1 Pretty T Girls March 2014 The Magazine for the most beautiful girls in the world
A publication of Pretty T Girls Yahoo group 2 Pretty T Girls March 2014 The Magazine for the most beautiful girls in the world
A publication of Pretty T Girls Yahoo group 3 In This Issue
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Editorial By: Barbara Jean 4 Busting Down the Closet Door Randy’s Story 5 2014 Nail Trends 6 15 Tips for a Perfect Manicure 7 15 Beauty Tips You Should Try 11 Artificial Nails, Acrylics, Gels, & Silks 14 The Exploits of Barbara Marie 16 Things I Had To Learn by: Victoria Williams 18 The Adventures of Judy Sometimes 21 Tasi’s Musings 23 Humor 28 Angels In The Centerfold 29 TG Tips from Mellissa 33 Easy Fashion Tricks Learned by Watching Michelle Obama 38 Tasi’s Fashion News 42 Lucille Sorella 44 Male Breast Enlargement 46 New Fiction Story by Barbara Jean 49 How to Be More Photogenic: 25 Tricks for Better Photos 50 The Gossip Fence 53 Shop Till You Drop 63 Calendar 72
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Busting Down The Closet Door An Editorial by: Barbara Jean
The closet, a place where we keep things that we want to keep out of sight. As kids we might hide something in the closet or even in games hide in the closet ourselves.
For members of the LGBT community the term “In The Closet” is used to say that we are hiding a part of ourselves from others. For those of us who are transgender, it means that our crossdressing is kept secret from anyone but a very select few.
Why are some of us in the closet? Well it’s because of fear. Fear that the wife and kids will find out and our marriage will be over, fear that the boss will find out and we will be fired, fear of arrest, fear that people will laugh, fear that we will be attacked, fear that …… The fears we have are innumerous. But we have that desire to get out of that closet, to see the world as the woman we are inside. Fear it is the lock that keeps us in that closet.
There was a time when all of these fears were justified. People had a total lack of understanding of us. Being arrested, losing jobs, losing family & friends, yes there once was a time when all that was real for us. Today things are far better, but there are still many of us who are still in the closet, desperately wanting out, but fearful to make that first step.
But then comes the day, and we say Damm the torpedoes, full speed ahead, and with a swift kick we break down that door never to be locked in it again. We take that step out, it is both exhilarating and scary. That first step, it may be to a gay bar or just a drive at night, but oh the fear that goes through us when we take that first step out in public enfemme. From the bars it’s to a restaurant or the mall. Each step out that door is a new adventure. Most of us who have kicked down that door and made that step out have found that most of our fears were unwarranted.
On the TG Woman board a number of girls have shared their stories of that first time they stepped from the closet. I have saved those stores and I plan to print one every month in the hopes that those of you who are in the closet and wanting out will see how others have done it.
Perhaps the one thing that is of the biggest help in breaking down that closet door is to have a big sister to guide you, someone who has been out many times, who knows where to go and where not to go, one who can guide you in how to act, what to wear, and other things when out enfemme.
Wanting out of the closet, read the stories, see how others have done it, then take that first step and find you will never go back again. 5
Busting Down The Closet Door
My First Time Out In Public By: Randy
My first time out in public wasn't so public, but daunting nonetheless. I had previously attended two Tri-Ess meetings at the Fayetteville chapter, but had not dressed for those occasions. That was per agreement with my wife, at that time she was OK with me going, just not dressing. Not exactly sure of her reasoning, although doubt that there was any to it. The third meeting I put my foot down and said that it was time, otherwise there really wasn't a point in going. I got her reluctant acquiescence.
The memories of that first experience of being dressed IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE, oh my god, are still very clear in my memory. I still remember sitting on the bed trying to get the courage to step out the door and go to the meeting site. I was in drab, and still shaking like a leaf with the thoughts of what I was about to do. The meeting was at Jamie Renae's home. She was our chapter president and my big sister that I been communicating with and even met face to face before going to my first meeting. I was sure all the way to her house that everyone that looked at me knew where I was going and what I was going to do there.
I got to her house, without having a heart attack, and she showed me to a room to change. After I had changed, and done my makeup, again there was a period of shaking before finally mustering the courage to step out of that room into their living room. I still remember as I walked out, Shirley, Jamie's wife commenting "My, doesn't she look pretty." She, she said she. Needless to say, I immediately jumped up to cloud nine.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur, but two things still stand out in my memory. First, one of the other girls, Havah, came up to introduce herself. I told her we had met at a previous meeting. She stepped back and said, "I didn't recognize you since I haven't seen you dressed. You look great."
The second thing was we were gathering on the deck for the formal meeting portion and there were sev- eral fans scattered about for cooling purposes. As I walked past one to take a seat...... we think Marilyn Monroe. Yep, up flew the skirt. Being raised male, a girl just doesn't think about those things. To be honest though, that was one of the times that I have never felt so much like a woman. A girlish squeal came out of me from I don't know where, grabbing the skirt and trying to get it down as I scooted as fast as my kitten heels would take me away from that fan, to shouts of way to go Marilyn. Guess what, I did- n't die of embarrassment, have a coronary, only a very fond memory. Jamie still says she wishes that she had her camera.
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It was a totally marvelous day, and that evening back in my room, I sat and cried. A combination of tears of joy over the feeling of freedom, and sadness that the day had to end. I owe a great deal to Jamie. She was the first CD that I met face to face, she took me shopping en femme the first time, and has been that sister that I could go to for advice in to first tenuous steps out of the closet. I've attached a photo of that outfit that I wore to my first meeting, and a photo of Jamie and I. The outfit that I'm wearing in the photo with Jamie is also what I was wearing the first time I got whistled at by a construction worker. That is a story for another time.
2014 Nail Trends: Minimalistic Manis 7 Ideas for Gorgeous, Minimalistic Nails By Wendy Rose Gould
I'm one of the biggest nail fanatics out there. I find myself perusing nail blogs and websites on the regular, I love the manicure box at all the awards shows and I own approximately five million bottles of nail polish. I also paint my nails pretty regularly, obviously, and like to document every manicure I give myself.
For a while there, super detailed nail art was all the rage. Think Monet paintings on your pinky nail level of detail. While that kind of nail art isn't Minimal Nails for 2014 going anywhere fast, I've noticed an upswing in a more minimalistic approach to manicures.
Now, minimalism doesn't mean boring. Quite the contrary. It means limited elements in a thoughtful and creative way. It also means upping the quality of colors and textures when it comes to polishes.
For 2014, nail art is all about multidimensional colors, rich and unique hues, and manicures that find a balance between look-at-me and subtle. For example, a nude manicure with off-center black French tips. Or the richest shade of cornflower blue (try Polish & Co's "Get Over It!") you've ever seen with a thin, perfectly place strip of white down the middle. Even exotic, need-it-as-soon-as-I-see-it nail colors evenly slathered across perfectly shaped nails.
Just check the runways if you don't believe me. Or all the award show mani-cams that feature starlets' perfect talons.
Here are some manicures that I plan to try out in the coming months. I'd love to hear about the manicures you want to try out in the coming months, as well. Share in the comment section below!
7 7 Minimal Manicures to Try 1. Neon orange nails with beige rectangles. (I already did this one. See the picture!). The picture feature's FingerPaints' Don't Make a Scene and Floss Gloss' Neon Nacho.
2. Super subtle ombre nails that fade from beige to clear. Try LAQA & Co.'s Birthday Suit Nail Polish.
3. Mint nails with black checkerboard stripes. Try Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet.
4. White nails with a thick, metallic strip down the center. Try Essie's No Place Like Chrome.
5. Rich brown nails filed into talons. Try Zoya Nail Polish in Louise.
6. Ultra red polish on super short, perfectly manicured nails. Try OPI's Big Red Apple.
7. Nude nails with the faintest golden shimmer on the tips. Try Deborah Lippmann's Boom Boom Pow.
Wendy Rose Gould is a Yahoo Shine Beauty Guru who writes about beauty and fashion topics on a daily basis. She believes a woman should never leave the house without fabulous hair and a spritz of her sta- ple perfume. Read more of her content here.
15 Tips for a Perfect Manicure webMD
French Manicures: Hot or Not? Before all else, a manicure lover dreams of her fashion statement. Is yours the French manicure? Depending on who you ask, this pale pink polish with a white tip is either classic or old-fashioned. If you love the look, you'll be happy to know that it makes nails look longer. And pale shades are just right for serious moments, like a job interview.
Gel and Shellac Can Take a Beating Maybe your crazy hobbies wreck your nails. A gel or shellac manicure may give you two to three weeks of shiny, chip-free nails. Both types require several layers of polish that need curing under a special lamp. And you probably need to pay a pro to remove these tough polishes. But fuss-free nails may be worth the price. 8
Do a Skin Check for Sizzling Color Will cherry red polish make you look vampire-pale or sizzling hot? The answer is in your skin tone. For skin with blue undertones, choose pinkish nudes, deep violet, fuchsia, or that cherry red. For olive or yellow undertones, pick beige or white nudes, chocolates, and corals. Test new shades on a piece of clear tape stuck to a nail
Let Nail Shape Flatter Your Hand Should your nails be short and square or long and pointy? You can play it safe with an oval shape, which flatters most hands. If you want to soften your look, try a round shape. Square nails look best on long fingers. A "squoval" looks like a square, but has rounded corners. A point is more daring and makes your fingers seem longer.
Pearly Pinks Look Good Longer Shimmery or pearly nail polishes may last longer than matte ones. And a neutral color -- pale pink or a pretty cream -- makes nicks and dents less obvious. To touch up your nails at home, use an extra layer of top coat (instead of any old clear nail polish). Two thin coats are less likely to chip than one thick layer.
How to Go Blue or Bold Blue, green, yellow and other bold colors are ever more popular. Keep these fun fashion statements neat and freshly polished, so your bold color is the main attraction. You also may want a fresh manicure a little sooner than with a quiet color. It's easier to see where your nails have grown, revealing their natural color at the base. 9
Fake Nails Are an Artful Cover-up Nail extensions can hide weak, damaged, or broken fingernails. But you have to go to the salon often to keep them looking good. And they may damage your real nails even more. Wet, loose, or chipped acrylic nails can trap moisture and give you an infection. Go completely fake-free once in a while to keep your nails healthy.
Nail Art When plain colors are simply too plain, tiny stick-on jewels and painted designs can jazz up your look. Some newer trends: crackle finishes (like old paint), colored tips, and dragging magnets through wet metallic polish for squiggly designs. A "moon manicure" has a pale semicircle at the nail base and the rest is polished in another color.
Wear Sunscreen to the Salon A manicure shouldn't put you at risk for wrinkles and skin cancer. And some doctors worry that putting your hands under a UV nail lamp frequently could do just that. It uses the same UV rays from the sun or a tanning bed. So rub a broad-spectrum sunscreen on your hands. And ask about fans or letting your nails dry naturally.
Forward Thinking Saves Nails Prevent that "Oops!" moment. Before your manicure, get your wallet and car keys handy. No digging into your purse with wet nail polish! In winter, keep your coat on during a manicure to avoid smudging polish on your sleeves later. You also can ask for a protective oil on your finished nails. It lessens the chance of smudges. 10
Quick Fix for a Smudge or Chip A smudge or chip after you've left the salon is maddening. Not to worry. Dab a little acetone nail polish remover on the trouble spot and smooth it. When it's dry, fill in the area with matching polish. Follow this with a new coat of polish on the whole nail and a clear top coat. Allow 10 minutes to dry.
First Aid for Split Nails Cut paper strips from a tea bag to give a split or cracked nail extra support while it grows out. Apply a base coat to a clean, dry nail, wet the strips with the same polish, and wrap them around the nail. Smooth your work with a manicure stick and seal with another layer of polish. For severe nail cracks, see your doctor.
Fight the Manicure's Natural Enemies Chores are brutal on manicures, so become BFFs with gloves. Get a few pairs to wear when hand-washing dishes, gardening, and painting. Scrape price tag stickers off with a spoon instead of your nails, and buy a soda can opener. Switch from bar soap to a gentle hand wash to prevent drying. And put lotion on your hands to keep your cuticles soft.
Prevent Nail Infections You probably know that the salon's tools should be clean and disinfected between clients. You can also bring your own equipment. If you feel any itching or burning after the manicurist uses a product, say something right away. And if your nails or fingers become red, sore, or ooze pus after a manicure, see your doctor. It could be an infection. 11
Salon Manicures for Girls? There's no magic age when it becomes OK for little girls to have a manicure. It's usually up to the parents to decide when. Most nail services are safe, as long as the salon cleans equipment properly. Some spas and salons even specialize in serving girls and teenagers. And a mani before the big dance can be a fun mother-daughter event
15 Brilliant Beauty Tips You Should Never Forget by: Redbook
If skin docs and industry pros could sneak into your house, they might leave behind Post-its with these brilliant reminders. Just simple, easy tips --but honey, wait till you see what a difference they make… By Cara Litke Sullivan, REDBOOK.
1. Go bare for a weekend If you're a mani and makeup kind of girl, once a month, give your skin and nails a two-day breather. It gives your skin a chance to recharge and rebalance, "and for nails, it helps prevent stains and peeling," says Tracylee, a celebrity manicurist for Sally Hansen, who's worked with Emma Stone.
