1 Pretty T Girls May 2016 The Magazine for the most beautiful girls in the world

A publication of Pretty T Girls Yahoo group 2 In This Issue

PAGE Editorial By Barbara Jean 3 Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bills are Unconstitutional 5 Casa-Susanna, A 1960s Resort Where Crossdressing was Safe 7 Gatekeeper vs. Informed Consent 12 Eye Makeup Tricks That Will Bail You Out Everytime 15 Covering Beard Shadow for the Transwoman 18 Transgender Makeup 101 19 Wig Care—How to Brush a Wig 21 Uncorked Chapter 4 (fiction story) 23 Terri Lee Ryan 27 Carollyn Olson 29 The Adventures of Judy Sometimes 31 Módhnóirí 32 Tasi’s Musings 35 Humor 41 Angels In the Centerfold 42 Mellissa’s Tips 44 How Long Does Makeup Last 49 Diane Sikes 51 Pantyhose Coming Back In Style? 54 Tasi’s Fashion News 55 Lucille Sorella 58 Friday Charm School—How To Walk Like A Lady 60 From The Kitchen 63 4 Ways to Melt Butter That Don’t Involve The Microwave 66 Guide to Buying, Wrapping, & Eating Cheese 68 Let’s Get Together 70 Medicaid Coverage Map for Transition Related Care 74 The Gossip Fence 75 Shop Till You Drop 90 Calendar 103 3 First Shot An Editorial by: Barbara Jean

At Lexington a shot was fired and a war began that founded the United States. At Fort Sumter Ashotwas fired thatatleastfor a periodsplitthe nation in two. In Austria Ashotwas fired at Franz Ferdinand which launched the first world war.

For some time the right wing Christian groups have been saying that there was a war on Christianity, but in realitytheyand their republican allies have declared war on the LGBT community.

Theyare the ones who have fired the firstshot. Oh theywere notfired with anyguns,but rather with getting laws passed that do nothing more than to give them a license to discriminate against those who do not conform to their viewpoints.

Religious Freedom Restoration Acts, that is what theycall them, but in realitythey were simply licenses to discriminate against certain people. In Indiana they passed such a law and suddenlymanymajor companies said theywill no longer do business in Indiana. Even though the Governor has tried to water down the whole thing, still so far thestate loss over $60 Million dollars. In Arizona the attempt was made and the governor vetoed the bill after manymajor companies threatened to not do business in their state.

South Dakota tried for a bathroom law, a law that would require us to use the bathroom that was in align with our birthsex. After seeing all the companies that opposed this law at the last minute the Governor vetoed the bill. Tennessee lawmakers are attempting to create the same bill for theschools requiringstudents to use the bathroom that aligns with thesexlisted on their birth certificates (which in Tennessee CANNOT be changed) and the governor has let the legislature know that it could cost thestate a billion dollars in federal education dollars. In Georgia the legislator has already passed a bill that permits discrimination against LGBT people and the governor has been warned that if it were to become law major corporation have told them theywill no longer do business in Georgia and the NFL has told them that theycould forget about having thesuper bowl. The Atlanta Braves have even threatened to move out of Georgia.

Now here comes North Carolina who’s legislature in one daypassed a bill that would not only overturn Charlottes non discrimination laws, but all non discrimination laws created by local communities in thestate. The governor signed the bill into law late at night of that same dayit was created.

The first shot has been fired at the LGBT community. We and our allies are now firing back. In combat when troops are pinned down and facing great odds, special forces may be called in 4 to rescue them. We of the LGBT community have our own special forced, our own big guns, they are called corporations. Corporations who stand on our side knowing that our community can provided them with some of the best and brightest employees. Cities andstates that have non-discrimination laws help them to keep those employees byinsuring that theywill not face discrimination outside of the workplace in things like housing or public accommodations. Our special forces are coming to our rescue. The NBA which was scheduled to hold it’s All Stars game in Charlotte is now considering moving it to another state, The Carolina Panthers have condemned the law, as to have the New York Times and manycities in North Carolina have opposed this law and one is even considering a lawsuit against the state.

Many businesses have condemned this law also including IBM which has a large presence in North Carolina, including a 72,000 square-foot campus in Raleigh-Durham’s Research Park Triangle. The company has sunk a lot of money into the state — $300 million in research and development since 2011 — which has added $3.4 billion to thestates economyevery year, Fortune magazine reported.

There’s no indication whether IBMhas plans to take action beyond its statement, but the microchip maker isn’t the only tech company lobbying against state non-discrimination bills.

PayPal, Google, Apple, and Salesforce have all denounced North Carolina’s anti-LGBT bill. Salesforce, the San Francisco-based cloud computing company, has gone one step further. CEO Marc Benioff, who has a track record of taking strong policy stances, threatened to cancel the company’s upcoming conference in Georgia if the state’s governor didn’t veto a religious liberty bill that would allow some discrimination against same sex couples. American Airlines, Wells Fargo, Lowe’s and the National Basketball Association. Have all condemned this law. Virtually every newspaper in North Carolina have denounced this law.

In addition the Mayors of San Francisco, Boston, Chicago and some other citries have enacted government funded travel to North Carolina unless necessary, in order to deprive the state of revenue in response to its legislation blocking anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian and transgender people. Likewise the governors of Washington and New York have enacted similar travel bans. The Mayor of Chicago is also going to push to get businesses to move from North Carolina to Chicago, and to get businesses that were considering North Carolina to reconsider and consider Chicago instead.

Many businesses in North Carolina are against this new law and have posted notice that they will not discriminate against the transgender when it comes to bathroom usage.

Time will tell just howmuch moneythis law will cost the state of North Carolina. Theyhave fired the shot and now the war has begun. Yes our community and more importantly our allies are fighting back against the state of North Carolina. 5 Anti-Transgender Bathroom Bills are Unconstitutional By Scott Skinner-Thompson

As state legislatures reconvene for 2016, a rash of bills have been proposed that would exclude transgender people from using the restrooms that align with their gender identityand outward gender expression. In other words, the bills seek to prevent a transgender woman—who looks and presents as a woman—from using the women’s restroom. Instead, she would be forced to use a men’s restroom where she would stand out like a sore thumb. These “papers to pee” or “genital check” bills violate constitutional privacy protections.

For example, in Washington state, a bill has been introduced that would empower public and private entities to bar transgender people from gender-segregated restrooms if the individual had not undergone gender confirmation surgery (sometimes referred to as genital reassignment surgery). In South Dakota, a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives would prevent a student whose chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth did not align with a gender-segregated restroom from using that restroom in a public school.

And in Virginia, a bill would impose a fine on anystudent who did not use the bathroom corresponding to the sex listed on their birth certificate. (Luckily, it appears as if this particular bill was defeated in committee on Tuesday). Currently in Virginia, the gender marker on a birth certificate will only be amended if an individual undergoes a medical procedure.

If passed and enforced, these bills would violate an individual’s constitutional right to informational privacy. As I detailed in “Outing Privacy,” an article in the Northwestern University Law Review, the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution prevents the government from disclosing individuals’ intimate, sensitive information—including someone’s LGBTQ identity. This is particularlyso if the information is likelyto subject the individual to discrimination, harassment, or violence, as is tragically the case for many transgender individuals.

Several federal courts have unambiguously recognized that there are constitutional limits on the government’s abilityto disclose one’s queerstatus. For example, in the case of Powell v. Shriver, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals held that “[t]he excruciatingly private and intimate na- ture of transsexualism, for persons who wish to preserve privacy in the matter, is really beyond debate.” And the 3rd Circuit hasconcluded that “[i]t is difficult to imagine amore private matter than one’s sexualityand a less likelyprobabilitythat the government would have a legitimate interest in disclosure of sexual identity. ... [S]exual orientation [is] an intimate aspect of [one’s] personality entitled to privacy protection.” 6 Even the Supreme Court, while not specifically addressing the issue of gender identity privacy, has acknowledged the existence of a constitutional right to limit disclosure of personal information. And in Obergefell v. Hodges, where the court overturned state bans on same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court exclaimed that the liberty guaranteed by the Constitution includes the individual right “to define and express their identity.”

As such, proposed bills that seek to bar, punish, or fine individuals who use restrooms corresponding to their gender identity—but not corresponding to certain discrete aspects of their anatomy—unconstitutionally publicly out and disseminate intimate information regarding transgender individuals. These laws out transgender individuals in both subtle and direct ways

If to be enforced the bills require individuals to somehow prove that their so-called “biological sex” matches the gender of the bathroom, they will be forced to disclose sensitive information about their sex and medical history. Indeed, all people—not just transgender people—could ostensibly be asked to prove their “biological sex” before using a restroom, meaning that the invasive privacy violation is not onlya transgender problem. A law that implicitlyor explicitly includes anysuch inspection regime is plainlyunconstitutional.

More subtly, even a policy without a rigorous enforcement mechanism that nevertheless requires people to use the restrooms corresponding to their sex assigned at birth or genital anatomyouts transgender individuals because their appearance will often not comport with the sex they were assigned at birth. So, if a transgender man uses the women’s restroom, it may become obvious that he is transgender or gender-nonconforming.

Courts have begun to recognize that such indirect outing of trans people violates a constitutional right to privacy. For example, a court in Alaska held that the DMV’s failure to have a policy permitting transgender people to change the gender marker on their driver’s license violated the state constitution because a transgender person was outed every time theypresented an ID that did not comport with their gender expression. In November, a federal court in Michigan reached a similar decision, concluding that Michigan’s restrictive policy for changing the gender marker on a driver’s license indirectly outed trans people.

Not onlyare trans individuals “outed” bysuch laws, potentiallysubjecting them to harassment and abuse; these bills are likely to cause more of a disturbance to others using the restroom because trans people will now be forced to use bathrooms that do not match their outward appearance. Moreover, even if a person were relegated to a single-stall, “unisex” bathroom by such bills, theywould still be outed and made conspicuous bytheir repeated avoidance of a shared public restroom.

Courts have already established that the government may not publicly disseminate sensitive, intimate information absent a compelling government interest. The bills being considered by state legislatures flatly violate this constitutional norm by outing transgender people every time theyattempt to use the restroom. Lawmakers should reject these bills and permit everyone the ability to pee in peace. 7 Casa Susanna, a 1960s resort where cross-dressing was safe By: Katie Daubs

AGO exhibit showcases snapshots from Casa Susanna, a Catskills resort that was a haven for cross-dressers and a “trans community in the becoming.”

In the1960s, Casa Susanna was a haven for cross-dressers, away from a world that didn’t understand the peace that came from trading in masculine clothing for bouffant hairdos and simple day dresses.

Many guests were heterosexual men who identified as transvestites, a term often considered derogatory today. Later in life, some would identify as trans women.

Photos taken at the Catskills resort will be on display at the Art Gallery of Ontarioas part of an exhibition, Outsiders: American Photography and Film 1950s-1980s, which opens March 12and features snapshots of people on the perceived margins of society, from musicians and bike gangs to cross-dressers.

In 2003, collectors Robert Swopeand Michel Hurst found a box of photoalbums and loose snapshots of 1960s cross-dressers, taken in a bucolic country setting, in a cardboard box at a New York City flea market. “Iwas electrified. Irealized instantly that these photographs were extraordinary and something that no one, outside of the group, was ev er meant to see,” Swope says. A business card was attached: “Susanna Valenti. Spanish Dancing and Female Impersonation.”

Swope and Hurst published the photos in a book in 2005, and the AGO acquired the collection last year. The photos mostly showed life at tworesorts in upstate New York that catered to the cross-dressing community back in the 1960s: Chevalier d’Eon and Casa Susanna, both run by Susanna Valenti and wife Marie. Some pictures had notes scrawled on the back — “Doy ou like my hair like this or like that?” 8

That the photos escaped the dustbin of history is “wonderful” to think about, says Sophie Hackett, the AGO’s associate curator of photography. “They are an amazing record of trans community in the becom- ing,” she says. “They are typical snapshots on the one hand — there they are on the front porch, there they are at a picnic, or at the diving board. But then you kind of realize how exceptional they are as well, just for the subject matter alone.”

Virginia Prince, far left in the above photo, was a pioneer in the trans movement. A guest at Chevalier d’Eon for the first time in 1961, she wrote about it in Transvestia magazine, hoping to reach out tothe fearful: “Herewe were, 15 otherwise normal active men living and dressing like women, and very happy and comfortable we were too. It wasn’t a ‘show,’ a special ‘situation’ or ev en a ‘Party.’ We were like any bunch of women whohad gone on a weekend trip to some resort.” 9

Swope, one of the collectors who found the photos, was touched by the courage of the people they portrayed, whorisked their families and livelihoods if anyone found out. “These photos are not pictures of drag queens exaggerating femininity but men wholonged to experience what it would be like to be a woman,” he says. The resort was not just for the Zsa Zsa Gabors and Marilyn Monroes, Prince wrote in her 1961 article. “The cost is nominal; the value in acceptance, sociability, freedom of expression, conviviality and satisfaction is tremendous.”

Many of the photos in the AGO’s collection are attributed to“Unknown American.” There are several linked to Andrea Susan. Michael Gilbert, a York University professor whoresearches gender theory, says his late friend, who cross-dressed as Andrea Susan, took photos at the resort and developed them on site in a darkroom, because of the paranoia and fear that would come from handing them over to a stranger.

“You can almost feel their pleasure at being whothey are,” says Gilbert, 70, noting how it felt the first time he went toa gender diversity conference, dressed in a skirt andtop, andwalked outsidein 1995.“Ihadto sit down on the bench and breathe deeply to keep from bursting into tears. Then of course, the next question iswhy can’t Idothiswhenever Iwant to? Whodoes it hurt? It doesn’t hurt anybody, and that’s the sadness.”

Susanna and her guests 10 · Susanna

Susanna Valenti, the co-owner of theresort, wrote an advice column for Transvestia magazine. In 1969, she wrote that she had lost the “fabulous thrill” of the two identities and was going to liveas Susanna full-time. It was one of her final columns, after which “we lose track of Susanna altogether,” curator Sophie Hackett says. The AGO suspects this collection was hers — perhaps something she tossed out or, if she died, something that was taken toa flea market.

· Virginia

Virginia Prince founded Transvestia magazine in 1960, and was prosecuted in 1961 for distributing obscenematerials in the mail. In the late 1960s, she began living as a woman full-time. Michael Gilbert, the York professor anda lifelong cross-dresser who has the alter ego of Miqqi Alicia, calls her “the grandmother of us all.” Prince was very encouraging to others, but as she got older, she became very opinionated and alienated some people, he say s. “In those day s she was the only game in town.” Prince died in2009.

