Showing posts with label Transgender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transgender. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Military Lifts Transgender Ban
Recently the military has lifted the ban on Trans people who can serve in the military. While my friend (who was an active member of SPARTA ) was happy about the lifting, they also mentioned that there is still work to do on some of the policies and that this only signified a milestone in the endless battle.
How do you all keep going?
Read more about the lifting of the Ban here.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Gynecologists told to prepare to treat transgender patients
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has come out with a new statement for their members: it’s time to prepare to work with transgender patients.
DeLas
To address the significant health care disparities of transgender individuals and to improve their access to care, ob-gyns should prepare to provide routine treatment and screening or refer them to other physicians, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College). In a Committee Opinion published today, The College also states its opposition to gender identity discrimination and supports both public and private health insurance coverage for gender identity disorder treatment.Their statement specifically addresses the gynecological needs of transgender men, who may still require cervical and breast cancer screenings, as well as other gynecological (and even obstetric) care.
“We need to make our offices settings that treat all patients with respect,” said Dr. Buyers. The College offers ob-gyns suggestions on how to create an office environment that is welcoming to transgender patients. For instance, asking patients their preferred name and pronoun, posting non-discrimination policies, ensuring confidentiality, and offering sensitivity training for staff are all steps that signal acceptance and let patients know that they will be treated with dignity. “We want the transgender community to know that we, as ob-gyns, care about their health.”Now let's see how quickly this catches on in Lexington (and the rest of Kentucky for that matter).
DeLas
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Transgender day of remembrance
First, let me apologize for the seven month absence. We've all been super busy and let the blog slide to the back burner. I'm going to try to get this thing going again because A. I think it's important and B. It's not too shabby and C. It's fun.
On that note, let's all take a moment and recognize that it is transgender day of remembrance.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is a day to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia, or the hatred or fear of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and acts to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1998 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender graphic designer, columnist, and activist to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts. Since its inception, TDoR has been held annually on November 20th, and has slowly evolved from the web-based project started by Smith into an international day of action. In 2010, TDoR was observed in over 185 cities throughout more than 20 countries.
There is a great article in the Huffington Post about how many LGBT groups consistently leave out the "T" when prioritizing their funding, programming etc. This is especially noticeable with groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) who beleive that the most important battle to fight for the "community" is to gain the right to marriage. In light of the recent brutal murder of transgender teen Shelley Hilliard, I don't think marriage should be one of our top five priorities (this is my opinion btdubs).
I'm curious to know what you think. What do you think should be the main priorities of LGBTIQ organizations and lobbying groups?
Let us also take a moment to remember the folks who have been murdered because they didn't adhere to societal gender norms and expectations. Here are some of them. You can see more at: http://www.transgenderdor.org/?page_id=1194
Ali
Location:Iraq
Cause of Death:executed for being transgender
Date of Death:2008, Month is Unknown
Video of Ali before she was executed: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2tDVtjQNfQ
Amanda Gonzalez-Andujar
Location: Queens, New York
Cause of Death: Strangled
Date of Death: March 27, 2010
Amanda was 29 years old.
Source:http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/04/01/2010-04-01_choked_to_death.html
Azra
Location: Izmir, Turkey
Cause of Death: Shot in the back of the head
Date of Death: April 27, 2010
Azra was 30 years old.
Source:http://iglhrc.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/recognition-of-an-organization-and-the-loss-of-a-leader/
Brenda
Location: Rome, Italy
Cause of Death: Burned to death
Date of Death: November 20, 2009
Sources:http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4019601050
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8370511.stm
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4019601440
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4019601818
Caprice Curry
Location: San Francisco, California
Cause of Death: Stabbed to death.
Date of Death: January 17, 2009
Caprice was 31 years old.
Cesar Torres
Location: El Paso, Texas
Cause of Death: Blunt Force Trauma
Date of Death: July 9, 2009
An autopsy report says Cesar died from blunt force trauma. He had cuts around his eyes, broken ribs, a broken nose, a ruptured liver, wrenched neck and several stab wounds. Cesar was 39 years old.
