So I have to wonder just what was it that Kelly Harris was trying to accomplish in early April when she appeared on AM Philadelphia. The topic of the show was "Should Child Molesters Be Castrated?" brought on by the request of a child molester about to be released from a Texas prison to be voluntarily castrated. The show featured a legal expert, a victim's rights advocate, Dr. Terrence Malloy of Pennsylvania Hospital who has done castrations for that purpose, and Harris, a post-operative MtF transsexual. I did not see the show, but, girlfriend, did I hear about it. I have to wonder what the producer of AM Philadelphia was thinking when she invited Harris on the show. And then I have to wonder where Harris' head was to accept. There couldn't have been a worse mismatch of subjects: transgendered people and sex offenders.
After two and a half years of publishing, Davina Anne Gabriel decided to call it quits with TransSisters: the Journal of Transsexual Feminism according to a March press release sent out over the net. Gabriel says the primary reason was the pressures of publishing the magazine had deleterious consequences on her health, physically, emotionally and psychologically. Also the work involved in publishing TransSisters had expanded to such an extent that it left her with almost no social life, and also without providing any significant income. The readership of the magazine never grew beyond 250. Gabriel also said she had become increasingly disillusioned with the "Transgender Movement." Back issues of TransSisters are still available for $5 each until gone. Write to Davina Anne Gabriel, 4004 Troost Ave, Kansas City, MO 64110 or send email to Davina at davinaanne@aol.com.
Gabriel isn't the only transsexual disillusioned with the "Transgender Movement" as she calls it. The newsgroups alt.transgendered and soc.support. transgendered were aflame for most of February and March when the two groups were (some would say) "invaded" by transsexual absolutists. These absolutists claim there are only transvestites who are men and "true" post-op transsexuals who are women. A trans-genderist is really just a transvestite playing at being a woman. Now, I haven't been on the net that long, but I have been in one or two flame wars myself and I've observed several, but the nasty, mean-spirited rhetoric coming from both sides in this so-called debate could have stripped the epoxy paint off a ship's hull. At the heart of the, ahem... discussion was the absolutists' desire to create a new transsexual-only hierarchy: alt.new-women and alt.new-men. As in real wars, there was plenty of collateral damage. Anyone at all involved with transgender politics, like Riki Wilchins, and Phyllis Frye were fair game even though they were not directly involved in the postings. The real extent of the damage was revealed in a private post by a newbie who was afraid to attend a local support group meeting for fear it would be a hostile environment. Fortunately, she was convinced it would be safe and enjoyed her first visit.
It's not just a few transsexuals playing politics on the net. At least one transvestite is into playing games. Debra Berube operates a web site under the sobriquet DBAssociates. At her site, Berube claims, is all the information you'd ever want or need to know about the transgender community. Now, that's a big claim and anyone making it ought to be able to back it up. So, I went browsing in her Resource listings and guess which national organization is conspicuous by its absence. Yep, Renaissance, not national nor any of the chapters are listed. Click on Delaware and you get a message that says she's sorry but there are no transgender support groups in the state. See if you can convince her to list Renaissance. She won't talk to me because our web site "competes" with hers. The address is DBAssoc., P.O. Box 2085 Natick, Mass. 01760. Call her at 800-893-2829, or email her at dba@tiac.net.
While we're up New England way, a press release from Dr. Sheila Kirk in mid-March announced her relocation to Pittsburgh, Pa. Kirk moved from the Pittsburgh area three years ago to work as a volunteer at IFGE. The release says that Kirk will continue her association with IFGE, but that she finds it necessary to move back in order to continue her transgender research projects and to expand her writing projects. Kirk is the author of two books on hormones for M-t-F and F-t-M transsexuals and coauthor of Medical and Legal Issues for Transgendered People in the Workplace. As of May, Dr. Kirk can be reached at PO Box 38114, Blawnox, PA 15238 or by calling 412-781-1092.
On June 1st there will be a large TG mobilization in Philly, with Leslie Feinberg as lead off speaker. This event is still in the open planning stages, and this is a call for participation. The event is being co-sponsored by Giovanni's Room and The Bridges Project (GLBT youth program at the Friend's Center). Anyone is welcome to help organize, and TG youth and TG multiple minorities are especially encouraged to participate. Contact Ben by email at bensinge@gandalf.rutgers.edu or call 215-386-1120 (box #6). PLEASE pass this along to folk who are off line!!
You heard it here first (this isn't even in my print columns. See why you should be a subscriber). Two new transgender books have hit the street. Leslie Feinberg's Transgender Warriors was pre-released by Beacon Press in time for the IFGE Convention in April and will be appearing in bookstores in early May, but we've got it in the Mall at the CDS Bookstand for you now (see below). However, we've got the scoop on an even newer book, The Man In The Red Velvet Dress by J. J. Allen, a member of the community. Allen's book explores the transgender community with an insider's eye and a critical one at that. This book is going to whip up a storm of controversy and discussion. It's 216 pages with 12 pages of photos (yours truly is inlcuded). Look for it at the CDS Bookstand now.