· Darrell In 1966, Darrell Raynor published A Year Among the Girls, which describes Raynor’s timeat theinn. “Iftherewasa placewhere transvestite friendships were made and sealed it was at this resort,” Raynor wrote in the book, which the AGO used, along with sev eral other books and academic papers, to help create the exhibit. 11 · Audrey

“He shared an apartment with two other men, neither of whom has any suspicion of his transvestism,” Raynor wrote. “I was curious how he could share an apartment and get away with it. He explained that he kept his feminine clothing in a locked bu- reau. He slept in satin nightgowns, kept his bedroom locked, and managed toattend to his special laundering without any one ever spotting it.”

· Katherine

Katherine Cummings is a transgender rights adv ocate from Australia. Shevisited Casa Susanna as a 28-year- old student, then living in Toronto. Like several of the cross-dressing community whowent tothe resort, she later had gender-confirming surgery. In an article for Polare magazine, she called it “the first place where I could walk around openly in daylight, confident that any one Imet could be engaged in conversation without the need for subterfuge about my underlying sex …”

· Gloria

Gloria was a Midwestern steel magnate who owned a Polaroid camera, a prized possession because “theresults are instantaneous and transvestites cannot wait one min- ute longer than necessary to be shown just how beautiful they are,” Cummings writes in Katherine’s Diary. “The other reason for their popularity is theneed tohide one’s oddness from the world.”

Outsiders: American Photography and Film, 1950s- 1980s runs until May 29 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. 12 Gatekeepers vs. Informed Consent: Who Decides When a Trans Person Can Medically Transition? By Vanessa Vitiello Urquhart

While not every transgender person seeks to transition physically—whether through hormone therapyor other means like surgery—when one does, whoshould be allowed to make the decision? Is it a clear matter of personal choice? Or should doctors or therapists have a say?

In recent decades, transgender patients were expected to undergo extensive talk therapy in order to access medical interventions. Under this approach, also known as the “gatekeeper” model, the ultimate decision about who was or was not a candidate for treatments ranging from hormones to surgery rested with the therapist. More recently, transgender advocates have argued against what theysee as red tape, favoring a system of “informed consent” in which, following appropriate education and advisement about the treatment in question, the ultimate decision regarding treatment choice rests with the patient alone. The informed consent model has been adopted at many centers that provide hormone replacement therapy (HRT), including the Planned Parenthood locations that offer it. Still, other providers continue to use the older model, requiring patients to produce a letter from a therapist regarding their psychological fitness before they can be evaluated medically as candidates for treatment.

This divide among providers mirrors a tension within the larger trans healthcare advocacy community. On one side there are those who wish to de-medicalize the experience of transgender individuals to the greatest possible extent—these advocates generally see the role of medical professionals as providing the requested treatment to the consumer and staying out of the way. Others see medical practitioners as playing an important role in helping to prepare trans patients for the consequences of their decisions, guiding them awayfrom uninformed choices or spur-of-the-moment impulses. While both sides ultimately want trans folks to get the care they need, the question of how much intervention is helpful is very much open.

From the perspective of advocates for transgender rights—many of whom have themselves pursued HRT and/or other medical interventions to help their bodies conform to their inner self-conception—setting up gatekeepers between transgender patients and the treatments they feel theyneed is a problem. “To me, a gatekeeper in the traditionalsense is kind of like a check boxofthings you need to say,or think,or be,in order to be whattheythink is appropriate for someone to start hormone therapy, or have surgery, or whatever,” explained Marti Abernathey, a trans woman and the founder of Trans Advocate, a news and commentary website. Abernathey went on to describe the narrow stereotypes that medical professionals once expected trans women to conform to in order to merit a medical transition: 13 Theywould need to be sexuallyattracted to men, for example, and theyshould be very feminine. Informed consent sidesteps these kinds of biases.

“Informed consent is a medical provider laying out your risks and benefits, and the most current information theyhave about those risks and benefits, and giving you the choice about what to do with your own body. For me this is a basic human right, a matter of bodilyautonomy,” Abernathey said.

Over the past few decades, thestrictness of the standards that medical providers use to determine suitabilityfor treatments such as HRT have been relaxed substantially. WPATH, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, an organization of medical professionals involved in transgender care, publishes and promulgates the Standards of Care and Ethical Guidelines (SOC), a document which is widely used by medical professionals to inform and guide their practice with transgender patients. I spoke with Dr. Jamison Green, the current president of WPATH, about the why providers even need professional standards and the evolving role of informed consent in ethical practice.

Informed consent is a part of every step of the way in treatment of transgender patients. The SOC don’t exist to gatekeep. But if you want cross-sex hormones and/or surgery, and if you don’t have a body that is considered ill, that is considered problematic. You can’t get medical treatments without a diagnosis, and you certainly can’t get insurance to cover it. The system we have says that you need to have a diagnosis in order to get treatment.

WPATH was once known as the Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association. Under that name the Standards of Care were stricter, more concerned with guiding practitioners through the process of deciding who was “trans enough” for treatment to be indicated. Dr. Green pointed to the progress that had been made toward putting patients in the driver's seat, though with a caveat regarding surgery:

In the past, the belief was that people couldn’t make these decisions on their own, and the mental health screening could be brutal. It could go 2 or 3 years before you’d have any access to [hormone] therapy. The SOC acknowledge that it’s unethical to try to change someone’s gender identity, and they don’t require a year or more of therapy before you can get hormones—one or two visits is fine, as long as the therapist you’re seeing is comfortable. This is a complex and difficult thing, and if someone wants surgery it can be important that they slow down just a bit and think about what they’re doing. And, surgeons don’t feel qualified to evaluate who will be a good candidate for surgery—they want a therapist to do that.

Dr. Green, who is himself transgender, doesn’t believe that having ethical standards for providers to follow is incompatible with an informed consentmodel of treatment. It’s just part of achieving asystem of care that meets the needs of patients and providers alike. Since the transgender community includes many individuals with mental health issues such as depression, as well as minor children who are not legally able to consent to medical procedures on their own, some version of the SOC will likely be needed for the foreseeable future.

Even so, the consensus of medical providers who work with transgender patients has shifted a long way in favor of self-determination, and it may well shift further. There do, however, remain questions of emphasis. Although it’s rare for patients to regret transitioning, it can and does 14 happen. There are also transgender patients who do not regret transitioning, but who come to regret the specific decisions that they made, the speed of the process, which providers they trusted, or how theydealt with their transition emotionally. For advocates like Abernathy, the potential for regret is not as important as the principle of access and control over one’s body— she believes that the existence of a few people who regretmaking a decision shouldn’t prevent adults from freelymaking thesame decision as long as they’re fullyinformed about the poten- tial risks and benefits.

Professionals like Dr. Green and the members of his organization have a different concern: making sure that patients and providers are protected from negative outcomes that could have been avoided.

Finding the right balance won’t be easy. Although it’s true that every treatment requires a diagnosis, in most cases patients are unlikelyto encounter a provider who is skeptical about their self-reported symptoms. A man experiencing erectile dysfunction, for instance, does not need to undergo months of therapy or provide proof of his lack of function in order to get a script for Viagra. Although the wishes of the patient have gradually been given more weight in the SOC, it’s not clear whether medicine will come to see being transgender as straightforward, like having erectile dysfunction, or complicated, like having a psychological condition. For transgender individuals, the desire to avoid the stigma of mental illness can make this subject very emotionally fraught. But in the end, the risk that certain people may impulsively or erroneously embark on treatments with permanent effects must be evaluated rationally, and weighed against the potential harm to patients for whom the requirements are onerous or whose treatment is needlesslydelayed. 15 Eye Makeup Tricks That Will Bail You Out Every Time

Makeup enhances one’s personality to a great extent. We all crave to look good, but most of us find the makeup regimes too tacky to handle. You don’t really have to be a makeup pro to be able to apply makeup well. A few tips and tricks can do wonders! We’ve come up with simple eye makeup hacks that would help you become adept at doing various makeovers for yourself. Voila! Now, you need not fret about going to the parlor every time you want to look your fabulous best!

Trick #1: Winged Eyeliner- How To Draw Perfect Flicks EVERY TIME!

Eyeliners can either prove to be your BFF or your worst enemy ever! Have you been unable to master the art of creating the perfect cat eye look? Here’s a simple trick! Use an eyeliner brush and dip its tip into a gel eyeliner pot. Start drawing the line from the outer corner of your eye, moving inwards into the middle of your eyelid. Now, start drawing from the inner corner of your eye and join both the lines to- gether. While doing so, the angle of your brush must be towards your temple (not the tail of your eyebrow!).

By doing this, you have more control on how you want to draw the line; thin or thick! Once you’re done with this, draw an elongated triangle off the tail and connect it to the liner. Once you get the desired shape, fill in the triangle.

The result? Now you’re able to draw perfect flicks every time! 16 Trick #2: A White Eye Pencil Can Help You Open Up Your Eyes!

If you still don’t have a white eye pencil, then now’s the time for you to invest in one! In- stead of applying routine black kohl in your wa- terline, try out a white eye pencil. It really helps to create an illusion of a bigger eye! Started imagining your tiny eyes popping out?

Trick #3: Get That False Eyelash Look Without False Lashes!

Applying false lashes can be a really painful task and it can be very time consuming as well (need not mention that!). Skip all that hassle by following a simple trick.

Once you’re done with the job of curling your lashes, use a blending brush and sweep a thin layer of powder from the top to the bottom of your eyelashes before applying the mascara. It creates a base for the mascara and they appear bushier. Apply a coat of mascara to your eyelashes, wait for a couple of minutes and then apply another coat. While doing so, don’t just move your wand from the bottom to the top of your lashes. Instead try moving the wand back and forth while going up. This left and right motion ensures that every lash is covered. There you are! Ready with a false eyelash look!

Trick #4: Lash Curling Trick

Take your lash curler and hold a blow dryer next to it for a few seconds. Does this remind you of your curling iron? Well, the technique with both tools is the same! The heat will give a long last- ing flirty look to your lashes! Pinch the curler at the base of your lashes and then start lifting the curler up in an inverted position and get the perfect curls.

CAUTION: Make sure you don’t heat up the curler too much and end up burning your eyelid! 17 Trick #5: Fill Eyebrow Gaps

A bold eyebrow can always be a great attention seeker! Don’t use a black eyebrow pencil to fill in the gaps, as it may appear too harsh. Rather, use a charcoal or dark brown eye shadow. It gives a natural look to your eye- brows and fills the gap evenly.

Trick #6: Clump-Free Lashes- So Hard To Achieve, Right?

Clump free lashes are no longer difficult with this simple trick! Now this may make you feel like you’re wasting your favorite mascara, but wiping your wand over a tissue before every use can give you a clump-free and seamless coat!

Trick #7: Fix Clumpy Mascara

Every beauty product comes with an expiry date. Same is the case with mascaras as well! Usually, you should use mascara for not more than 3 months or it may lead to eye infections. If it tends to dry before those 3 months, then you can revive it by just adding 2-3 drops of saline solu- tion. Shake it well and your clumpy mascara is ready to use again! 18 COVERING UP BEARD SHADOW FOR TRANS WOMEN April Mars hall

Beard shadow is a problem for just about every trans woman. That bluish hue that lingers for many even after the closest of shaves. But you can cover up your shadow quite easily if you look to our friend, the color wheel.

Beard Shadow and the Color Wheel

See, the color wheel is the great tool that can be as simple or complex as you like. For our purposes we want to look across the color wheel, from one color to its opposite. For us that means we need to take a look at the blue and see what color is opposite of it. As you can see, the blue we are dealing with is opposite shades of orange. Much like you can use a concealer or cream in green to cancel our redness or zits, you can use an orange color to cancel out the stubborn blue. So by introducing a concealer or a cream makeup, or even lipstick, in a shade of orange; you will be setting a base that can be covered by foundation and camouflage the blue of your shadow. 19 Transgender Makeup 101: Tips and Techniques for a More Feminine Face

Makeup Application is very easy. You just have to go by your skin tone when your using a powder and a cover-up. • Apply powder with a big bushy brush. • Don't put too much cover-up on because your face will look cakey. • Apply the cover-up sparingly with a sponge. • For blush, apply it on the apple of your cheek. Just smile and the big circles are the apples! • For eyeshadow, any color you use, use an eyeshadow brush or the little applicator that it comes with but be sure to use a color that compliments your outfit. • For mascara, apply it in strokes. Start in your eye and work your way to the top, put on a couple of coats. • For eyeliner, start form the outside of your eye and draw a line ending in the teardrop area of your eye. Don't put it inside your eye, it will make it look smaller and be sure to use a color that compliments your outfit. Lipstick is easy, just follow your natural lip shape and be sure to use a color that compliments your outfit and your eyes.

It isn't only crossdressers who have problems like blue beard shadow. For centuries, women have had to hide excess facial hair and dark marks, by using makeup.

The steps involved are actually simple, but you must follow them carefully. You must also practice them regularly.

To begin with, you will need to acquire the following supplies. I'm going to be brand-specific because I want you to get the right thing, but you can buy what's available and what your budget can afford. Finally, a disclaimer: If you haven't tried cosmetics before, there is a very small chance you might be allergic to some of these products. Start with hypoallergenic make up that has been tested to ensure there is no allergic reaction. However, we are all different so be careful. Test make up on your wrist and if there is no itch or bumps it is probably safe to put it on your face but not your mouth, eyes, or other sensitive area.

Concealer. I recommend DermaBlend, which can be found at any JC Penny store (their official outlet) or at better cosmetic stores everywhere. Dermablend comes in "Chroma numbers" Chroma 1 is a light beige, Chroma 1.25 is a medium beige. If you cannot find Dermablend, use Pan-Stik as your concealer, which is available everywhere and online. 20 Cheap RED Lipstick. You won't be using this on your lips. A good one is "Wet And Wild" in the shade "535A." You can see the displays of Wet and Wild lipsticks in little racks at the ends of cosmetic aisles in most drug stores. You can also go to your local costume shop and purchase a cheap red grease stick.

Foundation. I have a few choices you might want to consider: • Revlon ColorStay. This stuff really has staying power. Once it dries (in about 60 seconds) it won't come off till you scrub it off with facial cleanser. • Max Factor Lasting Performance. This is fairly opaque and tends to stay on well. • Almay Sports Formula Tint. This only comes in three shades ("Light" will work for most of you) but it has the advantage of being sweat-proof. Scrubs off with soap and water. This is the one I use most. Revlon's Ultimate II Ultimate Coverage. This is the most opaque of all the items in this list and is recommended for problem faces.

Loose Face Powder. Coty "Translucent Medium" will work for most of you. Be sure to pick up a good powder brush and you might as well go for a complete makeup brush kit that includes brushes for your eyes and lips.

