Makin' it work

We always like to see good news here! We've just added a blog called accept. embrace. live. Blog author Teagan had a successful meeting with Human Resources at her company. Read all about it in the entry cleverly entitled "cat, exit bag".

Diana at Salad Bingo is another who has worked successfully with her company to go full time. You'll have to go back a few entries to find where she went full time, because she is already moving into the next phase of her life.

I'm sure there are others on our ever-growing list.

Sometimes, you can transition at work. A lot of it depends on who you work for and how much they value your contributions. Some of it might depend on how you approach them. Sadly, we do know of cases where at attempted transition at work has not succeeded. Some companies don't get it. Some get nervous. Some really need to get with the program. It's crazy for a company to lose a valuable employee because of ignorance and fear.

For those who can't transition on the job, making it work might involve any number of approaches—becoming entrepreneurial, retraining, training in the first place, flexibility, and persistent effort. Volunteering is often a good way to gain experience that so many positions demand.

Don't give up!

Feminism and Trans Women

Helen Boyd talks about why she thinks pre/non transitioning trans women, crossdressers, and other MtF* gender variant people should become acquainted with feminism. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a look.

My Husband Bitchy.

Not surprisingly, I agree completely with Helen. I've even written about it here before. It's not just that a working knowledge of feminism, as Helen suggests, helps in the development of female empathy; it's because women's issues are women's issues and feminism provides an effective framework for discussing and deconstructing the prejudices we all suffer from.

Feminism is about eradicating sexism, and because sexism teaches everyone that it is bad to be a girl, it is a direct progenitor of transphobia. If you've ever wanted to walk down the street without drawing undesired attention from onlookers, to be considered equally for a job, to go on a date without fear of being hurt, to be seen as more than an object of sexual gratification, or to just not feel ashamed because your body is different/imperfect, then you and feminists already have a lot in common. I think that's just about all of us, no?

It takes work. It takes soul-searching. Sometimes it means shining a light on your own prejudices and letting go of them. But all of those are good things.


* I think there's a lot of crossover with the FtM population, but since I've never had that experience, I won't attempt to speak for them. Any trans men or non-binary individuals reading who want to jump in and talk about how feminism, sexism, and transphobia are experienced by them, feel free!

A VBlog from Lori!

Our girl got made today and just how this happened is beyond me.  She looks absolutely gorgeous and sounds great.  [For those new to T-Central, Lori is the founder of this site]

From Lori:

I wanted to share a video that I did tonight that I'm posting to my old Lorisrevival Youtube page.  I shared an experience that happened to me today when I got "made" at the movie theater with my daughter.  I felt compelled to share this simple and yet common story that so many of us face because it's just too easy to get discouraged every time someone thinks we're worth laughing at.  If you want to share the vid on T-Central or elsewhere I don't mind.  I don't know how long I will keep it up but as long as I can if people watch, listen, and find encouragement in it.  The URL is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3deS4L5PDe8

 

By the way, Veronica did a post on T-Central this morning.  We generally let our team member's posts sit for a couple of days before posting again.  If you haven't seen V's post, please check it out.

Calie

The Biology of Who We Are

Last Tuesday, Dr. Morbius posted an entry with link to an article in the Daily Kos by Rei that was a kind of FAQ about trans and some intersex issues. Rei has followed that post with a fascinating article called Beyond Male and Female: The Biology of Who We Are. The post is about how almost all sex-related organs have a cross-sex equivalent. It shows what happens during differentiation (in the womb), how it relates to transsexual women and men, and how often anomalies in these organs occur naturally.

I still take all assertions about the etiology of transsexualism with a healthy dose of skepticism, but the rest of this article is really interesting, as well as very straightforward and not at all sensationalist.

Thanks to Penelope of Penny's Story, who brought he link to my attention. And thanks to Zoe of A.E. Brain whose link Penny shared.

This Just In To Our T-Central Offices

Lisa Maria formerly of “My journey of Transformation. Destination now known! “ has started a new blog!

“Wow The Start of My New Life”.

Today was her last day presenting as a male at work. Tomorrow she begins her new life. 

Head on over and get in on the ground floor at her new ‘digs’!

A Nice Scientific Overview, and Other Political Matters...

