The MSNBC Doc

[rentwighurts.livejournal.com]

Hey Guys.

It's Jake from the MSNBC Doc. I was just wondering about all the opinions you guys had about the show. Like how it was done, if it was nice, if it was offensive, what could have been changed.

I went in thinking it could go either badly or really well, and I think it was nicely done. Any other opinions?

-Thanks-

TG Pagans

[sfjennie.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone,
I was doing a search on lj looking for communities for transgendered pagans and was unsuccesful. Does anyone here know of any such community that I might have overlooked?
Or, if there is none that exist, would there be anyone interested in joining such a community?

Jennie

Please help with important research

[laurak13.livejournal.com]

Hello, I’m writing to ask for your participation in an important online survey I’ve been working to put together. As a female who identifies as genderqueer, I have been particularly frustrated by the lack of knowledge and exploration of gender identity within the psychological community. This survey is meant to explore the many forms of gender variant identity and sexuality, as well as some characteristics or perspectives that may be related to such an identity. Anyone who does not identify strictly as “male” or “female” is encouraged to participate, whether you identify as transgender, genderqueer, intersex, or you enjoy deconstructing gender through drag, and so on. Here is the link to the survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=57703457538

The survey is completely confidential, and should take no more than 15-20 minutes to complete. Feel free to contact me at tistudy@vassar.edu if you have any questions.
Thanks so much!

gender performance language wierdness

[tgjerusalem.livejournal.com]

This is something I've been thinking about for a while, and am still not sure what to make of it.

I'm a transman.  Very specifically male identified - I am a man, who was also born physically female.  But at the same time, I'm also a freakin' glitter fag.  I'm pansexual/bisexual/whatever, and could never in any conceivable frame of reference be described as "butch."  And this is cool, I have no real conflict there.

My question is about performance, in the specific, on-stage kind of way.  I've been in a couple of amature drag competitions, always as a queen, both pre-T and post-T.  But they were all at my old (very queer) college, honestly I can't sing/dance/act and get stage fright like a deer in the headlights, and it was always performances in front of people who were already friends.

But thinking about performance, and I would love to perform again, if I ever get the courage/ability/opportunity to perform again (it would have to be *very* amature/just for fun type stuff).  And I doubt I'll ever have the courage to do it, but I would love to do a specifically *trans* thing.  Not drag, that's the wrong word for it.  It's like... I would love (but doubt I ever will) to do an act as a transman, a man with a trans body.  

Part of me is inspired by acts I saw at a sex worker's art show, including a screening of the film "Venus Boys," where among other things people were doing acts that were gender performances, acts that were about gender but weren't about drag or "crossdressing" or whatever.

I'm not sure what to call this kind of performance.  Is there a language to describe them, other than "gender performance"?  To be honest, I wish I had the chutzpah to do "I am what I am" (from La Cage a Faux) topless as a transman.  No idea when/where I could do this, and realistically I doubt I ever could.  But it would be awesome.  But damned if I'd know what to call it.


X-posted on FTM

Electrolysis!

[rachelkj.livejournal.com]

Hi! I've got a couple of free consultations with electroysists this week. What are important questions I should be asking, other than just seeing whether I'm comfortable with them?

Thank You!

Compromising My Identity To Pass

[mordred-sade.livejournal.com]

I'm currently having a conflict with myself.  In particular, this conflict is about the times when being myself and passing as male are at odds.

Now, being myself includes feeling male, internally. There's no question about that.  However, sometimes I look/dress/act/am interested in things which get in the way of my passing.  Passing is very tenuous for me at this point, being pre-testosterone and pre-operative, and I'm hoping it gets better when I start the T on May 10th.

I can't stop beating myself up about cutting my hair, though.  I liked my hair long--shoulder length.  It was a mark of individuality, of rebellion and of ME, because I liked it.  I believe strongly in not compromising who I am, for anyone or anything.  I'd gained weight by the time I grew it out, though, and my tits were more visible.  My butt and hips had filled out, too.  After I grew it out, I didn't pass at all.  I tried not to let it get to me, but then this conflict reared its ugly head.  Even the transition comittee commented on it.  

So, eventually, I sheared all my hair off.  I passed...but I hated how I looked.  I felt like a sell-out for defying my strongest ideal in the name of fitting into a mold.  Now I can't look at myself without a bandana over my hair.  

Has anyone else found their sense of self conflicting with passing at any time?  Has anyone ever done something they wish they hadn't, for the sake of passing?

An unexpected need.

[profgreen.livejournal.com]

I thought initially I would post this in "mtf" because, well I am mtf and so most of my transition questions are specific to that community, but then amusingly I realized that transguys may also have a bit of useful advice here, who knew!

So the deal is that I just started the E about a month ago and I am on a relatively low dose so I wasn't expecting much in the way of development, well as luck would have it, I have had quite a bit (This almost puts me in tears of joy whenever I look at them). So much so that when I was getting dresses this morning I realizedI can't wear my skinny thermal top because, well you can tell I have breasts. Now I am not "full-time" because I am a graduate student and going full time in the middle of a semester is awkward especially when I am teaching, so I am still presenting as male most of the day. I do only wear girls clothing (mostly very andro stuff like thermal Ts), but I try to be as cute as possible just for my mental health. In fact, my collection of old male clothes is pretty empty so I really don't have anything loose and ugly like I used to.

The problem of course, I need to hide these puppies for another 4 months or so (as they get bigger hopefully :)) without hurting their development. Has anyone have any experience with this? Any suggestions. I am a pretty skinny person so I can't play it off as pec's and no one would believe the little emo kid that is me to be working out.

To sum up. Boobies good! Boobies now, unexpected! Help!

Thanks dolls!

~Ashley