Max Factor "Pan Stik." Some of you will need this. We will use this if you have a serious problem with dark facial hair shadows even after shaving.

A nice Lipstick that compliments your outfit.

Eyeshadow that compliments your outfit.

Mascara that is a basic black.

Once you have assembled your supplies, we can get started!

Start with a clean-shaven face. I know that should go without saying, but it is very important. Use a good double bladed razor like Gillette Sensor Excel. If you are using an electric, it is time to convert! Wet face thoroughly and use a facial scrub sponge (the rough side) to loosen hairs. Use a good Gel shave cream and shave carefully.

Make sure your face is completely dry. If necessary, use an astringent such as Witch Hazel to make sure you have removed all oils from the surface of your face.

Start with your concealer. Put a few dabs on your cheek and blend thoroughly with your fingers, using circular strokes. This, as with all makeup items, should be a thin coating. Continue to cover the entire beard area in this same manner - one section of face at a time. Like every technique you see here, this takes practice.. lots of practice.

Take the cheap lipstick ("Wet and Wild") and dot your face lightly over the beard area. It will look a lit- tle like a case of the measles. Blend this into the Concealer with your fingers. When done, you should have a slight sunburned look to your face over the beard area. If it is too red then you over did it and will need to put a bit more concealer on to even out the color. This is not a joke. The secret is that the red of the lipstick cancels out the bluishness of beard shadow. Women have used this trick to hide bruises and such for many many years. It works. 21 (Optional) Pan Stik. If you have a bad problem with blue shadows even after shaving, you will want to apply Pan Stik at this point. Make several streaks with the stick over your beard area and blend with your fingers to an even coloration. If you use this step, you will now need to wait about 5 minutes for the Pan Stik to "set" before moving on to the next step. If not go directly to applying foundation.

At this point you shouldn't have any blueness from your beard showing through. If not, keep working at it, it just takes some practice.

Apply liquid foundation. Again, dot lightly on one section of your face and blend with your fingers to obtain an even color. Don't overdo it. This will give your skin an even, natural tone... assuming you selected the right shade to start with. Wait a few minutes for your foundation to set before proceeding. (Optional) Apply loose powder. Powder takes off the shine from your skin and "locks in" the makeup you have applied. Do NOT omit this step! Dot powder on your face with powder brush and blend in to an even texture.

Apply lipstick to your lips according to your desires.

At this point you may choose to apply shadow then mascara, and lipstick and whatever else you enjoy such as perfume!

There you have it! You now know how to make yourself more beautiful, and more feminine!

Wig Care Tutorial: How to Brush a Wig by Alexa Poletti

Hello wig lovers!!! Today I am here to kick off a brand new series on my blog for #WigWednesday. I'd like to help you with caring for your wigs to get the longest life out of them as possible. This is a topic I get asked about on my Facebook page so often that I felt it deserved not just a tutorial post, but a tutorial series, so I hope you find it informative! Check back every Wednesday for the duration of the series for more wig care quick tips!

So, you love your Gothic Lolita Wig or RockStar Wig. I get it. We all do. Even though the quality is top notch, you wear it all the time (through high winds and summer humidity and an accidental rain storm) and it's starting to look a little beat up. Can you restore it or is it trash?

Before you toss your perfectly good wig, try taking a few steps to restore it to its former beauty.

For the launch of the series, we are going to start with one of the most basic tips of wig care: How to Brush a Wig. I know it may seem simple to you seasoned pros of wig care, but for many, this is a quick way to ruin a wig. Lots of people don't even know that there is a wrong way to brush a wig! Each Wednesday with cover a different topic, and after today, they will be much more specific! So let's get to it!

How to Brush a Wig

There are a few ways to properly and safely brush your wig. First of all, let's start with the basics. Your tools! 22

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER brush your wig with a standard hair brush that you would brush your natural hair with. It will damage the fibers and can completely ruin your wig. Onlyuse a wig brush or a wide-toothed comb.

There are many ways to brush wigs, but my favorite ways are to brush with a wide-toothed comb and finger-combing. I like using a wide- toothed comb over a wig brush because it gives you more control and they are very inexpensive and readily available at lots of stores. Finger- combing (brushing with your fingers) is nice for daily upkeep because it's easy, you always having your fingers with you, and you can style and finger comb at the same time. The downside of finger-combing is that it is harder to get out lar- ger and tougher tangles.

The best way to brush a wig is from the bottom up. Start with detangling the ends of the hair, and SLOWLY work your way up to the top of the wig (brushing downwards- NO BACKCOMBING! unless you want your wig to be forever a poof ball). Detangling a badly knotted wig requires a lot of patience. You can also use wig conditioner to help detangle wigs. I don't have experience with wig conditioner, so I'm not going to talk about that, but just know that such a product exists for you to experiment with. Buy- ing a bottle of wig conditioner is cheaper than replacing your entire wig.

I like to lightly brush & care for my wig after EACH WEAR before storing it. This helps them keeping nice and prevents build up of tangles that become harder and harder to get out. Memorial Day May 30th

We Remember Those Who Gave Their All and Their Best 23 Uncorked Chapter 4 A fiction story by: Barbara Jean Jasen

Preview: Allen Gorman started crossdressing around age nine and things progressed. One day another employee of the company he worked for outed him to his boss and Allen was fired from his job. He found another job in California, but there was a condition, he had to live and work full time as a woman or never be seen crossdressing. Allen began living his life as Alicia. An auto accident put Alicia in a coma and she has a dream of being born and raised as a girl. Little did she know that her dream was about to solve a forty-four year old crime and change her life forever.

Chapter 4 It was April of 1971 and Alice Traylor had given birth to a set of twins at a hospital in Chicago. Aboyshe had named Michael and a girlshe named Michelle. Two days later at the hospital the boy Michael had turned up missing. Police and the FBI were called in and an investigation was launched. Virtuallyall the employees were questioned, but still the babywas never found and there were no suspects in the disappearance of the baby. Alice was only 16 years old and this was the first timeshe had been pregnant. The father of the children was unknown as Alice had partied withseveral boys andshe was not sure which of them got her pregnant.

Alice took her little girl home where both Alice and her parents did begin to raise her. Alice was still pained about her missing son, where was he, was he even alive, who had him, why did they take him? All these things kept going through Alice’s head. Alice and her parents were all the time checking with the police to see if there was any progress in the kidnapping of her babyboy. Eventuallythe case had gone cold and the police were no longer active in the search for the babyand was now left up to the FBI to continue the investigation.

The missing baby boy Michael had set Alice into some severe depression. As a result the first couple of years little Michelle was pretty much raised entirely by her grandparents. Michelle’s first Christmas she got a rag doll and some stuffed animals. Under the Christmas tree there was also a toyfor a little boy. Alice had never given up hope that Little Michael would be found.

Alice found herself an attorneyand a lawsuit was placed against the hospital for negligence. The hospital didsettle out of court and Alice was awarded a largesome ofmoney. While the money did help in Alice getting a nice apartment for her and Michelle, still she kept checking asking about her missing son.

Alice finally went back to school and got her GED and then went on to Vocational School. There Alice learned to sew and to become a seamstress. One of the things she would do was to make some very lovely dresses for Michelle. Many of them were trimmed with lace. Alice would quite often talk to her daughter reminding her that she has a twin brother out there someplace. 24 Alice was very protective of Michelle. Alice did not want to take a job outside the home, rather she insisted all her sewing work be done at home where she could keep an eye on Michelle. If Alice had to go someplace where she could not bring Michelle with her, her parents were the only ones that Alice would trust to keep little Michelle.

When Michelle was three at Christmas she got a doll that was as big as she was along with a playkitchen. Her bedroom was painted pink and white and she had furniture that was white with gold trim. Curtains and bedding were in styles of things like Barbie and Strawberry Shortcake or Holly Hobby. She had quite a few stuffed animals and was actually collecting the Barbie dolls.

When Michelle was five it was time for her to start school. Alice was veryapprehensive and very scared that her little Michelle would turn up missing like her twin Michael. Alice would drive Michelle to the school and pick her up atschool when itletout. Ittook quite a bitof counseling and convincing by the school counselor to finally allow Michelle to walk to school with her girlfriend and her girlfriends mother. Of course this went on for the first couple of years that Michelle was in school.

Michelle wanted to participate in various afterschool activities and finallywas allowed to become a member of the Campfire Girls where she had acquired herself quite a collection of merit badges. In schoolshe developed manyfriends andshe was active with playing games with the other girls. Hopscotch, Jump Rope in the earlyschool years and then later her and her girlfriends would often have a game of badminton. She became best friends with Cindy Myier whenshe was in the first grade and her and Cindyremained best friends all through their school years. Eventually they went to different colleges but still kept in touch with each other.

When Michelle was seven she started to take music lessons and learned to play the flute and whenshe was twelve she learned to playa violin. She joined theschool band in High School and during her senior year she was named prom queen.

Alice had taught Michelle about fashion and as a result Michelle seemed to have developed quite an eye for fashion. She was quite pickyas to whatshe would wear, and always seem to know just what to wear to someplace. Everybodyseemed to love the clothes that Michelle had and once they learned that Michelle had made the dress herself, they would start asking her to make some dresses for them. While sewing was a hobby for her, she was able to make a few dollars that she would be able tosave for college. Michelle had also learned to be quite a cook and manytimes she wouldmake the dinner for her and hermother, and when the church or school had a bake sale she would make some really beautiful cakes. She was quite talented at cake decorating.

Alice never reallygot over the kidnapping of her little babyboy Michael. Despite counseling she would still become depressed especially since now her case had been put way on a back burner. Often times she would talk about her missing son, wondering where he was, and what he now looked like. As for the search for him itwas now listed as a cold case and there was not anyactive investigation into finding the missing child. She did interview with a television program for missing children but there was not much help that they could give since he was only two days old when he was discovered missing from the hospital and as a result there were no photo’s of the boy. 25 After Michelle graduated from High School she went on to a two year college and then on to a nursing school where she became a nurse. Michelle continued to live with hermother even after highschool and during the timeshe was going to nursing school. It was a comfort to Alice to at least have her daughter there with her.

Many times at night Michelle would drive down to the lakefront whereshe would be watching the water and looking at the stars. As she did this she would wondered about the twin brother thatshe never gotto know. Would he ever be found? Would theybe re-united? Would the kidnapper be caught? Whatwas he doing now? Oh how she wished he would be found and returned to her mother. Michelle did not like seeing her mother cry so often about her missing brother.

Michelle finished her school and graduated and became a registered nurse. At the hospital in Chicago where she was working she met an intern doctor by the name of David Koftman. Michelle and David often went out to the movies or dinner and even some plays together. Michelle found herself to be in love with David and Michelle’s mother Alice liked David very much.

David finallypopped the question to Michelle and theydid get engaged. Theyremained engaged for about sixmonth and then had asmall wedding there in Chicago. Alice and David’s familywere there along with a few of their friends from the Hospital. After the wedding Michelle and David took them a honeymoon in Las Vegas. A year after they were married Michelle gave birth to a babyboywhich she named Daniel. When Daniel was a year old Michelle and David adopted a three year old boynamed Kevin that had been orphaned when the parents were killed in a car crash.

Busywith the children Michelle had given up her career as a nurse at least for the time until the boys started school. David continued working at the hospital there in Chicago. When little Daniel was two David got an offer to work at a clinic in Memphis where he worked for another three years.

Once Daniel started school Michelle went back to work in nursing and was hired as a school nurse at the school where Daniel and Kevin were attending. As the school nurse Michelle was able to getoffwork justa little while after theschool letoutandsoshe did nothave to hire someone or put her boys in any sort of after school program while she worked.

In 2005 David received an offer for a job at a clinic and hospital in Las Vegas. Again Michelle got her a job as aschool nurse. On weekends and during thesummer months David and Michelle would also work at a free clinic that specialized in care of those who were homeless, or HIVpositive or transgender. The health department did paythem some, but the paywas not as good as what David made at the hospital, but both him and Michelle had a passion to help people and these people weresome that other doctors did not seem to want to take the time to learn about or treat. Because of their status of being homeless or being HIV positive manydid not have anysort of insurance as the insurance companies would not grant them that. The transgender, many of them were working as street prostitutes trying to make the moneyneeded for things like their hormones, electrolysis, and surgeryall which was not covered by any insurance. As a result of the risky sexual behavior many of them also con- tracted HIV. 26 Michelle and David had purchased a boat and would often launch it at Lake Mead. Sometimes Michelle would drive down to lake Mead and just look over onto the lake. As she looked over the lakeshe would wonder about her twin brother. Was hestill alive, where was he, and what was he doing? Did he even know he had been kidnapped from the hospital and who ever had him were not his parents.

One year the familydecided to take a short vacation. The boys wanted to go to Los Angeles to see a rock concert and Michelle told David that she would like to go and see the ocean. Strange as itwas,thatwas the one thingshe had never seen. The boys gotto go to their rock concert and then the next day they took the short drive down to Huntington Beach. Before going to the beach theystopped at asandwichshop and got somesandwiches to go and then also stopped at a supermarket and got a few other things where they could have them a picnic right there on the beach..

Michelle was reallyenjoying thesound of the ocean and the boys watched some other boys surfing and thoughtitlooked like itwould be a lotoffun to learn to do. Then Michelle saw a woman walking along the beach. What was strange to Michelle is that this woman lookedso much like her that she could pass for Michelle’s twin. Michelle knew from what her mother had told her thatshe was a twin,buther twin was a boy,ifstill alive he would be aman now. Michelle simply dismissed the whole thing. She thought it seems we all have someone we look like. Still this lady she could swear could easily pass as her twin sister.

Everybodyenjoyed their picnic on the beach and then theyspent a couplemore days there in the Los Angeles area going to Disneyland, and a few other places. After their time there in Los Angeles theydecided to take a drive down to San Diego to view a few sights down there before returning to their home in Las Vegas.

There were a fewmore times that theywould make that trip to Los Angeles and to Huntington Beach were they liked to swim and picnic and on a couple of those occasions Michelle would see that same girl that look exactly like her. Michelle often wondered who the girl was, but somehow could not get up the courage to introduce herself to her. 27 Tips for “Coming Out” One Stiletto at a Time by Terri Lee Ryan

Coming out onestiletto at a time, means being prudent where you present as a woman. This is of course, for cross- dressers who are not committed to living their lives as a woman full-time, yet have a need to get out and present. Yet, perhaps part of the problem in doing this is how do you take the secrecy of your cross-dressing from the confines of your home to the world outside?

