Frock 'n' roll

April 10, 2008

Tokyo's rock scene may leave you questioning your sexuality, Craig Platt discovers.

Normally, wearing a grey shirt and jeans wouldn't make me feel conspicuous in a crowd - but right now I feel distinctly out of place.

I'm standing in a crowd of about 200 Japanese youths who are dressed in the most outrageous costumes I've ever seen - goth kids with white-fright make-up and black fingernails, punk kids with dyed blue hair and a wide and wild variety of piercings, girls dressed in baby-doll clothes more suited to tweens than teens.

In my conservative, smart-casual outfit, I'm by far the blandest person here.

We're all waiting for entry to "Red Carpet Day", a music event at Shibuya O-East, a club in Tokyo. The gig features seven "visual-kei" bands - a genre known more for its over-the-top outfits than for its music. . . .Read More

Children of men

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

The story of Thomas Beatie, the ‘pregnant man’, caused a media storm recently, but what do trans men think about it?

After Thomas Beatie spoke out publicly recently about his decision as a trans man to become pregnant (SX#375), everybody had an opinion.

Conservative commentators were outraged, while Oprah Winfrey – on whose show Beatie and his wife Nancy appeared – called it “a new definition of what diversity means for everybody”.

But he’s not the first trans man to become pregnant: in 1999, Matt Rice – then the partner of trans male author Patrick (formerly Pat) Califia – gave birth to a daughter.

Califia spoke about the couple’s experiences in the Village Voice, describing how some female-to-male (FTM) trans people wished the baby dead and started to call Rice by his ‘girl’ name.

Nearly a decade has passed since then, so what do trans men think about those in their community such as Beatie, who, having kept their reproductive systems in tact, exercise their right to become a parent by conceiving a child?

“Bringing the child into the world in this way is not about reproductive rights,” asserts Craig Andrews, Coordinator of FTM Australia, a membership organisation that provides resources to trans men. . . .Read More

A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

The spirit of three intersex subjects rises above titles with shock tactics, notes David Knox.

Television usually prefers to rank our community GLTBi. There are plenty of gay males and lesbians. Transgenders are peppered in comedies, or reality ‘tricks’.

With the exception of SBS docos Sinchronicity and A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila, bisexuality usually confuses producers. And intersex falls off TV’s radar entirely.

So it was with some trepidation that I approached the UK documentary series My Shocking Story. It’s previously featured medical episodes were called Half Man Half Tree and The Man With No Face. Roll up, roll up for the freakshow!

What Sex Am I? is thankfully not entirely tabloid.

Androgyn Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) is the state in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the typical definitions of female or male.

There are three subjects profiled here. One is Angel, an 8-year-old Brazilian child raised as female by parents, but discovered to have Y chromosomes at the age of 4. Another is 24-year-old Italian Tiziana who confronts her mother about what she thought was an operation on her uterus at 15. . . .Read More

In pilot program, Stanford to offer ‘gender neutral’ housing options for 2008-09

BY KATHLEEN SULLIVAN

Stanford Report, April 9, 2008


In an effort to better serve transgender students and to offer more choices to students who want to live with friends of the opposite sex, Stanford will offer "gender neutral" housing options to sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students starting autumn quarter. . . .Read More

Beatie not meant to be a mirror

ANALYSIS / Many trans men frustrated with media coverage

Will Scott / Xtra.ca / Thursday, April 10, 2008

On Mar 26 The Advocate published an article entitled "Labor of Love" by Thomas Beatie, a female-to-male (FTM) trans-sexual living in the US. In it Beatie details his experience of being pregnant while legally male.

Well-meaning friends and colleagues assume I identify with — and am concerned about the transphobic reactions to — Beatie's story. In truth I cringe and wish desperately that Beatie would go quickly and quietly away. The more discussion I hear about pregnant men, the more mortified and angry I become. It is a puzzling response considering that I am otherwise so committed to the rights of those who bend the borders of sex and desire. So what is it about Beatie and his desire to bear a child that bothers me? What should the transsexual body look like and who gets to decide?