Estrella (Jose Angel) Venegas
Location: Mexicali, Mexico
Cause of Death: Shot in the chest and the forehead
Date of Death: December 13, 2009
Estrella was 32 years old
Sources: Estrella’s brother.
Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado
Location: Cayey, Peurto Rico
Cause of Death: decapitated
Date of Death: November 14, 2009
Jorge was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey, he was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso.
Jorge was 19 years old.
Sources: http://www.365gay.com/news/murder-suspect-thought-puerto-rico-gay-teen-was-a-woman/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2397832/hate_crime_gay_puerto_rican_teen_george.html
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/gay-puerto-rican-teen-decapitated-dismembered-and-burned.html
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/man-arrested-in-horrific-murder-of-puerto-rican-gay-teen.html
Toni Alston
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Cause of Death: shot to death
Date of Death: April 3, 2010
Toni was 44 years old.
Source:http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/04/14/1375123/family-asks-for-info-in-mans-killing.html
Stacey Lee aka Stacey Blahnik
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cause of Death unreported by police
Date of Death October 11, 2010
Stacey was 31 years old
Source:http://m.philly.com/phillycom/db_41090/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=rsn84XoX&src=cat
Nakhia (Nikki) Williams
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Cause of Death: Found near the dumpster next to her home, she had been shot.
Date of Death: August 20, 2008
Nikki was 29 years old..
Roy Antonio Jones III
Location: Southampton, NY
Cause of Death: Punched repeatedly and grabbed by the neck
Date of Death: August 1, 2010
Roy was 16 Months old.
Note: 20 year old Pedro Jones told police he had struck the infant several times with a closed fist. Jones said he was “trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.”
Source:http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/Southampton/293472/Suspect-in-Shinnecock-toddler-death-pleads-not-guilty-to-manslaughter
Myra Chanel Ical
Location: Houston, Texas
Cause of Death: Many wounds and defensive bruises.
Date of Death: January 18, 2010
Myra was 51 years old.
Source:http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100120-partially-clothed-folo
Mariah Malina Qualls
Location: San Francisco, California
Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma to the head.
Date of Death: December 9, 2009
Mariah was 23 years old
Sources:http://www.ktvu.com/news/22015154/detail.html
Lawrence King
Location: Oxnard, California
Cause of Death: Shot to death by a classmate because he liked to wear
women’s clothes. (Lawrence King was 15 years old).
Date of Death: February 12, 2008
Victoria Carmen White
Location Maplewood, New Jersey
Cause of Death shot
Date of Death September 12, 2010
Victoria was 28 years old.
Source:http://www.baristanet.com/2010/09/maplewood-murder-victim-transgender-female/
http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=261210&position=1&news_type=news
Adolphus Simmons
Location: Charleston, SC
Cause of Death: Shot to Death (Aldophus was 18 yrs. old)
Date of Death: January 21, 2008
Make sure you tell the transfolks in your life that you love them.
On that note, let's all take a moment and recognize that it is transgender day of remembrance.
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDoR) is a day to memorialize those who have been killed as a result of transphobia, or the hatred or fear of transgender and gender non-conforming people, and acts to bring attention to the continued violence endured by the transgender community. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1998 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender graphic designer, columnist, and activist to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester in Allston, Massachusetts. Since its inception, TDoR has been held annually on November 20th, and has slowly evolved from the web-based project started by Smith into an international day of action. In 2010, TDoR was observed in over 185 cities throughout more than 20 countries.
There is a great article in the Huffington Post about how many LGBT groups consistently leave out the "T" when prioritizing their funding, programming etc. This is especially noticeable with groups like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) who beleive that the most important battle to fight for the "community" is to gain the right to marriage. In light of the recent brutal murder of transgender teen Shelley Hilliard, I don't think marriage should be one of our top five priorities (this is my opinion btdubs).
I'm curious to know what you think. What do you think should be the main priorities of LGBTIQ organizations and lobbying groups?