Many of you cross-dressers have come out to your wives which has relieved some of the angst for you yet, for many being out of the house is important. It is an extension of your femme identity and a celebration of your femme side living along side with your male counterpart. So how does one do this responsibly without alienating your wife, risk losing your job and running into someone at the supermarket who you know from your golf team?

Because of the complicated nature of cross-dressing and the lack of information on who they are, many cross-dressers are cautious about getting caught by someone who they know and don’t want to know about their femme side. Even if you have a supportive wife, it is still difficult to integrate your cross-dressing into to your life, in a normal way, which means being out rather than hiding in the bedroom, which always seemed more deviant to me, than actuallygoing out.

Here are some tips for integrating your cross-dressing into your life:

If you haven’t told your wife about your cross-dressing, you really need to, unless there is some special circumstance that would prohibit telling her. Again, it is not an easy task to do, yet with the transsexuals coming out, she is probably already watching a Trans show. She will want to know two things: Do you want to transition into a full-time woman (always tell her no at this juncture even if you aren’t sure) and two, what does this mean for her?

You need to develop your own style which is age appropriate. Since you have been dressing in privacyfor so long, your sense of style probablyisn’t developed and is more adolescent or vamped up than it should be, if you want to be out in the world. Get your make-up done at Macy’s and check out woman’s magazines for current looks. You are not a Drag Queen, you are a cross-dresser presenting as a woman, so develop her own style that works for you. (Reading Sister House and Tasi’s blog helps)

Have some fun with your cross-dressing by going out with friend for lunch (male or female who you are comfortable with) or a sister, who may know.

Give your wife some time to get used to you in your femme role at home, and don’t over do it with your dressing. Once a month, schedule a time with her to learn more about your femme side and to become comfortable seeing you in your femme role. 28 Don’t leave your bras & panties out. It is verydifficult for most women to see their husband in panties earlyon, so keep your clothes in your ownspecial closet. You need to set boundaries with your cross-dressing in your relationship that works for both of you.

People don’t expect you to be in your femme role, so even if you run into someone you don’t want to when out, theyprobablywon’t even know its you, unless you tell them. I not talking about at work, but rather in your personal time. So relax when you are out dressed.

Try to connect with like couples who are married to a cross-dresser and go out with them and have them over for dinner. It’s totallyliberating to do this and also know you are not alone and that being out as a cross-dresser is okay, after all it is just a part of who you are.

I believe that key for the cross-dressing community, those who present as a woman part-time, is to get out in the world and take it slow. First gain thesupport from your wife, familyand select friends. Then make new friends with cross-dressers and their wives and integrate this social experience into your life. Go out shopping, as now that the transsexuals are out, you will have support.

We may never know “why” you cross-dress and have a femme persona. Yet, it really doesn’t matter why, its making the changes needed to allow yourself out of the closet and intosociety on your terms. There’s a time and place for your cross-dressing and it may not be openly at work, but what you do in your personal time is what counts. Don’t let the Trans community define who you are, onlyyou can do it for yourself.

About Terri Lee Ryan

Author, Documentary Producer, Speaker

Terri Lee Ryan’s journey with cross-dressing began with her ex-husband who was a frequent dresser. Needing to understand and know more about what cross-dressing is and the profound effect it has in a relationship led her on the path to her own self-discovery.

She is the Executive Producer of the documentary, I Married a Cross- dresser, which aired on Sky Living Channel in the U.K. November, 2014. She writes a popular blog for the Chicago Tribune ChicagoNow site. Shades of Gender offers insight on the current state of the cross-dressing and transgender community and the many faces of this group.

She has been featured and/or written articles for the Chicago Sun-Times, Desert Woman magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, Frock magazine, Repartee magazine, and the Transgender Group (TG) Forum. She has made appearances on ABC-TV, WLS-AM-890, WGN-AM-720 radio and numerous radio stations across the country. 29 Walking in Heels. A Crossdresser's Workout - On the Treadmill!

By Carollyn Olson (Reprintedfrom Suddenly Femme)

Working Out in Heels! This might sound funny, but it’s true! Working out in high heels IS good for your health. If you don’t believe me GIVE IT A TRY In fact, clothes are the most important factor in the way people perceive you. Walking in heels is hard enough for many cross dressers, but I have found, thanks to a tip from my friend Jamie Grae (shown in the feature picture), that one of the best workouts you can have is walking in heels on a treadmill orstair climber. I know mostmen would feel quite funnywearing heels at a fitness center. However, what’s stopping you from doingso at home…other than your spouse. Cross dressing men usually have nicer and shapelier legs than most women because they have played sports all their lives and aremore dedicated to staying inshape as theyage. Walking in heels on a treadmill or stair climber can be such a benefit for your overall health. Not onlywill you learn to balance while walking in heels, but your legs will get stronger and more toned than ever and your cardio vascularsystem will improve. I living proof. Mylegs look great and I feel wonderful.

Practice Makes Perfect Following Jamie’s expert advice, I started slowly because I did not know what to expect. She said, “If you regularly walk two miles during each workout, try walking a short distance in heels ata slow speed andsee how itgoes.Don’trush it.Take smallsteps first,and as you getmore comfortable, stretch out to your stride. Day-by-day you can increase your speed and distance. Before you know it, you will be back to your regular routine, but you will be doing it wearing heels.”

Heels for the Novice Tread-Heel-ista These Suddenly Fem styles are 3" or under & some feature a wider Block heel for stability 30

2" WIDE PATENT 3 INCH CLASSIC COMFY NEW LEATH- HEEL IN BLACK, RED PUMP TO SIZE 16 ! ERETTE KITTEN HEEl BLACK T STRAP OR WHITE WIDE 3" HEEL

Don’t try Wearing 4-inch Pumps on Your First Day At first, I wore a comfortable pair of old heels with the idea that if I broke a heel or tore the lining, I would not be concerned. Thus, start withshoes that are comfortable with one or two inch heels and as your confidence grows move up a halfan inch or an inch ata time.At the end of 30-days, you should be able to walk about a quarter mile in your favorite heels. Working out can be even more fun if you do it en femme. So, put on your make up, your favorite wig and wear a leotard with breast forms, tights and even a corset. You might as well feel great and look feminine in the process. (Suddenly Fem has a great assortment of corsets and high heels, when you want to reach your preferred height in Spike Heel Boots or Stilettos). The utmost training is to walk with a long mirror in front of you so you can see yourself to improve your swagger and looksexyas well. Do all this and you'll definitelyturn heads with a perfect walk. If you don’t have a treadmill or stair climber available at home, don’t be afraid to try working out at a fitness center. Yes, with heels.

A cross-dressing friend recently told me that he wore women’s boots at the gym and nobody seemed to notice because he wore long runningslacks that almost touched the ground, and covered most of the heel. One day, an instructor inquired whyhe was wearing heels. “Planter Fasciitis” he replied. “My doctor said that if I keep my foot at a certain angle, it does not hurt.” The instructor agreed.

Carollyn Olson has been an ambi-gendered cross dresser for more than 35 years and is very active in the community. She is a proud member and the Post Mistress of the Vanity Club sorority (www.vanityclub.com) and the co-founder of the two Mature Woman Group (www.groups.yahoo.com/group/ maturetgirls & www.flickr.com/groups/maturetgirls) . In the last five years, Ms. Olson has written nine books, including her best-selling "Tricks of the Trade: A Beginner’s Guide To Cross-Dressing” trilogy. All of her books are available on Amazon Kindle. She is also a fash- ion contributor for Sister House, Glamour Boutique and an over 60- ish model and writer for Suddenly Fem. 31 The Adventures of Judy Sometimes By: Judy Daniels

Hold my beer and watch this

My Regional Manager's assistant flew into Fargo last Mondayand stopped off at mybuilding to meetme and check out the facilityon her wayto another building we own in Jamestown ND. She mentioned thatshemaywantto stop byagain on her wayback as she flies out at3:30 today.On Mondayshe metthe boy,butas mostofyou know mynormal pattern is to dress Thursdayafternoon until Mondaymorning. When she mentioned possiblymeeting again todayI said that's fine, but I normallydon't work Fridays, but if she wanted to I would gladlydo so.Well Inever heard from her,so Ifigured I'd getdressed and go aboutmyday. About20 minutes ago I received a text from her asking if I would be available tomeet for a lunch. I said sure, but I'd look a little different today. I know myRegional Manager knows because I told him myselfsoon after hestarted,butI'm notsure ifshe knows.Iknow the two ofthem spenta week together when he was training her in, but whether I came up in the conversation is hard to say. Obviouslyshe has seenme and mysome what androgynous look when wemet on Monday, but a guywith French tip nails is one thing, but a guywith French tip nails wearing a dress is a whole different story.

With that being said, the companyI work for is an equal opportunityemployer and is based in Minnesota and has discrimination policies against LGBT individuals in place, that and I am on myown time and not on their propertyso I feel its perfectlyOK to go as myself. We've talked on the phone a lot the last fewmonths (mostlywork related, but some personalstuff here and there) and we get a long great. We're the same age so we can relate to things on the same level and are both fairly compassionate and care about the people that live on our properties. She has a strong back ground in social work as do I, only mine comes from "on the job training" dealing with clients for the last 35 years. We were onlytogether about 2 1/2 hours on Monday, but I feel like I have known her for years.

I've told her a lotaboutdowntown Fargo so she's curious to see itso our plans are to meetat a place called the Boiler Room which just happens to be in the lower level of the buildingmy wife works in. I've asked her to join us, but haven't heard back from her yet. Its suppose to be near 70 degrees today so I'm wearing a spring dress with a sweater and my favorite strappy heeledsandals soshe's going to get the full on effect of what I'm all about, lol. Wishme luck. I have a funny feeling "the assistant" was secretly hoping that she would get to meet "Judy" as it seems I was outed byone of the tenants in the building during a conversation theyhad a while back, so she already knew about my alternate identity. She said she picked up on what I meant when I texted that I would "look a little different today", so she had an idea I mayshow up dressed.

As far as her reaction went, nothing unusual as she sees crossdressers/trans people quite often in Colorado. Turns out there are two individuals transitioning from male to female at our corporate headquarters in St. Paul. She did ask me if I had gone to work dressed and I had to 32 confess that I had a couple of times during emergencies, but don't make a habit of on a daily basis. She asked how the tenants have reacted and I said only two have actual seen me dressed, but I think about half of them know and nobodyreallytalks openlyabout it, not to me anyway.

As luck would have itmywife was able to join us she had nothing butpraise for her for being so supportive. Apparently with her back ground as a social worker she's fairly well educated on the subject and knows something like this has destroyed more than a few marriages. She herself has been divorced twice, but nothing related to crossdressing, she said they were just assholes, lol.

Sounds like she'll be back in late April to do our annual unit inspections somaybe we'll be able to go out again ... maybe for a few drinks next time. Like theysay, you never reallyknow someone until you get drunk with them, lol.

Judy Lynn

Módhnóirí.. BY: BARBARA MARIE DAVIDSON

LET THE “LIONS” ROAR

Is it not great to be a LION? But what is a LION or better still what is Lionism all about. I have been a LION since 1990 the year after I retired from the Navy. My wife had joined the Pilot Club in Statesboro, GA on the urging of a friend of hers. (Pilot club champions Alzheimer’s and other Brain Disorders). At the time I had about 15 pair of “navy issue glasses” and made the mistake of asking someone what I could do with them. One month later I was in the Statesboro Lions Club as their newest member. Over the next twelve years, I was president three times of the club and became a Melvin Jones fellow just before our club gave up their charter after almost 65 years for lack of support and membership. Several years later after my spouse passed away I rejoined the Bulloch Lions club of which I am still a member. Since joining the Bulloch club I was club secretary for 6 years and a zone chairman for 2 years and have been part of the District Governors staff (as the Lion tamer – keeper of the bell, flags and other things for 2 years). Now I am just a general member again.

The Motto of the Lions Organization is Liberty – Intelligence – Our Nations Safety (LIONS). The Lions colors are Purple and Yellow (gold) while the sign of the lion is ROAR and when voting or other thing the sign is “BITE EM”! Just a little FYI only.

In the first paragraph – who or what is a LION. In 1913, Melvin Jones became a member of the Chicago Businessmen association, but they did not have a real purpose however they met each month. In 1917, they came together and renamed their association - The associations of Lions with Melvin Jones (born in 33 January 1879) as their secretary. As of January 1925, they still did not have a “purpose” until Helen Keller came to one of their meetings and challenged them to take up the cause of the visually impaired individuals. The Lions clubs then became champions the visually impaired. Later the hearing impaired folks were added to the challenge thus today Lionism champions not only the visually impaired but also the hearing impaired folks as well. Melvin Jones was honored in 1961 with a “scholarship” that became the Melvin Jones Fellowship award after his death later that year. The scholarship is still in existence today with many lions and other civic-minded folks who are Melvin Jones “fellows”. In My club we have 18 members and 13 are Melvin Jones fellows with two more to be awarded in June. The LONS club is recognized in over 140 Countries worldwide and the only “Civic” organization recognized in the Republic of China.

When I was married my name was Bill and my wife disapproved of my cross-dressing. She knew about it for 36 years prior to her death but refused to accept it, understand it or have any thing to do with my cross-dressing this I sat for basically for 36 years. After she passed away, I started to come out again to the point that I was about 80% Barbara and bill 20% of the time having retired in May of 2008. Thus in October of 2009 I made my decision and on November 1st, I left Bill on the floor in the bedroom and have not looked back. In my lions club I “bought the floor from my club Tail Twister for $10.00 during the second meeting in October of 2009 and made the announcement that I would be dressing differently beginning at November. I even passed several photos around so they would have some ideal of what I would look like at the next meeting. On the first Meeting in November of 2009, I came in as Barbara and sat at the head table since I was then the club secretary. After that first meeting, we lost two members of our group, but the rest took my change in stride. Even today they do not seem to have a problem and the call me by my femme name with no problems. It is funny that the two that resigned were both in law enforcement. One was a state patrolman and the other had just retired after 20 years as a prison guard. (Go figure it!) As I mentioned I was actually the club Secretary for actually 6 years before giving it up in 2015.

Not sure how many openly TransGendered/TransSexual lions there are out there but I have yet to meet any other lion Lions in this “category”. I changed my name legally in February of 2012 and had an Augmentation mammoplasty in June of the same year. I also changed my name at LCI from William to Barbara (secretary of the Bulloch Lions Club). Prior to then, I was signing my notes and other correspondence Barbara Marie (AKA William M) Davidson. In 2013, the incoming District Governor (whom I had known for along) asked me if I would be on his staff as the district Lion Tamer. This meant that I had to attend all official district meeting and the state convention and be responsible for the governor’s bell and gavel, his flags and the district Banner. I accepted and in 2015 after a year “off”, the new incoming District governor asked me if I would be his Lion Tamer for 2015-2016. There are more Lions in the District who know who I am now that when I was just Lion Bill. Both District governors made sure that I was recognized at the district conventions as well as the cabinet meetings. The new incoming District Governor for 2016-2017 approached me the other day and asked my if would consider doing it again next year for him and I graciously declined as I said it was time for some one different to experience this “honor”. Don’t know any other TG/TS Lions who have done the things that I have done. If you are out there, I would like to her from you.