2. Clean out your makeup bag already! When makeup has expired, the color can change and go on blotchy--but worse than that, "it can harbor all sorts of bacteria that you don't want near your skin or eyes," says makeup artist Laura Geller, founder of Laura Geller Beauty. To play it safe, replace mascara and eyeliner every three months, toss creams and liquids after a year, and chuck powders after two years. "It'll help if you write the date that you open a product on the tube or compact," Geller says.
3. Sneak more water into your diet They didn't teach us this in science class: "Hydrating and moisturizing are two different things," says Los Angeles facialist Kate Somerville, whose clients include Katy Perry. "Hydration is getting water into your skin cells, while moisturizer locks it in." The best way to hydrate cells is to drink plenty of water, "but taking fish-oil and flaxseed-oil supplements and snacking on watery fruits like cantaloupe also help a lot," says Somerville. To stay on top of your H2O intake, the iPhone app Daily Water Free lets you track your daily consumption and set alerts for when to hit the watercooler.
12 4. Get a facial at the start of each season It's not just an exercise in pampering. "When dead cells build up on your face, your skin-care products can't penetrate," says Mona Gohara, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine. "Getting a facial three to four times a year deep-cleans your skin in a way you can't do at home. Plus, it gives you the chance to discuss your skin needs with an expert."
5. Moisturize midday For all but the most oily-skinned of us, our morning moisturizer stops doing its good work by the afternoon. So take a minute at your lunch break to pat on a few drops of an oil-free hyaluronic-acid serum (such as Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum, $48) or spritz your face with a hydrating mist (we love Benefit Ultra Radiance Facial Re-hydrating Mist, $26). "These products deliver loads of moisture to skin, but dry quickly and won't ruin your makeup," Gohara says.
6. Try a mental-health bath "Taking 10 minutes to unplug gives your body and mind the time it needs to restore and regenerate," says Howard K. Weissman, Psy.D., a clinical psychologist and the founder of the Chicago Stress Relief Center. One of the easiest--and most enjoyable--ways is to slip into a tub, so draw a warm bath, "then add a few scoops of Epsom salts to soothe muscles and a couple drops of lavender essential oil, which is calming," suggests dermatologist Ruthie Harper, M.D., director of the Nutritional Medical Associates Clinic in Austin, TX. Don't think of it as a luxury--do it because you need to.
7. Put extra sunscreen on key spots To all you people who say, "I'm not even going outside today; I'm just in the car": Researchers have found that driving may be linked to the increased likelihood of skin cancer on the left side of the body. So before you go anywhere, slather on a face lotion with broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher, such as Olay Professional Pro-X Age Repair Lotion with SPF 30, $29.99. To protect exposed body skin, the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Stick Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 70, $11.99, is a deodorant- size tube of clear, unsticky sunscreen that's designed for swiping on arms, shoulders, the backs of hands- -anywhere you need insta-coverage.
8. Wipe down your phone at night Icky fact: "Your cell phone screen is a breeding ground for bacteria--particularly the kind that cause acne," says Somerville, who suggests stashing antibacterial wipes on your bedside table and using one to clean your screen every night before bed.
9. Wash your pillowcases and towels on the regular "They play a key role in your skin's appearance," says Harper. "Change to a fresh bath towel and pillowcase every Sunday to keep pore-clogging oils and bacteria off your face." For the same reason, spritz your makeup brushes with an antibacterial brush-cleansing spray once a week. (We like Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser, $15.) "Then once a month, give your brushes a thorough cleansing with soap and water," Harper says.
10. Make Sunday night deep-conditioner night You're already watching The Walking Dead; use the couch time to nourish and strengthen your hair. Shampoo, then work a deep treatment designed for your hair type (Pantene offers a good range from $5.99 to $12.99) through your strands from mid-length to ends. Then hop out of the shower and park it 13 in front of the tube for 10 to 30 minutes. "The longer you let the conditioner soak in before rinsing, the better," says hairstylist Marcus Francis, who has worked with Kerry Washington.
11. Brush before you shower Raking a brush through wet hair is a surefire way to pull out strands and create frizz, so detangle when it's dry. "Brush the ends first and work your way up," says Francis. A paddle brush (like the Conair You Brush, $7.99), which has wide-spaced bristles, reduces snags.
12. Skip the lather a few days a week If you can use dry shampoo instead of the wet stuff every other day, "your hair will be softer and visibly shinier, and your color will last longer," says Jennifer J., a Wella Professionals colorist.
13. Once a week, exfoliate from head to toe Buff your body with a scrub that contains hydrating oils or glycerin. Bliss Hot Salt Scrub, $38, has both. Then, give your scalp a good weekly finger-scratching while shampooing. "This is especially important in the summer when you sweat more and oils build up on your scalp, and it can also help control dan- druff," says Francis. Plus, it just feels so good.
14. Put that face mask on your neck and chest! "Use a rich, moisturizing one a few times a month to prevent crepey skin," says Deborah S. Sarnoff, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at New York University School of Medicine. Try Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Treatment Mask, $18.
15. Soften up while you sleep Got dry, ashy arms and legs? "Before bed, rub on a body lotion that contains lactic acid, which gently dissolves dead skin," suggests Gohara, who likes AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion, $16. To keep your feet smooth throughout the winter, "coat your heels with Vaseline at night, then slip on cotton socks," she says.
14 Artificial Nails: Acrylics, Gels, and Silks By Lisa Fields WebMD Feature
There are plenty of reasons to get artificial fingernails. Maybe you're going to a wedding or reunion and you want to look sharp. Or perhaps you've had trouble growing your nails long and need assistance. Gel, acrylic, and silk nails are widely used. Most people choose gels or acrylics when they're committing for a longer time. Silks are most often used for a shorter time to strengthen nail tips or repair nail trauma, rather than making nails longer.
Acrylic Nails Your nail technician will mix a liquid with a powder and brush the mixture onto your nails. They'll usually cover your entire nail, though sometimes they'll just add tips or a flexible form that they can sculpt to extend your nails.
The product hardens as it is exposed to the air. You may notice a strong odor during the application process, but it isn't harmful, provided the room has good ventilation.
Upkeep: Over time, acrylics grow out with your nails. Every two to three weeks, you should return to the salon to have your nails filled in. Your technician will gently file down the acrylic edge closest to your nail bed, then fill in the empty area between your nail bed and the existing acrylic nail.
Removal: When you decide to have your acrylics removed, your nail technician will remove them quite easily, with no forcing or prying, after soaking your hands in nail polish remover for 15 minutes. "If you accidentally catch on something, like the edge of a drawer, the whole nail can get lifted off of the nail bed," says dermatologist D'Anne Kleinsmith, MD, of West Bloomfield, Mich. "When you break that seal, you're able to get a yeast or fungus or bacteria brewing in that space."
Gel Nails Unlike toothpaste-thick gel products of the past, today's gels have a similar consistency to nail polish. They are brushed onto your nails, nail tips, or nail appliqués to extend length. After your nail technician applies each coat, you must put your nails under ultraviolet (UV) light for up to two minutes to "cure" or harden the product. There is no odor during the application process.
There have been reports of skin cancer risk from the UV exposure, which may be a consideration, though you're not getting exposed to a lot of UV light per session.
Gels are more expensive than acrylics, but they may hold their color longer without chipping, so you may not mind the steeper price.
Maintenance: Like acrylics, gels grow out with your nails and need to be filled in every two to three weeks. Your technician will gently file down the gel edge closest to your nail bed, and then fill in the empty area between your nail bed and the existing gel nail.
Removal: You can remove most gel nails by soaking them in nail polish remover. Some nail-sized wraps are filled with nail polish remover, which can loosen the artificial nails enough for removal, with- out drying out your hands. 15 As with acrylics, you could get an infection in your nail bed if minor trauma (such as getting your finger caught in a door or accidentally banging your nails against a countertop or other hard surface) causes your gel nail to lift your entire nail off.
With either gels or acrylics, the nail doesn't have to come completely off your finger to cause an infec- tion. If it's loose, but still attached, that could be enough for bacteria or other germs to cause problems.
Silk Nails These fabric wraps are glued in place to strengthen weak nails or help a cracked nail grow out. Some wraps are made of silk, but others are made of linen, paper, or fiberglass.
Your nail technician will fit the material to your nail's shape, hold it in place, then brush on glue. Silks are intended to be temporary, and the adhesives will loosen within two or three weeks, or sooner if you wash dishes by hand without gloves. Your nail technician can remove or reapply them at your fol- low-up visit.
10 Tips for Artificial Nails 1. Go to a pro to get your nails. At-home products "require a lot of skill, far more than do-it-yourself hair color," says Doug Schoon, co-chair of the Professional Beauty Association's Nail Manufacturer Council on Safety. 2. Don't peel off your artificial nails. "They're designed to adhere to the nail, so if you peel them off, it yanks off the top layer of your nail," Schoon says. After they're off, your own natural nails should look healthy. Go to a pro to get it done right. 3. Choose a nail technician based on recommendations from friends, rather than basing it only on location or price. "A lot of people walk into the salon down the street because they see a price in the window that looks attractive, but they're not getting the same service as they would going to someone educated with the right skills," Schoon says. "If your nail technician isn't experienced, she can file your nail plate too thin when applying gels or acrylics, which can damage your nails." 4. Your nail salon should look clean and disinfect tools between clients. 5. Your nail technician should wash their hands before working on your nails and ask you to do the same. 6. Leave your cuticles alone. Don't let anyone at the nail salon cut or push back your cuticles. Breaking the seal between your fingernail and nail bed can lead to infections. 7. Don't bandage or try to repair a damaged nail yourself. Go to a professional so you don't get a nail infection. 8. Ask your technician how to care for your nails between visits. "It's important to get a good, knowl- edgeable nail technician, someone who can teach you how to properly maintain your nails," Schoon says. 9. Speak up if something seems off. Tell your technician if you're in any pain after your artificial nails have been applied, because they aren't supposed to hurt. If you develop rashes or itchiness around the fingertips or your eyes, face, or neck (which many women often touch with their hands), Kleinsmith says you could ask your doctor if you're sensitive to one of the ingredients in your artificial nails. 10. Go natural now and then. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends skipping artificial nails occasionally, to give your own nails a break.
16 The Exploits of Barbara Marie
A REFLECTION ON CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS 2013
BY
BARBARA MARIE
First, I hope that every one had a great Christmas and that “Santa” was good to all of you. Also I hope that you had a safe and happy a New Year and that you did not gorge yourself on that wonderful “hopping John” (black-eyed peas and rice.) Since my son and daughter in law had pitched such a fit about the lack of decorations at my house, that I placed a 4 foot tree on a stand in the dining room next to the window and a 6 ½ foot tree in the living room next to a window. Both trees had colored lights. That was my only decorations this year. Christmas for the past seven years has been hard for me, but that’s another story.
The nail Shop was opened until 6 pm on Christmas Eve. We set up a table in front of the Christmas tree with Pizza, chips cookies and drinks for the customers. During one of the slow times, we had ”Christmas” as the manager passed out gifts to every one. I got two very nice tops that came from Belk’s (I have already Worn both of them.) I gave the manager two very nice tops from Victoria Secrets. I also gave each of the technicians $20.00.
Christmas morning I got up and put a 4 lb roast beef in the oven to take to my son home in Pooler Georgia to have when he got home from work (law enforcement). I also made rice and gravy to take down as well. Not sure how some of you cook a roast beef, but after it is thawed, I put Worchester sauce all over it, followed by natures seasoning, garlic powder, a little salt and pepper to taste. I put it in the oven for 5 minutes at 500 degrees then turn the oven down to about 325 and bake the roast for about 1-½ hours to 1 hour forty-five minutes for medium rare. Two hours will make it more medium. However, I am sure that everyone had their own recipe for roast. When I left the house to go to my son’s that afternoon, I was wearing brown slacks, with a multi colored top that I had received the day before and brown loafers.
Several days before Christmas, I send my daughter in law’s parents a Christmas card with a gift certificate from Subway, as I knew that her dad picked up subs from the shop near the Salon. I was trying to be friendly as well as an in-law when I sent the small gift. (Her parents have 17 voiced a very strong dislike of me) The Sunday after Christmas, I was invited to my son’s home for dinner (basically another Christmas dinner) as he had called me about cooking a roast that I had given him a few weeks ago. It was very good as we had roast beef, rice and gravy, green bean casserole, steamed broccoli and chocolate brownies with ice cream. I wore black slacks with a black and purple- checkered top and black shoes. After dinner they gave me a box of chocolate covered cherries and A large photo frame with pictures of their wedding for me to hang on the wall. What I did not expect was to be given my Christmas card with the gift card back, as her parents refused it and want nothing to do with me at all. (It is funny that they are leaders in their church.) I was ok with it as I have purchased several subs since I got it back. My daughter in law was paying her parents a minimal amount of rent for the house she was living in but when they (my son and her) got married, it doubled. Since my son just celebrated 6 years of sobriety the first of December, I had a margarita before I left home.
Hope that every one also had a happy and safe New Years Eve. I was planning to spend it alone but 3 of the ladies from the shop called and wanted to come over and fix dinner.. Thus they came out to the house brought the food (Vietnamese, cooked it and then cleaned up after we ate. I did not have to lift a finger. We had fried rice with eggs, onion and shrimp, a toss salad with eggs and shrimp covered in ranch dressing, grilled steak Vietnamese style and of course beverage of choice. It was a great evening. Two of the ladies had sparkling juice with their dinner and my self and the other lady had several glasses of red wine with ours. Thus my bottle of spumante that I bought for new years eve 2012 will sit in the refer for New Years Eve 2014.