I ran across this diary post over on the liberal megablog, DailyKos, this morning. There are a fair number of trans diarists there, and the content they generate is generally very good (if usually overtly political). This isn't particularly political, except maybe for the notion that living as an "out" trans person is an overtly political act. In any event, it's a good overview of the science of transgenderism. There's a long discussion of intersexuality in the comments, too, though there's a bit of acrimony there. In any event, I'm taking the author, Rei, at her word:

In this diary, we'll cover that which was not covered in that series: the general facts about transgendered individuals, primarily from a perspective of the science on the subject, but also covering legal and moral issues. Feel free to spread this to those who could use the information.

DailyKos also has excellent coverage today of trans candidate Brittany Novotny's bid to take down the notoriously homophobic Sally Kerns in Oklahoma:

The fact that Ms. Novotny is an Oklahoma City attorney focusing on employment and civil rights law can be conveniently discarded. The fact that she is ready, willing and able to work for the citizens of her district means nothing. She's a transwoman...and her opponents judge that to be a "moral issue".

Enjoy

Please love me as I am

I thought maybe I had found a blog that we did not yet have listed in T-Central, but you have to get up pretty early in the morning to scoop Calie. :) I don't know when the blog plzlovemeasiam.com was added to the list. Before the last round of additions anyway. And usually when we write a feature, it's to bring attention to a new blog.

Nonetheless, I would like to bring attention to this blog. Compared to transition blogs and cross-dresser blogs, there aren't a whole lot of blogs by trans-parents out there. And I think it's important for us to hear what they have to say, and also to give them support when they need it and to help them understand when they are having difficulty doing so. The writer of plzlovemasiam.com is the mother of a trans teenage boy. It's never easy for parents to understand when their children are trans and to support them through changes, but this woman is giving it her best, and I'm sure her son will benefit from it.

"Please love me as I am" -- the title says it all. And it's something we all want and need.

Lets hear it for an old fashioned newspaper...

The Guardian is a stalwart of UK serious newspapers, and come with a reputation for being a bit 'lefty' and liberal, a bit 'right on' and a long standing, although now demised reputation for spelling errors [It is told that one time, they printed their own name as "The Grauniad" and since then it has stuck as an affectionate nickname.]

But what the Guardian has always had in spades is old fashioned journalism, helped by the fact it's not owned by a company or a person, but by a Trust who's sole aim is to do good journalism and it is always one of those institutions that slowly forms and shapes the larger collective opinion, both here in the UK and also abroad.

So why are we making all this noise about a liberal UK paper here on T-Central? Because it seem slowly and surely the Guardian has decided that trans issues should be discussed properly and an adult manner without caricature, any hint of a high handed manner or prejudice.

They have been running a series entitled "A transgender journey", a bi-weekly blog by Juliet Jacques as she transitions, and recent pieces on the inclusion in a teen TV soap of a FTM character along with other well handled and sympathetic articles.

Juliet Jacques series can be found here

The teen TV-soap article is here

So let's hear it for an old fashioned piece of the media doing it's bit for trans issues because it probably feels it's the right thing to do - The Guardian is kinda like that deep down....

Karen

Ever Want to HEAR a Blogger?

Alex, our first guest blogger featured a few weeks ago on T-Central, is featured prominently in an LGBT Scottish radio show this week.

She sounds great!  The link will be up for a week.

Go HERE to HEAR Alexandra.  Go HERE to SEE Alexandra.

Oh, and you North Americans.....isn't her accent just lovely?

 - Calie

The World According to Laura, a Transgender Girl

I read a lot of blogs and I love them all, but every once in a while I discover a new one that immediately hits my "A" list.  A blog that I need to read from the bottom up, meaning that I go back to the first post and catch up on everything I've missed.


The World According to Laura, a Transgender Girl is one of those blogs.  Laura holds little back and, every once in a while, she shows her delightful sense of humor.

If you want to check out her blog, go here for the most recent post, Today I Became a Lesbian, then go here to see her first post.

 - Calie

New B's on The T !!!

Ooh!  Several great blogs have been added, in the past few weeks, to our list on T-Central!

 - Calie

Jane Fae's Blog

The Long Road of Kurt Kennedy

Jenna's Place
 

Crossdreamers

kelli tg
 
My Husband is an Autogynephiliac

Tina K Russell

Jessica Who (now why are we just now adding this great blog?)
 
ellysedgeoflife

Growing Up Kiddo

Twenty Years After Transition

Jen's Reality Check

My Road To Womanhood

Queer Theory

Lady Jane's Transformation

Being Me

Penny's Arcade

Gwen's TGirl Adventure

  

A Crossdreamer's Journey

The Woman Inside

 
The Papillion Pages

The World According to Laura

GenderBlog - Gender, Transgender, and Christian Transsexual