Lions don’t just sell brooms and light bulbs, but provide the funds for those individuals that cannot afford eye glassed, eye surgery or hearing test or hearing aides for the less fortune. They were also instrumental in helping to stamp out river blindness in some of the third world countries. In times of emergencies LCIF issues grants on donations to areas of disasters with no strings or attachments on 34 repayments. I hope that this little bit of information will help you to consider that donation to the white cane day when LIONS are out there asking for donations as that money raised go to the Light House foundation in your state that actually provides the funds for eye glassed and or surgery. Many states have a “Camp for the blind” that operated during the summer months to allow the children that are visually or hearing impaired do normal things that other kids their age are doing. During the off months the camp is usually rented out for various functions. The lion clubs also provide Leader Dogs (seeing eye dogs) that help the visually impaired ambulate with out fear. They also provide Reading machines that help the visually impaired “read books” as well. The also offer free eye exams to school age children through free vision test that can help determine if a child needs glasses.

I hope that this little tid bit of info will help all of my sisters and brothers out there better understand what a LION or Lionism is all about. Just like other organizations, the LIONS clubs need younger members to carry on the great work that many of the senior lions have done in the past. Thank you!!!

LION Barbara Marie Davidson 35 Tasi’s Musings, May, 2016 Greetings from Merida

When visiting the Yucatan area you will often see the women and girls dressed in beautiful white, colorfully embroidered “Huipiles” or “hipiles” (pronounced wee -peel). These are traditional Mayan garments that in the pre-Hispanic era were known as “kub”. The word Huipile has evolved from a Nahuatl word to denote a loose fitting top or blouse made from two or three pieces of rectangular shaped fabric which is joined together with ribbons, fabric inserts or simply stitched. There is an opening for the head and arms and they can be simply or elaborately decorated.

Traditional Huipiles are usually made with fabric woven on a backstrap loom and are heavily decorated with designs woven into the fabric, embroidery, ribbons, lace and more. The length of the huipile will vary from a short waist length garment to a tunic that reaches the floor.

The Spanish Conquest brought metal needles to the Yucatan and the nuns that came along with the conquest established schools and taught European style embroidery technique such as the cross stitch called “xocbichuy” which means “to count” in Mayan. Contemporary designs have four basic forms: diamonds, which symbolize the earth and sky as a unity; undulating forms, like snakes, which symbolize the fertile earth; forms with three vertical lines, which symbolize the foundation of the world, the community, and its history; and representational figures, such as toads (the musicians of the rain) and patron saints.

The special occasion dress is called the terno, which means it has three pieces: the jubon is the first piece and it is a flat square piece that is very richly embroidered and trimmed with lace, it is attached to the neck of the second piece which is the actual huipile. The huipile is knee length square dress richly embroidered and has a deep lace hem. The third piece is the fustan which is a long, slip worn under the hipil also embroidered and lace-trimmed. The dress is accessorized with white or embroidered shoes, filigree necklaces of gold and coral, a headdress of ribbons and flowers, and a “rebozo de Santa Maria” or shawl which matches the embroideries.

Huipiles of all sizes and lengths and level of detail are available for purchase all over the Yucatan. A simple back strap woven huipile will cost in the range of $30, whereas a very simple machine embroidered one will be around $15. A beautifully hand embroidered full Terno could cost in the range of $1000 or more depending on the level of quality. 36 In the News

Transgender Bathroom Hysteria, Cont’d. After the withering backlash against North Carolina for passing a discriminatory law against gay and transgender people last month, it would stand to reason that lawmakers and governors in other states would think twice before peddling bills that dictate which restrooms transgender people can use. And yet, state legislators in Tennessee, Kansas, South Carolina and Minnesota are pushing similar absurd measures. The lunacy at the heart of this demand to police every public bathroom was captured by Leon Lott, the sheriff of Richland County in South Carolina, who told state lawmakers last week that the law would be unenforceable because his officers could not be in the business of inspecting people’s genitals. Full story here: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/18/ opinion/transgender-bathroom-hysteria-contd.html?_r=0

Why Conservatives Increasingly Care Where You Pee. There's alarming overlap between states where bathroom access is being debated and those with contested Congressional seats. With trans visibility growing year by year, so too are bathroom bills. Republicans aiming to capture or retain Congressional seats in this year's election are particularly focused on promoting such bills in their home states. These lawmakers, known for campaigning on "values" platforms, are appealing to a deeply conservative base, and they're set to do real damage to the trans community. (It should be noted that Gov. Daugaard didn't veto the South Dakota bill out of concern for transgender rights — he was worried the bill might expose the state to litigation.) More on the story here: http://www.rollingstone.com/ politics/news/why-conservatives-increasingly-care-where-you-pee-20160308#ixzz46mbhHjCs

Then you have this. North Carolina: Woman kicked out of ladies’ bathroom by police after being mistaken for transgender. Linda Hovensky, a 54- year-old resident of Charlotte, was tased multiple times by police officers as she was forced outside of the ladies washroom with her pants down and in front of a large crowd. “I was taking a crap when police officers started yelling at me and telling me to open the door but I wasn’t finished, so they kicked the door open and grabbed me with my pants down and rushed me outside” recalls the victim, visibly traumatized by the latest events. Linda plans on sueing and I hope she gets a very large settlement. Details here: http:// worldnewsdailyreport.com/north-carolina-woman-kicked-out-of-ladies-bathroom-by-police-after-being- mistaken-for-transgender/

Major porn distributor delivers blow to North Carolina's viewing pleasure. t’s been nearly three weeks since North Carolina Republicans decided to turn back the clocks and enshrine bigotry and hate into law with the passage of its license-to-discriminate, anti-LGBT bill, and the state has really been taking a hit. They’ve been sued, their own attorney general has refused to defend the law, they’re losing business, they’re losing jobs, and they even lost The Boss. But now, the shit just got real:

For any North Carolinian turning to the Internet for carnal pleasure, one popular website will prove disappointing.XHamster.com, a porn website that, as of Monday, is one of the world’s 100 most visited websites according to data from Alexa, is refusing to serve anyone using a computer in North Carolina. Since 12:30 p.m. Eastern time Monday, the website has appeared as a black screen for anyone with a 37 North Carolina IP address. If you vote Republican, think about this. RNC Issues Resolution In Support Of Anti-Trans Bathroom Laws. The Republican National Committee has issued a resolution encouraging state legislatures to enact anti-trans bathroom legislation which The Washington Blade has dubbed "papers to pee" laws. They want states to require people to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender at birth. More details here http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/uncucumbered/ rnc_issues_resolution_in_support_of_anti_trans_bathroom_laws

EEOC Commissioner: “Contrary state or local laws provide no defense to an employer that violates Title VII”. Recently in BuzzFeed in the article Feds “Ready” For Transgender Discrimination Complaints In North Carolina, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Commissioner Chai Feldblum was quoted as saying: “I want workers to know that even though there isn’t yet a federal Equality Act protecting them, even though there is not a state law protecting them, and even though city laws have been removed, they can walk into a federal agency called the EEOC. Their claim will be taken, it will be investigated, and they will get help.” The full interview is here http:// www.transadvocate.com/eeoc-commissioner-contrary-state-or-local-laws-provide-no-defense-to-an- employer-that-violates-title-vii_n_15631.htm

New Director of Transgender Relations at Halsted Center. Last fall, the Center on Halsted began a search for a director of transgender relations and community engagement. This position, part of a plan to develop a strategic direction to engage transgender and gender non- conforming ( TGNC ) communities and create structure, was designed to lead and sustain programming. In February, Minneapolis-based author, professional speaker, trainer and corporate consultant Vanessa Sheridan relocated to Chicago in order to fill the role. Read the interview with Vanessa here: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/m/ APPredirect.php?AID=54767

Transgender Advocates Fight Back With First Political Group of Its Kind. Trans United Fund is the first group of its kind, a 501(c)(4) organization comprised of transgender leaders and focused on transgender issues, and not just the obvious ones. It will, of course, fight against “anti-LGBT” laws like those recently passed in North Carolina and Mississippi. But the organization will also be endorsing a presidential candidate and asking every candidate to fill out a questionnaire about their stances on issues that advocates believe underlie transgender Americans’ out- sized rates of homelessness, harassment, unemployment, discrimination and poverty. (Mora says the Clinton and Sanders campaigns have already informally reached out to the group, while Republicans have not. And yes, they emphasize, transgender people. More here http://time.com/4287288/trans- united-transgender-politics-political-group/?xid=newsletter-brief

SHOP TARGET. Transgender shoppers can use restroom that matches their gender identity. Target announced Tuesday that it welcomes all transgender customers and employees to use the store's restrooms and fitting rooms that correspond with their gender identity. The Minneapolis-based company made the announcement while showing support for the federal Equality Act, which provides protections to LGBT individuals and opposes action that enables discrimination. Anti-LGBT groups are boycotting Target so we need to do our bit to support them. http://www.fox9.com/news/126517101-story 38 Books, Movies, Theater, and Television

Transition Radio Industries is a prominent media source for an enlightened community providing an online Talk Show where we interview many guests worldwide and touch upon important topics that affect the human race. Check out our live shows as they happen every Tuesdays at 6:00 pm EST/ 4PM MT. Our Views Have Changed Since The older Real Talk Segments With Anti Trans Views . We are once again pro trans and identify as transgender and now have a kinder approach to transition. Love and Acceptance is all that really matters.Details here http://www.transitionradio.net/home_page.html

Merle Haggard Leaves Estate To Bakersfield LGBT Group. The death of the legendary Merle Haggard has stunned the country music community. Haggard died Apr. 6 at age 79. Haggard is best known for his songs, “Okie from Muskogee” and “Working Man”. He also was part of the outlaw group of Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash.An even bigger shock came shortly after Haggard’s death when his lawyer read his last will and testament. Haggard left his entire estate to Interpride Enterprises, a Bakersfield, CA-based LGBT group that puts on Pride parades around the world. Many thought Haggard to be an ultra social conservative, but Haggard believed in equal rights. Merle was a favorite of mine when you produced the album on “My Love Affair With Trains”. Details here https://www.ncscooper.com/merle-haggard-leaves-estate-to-bakersfield-lgbt-group/

Fashion

Ashley Stewart Chief Executive Officer James Rhee describes his decision to help bring Secaucus-based plus-size women's clothing retailer back from the brink of insolvency as a love story. "I saw something that was not on paper," Rhee said. "I saw women coming into these stores two, three times a week. I saw store managers visiting their customers in hospitals. I saw customers coming in and crying with happiness that they found something that fit really well. I found customers coming in and saying, 'I've got a hot date tonight, who's going to help me?' and I saw other customers helping her for two hours." "I knew this was one of the most authentic and great brands I've ever seen in my investment career," Rhee said. "How can you not fight to keep it?" Read the whole story here http://www.northjersey.com/news/ business/ashley-stewart-s-love-fest-1.1530599 and visit ther store through our affiliate link http:// www.ashleystewart.com/plus-size-dresses?utm_term=7196422&utm_campaign=Sister%20House% 20LLC&scd=aff_cj&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=affiliate&utm_content=250x250%20-% 20Generic%20Banner#sz=60 On Being Trans – Special Section

The woman who was trans before her time. Dianna Boileau was one of the first Canadians to have gender-confirming surgery, in 1970. She caused a sensation, then married and retreated from public life. 39 In 1960s Toronto, gender identity just wasn’t something people talked about. The first major story about a trans person had made international headlines a decade earlier: Christine Jorgensen, a 26-year-old New Yorker, was called a “man turned girl,” offered Hollywood roles and dubiously honoured by a footwear company that created a shoe for “daring tomboys.”

Dianna faced a world that hadn’t come very far since then: “Wearing dress, man remanded in car death,” one headline read. “Woman driver, 32, found to be male.” Read the whole story here: http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2016/03/27/the-woman-who-was-trans -before-her-time.html

Some cross-dressers keep their obsession a closely guarded secret – but not Grayson Perry. One of Brit- ain’s most famous transvestites, Perry is not gay, nor is he transgender. Instead, he admits that the act of dressing as a woman is bound up in his interest in eroticism, fetish sex and sadomasochism. “I wouldn’t want particularly to live full-time as a woman. It’d be such a fag for starters, the amount of preparation every day.” Now an award-winning ceramic artist and television presenter, Perry’s most well-known creation is his transvestite alter-ego Claire. But the 56-year-old said his interest in women’s clothes started in boyhood. He told The Times: “When people say, ‘Aren’t there more sophisticated ways of accessing femininity than putting on a dress?’ I say, ‘I didn’t decide to become a transvestite when I was a sophisticated adult.’ I decided when I was eight, when your unconscious is saying, ‘Femininity, woman, thing in dress.’”

“My greatest sort of potent sex dream was to be a housewife walking down the road; my biggest nightmare was being found out.” Nowadays, sexual identity is a high-profile issue and Perry is renowned for his eccentric and colourful outfits. “I have no special insight into being a woman and I would never claim that. I am just a bloke in a dress.” Read the whole story here http:// www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/23/grayson-perry-my-greatest-sort-of-sex- dream-was-to-be-a-housewif/

7 Transgender Women You Should Know Besides Caitlyn Jenner. Every year on March 31, Transgender Day of Visibility highlights the accomplishments of transgender people. It's a day for transgender people to celebrate their community but also a day for the cisgender — a term for people who are not trans — public to recognize the myriad achievements of the transgender community and begin to see everything they can accomplish given the access and the opportunity. Meet the ladies here: http://mic.com/articles/139317/7-transgender-women-you-should-know-besides-caitlyn- jenner#.xbCLyTwv6 40 A video on Sensual Feminine Movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmYDQD46-L4

Humor

The Cross-Dressing Ken Doll. In July 1990 Carina Guillot and her 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, were visiting relatives in Florida when they wandered into a Toys 'R' Us store and spotted something very unusual. Standing inside a sealed cardboard package among the ranks of Ken dolls dressed in their standard-issue outfits was a Ken decked out in a purple tank top and sporting a lace apron on top of a polka-dotted skirt. Mrs. Guillot immediately thought, "Oh my God, now we have a crossed-dressed Ken." Mattel was at a loss to explain how one of its Ken dolls showed up on a store shelf dressed in a purple tank top, lace apron, and polka-dotted skirt.

