn't pass, and if she didn't pass she didn't feel safe.
In a recent survey conducted by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) reports that nearly 1/3 of the students who responded reported experiencing harassment for not meeting expectations for femininity or masculinity. One in four respondents of color reported similar instances of discrimination and harassment. Gender, race, and sex continue to intersect in these moments of miscommunication, prejudice, and violence. These were not isolated incidents—this is an epidemic. And it affects all of us—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight and questioning. . . .
Article Date: 09/18/2007
By Brittney Hoffman
I never really had to think about my gender identity or expression. I identify as a female, which so happens to correspond to my assigned sex at birth. I have long hair. I feel comfortable wearing skirts (and pants). I wear make up. When making a decision about which restroom to use, the only pause I ever had to take was outside the bathroom door waiting in the inevitably long line for the "women's" restroom. It wasn't until college when I started to ask different questions about my gender and the gendered environment around me.
I had a lot of friends in college whose gender identity was no longer a given. Short hair, strong bodies, pants and ties—these women challenged my own gender stereotypes and those of their campuses and cultures. During my four years on campus, I was often asked to accompany my friends to the restroom in a dorm, a dining hall, a gas station or a restaurant. For a while, I just thought it was the usual group trip to the bathroom to chat about the failures that were our dates or to laugh about some mundane detail of our day.
But one time, I didn't want to go. I was preoccupied, busy, tired. My friend looked at me, took my hand and said, "But I need them to know that I'm a girl." Without me, she said, she couldn't pass, and if she didn't pass she didn't feel safe.
In a recent survey conducted by the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition (GenderPAC) reports that nearly 1/3 of the students who responded reported experiencing harassment for not meeting expectations for femininity or masculinity. One in four respondents of color reported similar instances of discrimination and harassment. Gender, race, and sex continue to intersect in these moments of miscommunication, prejudice, and violence. These were not isolated incidents—this is an epidemic. And it affects all of us—gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, straight and questioning. . . .
Gender-bending bugs take battle of sexes to new heights
from NEW SCIENTIST
PARIS (AFP) — Sexual relationships between humans may be complicated but they are nothing compared to the bizarre sex life of the African bat bug, the British weekly New Scientist reports in next Saturday's issue.
Renowned among entomologists for a particularly horrible form of reproduction, these insects have now been found to show "what could be the most extreme form of transexualism yet discovered," it says.
Male bat bugs never use the vagina, instead piercing the female's abdomen and inseminating directly into the blood, where the sperm then swim to the ovaries.
In response to this, female bat bugs have evolved defense mechanism -- they grow a paragenital structure on their abdomen that limits the damage by guiding the male's sharp penile prong into a spongey area full of immune cells.
Scientists led by Klaus Reinhardt of the University of Sheffield, northern England, studied bat bugs in a cave on Mount Elgon, Kenya.
They were stunned to find that males had been using their penises to stab other males in an attempt at copulation, and many had scarred abdomens as a result.
In response to this, many males had been growing their own version of the defensive genitalia to protect themselves from other males.
Stranger still, when the team looked at 43 preserved female bat bugs, they found that 84 percent of them had male versions of the defence genitalia.
Females with this male version had less scarring due to penetration than other males.
Reinhardt describes it as "a spectacular example of evolution through sexual conflict," New Scientist says.
"Males started getting nobbled by other males, so they evolved the female defensive genitalia. As this reduced the amount of penis damage they were getting, females evolved the male version of the male genitals."
Bat bugs are blood-sucking parasites that feed on bats, but bite humans in the absence of their primary hosts. They are cousins of the bed bug.
PARIS (AFP) — Sexual relationships between humans may be complicated but they are nothing compared to the bizarre sex life of the African bat bug, the British weekly New Scientist reports in next Saturday's issue.
Renowned among entomologists for a particularly horrible form of reproduction, these insects have now been found to show "what could be the most extreme form of transexualism yet discovered," it says.
