My Husband Wears My Clothes

In May, 2006 WE television presented Secret Lives of Women Married to Crossdressers. This is the story of Melanie, a married, heterosexual crossdresser and wife.

Largo Commissioner Andy Guyette: Why he voted to oust Steve Stanton

By LORRI HELFAND, Times Staff Writer

April 18, 2008


Ask Andy Guyette about his most trying times as a city commissioner and of course he mentions Steve Stanton. ¶ "It was the hardest period of my life outside of my father's death," said Guyette, 50, who resigned last week to take a job in Huntsville, Ala.

Early last year, the news that Stanton planned to have a sex-change operation turned Largo City Hall into the center ring of a media circus.

Commissioners got thousands of e-mails. TV satellite trucks took over the parking lot. Hundreds of protesters packed City Commission meetings.

And in the end, Guyette voted to dismiss a city manager with a string of favorable evaluations.

Many said the vote was bigoted.

"It was bad enough having to make the decision," Guyette said. "The repercussions added to it."

In response, he said his decision was based on what he learned about Stanton's leadership, not who he was as a person. . . .Read More

'You're going to be gay'

Maggie Downs

18 April 2008


"Stereotypes are funny," said Shann Carr, stirring a cup of tea at Michael's Diner in Rancho Mirage.

She flips her book open to a page of a girl in a football uniform.

"It might not be politically correct, but sometimes stereotypes are there for a reason," she said.

Carr, a lesbian stand-up comedian, is the author of a new book, "You're Going to be Gay!"

She points to a photo of a boy in a spandex figure skating outfit.

"I mean, come on!" she laughed. "He knew!"

The soft-cover book contains the childhood photos of 50 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adults, alongside funny quotes about growing up gay.

The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. . . .Read More

Transgender pefrormances front and center in touring cavalcade

By Erin Frustaci

4/18/2008


Though many theatrical performances boast about being one of a kind, The Tranny Roadshow truely fits the bill. As co-organizer, Jamez Terry of Maine, would say, it’s simply something no one else is doing and isn’t something that is typically seen.

But that was the point all along.

Terry, along with Kelly Shortandqueer (yes, that’s the last name he uses) of Denver, started The Tranny Roadshow in 2005 because they wanted to go on tour. It didn’t take them long to discover just how many other transgender performers had similar dreams.

“A lot of trans-performing artists are trying to make it on their own,” Terry said. “This is a chance for people dealing with the same experiences to work together and reach a larger audience. It allows the audience to see the diversity that exists in the trans community.”

Beyond just looking for the best talent, Terry said performers are purposefully selected to represent a rage of experiences. The group is made up of individuals in their ’20s to late ’70s of both feminine and masculine identities, from various parts of the country with a variety of ethnic backgrounds and family structures. . . .Read More

Transgender workshop offers interview, resume tips

By DYANA BAGBY

April 18, 2008


The first Transgender Job Preparedness Workshop will be held April 25 at AID Atlanta.

“We’re facilitating the free [workshop] to offer trans-identified individuals resume writing tips, interview tips,” said Tracee McDaniel, founder of the Juxtaposed Center for Transformation, sponsor of the event.

“We have everyday life needs that need to be taken care of while waiting for the political process” to work for transgender people, said McDaniel, who is transgender. “This is a way to help alleviate economic strains we face.” . . .Read More

Stephen Bishop - It Might Be You (Tootsie Theme)

Tootsie: 25th Anniversary Edition

By Stunt Pussy

April 15, 2008

I love ‘Tootsie’. She’s like the woman we all wanna be. Even if you happen to be male. And being male just seems to be Michael Dorsey’s (Dustin Hoffman) problem in every sense. So what do you do if one gender isn’t working out for you? Dress up as a woman of course. Michael is an actor so desperate for work that he tackles the dresses and the eyebrow plucking to become Dorothy Michaels, a woman who gets the part of head nurse in a hospital soap opera.