Being avid collectors of Ken and Barbie dolls, Carina and Jocelyn Guillot knew that this was no run-of- the-mill Ken. They immediately took the doll up to the front of the store where the employees examined it and confirmed that the packaging and seal were intact. This appeared to be a valid, untampered Mattel product. The Guillots bought the doll and took it home. Within days, news of the cross-dressing Ken had reached the national media. The Ken frenzy reached a peak when a collector offered the Guillots $2,000 for the doll, which was a significant mark-up from the $8.99 they had paid a few days before. Reportedly someone else then bid $4,000. The Guillots turned the offers down.

The speculation finally came to an end when a Toys 'R' Us night clerk, Ron Zero, admitted he had dressed up the Ken doll as a prank and had then carefully resealed the package with white paper glue. "We always did crazy things like that," Zero claimed. "We'd hang dolls in the aisle or put Ken and Barbie in the Barbie house with Barbie spanking Ken." Toys 'R' Us fired Zero four days after he confessed http://hoaxes.org/archive/permalink/the_cross-dressing_ken_doll

So until next month,

Hugs……Tasi 41 Humor

The Wife's Lover

A man returns home a day early from a business trip. It's after midnight. While en route home, he asks the cabby if he would be a witness. The man suspects his wife is having an affair, and he wants to catch her in the act. For $100, the cabby agrees. Quietly arriving home, the husband and cabby tip toe into the bedroom. The husband switches on the lights, yanks the blanket back and there is his wife in bed with another man! The husband puts a gun to the naked man's head. The wife shouts, 'Don't do it! I lied when I told you I inherited money'. HE paid for the Porsche I gave you. HE paid for our new cabin cruiser. HE paid for your Miami Heat season tickets. HE paid for our house at the lake. HE paid for your African safari and 4 x 4. HE paid for our country club membership, and HE even pays the monthly dues!' Shaking his head from side-to-side, the husband lowers the gun. He looks over at the cabby and says, 'What would you do'? The cabby replies, 'I'd cover him with that blanket before he catches a cold.' 42 Angels in the Centerfold

Tammy Trueheart

Lainey Edwards 43

Rachelle Daniels

Mellissa Lynn 44 Mellissalynn’s Tips & Tricks

Holy cow, girls, it’s May! Is that actually possible? The year feels like a sprint; we’re almost halfway through it already! I hope everyone had a great April. I had an amazing one! Sine the last time we talked, I’ve married off a son, gained not only a daughter-in-law but the cutest 3-year-old grandson a girl could ask for, and a daughter who landed herself a job. My 19-year-old daughter is now working for Kroger; she’s loving it and her bosses are loving her. I couldn’t be prouder!

I’m glad she’s working for many reasons, not the least of which is that my spouse’s job was dissolved by the state of Illinois because the state government can’t get their act together on a budget. So we’re now both on unemployment and seeking new jobs. She’s just over 50 and I’m just under; you can imagine how the prospects are. But we’re persevering, and I’m still making money in my salon, which helps. I’m also toying with the idea of opening either a virtual or a brick-and-mortar thrift store with my mother, who could also use some funds.

Baseball! My Cubbies are nothing short of incredible this season, ladies. They have the best record in all of baseball, they’re winning games by incredible margins (16-0, seriously?!), and I’m just loving watching the season unfold. The White Sox are playing some incredible baseball on the South Side as well; they had the most bizarre triple play I’ve ever seen the other day! My Blackhawks are still in the playoff hunt as well; I believe that as I write this, they prepare to play game 7 of their series with the Blues. Alas, my Bulls are dearly departed from the playoffs… I’m sorry, I’m a Chicago sports kind of girl!

So talk to me, girls! Tell me about your baseball favorites (even Cardinals fans will be answered), or tel me how your month has been, or share other news. You’re ALWAYS welcome to share tips and tricks, of course!

Write to me at [email protected]. I ALWAYS answer any and all mail I get, so feel free to tell me about anything you want to chat about, be it a salon visit or transgender news, or whatever you like. I love hearing from you!

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OK, girls, here's a new one on me. The younger girls on Facebook are reporting that they’re using Elmer's Glue as a pore cleanser. They simply smooth it onto their faces and let it dry, then remove it. One girl showed the results, and it did indeed remove blackheads and other goop.

I'm not sure I can recommend this, though. Remember, your face does need some of the oils that your skin produces. If you feel the compulsion to try this, please, PLEASE remember to moisturize 45 afterward! Oh, and as an aside, when you do pull the glue off, do it quickly! Otherwise it will sting...

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Ladies, this month’s tips and tricks column is heavy on eyeliner stuff. I’ve been really working on my own liner game, so I’ve been studying the books and sites to get new ideas. And of course, I must pass all that along to you!

If you want to implement brilliant, funky eyeliner into your daily makeup routine without going too over the top, try this! Add a little color to your waterline. I’ve mentioned before that black and brown aren’t the only colors out there. From purple to pink to blue to bronze, any color will look amazing, and the more vibrant the shade the better! The goal is simply to make your gaze stand out.

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I shared a tip recently about using honey in your makeup routine. Well, here’s a little tidbit of information that I should have added then. Honey doesn’t expire! It never goes bad. So if you’re using it, use it to the last drop.

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This is a pro tip for getting your mascara just right. Before applying, place a business card or index card behind your lashes to cover your lid. Start at the roots when you do this. Swipe mascara all the way to the tip of your lashes. The mascara will only hit the card, not your oh-so-fragile makeup work, so you can really let the wand fly! Your lashes will be full and thick in mere seconds.

A side note: makeup companies are now selling dedicated cards for this purpose, but you can use anything, even an index card to get the same effect.

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As you can all see from my many pictures, I adore the beachy wave look in my hair. I think they create one of the most feminine looks out there. Well, recently I found a new trick to doing my hair that lets me get the look even more quickly and easily.

The look can be a little intricate to achieve, but this trick makes it all so simple. Start by braiding your hair in three or four braids. Get out your flat iron and go over the braids a few times. When you undo the braids, ta-da! You have beautiful beachy, boho waves!

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I recently was rocking some glitter nails that my nail girl (who is amazing, by the way!) and I decided to try. Loved them! They were just gorgeous Wanna know what else they were? An utter nightmare to remove!

I do my nails a certain way: I have a clear shellac base on all the time. When I’m en femme, I paint over the shellac with regular polish. This works so amazingly! The regular polish is removed with non- acetone polish remover (acetone would strip the shellac as well) in about ten seconds per nail. I love it! 46 However…when I went to remove the glitter polish, it didn’t come off nearly as easily. In fact, it was so hard to get off that it took me nearly a half-hour, and then I had to redo my shellac afterward because the glitter literally ripped the shellac off. I was understandably annoyed.

I found a trick recently that would have made this much easier! We’re revisiting our old friend the dryer sheet. You all remember the dryer sheet right; we use that to get rid of fly-aways in our hair! Well, it turns out that when you apply a little polish remover to one and wipe it across the nail, it removes glitter polish rather nicely. The abrasiveness of the sheet makes it more effective than a cotton ball, yet still soft enough to not damage the nail.

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I want to talk about bush for a minute. When you apply your blush, do you just swipe a streak across your cheek and go? I hope not; if you look at someone who’s naturally flushed, the color is in far more than one shade. In fact, the makeup artist I watch these days are doing like three and four different shades!

It’s called the ombre blush effect. Ombre is all the rage in both makeup and hair these days. What is it? Ombre is simply the term for going lighter to darker with color, be that a progression in your hair, your lips, or your cheeks. There are several methods for doing this. I personally like to take a darker blush, usually a cream, and run a thin strip just under my cheekbone. I then take a lighter color and run it across the apples of my cheeks. The contrast seriously makes the cheekbones pop! I’m going to try adding a bit to my technique; an article I read recently says to try putting a light touch of an even lighter blush in the center of the apples. We shall see how that works! . @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

This trick is one I picked up at the convention last January. I was in the ladies’ room, changing my makeup out to go with a different cosplay, and I noticed a young lady dipping a brush into her mascara. As I watched, she used that brush to create an eye liner out of her mascara! I HAD to ask her about that trick. She told me her mother had shown her the idea; her mom had been caught at work with out a liner and suddenly was called to a meeting. Sheer desperation led her to attempt using her mascara this way, and it paid off spectacularly. The results were very nice; it looked just like a waterproof liner!

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This isn’t really a makeup trick per se, but I like it and want to share. Do you have a scent you love to wear and just can’t get enough of it, even in boring boy mode? Well, this is how you can enjoy it all the time! Find yourself a greeting card, or a bookmark, or some sort of card. Pick up a piece of ribbon, preferably something pretty. Poke a hole in the card and run the ribbon through it. Tie the ribbon around your rearview mirror and mist it lightly with your scent. .The paper will hold the smell for some time, and you’ll enjoy it everyday.

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This eye liner trick is for a day out and about with friends. I want you to start by lining your top lid with a colorful liner first. Follow this just below the color with a thin black line. What happens here is, applying the black liner after the color helps you control the thickness of that dark accent. Also, if your 47 hands shake a little bit, applying the color first will minimize the risk of smudging the black liner. These crispy lines really create dimension and totally make your eyes pop!

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I’m loving how much weight I’ve been losing! Between the actual weight loss and the corset I bought a couple of months ago, I have, for the first time since I was in my 20s, an hourglass figure! The corset does some stuff for my girls too, which is always good.

One olf the big changes I’ve made is that I’m not drinking anything but water after around eight to nine pm. My only snack after that time is unbuttered, unsalted popcorn. The popcorn fills my desire to snack, but since it isn’t processed in the body and basically just passes through, has no lasting effect, aside from the occasional husk getting caught in my teeth.

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I recently saw a younger girl wearing what I thought was a neat shadow look on her eyes. This may not appeal to older readers, but for some of you more adventurous girls, this might be an easy and fun look to try. We’re going to make polka dots!

Start by applying a primer to your eyelids; you can get these very inexpensively and of decent quality at the drugstore or even the dollar store. Follow that with a layer of white shadow. This will, when you put the color on, cause the pigments to pop even more.

When I saw the look, I thought that it would be easier to achieve by doing your liner first, so that’s what I’m going to recommend. Use a well-sharpened black pencil, or a liquid if you’re comfortable doing so and line tightly right at the lash line on top. You’ll need a black pencil in a moment.

Next, take a gray shadow and fill in your crease, tighter at the inside and widening as you work outward. Grab the pencil I mentioned and draw polka dots on the lid, under the crease. Don’t go above it with the dots! Press on your lids gently but firmly, and turn the tip so that the dots really show. After you’ve done both eyes, apply mascara as usual after curling your lashes.

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We all know that as women age, the brows get thinner, right? Sadly, it's true. And thinner brows are often a sign of aging, whether we want them to be or not. Well, not being ciswomen, we have a different issue; our brows never stop growing and, without some care, we end up looking like Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies. Not a good look!

What's to be done? Well, your stylist or barber can take care of some of the problem just by trimming your brows with a pair of clippers over a comb (using the comb as a guard). Just neatening the brows up will do wonders! 48 These days, though, neatened up just isn't enough. As a woman, your brows have to be on point, looking sharp! That generally involves waxing, or plucking or threading. It will also involve some makeup work, which is where this tip comes in.

Before I start, let me say that there are many men who get their brows trimmed and waxed these days. There's not really a social stigma to it any longer. Having said that, most stylists will (unless requested) will not really give a man's brows any arch like a woman has. Makeup to the rescue!

The drawn-on brow look is again popular, which makes this much easier. I'm not going to go into detail on specific techniques here; the column isn't that long! I will say that there are plenty of videos on You- tube discussing this. Check them out, and let me know what you find. I'm always open to seeing pictures as well!

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So there you have it, May’s tips and tricks and my first column of my ninth year writing them. I hope you all picked something up of interest in these pages. Play with my tips and tricks! Try them out, and show us your results. As with any skill, you only get better with practice. This is why teenage girls play with makeup so much.

Next month is June, and the official beginning of summer! It’s time for barbecues and swimming and lazy days in the sun. Remember that the big ball of fire in the sky is NOT your skin’s friend! Please remember to hydrate your self and keep the sunscreen on your body. The skin is your largest organ, so treat it well!

With the change in seasons, it a good time to check your makeup out and see if you have anything that should go away. I have a chart that I’m sending Barbara to post as a separate item from the tips and tricks that will detail the numbers for you. Keeping mind that expired makeup can damage you! I have items I was attached to as well, and nearly cried as I chucked them, but you have to treat yourself right.

If you want to tell me about your summertime plans, or about your swimsuit picks, or discuss your beach ideas, or share pictures or tips or tricks, feel free to write me! Sending me mail is the easiest thing in the world to do, ladies, and I love hearing from you all. You can send it to my e-mail at [email protected]; as you know, my inbox is always open! You can also hit me up on Facebook; my name there is Mellissa Lynn.

Enjoy a wonderful and fun-filled June, girls! I’ll talk to you all again next month, when I start my ninth year of being your makeup tips and tricks girl. Until then, be safe and be beautiful! 49 Makeup Expiration Recommendations By Mellissalynn

Every woman I know has a pile of makeup in her drawer that she sometimes uses. What does that mean, sometimes uses? It means she never uses it, but keeps just in case. Guilty!

Here's the thing. Beauty products have a shelf life. The chances are good that the blue eyeshadow with the glittery bits that you purchased a couple years ago has long since expired. Here's a quick guide to the shelf lives of typical beauty products.

Oh, and just one quick little caveat: please keep in mind that these are estimates. No matter what I or anyone else tells you, it's unlikely you'll go blind from using 2-year-old mascara. Still, it's better to be safe than sorry!

The list:

Concealer: Up to 12 months

Powder: 2 years.

Cream & gel cleansers: 1 year

Pencil eye liner: Should be sharpened regularly. Will last up to 3 years, with proper care

Eyeshadow: Up to 3 years.

Brushes: Wash every 2-3 months, or as needed, in a mild detergent. Dish soap or baby shampoo work well for this.

Sponges: Um. Some say that you can wash them weekly and get a month out of them. My philosophy here is, they are sold in a 32-pack for a buck at the dollar stare. Chuck them and save yourself time and effort.

Foundation: This is dependent on the ingredients: Water-based foundation will last up to 12 months; oil- based will last up to 18 months. You may find you need two different shades of foundation each year, one for summer when your skin is naturally darker and one for winter when you're lighter.