Male bat bugs never use the vagina, instead piercing the female's abdomen and inseminating directly into the blood, where the sperm then swim to the ovaries.
In response to this, female bat bugs have evolved defense mechanism -- they grow a paragenital structure on their abdomen that limits the damage by guiding the male's sharp penile prong into a spongey area full of immune cells.
Scientists led by Klaus Reinhardt of the University of Sheffield, northern England, studied bat bugs in a cave on Mount Elgon, Kenya.
They were stunned to find that males had been using their penises to stab other males in an attempt at copulation, and many had scarred abdomens as a result.
In response to this, many males had been growing their own version of the defensive genitalia to protect themselves from other males.
Stranger still, when the team looked at 43 preserved female bat bugs, they found that 84 percent of them had male versions of the defence genitalia.
Females with this male version had less scarring due to penetration than other males.
Reinhardt describes it as "a spectacular example of evolution through sexual conflict," New Scientist says.
"Males started getting nobbled by other males, so they evolved the female defensive genitalia. As this reduced the amount of penis damage they were getting, females evolved the male version of the male genitals."
Bat bugs are blood-sucking parasites that feed on bats, but bite humans in the absence of their primary hosts. They are cousins of the bed bug.
QUEERMONTON
Ted Kerr/ted@vueweekly.com
Meet Laura, your friendly next-door gaybour
Laura Crawford is a 24-year-old thinker, drag king, poet and work-in-progress who grew up in Kingston, Nova Scotia, population 3000. She is a self-identified transgendered, big bodied PhD student who for me embodies many of the current waves within the queer movement and is an important voice regarding the shape of things to come for all of society.
With a kind, humourous and giving personality, she challenges my assumptions, un-thought-out niceties and conclusions and has led me to think more as well as differently.
Currently living in Edmonton, Laura is doing her PhD at the U of A, which a University of Western Ontario prof lovingly told her was home to “Canada’s queerest English department.” Her dissertation is on 20th Century Architecture and Transgender.
Laura’s use of architecture is not just a clever cross-discipline look at the transgender experience but a useful employment that draws upon the practical and metaphorical aspects of the word. Architecture is the science or art of building, and when coupled with the already used metaphor of construction to examine everything from our identity to our reality, transgender can be seen more as an “artful practice of the body rather than something from the inside having to be dealt with on the outside,” as she says.
She has sectioned her study into two prongs: the first looks at architecture considering transgender, as it exists now. The best example of a building with transgender sensibility is Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbo, Spain. For Laura the much talked about Bilbo Affect has nothing to do with “starchitecture” and everything to do with how a building can embody ideas beyond the hetronormative ones. Gehry celebrates curves in exchange for straight lines (no pun intended) and creates confusion by blurring the lines between exits and entrances (pun intended). . . .
Meet Laura, your friendly next-door gaybour
Laura Crawford is a 24-year-old thinker, drag king, poet and work-in-progress who grew up in Kingston, Nova Scotia, population 3000. She is a self-identified transgendered, big bodied PhD student who for me embodies many of the current waves within the queer movement and is an important voice regarding the shape of things to come for all of society.
With a kind, humourous and giving personality, she challenges my assumptions, un-thought-out niceties and conclusions and has led me to think more as well as differently.
Currently living in Edmonton, Laura is doing her PhD at the U of A, which a University of Western Ontario prof lovingly told her was home to “Canada’s queerest English department.” Her dissertation is on 20th Century Architecture and Transgender.
Laura’s use of architecture is not just a clever cross-discipline look at the transgender experience but a useful employment that draws upon the practical and metaphorical aspects of the word. Architecture is the science or art of building, and when coupled with the already used metaphor of construction to examine everything from our identity to our reality, transgender can be seen more as an “artful practice of the body rather than something from the inside having to be dealt with on the outside,” as she says.
