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The essential conflict between transitioners and non-transitioners 30 Apr 2014 7:25 PM (10 years ago)

I've written before that I believe most transgender people share the same basic feelings: gender dysphoria, transgender desire and gender fog. Whether you are transsexual, transvestite, drag queen, drag king, butch lesbian, genderqueer, non-binary or something else, you almost certainly experience one of those feelings, and probably all three. Whatever neurological claims you may have read

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The big tent and the Day of Rembembrance 5 Dec 2013 5:58 PM (11 years ago)

In my family, when we celebrate Passover we often have non-Jewish friends join us for dinner. Enjoying their company in an overtly Jewish context helps to defuse potential prejudice, and the specific activity of the night, the retelling of the story of slavery in Egypt and our exodus from it, gives them the opportunity to condemn the slavery and in turn reaffirm their tolerance for us and our

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Kate Bornstein Needs Your Help 21 Mar 2013 6:55 AM (12 years ago)

Kate Bornstein is fighting cancer. Help her kick its ass by donating something to help her pay her bills and for her treatment. I can say for one thing: I don't know that I'd be around without her. Please let's keep her alive. She blew the roof off this trans thing for so many of us; she continues to do amazing work year in and year out, and her heart is about as big as they come. I know that

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The curious incident of the trans feelings 7 Feb 2013 7:55 PM (12 years ago)

There's an ugly bit of misinformation going around the Internet, that feelings of gender discomfort always get worse with age. I discovered it the other day in the comments to a New York Tines "Ethicist"column responding to an older trans person. The first comment was by a post-transition woman named Zoe Brain: "Gender Dysphoria varies in intensity, and is also progressive." It was echoed by

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What is transphobia? 19 Sep 2012 7:23 PM (12 years ago)

You've all heard the Trans 101 definition: "irrational or persistent fears or non-acceptance towards people whose gender identity or expression differs from the gender they were assigned at birth. Transphobia can lead to direct or indirect discrimination or harassment in a variety of forms; the common theme is a misunderstanding of, or failure to respect, gender diversity." Are you ready for

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Trans United for Obama Launches Nationwide Volunteer Effort 13 Jun 2012 5:17 AM (12 years ago)

WASHINGTON, June 8 — Trans United for Obama, a national volunteer effort, has launched a campaign to rally transgender people, their allies, families, and supporters in the re-election campaign of President Barack Obama. The campaign, organized by a group of transgender advocates, educators, bloggers, authors, and their families and allies, aims to educate people about the historic changes

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Why HRC, GLAAD and TLC’s advocacy hurts the transgender community 18 Dec 2011 7:54 PM (13 years ago)

Today I got an email from the Human Rights Campaign saying, "Tell ABC: Your new comedy is no laughing matter." It's about this new television show called "Work It." HRC says,As part of their winter line-up, ABC is releasing a new comedy called "Work It," featuring two men who dress as women in order to get jobs. The problem is that the premise reinforces false, hurtful stereotypes about

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Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and Don't be Trans 20 Sep 2011 4:54 AM (13 years ago)

History is being made today for the lesbian, gay, bi, and respective non-heterosexual communities the US Military policy Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) officially is repealed. Everyone is celebrating, and I'm celebrating too, but I have to admit I'm more jaded than joyful. Today as the LGB military is coming out, trans* military is being left out. As an activist

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The curious incident of the healthy transwoman 28 Jul 2011 9:03 PM (13 years ago)

by Angus "Andrea" Grieve-SmithI've noticed that transgender health researchers tend to focus on people with health problems, and that makes sense. Consequently, I've often felt a bit guilty talking about transgender health issues. I don't have a sexually transmitted disease, the worst thing I'm addicted to is sugar, I've never been bashed, and I'm not depressed or suicidal. So why should I

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The consequences of sampling bias 16 Jul 2011 9:04 PM (13 years ago)

By Angus "Andrea" Grieve-SmithI wanted to go into a bit more detail about something I've mentioned before: that the use of non-representative samples can cause problems down the line. To illustrate this, I want to examine the claims of health disparities that Emilia Dunham lists in her Bay Windows article. Transgender people take more hormones and have have more surgeries than average.

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Just Stop, OUT!Wear 13 Jul 2011 9:31 AM (13 years ago)

Ugh. An LGBT clothing retailer is selling WBW t-shirts, which stands for "women born women" which is a policy used by spaces that exclude trans women, such as Michigan Women's Festival.Ugh. How awful. How insensitive, and shitty, and irresponsible, and yes, I'm going to say it, how TRANSPHOBIC.Just cut it out.Bug them on their FB page, or via their website.What complete bullshit.