The salon was open for about 4 hours New Years Day but only had three customers so they closed the shop. Three of the ladies went to the mall in Savannah. The manager, her family and your truly went to Sylvania and had a great afternoon/evening with the folks that bought the nail shop over there. One of the fellows there was a chef at a restaurant in Savannah thus we had an array of Vietnamese food to enjoy. Steamed crabs, Pho (a beef and noodle soup with mixed greens, clams, shrimp and pork. We also had beef tips and cabbage with onions and garlic and different spices. We also had what appeared to be paper-thin corn beef with onions and spices. There was also plenty of Heineken Beer to go around. After dinner one of the ladies asked me about my breast augmentation as to the cost ECT and wanted to know about scaring. Thus I took her into another room and showed her. She is planning to have one if she can raise the money.
About a week later, I was invited over to have supper with several of the new folks that had been here since the middle of December. It was just the 4 “ladies”. I took a “hand grenade” (8oz of Sake) and a bottle of red wine. I had a little bit of sake, a glass of red wine and about 4 oz of beer. Two of the ladies had the rest of the sake; abut a half of bottle of red wine and several beers each. One of them, wanted to see and touch my chest. I knew that she and the other girl were not feeling any pain by then. Thus, since we were all ladies there in the trailer, I took my top off for her to see. She then wanted to touch and feel which I let her do. She was amazed by how soft and “real” they felt. (My augmentation is 18 months old now). The others two ladies just watched. After several minutes, I put my bra and top back on. Nothing was/has been said about that incident. We are all still very friendly towards each other as if nothing happened. If she had been sober, I probably would not have done it.
It is now the 16th of January and I am fixing to make my third trip to Savannah for a meeting. I am treasurer of the Scottish American Military Society Post #7 in Savannah and we had a meeting on the 14th. I wore a purple top, black slacks and silver “loafers”. On The 15th, I was back at the 8th Air Force Museum for a Wedding for Warriors celebration. (These are active duty Military who never had a formal wedding.) It is done once a year as the couples renew their vows in the afternoon and the reception is 18 the same evening. There were eleven couples. One couple had been married 16 years and this was their formal wedding. There was another couple who actually got married that afternoon and this was their wedding reception. SAMS (eight of us from the post were there). As each couple were introduced, They entered the reception by passing through the SAMS unit who formed a sword arch as they entered. This was the third one that I had done as Barbara. After ever one was seated, the eight member of our unit not in a kit, read a paper about the POW/MIA single table that was set up and then followed that with the invocation. Diner was Prime rib, wild rice, green beans, squash, and smothered chicken breast or the prime rib. Beverage of choice, and dessert was a slice of wedding cake. There was one large cake and 11 smaller cakes. It is interesting to note that everything, the brides dresses, the cakes, the music, the food and the professional photographers were all donated by merchants in the Savannah as their way of saying thanks to the military and the sacrifices the spouses have to endure. This has happened once a year in Savannah for the past six years. Next week I will be attending Robert Burns’s birthday celebration in Savannah. However, I will be wearing my “bubba skirt” (kilt) with my hair back in a low ponytail, and no makeup. I will be wearing a sport bar and camisole under my tuck shirt and Prince Charlie Jacket. In 2015, I will celebrate 50 years as a member of an all testrone group.
Who was Robert Burns? That is a topic of another Article I wrote last year for the SAMS magazine, The Patriot… In February, I will be attending another Robert Burns Celebration as Barbara and will be making the “Haggis” for that one. I use to make it then “Pipe” it in as I played the bagpipes for 55 years. Some one else takes care of that part now. When you think of the poems “Flow Gently Sweet Afton” , “My Love is like a Red-Red Rose”, “A man’s A Man For All That”, “The Best Laid Plans Of Mice and Men Often Go A stray”, or sing “Auld Lang Syne” at New Years, think of Robert Burns, poet Lauriat of Scotland who was born in 1750. Until Later, I wish all of you a “Fond Farewell”.
Things I Had to Learn… victoriamwilliams | (Reprinted from TGForum) …and wish I knew at the start
Victoria on the road to discovery.
At this moment I am sitting in my car starting this article, which (yes, I did pull off the road) because the thought I have in the title “Things I had to learn” also has a sub topic, “and wish I knew at the start.” Let me first tell you a story of how this came about.
There were two men talking and both men have daughters. The man asked his friend, “Why didn’t you tell me that having a house full of women would be like this, and does it get better?” His friend replied, “You had to find out for yourself and it gets more interesting,” the man then asked, “Tell me what to look for?” His friend replied,”You have to find out for yourself!”
I have been on this journey for many years and it was not till late 2011 that I actually began to get 19 comfortable with myself. As I look back even further I used to be the one looking at the ladies out and about town with their friends and on many occasions I wished I was that brave! I know many of you see my photos and read my stories and some are saying (and a few have written) that very wish I once had is now a reality.
So, keeping this a brief topic I will share some things I have learned over the last few years so you won’t have to experience them or you will know what to do in those situations. Here are some tips from me:
LEARN TO BE COMFORTABLE Don’t be afraid when you feel yourself feeling comfortable to the point where you’re just feeling great about yourself. For me, I am at that point where I can pretty much go anywhere within my personal safe zone and be me. I am very comfortable in being me. Now to get here I took baby steps so don’t rush it! I made that mistake in my early years and was not prepared. I was not comfortable in who I was, as I am today. As I say, always stop to take time to create a list of goals and make your large one the last thing on the list. Within the goals set small ones that will get you to the larger one.
Plan your outings and save gas and money. I used to drive for hours using up gas like there was a refinery in my backyard. Today I plan each outing from start to finish. As I am writing this I am sitting in a McDonald’s after watching people come in and out but no one is bothering me.
Become comfortable with your clothes and how they should move and make sure they are fitting your body type. It took a few years for me to perfect my body shape! Now that I have found my shape I can pretty much buy clothes that work for my shape without trying them on.
Quick tip: Remember that nail polish is not always 100% off so use a cotton swab with remover around the edges of your nail bed.
HEIGHT DOES NOT MATTER Being tall does not mean you don’t pass! I am tall and yes I pass about 70% of the time and I may be a bit low based on my last outings! Your ability to pass is also based on how comfortable you are! If you appear comfortable in who you are, including your clothing, most people will look at you and you have one time to make that impression of who and what you are. I can tell you when I was shopping for some shoes I had a customer at the store compliment me on my height and told me she has a friend that, along with her friends daughter, is my height! So I told her being a tall woman we have to carry ourselves a bit differently which is true because my mother was tall and she carried herself the way I carry myself.
THE PRONOUNS When I first started I did not care much about how I was addressed. Till I began going out in public. I do remember when I thought I had everything together and a man addressed me at Payless as I paid for my items saying, “Have a nice day sir.” I was hurt and did not show the signs outwardly till I got in my car 20 and of course that was another blow to me which forced me get things together so that would never happen again. It has happened a few time but now I ignore it as ignorance and often wonder how many tall women have to deal with this! I will say my mother did — believe it or not — and one guy who had called her “sir” turned extremely red when he noticed she was very pregnant!
(Editor’s Note: Sometimes people will call you “sir” when they are trying to be polite but don’t know how to address a crossdressed male. Just say, “I prefer miss” and educate them.)
I feel it is very important to make sure you’re using the correct pronouns to describe yourself and that includes around people and online. Use of the correct pronouns, I found, enforce who I am and makes me feel great. If you have images of a woman on your online life but your marked in your profile as male it causes confusion with a very few, however it is not dishonest to use the gender you’re presenting. I will say there is nothing like reading “(female name) is celebrating his birthday” on Facebook.
Do not celebrate openly when you’re addressed with the female pronouns! It is like a red flag confirming what they thought.
I am comfortable and to keep me happy I prefer to be addressed using female pronouns. I expect it and accept them.
RESTROOMS As I began the journey I would read the questions on forums about which restroom to use. I would personally go to the lady’s room and I remember my first time. No one in there — then all of a sudden people came in so I sat there in fear! Yes I sat! I did not know what to do so I waited till they left then washed my hands and got out of there! Fast forward to today. I do use the lady’s room and the fear is not there and so far I have had only one experience with a woman walking out as I walked in. She had an attitude but frankly I did not care, I had to go so I sat down and did my business, washed my hands, made sure everything was in place and left.
So the big question is which restroom should you use? Use the one that goes with how you’re dressed or what the law will allow in your part of the world.
CLOTHING & MAKEUP
This is one area that I have touched on briefly in this article and it is now time to expand it.
I will start with makeup which is basic for many of us. (I enjoy seeing women who have that “perfect” skin tone and do not require any make up! I am working on that myself!)
One thing about makeup is that too much makes you look fake and not enough does not make you look right. I noticed in my case that I can go 21 light on foundation if I follow a proper skin care routine, which is to cleanse and moisturize my skin. Doing that tends to help with shaving and makeup application plus it makes your skin look healthy — which you want to have no matter how you present. Applying makeup works best when you’re using a makeup brush and I learned this from color match session at the Mac counter so I am a fan of and only use brushes. Also, it has extended the time between makeup purchases.
Here’s a clothing tip. The one thing that is important is that you see the clothes as your clothes! When you were growing up you saw your clothes as your clothes without assigning a gender to them so that should be one of the first things you accept when wearing your cute dress or nice pants! They are your clothes — especially if they fit you!
LESSON
What I wish I would have known in the beginning is that it takes time to find yourself on this journey and it is best to slowdown and learn with each level. If you take your time it will be a more fulfilling experience and the growth will be beyond your dreams. So learn to slow the train down and become who you desire to be. You can’t bake a cake in two minutes and have it come out right so look at your journey like you’re baking a cake!
The Adventures of Judy Sometimes by: Judy Danials
My journey from a very chilly start in life.
Like many of you I have been dressing since a very early age, for me, that would be around the age of 4. My first memories of wanting to be like my mom was wearing my dad's pajama top like a nightgown. It wasn't long after that I discovered pantyhose, high heels and everything else girls got to wear. I didn't really understand my attraction to these things, all I knew was that I liked wearing them and nothing would ever change that. Of course eventually my passion was discovered and I was told that little boys weren't suppose to do things like that, so began my hidden secret.
I also had the misfortune of growing up in very cold atmosphere, I never once saw my parents show any signs of affection for one and other, is it any wonder why neither could show me any love. The only real direction I received as a kid was that boys weren't suppose to cry or show their emotions when they were sad, it was a sign of weakness I was told.
Subsequently I did all my crying at night in the basement of our house where no one would hear me. 22 About around the age of 5 a neighbor girl received a new bike for her birthday, I fell in love with that bike and actually "borrowed" it when she went inside and learned how to ride it on my own. I would often see other fathers teaching their sons or daughters how to ride a "two wheeler" by holding on to the back of the sit and running along side in case they tipped over. I didn't get that help, my father was to busy drinking in the bar, so I took my cuts and scraps like a man. I consider my self pretty lucky as I manage to teach myself how to ride rather quickly as "my bike" was soon locked away when the neighbor girl's father discovered I was borrowing it.
My early child years were often spent in the back seat of my father's cars, usually hand me down Pontiacs from his parents. I have many memories of sitting behind a bar called the Silver Tray on Saturday afternoons when we were supposed to be out doing father/son type stuff. Nothing was ever said when we came home because he was usually to drunk to communicate and often got into physical arguments with my mother. I would retreat to the safety of our basement and cry for hours. A couple good things did come out of it as on one of those Saturday afternoons my father actually took me to pick out a kitty and we spent that first afternoon together bonding in that back sit. I also grew fond of the hot dogs and orange crush the waitress brought out for me on many occasions, it didn't seem odd to me at the time that it wasn't my father who brought them out...did it really matter ?
As most kids growing up in the late 60's I was a big wrestling fan, the Crusher, Wahoo McDaniels etc.. were the wrestlers of the time and all of them were to be featured at the Civic, our main event center at the time. My father had promised to take me, but of course the day of the event he was broke and drunk so I ended up venturing out on my own and sneaking in by pulling on all the exterior doors until one opened up. I did end up finding a bunch of kids I knew once inside and it ended up being a very memorable day for me despite my father disappointing me once again.
Oh and you could forget the time he took me to the races. Our first stop was the liquor store to pick up a six pack and then the grocery store for some grapes. I didn't know it at the time, but the plan was to have me carry the beer in a bag with the grapes on top so the ticket takers wouldn't bother to check the bag...wrong. My father was subsequently detained long enough for the stands to fill up leaving us with pretty much the crappiest sits in the place and to add to that I got a beer dumped all over me early on and had to sit all sticky throughout the entire evening.
The final insult came many years later when I got the talk. I was about 14 and had never really had any relationships that lasted for than a few weeks so my father figured that I was gay. Now, be honest I'm not sure if he knew anything about my crossdressing as it was my mother who had always caught me and I can't imagine she would have ever shared this with him.
Anyway, he proceeded to tell me about a cousin of his that had been shunned by the family because he "wasn't right" and if that’s the way I was I had better change my ways or I would end up in the same boat. It was the first and the last time my father and I had gotten into a physical fight. I ended up retreating to the safety of the basement, but this time he followed me. The end results were me knocking him out and leaving him on the basement floor. I told my mom to call the cops, but she refused so I left and didn't return for several days.
