Tag Archives: transgender

Update: Diana Tourjee’s Gender Confirmation Surgery Fundraiser Needs Your Help

Julie GersteinJune 17, 2013 //
Becoming Diana
diana tourjee
One trans woman's journey to self-acceptance. Read More »
Trans Kid's Dress At Prom
Tony Zamazal
Texas school allows trans student to wear a dress at prom. Read More »
My Transition Story
What it's like to transition from female to male. Read More »
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
Diana Tourjee Indiegogo Fundraiser

This past May, we introduced you to Diana Tourjee, a brave trans woman who shared her story of survival with us. Diana created an Indiegogo fundraising page to raise money for her gender confirmation surgery, the next step in her journey to becoming the person she’s always wanted to be.

As we mentioned before, Diana’s gender confirmation surgery isn’t covered by her insurance, because, like so many others, it considers the surgery to be “cosmetic” in nature. Nevermind that thousands of trans people attempt suicide each year because they are unable to afford the necessary hormonal treatments and surgeries they require. Not to mention that, out of pocket, gender confirmation surgery is prohibitively expensive for most people. Keep reading »

It’s Hard Out There For A Teen: Boobs, Tribal Feathers, Hipster Glasses Not Allowed!

Jessica WakemanJune 5, 2013 //
Teens Who Have Been Banned For Ridiculous Reasons Map

Cleavage, tribal feathers, hipster glasses — oh my! All of those things have gotten students in trouble at schools around the nation. Schools sure have gotten strict, some might say silly, with their rules about what students can and can’t do. Showing cleavage at prom? You know, prom, where everyone wears dresses? NOT OKAY. Wearing a Native American feather to honor your heritage during graduation? VERBOTEN! Glad to hear our nation’s educators are keeping the kiddies safe from boobies and diversity.

Here’s just a few examples of ridiculous bans on high school kids — most of them young women — around the country. After the jump, find out the stories behind these sordid tales.

Keep reading »

Uggs Banned By School
One middle school banned Uggs, but it's not why you think. Read More »
Pro-Ana Shirts Banned
The Kate Moss-inspired shirts pulled from shelves. Read More »
Indonesia Bans Skirts
Miniskirts invite rape, so Indonesia bans them. Read More »

Becoming Diana: One Trans Woman’s Journey To Self-Acceptance

Julie GersteinMay 29, 2013 //
Trans Kid's Dress At Prom
Tony Zamazal
Texas school allows trans student to wear a dress at prom. Read More »
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
My Transition Story
What it's like to transition from female to male. Read More »
Straight Guy, Trans Rights
Dan on why a straight guy like him cares about transgender rights. Read More »
diana tourjee

There’s a well-known nursery rhyme that asks, “What are little boys made of? / Slugs and snails / And puppy-dogs’ tails … What are little girls made of? / Sugar and spice / And everything nice.” It’s a tiny piece of a larger puzzle aimed at helping little girls and boys understand their place in the world. For most people, biology is destiny and that’s all — but for some, biology is a confusing, fraught, and frustrating concept, because their external bodies don’t match their internal feelings.

The following documents the journey of trans woman Diana Tourjee, a bright, attractive 24-year-old hoping to have gender confirmation surgery (often termed sexual reassignment surgery) to complete her transition — even though her health insurance won’t pay for it. Keep reading »

German Athlete Has A Sex Change After Being Unwittingly Doped With Steroids

Julie GersteinMay 21, 2013 //
Trans Kid's Dress At Prom
Tony Zamazal
Texas school allows trans student to wear a dress at prom. Read More »
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
Trans MMA Fighter
fallon fox
Fighter Fallon Fox comes out as trans. Read More »
Trans Beauty Queens
The Miss International Queen Competition is a transgender pageant. Read More »
Heidi Krieger

Back in the ’70s, when there was still an East and West Germany, East Germany was very serious about winning international sports competitions, and was known to regularly dope their athletes (see also: East German swim team). Athletes were fed “performance enhancing drugs” (PEDs) — aka anabolic steroids — that bulked them up and made them more competitive. It was the East German athletes and coaches that inspired the Olympics to institute regular drug tests.

Heidi Krieger (pictured above, competing in 1987 as a woman) was a shot putter in East Germany, who won the gold medal at the 1986 European Championships. She was fed PEDs for several years, and says today that they are the reason she opted to get a sex change and live as a man. He now lives as Andreas Krieger. Keep reading »

Swedish High School Debuts Gender Neutral Locker Room

Jessica WakemanApril 30, 2013 //
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
Charged With Trespassing
ally robledo
... for using the women's bathroom. Read More »
Straight Guy, Trans Rights
Dan on why a straight guy like him cares about transgender rights. Read More »
gym locker room

Students at a Swedish high school have requested and received a gender neutral changing room as part of the school’s locker room for any student that wants to use it. Soedra Latins upper secondary school already has male and female locker rooms, but students proposed last year that they have an additional space for students not defined by gender. Trans folks (and gay folks) all around the world are discriminated against by people who assume they use opposite-gender bathrooms just to leer; it’s particularly hard on trans kids who are, in many cases, already susceptible to bullying. A gender neutral space gives those bigots no excuse. This Stockholm suburb is the same place that discourages preschoolers from calling each other “him”/”her”/”boy”/”girl” and instead identify each other as “friends.” Between your progressive ideas about gender and your IKEA meatballs, you’re not doing anything to make me not love you, Sweden. [Huffington Post] [Photo of girl in gym locker room via Shutterstock]

Trans Woman Ally Robledo Uses Women’s Bathroom, Charged With Trespassing

Jessica WakemanApril 15, 2013 //
Trans MMA Fighter
fallon fox
Fighter Fallon Fox comes out as trans. Read More »
Fox News Trans Slur
Fox News illustrated a story about trans folks with "Mrs. Doubtfire" graphic. Read More »
Trans 1st Grader
Transgender 1st grader challenges Colorado school's bathroom rules. Read More »
ally robledo

How To Be A Douche, Lesson #1: Charge a transgender woman for “trespassing” after she uses the women’s bathroom in your grocery store and ban her from shopping in your establishment for one year.