Although this is a story about Beatie's own sex and body it shines an uncomfortable spotlight on things of which I would prefer not to be reminded. Worse, it invites those who know my history to inquire about my reproductive status and whether I plan to become a pregnant man. It is difficult to articulate how defeating this question is for me, and more difficult to decide upon an appropriate answer. Unfortunately it is nearly impossible not to blame Beatie for inviting this unwanted discussion into my life.

Sensational media representations influence how nontrans people in our lives view us and interpret our experiences. It is demoralizing to have to combat even more confusion about who and what we are when so much misunderstanding already exists.

The story has generated the usual trinity of responses from most nontrans folk of shock, sympathy and outrage. There is, however, an enormous backlash against Beatie among trans men, particularly in the US. Many are rushing to change their legal documents to reflect their post-transition sex. They are concerned that the notion of a pregnant man sensationalized in the mass media will lead US lawmakers to require trans men to undergo the surgical removal of their female reproductive organs before they can become legally male. . . .Read More

Whoopi Goldberg on pregnant transgender man: 'Uncharted waters'

by PageOneQ

"I found them very sweet and naïve," veteran anchor Barbara Walters says of the Beatie couple, currently expecting a child. "The greatest threat to them," Walters adds, "is that their marriage could be taken away."

Thomas Beatie, a transgender man, recently talked with Oprah Winfrey about his pregnancy. A profile also appears in the April 14 issue of People Magazine. Born a woman, Beatie is legally a man, but still has an intact reproductive system. Six months into his current pregnancy, the child is due in July; the Beaties' gynecologist expects the baby to be healthy, and ultrasound imaging concurs.

The Beaties have received no compensation for sharing their story. . . .Read More

Stephen Whittle

A transman talks about his transition from female to male and his experiences.

Thai surgeons reject cosmetic castration ban

By Marianne Kearney in Jakarta

4/9/2008

Thailand's plastic surgery clinics have vowed to defy a recent government ban on performing castrations, saying they will continue to offer sex change operations in the country famous for its "ladyboys".

	Thousands of people visit overseas clinics every year for plastic surgery

Earlier this month, the Thai health minister, Chaiya Sasomsab, issued a directive banning the operation after rights groups complained about the botched castration of an under-age boy in the northern city of Chiang-Mai.

But in direct defiance of the ban, the chief surgeon at the Pratunum Clinic - one of Thailand's top transgender clinics in Bangkok - has called on anyone wanting a castration to come to his clinic.

"I want them to be happy with what they want to be, and will remove their unwanted organs," Dr Thep Wetwisit said.

He also criticised the ban as ridiculous and dangerous. . . .Read More

Transgender poll causes stir

By NATHAN CRABBE

April 2008


A majority of Alachua County voters appear to oppose an ordinance protecting trangender rights and believe the county is headed in the wrong direction, according to a poll conducted by a firm co-owned by the county Republican Party chairman.
Continue to 2nd paragraph

The April 1 poll of 516 voters found 56 percent of respondents either strongly or somewhat opposed the ordinance. A nearly identical number agreed with the statement that things in the county "have gotten off on the wrong track."

Stafford Jones, the local GOP chairman who is co-owner of the recently formed polling firm War Room Logistics, said he believed the results showed a good environment for local Republicans to run for office.

"I think both of these questions kind of represent that people don't like regulatory burden," he said.

Democrats raised questions about the poll. City Commissioner Craig Lowe, who helped draft the gender identity ordinance, equated the poll's question on the ordinance to sentiments being fanned against minority groups in Nazi Germany and the U.S. South before civil rights reforms.

"It has often led to the worst human rights abuses in history," he said. . . .Read More

Plaintiff wins round in transgender case

By MARY FLOOD

April 8, 2008

She says she didn't get the job because she was born male.

The company says it wasn't that, claiming she misrepresented herself.

In a letter rescinding the job, the employer complained she presented herself as a woman at her interview, but the background check revealed she was a man.

And the judge said that despite requests to end the case now, this closely watched lawsuit will go forward to mediation and, if necessary, to a jury.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas, in a 31-page opinion, refused to dismiss the case of 27-year-old Izza Lopez. Born Raul Jr., Lopez claims the Houston radiology chain River Oaks Imaging and Diagnostic wrongfully pulled its 2005 offer to employ her as an appointment scheduler.

