Does Trans Relate to Trans?

Generally speaking, though I have lots of gay friends -- and love them all -- they have never really understood me, often asking why I wanted to be someone else; my friend Lauren Foster -- the stunning Vogue model whom I interviewed some years back -- was revered by the gay community, though she too claims they never understood why being born male she wanted to be a woman.

My India Journey

Since I'm in Bangalore India for six months, I thought it relevant to post some things happening here from time to time. Above is a little girl I pass most everyday, and she might be the youngest mediator, what do you think?

In a Bad Economy Some Good News

In a recent letter hailed by advocates in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, the Department of Health and Human Services clarified that provisions in the Affordable Care Act prohibiting sex discrimination in health insurance apply to transgender people.

One of The Girls, or a Third Gender?

Would American transsexual woman endorse a third gender designation? In Pakistan, transgender women have long been considered good luck for both newborns and newlyweds — and perform both at baby showers and weddings. Despite this, they continue to face discrimination in this otherwise conservative Muslim country. 

Do You Know About Gender Reel?

The second annual Gender Reel is just around the corner, September 7-9 in Philadelphia.  

The first of its kind on the east coast, Gender Reel is the only multi-media festival dedicated to enhancing the visibility of gender non-conforming and transgender artists in film, photography, art and performance.

Learn more here

How To Spot 6 Lies

In Paris Lees notebook she notes that "As Julia Serano notes in the eminently sensible Whipping Girl, traditional media have set stories to tell." It’s true, she says, "I was due to appear on morning TV last month but was dropped after I declined to share “before” photos. Must I be reduced to shock, surgery and before-and-after shots? Trans people won various legal rights in 2004, including the right to marry, but, unlike the gay marriage debate, this received scant press. That same year the tabloids were saturated with “jokes” about Big Brother contestant Nadia Almada. There is public appetite for stories about trans people after all: point-and-stare ones."

According to Paris there are six lies that journalists use that can be easily spotted.  Read her blop here to read them.

Do You Show Support for Trans Positive Vendors

We all talk about wanting more access to the mainstream products, services, and venues. We all seek general acceptance  to be judged for who we are and not what we are.  But do you go out of your way to support those are offer you that acceptance.