Enough politics. Time for fun and fashion... I finally made it over to the newly expanded King of Prussia Mall and, wow, it really is big. We wandered into Nordstroms and I was amazed at what I saw there. First there was the ladies shoe department that took at least two-thirds of the floor. I don't think I've ever seen a shoe department that big before. And, they carry shoes up to size 13 WW, nice looking ones too. Next I spotted the M A C counter. I think this is the only M A C outlet in the Philadelphia area. M A C is the cosmetic line that hired RuPaul as its spokesmodel. I'm definitely going back and spend some serious money (it was mobbed when we there). Next stop was the dress department on the second floor--again, huge and a large selection of sizes, up to 24. We cruised by the couture salon where I spotted this cute little orange tank dress and immediately recognized Herv Legere's signature "bandage" style. So I peeked at the price tag and instantly got a nose bleed: $7700. And no, it wasn't a mistake. There were two at the same price. Who buys this stuff and do they wear it with or without insurance?
While I'm on the subject of dresses... There is often confusion between Misses and Womens sizes, so let's try to clear that up. Womens sizes tend to be shorter through the trunk, as much as an inch or more. And, Womens sizes are designed differently. Typically, a Misses dress is designed as a size 8 and is then scaled up to an 18 and down to a 2. A Womens dress is designed as a size 20 and then scaled up and down. The result is that the proportions end up quite different. A Womens 14 (14W) is really much closer to a Misses 16 than a Misses 14.
To help you squeeze into that Misses 14 is a whole new array of foundation garments from the likes of Nancy Ganz Bodyslimmers Hourglass Dress slip, corset-like body briefers from Natori, and Miracle Slips from Victoria's Secret. Even the Hane's One Place catalog has a corsolette. On a recent visit to Lee Brewster's Mardi Gras Boutique in NYC, Ms. Brewster steered me to an industrial-strength corsolette by Jezebel that is just fabulous and it's really pretty too. Ask for item# 751. You'll love it. The boutique is located at 400 W 14th St, near 9th Avenue, 212-645-1888. Lee will be opening a storefront in the Shopping Mall soon. Keep watch.
Makeup tips for summer... Avoid opaque frosty lip and eyecolor. The idea is to get sheer see-thru color. Don't try to match your eyeshadow to your eye color. And don't use two dramatically different pastel eyeshadows. As for mascara, you've got more options than just black and brown these days. Try: YSL's Navy; Guerlain's Mauve; Dior's Moss Green; or YSL's Violet.
You also have to pay attention to your nails this summer. It'll do no good to have a pastel face and blood red nails. The fashion pundits recommend the following: For the Office... Estée Lauder Pink Ice, L'Oréal Mauve Beam, or Cover Girl Pink Snow... For the Evening... Chanel Metallic, Chanel Orange Sherbert, L'Oréal Moon Berry... For Casual... Face Pastel Yellow, Pastel Green or Pearl Blue. The preferred nail shape for summer is rounded and just to the fingertip. Lipstick shades in browns are hot for the summer, too, from beige to dark chocolate. Brown is a universal color and anyone can find a shade that works for them.
Cosmetics haven't made it big time on the Internet yet, but there are a few sites for cosmetics. Aveda and Biomedic are two that are online, and Clinique cosmetics can be found at www.univbkstr.com/clinique/ although it is not an official Clinique site. Cosmetics specifically for the transgender community are sold by Genteel Products. Tell Cindie I sent you.
Have a hard time finding shoes that look nice and fit properly. Thanks to computer technology, those days may be numbered. A new store called Custom Shoes may be coming to your shopping mall soon. Custom Shoes scans your feet, generates a custom pattern and then sends the pattern off to Italy where a pair of shoes are made just for you, in any size. The cost is between $120 and $200 which is about what you'd pay for a really good pair of shoes. It takes 2 weeks.
Joan Rivers used to joke about shaving her legs all the way up before visiting her gynecologist, but it seems it's no joke. According to a survey, 92 percent of females 13 and older shave their legs, but 33 percent of those shave only from the knee down. I wonder how many males shave from the knee down?
Lots of people in this community are interested in cosmetic surgery. Some are looking for breast augmentation. Some are looking for nose jobs, brow lifts, or cheek implants. Well, look no further than your Internet connection to find out all about cosmetic surgery at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons web site. It was pretty busy when I tried to get into it (unsuccessfully), so be patient.
Awhile back I mentioned Revlon's new ColorStay foundation. I haven't tried it yet, but I did get email from Nicole who did and she liked it... a lot. She said it was as good as the Max Factor Active Protection base I've been touting for years. There is one negative. She says it takes tons of makeup remover to get it off. Better your face than your clothes.
So, those are my opinions, but, hey, what do I know? The only person I ever compete with is myself. That way I never get complacent and I'm always trying to be better. Comments? Email them to CyberQueen@cdspub.com.
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