River Oaks Imaging said in legal papers that it is just following its policy of refusing to hire people whose background checks reveal they misrepresented themselves to get hired. . . .Read More

Vietnam: Transsexual’s marriage opens societal discussion

4/9/2008

VNS

HCM CITY — Singer Cat Tuyen, who had a sex change, created a huge media buzz by marrying another artist on Monday at the Quoc Thanh Restaurant in HCM City.

The wedding was significant for the entertainment, gay and transsexual and law communities.

Originally a man, Cat Tuyen had dreams of being a bride, and went to Thailand to have a sex change operation.

Tuyen met her boyfriend Chinh Nhan, a cai luong (reformed drama) artist, two years ago and they decided to tie the knot soon after that. However, the extreme social prejudice against transsexuals and their families’ objections dissuaded them from legalising their relationship. . . .Read More

Vietnamese youth fashion blurs gender lines

(05-04-2008)

by Bach Lien

HA NOI — In the past year, it seems beauty standards in Viet Nam have received a makeover. In urban areas, men are increasingly playing with earrings, hair dye and shirt styles and fabrics, while women are cropping their hair shorter and donning more "masculine" attire. And the trend is most prevalent amongst the young.

In unisex fashion clothing for men and women can draw from the same materials. Unisex watches lack the bulk associated with watches geared for men or the ornate, delicate features often found on watches marketed for women. Unisex haircuts mean anything goes. Girls can wear skirts layered over pants. Men wear long necklaces with pendants and carry handbags. . . .Read More

Transsexual soldier to enter Big Brother house

By Lucy Cockcroft

4/9/2008

A former soldier who became the first Army officer to have full gender reassignment surgery has been lined up to appear as a contestant on Big Brother this summer.

Jan Hamilton used to be known as Ian, a 16 stone captain in the Parachute Regiment, and even served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 43-year-old transsexual has already appeared in a television documentary which charted her change from a man into a woman.

The five-month process included surgery to give her feminine facial features and breasts.

Now Channel 4 executives are finalising a deal to bring her in as a house mate on the ninth series of the controversial 13-week reality show.

A source said: “There isn’t much that Jan hasn’t overcome in life.

“She is a real trooper. Combat, prejudice, life-changing surgery - nothing seems to faze her. “But the big brother cameras could be her toughest test ever.” . . . .Read More

Spotlight shines on drag show in University Room on Friday

Briana Hernandez

4/7/2008


t was the first time SJSU student Candace Christian had ever been to a show where the main attraction was men dressed as women and vice versa. She said, however, it may not be her last.

"It was great," said Christian, a junior social work major. "A lot of laughs. It was new."

Christian and others attended QTIP's, or Queers Thoughtfully Interrupting Prejudice, first ever Drag Show on Friday evening in the University Room where SJSU students, along with local performers, put on a show in order to raise money for the lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender club.

While Christian went to support her friends who performed, she stayed for the entire show.

"My favorite part," she said, "was how everyone took the time to really dress up, and some, I didn't even know if they were a girl or a guy.". . .Read More

POV, Critique, Opinion: Oregon's "Pregnant Man" Hoax

Right in a Left World

March 31, 2008


News out of Bend, Oregon is that male resident, Thomas Beatie, is 22 weeks pregnant. Articles have been written and an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show is scheduled. Looking closer, news of a Pregnant “Man” is just a myth.

Thomas Beatie, the Bend, Oregon man making news as a “Pregnant Man” was born Tracy LaGondino, a woman, 34 years ago. Tracy was a lesbian who fought for the right of gay couples to adopt children and against hate crimes in Hawaii, before moving to Bend 2 years ago.

Tracy fell in love with another woman, Nancy Roberts in Hawaii and they desired to be married, strictly against even Hawaii’s liberal laws.

Tracy decided she should obtain a sex change because Hawaii's laws did not support same sex marriage. She underwent a double radical mastectomy and began hormone therapy to change her gender to that of a male, but keeping her female reproductive organs. . . .Read More

Spotlight: Mak nyahs have not abandoned God

NSTonline

2008/04/06

DIANA (not her real name), a transgender, works as a nurse in a local hospital.

Recently, she had been given a Quran by her superior, who enrolled her into a counselling session and asked her to bertaubat (repent).

At the Mak nyah Drop-in Centre of PT Foundation, mak nyahs have religious studies, too.

