The St. Petersburg Times - The art of being yourself

The St. Petersburg Times - The art of being yourself

Connect the Dots: Transgender Narratives in Pop Culture

Connect the Dots: Transgender Narratives in Pop Culture

Beautiful Darling: A Positive Transgender Media Portrayal | The Bilerico Project

Beautiful Darling: A Positive Transgender Media Portrayal | The Bilerico Project

"Virtuoso Illusion: Cross-Dressing and the New Media Avant-Garde" at the MIT List Visual Arts Center - artnet Magazine

"Virtuoso Illusion: Cross-Dressing and the New Media Avant-Garde" at the MIT List Visual Arts Center - artnet Magazine

Berlin

Berlin’s Gay Movie Awards: THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, THE MOUTH OF THE WOLF

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The serious business of becoming a woman

The serious business of becoming a woman

Now available: Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Volume 1

Filed by: Jeff Sheng
January 26, 2010 6:30 PMPrint

http://www.bilerico.com/2010/01/dont_ask_dont_tell_volume_1.php#more

I first want to start this post by saying a big thank you to the over thirty service members in our military who have allowed me to photograph them for my "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," photo series so far. It takes a huge amount of courage to volunteer for this project, as these individuals are basically risking being kicked out of the military - it is something that I do not take for granted. Any one who knows me personally, will know that I care deeply about those that I photograph, and I feel indebted to the number of people so far willing to risk their careers to be in this project.



That being said, I am incredibly pleased and happy to announce the pre-sales and release of my first publication, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Volume 1.


I decided to break up the publication of my "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" project into different volumes for various reasons, the most significant is that after consulting with various groups involved with the repeal effort of DADT, most notably, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), they advised that I try to release a book at the beginning of 2010. My initial plan was to finish the project by the end of 2010 and then publish everything into a larger book in 2011, but I chose instead to break things up and release the project in segments throughout 2010 to help put a "face" to those that are affected the most by this policy and add to the debate this year on the issue.

To finish Volume 1 I had to fly over 30,000 miles across the United States the last three months, while gaining the trust of seventeen service members willing to be in a project that had no real finished product at the time - and to be the first ones willing to be in something that no one else had participated in yet. I am still amazed that I had such a large number of volunteers. If you read the LA Times article written in mid-November about my project, I am quoted as saying that my goal was 20 portraits by this Spring. I currently have over 30 and my goal is now to have over 100 different photo shoots by August. Please contact me via e-mail if you are interested in participating.

To get a copy of the book, please visit the online book store I have set up specifically to handle the sales of the DADT books: www.DADTbook.com. I decided that for the time being, I would discount the book to $25 from the retail price of $30, in order to get a nice jump-start to initial pre-sales. I am also offering $5 off to those who are students, in the military, or those under financial hardship, so you can get a copy for just $20. I have also set up a way for people to donate money directly to the project itself, and as a thank you, for even just $1, I'll gladly sign your book before sending it off to you.

Since somebody asked from my last post, I wanted to just reiterate that the project is completely self-funded and self-published. I chose to photograph this issue because about 2 years ago, when my other photo project "Fearless" was beginning to get a lot of media attention, I began to receive anonymous e-mails from closeted service members in our military asking if I had ever considered working on a photo project on DADT.

For those of you who don't know about "Fearless," that photo series is about openly LGBT-identified athletes on high school and college sports teams, who are "out" to their teammates and coaches. A lot of the closeted service members who e-mailed me were incidentally also high school and college athletes, so they were particularly interested in "Fearless." In 2009, I finally decided to commit to working on DADT, and Volume 1 is the first product from that commitment.

To make this all happen though, I've basically taken on an enormous amount of debt - but I say this not to garner sympathy or whatnot (since we all live with debt) but rather, to stress the point that I don't make the work I do to make money. The discounted price of the books are basically close to my cost to pay my book printers in Los Angeles, and my intention here is to raise the issue of DADT to the public via these photo books. I am an artist, and making beautiful, compelling images is what drives me. If on the chance, I were to pay off my debt and was financially able to donate books or profits to organizations working for the repeal, I would gladly do so.