Let us also take a moment to remember the folks who have been murdered because they didn't adhere to societal gender norms and expectations. Here are some of them. You can see more at: http://www.transgenderdor.org/?page_id=1194
Location:Iraq
Cause of Death:executed for being transgender
Date of Death:2008, Month is Unknown
Video of Ali before she was executed: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2tDVtjQNfQ
Location: Queens, New York
Cause of Death: Strangled
Date of Death: March 27, 2010
Amanda was 29 years old.
Source:http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/04/01/2010-04-01_choked_to_death.html
Location: Izmir, Turkey
Cause of Death: Shot in the back of the head
Date of Death: April 27, 2010
Azra was 30 years old.
Source:http://iglhrc.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/recognition-of-an-organization-and-the-loss-of-a-leader/
Location: Rome, Italy
Cause of Death: Burned to death
Date of Death: November 20, 2009
Sources:http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4019601050
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8370511.stm
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4019601440
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Politics/?id=3.0.4019601818
Location: San Francisco, California
Cause of Death: Stabbed to death.
Date of Death: January 17, 2009
Caprice was 31 years old.
Location: El Paso, Texas
Cause of Death: Blunt Force Trauma
Date of Death: July 9, 2009
An autopsy report says Cesar died from blunt force trauma. He had cuts around his eyes, broken ribs, a broken nose, a ruptured liver, wrenched neck and several stab wounds. Cesar was 39 years old.
Location: Mexicali, Mexico
Cause of Death: Shot in the chest and the forehead
Date of Death: December 13, 2009
Estrella was 32 years old
Sources: Estrella’s brother.
Location: Cayey, Peurto Rico
Cause of Death: decapitated
Date of Death: November 14, 2009
Jorge was found on the site of an isolated road in the city of Cayey, he was partially burned, decapitated, and dismembered, both arms, both legs, and the torso.
Jorge was 19 years old.
Sources: http://www.365gay.com/news/murder-suspect-thought-puerto-rico-gay-teen-was-a-woman/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2397832/hate_crime_gay_puerto_rican_teen_george.html
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/gay-puerto-rican-teen-decapitated-dismembered-and-burned.html
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/11/man-arrested-in-horrific-murder-of-puerto-rican-gay-teen.html
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Cause of Death: shot to death
Date of Death: April 3, 2010
Toni was 44 years old.
Source:http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/04/14/1375123/family-asks-for-info-in-mans-killing.html
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cause of Death unreported by police
Date of Death October 11, 2010
Stacey was 31 years old
Source:http://m.philly.com/phillycom/db_41090/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=rsn84XoX&src=cat
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Cause of Death: Found near the dumpster next to her home, she had been shot.
Date of Death: August 20, 2008
Nikki was 29 years old..
Location: Southampton, NY
Cause of Death: Punched repeatedly and grabbed by the neck
Date of Death: August 1, 2010
Roy was 16 Months old.
Note: 20 year old Pedro Jones told police he had struck the infant several times with a closed fist. Jones said he was “trying to make him act like a boy instead of a little girl.”
Source:http://www.27east.com/news/article.cfm/Southampton/293472/Suspect-in-Shinnecock-toddler-death-pleads-not-guilty-to-manslaughter
Location: Houston, Texas
Cause of Death: Many wounds and defensive bruises.
Date of Death: January 18, 2010
Myra was 51 years old.
Source:http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/100120-partially-clothed-folo
Location: San Francisco, California
Cause of Death: Blunt force trauma to the head.
Date of Death: December 9, 2009
Mariah was 23 years old
Sources:http://www.ktvu.com/news/22015154/detail.html
Location: Oxnard, California
Cause of Death: Shot to death by a classmate because he liked to wear
women’s clothes. (Lawrence King was 15 years old).
Date of Death: February 12, 2008
Location Maplewood, New Jersey
Cause of Death shot
Date of Death September 12, 2010
Victoria was 28 years old.
