Changing lives

Frederick County transgenders speak out

March 28, 2008

By Nicholas C. Stern
News-Post Staff


Many people wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at her.

TerriLee Bell grew up as a man, married twice, divorced twice and fathered two children, a son and a daughter.

"At one point, I was living on the fringes, and just wasn't received in society or by my friends," Bell said. Some people categorized her as a freak, not knowing what to make of her.

That began the slow yet steady process, which has taken about 10 years, for Bell to become a woman, an identity she said was never really in doubt.

Bell, 56, will tell her story at the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meeting on April 2, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick. . . .Read More

Amazing photographs show 'pregnant man' and wife posing as body-builders in bikinis

Daily Mail

31 March 2008

These are the amazing before and after photographs of "pregnant man" Thomas Beatie.

They show the 34-year-old and his "wife" Nancy posing for gay magazine Odyssey in skimpy bikinis before his operation and then, just four years later, in a mocked up wedding-style picture.

The images were released as the Hawaiian native insisted his pregnancy was real and claimed he is "perfectly capable" of giving birth - despite years of hormone treatments to make him a male. . . .Read More, including Comments

What every woman needs to know

Hormones control the way our bodies work so it pays to look after your inner chemistry

By Rosie Shelley
March 31 2008

Women today face a bewildering amount of health advice -- but not many of us realise that when it comes to overall wellbeing, nothing is more important than our hormones.

These powerful chemicals control everything -- from the way we make energy out of food and how efficiently we burn it up, to our sexual, reproductive and mental wellbeing. An upset endocrine (hormonal) system can mean obesity and diabetes, fatigue and depression, poor skin and hair quality, premature ageing, menstrual and menopausal problems, even heart disease and certain cancers.

Dr Marilyn Glenville, a leading nutritionist specialising in women's health, says there has been an upsurge in diseases caused by hormonal imbalances, and that "regulating those hormones would be the single most important measure to take".

The rise in conditions such as fibroids, endometriosis and breast cancer, as well as falling sperm counts are, she says, directly linked to our being bombarded with "gender-bender" chemicals found in non-organic food and cosmetics. As well as this, our lifestyles, with increasing reliance on caffeine and other stimulants, sugar, refined carbohydrates and alcohol, are playing havoc with our most important hormonal systems . . . .Read More

The Glitter Ball Sparkles

By Maura McGraw

1 April 2008

Dressed to impress in wigs, stockings, and heels, student and professional drag kings and queens entertained a highly energized crowd of more than 200 people at Allied in Pride’s first ever annual Glitter Ball.

Last week's event was a fundraiser honoring the memory of four youth killed across the country in February in anti-gay, anti-transgender attacks -- Soneesha Stewart, 25, Simmie Williams Jr, 17, Lawrence King, 15, and Adolphus Simmons, 18. Allied said it raised more than $400 during the night for the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League, a non-profit organization that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth in the Washington-metro area. . . .Read More

Call for Submissions: Jews and Transgender Communities Anthology

by Noach

31 March 2008


Please consider contributing an essay for an anthology on the subject of Jews and Transgender. I am eager to hear from representative Jewish voices in trans, gender variant and intersex communities. Persons of any gender or no gender or shifting gender, please feel welcome to contribute. Jews with no relationship to Judaism, secular Jews and Jews along the denominational spectrum should feel equally welcome to reply. Political voices and religious voices all encouraged to respond. Please forward this call for submissions to appropriate lists.

If you have already written an essay on this broad topic that has been published elsewhere, please be aware that I am also interested in reprinting selected pieces that track transJewish voices in history.

I am looking both for new essays AND for permission to reprint certain essays from other sources. . . .Read More

Twin boys living as girls

Twin Transexuals on Jenny Jones. Early 90's clip from Jone's talk show.

A new woman

Surgery completes the transformation

By KAREN LOVETT, Telegraph Staff

March 30, 2008


The countdown began more than 100 days before.

Back in September, a thick cushion of weeks separated Cynthia Tebbetts from the moment her life would be transformed.

Landmark days came and went.

Christmas was a blur.

New Year’s a mere flash.

Then came her last day of work. Her last dinner out.

Finally, in late January, it was time.

As a boy growing up in west Manchester, John Jay Tebbetts felt something wasn’t right.

As a teenager, he realized he didn’t want to be a boy.

As an adult, nearing his 40th birthday, he plummeted into a depression that ushered him to the brink of suicide.

That scare forced him to throw a light on a secret he’d been keeping even from himself: in order to live, and to be happy, John Jay would need to change. And so, he embarked on a transformation to become Cynthia Nicole. . . .Read More

Jamaica: Radical sex change; One man's story

March 31, 2008

Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

In August 2007, he did a tummy tuck. On January 10, 2008, it was breast augmentation, completing the sex change he has always wanted.

A sex change happens when a male or female undergoes hormonal or surgical manipulation to change his or her outward appearance to that of the opposite gender.

A trajectory of Peter Kugouri's* sex change shows one year of psychological and hormonal treatment for the 27-year-old man, who now sports a pierced navel, dangling earrings, waist-length hair and a female form. "I have 11 piercings in total on my body," he boasted to the Flair Magazine.

