dr tanaka kei
Mar

01

No Bones About It

Politics and Opinion / Transgender Life  Posted by / 1 comments

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the television series Bones.  In many respects, it is just another crime-drama show.

What brings Bones to my blog is an episode I just happened to land on the other day, which involved a visiting Japanese forensic investigator. (This episode, though new to me, is a couple of years old, BTW.)

As a subplot to the usual grisly murder investigation, the regular characters on the show were mystified as to the gender of this visitor, and determined to figure it out.  Each professed their opinion based on whatever gender markers they found relevant.  There were actual debates about this.

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andrej
Feb

29

Beautiful Andrej

Politics and Opinion / Transgender Life  Posted by / 5 comments

More mainstream coverage and acceptance of the blurring of gender lines…

Andrej Pejic is the only person who can walk down top fashion runways as either a man or a woman.  People seem to accept that.

The Washington Post did a feature on him on February 10th.  How much more mainstream can you get?

Oh, but FYI, Andrej is not transgender.  So says the Washington Post:

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glenn close as albert nobbs - mainstream tg
Feb

26

Close to Perfection

Politics and Opinion / Transgender Life  Posted by / 0 comments

No doubt you have taken note of the movie, Albert Nobbs, starring Glenn Close, currently in theaters.

It is to state the obvious that once again, we transfolk and gender-benders should be delighted with our now regular inclusion in mainstream media.

Let’s take a moment to think about how much acceptance it takes to have a movie like this made, or have a transgender model on America’s Next Top Model, or walking down the high-fashion runways all over the world.

There is the creative talent that must not only be open to it, but be so interested as to make it the focus of their work.  There are the actors that must portray someone and cast a certain light on themselves.  There are the producers who must have enough confidence that this will fly as to put their money into it.  And, advertisers, whose main focus is to cast their product in the best possible light and have the best possible associations for it – they must be willing to align themselves with such a project. The critics, whose tastes will influence so many others, must put their reputations on the line with their commentary. And finally, the viewers, who come and see and enjoy, and come back again.

It is easy to complain; let’s take joy where we can find it.

psychology today
Feb

25

Psychology Today

Politics and Opinion / Transgender Life  Posted by / 0 comments

Lately, I have been overwhelmed by the number of supportive articles I have found in mainstream media.

This most recent example is an article in Psychology Today discussing the obsolescence of defining sexual orientation and gender.

[M]any young people are no longer finding that categorization by sexual identity is meaningful or useful. They dispense with labels that limit behavorial freedom and instead are digging deeper to discover and embrace their true desires wherever that leads them. Their sexual partner’s gender matters less than the fulfillment of their physical and psychological desires…

We are beginning to recognize that we may no longer need to be part of a sexual community of others who share our attractions. Instead, as our culture continues to shift, we are leaning towards honoring the uniqueness of our individual desires.

The author’s conclusion:

“[M]y inner truth was more perfectly found within my desires than within any identity I subscribed to.”

The whole article is at: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/intelligent-lust/201202/beyond-sexual-orientation

manhood
Feb

23

Manhood

Introspection / Transgender Life  Posted by / 5 comments

For the first time in a long time I found myself thrilled to spend a day as a guy.

I’d almost forgotten how wonderful that can be.

So much so, that when I was doing some writing a month or so ago, I had more than a little difficulty finding any reason that truly resonated inside as to why a person would want to be a guy.

But manhood can be quite a rush.  A powerful feeling and a feeling of power.  A feeling of strength and control and competence in a way that’s completely different from the feminine versions of those things. (This is an astounding contrast with the feelings I expressed in this post from last summer.)

If I had to find a metaphor, it would be, um… shoes.  Masculine shoes and feminine shoes.  Oxfords and high heels.

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