She has sectioned her study into two prongs: the first looks at architecture considering transgender, as it exists now. The best example of a building with transgender sensibility is Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbo, Spain. For Laura the much talked about Bilbo Affect has nothing to do with “starchitecture” and everything to do with how a building can embody ideas beyond the hetronormative ones. Gehry celebrates curves in exchange for straight lines (no pun intended) and creates confusion by blurring the lines between exits and entrances (pun intended). . . .
Transgender Life
SmellyCat-13's blog
The following is an article I wrote...junior year, high school, I believe...that would have made me sixteen. I remember the interview like it was yesterday - it was an amazing experience, especially since just a year or so before I was in school with the daughter of Risa Bear. I want to note that I did take out the name of the daughter and the name of the school we went to together because I wouldn't feel right having her name here for anyone to see, and the school's name is removed for...well, my own paranoid security reasons.
I do beleive that this is the unedited version - just to warn you.
--------
When he was six years old, Richard Bear discovered something about himself.
He was at a summer camp. On the boys side of the camp, he was severely abused by his campmates. His mother - who worked at the camp - brought him over to stay in the women's lodge. While he lay in bed that night, he watched the shadows on the ceiling cast from the next room. The were shadows of gracefully moving women folding clothing. He heard soft, gentle voices. It was such a gentle and comforting sound, like soft singing lullabies. After spending a painful day with the guttural growls of boys who harassed and tormented him mercilessly, this sound was like another language.
"I realized that this was my language. Some how, some kind of mistake had been made," said Richard Bear, who now goes by the name of Risa and works as a researcher at the U of O Knight Library. . . .
The following is an article I wrote...junior year, high school, I believe...that would have made me sixteen. I remember the interview like it was yesterday - it was an amazing experience, especially since just a year or so before I was in school with the daughter of Risa Bear. I want to note that I did take out the name of the daughter and the name of the school we went to together because I wouldn't feel right having her name here for anyone to see, and the school's name is removed for...well, my own paranoid security reasons.
I do beleive that this is the unedited version - just to warn you.
--------
When he was six years old, Richard Bear discovered something about himself.
He was at a summer camp. On the boys side of the camp, he was severely abused by his campmates. His mother - who worked at the camp - brought him over to stay in the women's lodge. While he lay in bed that night, he watched the shadows on the ceiling cast from the next room. The were shadows of gracefully moving women folding clothing. He heard soft, gentle voices. It was such a gentle and comforting sound, like soft singing lullabies. After spending a painful day with the guttural growls of boys who harassed and tormented him mercilessly, this sound was like another language.
"I realized that this was my language. Some how, some kind of mistake had been made," said Richard Bear, who now goes by the name of Risa and works as a researcher at the U of O Knight Library. . . .
Ten Minutes with Rebecca Romijn
|
09.20.07
By Fred Topel
Transgender women probably wish that real life medical procedures could make them look like Rebecca Romijn. Alas, she is only an actor playing transgender on Ugly Betty. While transgender women have to suffer through treatments to feminize their features, the TV dramedy tends to glamorize the results. But it never belittles the struggle transgender people have in society.
"I happen to have several friends who are transgender so it’s something that is a very sensitive subject and it’s very close to my heart," said Romijn, who plays Alexis on the show. "It’s something that I would never want to make any choices that would insult my friends. I also feel like I’m part of a movement of people that are sort of making it into mainstream society and don’t really have a voice yet or are still finding their voice. It’s kind of an honor. At first it just sounded like a really fun character to play. Now it feels a little bit more important."
Those friends of hers in the community approve. "[They have been] super positive," she says. "I’ve met a lot of transgender (people), which has been really interesting. They love it. Everything that I pick up for the character, I pick up for them. It can be a sensitive subject. To make that decision to change your gender is a huge decision so of course I would never want to offend my friends. Hopefully I have not and the writers are all very knowledgeable and supportive and sympathetic with the character." . . .
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
