(no subject)

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

The following comics now have Transgender Day of Remembrance strips up:

Angels & Aliens - Eternity

More comics will be added as they come in over the next week.

Study Abroad

[belleza-mia.livejournal.com]

Hey, have any of you folks done study abroad in college in your correct gender (and being accepted as such)?

I'm considering doing study abroad in Spain, Mexico, or Israel (only in big cities) and I'd like to hear some experiences. Though I'm usually accepted as female and I will likely not go until I finish hair removal (proabably my junior year in college), I can't help but worry that things aren't gonna be so easy there. Living with other students means decreased privacy, and I haven't looked into how it would be to get my hormones while living abroad.

I'm just asking for experiences. I thought I could never do it, but now I'm thinking study abroad might be awesome.

Thanks!

(no subject)

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

I'll be speaking at the Second Life Transgender Day of Remembrance vigil at 6PM Second Life Time (or 8PM Central time) on the 20th as Carrie Talaj. If you'd like to participate in the vigil it will be a 24 hour event at the Elysium Gardens sim at 200,203,22.

For more information on the Transgender Day of Remembrance, please visit http://www.rememberingourdead.org/day/

why i hate the expression 'trans ally'

[splinterjete.livejournal.com]

in preparation for a workshop i recently gave, and spurred on by the repeated use of the word 'trans ally' by a cis woman who was using their cissexual privilege in quite a backhanded way, I started to get my hate on the whole term. something that i couldn't really put my finger on really bugged me about the term. i knew as well that it wasn't just the fact that very often allies could overstep their boundaries and take up space/re-tell our stories in ways they're not welcome to (though these things definitely happen a lot).

no, what really irks me about the 'trans ally' turn-of-phrase is that it's wrong, plain and simple. IT MAKES NO SENSE! are straight people who are allies of the queer community called 'gay allies' or 'lesbian or queer allies'? rarely! rather these people are straight allies. are not white people of various minority communities called 'white allies' and not 'x allies'. in these instances, one's priviliged identity is made visible through its explicit naming. is this not the preferable, and arguably correct, way in which allies are named? by extension, allies of trans communities are, more correctly, CIS ALLIES rather than TRANS ALLIES.

even using the term 'trans ally', quite ironically, serves to erase the privilege that the cissexual or cisgender person should be confronting as a neccesary step in effecting and embodying their role as an ally. it reenforces the idea that trans people are cause to rally around, a group in need of pity, a population in need of saving.


rather, are allies not more effective if they work from a place of self-reflexive questioning and awareness about the their own bias and, by extension to use their privilege to effect change in the world. is this not preferable to allies who work from a place of charity and guilt?

~b*

x-posted in transfeminism

I'm New

[roofiesandjuice.livejournal.com]

Hello, my name is Michelle and I'm 19. I'm having some sort of gender-identity... I don't want to say "crisis," but I don't know how to precisely describe it in one word. Anyway, I've always kind of considered myself "a gay man in a woman's body." It's been kind of a joke, something that I'd say and kind of laugh off. I recently had my boyfriend of almost two years come out to me and we broke up (of course). I always knew that he was attracted to men, and the fact that he would be interested in a woman was kind of out of character for him. I was overjoyed, thinking that I'd finally found a gay man who loved me, despite being a woman. He is not the first boyfriend I've had who has turned out to be gay, by the way, not that that matters too much to the story. Anyway, now I'm feeling like I've lost out on a relationship for being the wrong gender. I feel like the person he wants is the person I feel like I am. For the first time, I'm having to look closely at all of these feelings I've been having all my life. Who am I? Why do I love men who love men? I'm so confused and upset and lost... I don't feel like I am necessarily "transgendered," in the sense that I don't think that reassigning my sex is going to make me feel complete. But, if that's not the answer, then what is? Lately I've been really wanting to have a breast reduction, though. Really just to make it easier for me to bind them (I do drag, too). I think that if it were possible for me to pass as a man, I'd probably do it. I don't have any specific question or comment, I guess, but I'd just really like some support, maybe? I basically just searched for "transgender" and this community came up. I'm hoping someone here can offer me some words of wisdom or advice. Or something.
I'm really sorry this is kind of all over the place. I'm feeling particularly upset right now, and figured it was about time to seek some advice. Thank you all in advance, I really appreciate your time in reading this mess, haha.

(no subject)

[jenndolari.livejournal.com]

The following comics now have Transgender Day of Remembrance strips up:

Kismetropolis (temporary link) - Second Stage - Stuff Happens... (serialized strip) - Venus Ascending - Venus Envy

More comics will be added as they come in over the next week.