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DC Trans Coalition Findings 7 Jul 2011 10:47 AM (13 years ago)

from the DC Trans Coalition:Washington, DC – The DC Trans Coalition today released summary findings from the first phase of its ongoing Needs Assessment Project, which found that transgender, transsexual, and gender non-conforming people in the District of Columbia – regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status – have serious concerns about their safety as they go about their everyday

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A critical opportunity in transgender research 2 Jul 2011 10:19 PM (13 years ago)

By Angus "Andrea" Grieve-SmithThe Department of Health and Human Services has just made a big announcement: they will begin collecting data on LGBT issues, including transgender issues. The goal is to document disparities in health care, as well as plain old disparities in health, so that they can be addressed in the future. The plan is to have two roundtables on "gender identity data collection"

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The closet corrodes your soul 17 May 2011 8:03 PM (13 years ago)

Cross-posted from my personal trans blog.I’ve talked before about the value of being out of the closet – the global political value. But being out can be valuable in a more direct, immediate way. It can save us from the closet.When I first started cross-dressing, I knew that it was not acceptable. I had heard so many people making fun of transvestites that I didn’t think that anyone would

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Tenured radical on Chaz 17 May 2011 4:44 PM (13 years ago)

Claire Potter at Tenured Radical on Chaz Bono and Transitionhttp://tenured-radical.blogspot.com/Famous people live in bubbles; the children of famous people also live in bubbles, and benefit much less from the experience.  Witness Chaz, the only child of Salvatore "Sonny" Bono and Cherilyn Sarkisian, otherwise known as Cher. One of the many criticisms that will doubtless emerge about Chaz Bono's

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Almost a Transgender Role Model 16 May 2011 10:11 AM (13 years ago)

Here's a cross post from my blog, www.ninaherenorthere.comI really wanted Chaz Bono to be a transgender hero. By sharing his transition in his film, “Becoming Chaz,” and in his memoir, “Transition: The Story of How I became a Man,” he is offering gender-questioning people an intimate entry into his personal experience. With his fame, he is raising much-needed awareness about a marginalized

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TX Trans Marriage Bill 24 Apr 2011 8:30 PM (13 years ago)

Monica Roberts has been covering a proposed bill call SB 723; her most recent update is here. It's in the Senate, & what it will do is make it illegal to use a court order about name/gender change to apply for a marriage license. The only reason it's been proposed is to mess with the legal marriages of trans women to men, such as in the Nikki Araguz.If you live in TX, call your senators now and

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Survey:: By & For 24 Apr 2011 5:07 PM (13 years ago)

There's a new cool survey out for - and more importantly, by - trans people. Non trans people can take it too: it examines attitudes about self, gender, & relationships. The researcher explains:My advisor and I are painfully aware that most surveys in psychology are not inclusive of—or even recognizing of—trans spectrum identities because we ourselves have trans spectrum identities.

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West Michigan Trans 19 Apr 2011 4:25 PM (13 years ago)

There are plans afoot for an educational/outreach conference for West Michigan. Here is their call for organizers:Call For Organizers: Transgender Education Collaboration of West Michigan (2011-2012)A collaborative plan for educating West Michigan about transgender, gender variant, and intersex issues Why?There is a need for education about Transgendered, gender variant, and intersex issues in

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As Goes Maine, so goes---? 18 Apr 2011 5:01 AM (13 years ago)

Here's a cross post from my blog, www.jenniferboylan.netYesterday, I spoke to the Maine legislature’s Judiciary committee. A bill has been proposed to “exempt” transgender people from protections under the Maine Human Rights Act, which went into effect six years ago. Currently, Maine protects GLBT people from discrimination, and this includes a so called “public accommodations” provision of the

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Discrimination Suit: Man Enough 11 Apr 2011 2:28 PM (14 years ago)

A man whose job it was to make sure men in recovery don't switch their urine for someone else's got fired because he wasn't born with a penis.TLDEF brought the case, which has now been reported in The New York Times.So here's how you tell this is discrimination: if a man who had lost his penis in an accident had this job, no one would have fired him for being penis-less. If a man who had

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ENDA 30 Mar 2011 8:11 AM (14 years ago)

ENDA has been re-introduced in the House as of today, according to NCTE and TLDEF. More updates as they come through.

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The Rebecca Juro Show Is Live Tonight At 7pm Eastern With Guest HRC Press Secretary Michael Cole-Schwartz 24 Mar 2011 7:48 AM (14 years ago)

On this week’s Rebecca Juro Show we welcome Human Rights Campaign Press Secretary Michael Cole-Schwartz. We’ll talk with Michael about HRC’s advocacy of LGBT rights, where they are now and where they’re going. There’s been a lot of discussion about HRC’s past and their history with the trans and grassroots communities, but on this show we’re going to talk about the future. Can HRC and the trans

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RIP: Julie Anne Johnson 2 Mar 2011 2:53 PM (14 years ago)

For those of you in the Chicago area, especially those who helped put together the Be-All, my condolences on the loss of activist Julie Anne Johnson. She was a cool lady & liked trains more than I do, even. The Chicago Tribune carried her obituary.

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Threats to “Women’s Rights” Step on Trans Toes 21 Feb 2011 12:09 PM (14 years ago)

The recent legislative and funding threats to abortion rights, sexual assault, and sexual health (aka Planned Parenthood) have been described as an attack on women's health. I do not agree with this... at least not in full. I have been getting a surge of petition and action emails from the sexual health organizations I work with, and I've been working hard to get the word out. The problem is that

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