Lip liner: Should be sharpened regularly. It will last up to 3 years, with proper care. 50 Lipstick: Some experts will tell you 1-2 years; others will say up to 4 years. What everyone agrees on is that if it smells rancid, throw it out, it's spoiled. If you see moisture beaded on the lipstick, part with it. Extra tip: If you store lipstick in the refrigerator, it will last longer.

Mascara: This product expires the fastest; I recommend 3 months of shelf life if you use it regularly. Extra tip: If you don't want your mascara to expire faster than its fresh date, don't pump the wand in and out. You're only exposing the product to drying air and bacteria.

Nail Polish: Yes, nail polish can go bad. I recommend up to 1 year, depending on the quality and how much you use it. And remember, don't add acetone to your polish to make it go longer! All you're doing is breaking it down, not making it last. 51 How to Dress a Large Bust

Diane Pemberton Sikes What’s the easiest way to dress a large bust, so it stops becoming the focal point of everyoutfit?

I mean it’s one thing when you want “the girls” to take center stage, but it can be frustrating when you don’t. If you’ve ever had a conversation with a man who stared at your chest instead of your face the entire time, you know exactly what I’m talking about. So how do you shift the focus?

With a little sleight of hand.

Start with: The Right Size Bra

Your bustline should hit midway between your shoulders and elbows. Your bra should encase all of your breast tissue, with nothing overflowing above, below, or sideways. The bandshould laysmooth against your ribs and back with no unsightlybulges. The shoulderstraps should stayin place withoutslipping off your shoulders or requiring constant readjustment.

If that doesn’tsound like your bra, it’s time for a new one. You can get fitted at Victoria’s Secret or anynumber of upscale lingerie boutiques or departmentstores. Just call ahead tosee if they have a bra fitter and make an appointment if necessary.

Need an extra-large cup size, like G, H, or N? Check out online specialty retailers like: BiggerBras.com Chantelle.com HerRoom.com JustMySize.com WacoalBras.com WizardofBras.com Yes, you may pay a little more, but the comfort, fit, and confidence that goes with it is well worth themoney. Once you have a properly fitting bra, opt for:

Dark Colored Tops

Light colors make things look bigger. Dark colors make things look smaller. So if you want to make your bust look smaller, try dark colored tops, like black, brown, navy, burgundy, and forest green. 52

A Diagonal Line

A diagonal line across the chest minimizes the bust and makes the waist look smaller. Diane von Furstenberg built her empire on a diagonal line – the wrap dress – because it’s flattering to so many figures. Try it and see for yourself. Modest U-Shaped Neckline

A modest U-shaped neckline will visually elongate you neck and put the emphasis on your face so long as you don’tshow any cleavage. Add a beautiful necklace or to-die-for earrings and the focus will be strictly from the neck up.

Wide Straps

If you like to wear tops with straps, keep them an inch orso wide instead of spaghetti-skinny. Not onlywill a wide strap hide your brastraps, it will also offer visual balance to you bustline. Spaghetti straps won’t – they’re too small to support the load and just make your breasts look bigger.

So what should you avoid?

Tops With Bustline Details

Large prints, breast pockets, ruffles at the bustline – they all call attention to your breasts andmake them look bigger. Avoid when possible.

Turtlenecks

When you cover up your neck, attention goes to your bust because it’s the onlything protruding on your torso. Don’t want that kind of attention? Don’t wear turtlenecks. 53 Deep V-Necks

Adeep v-neck draws eyes to thespot between your breasts – and will often keep them there until you walk away. Avoid them in business situations if you want to be takenseriously.

Button Shirts With No Darts

Ashapeless buttonshirt will hang off your breasts, hide your waist, and visuallyadd pounds. If you have a nice figure, try button shirts with darts instead.

Matronly, No Shape Styles

Shapeless tops and dresses that fit your bust and hide the rest of you willmake you look heavier than you are. They’ll alsomake you look matronly, as in old and out of shape. If you’re not or don’t want to look like it, don’t wear these unflattering styles.

Your goal is to visuallyminimize your bustline and balance the rest of your figure. If you have a small waist, don’t hide it beneath a shapeless top – show itoff.Have a bitofa tummyin addition to a big bust? Optfor vertical lines to draw the eye up and down. Don’t focus your energyon just hiding what you don’t like; focus on camouflaging the trouble spots while calling attention to the things you like.

So what’s the bottom line?

Having large breasts shouldn’t deter you from dressing well or professionally. If you start with a good bra and follow the guidelines suggested here, you shouldn’t have anyproblems.

Diana Pemberton-Sikes is an image consultant and author of Wardrobe Magic. Readyto find the clothingstyles that suit you best and build a wardrobe of your best looks? Wardrobe Magic can show you how.

Be Sociable, Share! 54 Pantyhose coming back in style? Ariana Grande, Duchess Kate wear the trend

Rheana Murray

They say fashion trends are cyclical, and it just might be time for pantyhose to return to our wardrobes.

In recent months, style experts and news outlets alike have been proclaiming pantyhose as a style trend to watch for 2016, citing polished celebrities like Duchess Kate, who's often spotted with nude-nylon-covered legs.

Fashion experts told TODAY they, too, have A close-up look at the nude hose Ariana Grande wore to noticed the old-turned-new trend. the Grammy Awards in January 2014. Celebrity stylist Ali Levine pointed to New York Fashion Week last fall to explain how it all gotstarted.

"We started seeing the models wearing [hose] and I think people wondered, is this something that will circulate?" she said. "I think that's where everyone first saw it."

She also named the duchess as a trend-starter: "She started wearing them all the time, and everyone just loves her. I think a lot of people follow herstyle."

Hose differ from tights in that they're thin and sheer — you can tell the difference because if you look closely, you'll still be able to see the wearer's legs through the hose. So why where them at all? The extra layer serves to disguise blemishes and varicose veins, and make legs appear smoother and, depending on what shade you choose, perhaps tanner.

Speaking of shades, there are lots. While your grandma probably only had a few colors to choose from, there are now dozens of options, so it's easier to match your skin tone.

"They're no longer those crazy, constricting, old-school stockings," Levine said. "They have so many colors! It's almost

DuchessKate haslong been a fan of wearing nude pantyhose to cover up her legs. 55 like putting concealer on your legs because there are so many choices, it's like being in the makeup aisle." But you don't have to be a duchess — or even a corporate employee, for that matter — to wear pantyhose.

Flashier stars like Miley Cyrus, Beyonce and Ariana Grande are also fans of flesh-toned hose, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer fashion columnist Elizabeth Wellington, who opined that pantyhose might be just the thing to provide the "finishing touch to our tailored, midi-skirt looks this year." And Fortune, in another report about the trend, mentioned that while sales of pantyhose are slightlydown, they're still a big Ariana Grande (left) and Selena Gomez (right) market: There was $482 million in sales of show off darker-hued hose. sheer hosiery in the one-year period ending in May 2015, according to the NPD Group, which includes an increase in sales to millennials.

It's clear not everyone is ready for the return of hose. Stylist Laurie Brucker thinks many women still find the look too "antiquated." Unless you're trying to make a fashion statement, "everydaywomen might feel it reminds them of the '80s and instead stick to fashion tights," she said.

The Sheath Dress: Timeless, Versatile, and Stylish

Tasi Zuriack | What do these fashion icons (Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Christina Hendricks, Kate Middleton), both current and ageless, have in common. They all know how to wear the sheath dress to express their personality.

Andwhy? Because the sheath dress is the perfect base for working a variety of dif- ferent looks. Whether it’s for work or play, a sheath dress can be dressed up or down and still look all sorts of stylish. Part of their beauty is that they require little thought in the morning when you’re rushing out the doorto work, but can then be spiced up ordown for a casual weekend or for a Girls Nite Out. So if you’re looking to spice up your sheath dress game, stay tuned…. 56

What To Look For

Style: Sleeveless dress with classic neckline, fitted waist, tapered skirt shape and back vent. If you work in a professional environment, a con- cealed zipper is best and length should hit no higher than 2” above the knees. A lightly-textured neutral fabric makes for a great starter piece, and there’s so many fun colors to expand into.

Fit: Should be close to the body throughout but not tight, nipping in at your natural waist. For a staple piece that can be worn for years to come, consider spending a little more for good quality and any alterations needed for a perfect fit.

Tips for Wearing a Sheath Dress

It’s All in the Accessories: When it comes to styling a plain sheath dress, it’s all in the ac- cessories. Keep things corporate with simple accessories, classic pumps, a ladylike handbag, and maybe even a silk scarf. For a night out on the town try teaming your sheath dress with statement jewels, a compact clutch, and strappy stiletto heels. Headed to a picnic? Choose a sheath dress in a summery color and pair with some flat sandals, a floppy hat, and straw tote.

Layer Up or Under: Adding a few extra layers can totally transform the look of a sheath dress. A sleeveless sheath dress looks great in the summer time, but it can also be a great transitional piece for fall. Things like throwing on a cardigan or jacket over the top are pretty common tips, but you could also try wearing a collared shirt or turtleneck under- neath for something a bit different

Change the Silhouette: The sheath dress has a simple column-like design. You can, however, change things up a bit with the addition of something as simple as a skinny waist belt or a shapely jacket. If your sheath dress is looking a bit too straight up and down, wearing things that cinch in at the waist can help accentuate your figure.

Use a Flattering Fabric: When looking at how to wear sheath dress styles, take note of the fabric. Clingy fabrics will highlight your curves and thicker fabrics can look a bit boxy. Mid- weight fabrics are a safe bet as they still hold structure while allowing for some give.

Pick a Print: For tips on how to wear sheath dress styles, accessories can play a big role. But what if you want your dress to do all the talking? Never fear because right now the fashion world is having a love affair with all things printed. Choose a sheath dress in a bold botanic or geometric print for a fun twist on this classic style.

My inspiration for this article came from the Classy Cubicle three part series on a white sheath dress. Why? Because a white sheath dress is an amazing canvas for changing your work look from brightly colored blazers or even bold jewelry to a casual look with gingham shirt and white patent leather Birkenstocks. 57 Evgeniya, our Sister House fashion designer, has put together three distinctly different looks using a white sheath dress which you can use for work, for casual play or for a Girls Nite Out. Hopefully, we have illustrated how wide-ranging your options are in styling this great basic dress.

The Casual Look Dressing for Work

Like the look. Click on the link to Sister House where details are available in our interactive Lookbook. Be sure and send Evgeniya a note at evgeniya@sisterhouse,net if you like the look and want more.

Hugs….Tasi

Girls Nite Out 58 5 Male to Female Hair Removal Mistakes to Avoid By Lucille Sorella 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 .

There’s nothing like silky smooth skin to make a girl feel extra feminine!

Hair removal is an essential part of your feminine image. But let’s face it – when you’re dealing with lots of facial and/or body hair, it’s easy to go wrong.

The secret to a smooth, hair-free chest, soft feminine face, and silky smooth legs lies in avoiding some common mistakes.

Here are 5 male to female hair removal mistakes to avoid – and what to do instead!

Mistake #1: You didn’t exfoliate

All methods of hair removal can cause ingrown hairs, particularly in the beard, chest, and pubic area. You can reduce ingrown hairs by exfoliating your skin 2-3 times per week. Exfoliation helps get rid of dead skin cells that trap the hair.

To exfoliate, gently massage your skin with a washcloth, loofah, or exfoliating scrub. (My favorite exfoliation tool is The Body Shop’s exfoliating body polisher.)

It’s best to exfoliate before you remove hair instead of after you do it. Exfoliating too soon after hair removal can irritate your skin. 59 Mistake #2: You forgot to moisturize

Dry skin is another cause of ingrown hairs, so it’s important to keep your skin hydrated. (Besides, you want the added benefit of soft, glowing skin, right?)

A great moisturizer to use immediately after hair removal is pure aloe vera gel. Aloe vera is a natural moisturizer and skin soother. Perfumed lotions can irritate freshly shaved, waxed, or lasered skin, so avoid them for the first 24 hours after hair removal.

Mistake #3: You didn’t treat ingrown hairs

Exfoliating and moisturizing help prevent future ingrown hairs – but what should you do about existing bumps?

Avoid the temptation to shave over ingrown hairs or dig for them with a needle. These tactics can lead to infections and scarring. Instead, try an ingrown hair treatment such as Tend Skin, PFB Vanish, or Kalo Ingrown Hair Treatment.

Mistake #4: Your DIY was a DON’T

Professional waxing, electrolysis, and laser hair removal treatments are expensive, so it’s tempting to try them on your own. But be careful…

Newbie waxing mistakes – like waxing over the same area twice, pulling the hairs in different directions, or pulling too hard – can lead to rashes, bruises, and torn skin. Not a sexy look!

If you insist on doing it yourself, pay for some professional waxing treatments first so you can observe the proper techniques.

Home laser and electrolysis kits aren’t as effective as professional systems. Al- though girls have been reporting success with the No!No! Hair Removal System, the risk with these products is that they’re expensive and don’t always deliver results. Be sure to read reviews and do your research. 60 Mistake #5: You got what you paid for

I’m all for beauty bargains, but don’t let price be your sole criteria when choosing a place for hair removal treatments.

A cheap price tag often means a wax job with a bunch of stray hairs left behind or a patchy laser treatment. At worst, you could end up with burns or scars.

Check the qualifications of the person treating you and read the reviews on any place you are considering. Yelp is your friend!

Also, keep in mind that upscale places tend to put more emphasis on comfortable treatments. If you’re a waxing or laser wimp like me, it’s worth spending a bit more for a less painful experience.

Friday Charm School - How to Walk Like a Lady

Last year, I did a week-longseries of posts on how to move like a lady. The posts were so popular that I promised you more.Here itis,a year later,and I've yetto getback to it. Starting today, I will be posting a lesson each Friday in a series that will probably last several months. These lessons, adapted from a 1962 book, were learned by our mothers and grandmothers as a regular part of growing up, but since the 1970s, theyhave been lost. MayI present "FridayCharm School".

The way you move, stand,sit, use your hands or place your feet silentlycommunicates to the world. Awoman should express her beautynot onlywith her physical features, but in the wayshemoves with poise and grace. 61 Poise is not accidental. It is learned. Once you learn how to move with ease, you'll project an inner confidence and elegance that will result in your standing out from the crowd.

Let's start with your posture. Posture is the magic key to a more graceful you. Good posture can make you look regal while wearing a potato sack. Bad posture can make you look frumpy in ermine and velvet.

Grab your camera and have a friend take a photo of you from the side in your normal stance. How does your posture measure up? Check the following:

- Head erect with chin parallel to the floor. You should feel as if astring extends from the top of your head to the ceiling and is pulling the top of your head up.