So please, go to the site www.DADTbook.com and order a copy soon. The books should be ready to be shipped in a week, maybe even sooner, and for the time being, at least for the first 500 copies, they are $5 off from the normal retail price. I know that Bil will be reviewing a copy soon, and there will be a contest shortly for the readers of the Bilerico Project to win copies soon too. Here are some images from the book, which also includes selected anonymous e-mails from various service members affected by the policy in some way:

Download ikuya daikokuduo crossdress Files from General-Search

Download ikuya daikokuduo crossdress Files from General-Search

Film explores death of transgendered Colo. teen

Aurora Sentinel > Archives > News > State & Region > Film explores death of transgendered Colo. teen

A Rare Sighting!

A Rare Sighting!
Larry Wachowski: Transgendered Matrix Director Rare Appearance

We see you!


Hollywood transgendered director and recluse Larry Wachowski was spotted heading out of LAX airport Wednesday afternoon.

Larry has spent the last few years transitioning into a woman and now asks to be known as Lana.

We think someone has to start thinking about transitioning her hair! We're all about adding a little flavor to your hair, but that is a BIT much - even for us!

[Image via www.XposurePhotos.com.]

Skin Deep

Canada's most celebrated transsexual peels back the layers. Photo by David Hawe.

The Silicone Diaries, the new one-woman show written and performed by self-proclaimed "most celebrated transsexual in Canada" Nina Arsenault currently being performed at Buddies' cabaret space, is already a hit.
The theatre announced an added performance before the show had even opened, tickets have been selling like hotcakes, and there's already rumours of the Diaries coming back next season, this time in the more spacious "Chamber" section of the venue. That last tidbit is very welcome news for audience members; when we attended the jam-packed opening, "seating" choices were limited to standing room at the back, or cramming ourselves onto the room's grand staircase. We opted for the latter, an experience so uncomfortable we couldn't help but imagine, while Arsenault waxed poetic about the various illegal silicone injections into her ass and hips she had scored in Mexico, the more practical appeal of having a little extra cushion back there.

Arsenault aficionados will of course be aware that this is the second solo(ish) show the self-made woman has performed on the subject of herself. Last year's Fringe featured the Sky Gilbert-penned Ladylike, a fictionalized version of Arsenault's life. This time, the script is drawn from a column Arsenault used to have at fab Magazine detailing her transitioning process, meaning she's stripped away the fictional element and committed to telling her own story, all of which sounds like a step in the right direction. And yet, although we seem to be promised a personal and provocative exploration of her life, persona, and sixty cosmetic surgeries, we couldn't help leaving the theatre feeling like we'd only scrapped the surface of Ms. Arsenault.

In terms of structure and content, Diaries has loads in common with Buddies' last show, Neon Nightz. Both were directed by the Buddies' Artistic Director of the moment, Nightz by outgoing David Oiye, Diaries by incoming Brendan Healy. Both are written and performed by former sex workers/local columnists (Nightz scribe Sasha Von Bon Bon's "Love Bites" column was recently axed by Eye Weekly). Both illustrate their subject matter through a series of semi-related episodes and vignettes. And both, unfortunately, feature performances that you can't help be reminded aren't coming from professional actors. Like Von Bon Bon, Arsenault lacks the level of ease on the stage necessary for a great performance. Her physicality is often awkward and unnatural, she is prone to staring off into space, and she has a really hard time with her lines. And it's a shame, because she's a better writer than Gilbert, and when the show is coming from such a personal place, there's every reason it should blow the uneven Ladylike out of the water. But it doesn't. There are moments when she gets confident, and her ability to charm and tell a damn good story transcends the rest of the production and you feel like you're being allowed to witness something special. Most of the time, however, the Diaries feels meandering, repetitive, and surprisingly superficial. One of the lengthiest sequences in the show describes Arsenault's somewhat notorious encounter with well-endowed rocker and Pam's ex-hubbie Tommy Lee. In Arsenault's version of the story, the incident becomes a personal monument of her trans-validation and "realness,"—she gave Tommy Lee a boner! She's as hot as a bio-woman!—but we couldn't help finding the tale, well... sad and shallow. If a biological woman had plastic surgeried herself into Barbie doll and macked all over an aging, dubiously talented has-been rockstar, would she receive standing ovations at one of the city's most respected theatres? Or, would she just be a contestant on Rock of Love Bus?