23 Needless to say our relationship was pretty much over after that and thankfully my parents got a divorce soon after. Life eventually got a little better and my freedom to dress took off like wildfire. I had very little contact with him over the years until his death in 1999. Not sure if he ever knew about my dressing or not.
Judy (Its a miracle I didn't turn out so bad) sometimes
Tasi’s Musings, March, 2014
Greetings from Merida
We have many interesting articles in this month’s Musing so read with care, but first some more fascinating history from this land to which I retired.
Haciendas…do you know what they are. There are more than 170 haciendas in the Yucatan, each with its own history, its own charm, and its own ghosts. Haciendas in Mexico were the basis of an economic system begun by the Spaniards in the 16th century, similar to the feudal system of Europe. They were the economic nexus for their developing commerce being farming and manufacturing centers that produced meat, produce, and other products for export.
In Yucatan, they used the local Mayans to work the fields and factories at slave-like wages or no wages at all. Like the southern plantations of the United States, haciendas enforced a social system of castes, based on race, with the European hacendados (landowners) as the masters and the indigenios (Mayans) as the slaves. Over time, haciendas became symbols of wealth and culture, adorned with architecture, furnishings and art from around the world.
Most Yucatan haciendas in the 19th century produced rope from henequen, a variety of the agave cactus which was produced as a result of investment by the John Deere Company, looking for a replacement for metal hay baling wire that was less dangerous to cattle. Henequen rope, called sisal, was also used for everything from rigging on ships to placemats and carpets that we use today. After the Mexican Revolution and the subsequent invention of synthetic fibers, most haciendas were abandoned to decay in the jungle. In the last ten to twenty years, they have been "rediscovered" by both locals and foreigners and many have been renovated and given new lives.
A few haciendas are now being run as vacation rental homes, giving you the chance to live in the entire hacienda as if it were your own. One of the easiest and closest haciendas to visit is Hacienda Misne, a hacienda that is within the boundaries of the Periferico of Merida and one that we will vist during “Magic in Merida” next year. There is a Hacienda Route and we will be visiting some, having fun riding the donkey-pulled trains in the sisal fields. 24 In the News
Unbelievable. First it was South Dakota, Tennessee, Idaho, Kansas, and Maine and now it’s Arizona. Arizona is one of six states where lawmakers introduced “religious freedom” bills targeting same-sex couples, mostly in response to the rapid advancement of marriage equality. Civil-liberties and secular groups countered that Yarbrough and the Center for Arizona Policy had sought to minimize concerns that last year’s bill had far-reaching and hidden implications. They said the bill would allow people to break nearly any law and cite religious freedom as a defense. And although these bills were directed at the gay community, the spillover to transgenders and women in general are rather dramatic. And you wonder why I have a problem with the religious right. Now is the time to become an activist and fight this insidious encroachment on our civil rights in the name of religious freedom. There is no constitutional mandate to enforce what they believe, only to believe what they wish.
The New York Times has done an interesting piece on TGs in the military in The Courage of Trans Soldiers. This is recommended reading for all.
US scientists find being gay is 40% genetic. The researchers believe this shows that genetics is about 30 to 40% responsible for determining a man’s sexuality. The rest, they believe, is determined by environmental factors such as a mother’s hormonal levels during pregnancy. ‘Sexual orientation has nothing to do with choice,’ researcher Professor Michael Bailey told The Times.
The Transgender Coming Out Party Is Over. Where do we go from here? Mona Rae Mason gave the keynote address at Fantasy Fair in Provincetown, MD some years ago and just published it. It is well worth your time to read.
Refuge Restrooms. Meet transgender woman and coder Teagan Widmer, whose latest app, Refuge Restrooms, highlights the importance of providing safe public accommodations for trans people. She has developed an app designed to help trans individuals locate restrooms where they are least likely to experience harassment or physical assault. Using the database of now-defunct website Safe2Pee, Teagan launched Refuge Restrooms, an open-source collection of trans-safe restrooms
Maine Trans Student Wins Landmark Discrimination Case. A transgender girl from Orono, Maine, has come away victorious in a lawsuit filed against her school district. The Maine High Court today ruled that Nicole Maines must be provided the same access to school facilities as other female students, citing Maine's Human Rights Act in its findings
A new game, Gender Swap. Following the release of Oculus Rift development kits, a lot of fascinating new projects have been cropping up. The latest one making the rounds is an experiment called "Gender Swap." The experiment uses the Machine to be another and first person cameras to swap the video feeds of two Oculus Rift systems, allowing one person to effectively see as if they were someone else.
25 Books, Movies, and Television
Transparent. A new television series from Amazon with potential to reshape portrayals of trans characters for years to come might never get past its first episode — unless viewers pledge to support it. Transparent stars Jeffrey Tambor as the titular character, Maura, a trans woman coming out late in life and trying to share her authentic self with her dysfunctional family, including her selfish children and ex-wife. Gaby Hoffmann, Jay Duplass, Amy Landecker, and Judith Light costar in the earnest and surprisingly sympathetic pilot, which includes gay and lesbian storylines in addition to the central plot.
Watch the full episode at Amazon.com. After watching, rate the episode and register your comments about the show here through February 28. At that point, Amazon officials will use feedback from users on this pilot and four others (Mozart in the Jungle, The Rebels, The After, and Bosch) to determine which show will be green-lit for a full season to be featured on Amazon Prime Instant Video. I watched the video and it will likely be most fascinating. You need to watch the show to the very (surprising) end.
Reporters Under Fire. Katie Couric came under fire after her awkward interview with transgender model Carmen Carrera, during which Couric asked about Carrera's genitals. This was followed by Piers Morgan who was inundated with criticism and complaints following an interview with transgender author and journalist Janet Mock, during which a title card stated she "Was a boy until age 18" while Piers focused on her past before she transitioned as well as the physical aspects of her transition. Now Stephen Colbert satirized the media's confused treatment of the transgender community on his show, the "Colbert Report". His perfectly realized parody of conservative cable news pundits made several deliberately ignorant jokes about transgender acceptance. See his amazing performance here.
Insideout – The Documentary. It’s a documentary about transgender children that’s in preproduction. The Web site for the film (insideout-thedocumentary.com) describes it as a 90-minute documentary that “takes us deep inside the world of transgender and gender non-conforming children. Ranging in age from pre-school through high school, these children feel they were born with bodies that do not match their innate gender identity. Each yearns to live an authentic life – and live Inside Out.” Click the link above for a more complete description of the project.
Enterprise crew flops gender in bold Star Trek comic. To boldly go where no woman has gone before. The entire crew does a gender flip in a recent issue of the Star Trek comic series. Captain James Kirk becomes Captain Jane Kirk, Nyota Uhura, becomes Nnamdi Uhuro, the only male on the bridge. Now how does that grab you? The publisher of the Star Trek comic book series says it’s a two-part story line with the first issue out now.
Tasi’s book, “Top Ten Fashion Mistakes by Crossdressers and How To Fix Them” was reviewed by Sophie Lynne on TG Forum here 26 If you are near Boston, check out Sisters Family. The group is the work of Ashley Bottoms (on Facebook) and is highly recommended to all transgender women. There currently are several chapters in the Boston area.
Fashion and Beauty
Good news for some, the “Swinging 60s” are returning. Gucci opened Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday with a homage to the '60s as the new chief executive of Italy's fashion chamber told AFP the sector had finally "turned the corner". Models in pastel-colored mini dresses, soft furs and python boots paraded down the catwalk in what Gucci creative director Frida Giannini called "glamour at its purest".
Gucci said the designs were a tribute to "inspirational '60s style icons", with embroidered cocktail dresses, thigh-length trenchcoats and plenty of leather. "I am trying more and more to get away from a sexy style to emphasise a romantic sensuality. Women have to like themselves above all," Giannini said after the show.
Curvy Chix Chariot, a Washington DC-based fashion truck for plus size women (sizes 14-24), has launched its unique concept with the recent unveiling of its new vehicle. Owner Donna Hundley said she knows too well about the obstacles plus size women face in finding fashions that are complimentary and won't break the bank. Known for her own stylish dressing, Hundley de- cided it was time to bring more options to the DC area to allow her styling skills to cultivate within her own boutique
What is the Best Lipstick? Lipstick is kind of like chocolate — there will always be the latest wild card, but when push comes to shove, it's the unbeatable classic that outlasts them all. With that in mind, Refin- ery 29 turned to 10 of Hollywood's most esteemed makeup experts to find out which lip hue they will forever swear by. Click above to find out what they are. Lipsticks available at Sephora here.
“Marshmallow Girl”, appropriate or not? It’s no secret that the pressure to be thin is one faced by many woman. A simple flip through your average Vogue is enough to get the point across: society tells us skinny is pretty and fat is not.
Even worse, any woman in Japan will tell you that their pressure is far greater. Apparently a chubby figure (much smaller than what we consider obese here in the U.S.) is not acceptable. As a result, some in Japan have tried to counter this perception of chubby girls. A magazine called La Farfa was created and features only plus-sized women. 27 It is an effort to show Japan and the world that plus-sized girls are beautiful as well.
Recently, the magazine called one of its models, Goto Seina, a “marshmallow girl.” The magazine has since been advocating for the term and claims that it hopes the nickname will change the general per- spective on chubby girls.
Want to know what size your favorite actress/model/celebrity wears, look here
The Queen has commanded Kate Middleton to wear longer dresses. If you want an unbiased, impartial review of Kate Middleton's style, you've come to the wrong place. I’m very prone to praising Kate's sartorial successes to an excessive degree. The good thing in this case, though, is that we're not the only ones in the Kate-can-do-no-wrong camp. But it appears she does have one surprising critic, and it's really the only critic who matters: the Queen.
From Seattle: What Victoria Secret’s workers think when men walk in the store and it isn’t complimentary. I have no reason to believe that the same doesn’t hold true for crossdressers.
Humor
Japanese Man In Sailor Fuku Meets With Australian Cross-dresser, Hilarity Ensues
Hideaki Kobayashi is a 50-year-old normal Japanese male who became a viral sensation for wearing a girls school uniform, better known as Sailor Fuku Ojisan (Translation: Old dude in girls' sailor school uniform). Ladybeard is a hairy Australian who is a pro-wrestler, a heavy metal singer and an entertainer who is becoming better known in Japan recently because of his own crossdressing exploits. Both men were spotted together in girls school uniforms on a street and the photos prove that they are indeed Kawaii.
Cool pool fast thinking
Speaks for itself The world’s first “True Love” bra. It will not unhook unless in the presence of true love. Wow! All you ladies now have a safe option around your gentlemen admirers J
So until next month
Hugs……Tasi 28 Humor
SCOTTISH WEDDING
At the Scottish wedding reception the D.J. yelled... "Would all married men please stand next to the one person who has made your life worth living." The bartender was almost crushed to death.
Safe? Condoms don't guarantee safe sex anymore ….. A friend of mine was wearing one when he was shot by the woman's husband. 29 Angels In the Centerfold
Ginger
Andria Nicole Baker
Trixie Deans 30
Joni Miller
Rita Long
Kyle Amanda West 31
Marielle Charlie Greta Johnson
Rebecca Adams 32
Magda Miranda Michelle Truesdell Suzanne W. Jeffries Lizzie Kelly 33
Mellissalynn’s Tips & Tricks
Hi, girls! Con you believe it’s already March? Y’know, they SAY it’s supposed to be spring soon. Could someone tell Mother Nature, please? Seriously, I’ am sick to death of snow and cold and ice! I almost ruined my freshly-done nails the other day going out to my car from the salon; I slipped on a piece of ice and barely caught myself. As it was, my manicurist had to do a quick repair on one nail because it cracked when I grabbed the car.
Winter has affected me in another way, one that almost cost the magazine my articles for this month. My internet is provided by a wireless source from a nearby city. Well, the ice was so bad this last week on their transmitter that it couldn’t send out signal! When they got up there and tried to break it free, the technicians messed something up on the transmitter. The upshot of this is, I didn’t get my internet back until a day ago, so now I’m scrambling to pull this together, plus articles for other publications, and get them all sent out ASAP. Can you all see why I’m tired of winter?
In other, non-winter-related news, after bragging last month that I graduated school…it looks like I’m going back to school. I’ve been invited to return to the cosmetology school to learn how to be a cosmetology teacher. Again, my GI Bill is picking up the tab, which means I get my living stipend while I attend. On top of that, I can do a minimal amount of hours to do this, which means I go longer and get the stipend longer, but more importantly, it means I can also work in a salon while do this. The things we do to make a living…
And speaking of making a living, I have yet more news about my cosmetology-enriched life. I’m scheduled to take my state board examination on February 24, in Springfield, Illinois. It’s a 100- question exam, out of which a 75% is passing. My goal, of course, is a 100%. So it’s back into the books for me!
If you have a story about the winter (who doesn’t?), or want to talk to me about how you’re getting by, or just want to share a tip or a trick, feel free to drop me a line! Here’s the address: [email protected]. I hope to hear from you! Oh, and wish me luck on my exam!
PS: If you write me before February 24, don’t worry if your response is a few days late. I’ll be cracking the books pretty much to the exclusion of all else until my test is over with.