A former 'son' of a St Mary family, Kugouri, who spent his early years in Montego Bay and now resides in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, goes by the alias 'Sade'. His well-manicured acrylic nails, permanent make-up and Indian features scream feminine allure. "When I go out, I am not recognised as anything other than female.". . .Read More

Terrors of the third gender!

M. S. Verma

30 March 2008

India is home to a large number of eunuchs, castrated men required to perform specific social function. But now a days, they are involved in gruesome crimes like castrating males forcibly, rob unwary people and cajole people in public places.

EUNUCHS CASTRATED a man in Sirsa two days ago. He was a ‘dholakia’ (drum player) with his troupe. They had approached him to accompany them on a round to places where they expected to find their victims – the parents of newly married couples or recently born male children. But the man showed his disinclination and had to face the music.

It used to be a mere five rupees in the olden days, but now the ransom to get rid of these pests runs into thousands. Just last month, my relatives had to part with Rs 11,000, comprising cash and a golden ring to escape the embarrassment, and if in case, a person is reluctant to pay, they threaten to indulge in indecent exposure that would be humiliating with the amused crowd watching their tricks. Interestingly, there is some superstition attached to this practice. If the eunuchs bless the child or the couple, their future life would be happy and eventful.

This is not the first case of this type. A few years ago, a television channel had reported a similar case of a handsome Punjabi young man, who was similarly castrated. But fortunately, when he regained consciousness after three days, he found himself unguarded and made his escape, finally reaching his home in Punjab. There are umpteen cases when young men are castrated by eunuchs. But seldom are such cases reported. In fact, it is a regular practice with them and most of us have taken it as something of a routine, a fact of life such as a goat’s slaughter for meat or hungry panting birds in the cage, waiting their turn in front of meat shops or the regular beating of the wife by the husband. . . .Read More

‘Catwalk’ Girls Work It

by Bradford Low

Mar 29, 2008


SAN FRANCISCO — As the lights dimmed and the bass from the speakers filled the SomArts Gallery, the sold-out crowd rose to their feet in applause as Tita Aida, the self-proclaimed transgender “hostess with the moistest,” made her way down the 60-foot-long runway to kick off the first annual “Catwalk,” a male-to-female transgender beauty pageant, on March 22.

The event showcased 16 beautiful and classy transgender models, each representing different parts of the world.

Lally Lacy, a transgender program specialist at the API Wellness Center and a transgender woman herself, said Tita Aida (known as Nicky Calma during her day job as an API Wellness Center program supervisor) formed the idea for the event a year ago as a means to empower the transgender community Lesbian-and-Gay-Executives , because there were not enough venues for transgender people to meet. “We just wanted to make a positive influence on the transgender community, especially for Asian Pacific Americans, and showcase the transgender community’s love for beauty, fashion and self,” Lacy said. “We want to show what we have and what we can do.” . . . .Read More

Pregnant transgender man to appear on Oprah

by Rebecca Armendariz

31 March 2008

The media coverage of Thomas Beatie, the transgender man from Oregon who claims to be pregnant, has been plentiful, but Beatie himself hasn't given an interview yet (besides the initial one he gave to The Advocate). Beatle still has his female reproductive organs, though he has been transitioning for ten years with hormone therapy.

The blitz is about to begin -- this Thursday, Beatie will appear on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He also says he'll appear the next issue of People Magazine. . . .Read More

Transgenders Looking For Jobs

This is info about how difficult it is for transgenders to find work.

The San Diego Kings Club

King of Drag Kings: Questions for Alexander Williams

Interview by EMILY ALPERT

March 29, 2008


By day, he's mild-mannered Alexander Williams, the sweet, somewhat nerdy boy who pampers pooches at the South Bark Dog Wash. By night, he's a hyperkinetic star who lip-synchs before a screaming crowd at a North Park bar, pelvis thrusting under the dizzying spotlights.

Williams, 21, recently earned a spot on the San Diego Kings Club, a troupe of drag performers who mimic male icons, through a three-month contest styled like American Idol, with new themes and competitors voted off week by week. His brand of offbeat, exuberant drag won over the judges and earned him fistfuls of dollars, flung at the stage by fans. His stage name is a bit too raunchy to print. As his alter ego, he's swaggered like Elvis, stumbled like a lounge lizard, and torn off a dress and wig to the tune of Queen's "I Want to Break Free."

Unlike many drag kings, who identify and live as women, Williams is transgender, and lives as a man every day. Born female, Williams came out as lesbian at age 14, and led the gay-straight alliance at Granite Hills High School. Years ago, when he started doing drag, he was still living as a woman, and had to pencil in his sideburns with eyeliner. . . .Read More

Obama Holds LGBT Fund-raiser In New York City

03/29/08-03/31/08

Kerry Eleveld, The Advocate


Sen. Barack Obama waded deep into Clinton territory Thursday evening at a private LGBT fund-raiser in New York City where the price of admission was $2,300 per person.