The Silicone Diaries runs until November 22.

New Book Offers Fresh Perspective on Transgender Life

Joanne Herman Shares Experiences in "Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not"
BOSTON, Nov. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- "Transgender people have been around since the beginning of time, and there are more of us than you think," writes Joanne Herman in her new book, "Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not "(published by AuthorHouse). "Transgender people are very varied and diverse -- some transition genders as I did, some have an opposite gender presentation only part of the time, and some have a unique gender presentation all of the time. Contrary to common belief, few transgender people have surgery."

Herman makes a good point: Although it is commonly assumed that those who identify as transgender undergo surgery, most do not. Merriam-Webster's dictionary defines transgender as, "of, relating to, or being a person ... who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person's sex at birth." The definition does not mention surgical reassignment and it does not speak to a person's sexual orientation -- some transgender people are gay while others are straight.

Ideal for parents, relatives, colleagues, friends, allies and anyone seeking information about what it means to be transgender, "Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not" offers a much-needed resource, which is organized by topic into short, easy-to-read chapters. Herman tackles myriad subjects, evident in chapter titles including "Sub-Groups Under the Transgender Umbrella," "Prevalence: There Are More of Us Than You Think" and "Political Correctness: 'Please Don't Call Me Tranny.'"

Combining her personal story with thorough research, statistics and analysis, Herman gives a voice to the thousands of people living in similar situations. Today, as 2009 draws to a close, acceptance and tolerance have become increasingly important, and knowledge is the first step to achieving this. Gain a new perspective on what it's like to be transgender in the informative pages of "Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not."

Joanne Herman has a bachelor's degree in government and economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Northeastern University. She is the first transgender person elected to the board of directors of Point Foundation, a national Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender scholarship fund; Fenway Health, the largest LGBT-focused health center in the world; and GLAD, the New England-based LGBT legal rights organization. Herman is also the first openly transgender member of the congregation of Old South Church in Boston. She currently resides in Boston.

AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors. For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com.

EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact:
Promotional Services Department
Tel: 888-728-8467
Fax: 812-961-3133
Email: pressreleases@authorhouse.com
(When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)

Vintage Chorus Line of Female Impersonators

Another wonderful find about which I know absolutely nothing at all. I so love finding mysterious old photographs, and wondering how they came to be made, and what stories these people could have told. This chorus line of female impersonators dates from the 1920s.

Vintage "Boy Dance"

Posted: 12 Nov 2009 01:00 PM PST

I'm guessing that this image was captured in the late 19th/early 20th century. Also guessing this may have been a mining or logging camp where the hordes of bachelors had to make do. If any readers know more, your information would be greatly appreciated.

Bostonian author of ’Transgender Explained’ to hold book signing

Bostonian author of ’Transgender Explained’ to hold book signing
by Hannah Clay Wareham
Tuesday Nov 10, 2009




Joanne Herman will hold a reading and book signing Nov. 17 for ’Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not.’ (Source: Marilyn Humphries )


Boston local Joanne Herman, author of the new book Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not, will hold a reading and book signing Nov. 17 at Fenway Health (1340 Boylston St.) from 7 to 9 p.m.

The 148-page book explains in unpretentious language what it means -- and how it feels -- to be transgender. The text is aimed at just about anyone who wishes to better their understanding of transgender issues.

