Transgender women of color have complained for years the issues and focus on the transgender community and movement was not just dominated but defined and controlled by white (trans)women. Now that Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, and others have celebrity status they decided they have the right to speak for all (trans)women.
If the vast majority of in-transition and post-transiton women (many of whom are stealth) don't accept the few out (trans)women, mostly white but not all, the right to define who they were or are as women (transgender optional), why should they accept women of color have the same right?
I don't see why any (trans)women would allow let alone accept another (trans)women to define them. They might agree on some of the issues facing transgender people, even I do most of the time, but I wouldn't accept any celebrity speaking for me.
It seems that some transgender women of color have chosen to do what they've long criticized white transwomen of doing. Demanding the right to speak for the many is color independent, it's all in the individual, and no one has the right or should take the right to stand up and say they speak for those they don't know.
I don't speak for you, so speak for yourself but not me.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Transition and Fat
In looking at and reading some of the blogs of transwomen, meaning those in transition, and the descriptions they give about the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs they take, often with dosages listed (not recommended), and the effects over time, I'm curious why they ignore two more important factors of their life and transition.
The priorities of a transition should be, in this order, your life, your health, your fitness and your transition. Without the first three, the transition is just that where you go through it risking if not wrecking your health and fitness in the process.
And never forget you have a life above all else, because without it you get through your transition to discover you don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life. Never lose focus on where you're going as a person and fit the transition into that.
The transition will make its own schedule with your finances and life, but your life won't if you sacrifice it for your transition. My concern here is reading, and sometimes seeing in the photos, which is a puzzle to my why they post selfies but then I'm not one who likes my own body so I never take them about the changes.
It's common knowledge HRT will reduce muscle mass, often helpful, and it will add or change the fat distribution on the body, and expected with estradoil, especially with the hips and breasts. And therapists and physicians who have overseen transition will tell you adding weight, aka fat, is the result of HRT.
And often they'll tell you it's "normal" and don't worry. But it's not and doesn't have to be as you'll find if you want to lose that fat, you don't have the same metabolism with exercise to reduce the unneeded fat and you have to work harder and longer than you did before, and the biggest risk to one's health is fat.
And it's the fat you often don't think about because it's slowly added or out of sight, such as intramuscular fat (muscle mass changes), internal fat (inside the abdomen on/around organs), arms, legs, etc., and over the course of your transition it's easy to find your self tens of pounds heavier.
I won't argue some people lose weight, but if you read the details, it's often they're physically active or continued to exercise through their transition so the HRT works on the areas it will naturally but won't add fat where it's burned in the exercise program.
And that's my point, don't sacrifice your health and fitness for something you think is good. Fat is still fat and not good for you. Some fat is helpful to help feel like and see yourself as a woman but much of it isn't, it's just fat, and over your new life will be there unless you change.
The priorities of a transition should be, in this order, your life, your health, your fitness and your transition. Without the first three, the transition is just that where you go through it risking if not wrecking your health and fitness in the process.
And never forget you have a life above all else, because without it you get through your transition to discover you don't know what you want to do with the rest of your life. Never lose focus on where you're going as a person and fit the transition into that.
The transition will make its own schedule with your finances and life, but your life won't if you sacrifice it for your transition. My concern here is reading, and sometimes seeing in the photos, which is a puzzle to my why they post selfies but then I'm not one who likes my own body so I never take them about the changes.
It's common knowledge HRT will reduce muscle mass, often helpful, and it will add or change the fat distribution on the body, and expected with estradoil, especially with the hips and breasts. And therapists and physicians who have overseen transition will tell you adding weight, aka fat, is the result of HRT.
And often they'll tell you it's "normal" and don't worry. But it's not and doesn't have to be as you'll find if you want to lose that fat, you don't have the same metabolism with exercise to reduce the unneeded fat and you have to work harder and longer than you did before, and the biggest risk to one's health is fat.