Long before Mrs Doubtfire was even a speck in the mind of Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman was toying with the idea of ‘Shirley’, a woman who, beneath all the costume and make up, is a man. A perfect reason for a man to dress up as a woman would be an out of work actor who finds the perfect job… The catch? It’s a female character. After some script rewrites, Shirley became Dorothy and ‘Tootsie’ was born, released in the US in 1982.

So clearly the plot has been given away already right? Male protagonist (man) can’t do something as a male, man dresses up a woman, man as woman makes with the funnies, man learns lessons as woman and, for the big climatic finale, man’s true identity is revealed before everyone, much to the disgust of some characters whilst betraying some others. This movie is no different. . . .Read More

Girls will be boys!

17 April 2008

There's total chaos in the world of fashion. Men and women are invading each others wardrobes and a new form of fashion is taking over androgynous clothing or the Annie Hall look. Read on

Girls have grabbed men's clothes, with waistcoats and shirts now in their domain, men have laid their hands on ladies makeup.

Catering to this new fashion trend are brands like Mango, Tommy Hilfiger and Benetton.

An international rage, the look makes women look sexy in almost as-sexual way. It's all about wearing a thin white cotton men's shirt with sleeves rolled up, tails roughly tucked into mannish trousers! Benetton has named their new androgynous collection 'Her like Him'.

Androgyny in India

The Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week also saw many fashion designers whose collections had a few garments with the androgynous touch. For instance, in Raghavendra Rathore's 'Rathore Jodhpur' collection female models wore Jodhpurs with well-structured jackets. Also, in Ashish Soni's finale show, models strutted down the ramp in men's suits. . . .Read More

Ridiculous transphobia in the Boston Globe

Alex Blaze

15 April 2008


He's not a man, this Jerry. He's not even married like I am.
--Milos from Seinfeld

Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby, in true gasbag form, has decided that he knows more about transgender experiences and Gender Identity Disorder than transgender people themselves do (as well as doctors and psychologists and anyone else who's listening). So he took to his column this week to remind everyone that what it takes to be a woman is making babies and what it takes to be a man is a penis.

Jesus fucking Christ, people, it's all that simple: those bra-burning feminists, dirty queers, and confused trans-folk should give up on their movement to live freely and honestly; it's making certain pundits feel insecure. . . .Read More

Trans candidate, among others, ousted in Italian election

April 16, 2008

Alessandra Rizzo

The Roman princess didn't make it; the transgender lawmaker is out; the self-professed Fascist is in.

There are some fresh faces in the new Italian parliament and some spectacular exclusions. Communists and Socialists are out for the first time since World War II, as the number of parties represented between the two houses has gone from scores to about half a dozen.

''We are facing a profound change not just of our political system, but in our entire national history,'' the leading daily Corriere della Sera said Wednesday. . . .Read More

Kate Bornstein on voice

Political activist for transgender persons.

Transphobia runs deep

What's so weird about a pregnant man? Maybe you guys should get out more

By Jesse Thiessen, 4.15.2008


If one thing is evident from all the hoopla over Thomas Beatie, the transgender pregnant man from Bend, it's that transphobia is very much alive and tolerated, even in our progressive city that was called "a mecca for transsexuals" by Lori Sirotsky of the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition.

Beatie and his wife's situation (his wife is sterile, hence the decision for him to carry the child) has been dissected and judged every which way since the national LGBT magazine The Advocate published an account of their struggle, penned by Beatie himself. He later went on The Oprah Winfrey Show, where a seemingly-flustered Oprah tried to grapple with the issue at hand, probing him about the state of his genitals as well as asking the rather ignorant question: "Why not just be a lesbian?"

Oprah and company seem to mean well, but blatantly offensive statements are almost falling out of the mouths of some. Take Susan Nielsen, columnist for the Oregonian. The Sunday after the Oprah interview, she published a rather refreshing piece questioning her own knee-jerk intolerance towards Beatie's situation, making statements such as, "If you support gay rights but draw the line at pregnant men on Oprah, it's worth asking why."