"Transgender issues are increasingly being discussed in boardrooms and at breakfast tables, as part of policy initiatives and in workplace diversity trainings," Herman said. "I wrote this book to give our friends, allies, colleagues, and neighbors insight into the transgender community, as a way to smooth the way for those who come after me. I have been privileged to play a role in the LGBT community, and this book is my way of giving back to my own community and the larger culture."
A staple on bookshelves of LGBT activists and writers, the volume is designed to inform and educate anyone who picks it up.

"Whether in the classroom, boardroom, or dining hall, Joanne Herman is met with excitement, enthusiasm, and gratitude for her keen ability to take us through the rich complexities of gender with skill, patience, wit, and wisdom," Pamela Misener, M.Ed., said. Misener is the Assistant Dean in the Office of Pluralism and Leadership at Dartmouth College.

Herman has served as the first transgender woman on the boards of directors for the Point Foundation and Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), and is currently a board member at Fenway Health.

Prodigal sons: a film so surprising, it has to be real

Prodigal sons: a film so surprising, it has to be real


Prodigal Sons, an award-winning doc coming to the Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival.
Rendezvous with Madness fest questions identities


.Some documentaries delve so deeply into characters' lives, they defy a quick synopsis. Case in point: Prodigal Sons , an award-winning film coming to Toronto's Rendezvous With Madness Film Festival.

The film focuses on a series of family reunions in Montana involving Kimberley Reed, a transgender woman dealing with an emotionally disturbed brother. Both are not only coping with the memory of who they once were, but also their family, which might be described as all-American.
Prodigal Sons is directed by Reed, who turns the camera on herself as she tries to gather up all the pieces of who she is: Old photos, old memories, her new life, her new career.

Like some of the other mental-health documentaries in the festival – from Unlisted: A Story of Schizophrenia , about a doctor helping her mentally ill father and which makes its world premiere at the festival, to Devil Plays Hardball , about a mentoring program in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside – Prodigal Sons is a personal journey constructed from myriad bits and pieces.

For Reed, the journey chronicles meeting her violence-prone brother again, his medication schedules, and desperate phone calls to social-assistance programs. All the while, she is also coping with her own identity, as she returns home for her high-school reunion as Kimberley – seeing people who knew her 20 years ago as Paul, the school's star quarterback.

In the end, Reed is a thoroughly engaging, intelligent woman, who would captivate audiences even if she didn't have such a complicated back story. But Prodigal Sons also has the kind of drama Hollywood could never match.

“If you wrote this as a novel or a fiction film, no one would buy it. They'd say, ‘This is too incredible.' But because this is a documentary, we know it's real,” says the festival's program manager Matthew Hogue.

And “real” has extra importance for a festival like Rendezvous With Madness. Among the films being shown, the documentaries will be seen in a different light by health-care professionals than by lay people in the audience.

Originally started 17 years ago to broaden public discussion of mental health issues, the screenings have also created a kind of “level playing field between clients and mental health professionals,” Hogue says. Often, the films, and particularly the panel discussions after movie showings – which typically include the filmmaker, a mental health professional and someone who has experienced mental illness or addiction – raise surprising insights.

“As they are having their discussion, we'll get the sense of the professional perspective from a psychiatrist, and often it's very different from [views] of the person with the lived experience,” says Hogue. “For the mental-health professionals it's great, because it gives them a real insight that they wouldn't have otherwise. Not only are they engaging [patients] in an equal way in a panel discussion, but the films present the issues in a way that maybe hasn't been thought of before.”

For instance, a patient participating in a panel on psychosis last year said to a psychiatrist, “I'm really glad you're not my psychiatrist.” “And she went off to give an entirely different way on how she thought this person [in the film] should be treated successfully based on her own personal experiences,” Hogue says. “That kind of stuff happens all the time.”