And it's the fat you often don't think about because it's slowly added or out of sight, such as intramuscular fat (muscle mass changes), internal fat (inside the abdomen on/around organs), arms, legs, etc., and over the course of your transition it's easy to find your self tens of pounds heavier.
I won't argue some people lose weight, but if you read the details, it's often they're physically active or continued to exercise through their transition so the HRT works on the areas it will naturally but won't add fat where it's burned in the exercise program.
And that's my point, don't sacrifice your health and fitness for something you think is good. Fat is still fat and not good for you. Some fat is helpful to help feel like and see yourself as a woman but much of it isn't, it's just fat, and over your new life will be there unless you change.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Funds
Why do women in transition seem to ask for donations to fund their transition? Yeah, obvious question since the cost of a transition depends on a number of factors but has several automatic costs, such as hair removal, therapy, doctors, drugs, clothes, etc. and the always surgeries.
The type and number of surgeries varys with the individual. Some, especially younger women, don't need cosmetic facial surgery, but most do to some extent. Some, but not most, elect to have breast augmentation surgery. And almost all, especially where it's necessary for documents but mostly personal choice, have gender affirmation surgery.
The last is often called sex or gender reassignment or confirmation surgery, but I like the feeling of gender affirmation surgery because it does what every transitioning woman wants to have for the rest of their life, the feeling and experience of their own vagina.
Anyway, back to the point. In even the most straight forward transition where the woman easily physically transition to integrate into the world as a woman, often calling passing, the cost can easily be in the $25-30,000 range, most of which will be the vaginoplasty.
If they're not so lucky and need or want additional surgeries, the cost quickly rises to $40-50,000 or more depending on the extent of the surgeries. It's only less if they have health insurance which covers part of the cost of their transtion.
But even then, breast augmentation and facial surgery is not covered by insurance and all the rest have co-pays, especially the surgery which doesn't include travel, accommodations, followup visits, etc. In short, it's not cheap.
And that often leads to some setting of accounts to donate to the transition costs. How many women who are transitioning can afford to help without taking money from their own transition? Outside of friends family, co-workers, etal, who's going to donate for a total stranger?
I'm sure many people donate to some of the women and it clearly always helps, which is why transitions should be covered by insurance. It's a known medical condition with an established treatment plan and protocol for a complete success.
I just wonder about why women out themselves to ask for donations and what they expect in terms of the amount. It's a choice if you don't have a ready source for the costs of your transition, like family which some do with supportive parents or access to a retirement, home equity or similar funds if you're older.
In any case, money seems to be the biggest impediment to transitions, and mostly for the last surgery. We need to find a better solution in the US, which are available in other countries where the costs are covered including some surgeries, eg. Canada, Great Britain, etc.
The type and number of surgeries varys with the individual. Some, especially younger women, don't need cosmetic facial surgery, but most do to some extent. Some, but not most, elect to have breast augmentation surgery. And almost all, especially where it's necessary for documents but mostly personal choice, have gender affirmation surgery.
The last is often called sex or gender reassignment or confirmation surgery, but I like the feeling of gender affirmation surgery because it does what every transitioning woman wants to have for the rest of their life, the feeling and experience of their own vagina.
Anyway, back to the point. In even the most straight forward transition where the woman easily physically transition to integrate into the world as a woman, often calling passing, the cost can easily be in the $25-30,000 range, most of which will be the vaginoplasty.
If they're not so lucky and need or want additional surgeries, the cost quickly rises to $40-50,000 or more depending on the extent of the surgeries. It's only less if they have health insurance which covers part of the cost of their transtion.
But even then, breast augmentation and facial surgery is not covered by insurance and all the rest have co-pays, especially the surgery which doesn't include travel, accommodations, followup visits, etc. In short, it's not cheap.
And that often leads to some setting of accounts to donate to the transition costs. How many women who are transitioning can afford to help without taking money from their own transition? Outside of friends family, co-workers, etal, who's going to donate for a total stranger?
I'm sure many people donate to some of the women and it clearly always helps, which is why transitions should be covered by insurance. It's a known medical condition with an established treatment plan and protocol for a complete success.
