Rick Skye & Tomy Femmia in NYC

 

Winner of the 2012 "MAC" AWARD as BEST DUO
Rick Skye and Tommy Femia
in

"JUDY AND LIZA TOGETHER AGAIN!"
Extended through the Fall Season

Happening in the U.K.

WayOut Club last week held there LAST event at 2AD.  The next event will happen on August 25th at Abbey 33 Minories EC3N 1DD, and Vickie has a bunch of new announcements to tickle your fancies!

Cyrsti's Transgender Condo: Mentally Ill

My friend Cyrsti says she feel much better since "illness" has been downgraded to "dysphoria" by the medical community.

Cyrsti's Transgender Condo: Mentally Ill

Transgender Models -- Talent or Hype?

Isis King was the first model to step out on America's Next Top Model, even though there were many transgender models in the world of fashion before her.  GLADD announced that "

America’s Next Top Model kicks off its 19th cycle next Friday with an all-new set of judges after Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel and Miss J. Alexander were given the boot.

But it’s an international version of the show—there have been more than two dozen to date—making waves right now: Season Three of Korea’s Next Top Model features among its cast of aspiring fashionistas Choi Han-bit, who is transgender."

Is allowing transgender models on the show an open door policy that anyone who can pull it off can compete, or merely a new TV hype for ratings?  And does it matter? I've noted my thoughts on sensationalism before.  

Two beginnings of Trans Experience

In an article where the author looks at the origins of transsexualism from both a political and medical point of view, she notes in closing that "I see no difficulty in the concept of blending the medical treatment schemas for transsexual individuals and antidiscrimination and equality goals of transgender community activism into trans identity. But that said, not every person of transsexual history would agree with me – some see these two points of origin as being so separate as to be in conflict with the other point of view. It’s in this view of inherent conflict one can find the lack of solidarity in what it means to be trans, or of trans history."

While I would agree with her that there should not be a conflict, there is, and many transwomen I've known had a huge problem with living as out transwomen.  To them they were trans while in the wrong body, but post surgery were no longer trans -- they were now just women.  

Yet in an interview I did some years ago with the Vogue model Lauren Foster, she noted that "I think that being TS shouldn’t be one’s defining statement, it should just be part of our life’s journey, our experience.," but she also later in the interview talked about owning her past, because without it, then she had no past.  

So in my view, in this day and age, one should come out as trans: when you are open and honest there is less to remember later.   

What do you think?

Will Trans Be Welcomed To Congregation?

Holland. Micigan  —

Scot Miller, adult ministries director at Georgetown United Methodist Church, will speak about accepting transgender people into the community at a 7 p.m. meeting of PFLAG on Friday.
Miller will describe an experience during Quaker worship that caused a shift in his own attitude. He will also discuss what steps the Christian community can take to be welcoming to all people.
The meeting will be at Grace Episcopal Church, 555 Michigan Ave.

Kids Know Who They Are

I've said many times that kids are the best equipped to know who they are, long before society has the opportunity to whip them into the shape they expect of them.  And yesterday's story goes a long way to supporting that statement.

The mother of a transgender kid went through all the meetings with doctors, psychiatrists, searched the web, and ultimately came to understand -- at least in theory -- what her child was expressing.  At the close of the article she states:

 "I think parents of trans kids are the best parents ever. They unconditionally love their children, even when they don’t completely understand what their child is going through. So, my advice to other parents is really just to love their child, no matter what, and to stay strong. This is not about you or your religion and beliefs; it’s about your child. And get a great therapist, and an even better lawyer. Never let anyone question you. If your child is happy and a nice person, then you are doing the right thing."

Well said!