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Did you know that you can use petroleum jelly (Vaseline) as an eye makeup remover? Yep! Put some on a cotton pad and hold the pad gently on the area to be removed for a few seconds. The oils loosen the bond holding your mascara and liner on. As a bonus, the jelly will also condition your lashes.
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An old but true tip: Preparation H will help smooth crow’s feet.
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Here's a nifty trick to try if you want to experiment with temporary highlights. Use your eye shadows! Mix a little gold or bronze shadow into some hair gel or styling cream. Decide where you want to try the highlights and apply, using a small brush. Hit it with a dryer for a few, and there you have it, temporary highlights!
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This is a pro trick for getting and keeping the curly lashes you want to have. Before applying your mascara, take a lash curler and apply it to the base, the middle, and the tips fo your lashes. Hold the curler in each position for three to five seconds.
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We’re all in a hurry these days, and seriously, who has time to sit idly and wait for polish to dry? What’s more, we also don’t have the luxury of touching up our manicures every few days. In other words, we need polish that lasts! While blow dryers, ice baths and nail-drying sprays all work wonders when it comes to speeding up polish drying time, the sad truth is that it really does require a bit of patience. The good news is that being patient really works, and gives the best look.
Allow lacquer to dry a minute or two between coats. This allows the lacquer to dry faster, adhere better and last longer on the nail. During application, the tendency is to try to make your polish look like the shade in the bottle on the first coat. That won’t work. Try instead to apply two thin coats and build the color. If you use too much lacquer, the polish will peel and chip. If you apply very thin coats, letting the polish dry in between each layer so that the solvents evaporate, it wears better and lasts longer. If applied properly, you’ll get the right shade on the second coat. Bottom line: Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to nail polish application—then once you’re finished, you can expect a shorter final drying time, and a longer-lasting manicure!
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This tip will sound sacrilegious to some of you, but I have several readers who swear this tip works. Try washing your hair with beer. It sounds crazy, but beer contains proteins that are proven to help repair hair that’s been damaged by the sun, chlorine, or other products. It also does an amazing job of cleansing the scalp.
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This is a great tip to remember on a hot summer day (yes, they are really coming!) when you’re out and have forgotten to bring blotting papers. Slip into the ladies’ room and grab one of those neat covers provided for toilet seats. They’re made of the same material as blotting papers and will do the trick.
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Here’s a strange-sounding tip I found online. Immediately after applying lipstick, put one finger in your mouth, close your lips around it and draw it out like sucking on a lollipop. Supposedly, this will remove any pigment from the inner lips that would otherwise smudge on your teeth when you smile.
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Here’s a neat way to use a common kitchen item to help fight blemishes. Pour a little bit of apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball and apply to the face as you would a toner. It’s very powerful, and a little smelly, but well worth it for the results you get.
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Do you use bobby pins? If so, this is a neat little pro tip that you may find useful. To keep bobby pins from sliding out of your hair, try inserting them wavy-side down for better hold.
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Here are a couple of ways to make your eye liner work for you. DO you want to make you eyes appear to be further apart? Try concentrating your liner on the outside corners of your eyes. Conversely, to make them appear closer, highlight the inner corners with a white or light shadow and line your upper lid thickest toward the center.
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I want to remind you all that, even though we’re in the dead of winter, right now as I look out my window, I see the sun streaming. Even though it’s the coldest winter in the whole of recorded history (or at least it seems like it!), you can still get sunburn! So remember to use some sunscreen if you’re going to be out on a sunny winter day.
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This is a pro trick that I read about on Daily Makeover.com. If you really want to have your cheeks stand out, skip the finishing powder there. After applying your blush (lightly, don’t go too heavy!), just apply it down the center of your face and leave the cheeks uncovered. The powder will create a matte finish everywhere else, and your cheeks will really pop!
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I haven’t said much about hair in this column! So here’s a great way to get a conservative chignon. This tip comes to me courtesy of Angelica, from Athens, Georgia. Turn and twist your hair around a band so that it ends up creating a base, and then bobby pin it in. Afterward, you can deconstruct it by pulling out a few pieces around the face for framing. Thanks, Angelica!
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So now that I am the recognized professional in my family, I’m allowed to point out things that the other women are doing wrong in their makeup routines. This leads me right into Mellissa’s Germ Phobia corner with another horror story. In this case, it’s an item being used incorrectly. My sister-in-law was doing her makeup recently and I caught her using her eyelash curler. No big there, she has great lashes and they look wonderful when curled up. However, I cringed when I saw that she was doing this AFTER having applied her mascara! This is a no-no, ladies. The curler should be used before applying mascara, because otherwise you get exactly what my sis-in-law had: a gunked-up curler.
What’s worse, this isn’t the first time she’s done that with the same curler. I wanted to rush her to the doctor right then to be sure she didn’t have some crazy eye disease! I explained to her how badly she could damage herself doing this, and then gave her a brand-new curler a little later in the day, on the condition that I saw her throw away the old one.
Please, ladies, don’t do this! That curler gets as close to your eyes as a liner pencil or a mascara wand, and can do just as much harm. All kinds of bacteria can thrive on a curler. Please, take care of your beauty tools as much as you do your makeup.
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And, since I’ve brought the subject up, it is March, and that means we’ve reached the beginning of spring. This is, as always, a great time to go through your makeup supplies and decide what’s still usable and what’s seen its lifetime.
Here are the general criteria for makeup expirations:
Foundation: 3-6 months Concealer: Wand applicator concealers should be tossed within 6 months since they’re likely to grow bacteria. Stick, twist-up tubes, or compact concealers can last up to 12 months, especially if you use a makeup brush to apply the product. Pressed powder cosmetics: Facial powder, blush and eyeshadow should be thrown out after one year. If you get an eye infection, however, you’ll have to toss out any eyeshadow you’ve used, to avoid re- infecting yourself. Lip gloss and lipstick: 1 year Mascara: You should always replace mascara after 3 months. Toss it immediately if it becomes dry, or you develop an eye infection. Remember: Never, ever share mascara! Eye and lip pencils: If you sharpen them every few days, makeup pencils can last a year or longer. It’s time to trash them when they become dry, crumbly, and hard to apply. All-natural cosmetics: Because these products do not contain preservatives, they should be used or 37 discarded within 6 months.
Theses dates apply from when you open the package. Items that are still sealed should be good. Some other things to remember about keeping your makeup free of bacteria and other things are:
1. The general rule is to not share cosmetics. However, if you use a clean applicator each time and don’t allow the makeup itself to be contaminated, this rule can be disregarded. 2. Don’t put your fingers into the product. Always use the applicator provided or a makeup sponge. Try not to reuse sponges or applicators. 3. Keep containers tightly closed, and store them in a cool, dry place. 4. Don’t use water or saliva to ease the application of a product. 5. Immediately toss the product out if there is a change of color, texture, or consistency; if the ingredi- ents settle or separate; or if an odor develops. Also, remember on lipstick, if you see bubbles, it’s no good.
I understand that makeup isn’t cheap, ladies. I’ll guarantee you, though that it’s cheaper to replace makeup than dealing with blemishes or diseases!
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It’s meeting night, and the group is about to take pictures. Try putting your tongue o the roof of your mouth just before the photo is snapped. This will pull your chin up and make you look slimmer. Extend your chin a bit to help hide a double chin. And always remember to pull your shoulders back and keep your head up. This will give you a long lean line and improve your posture.
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This hair trick works for women and men. If you have a cowlick that won’t lay down, wet the problem section of hair. Point the dryer in the direction you want the hair to fall in, hit it with the air until it’s dry, hold the section in place as it cools. This will set the hair in place.
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And with that last pearl of wisdom, ladies, I must bid you all a find adieu. There is a rather large textbook awaiting my attention, one that I’ll be immersed in for some time until my exam. The next time I write to you all, I should be able to say that I’m now a professional cosmetologist, and then, THEN, I’m going to tell Barbara I want a raise! In fact, I’m going to ask for double what I’m being paid now. Let’s see, that’s how much again? Oh wait…
So! If you agree that I should get paid more, TELL BARBARA! Or if you want to wish me luck on the exam, or tell me how you think my Cubbies are going to do this baseball season, or just want to chat, write me! You know the address, it was at the beginning of this column, but here it is again: [email protected].
And now I’m off into my self-imposed exile of study. See you all in March, when we can (I hope!) start talking about spring ideas and tips. Stay warm! 38 Incredibly Easy Fashion Tricks We Learned by Watching Michelle Obama It's a fact: FLOTUS has fabulous taste. From bold prints to dressy cardigans, she's inspired us to be a bit bolder in our own fashion. Here, we countdown the (super-simple!) style tricks we've learned from our fabulous First Lady By Jane Johnson
After more than five years in the White House—and more sartorial scrutiny than any First Lady since Jackie O—Michelle Obama is still delivering fabulous fashion. And her wardrobe of dressy flats, cute cardigans and bold prints has changed the way we dress, too! She always looks chic, on-trend and—most importantly—like she’s having fun with fashion. That’s why the “Mom-in-Chief” is our style inspira- tion! Here are the best style tricks we learned simply by following her lead.
Flats Can Be as Dressy as Heels
At 5’11”, Obama doesn’t need the height that heels provide, so she stocks her wardrobe with eye-catching flats in luxurious colors and textures, switching up the toe shapes from rounded to pointy to open -toe. Finally, comfortable shoes actually worth coveting!
Colorblocking Is a Major Money-Saver
Have a simple dress or skirt in a fun color? Choose a top or cardigan in an equally vivid solid and voila—you’ve got an outfit that shows your confi- dence, without buying any new pieces. 39 Bangs Are Incredibly Versatile
When Mrs. O debuted her self-described “midlife crisis” bangs, the world took notice—and millions of women related to the idea of wanting a mini makeover to mark a milestone. Since then, she’s worn her fringe lots of different ways, from sideswept (so feminine and sexy!) to blunt (chic and powerful!) and even tucked into a headband.
Neutral Nails Don't Have to Be Boring
Mrs. O showed up to the Democratic National Convention sporting a dusky gray manicure and the Twitterverse went crazy guessing the shade. Since then, the hue has become a salon staple, and professional women are considering a rainbow of new neutral polishes.
A Bold Belt Brightens a Basic Silhouette
A plain brown leather belt? Not for our First Lady! Mrs. Obama has made belts covered in large stones and sparkly hardware a must-have accessory. They add just the right amount of glamour to everything from a serious sheath to a knee-length coat. 40
Prints Can Be as Elegant as Basic Black
Who says little black dress is the best way to look chic? While she sticks to streamlined silhouettes, Obama is downright fearless when it comes to exaggerated patterns. Case in point: This gorgeous poppy-print number from go-to designer Tracy Reese.
Peach Gloss Goes With Everything
At events where red lips might be overpowering, Obama slicks on peach-toned gloss. It’s understated, pretty and brings out the radiance in her skin.
It’s Cute to Coordinate
Obama has clearly passed her fashion know -how to the next generation. Lessons 1 and 2: J.Crew is an American treasure—and jewel tones always look appropriate. 41
Never Be Afraid to Try Out a Trend
It’s the silhouette every cool girl-on-the-street loves to wear, and—in a dusty blue knit instead of tough leather—the moto jacket looks just as easy and modern on America’s most famous mom-of-two.
If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It
We’ve all heard this maxim, but no one embraces it quite as elegantly as Obama. Famous for her killer arms, she takes no notice of those who say she should keep them covered, and instead spotlights them in strapless and off-the-shoulder gowns, including this magical Marchesa. 42 Are High Heels the Result of Evolution? Tasi Zuriack |
Crossdressers love their high heels. In a recent poll on Sister House, 50% of crossdressers owned 11 pairs of heels or more with one girl coming in at 113 pairs (yes, Payless shopped there J) But is there a reason why we have this love affair with heels. New research offers an unexpected explanation for their allure — one that has nothing to do with increased height.
Fashions in dress come and go, but the high-heeled shoe has stayed in style for many generations, and shows no sign of fading away. It’s the high-heeled shoe, which first became a fashion statement in 16th- century France, and has been a part of the modern woman’s wardrobe since the mid-19th century. Actually, they copied it from men and now it’s here to stay.
What actually brought heels back for women? Pornography. Mid-nineteenth century pornographers began posing female nudes in high heels, and the rest is history (this, by the way, is exactly what happened with cheerleading, originally exclusively for men).
Ask a woman why she endures the awkwardness and discomfort, and she’ll probably respond, “They make me look, and feel, more attractive.” Newly published research suggests this perception is accurate, but perhaps not for the reason you’d expect.
It’s not the artificially increased height that turns heads. Rather, it’s how such footwear changes the mechanics of a woman’s gait. “High heels may exaggerate the sex-specific aspects of the female walk,” a University of Portsmouth research team reports. They argue the enduring popularity of high-heeled shoes suggests their fundamental appeal stems from a deeper impulse as this short video demonstrates.
To test whether walking in high heels increases one’s femininity and attractiveness, the team conducted two experiments using a point-light display. Participants (15 men and 15 women) viewed dotted outlines of 12 women as they walked for a total of four minutes apiece—two minutes in high-heeled shoes, and two minutes wearing flats.
They were then asked to rate how attractive they found the figures.
“For all walkers, the attractiveness score was higher in the heels condition than in the flat condition,” the researchers report. Both males and females judged the women wearing high heels to be more attractive than those who wore flat shoes.