Source:http://www.baristanet.com/2010/09/maplewood-murder-victim-transgender-female/
http://www.news12.com/articleDetail.jsp?articleId=261210&position=1&news_type=news
Location: Charleston, SC
Cause of Death: Shot to Death (Aldophus was 18 yrs. old)
Date of Death: January 21, 2008
Make sure you tell the transfolks in your life that you love them.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Marci Bowers Came to Lexington!
On Monday, March 28 Marci Bowers, M.D., a renowned surgeon who performs Genital Reassignment Surgery, came to UK to speak. She was very insightful and has done some amazing things.
What did you think of her lecture?
Read about Dr. Bowers here.
What did you think of her lecture?
Read about Dr. Bowers here.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Powerful images 1.5
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
holiday greetings, layout updates and mistaken genders..
First of all, happy holidays everyone. The Gendered Lex crew is spread out across the country at the moment. I myself am recovering from some intense family time and enjoying a full week off from work. With all my free time I figured I better get some blogging in. You may have noticed that the blog layout has changed a bit. I've been playing around with some of our options. Don't be alarmed if it changes again. :)
On to the actual post..
I am very rarely read as any other gender besides female. I am a cisgendered, female identified person so I guess that works out for me. However, for many people that is not the case. Particularly for people who fall somewhere on the gendered spectrum in a place other than "male" or "female." Being mistaken for a gender other than your own can be a source of shame, embarrassment, and frustration for people, and even worse, can result in violence.
In a perfect world it I suppose it wouldn't matter if someone made a mistake and called you out of your gender. You would correct them, they would apologize, and everything would be fine. In an even MORE perfect world, maybe gender wouldn't matter at all and we wouldn't be so obsessed with trying to put people into certain categories.
Unfortunately in this world, we're only given two options and we have to conform to them. I really got to thinking about this recently after someone left me a crappy comment on my you tube channel where they referred to me as male.
To give it a little context, I made a video about what comes inside the Tofurky vegan feast package. The video is maybe about three minutes long and is intended to be light and silly. Here is the comment that I received:
"More proof that being a veegan is just a fad. Look at this guy's pseudointellectual glasses... multiple piercings... rebellious short hair... and flanel. Str8 Tool. So egotistic they record themselves because they think people want to watch. Well, i enjoyed calling you out, dear sir."
So yeah. I mean, I know that there are a lot of ignorant creepy people trolling around in internet land, and trust me, my feelings aren't hurt. I had a good laugh about all of the misspellings in his comment and his obvious lack of knowledge about veganism. But I think what really struck me the most was that he thought I was a guy. I guess I'm just not used to it. It just seemed so ludicrous to me that he couldn't see that I'm female. Then it struck me, that this may be similar to what transpeople and genderqueer people experience on a daily basis; people who can't seem to see their gender identity for what it is.
I want to hear about your experiences with being mistaken for a different gender. What happened? How did it make you feel? How was it resolved?
De Las.
On to the actual post..
I am very rarely read as any other gender besides female. I am a cisgendered, female identified person so I guess that works out for me. However, for many people that is not the case. Particularly for people who fall somewhere on the gendered spectrum in a place other than "male" or "female." Being mistaken for a gender other than your own can be a source of shame, embarrassment, and frustration for people, and even worse, can result in violence.
In a perfect world it I suppose it wouldn't matter if someone made a mistake and called you out of your gender. You would correct them, they would apologize, and everything would be fine. In an even MORE perfect world, maybe gender wouldn't matter at all and we wouldn't be so obsessed with trying to put people into certain categories.
Unfortunately in this world, we're only given two options and we have to conform to them. I really got to thinking about this recently after someone left me a crappy comment on my you tube channel where they referred to me as male.
To give it a little context, I made a video about what comes inside the Tofurky vegan feast package. The video is maybe about three minutes long and is intended to be light and silly. Here is the comment that I received:
"More proof that being a veegan is just a fad. Look at this guy's pseudointellectual glasses... multiple piercings... rebellious short hair... and flanel. Str8 Tool. So egotistic they record themselves because they think people want to watch. Well, i enjoyed calling you out, dear sir."