She goes on to say, "I'm not ready for this story. But still, I can't stop thinking about Beatie's doctor and neighbors in Bend, who appeared on TV to express their support. They managed to wrap their minds around the idea of their expectant transgender neighbor. They shamed me into thinking twice." A thoughtful self-examination. . . .Read More

SHOW SOME BLOODY RESPECT

by Maxi Shield

4.17.2008

Heels for you, sir? Are you Arthur, Martha or maybe both? As usual I was swishing down Oxford St last Saturday night. I had just finished Curry-Oake at the Tandoori Palace and was heading down to perform at the Midnight Shift. To say I stuck out would be an understatement. Sequined dress and huge boa, all in white, I seemed to be a beacon for all to see. I was met with the usual hoots and cheers from those who were comfortable seeing a drag queen on Oxford St. But I was surprised to hear numerous “ya fucking tranny” lines which really rocked my apple cart. I have heard the names “faggot” or “poofter” so many times, but this increased negative use of the word “tranny” really upset me. . . .Read More

200 trans rights advocates lobby Congress

Visitors from 29 states ask lawmakers to oppose gay-only ENDA

By LOU CHIBBARO JR., Washington Blade | Apr 16, 2008


Nearly 200 transgender rights activists and their supporters descended on Washington from 29 states this week to urge Congress to support legislation aimed at ending discrimination and violence.

Participants in a March 14 lobby day organized by the Washington-based National Center for Transgender Equality said they hoped to put aside the sharp disagreements that surfaced last year over a decision by House Democratic leaders to remove transgender protections from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

“Our lobbying will educate lawmakers about our lives, who we are and why we are working hard to end discrimination against all people but especially people who face from discrimination because of their gender identity,” said Mara Keisling, the Center’s executive director. . . .Read More

POV, Critique, Opinion: Pregnant man rebuts transgender arguments

April 17, 2008

Jeffrey Winslow


It has been pretty apparent that The Telegraph has been trying to do a major public relations job pushing the transgender agenda into the spotlight.

The transgender community wants you to believe that they were born the wrong sex. By using the media to show how happy they are when they are allowed to alter their bodies to the opposite sex, we are supposed to see that this is how they were meant to be.

We must ignore the fact that their biological body does not support their theory in any way. And if you don't, you don't appreciate diversity.

But their physical bodies show the facts. It has always been more likely that they suffer from a compulsion or obsession to be the opposite sex, rather than that their body is built wrong. . . .Read More

Tianjin transsexual gets new Chinese ID card as a woman

www.chinaview.cn 2008-04-16

Editor: Jiang Yuxia


BEIJING, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Ying Ning, the 33-year-old Tianjin man who became a woman through transsexual operations, got a new Chinese ID card as a female on Tuesday.

"I am so excited to receive it after a month-long wait," said Ying, who is believed to be the first transsexual person in China to go public with the media under a new gender.

"The ID card has a special meaning for me, that I have been accepted by society. It will be the beginning of my new life," Ying told a reporter with the Tianjin-based newspaper Daily News. . . .Read More

Grayson Perry

A transvestite artist speaks about the importance of being unique and different.

From the shadows

13 Apr 2008, S Shanthi; Amrita Singh TNN

Participants walk the ramp at a beauty competition for the third sex in New Delhi You spot them at traffic signals, wearing makeup, brightly coloured sarees and flowers in their hair, mocking and demanding a few bucks. Their visibility has been limited to this and some social occasions where they, again, turn up to ask for money. A misunderstood community suffering from social stigma, the third sex in India has for long been kept out of the mainstream. But times, they are a-changing. Today, you can see them hosting TV shows, acting in serials, getting driving licences, contesting elections, working in call centres and modelling for calendars. The third sex in India is slowly coming out of the closet and entering the mainstream. And, they are finally getting their long overdue support from the government and NGOs. The Tamil Nadu government in fact recently decided to grant them official status and give them ration cards. Rose, the first member of the third sex to anchor a chat show, on a Tamil TV channel, says, "I wanted to challenge society, wanted to make people understand the real me. I realised this could be possible only through media, which can reach the masses. Hence, I developed a concept and approached a television channel, which appreciated my idea. Thus, my chat show was launched on a Tamil channel." The show was an instant hit and Rose's producer is all praise for her. "When all other TV channels asked 'why Rose?' our point was 'why not Rose?' She has the right attitude, is smart, intelligent and with excellent communication skills, which are the pre-requisites for any anchor and that was enough for us," says programming head, Pradeep Milroy Peter. Rose is one among many path-breaking members of the third sex. Rahul Singh, an activist with the Naz Foundation, says many of his friends from that community are working in call centres and running their own businesses. Family acceptance is also gradually coming. He recalls an incident where a middle class business family not only came to terms with its child's transsexual status but have also accepted her marriage. She had gone through school and college posing as a male. It was a shock to the family when she decided to follow her heart but the parents have accepted her now. . . .Read More