In the second experiment, 120 participants (82 women and 38 men) watched the same dotted-outline footage and were asked to judge whether each of the models was male or female. (As noted earlier, all were, in fact, women.) While wearing flats, 28 percent of the women were incorrectly classified as men; 43 among those wearing heels, that number went down to 17 percent.
Why? The researchers report that, while wearing high- heeled shoes, the women “walked in a fashion more characteristic of female gait.” Specifically, “walkers in high heels took smaller, more frequent steps,” and this reduction in the length of their stride was accompanied by “increased rotation and tilt of the hips.”
In other words, high heels exaggerate the differences in the ways men and women walk, making the wearer appear more feminine. This can happen on either a conscious or an unconscious level, but this evidence suggests the dynamic is real, and transcends fashion fads.
Some studies show that high heels are clearly bad but who cares. Women clearly love them. Here are some ways in which the anatomy of the body changes due to the wearing of heels. Long term wearing of heels can have a negative effect but most of us would view these changes as very positive in nature, particularly in the way they help to create a feminine silhouette.
But then other studies find that women who wear high heels not only have better toned legs, but they also have better, more pleasurable sex. Do you really need another reason to go shoe shopping.
According to a study conducted by Italian scientist Dr. Maria Cerruto, they looked at over 50 women, and found that those who wore shoes at a 15 degree angle from the ground (about two inches) had more relaxed muscles than women who did not wear inclined shoes. Think of it like doing pelvic exercises, except instead of feeling goofy while you lay on your carpet and hump the air, you’re just out on the town, looking good and being fashionable.
So the next time your SO tries to protest a new hot heel purchase, remind her that you’re not the only one this benefits.
Finally, how high is too high?
“I think there’s a limit, though. Anything over four-and-a- half inches is just too much. You can’t walk properly; it’s no longer elegant.” (Yes, I know some of you love those 5 inches and up shoes)
But in fact, even four-and half inches is too high to be healthy. A limited height — practical — is the key. “Moderately high heels,” Dr Cerruto, a urologist at the University of Verona, Italy, calls them. 44 Sabrina Saudelli, a Rome beautician says,”It makes sense that heels are good for abdominal and pelvic muscles … to counter the lean forward, you tighten the abdominal muscles and push the pelvis under.”
An advocate for wearing heels in general, Saudelli claims “a small heel is actually good for the posture, much better than ballerina flats.” But truly high heels, and especially a wobbly stiletto, is bad for the back and a risk for twisted ankles.
“Once you go over three inches regularly,” she adds, “your posture and back are going to suffer.” So ladies, for all their sex appeal, stilettos, sadly, don’t count. Still, there are many beautiful shoes. Here in Merida, ladies of all ages wear them with everything from jeans to evening gowns. They are the ulti- mate fashion statement. Come visit our Shoe Boutique at Sister House and see for yourself.
How to Put Outfits Together – A 5-Step Formula for Crossdressers and Transgender Women
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lucille Sorella is a GG (genetic girl) who teaches crossdressers, transsexuals, and transgender females how to look, act, and feel like real women. Her goal is to help T-women express their inner and outer femininity and increase their confidence as women. She has a professional background in fashion, beauty, dance, and natural healing and has been working with the transgender community for the past 12 years. Her website is loaded with useful information and is located at http://www.flat2fem.com/index1.html .
Clothes are a big part of expressing yourself as a woman – but it’s something a lot of girls struggle with (including ge- netic girls). Do you sometimes feel like a participant on the TV show, What Not to Wear? Is putting outfits together a mystery to you? Just follow this simple 5-step formula and I promise you’ll never look like a transgender fashion “don’t” again!
1. Start with a basic piece
The foundation for your outfit should be a basic piece in a neutral color. Examples of basic pieces include: a classic a-line skirt, solid black pants, or a jacket in a neutral color.
45 2. Add an interest piece
The next step is to add an interest piece that will make your outfit POP. This should be something with color, pattern, texture, or shine. Yes, you can pair basic pieces and neutral colors together, but that’s boring! You’ll look so much younger, prettier, and more feminine if you incorporate something fun or colorful into your outfit. (Obviously, this piece should be appropriate for your age and the occasion.) Examples of interest pieces include: a lace top, a brightly colored dress, or a floral skirt.
3. Choose your shoes
Shoes make or break your outfit, so choose wisely. A pair of hot heels can make a basic outfit nightclub-worthy, while the wrong shoes can make you look frumpy and outdated no matter how cute the rest of your outfit is.
Here are 2 rules for choosing shoes:
Consider the occasion. Formal events call for heels and shiny, sparkly styles. Casual events call for flats and casual styles.
Consider the color. Neutral colors like brown or black always work, but don’t be afraid to play with color. A pair of beautiful shoes in an unexpected color can raise you to the fashionista level.
One tip: If you’re wearing a bright color, don’t match your shoes exactly to your outfit. It tends to look clownish. Instead, try a related accent color for an edgier look.
4. Add accessories
The next step is to add accessories, including jewelry, scarves, belts, hosiery, sunglasses, etc. Have some fun with this! My only rule for crossdressers and transgender women is to go for bold accessories that match your larger features. Big earrings, large bracelets, and statement necklaces work better for your proportions than dainty pieces.
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5. Finish with a handbag
The final step is to finish your outfit with a handbag. There are 2 things to consider:
Consider the occasion. If it’s a formal event, go for a clutch or a structured handbag. If it’s a casual event, go for a slouchy bag in a casual fabric like leather, suede, or canvas. (The more structured the handbag, the dressier it looks.)
Consider the color. Neutral colors will give you the most mileage, but brightly colored handbags are very “in” right now. If you decide to go for color, don’t worry about matching your bag to your shoes – that old rule doesn’t apply anymore.
And there you go! A perfect outfit in 5 easy steps. Male Breast Enlargement In the past, the most common way for a man to possess a pair of full, beautiful breasts was to undergo the risks and costs of breast enlargement surgery. This is still an option today, but the popularity of this risky method of attaining breasts has declined in favor or other options.
It you’re a biological male who dreams of having beautiful, voluptuous female breasts, there are several routes available to take you there. Many of them require some research, some planning, and a lot of gumption. None of the methods listed below are going to transform a male body into a female body overnight. But regularity and time can produce the breasts you’ve always dreamed of.
Male Breast Implants
One of the options to quickly get beautiful female breasts is through surgery – as we mentioned above.
We don’t recommend nor discuss this option here for one main reason – we like natural breasts. Call us biased, but hey – everyone’s got their preferences.
Apart from that, we also discourage breast enlargement surgery for men because 47 the treatment is much more difficult for men than it is for women. Men have a significantly less amount of breast tissue to begin with, which makes it much more difficult for a plastic surgeon to find a comfortable place to insert silicone implants into the male chest area. Not to mention, the difficulty in stabilizing the implants into position – without much breast tissue to begin with, it’s hard for male chests to suddenly support large breasts.
Apart from the discomfort, we’re not going to go into the various risks involved such as implant infection, loss of sensation, and of course, the steep price tag associated with implants.
What we will do is outline a few of the other, safer, natural ways of male breast enlargement. We hope you find this article genuinely helpful.
When you begin your journey into male breast enhancement, you may quickly discover that the majority of natural breast enhancement products available to women work for men too. The reason being that men’s breast tissue is biologically very similar to women’s.
The male breasts begin to develop in utero as early as 6 to 7 weeks after conception. Over the next several months, the inner workings of the fetal breast will develop and define. Both genders have identical breast structure until puberty. When puberty hits, the female body produces estrogen and then progesterone – both of which work in concert to stimulate the sexual maturation process. Through this process, the female breasts enlarge and develop for a time period of about 3 to 4 years.
For a man who is looking to enlarge his breasts, there are several natural breast enlargement options available to him. We strongly recommend reading through the available options and choosing one (or combining a few!) according to the sort of changes you’re looking for.
We hope you find the list below helpful! Happy growing!
Herbal Breast Enlargement for Men
If you want to grow breasts, but want to keep your male libido and be able to sustain an erection, then phytoestrogenic herbs are the way to go. Phytoestrogens are simply plant-based estrogens which can be taken to boost estrogen levels in humans.
There are over 300 herbs with phytoestrogenic qualities, but most of them do not contain enough estrogen to produce any real effect. You can find a list of the most important phytoestrogenic herbs for breast enlargement here. Keep in mind that some herbs are important for raising your estrogen levels while some are important because they decrease your testosterone levels. Over time, other changes may occur: a more feminine mood, softer skin, and less body hair are all possibilities.
If you decide to opt for a herbal breast enlargement regimen, we strongly recommend Natureday. Their products contain a mixture of the most potent breast enhancement herbs and on their site you can find as many – if not more – testimonials from male users than female users.
48 Herbal Breast Enlargement *with Pueraria Mirifica*
Pueraria Mirifica is often classified under herbs – probably because it is a plant. Yet, PM differentiates itself from other phytoestrogens in that it contains Miroestrol and Deoxymiroestrol. Miroestrol is roughly equal to 17 beta estradiol – the most potent of the estrogen hormones. Deoxymiroestrol is as much as 10 times more potent than 17 beta estradiol and as much as 10 times more potent than miroestrol.
Estradiol is the strongest type of the 3 main estrogens and it is also the main human estrogen which is found in all women who are at the stage of breastfeeding, the time when women’s breasts tend to be at their largest and fullest. Analysis has shown that miroestrol and its precursor deoxymiroestrol has approximately 3,000 times the estrogenic activity of soy isoflavones. This is why PM – although a “herb” – is in a category of its own. To learn more about male breast enlargement with Pueraria Mirifica, click here.
Our favorite PM product at the time is Purafem – their pills are made from high-quality, farmed cultivar PM root. Click here to learn more about their supplements.
Bovine Ovary for Male Breast Enlargement
Bovine Ovary is exactly what it sounds like – ovaries from a cow. When taken orally, the BO works in the human body by gradually re-stimulating the pituitary gland – the body’s major hormone regulator – in order to reactivate your body’s natural growth hormones.
In men, BO causes a process called aromatization where the body converts testoterone into estrogen – resulting in the estrogen levels of biological females. Eventually – in about 6 months – BO causes the male body to reprogram the way it processes hormones.
BO is permanent and incredibly potent. This is only an option for men who are positive they want to become female. Along with enlarging your breasts, BO leads to a more complete feminization – your hips may become wider and rounder, your moods may change, you might even smell different! Click here for information on bovine ovary for male breast enlargement.
Much like with Pueraria Mirifica, it matters where you get from Bovine Ovary from. Not for matters of effectiveness, but for safety reasons. We’re talking animal by-product here – cow, to be specific. We only recommend ONE brand of Bovine Ovary for this reason – Transfemme.
Transfemme is produced by the same company that makes Bountiful Breast. It’s a reputable, well- established company with thousands of testimonials from biological males. They offer a 100% money- back guarantee AND their Bovine Ovary is made in the U.S.A from clean and safe Argentinian glandu- lars, and is FDA approved. Check out their testimonials!
49 Breast Pumps for Male Breast Enlargement
Breast enlargement pumps operate through a process called tissue expansion: By applying a gentle suction to the breast tissue, you are able to promote blood flow and tissue growth. This causes stretching of the skin and tissue and as a direct result of that, new tissue grows and breast size increases. The breast enlargement pump expands the mammary gland tissue to increase the production of new breast tissue cells.
Breast pumps are great for men because even if you have practically nothing to begin with, the pump expands your breast tissues until you do. Noogleberry is a great breast pump – you could probably grow a boob on your thigh if you felt so inclined.
The pump does take dedicated and time, but it is a highly effective way to increase your breasts naturally – without having to mess with your hormones at all.
New Fiction Story by Barbara Jean
The Affair is the latest of fiction stories published on Amazon Kindle by Barbara Jean Jasen
The Affair asin # B00i1R3ZJM $4.99 Introduction The diner where Andy worked was about to close. Did the owner Nancy have a sixth sense, or something when she talked to her friend Diane who owned a ladies clothing boutique? Diane hired Andy for things like cleaning and stocking and some work around her house, but then one day she asked if Andy would dress as a girl to model some clothes for her. Suddenly Andy became Alicia.
Diane introduced Alicia to her lesbian lover friend Nicole who owned a crossdressers boutique in Omaha and soon a three way love affair ensues between Alicia, Diane and Nicole. Diane and Nicole introduced Alicia to some rather crazy, kinky lesbian sex.
But Diane and Nicole have a really big secret. When Alicia was told of the secret, well the love affair in the past was rather steamy, but now all bets are off.
Note: A Kindle is NOT required to read Kindle Books. Free aps are available from the Amazon Kindle store for PC, MAC, IPOD, IPHONE, and many other electronic reading devices. 50 How to Be Photogenic: 25 Tricks That Make You Instantly More Gorgeous in Pictures by Wendy Rodewald
This time of year can be a minefield of potentially awkward family photos, unflattering party pics and more snaps that just want to make you hit “untag.” Even if you love the way you look in person, it takes practice to make sure your in-the-flesh beauty translates on camera. The good news? Being photogenic is a skill you can totally master. Here are a few of our favorite tips that will help you bring out your inner Gisele.
1. If you tend to blink in photos, close your eyes just before the picture is taken and open them slowly before the camera clicks. No more half-closed eyes!