So yeah. I mean, I know that there are a lot of ignorant creepy people trolling around in internet land, and trust me, my feelings aren't hurt. I had a good laugh about all of the misspellings in his comment and his obvious lack of knowledge about veganism. But I think what really struck me the most was that he thought I was a guy. I guess I'm just not used to it. It just seemed so ludicrous to me that he couldn't see that I'm female. Then it struck me, that this may be similar to what transpeople and genderqueer people experience on a daily basis; people who can't seem to see their gender identity for what it is.
I want to hear about your experiences with being mistaken for a different gender. What happened? How did it make you feel? How was it resolved?
De Las.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Transgender Day of Remembrance
Friday, November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Check out this site to see a list of events happening around the world. The University of Kentucky Gay Straight alliance is getting an event together. If you are interested in participating, come to the GSA meeting
Thursday, November 19
7:00pm
357 Student Center
Friday, November 20
2:00pm
Free Speech Area
Friday November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance in memory of victims of hate. UKGSA will be preparing Thursday night for an event the this Friday. There will be a variety of tasks to work on in anticipation:
-chalking every blackboard in whitehall with the name and circumstances of a victim's death
-creating signs and posters for tabling on Friday
Friday from 10 to 2 UKGSA will be tabling in the free speech area. In the case of rain we'll move to the patio. If you are able to please drop by or help in whatever way possible. This is an issue that you must bring to the attention of campus.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Feministing article about Dress Code Issues in Schools and how it is hurting Trans Students
Check this out about dress codes and how they unfairly affect Transgender students. Thanks Feministing! and Jessica who posted the blog.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Weekend Recap
So just last week here in Lex we had an awesome show at Al's Bar featuring Athens Boys Choir, 8" Betsy, and Lexington KY's very own Spooky Qs.
In addition to just being a kick ass show, the night also served as a benefit for the OUTsource, which is the university of Kentucky's GLBTIQ resource center.
Local musician Jack Cofer can be credited w/ pulling all of this together. He's been working very hard recently to bring more diverse acts to Lexington. When asked why this was important for him to do he said: "There are none [queer touring bands coming to Lexington] and there should be. There is a population here that appreciates it, and it raises queer awareness and it's not something we see often enough. I'm feeling very rewarded w/ the turnout from Tuesday, and by how many people really seemed to appreciate the show, including the performers. I can see that there is a demand for this sort of thing where there wasn't one at all, because people didn't think they could demand something like that in a town like this, and I"m more than happy to oblige."
So because you asked, Cofer is finishing up the planning of another queer music showcase on October 3rd 2009. The Queer Control Records showcase will also take place at Al's bar and will feature three bands from the San Francisco based label, local DJ's and fire dancers. 100% of the door is going to be donated to AVOL (AIDS Volunteers of Lexington).
You should also check out the next issue of local newspaper North of Center for an article written by Cofer about merging queer activism and the arts in Lexington.
And now, I'll leave you w/ some sweet pics from the show and the afterparty, Thanks to Shey Ruud and Ethan Hammonds.
xo,
De Las Ondas
In addition to just being a kick ass show, the night also served as a benefit for the OUTsource, which is the university of Kentucky's GLBTIQ resource center.
Local musician Jack Cofer can be credited w/ pulling all of this together. He's been working very hard recently to bring more diverse acts to Lexington. When asked why this was important for him to do he said: "There are none [queer touring bands coming to Lexington] and there should be. There is a population here that appreciates it, and it raises queer awareness and it's not something we see often enough. I'm feeling very rewarded w/ the turnout from Tuesday, and by how many people really seemed to appreciate the show, including the performers. I can see that there is a demand for this sort of thing where there wasn't one at all, because people didn't think they could demand something like that in a town like this, and I"m more than happy to oblige."
So because you asked, Cofer is finishing up the planning of another queer music showcase on October 3rd 2009. The Queer Control Records showcase will also take place at Al's bar and will feature three bands from the San Francisco based label, local DJ's and fire dancers. 100% of the door is going to be donated to AVOL (AIDS Volunteers of Lexington).