Held at the apartment of GLSEN founder and executive director Kevin Jennings and his partner, Jeff Davis, the event drew about 125 people and raised $170,000. No press were admitted, but based on several accounts, attendees were struck by the Illinois senator’s candor as well as his fluency with LGBT issues.

“I’ve been to many events over the past 10 years of candidates running for office,” said Corey Johnson, one of the hosts, “This was the most forthright, eloquent, and detailed stuff I’ve heard from a politician [regarding gay issues].”

Molly Lenore, 43, compared Obama’s discussion of the LGBT community to the speech he gave about race in America last week. “During his race speech, everybody said afterward that he treated the American people like adults, and I felt like that’s what he did,” said Lenore, who is transgender and an Obama supporter. “I might not agree 100%, but I want to have an intelligent conversation with somebody.” . . .Read More

Tucson Region: Transgender forum here Tuesday

Region viewed as accepting of gender variance

By Stephanie Innes

Arizona Daily Star 3.30.2008


The word "transgender" does not appear in the Bible. Save a few references to women in masculine clothing and vice versa, it's hard to know whether Scripture says anything at all about people who change their sexual identity.

Interpreting the Bible as it relates to gender-variant people is one of 80 workshops that will take place this week during an international conference in Tucson, titled "Transgender 2008," which begins Tuesday.

About 350 people are expected to attend the conference, an annual event sponsored by the Massachusetts-based International Foundation for Gender Education. The event is in its 22nd year, and this its first time in Arizona.

Among items on the conference schedule are a golf tournament, a gala, a poetry reading, music and a new theater performance titled "TransFormations."

Workshops will cover a gamut of transgender issues, ranging from hormone therapy and post-op blues to transgender Internet dating. The event will culminate Saturday with a public forum about why Tucson is considered a "trans-friendly" place to live. . . .Read More

'It wasn't my choice to be a transgender'

Ethan Baron

March 30, 2008


William, born female, has always known he was really male.

At age two, his mother was dressing the family's children -- three daughters -- for a Christmas Eve party. William, who then had a girl's name, was having none of it.

"He said, 'Little boys do not wear dresses,'" his mother told The Province. "That was one of the last times we ever put a dress on him."

His real name isn't William, but the Fraser Valley teenager, now 19, says he's suffered discrimination because of the kind of person he is, and using his real name would expose him to further bigotry.

As a child, William wanted to play hockey, but young girls couldn't. He settled for ringette. . . .Read More

Transgender Dating: Breaking the Ice in the First E-mail

by Chantel K. Williams

31 March 2008

	Male looks at Tgirl walking by.

How do you date a transgender woman? Are there certain “dos and don’ts” for asking a transgender girl out on a date? What should you say in the first e-mail? If you’re like most men, you probably met a transgender woman in either an 'online' chatroom, dating website, or social network. Along the way, you checked out her photo, profile, and common interests.

The key word is “common interests” and mutual compatibility. So, you fire-off a quick email. Yet, you failed to tell her what you are looking for in relationship or first meeting. Try to look at your first e-mail as a” business card.” It is a way of introducing yourself and exploring possibilities. Remember when you purchased that first greeting card for that special person…you took your time! . . .Read More

Julie reflects on past year

by Steven Hepker | Citizen Patriot

March 29, 2008

John Nemecek rocked Spring Arbor University and made national news last year when the transgender professor came out as Julie. Being fired in February 2007 from the Christian college only strengthened her resolve, and sharpened her pen.

In a prolific stream of one-liners on the Citizen Patriot opinion page, she fires a pea shooter at a hornet's nest.

She says her God is a loving God of diversity and acceptance.
"Sodom was destroyed not because of homosexuality, but for arrogance and lack of compassion," she wrote in a recent one-liner.

Readers thrashed that like red meat in the shark tank.

"Nemecek and people like her have created a cancer that has eaten away at the very fabric of what Christianity has been fighting for centuries," Horton's Rob Anderson responded in a letter to the editor.

His response is typical among dozens of critics who claim Nemecek is a publicity hound out to bend the Scriptures to justify her sinful lifestyle. Some scoff at calling Nemecek a "her." . . .Read More

Q&A with Norman Spack

A doctor helps children change their gender

By Pagan Kennedy March 30, 2008

CHILDREN HAVE CUT themselves. In some cases, 9- or 10-year-old kids have staged suicide attempts. The little boys sob unless they're allowed to wear dresses. The girls want to be called Luke, Ted, or James.

Their parents, desperate to know what is wrong, go online and type "gender disorder."

And what they find is that, even now, decades after doctors performed the first sex changes in America, there's little help for transgender children.

Even the care of transgender adults remains a medical backwater in the United States; in fact, we do not even know how many people in this country have gone through sex changes, because doctors simply did not bother to keep track of patients. Until recently, children with cross-gender feelings rarely received modern medical care - and certainly not hormone shots. After all, who would allow a child to redesign his or her body?

But in the past few years, some doctors have come to believe that kids should be allowed to have some control over how they grow up. Dr. Norman Spack, 64, argues that transgender kids tend to be much happier - and less likely to harm themselves - when they're able to live in their preferred gender role. . . .Read More