But a marked difference is they are not asked to "repent".

Instead, every Thursday and Saturday for two hours, Ustaz Muhamad Kasim Mohd Osman from the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) explains Islamic teachings to his students using simple terms in a non-judgmental manner.

Mak nyahs learn about fardu ain - the fundamental obligations of an individual, which include solat (prayers), zakat (tithes) and puasa (fasting). They are also given guidance in self-motivation, personality-building and personal development.

Response, ever since classes started four years ago, has been nothing less than exceptional.

It's a misconception that transgenders do not believe in religion, says Khartini Slamah.

"I'm a Muslim and a transgender. I don't feel a conflict.

I still believe in God. Many Malay mak nyahs believe in religion. We pray five times a day, but we don't have to tell people that. We don't have to."

Twenty-five years ago, it was almost impossible to string the words "Islam" and "transsexuals" in one sentence without creating some sort of confrontation. . . .Read More

What's a 'ze' to do? A transgender approach

By Stephanie Innes

Arizona Daily Star
4.6.2008

For some people, "he" and "she" are limiting terms.

While many of the transgender people at last week's "Transgender 2008" conference in Tucson were transsexuals who strongly believe that at one time they were a woman trapped in a man's body or vice versa, others said the distinction is less clear.

Some say "man" or "woman" doesn't describe who they are. A few prefer gender-neutral pronouns, like "ze" for he and she, and "hir" (pronounced "here") for his and her. Others refer to themselves in written form as s/he to denote both their male and female sides.

Post-genderism or moving beyond the gender binary was a common theme during the conference, particularly among many younger transgender people who are more at ease than some of their older counterparts with calling themselves gender blenders, gender queer or nonconforming. . . .Read More

Transgender Talk Show Host Tackles Taboos in India

by Scott Carney

Day to Day, April 3, 2008 · India may be the home of the Kama Sutra, but for years frank talk about sex has been utterly taboo.

Lately, however, a transgender talk show host is changing the boundaries of dialogue. In recent episodes of her show Ippadikku Rose, Rose has tackled workplace harassment, divorce, premarital sex and the benefits of legalizing prostitution.

In the past, blunt discussion of such topics has drawn serious backlash. In 2005, for example, a popular Tamil actress was slapped with a lawsuit when she broached the subject of premarital sex. Around the same time, a nightclub was shut down after a photo in a local paper showed a couple kissing on its leather couches. . . .Listen and Read More

The New Dowse Celebrates Gender Diversity

7 April 2008


Trans-what? Assume Nothing: Demystifying and Celebrating Gender Diversity

Transsexual, intersex, pan-sexual – when you enter TheNewDowse’s latest exhibition Assume Nothing, you will be greeted by a series of intimate portraits and a long list of terms that illustrate the diversity of gender identity.

However, photographer Rebecca Swan says this list is by no means exhaustive.

“There are terms like transgender, transsexual, whakawāhine, fa’afafine, hermaphrodite or intersex, as well as drag kings and drag queens. But within those boxes, every person’s way of identifying their gender is unique. Not everyone fits neatly into these categories. The title sums it up – although sometimes it’s challenging, I try not to assume anything about anyone’s gender identity or in-fact anything about them including their sexual identity.” she says.

Swan’s intimate portraits of people who have alternative gender identities will be shown publicly at TheNewDowse from April 12, alongside new documentary footage by award-winning director Kirsty McDonald.

Featuring several well-known personalities, such as politician Georgina Beyer, performer Carmen Rupe, activist and educator Mani Bruce Mitchell and artist Shigeyuki Kihara, the exhibition profiles over 20 people who define their own gender identity. . . .Read More

Transsexual trucker wins sex discrimination claim

April 7, 2008 icWales


A transsexual trucker has won a sex discrimination claim after he was forced out of his job just weeks after arriving at work dressed as a woman.

Former soldier Mike Gaynor was well-liked and respected in his trucking job in Liverpool, which he landed in October 2006.

But trouble began when the twice-married father arrived for his shift to transport biscuits to a depot near Cardiff as Vikki-Marie, wearing make-up and jewellery.

The former scout leader, who obtained his HGV licence with the Royal Corps of Transport, told bosses in February last year that he intended to become a woman. . . .Read More