You should also check out the next issue of local newspaper North of Center for an article written by Cofer about merging queer activism and the arts in Lexington.
And now, I'll leave you w/ some sweet pics from the show and the afterparty, Thanks to Shey Ruud and Ethan Hammonds.
xo,
De Las Ondas
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Binding: A True Love/Hate Relationship
First off, a brief introduction-
I have been out as "trans" for a year and a half now. In the beginning I was alright with not making much of an effort to "pass" as male, because, well, my personality dictates that if I'm going to do something, I can't be half-assed about it. For instance, if I'm going to embark on some chore and I don't have the correct tools, I will not attempt to"make due with what I have" but instead say "fuck it" and wait until said tools appear to me. I know this isn't constructive behavior and I also realize that I can't make it apply to every life situation and the way I present myself in public nowadays has been challenged by the way I handle the stress of not being able to simply wake up one morning and be in the correct body.
So, about six months ago, a friend of mine who is taking hormones, but also binding, passed on his old binder to me, having finally grown out of it. I was eccstatic to say the least. I have, in the past done the Ace bandage thing and only for special occasions, such as parties or when I was feeling particularly annoyed with my breasts. It's painful, awkward, and not really something you should do when you have a full day of doing things ahead of you. My breasts would either work their way slowly out of the top, thus making the Ace bandage an excellent push-up bra or create such a tension in the middle of my spine that I felt like I was arching my back all day.
At first the binder felt uncomfortable and I couldn't imagine wearing it for an 8 hour work day, but I was very pleased with how well it concealed my breasts versus things I have tried in the past. Over a matter of a few weeks however, I became used to it. It became a second skin. Now, I never wore it to bed of course and once I knew my partner and I were in for the night, I always took it off. I started receiving compliments from friends - about how I looked more like myself and how I was noticeably more confident and, well, happy. It's a small step in the grand scheme of things, but to me, it has shown me just how badly I need to move forward on transitioning. I like to call binding, the "gateway drug" to ftm transitioning.
Unfortunately, as time has passed, my binding on a regular basis has been causing some problems. I started a new job recently and seeing it as an opportunity for a clean slate as far as how my co-workers view my gender, I have insisted to myself to start making more of an effort to pass. However, two weeks in (and with people in the lab referring to me by female pronouns anyway) I lifted a cooler in such a way that I strained something in my chest and because I was binding, it only made the problem worse. The following day I had terrible chest pain and had to put the binder aside, leaving my breasts free to jump around and let everyone know that I am biologically female and whats worse, tell them that I'm not serious about transitioning, that its a phase, that its something I do for fun, that I can't make up my mind, that I'm self concious, or that I'm weak, or that I haven't thought this through. Everyday when I get dressed to go out, I have to make a choice: my physical health or my mental health. When my body is not being physically restrained I feel tethered to it. But when I try to shove each part into a package that makes sense to me, I exude a kind of confidence I was lacking before.
I suppose what I'm trying to say in this blog is that being trans anywhere can be
a long and fluctuating journey. Some days its just too fucking humid to put on a layer of nylon underneath your clothes and somedays you just can't imagine leaving home without it.
I have been out as "trans" for a year and a half now. In the beginning I was alright with not making much of an effort to "pass" as male, because, well, my personality dictates that if I'm going to do something, I can't be half-assed about it. For instance, if I'm going to embark on some chore and I don't have the correct tools, I will not attempt to"make due with what I have" but instead say "fuck it" and wait until said tools appear to me. I know this isn't constructive behavior and I also realize that I can't make it apply to every life situation and the way I present myself in public nowadays has been challenged by the way I handle the stress of not being able to simply wake up one morning and be in the correct body.
So, about six months ago, a friend of mine who is taking hormones, but also binding, passed on his old binder to me, having finally grown out of it. I was eccstatic to say the least. I have, in the past done the Ace bandage thing and only for special occasions, such as parties or when I was feeling particularly annoyed with my breasts. It's painful, awkward, and not really something you should do when you have a full day of doing things ahead of you. My breasts would either work their way slowly out of the top, thus making the Ace bandage an excellent push-up bra or create such a tension in the middle of my spine that I felt like I was arching my back all day.