Idaho trans woman Ally Robledo is being discriminated against by Rosauers supermarket in Lewiston because she was “peeing standing up” in the women’s room. Oh, you didn’t know the way you pee could get you in trouble with the cops, did you? Keep reading »

Laura Jane Grace On The Power Of The Right Skirt

Winona Dimeo-EdigerApril 10, 2013 //
Meet Laura Jane Grace
The punk rock singer talks about her transgender coming out. Read More »
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
Transgender Frat Boy
Emerson fraternity raises money for trans brother's surgery. Read More »
Straight Guy, Trans Rights
Dan on why a straight guy like him cares about transgender rights. Read More »
Quotable

“Deciding to wear a skirt onstage in September was a personal landmark. It was the first time I had ever worn a skirt in public—and I would be doing so in front of a couple of thousand people. The skirt was a gift from a friend—it was black and leather, and it fit me great. I was worried about playing in it, unsure if it would affect the way I moved. Our set that night wasn’t our best, but it didn’t matter. I was breaking new ground. Accomplishing small goals when transitioning has a cumulative effect. The confidence you gain from reaching one carries you to the next. Face your fears, I say, but choose the right skirt to do it in.”

– Against Me! singer Laura Jane Grace describes her first time wearing a skirt on stage in a really beautiful first-person account of her first year living openly as a woman. I highly recommend reading it if you’re at all interested in gender transitions and relationships. At the end, there’s also an honest Q&A with Laura’s wife, Heather, whose only lament about Laura’s transition is that she didn’t tell her sooner: “It broke my heart to know she’d been going through this on her own for so long.” Seriously, pop over and give it a read. You will be inspired. [Cosmopolitan]

UFC Suspends Matt Mitrione For Transphobic Comments

Julie GersteinApril 9, 2013 //
I Love MMA
MMA fighting
A feminist explains why she loves to watch MMA fighting. Read More »
Trans MMA Fighter
fallon fox
Fighter Fallon Fox comes out as trans. Read More »
Transgender Frat Boy
Emerson fraternity raises money for trans brother's surgery. Read More »

At the beginning of March, mixed martial arts fighter Fallon Fox came out as transgender. The 36-year-old had been participating as a female competitor in MMA competitions for six years, and was forced to address the fact that she was born male after a reporter discovered her secret. In mid-March, UFC host Joe Rogan slammed Fox, saying she’s “not really a woman.” And today, UFC fighter Matt Mitrione was quoted on the webcast “The MMA Hour” making derogatory comments about Fox. Keep reading »

Texas School Allows Student Tony Zamazal To Wear A Dress To Prom

Jessica WakemanApril 4, 2013 //
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
Transgender Frat Boy
Emerson fraternity raises money for trans brother's surgery. Read More »
Trans 1st Grader
Transgender 1st grader challenges Colorado school's bathroom rules. Read More »
today's lady news
Tony Zamazal
  • Thanks to the good works of the ACLU, Spring High School in Spring, Texas, will now allow George “Tony” Zamazal, who is trans and identifies as female, to wear a dress to her prom. The school had previously forbidden the senior from wearing a dress. Said Tony, “I’m so grateful that my school has agreed to let me be myself on such an important night.” [Think Progress, Queerty]
  • Across the world today, feminists have celebrated Topless Jihad Day by staging topless protests against conservative Islam. Much of the activism has also been in support of Amina, an activist in Tunisia who posted topless pictures of herself online and has gotten death threats. [MonaEltahaway.Tumblr.com]
  • Two women claim they were drugged (allegedly by employees) and raped at The Abbey, a gay bar in West Hollywood. [Queerty] Keep reading »

This Doctor’s Bathroom Sign Welcomes Everyone

Sarah GrayApril 2, 2013 //
'I'm Gay' Cake
im gay cake
A girl named Laurel comes out to her parents with an "I'm gay!" cake. Read More »
Trans Kids & Identity
Some transgender kids have it more figured out than the rest of us. Read More »
Transgender Frat Boy
Emerson fraternity raises money for trans brother's surgery. Read More »
Straight Guy, Trans Rights
Dan on why a straight guy like him cares about transgender rights. Read More »
Awesome Restroom of equality
Awesome Bathroom for Equality

Last week, we uttered a collective, “UGH, ARIZONA!” over the news that the Arizona House of Representatives advanced a bill allowing businesses to ban transgender folks from using the restroom of their identified sex.  So we’re heartened by this gender-identity inclusive bathroom signage, posted on Towleroad with the caption:

Given what’s happening in Arizona now, I thought this might be a good time to show off this photo, taken by my partner Dave at his doctor’s office in Manhattan.

Well done, Doctor Dave! [Towleroad]

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