Questioning gender bends College

11 April 2008 | By Devan Barbar, Flat Hat Staff Columnist

Why do people on this campus choose such bizarre events to get upset about?

We are facing economic depression, an ongoing war halfway across the world and an historic presidential race, and yet people take time out of their day to worry about guys wearing skirts? GenderBending Day, which took place yesterday, was, apparently, something to get worked up about — flyers were torn down and vandalized, the event was mocked and some even took offense at its mere presence.

While I wasn’t involved in planning the event (and, I confess, did not participate), the premise of GenderBending Day seems clear. Students were encouraged to dress in a way that exposed typical conceptions of gender, either by cross-dressing or deviating from their typical feminine or masculine style. Essentially, the students in this group wanted to address the difference between sex and gender and encourage people to think critically about how our culture enforces a female versus male binary. Basically: Why do we claim that gender roles are somehow naturally and inextricably tied to sex?

GenderBending Day, as you can imagine, did not see wide involvement. That’s not to say that the event wasn’t successful — it certainly sparked discussion, and the students who did participate had great experiences. I’m sure it was no surprise to the group that most students on campus were either too busy to remember the event in the first place or too uncomfortable with its premise. The negative responses from some individuals, however, were somewhat shocking. Sure, GenderBending Day isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but did people really have to have a big problem with it? . . .Read More, including Readers' Comments

The Rationing of Rights

April 19, 2008


Tamil Nadu’s recent addition of a third gender column on ration card applications is one of a series of much needed, progressive reforms that benefit hijras, says MORGAN HARRINGTON

DISCRIMINATED AGAINST and forced to live in secluded communities, India’s hijras have always had to fight for basic entitlements. Two weeks ago, however, a major victory was achieved when Tamil Nadu added a third gender to ration cards. Hijras may now enter a ‘T’ (for transgender) in place of a ‘M’ or ‘F’ on ration cards. The move makes Tamil Nadu the first Indian state to officially recognise its hijra citizens.

The new rule is cause for great joy. “The government has now recognised us as a third gender. It gives us much needed dignity in society,” says Noori, an HIV positive hijra, head of the South India Positive Network in Chennai. While an alphabet on a ration card may seem like a benign technicality, for Tamil Nadu’s estimated one lakh hijras (known locally as aravanis) it is a significant achievement. Ration cards, voting forms and passports have been available for aravanis only after a great deal of struggle. Ignorant administrators would leave the gender category blank, merely entering kuduma thalaivar (head of family) or, more often, ‘male’. “It is a positive development which will encourage more aravanis to openly declare themselves as transgenders,” says Jeeva, who heads the Transgenders Rights Association. Jeeva got her card in 2006, where she is referred to as kuduma thalaivar but her associate Shabina Francis is identified as ‘female.’

Historically, Tamil Nadu has had a very visible aravani community and, more recently, very vocal aravani

Yet, being hijra affects citizenship. Rose says, “It’s only been three or four years that ‘trans people’ have started asking for identity cards. Even now when we go and ask for IDs they don’t have a proper system to scrutinise our applications. Take my case. I wanted to change from a male name to a female one and retain the gender ‘M’ on my passport. If you want to change your gender on your passport, you need to have a sex reassignment surgery and I haven’t done that. For nine months my application was frozen because they didn’t know what to do.” activists. An aravani festival is held in the town of Koovagam annually, with a highly competitive “Miss Koovagam” beauty contest. Recently, it has been home to India’s first transgender television star, Rose. . . .Read More