(no subject)

[aki-no-kaze.livejournal.com]

say, anyone have any links on the legal side of transition for Canadians? (name change, legal change of gender, insurence/health care etc...) Ive been able to find loads of info on US policy but very little for north of the border.

anything would help.

Transsexual Custody case resolved

[monticora.livejournal.com]

"Chromosomes are only one factor in the determination of sex, and they do not overrule gender or self-identity, which is the true test or identifying mark of sex."
-Judge Gerard O'Brien (before his ruling was over turned by the supreme court in 2002)
A historic child custody battle between a transsexual father and his ex-wife ended last Friday in a shared custody agreement that both sides have hailed as nothing short of "miraculous."
To read the rest of the article go here

(no subject)

[gal-with-a-gun.livejournal.com]

Went for my first job interveiw on Monday after leaving my previous job on Thursday night...and guess what??...I got the job. I felt a little out of place at the group interveiw because most of the people going for the job were pretty 19 year old uni students and ofcourse there I was, dressed like Fran Drescher from the nanny with my boots opaque stockings and plaid mini (and on the wrong side of 25)
I've been living as a woman long enough that I dont feel too self concsious in these situations but I felt nervous about my voice giving me away, especially when I had to give a presentation in front of all..ofcourse now that they've employed me I'm gonna wonder if or when to come out...I prefer to be open but then I have to worry about being fired and treated as a joke, but if i'm silent and people start to suspect (as with my last job) then I dont want my silence to be mistaken for shame....keep you all up to date...love Shannon xxx

What do you need from your allies?

[pirate-poet.livejournal.com]

I mentioned a while back that I'd be writing an ally guide this summer (mostly for myself, but in hopes to also keep others in mind so it's not just me-specific; I'm FTM-spectrum). I've been really lazy and haven't really started.

So, before I actually start... I want to hear from the rest of you. What do you need from your allies? What do you need from your supporters so that they can also be good allies (since being a supporter and being an ally aren't always the same thing)?

What are specific things that people could do that are not perhaps readily apparent to those who mean well?

If you like, mention what you might need from a healthcare professional so that they are more trans-friendly, a teacher, a professor, a neighbor, a fellow PTA member, etc.

Comment with as few or as many words as you like. Thank you. :)

Edit:

Also, if you're aware of a trans-ally and/or LGB-ally resource I should look at, please pass on the information.

(I'm already looking at these zines: "Tim Tum: Trans Jew Zine" by Micah Bazant, "Clutch: The Hinge of Allies" by Jacoby Ballard, "Subject to Change # 12" by Toby, "Dancing with Myself: The Trans Ally Issue" by Pony, and probably some others that I've forgotten I have stashed away somewhere...)

FRUIT

[finallyfree89.livejournal.com]

.. i was talking with some of my friends, one of them mentioned that certian fruits and vegitables that carry testosterone and others that contianed estrogen... i'm trying to find atleast some onformation about this...
i was wondering if anyone else herd of different friuts contianing more of one hormone, or something along the lines of this.
just curious, thanx, Paul

Nobody Likes In-Betweeners

[girlabomination.livejournal.com]

In a conversation with a friend tonight I brought to light what I feel to be a very real truth. "Eventually I will be 'passable,' maybe then I'll find a GF." The irony being, of course to appear as a woman to attract a woman. I identify as being a lesbian -- this will not change. It's not an option for me to continue living as a guy for the rest of my life.

This gives me two options A) stagnate somewhere in the middle of transition, and simply give up on dating, or B) see it through to the point where I am thought of as a woman to the casual observer, and find someone then. The brutal truth of the matter is that there are very very very few people who want someone whom they can't identify the gender of, or appear to be a member of one sex dressing like the other.

Why? Because we're freaks. Let's not sugar coat this ladies, (and men). We have a disability that we struggle with every day of our lives. We are NOT normal. Now, I recognize that someone will respond with the sentiment of "Well who is normal. No one is actually normal." The topic at hand here is gender identity, and the truth of the matter is we are a MINORITY, and this is why we are widely misunderstood.

Many people will also say that "It's the person inside that counts!" I don't believe this for a moment. Yes, this is deffinately important, but to say that the way we look don't count for anything...? Honesty please. It plays a larger role than many people think. It's a "foot in the door" factor, because if people aren't willing to give you a chance based on your physical appearance, they are never going to know the person inside you. I don't believe this is a conscious process, nor do I feel that it is something that most people want to own up to. Generally speaking, I tend to feel like human nature is to believe that we are good people (regardless of truth), and to make a statement like "I'm not going to consider you because you're freakish" is a pretty mean thing to say. Therefore, people smooth it over, say I "Gee I don't know," proclaim "You'll find someone!" without ever actually considering it themselves, or simply state "You're [and every other t-person] just not my type."

It's sad but true. We live in an unfortunate world girls. The best way to navigate it is to accept it first.