I just wonder about why women out themselves to ask for donations and what they expect in terms of the amount. It's a choice if you don't have a ready source for the costs of your transition, like family which some do with supportive parents or access to a retirement, home equity or similar funds if you're older.
In any case, money seems to be the biggest impediment to transitions, and mostly for the last surgery. We need to find a better solution in the US, which are available in other countries where the costs are covered including some surgeries, eg. Canada, Great Britain, etc.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Why
Why is it that when male journalists on TV news shows talk about "gay" rights and marriage equality only show video or images of gay men and only interview gay men or couples? Female journalists seem to balance the issue and people with men and women in the story. Don't women count or aren't part of the story when it comes to men?
Why is that when any journalist on TV takes about "LGBT" issue, they only mention the word "transgender" when saying the words in the acronym (LGBT), but they never talk about the rights, lives and issues of transgender people? Don't they count or aren't effects by the same issues let alone those unique to them?
Yeah, statement of the obvious in the LGBT community, gay men discriminate against lesbians and both discriminate against transgender people. Not all, of course, just most.
Why is that when any journalist on TV takes about "LGBT" issue, they only mention the word "transgender" when saying the words in the acronym (LGBT), but they never talk about the rights, lives and issues of transgender people? Don't they count or aren't effects by the same issues let alone those unique to them?
Yeah, statement of the obvious in the LGBT community, gay men discriminate against lesbians and both discriminate against transgender people. Not all, of course, just most.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Yes and No
Yes and No. That's the answer to several questions and while congratulations is due to Jared Leto for winning the Oscar for best supporting actor. He deserves it, but that raises the questions and the answers on both sides.
Yes, the people who made the movie, "The Dallas Buyer's Club", did have the right to pick whomever they wanted to play the role of the transgender woman with HIV since it wasn't a depiction of any real person.
But no, they didn't have the right to ignore the opportunity it would have given the many transgender actresses who could have played the part and probably better than Mr. Leto. It's one thing to credit a non-transgender (male) actor for playing a transgender woman, but totally different when someone's know the role by experience and life.
Yes, the transgender community had the right to express criticism, even outrage, at the move producers for their failure to give audtions and opportunity to transgender actresses. The producers had every obligation to give audtions.
No, the transgender community had no right to demand a transgender actress play the part unless they're willing to be the producer and write the checks.
Ok, not a real answer, but in the end, the producers missed an opportunity to help the transgender community and the transgender community missed an opportunity to engage the producers to get audtions and even a part.
But in the end, it's clear the role they wanted in the movie and it wasn't so much about a transgender woman but a supporting role to the lead roles, and Jared Leto wanted the role. That said, my congratulations to him isn't whole-hearted, but I doubt he cares because it was just a role to play than it being a real opportunity for a transgender actress.
Yes, the people who made the movie, "The Dallas Buyer's Club", did have the right to pick whomever they wanted to play the role of the transgender woman with HIV since it wasn't a depiction of any real person.
But no, they didn't have the right to ignore the opportunity it would have given the many transgender actresses who could have played the part and probably better than Mr. Leto. It's one thing to credit a non-transgender (male) actor for playing a transgender woman, but totally different when someone's know the role by experience and life.
Yes, the transgender community had the right to express criticism, even outrage, at the move producers for their failure to give audtions and opportunity to transgender actresses. The producers had every obligation to give audtions.
No, the transgender community had no right to demand a transgender actress play the part unless they're willing to be the producer and write the checks.
Ok, not a real answer, but in the end, the producers missed an opportunity to help the transgender community and the transgender community missed an opportunity to engage the producers to get audtions and even a part.
But in the end, it's clear the role they wanted in the movie and it wasn't so much about a transgender woman but a supporting role to the lead roles, and Jared Leto wanted the role. That said, my congratulations to him isn't whole-hearted, but I doubt he cares because it was just a role to play than it being a real opportunity for a transgender actress.
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