2. To avoid a double chin, elongate your neck and push your face forward a bit. Think of sticking out your forehead and tipping your chin slightly down. It might feel awkward, but it will look great — promise.
3. Make sure your makeup is a perfect match, says mark Celebrity Makeup Artist Fiona Stiles, who’s prepped everyone from Halle Berry to Jessica Chastain and Elizabeth Banks for the red carpet. “When a foundation is too pale for your skin tone, it becomes very obvious when a flash hits the skin.” She advises, “Match your skin to your chest and add a thin layer to your neck if your neck is paler (as is the case for most people).”
4. Curled lashes and mascara are musts, Stiles insists (she swears by mark Scanda-Lash Mascara). “Both open up your eyes, and the eyes are the focal point of a picture. You want to draw people into a picture, so you want to maximize the impact of the eyes. They more open they are, the more the light hits them and that’s what makes them twinkle!”
5. Take a look at your favorite pictures of yourself and try to spot a pattern. Do you like the way you look from a certain angle? When you smile a specific way? Try to replicate your best poses next time you have your photo taken.
6. Try this old school red carpet trick: Put your tongue behind your teeth when you smile to avoid a goofy, too-wide grin.
7. Fill in your brows. Not only do your eyebrows convey character and emotion, they often mean all the difference between looking wide awake and washed out on camera. You may even consider using a slightly darker brow pencil if you know you’ll be photographed, since features tend to look lighter in pictures.
8. Make sure your hair is shiny. “Spray-on shine is great for a last minute add-on shine,” says hair stylist Serge Normant, who’s worked with Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore and Sarah Jessica Parker throughout his years in the biz. He recommends misting hair with his Serge Normant Meta Sheer Dry Oil Finishing Spray ($24, shopsergenormant.com) for maximum gloss. 51 Essentials for putting your best face forward.
9. A photo can highlight flyaways, so make sure your style is sleek. “A good pomade or dry oil will help, but use lightly,” Normant advises. “If you are afraid to use too much, spray on your hands and then lightly try to control fizz.”
10. Look toward a light right before someone snaps your photo. Doing so will shrink your pupils and help you avoid red eye.
11. Surprise photo op? Try this five-second prep: Blot your face with a tissue or single-ply cocktail napkin, then pinch your cheeks to create a rosy glow (yep, it’s old school, but it works).
12. A couple drops of Visine will help your eyes look brighter and more awake.
13. Blush is a must! Without some color on your cheeks, your face can look two dimensional in photos. Use a medium pink shade on the apples of your cheeks to help shape your face.
14. Think about angles. Facing the camera straight on is rarely flattering; instead, turn your head to a three-quarter position to give your features depth.
15. Try the “red carpet” pose: put your hand on your hip, angle your body to the side and turn your head towards the camera. It’s a cliché, but it really does work to help you look slimmer.
Taylor Swift demonstrates the classic red carpet pose.
16. Avoid serious sparkle on your face. “Anything too shimmery on the skin can just be too much in a photo,” Stiles says. “A soft glow is nice, but if you have oily skin it can really exaggerate shimmer and make you look very shiny. If you are a shimmer addict and just can’t help yourself, keep the face matte or semi-matte (a velvety finish). Add a little highlighter to just the tips of the cheekbones and the bridge of the nose with a powder highlighter that has a very soft sheen.”
17. On the other hand, a bit of sparkle below the neck can give your skin a pretty sheen. Dust your collarbone and shoulders with a shimmering powder such as Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder in Moonlight ($52, chanel.com), which has the perfect finish for playing up assets.
18. Stand in front of a white wall. A light-colored backdrop will help brighten your face. Using a white 52 background also helps a camera’s automatic settings find the right color balance, so your skin tone doesn’t end up looking too pink or yellow.
19. Wear bright lipstick. “Dark lipstick can have a minimizing effect on lips,” says Stiles. “Steer clear of a dark matte lip color. It can look aging and unflattering. Stick with brighter colors.”
20. Be in more pictures! People who think they’re unphotogenic tend to pose for fewer photos overall, but photography is a game of averages. Even Kate Moss doesn’t nail it on the first frame. The more shots you let your photographer take, the more likely you’ll be happy with one or two of them.
21. A photo shot from just above you is way more flattering than one shot from below. If you’re taller than the person holding the camera, grab a seat.
22. Avoid standing directly under a light, which can cast weird shadows on your face. Instead, stand fac- ing a natural light source, such as a window, or in a spot where soft light hits your face from the side.
23. Grab a prop — preferably not a red Solo cup. Holding onto an object such as a flower or decoration can help you relax your posture and add personality to a picture.
24. To make your eyes sparkle, look at a light source. A lamp or brightly lit Christmas tree will create a flattering gleam in your pupils.
25. Forget saying “cheese,” and instead think of something funny. Better yet, joke with the photogra- pher. A natural smile trumps a fake one every time. 53
The Gossip Fence Transgender In The News
Trans Woman Dares Bible-Quoting Councilman to Stone Her to Death
A City Council member in Shreveport, La., has abandoned his effort to repeal an LGBT-inclusive anti- discrimination ordinance, following outcry from the public, including a transgender woman who dared him to stone her to death.
The council passed the ordinance in December by a vote of 6-1, following a successful campaign by a pro-LGBT coaltion known as Be Fair Shreveport. The ordinance, which bans discrimination in housing and employment within city limits on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, received its lone "no" vote from Councilman Ron Webb. During the council's debate last December, Webb voiced his opposition, saying, "The Bible tells you homosexuals are an abomination," adding that he does not socialize with LGBT people, according to TV station KSLA.
Ten days after the council approved the ordinance, Webb drafted a proposal designed to repeal the non- discrimination policy. On Tuesday, dozens of people registered to testify at the City Council meeting, ready to speak out against Webb's measure, report Lone Star Q.
But none were quite as bold as Pamela Raintree, a transgender woman. Raintree called out the Bible- quoting councilman, daring him to stone her to death.
"Leviticus 20:13 states, 'If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, they shall surely put him to death,'" Raintree began. "I brought the first stone, Mr. Webb, in case that your Bible talk isn't just a smoke screen for personal prejudices."
Webb withdrew his repeal measure just minutes later, without calling for a vote.
The YMCA Commits to LGBT Inclusive Practices
We joined forces with In Our Own Voices and the Pride Center of the Capital Region last week to share best practices for an LGBT inclusive workplace with the Capital District YMCA. Our Director of Organizing Sheilah along with our transgender rights organizer Eoghann presented alongside partner organizations to the Employee Resource Group (ERG) of the YMCA which covers nine facilities in the Capital Region.
Employees in attendance in concert with YMCA leadership were committed to exploring and developing a plan that not only welcomes LGBT clients and members but ensures that they are safe from the moment they apply for membership to every touchstone along the way that they spend at the YMCA facilities in our state capital. 54
The work will continue with staff from YMCA in Schenectady and Albany, as we continue to explore additional ways to work together on support for our legislative work around the Gender Expression Non Discrimination Act (GENDA), recruitment and implementation of our annual lobby day, Equality & Jus- tice Day on April 29, 2014, and continued consultation with the ERG on how to draft LGBT inclusive policies and procedures.
Maine Trans Student Wins Landmark Discrimination Case
A transgender girl from Orono, Maine, has come away victorious in a lawsuit filed against her school district. The Maine High Court today ruled that Nicole Maines must be provided the same access to school facilities as other female students, citing Maine's Human Rights Act in its findings.
GLAD represented Maines in the case, working with her and her family as far back as May of 2011, shortly after she was denied the ability to use the girls' restrooms at the Orono elementary school where she was, at the time, in fifth grade, even though she had used the girls' restrooms without incident for nearly two years. Administrators instead forced Maines to use the faculty restroom, separated from other students. In today's ruling, Maine's highest court determined that such treatment violated the state's Human Rights Act. Although Maines no longer attends the school, GLAD declared today's ruling a victory for transgender students statewide.
“A transgender girl is a girl and must be treated as such in all respects, including using the girls’ rest- room," GLAD senior attorney Ben Klein stated in today's release. "This ruling is consistent with what educators and human rights commissions — including the Maine Human Rights Commission — around the country have concluded."
Maines's father echoed the sentiment shared by many parents of trans children. We are very happy knowing that because of this ruling, no other transgender child in Maine will have to endure what Nicole experienced.”
Judge strikes down voter-ID law
A Pennsylvania judge struck down the controversial voter-identification law, declaring it unconstitutional to mandate individuals to present their photo identification before voting. Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard L. McGinley ruled in a permanent injunction that the law would burden individuals who want to vote but could not obtain the proper ID. McGinley also wrote in his opinion that the free ID cards distributed in lieu of state-issued driver’s licenses or ID cards are often difficult to obtain.
The state has not announced if it will appeal the ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Opponents of the measure have argued it could have a detrimental impact on low-income Pennsylvani- ans, minorities and elderly voters, as well as transgender and gender-nonconforming voters whose physical appearance may not be identical to the photo on their ID.
55 It’s Not ‘All Psychological’: How the Medical Establishment Fails Transgender Patients
Seeking health care when you’re sick or injured can sometimes be a confusing, nerve-racking, or frustrating experience. Patients, already in a compromised position, may not know how best to advocate for themselves or what rights they have. But for transgender and gender nonconforming people, just going to the doctor means risking mistreatment, misdiagnosis, hostility, or aggression.
A number of professional medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association, have drafted resolutions in recent years affirming equal treatment for trans* and gender variant individuals. And according to M. Dru Levasseur, transgender rights project director at Lamba Legal, 17 states and more than 150 jurisdictions now have protections regarding gender identity. “These are all great steps,” Levasseur told RH Reality Check. “But one of the things we still hear is that, when people are at their most vulnerable moment of need, like going to the hospital for emergency care, horrible things still happen.”
Indeed, while medical protections for transgender patients may be gradually increasing, many in the trans* community continue to experience disturbing levels of discrimination from health-care providers.
Some Colorado insurers are covering more for transgender people
Changes statewide
Last March, the Colorado Division of Insurance changed the lives of transgender Coloradans by issuing a bulletin stating that in the division's interpretation, state law prohibits "the denial, cancellation, limitation, or refusal to issue or renew health coverage because of a person's sexual orientation." Vincent Plymell, communications manager for the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, says one of the main objectives of that finding was to ensure that trans people could access care that's usually exclusive to a gender — for instance, prostate exams or mammograms. Once a person transitions and their gender changes, they can lose access to these services, even if they still need them.
Plymell says that while there are no fines for noncompliance associated with the bulletin — it doesn't carry the weight of law — he's yet to hear of any insurance companies refusing to get in line. Still, the bulletin only goes so far. It requires companies to cover services they'd cover for a straight person. Asked if that means companies must cover hormone therapy for transgender people, since they'd cover it for a menopausal woman, Plymell says that's "a gray area." And there's no question about whether insurance companies have to cover gender confirmation surgery. They don't.
While insurance companies aren't required to cover all trans-related expenses, some are doing it anyway. Kaiser Permanente, for instance, is offering coverage to transgender people under all plans overseen by the Colorado Division of Insurance. With some exclusions, it's covering a full range of medical services, including hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery.
The division could not provide a full list of carriers that are following suit, but one other carrier does stand out. The nonprofit Colorado HealthOP, has only been offering insurance since October, but it, too, offers the full range of transgender medical services.
Westfall says that while the surgery is expensive, relatively few patients want it. And he notes that more 56 common procedures, like open heart surgery, are also expensive for health insurance companies.
Westfall says that not only will Colorado HealthOP continue to cover trans services, it hopes to lead the way in creating a virtual center of excellence for transgender health in Colorado — essentially, a group of top doctors who can meet every transgender health need, and ideally a surgeon who specializes in gender confirmation surgery. Those surgeons are in short supply; none currently live in Colorado. But Westfall is working with Dr. Curtis Crane of California, who says he wants to work out an arrangement whereby he would work in Colorado three months of the year.
Bill would give honorable discharges to service members kicked out under DADT
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) on Thursday introduced legislation to correct the records of service members discharged from the U.S. military solely due to their sexual orientation prior to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, to reflect honorable service and reinstate benefits they would have earned.
“Many of these brave men and women that served our country are currently barred from benefits that they earned and are entitled to, and in the most egregious cases they are prevented from legally calling themselves a veteran,” he said. “This needs to be corrected now.”
Since World War II, more than 100,000 Americans are estimated to have been discharged from the military because of their sexual orientation. Those forced out of the military may have left with discharge statuses of “other than honorable,” “general discharge” or “dishonorable,” depending on the circumstances.
As a consequence, many of these service members may be disqualified from accessing certain benefits, such as veterans’ health care and GI bill tuition assistance, and may not be able to claim veteran status. The consequences of a negative discharge status can often be far-reaching, preventing some veterans from voting and making it more difficult for them to acquire civilian employment.
“A clean, honorable record is long overdue for veterans who were discharged solely because of who they love. Our veterans served our country courageously and with dignity and we must act to give them the appropriate recognition they deserve.”
Judge orders transgender teen to participate in conflict resolution program
MARTINEZ -- Surrounded by supporters, transgender teen Jewlyes Gutierrez appeared happy after a juvenile court judge on Thursday ordered her to participate in a conflict resolution program known as restorative justice to deal with an assault charge.
