Transgender

Forum













%expand(%include(D:\http/ads/ads0.html))










By Angela Gardner

Alas my little kittens, love has struck The Diva, and unfortunately it must remain unrequited. I don't know if they've been conducting the same ad campaign where you live, but all over the Philadelphia area R.J. Reynolds has put up bus stop billboards to promote Camel cigarettes. These billboards are on almost every other corner and they feature one hot babe. She's got dark hair, a little black dress and a suntan, dramatic makeup, sexy arms and legs, and a Martini. Oh yeah, she's smoking a Camel. I've tried in vain to find her picture on the Web, or in a magazine, so I could scan her and share, but I have had no luck. She must be strictly an outdoor campaign feature. Pity, cause she'll catch a chill in that little black dress.

OutofworkCamel For years the cartoon camel occupied advertising space in my world and he never made much of an impression on me since, being a healthy Diva, I don't smoke. Then his health problems (bad emphysema I hear) caused him to retire. Reynolds ad men thought up a new approach that didn't blatantly court kids with another cartoon, and they fell back on plain old sex appeal. The new girl in town has been promoting R.J. Reynolds' smokes for several weeks and she's got me wondering if I can buy a poster of her from somewhere. I'll bet she's making more teenage boys (and teenage lesbians) pay attention to Camel ads than Joe Camel ever did.

I long to call the ad agency and ask who this vixen is, but I know they'd never tell. I wonder what part of the country she's from. Maybe she's a hot foreign babe. Ah, the answers will no doubt never be known. If she happens to be a reader of TG Forum maybe she'll read of my lust... I mean love, and get in touch. Hey, if she's a reader... that might be even more exciting.

Only one thing could be better than finding out she was one of us. If I found out she didn't really smoke. Now that would be great. I love it when things aren't what they seem, and besides, I run a no smoking domicile. I can't have her smelling up my designer dresses with cigarette smoke. Potpourri can only do so much. I don't care how sexy she is, ya gotta draw the line somewhere. Aww, who am I kidding. She'll never stop in for a Martini (shaken not stirred) at my little mountain hideaway. And if she does she can smoke all she wants.

But no, I will never find out who this beauty is, or if she really has a hacking cough. The only thing a love struck Diva can do... is dress like the Camel Chick. If you're out in the Philadelphia/New York area and you see a dark haired vixen with bedroom eyes, a little black dress and Martini -- say hello. It'll be this heart broken Diva just making do. (I might be holding a cigarette, but like another famous person I won't mention, I won't inhale. It's just for that glamma effect.)

But enough of this sadness my little flowers. Let's turn our thoughts to...

Pictures, You Oughta See These Pictures

Transgender issues are hot in the media right now. Details magazine's February issue has an article ("Sexuality 101") about FtM issues. Transgendered characters are everywhere in TV and movies. Some, like Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire, or Nathan Lane in The Birdcage, where big box office hits. Others, like the transvestite denizens of the Sin Sin Hotel, or the transgendered heroine of Weapons of Mass Distractions, have only been seen by a few of us in the world outside the art film houses of New York and L.A..

The Sin Sin Hotel is the setting for a film from Singapore called Bugis Street. The cast are a group of lovelorn transvestite prostitutes. They're all dressed in fab outfits and they do their best to stay romantic in a pretty unromantic profession. This one never made the multi screen houses and barely got shown in the art houses. Check the more eclectic video stores for this one.

The heroine of another little seen flick, Weapons of Mass Distraction, is a high society wife with a secret. She started out in life as a Russian peasant boy. Molestation by her father lead to a life of male prostitution, TV prostitution and finally the good life as a female in the upper strata of society. If only it always went that way. You won't see this flick nominated for any Academy Awards.

Mick/Greta A column or two back I mentioned Mick Jagger's time off from the Stones last tour. Jagger took a short hiatus to film a role in another little seen film called Bent. The picture is about what Nazi Germany did to homosexuals. Mick's big scene in the film has him dressed in drag as Greta, the TV proprietor of a gay nightclub. Greta sings "The Streets of Berlin" while dangling on a trapeze above the audience. In an interview Mick said that he wouldn't want to run into his character in a dark alley, but as you can see from the pic, he doesn't look that bad. Actually he looks younger as a babe. But then, makeup has a tendency to take a decade or so off anyone's age. Nice gams, Mick.