He cited another example following a film about drugs and addiction in Toronto. A psychiatrist in the discussion was saying that the film blows the problem out of proportion, that it's not so simple to get drugs. But a former addict on the panel chimed in: “I don't know what you're talking about, but I can literally have drugs in five minutes, and I've bought drugs outside here a thousand times.”

Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival runs in Toronto from Nov. 5-14. Prodigal Sons screens on Nov. 6 at 9:15 p.m. More information: www.rendezvouswithmadness.com.

Paltrow Joins Kidman in "Danish Girl"

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Paltrow Joins Kidman in "Danish Girl"
By: Mike Fleming
Published: Fri, November 06, 2009

Gwyneth Paltrow will join Nicole Kidman in “The Danish Girl,” an adaptation of the David Ebershoff novel that tells the story of a relationship between the first post-operative transsexual, Einar Wegener, and his wife Greta.

Thomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”) is directing a script by Lucinda Coxon. Gail Mutrux, Anne Harrison and Linda Reisman are producing, along with Kidman and Per Saari.

One afternoon in 1920s Copenhagen, Greta, a portrait painter, asked her husband to stand in for an absent female model. Slipping on a dress, stockings and woman’s shoes began a metamorphosis into Lili. When the photos became wildly popular, Greta encouraged her husband to do more, but a harmless game evolved into something deeper that threatens their marriage.

Kidman had already been attached to play Einar, and Paltrow will play Greta, who stood by her partner through the sex-change operation, finally letting go when she realized the man she married no longer exists. .

Footprint Investments LLC is financing, and international sales are being handled by Kathy Morgan at KMI. Pic is a coproduction between Pretty Pictures in association with Harrison Productions and Blossom Films.

Paltrow most recently wrapped “Iron Man 2,” which opens May 7, 2010.

She’s repped by UTA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.

Don't miss these - Nationmultimedia.com

Don't miss these - Nationmultimedia.com

Homenagem a Patrick Swayze

15/09/09 por Fernanda Colavitti

Cenas dos filmes Ghost (acima) e Dirty Dancing: comédia involuntária

Como grande fã do clássico do cinema cafona “Dirty Dancing” (sério mesmo, adoro esse filme e já copiei muito aquela dancinha brega, eu confesso), não poderia deixar de prestar uma homenagem a Patrick Swayze, que morreu de câncer ontem. O que isso tem a ver com sexo? Absolutamente nada e é por isso que estou fazendo esse post. Nos dois filmes que marcaram a carreira do ator: Dirty Dancing, meu predileto, e Ghost, do qual nunca gostei, Patrick era símbolo sexual (tá, isso eu já achei um dia) e, como tal, protagonizou duas famosas cenas supostamente sensuais. E é esse o motivo de meu post, dizer que nos anos 80, aquela dancinha do final de Dirty Dancing (que eu tanto imitei) até podia ser considerada sexy, mas revendo aquilo hoje em dia, é de rolar de rir. E só. O mesmo vale para as cenas em que o Patrick encoxa a Demi Moore enquanto ela faz artesanato e a que o fantasma dele encarna na Whoopi Goldberg e beija a Demi. Essa acho que nem nos anos 80, se eu tivesse idade para isso, acharia sexy. Fica aqui a minha sincera homenagem ao protagonista de três das cenas mais brochantes do cinema.

New book: Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not

Trans author and philanthropist Joanne Herman has published a new book
called New book: Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not:

Joanne Herman, a transgender woman who read everything in sight to
understand her own gender incongruity, has been helping others with
her non-complicated explanations of transgender for almost a decade.
Now she has written down her explanations for all to read in
Transgender Explained For Those Who Are Not. Organized by topic into
short, easy-to-read chapters, Transgender Explained is perfect for
parents, relatives, colleagues, friends, allies and even journalists
who want to quickly get up to speed on what it means to be
transgender.

http://www.authorhouse.com/Bookstor e/ItemDetail. aspx?bookid= 64921
Posted by Andrea James on 10/02 at 10:55 AM