"It's like conflict resolution to talk it out," the 16-year-old Hercules High student told her family and representatives from the Transgender Law Center and RYSE Center. "Then, after it is over, (the charge) will hopefully be dismissed."
Gutierrez attracted national attention after her older sister last month posted a petition on Change.org asking the Contra Costa County district attorney to drop battery charges filed against Gutierrez after a fight broke out on campus in November between her and three girls, whom she said had been taunting her. Although Gutierrez reported the bullying to an administrator at least a day before the fight, she said 57 the perpetrator was not punished and the harassment continued and escalated into a physical confrontation. By early Thursday afternoon, the online petition had been signed by nearly 201,000 people across the country. Gutierrez expressed thanks to the organizations that came to her defense, as well as to the hundreds of thousands of people who signed the petition, rallying behind her cause.
She said she hoped the incident and the attention it has brought to the issue of bullying will help educate the public and make a difference. Her mother, Debra Gutierrez, said she anticipates the charges will be dropped at her daughter's next court hearing May 1.
Proposed law in California would ensure transgender people die as they lived
California Assembly Majority Leader Toni Atkins introduced a bill that would ensure the authentic gender identity of a transgender person be reflected on their death certificate.
If passed into law, the Respect After Death Act would require that the authority responsible for completing the transgender person's death certificate adhere to documentation of their gender identity such as an updated birth certificate or driver's license.
'Once we are deceased, we are often at the mercy of others to treat us with dignity,' said Atkins, a lesbian who also authored the historic School Success and Opportunity Act.
'For transgender people, their gender identity may not be consistently recognized after death by family, friends and even officials,' said Atkins (pictured). 'This bill provides an objective way to make sure that a transgender person’s gender will be correctly identified after they pass on.'
In addition to a birth certificate or driver's license, other documentation could include written instructions from the deceased person confirming their wishes or evidence of medical treatment for gender transition.
If these documents are not available, the gender reported by the person’s legal next of kin will be used.
N.C. Democrats make-transgender inclusive move
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Members of the North Carolina Democratic Party’s State Executive Council voted unanimously on Saturday morning to advance a transgender-inclusive measure, bringing the state party in line with non-discrimination and inclusive standards set by the national Democratic Party.
LGBT Democrats of North Carolina President Ralph Roland motioned to include the term “gender identity” in the party’s plan of organization’s preamble and “open party” sections during the executive council meeting at the Charlotte Convention Center. The amendment to the plan of organization will be considered with other amendments at the party’s next state executive committee meeting in June.
The plan’s preamble and open party section already included sexual orientation.
Nevada AG Ends Fight To Uphold Gay Marriage Ban
CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada is withdrawing its efforts to uphold the state’s gay marriage ban. Attorney General Catherine Corte Masto filed a motion Monday to withdraw the state’s legal arguments 58 in a case pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval says he agrees with the move, saying it’s clear the state’s arguments supporting the ban are no longer defensible in court.
The decision means Nevada will not argue to uphold the state’s constitutional prohibition against same- sex marriage that voters passed in 2002.
Eight same sex couple sued the state, arguing the law is unconstitutional.
Nevada lawmakers last year took the first step toward repealing that law. If legislators approve Senate Joint Resolution 13 again next year, it would go to voters on the 2016 ballot.
Transgender study looks at 'exceptionally high' suicide-attempt rate
A whopping 41% of people who are transgender or gender-nonconforming have attempted suicide sometime in their lives, nearly nine times the national average, according to a sweeping survey released three years ago.
In a new study released, researchers dug deeper into that number, analyzing the results of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey to examine what puts transgender people at such "exceptionally high" risk.
Researchers from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that the risk of attempting suicide was especially severe for transgender or gender nonconforming people who had suffered discrimination or violence, such as being physically or sexually assaulted at work or school.
Among transgender people who became homeless because of bias against their gender identity, 69% said they had tried to kill themselves. Out of those who had been turned away by a doctor because they were transgender or gender-nonconforming, 60% had attempted suicide sometime in their lives, the survey found.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents who were the victims of domestic violence at the hands of a family member had attempted suicide, the study also showed. Suicide attempts were less common among transgender and gender-nonconforming people who said their family ties had remained strong after they came out.
"This report punctuates what PFLAG families know is fundamental -- that there is life-saving merit, demonstrable value, and paramount need for family acceptance," said Diego Sanchez, policy director for PFLAG National, an organization for family, friends and supporters of LGBT people.
Researchers cautioned that it remains unclear whether the earlier survey, which included more than 6,400 people, was representative of the entire transgender and gender-nonconforming population of the United States. However, other surveys in the U.S. and abroad have also suggested "an unparalleled level of suicidal behavior among transgender adults," they wrote.
Md. insurance carriers can't discriminate against transgender individuals, state says 59 Maryland's insurance regulator issued a bulletin Tuesday clarifying that while insurance policies in the state do not have to cover treatments related to gender reassignment, insurance carriers cannot discriminate against transgender Marylanders based on their gender identities. The bulletin addresses an exclusion in the plan Maryland used to define "essential benefits" that insurance in policies in Maryland are required to cover under the Affordable Care Act.
In the plan, the Maryland Insurance Administration allowed insurers to exclude "treatment leading to or in connection with transsexualism, or sex changes or modifications" including sexual reassignment surgery. Tuesday's bulletin specifies the exclusion cannot be used to deny coverage for services or items to transgender policyholders "on the basis of [their] actual or perceived gender identity."
According to the bulletin, the essential benefit benchmark plan's exclusion can still be applied to "items and services that are directly related to the gender reassignment process."
Currently, insurance commissioners in five other states and the District of Columbia require policies issued in their jurisdictions to cover transition-related health services if they cover those same treatments for other medical conditions.
'Understanding The T In LGBT' Aims To Help Transgender Employees In The Workplace
A comprehensive online learning program that aims to educate employers and employees about being more inclusive of the transgender community within the workplace is now available. With the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) still not institutionalized as law, this online training module seeks to provide a point of entry for education about transgender issues for those who may not have met trans people or know about transgender issues.
Titled "Understanding The T In LGBT: Gender Identity and Gender Expression," this training program is much needed in an age where 90 percent of transgender people report experiencing harassment, mistreatment or discrimination within the workplace.
Southwest Airlines Funds 'Gay Task Force' Conference
Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) is exposing the radical corporate giving priorities of Southwest Airlines, including Southwest's role as a major funder of the annual homosexual activist "Creating Change" conference put on by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
Creating Change, promotes transgender activism, including laws allowing transgender "girls" and "women" (read: boys/men in dresses) to use female restrooms; pro-homosexual/transgender programs in schools (even for very young students).
Creating Change is the organizing event for more than 3,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activists across the nation, with "how to" workshops on:
Southwest Airlines took out a full-page ad in the Creating Change program with an accompanying letter (see pages 22-23) from Communications VP Linda Rutherford, who wrote, "Southwest Airlines is proud to support organizations like the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force."
Other corporate/organizational funders of Creating Change include Hilton Worldwide, Planned 60 Parenthood, Office Depot, Wells Fargo, Quaker Oats (PepsiCo), Comcast/NBC Universal and AARP.
Facebook users can now choose between 50 new ‘gender identity’ options
February 13, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Facebook has 1.2 billion users – and now it has nearly as many gender categories to match. The social media website unveiled a new feature today that allows users to jettison male or female and describe themselves by dozens of “gender” labels.
Under the “gender” section of their profile, users may click on “custom” and type in dozens of options, including “pangender,” “genderqueer,” “bigender,” "agender,” “gender questioning,” “androgynous,” “cisgender,” and “neutrois.”
"Over the past few years, a person's Facebook profile truly has become their online identity, and now Facebook has taken a milestone step to allow countless people to more honestly and accurately represent themselves.
Federal judge rules Va. ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional
NORFOLK, Va. — A federal judge ruled that Virginia’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, making it the first state in the South to have its voter-approved prohibition overturned.
U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen issued a stay of her order while it is appealed, meaning that gay couples in Virginia will still not be able to marry until the case is ultimately resolved. Both sides believe the case won’t be settled until the Supreme Court decides to hear it or one like it.
Allen’s ruling makes Virginia the second state in the South to issue a ruling recognizing the legality of gay marriages.
A judge in Kentucky ruled that the state must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. It did not rule on the constitutionality of same-sex marriages inside the state, however. The Virginia judge’s ruling also follows similar decisions in Utah and Oklahoma federal courts.
The Virginia Attorney General’s Office took the unusual step of not defending the law because it believes the ban violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. In her ruling, Wright Allen agreed.
Texas appeals court rules in favor of trans widow Nikki Araguz
CORPUS CHRISTI — The 13th District Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi issued a landmark opinion in favor of Houston trans widow Nikki Araguz, ruling that Texas must recognize the marriages of trans people.
The opinion, written by Chief Justice Rogelio Valdez, reverses the 2011 ruling by Houston state district Judge Randy Clapp, who ruled that Araguz was born male and Texas’ 2005 marriage amendment doesn’t recognize her marriage to a man. Her 2008 marriage to her late husband, Thomas Araguz III, became invalid. Thomas Araguz was a volunteer firefighter in Wharton and was killed in the line of duty in 2010 and Nikki Araguz was denied his death benefits.
61 Clapp’s ruling hinged on the 1999 Texas Court of Appeals decision in Littleton v. Prange, which found that since a male who transitioned to female was born male, she was therefore still male. Her marriage to a male was therefore invalid because same-sex marriages are invalid under state law. But the Texas Legislature opened the door for transgender marriage in 2009 when it added documentation of a sex change to the identification documents people can present to obtain a marriage license. Araguz’s appeal in September hinged on how the 2009 statute voids the Littleton ruling.
Houston attorney Kent Rutter, the lead attorney for the appeal, said the opinion marks the first time in Texas a court has recognized that trans people have the right to marry. “What the decision today says is Texas law now recognizes that an individual who has had a sex change is eligible to marry a person of the opposite sex,” he said. “I think it’s a significant victory for trans people in Texas.”
Kent said that the ruling will result in further court proceedings to ensure Araguz receives her late hus- band’s death benefits.
The First Legal Same Sex Marriage In Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) – Judge Carl Ginsberg presided over two ceremonies its participants believe are the first, legal gay marriage in Texas.
Two couples said their “I-do’s” and all four people consider themselves female. But one member of each couple has had their gender changed surgically from male to female.
“On all of my information, it still says male,” said Ashely Boucher. “So, legally I’m still male in the state of Texas. My presentation would suggest otherwise. But my documentation says that I can marry Genevieve no questions asked.
“If you were born male and became female through being transgendered or having a gender reassignment surgery, they consider you to be biologically male,” said UTA political science professor Thomas Marshall.
The couples struggled to find clerks and judges who would cooperate with the marriages trying as many as 17 courts according to one of the participants, Genevieve Jonte. “The lady at the clerk said, ‘But you two are women’,” said Jonte. ”And we said, “Well, here are our documents. Can you give us a license?’ And they didn’t know what to say. A lot of closing the blinds.
“We sat our child between us when we applied there and said, ‘We’re a normal couple just like anybody else’.” Jonte said she has two children from a previous marriage.
The couples are clear, they want to send a message. “I hope that we can be an inspiration for someone like myself who thought a few years ago this wouldn’t be possible,” Jonte said.
“It will be interesting to see if the state tries to intervene in this at all or upper appeals courts in Texas try to reverse this decision,” Professor Marshall said. “Certainly that would put their cases elsewhere in a very weak position if they were trying to do that.
62 US scientists find being gay is 40% genetic
New research by Chicago’s Northwestern University indicates that specific genes can increase the chance that a man will be homosexual.
Researchers studied the genetic makeup of 400 pairs of twins and found that those that were openly gay were more likely to share similarities in the Xq28 region of their X chromosome and also in Chromosome 8.
The researchers believe this shows that genetics is about 30 to 40% responsible for determining a man’s sexuality. The rest, they believe, is determined by environmental factors such as a mother’s hormonal levels during pregnancy.
‘Sexual orientation has nothing to do with choice,’ researcher Professor Michael Bailey told The Times. ‘Our findings suggest there may be genes at play and we found evidence for two sets that affect whether a man is gay or straight.’ ‘It is not completely determinative, there are certainly other environmental factors involved.’
However Hamer said that if someone tried to use these genes as a pre-natal test for homosexuality it would not be very accurate as the bigger picture was yet to be understood.
Transgender referendum supporters fail to collect enough signatures
For a second time, the California Secretary of State has declared that opponents of California’s law that gives transgender students access to programs and facilities based on the gender they identify as, rather than the sex they were born into, have failed to collect the signatures needed to put the issue on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Monday afternoon, shortly before 5 p.m., election officials in all 58 counties of the state turned in their recount results — and once again, PFAS fell short. Election officials found that 78.7 percent of the 619,387 signatures turned in by referendum supporters were valid, for a total of 487,484 valid signatures — 17,276 shy of the total needed to put the issue on the ballot later this year.
But the matter isn’t settled yet, according to Gina Gleason, director of faith and public policy at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, where PFAS is based. “The process allows us to go in and look at those signatures, and up until now, we haven’t had any access,” she said. “We have the right to go in and look at those signatures, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.”
Privacy for All Students has 21 days to evaluate and challenge any of the 131,857 rejected signatures. If a little more than 13 percent of them turn out to be valid, the referendum qualifies for the ballot.
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