Faced with an all to certain future courtesy of Der Furher, Greta decides that now would be a good time to purge. She burns all her dresses, gets a haircut and changes her name back to George. She gets away through this desperate act, but the other characters get to go to camp. Not the kind of camp where you sing songs around the campfire and roast marshmallows. Nowhere close to that. It's not a pretty film, but if you want to see what horror has existed in the world, and Mick on a trapeze in drag, look for it on video. MGM distributed it here, so keep checking that eclectic video store.

Maybe someday the folks who produce this films will figure out that they oughta get the TG community informed way ahead of time that another film with a guy in a dress is on the way. They'd make more money if we all flocked to the theater to see the films instead of renting them later when they hit Eclectic Video.

Scattered Impressions At The End of the Column

I just heard we're marching on Washington in spring of 2000. Honey, I'm gonna be too old by then for any Million Tran March. At least not in pumps. And you know what happens when you have to start wearing sensible shoes. Next thing ya know it's flannel nighties and hot water bottles. I hope they let me dress at the home.

But seriously, Phyllis Frye just announced that HRC and MCC are the main sponsors (just what we need, more groups with initials for a name), and it's also been endorsed by the National Black Lesbian and Gay Leadership Forum, NGLTF (the Task Force), the National Latino/a Lesbian and Gay Organization, the National Youth Advocacy Coalition, PFLAG, NGLTF, GLAD, ICTLEP and many more. Other initials are hopping on board every minute. The hot news here is that gays and lesbians have finally welcomed participation the of the TG community. Stay turned for further details and start taking power walks to get in shape. See you on the mall... and I don't mean Potomac Mills.

My Aussie correspondent has sent along an item about a TS running for office in New Zealand. The country already has one TS mayor (Ms. Georgina Beyer of Carterton), now Jacquie Grant, a wildlife park curator and published author has decided to toss her picture hat into the ring. Ms. Grant is a well known character in her tiny community on the West Coast, and from the newspaper report, seems to be a pillar of the community. She has a sense of humor, too, since she just got the First MP of of her whole country P.O.ed at her when she named a monkey after him. All The Diva can say is go on girl. It's good to see transgendered people running for things office instead of running from mobs or the law.

If you're on the run and happen to hide out in Pittsburgh, PA, USA on a Friday night, check out The Andy Warhol Museum's Happy Hour. Every Friday from 5 to 7 pm they're mixing Martinis (maybe I'll find her there???) and they sometimes have celebrity guest hosts. Andy hated Pittsburgh but he's probably fine with the happy hour idea. If you want to mingle with those who have earned their 15 minutes of fame, or just chat with someone who's only had a minute or two, give the Museum a call, 412-237-8300. They're located at 117 Sandusky Street (I thought that was in Ohio) on the North Side. Have a cocktail for The Diva.

In the Philly area on a Friday? Check out Shampoo. It's the closest thing Philly has to a New York club. Things get hopping around 11. I always get there early for the open bar from 9 to 11. Then I'm ready when the rest of the crowd arrives. They have special promotions and imported drag queens, as well as a few local girls gone wrong. Call them for info, 215-922-7500.

Did someone mention NYC? Yes, it's still possible to party in the Big Apple. A name from the past is hot again, Tunnel brings you Kurfew Saturdays with "friendly drag hostesses" (I thought this was NYC? Friendly?) Aqua, Holly Graham and Asia. Check their website for more info. Mona Foot holds her Star Search every Thursday at Barracuda. There's "start galore." Eva Gabor? Call Barracuda at 212-645-8613. They're located at 275 West 22nd Street. Jayne County spins the tunes at a new club called Life. It happens every Wednesday at 158 Bleeker. Call 212-420-1999 for info. Your hostess? Mistress Formika.

And that's it for this month my little puppies. As always, be careful out there. Big kiss!


The Diva can't do it all. She only has so many eyes. If you see something that girls like us need to know send it along ASAP.
TGF's Home Page