At first the binder felt uncomfortable and I couldn't imagine wearing it for an 8 hour work day, but I was very pleased with how well it concealed my breasts versus things I have tried in the past. Over a matter of a few weeks however, I became used to it. It became a second skin. Now, I never wore it to bed of course and once I knew my partner and I were in for the night, I always took it off. I started receiving compliments from friends - about how I looked more like myself and how I was noticeably more confident and, well, happy. It's a small step in the grand scheme of things, but to me, it has shown me just how badly I need to move forward on transitioning. I like to call binding, the "gateway drug" to ftm transitioning.
Unfortunately, as time has passed, my binding on a regular basis has been causing some problems. I started a new job recently and seeing it as an opportunity for a clean slate as far as how my co-workers view my gender, I have insisted to myself to start making more of an effort to pass. However, two weeks in (and with people in the lab referring to me by female pronouns anyway) I lifted a cooler in such a way that I strained something in my chest and because I was binding, it only made the problem worse. The following day I had terrible chest pain and had to put the binder aside, leaving my breasts free to jump around and let everyone know that I am biologically female and whats worse, tell them that I'm not serious about transitioning, that its a phase, that its something I do for fun, that I can't make up my mind, that I'm self concious, or that I'm weak, or that I haven't thought this through. Everyday when I get dressed to go out, I have to make a choice: my physical health or my mental health. When my body is not being physically restrained I feel tethered to it. But when I try to shove each part into a package that makes sense to me, I exude a kind of confidence I was lacking before.
I suppose what I'm trying to say in this blog is that being trans anywhere can be
a long and fluctuating journey. Some days its just too fucking humid to put on a layer of nylon underneath your clothes and somedays you just can't imagine leaving home without it.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Men in women's bathrooms debate, again.
One of my favorite blogs, feministing.com, posted about an old issue with bathrooms access and transgender people. Focus on the family has decided to put out emails about it.
I was talking to someone about queer issues in Lexington, and what I have found growing up here is that often they are silenced. I believe that it is because there is a lot of old gay money in this area and people are afraid to ruffle feathers. I get tired of the silence though. Bring on the protests, bring on the larger conversation. I do know that the Trans community in this town is often underground.
Honestly, why do we think that trans people are waiting to go into restrooms and assault people? This feels a lot like the lie that rapists are hiding in the bushes. 80% of rape perpetrators are people the victim knows.
I was talking to someone about queer issues in Lexington, and what I have found growing up here is that often they are silenced. I believe that it is because there is a lot of old gay money in this area and people are afraid to ruffle feathers. I get tired of the silence though. Bring on the protests, bring on the larger conversation. I do know that the Trans community in this town is often underground.
Honestly, why do we think that trans people are waiting to go into restrooms and assault people? This feels a lot like the lie that rapists are hiding in the bushes. 80% of rape perpetrators are people the victim knows.
Monday, October 6, 2008
"Why Women Earn Less Than Men" from TIME
Time just published an article that discusses gender discrimination in terms of using Transgender people's experiences to explore gender discrimination.
Check it out.
While the article is riddled with assumptions and stereotypes ("Which force is greater: women's choices of men's discrimination", "Women raise children and take more time off from work", etc.) I am pleased to see the connection with gender exploration and transgender issues. This article doesn't create an otherness for Transgender issues, and I appreciate that, although I don't know that it gives enough levity to the complexity of transitioning and how that could affect or intensify how the people in the study experience their own gender.
More on this later too.
Check it out.
While the article is riddled with assumptions and stereotypes ("Which force is greater: women's choices of men's discrimination", "Women raise children and take more time off from work", etc.) I am pleased to see the connection with gender exploration and transgender issues. This article doesn't create an otherness for Transgender issues, and I appreciate that, although I don't know that it gives enough levity to the complexity of transitioning and how that could affect or intensify how the people in the study experience their own gender.
More on this later too.
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