- Shoulders back and dropped into a relaxed position. - Chest high. - Stretch long through the waist withstomach in. Don't let your weight settle down on your hips. - Tuck buttocks under by tipping the pelvis slightly forward and up. - Knees relaxed, not locked. - Elbows slightly bent, palms turned in.

How does your picture compare to the one above? Good posture may feel awkward at first, but with practice it will become relaxed and natural. Become acutely aware of how you are standing and learn to remember a proper stance until it becomes second nature.

Now you're ready to learn how to walk like a lady.

Abeautiful walk is thesign of a graceful, poised woman. Start in your good posture stance and follow these steps:

- Lift your thigh slightly. Don't lead with your shoulders. - For a feminine walk, the space between your steps should be about the length of your foot. Too long a stride is masculine, too short is mincing. - On each step your heel should touch the floor first, then quickly shift the weight forward to the entire foot as you take the next step. Keep your feet close to the ground when you lift them. - Arms should hang relaxed at your sides with palms toward the thighs as theyswing forward to the front of your body. Shoulders should be relaxed and elbows close to your sides. 62 - Keep your toes pointed straight ahead and place your feet directly to the side of an imaginary line running down the center.

Clothes, make-up, jewelry...nothing makes an ordinary woman as beautiful as a proud carriage and a graceful presence. Practice your standing and walking in front of a mirror until your mus- cles learn the correct way to move.

Here are some examples of common walking and posture faults you should avoid. Are you moving like this?

1. The Sway Back - The tummy is thrust forward and the derriere back. The result makes the walker appear back heavy. She waddles and looks shorter, stockier, and awkward.

2. The Off-Balance - She carries too much weight on one side and rolls like a boat in a storm.

3. The Ungainly Stride - She galumphs with largesteps, her torso and head behind. 4. The Bird - She walks with an out-thrust neck, sometimes looking down. She looks off balance. 5. The Bouncer - She rises on her toes and drops down on her heels. She moves forward with a rising and falling action, like a bunnyhopping down the street.

Try noticing your posture and how you walk to day. Do you walk like a lady? 63 From The Kitchen

Creamy Ham and Fettuccine

Quick-cooking refrigerated pasta helps get creamy fettuccine on y our dinner table super fast. · Prep Time20 MIN · Total Time20 MIN · Servings4

Ingredients Directions

1 package (9 oz) refrigerated fettuccine 1 Cook and drain fettuccine as directed on 1 tablespoon vegetable oil package. 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 2 In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium- 2 medium green onions, sliced high heat. Add garlic and onions; cook 1 (2 tablespoons) minute. Addhamand peas;cook 1 to2 6 oz thinly sliced cooked ham, cut into minutes, stirring frequently, until hot. 1/4-inch strips 3 Reduceheat to low. Stir in y ogurt, dressing 1 cup Green Giant™ Steamers™ frozen and milk. Add fettuccine; cook 2 to3 sweet peas minutes, stirring constantly, until hot. 1/3 cup plain low-fat y ogurt Expert Tips ¼ cup ranch dressing 2 tablespoons milk Refrigerated fresh pastas are convenient time -savers because they cook in just minutes. But you can also use 9 ounces of dried fet- tuccine; cook as directed on the package. Substitute your favorite frozen vegetable for the peas. To serve pasta hot, pour hot water into the serving bowl a few minutes before pasta is done. Just before draining the pasta, pour out the water and wipe the bowl dry. 64 Texas BBQ Braised Beef Brisket

Ingredients mustard, bacon, garlic, chiles, bay leaves, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt, and black pepper to taste in Rub: a large disposable aluminum pan. Put brisket in the 1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika sauce. 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus addi- Throwa handful of drained wood chipson the hot tional for seasoning coals, put the pan over the cooler side of the grill, and 1 tablespoon light brown sugar cover so the vent holes are directly over the brisket. 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper Baste meat every 30 minutes, turning occasionally and 1 (5 to 6-pound) piece beef brisket, preferably point adding water to the pan asnecessary to keep meat cut, fat trimmed partially submerged, until the meat is tender and an 6 cups wood chips, preferably hickory or mesquite instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 200 degrees F, about 3 3/4 hours. Replenish Braising Sauce: the charcoal as needed to maintain a medium to 1 (28-ounce) can tomato puree medium-low fire. 12 ounceslager oramberbeer 2 ribs celery, minced Transfer the brisket to a cutting board, tent with foil, 1 medium onion, minced and let rest for20 minutes. Skim the fat from the 3/4 cup cider vinegar braising sauce and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup cider 1/2 cup brown sugar vinegar and salt to taste. Reheat if necessary. Thinly 1/4 cup yellow mustard slice brisket across the grain and arrange on a serving 5 thick slices bacon, coarsely chopped (about 6 platter. Spoon some sauce over the meat and pass ounces) the rest at the table. 10 cloves garlic, minced 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced Know-How: There are lots of wood chips to choose 3 ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped from. We like the stronger, traditional flavor that 2 bay leaves hickory ormesquite gives to this dish. Fruit woods 2 tablespoons chili powder such as apple and cherry are delicious with milder 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning meats, such as pork, poultry, or fish. Chips also come Freshly ground black pepper in different sizes-either chunks or bits. The chunks 4 cups water don't require soaking and produce a big blast of fast- burning smoke. The bits, which do require soaking, Directions produce smoldering smoke.

For the rub: Mix the paprika, 1 tablespoon each of salt From Food Network Kitchens Get Grilling, Meredith, and black pepper, the brown sugar, and the cayenne. 2005 Rub spice mixture all over brisket, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight.

Soakthe wood chipsin water for at least 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare an outdoor grill with a medium to medium-low fire for indirect grilling.

For the sauce: Mix the tomato puree, beer, celery, onion, 1/2 cup of the vinegar, the brown sugar, 65 Chicken-Bacon- Ranch Pasta Bake

Loaded with bacon and ranch seasoning, this creamy chicken-noodle casserole will be a new family fav orite! Recipe by Cindy Ensley

Ingredients Directions

12 oz uncooked egg noodles 1 Heat oven to375°F. Lightly grease 13x9- 2 teaspoons oil inch (3-quart) baking dish. ½ cup diced onion 1 ½ cups Progresso™ chicken stock (from 2 Cook noodles in salted water as directed on 32-oz carton) package for minimum cook time. Drain; place 3 oz cream cheese, softened noodles in large bowl. 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ranch dressing and seasoning mix (from 1 -oz 3 Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, heat oil until package) hot. Cook onion in oil until soft and translu- 2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken cent. Season lightly with salt. Add chicken 5 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crum- stock; heat to simmering. Stir in cream bled cheese until meltedand combined. Stir in 2 1 ½ cups frozen sweet peas tablespoons of the ranch dressing mix. Pour 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted mixture over noodles. Fold in chicken, bacon 1 cup Progresso™ panko crispy bread and frozen peas. Spread in baking dish. crumbs 4 In small bowl, mix melted butter, bread crumbs and remaining 1 teaspoon ranch dressing mix until well coated. Spread over noodle mixture.

5 Bakeabout 20 minutes oruntil topis crisp and sauce is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 66 4 Genius ways to soften butter in a hurry (that don't involve a microwave)

by Heather Barnett

The fastest ways to soften but- ter when you forget to take it out of the fridge We'd all love to be that person who always remembers the butter has to be room temperature… who takes it out well before theyeven think about starting to cook or bake. We'd all also like to be as wealthyas Oprah Winfrey, but that's probablynot going to happen anytime soon either. Sure, natural softening is best, but if you forget to take it out of the fridge, you're not stuck if you know one of these four handytips.

The key? Don't use the microwave. Or the stovetop. Doing so can cause it to melt or soften unevenly, which can cause unexpected results in many recipes. But there are several options to soften the butter more naturally.

1. Cube the butter The minute you realize you've forgotten to soften the butter, pull it out, and cut it into small cubes. Place the cubes in asingle layer on a dish, andset it aside to soften while you measure and prepare the rest of the ingredients. It should be readyin about 20 minutes.

It works because cutting the butter exposes parts of the butter that would otherwise be protected from the room temperature air, increasing the exposed surface area, which means it absorbs the heat in the room faster.

This is exactlythe same thing as taking the entirestick or a portion of thestick out of the fridge andsetting it on the counter; it just goes faster. You lose verylittle butter on your knife and hands, so the measured amount is essentially the same.

2. Grate the butter Grating the butter follows the same principle as cubing the butter but creates even more surface area. Additionally there will be increased friction from the grating process, and since 67 you'll have to touch the butter, heat will transfer from your hands. I don't recommend using a food processor for the grate unless you're refreezing it for an application that takes extra-cold butter, like pie crust or biscuits, as the food processor will generate even more friction, which probably won't actually melt it but will make it very tough to handle and scrape off and out of all the parts.

Just use a box or handheld grater with large holes, and grate it just like you would cheese. But do so quickly, as the heat from your hands will cause it to get messyfast. The upside to this method is that is softens even faster than cubing — it maybe soft as soon as you're done, but if not, check again in about five minutes. The downside is that it's muchmessier and you risk using more butter, which will melt to your hands and stick to the grater. In most applications, butter loss is stillminimal and not likelyto causemuch of a problem, but you can always remeasure it if you need to.

3. Flatten the butter Again, here you're increasing the surface area, with the added bonus of a little extra friction. The upside is that it's less messy than the grater (or really, even the knife). The downside is that some people find it a bit awkward, especiallyif your fridge makes your butter a bit stiffer (it can tend to slide around a bit instead of flatten at first). Another downside is that it relies on waxed paper, which is something you can run out of (whereas once you buy a knife or grater, you always have it barring it breaking). But it does work really well.

Just place the butter between two pieces of waxed paper, gently smash it with a rolling pin (just to take some of the height off), and then roll it out like pie crust dough until it's about a 1/4 inch thick.In a pinch,you can use a zip-top bag as long as it's big enough to roll outthe dough, though it's a little tougher to get out of the bag. But don't ever use plastic wrap or foil, which will get mangled orstick to the butter or your rolling pin.

When it's the right thickness, peel away the waxed paper, turn it out onto a plate, and let it rest for up to three minutes.

4. Gently heat the butter This is probablymyfavorite method for serving butter as a condiment at dinner because it leaves your butter intact so you can cut it into nice pats to top mashed potatoes or corn on the cob or to slather on your favorite homemade bread.

Instead of using higher heatmethods like thestovetop, microwave or a double boiler, which have a high risk for melting (which is not ideal for serving it at dinner), it uses a much gentler 68 heat.

Cut the butter into a piece small enough to fit under a glass. The larger a piece of butter you need, the larger a glass you need. It needs to be glass or ceramic, not plastic, which doesn't retain heat as well.

Set the butter on a plate orsaucer next to the sink. Grab a paper towel too; you'll need that shortly. Fill a glass with hot water, and let it sit for a few minutes until the heat of the water begins to transfer to the glass. The glass will feel warm on the outside. Then just dump out the water, give it a quick wipe with a paper towel, and immediatelycover the butter with it. In one to two minutes, the butter will besoftened andstill be presentable for the dinner table. A Complete Guide to Buying, Wrapping, and Eating Cheese

BY DAVID TAMARKIN

The main thing to keep in mind: cheese lives!

I’v e probably walked by that package of cheese papers, sitting near the cash register at my cheese shop, 217 times. But each time, I looked away. Buy a special set of paper specifically for my cheese? What could it possibly do that plastic wrapcan’t?

But the other night, as Ipeeledaway a few layers of plastic wrap touncover a hardened, dusty piece of cheese inside, a thought hauntedme:The papers. Ishouldhave bought them.

Instead of buying a pack, I called Jordan Edwards, a cheesemonger at Chicago’s best cheese shop, Pastoral. Igot tothe point right away: DoIreally needtobuy special paper towrapmy cheese in?

Luckily, Jordan had a few tips for keeping my cheese alive in the future.

BUY CHEESE IN SMALL QUANTITIES

Cheeseages best when it’s part of a big, airtight wheel. Theminutea wedge of cheese iscut from the wheel, it’s exposed to oxygen, and from that moment on, the cheese is losing moisture—especially in your fridge. “Cheese likeshumidity,andyour fridge sort of dries things out,” Jordan say s. For that reason, “y ou shouldn’t be buying cheese that y ou can’t get through in week.”

WRAP IT RIGHT

About those cheese papers: Jordan is a big fan. He’s much less enthusiastic about plastic wrap and plastic bags. “The problem with plastic is that cheese is in a constant state of change. There’s evaporation happening, and plastic wrap doesn’t let humidity out. So the cheese sort of sits in water.” Cheese papers, on the other hand, “keep the moisture y ou want 69 there, while keeping the moisture y ou don’t want out.” The papers are expensive—15 sheets for $9—andifyou don’t want to buy them, you can recreatethe effect by wrapping your cheese in wax paper first, and following that with a layer of plastic wrap. Barring that, Jordan conceded that “a Tupperware container would be better than a plastic bag,” because the cheese would have more room to breathe.

GIVE YOUR CHEESE A SHAVE

I continued to push Jordan on the plastic issue. What about all those wedges of cheese at the grocery store that are vacuum-packed in plastic? “The cheese is sort of suffocating in that plastic,” Jordan said. Not tomention the fact that it’s imparting a plastic flav or to the cheese. To save it, Jordan say s, get it out of that plastic and, with a long non-serrated knife, very gently scrape the surface of the cheese, removing the outer layer. “Scrape not even a millimeter,” Jordan says. “Just scrape a little, taste it, and if it still tastes like plastic, keep scraping.”

EAT IT AT ROOMTEMP

While we were on the subject, Jordan threw in a final pointer: “Room temperature cheese tastes better,” he says. “As a society I feel we’re fairly squeamish about refrigeration. Cheese is sturdy stuff. It’s been made since 11 BC. There was no refrigeration in Ancient Greece, so I think we’re okay with cheese being on the counter for a couple hours.” Just, you know, take it out of the plastic first. 70 71 72 73 74 75 The Gossip Fence Transgender In The News

HB2 goes well beyond bathrooms

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Itis being called the most anti-LGBT law in the country, however, the General Assembly’s bill to overturn Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance could impact more than what bathrooms you use. The General Assembly passed HB2 in a special session called Wednesday. Republican lawmakers who championed the bill said concernsovermen using women’s bathrooms was the motivation behind their swift legislative action. However, the bill goes well beyond that. It preventslocal governments from passing their own non-discrimination laws.

This potentially overturns 17 local anti-discrimination laws in cities and towns across the state. HB2 alsomandates students in schools across the state use bathrooms that correspond with their biological gender. Also included, a provision blocking cities and towns from raising minimum wage higher than the state’sminimum wage.

The original Charlotte ordinance expanded on the city’sexisting non-discrimination law, adding marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity as protected classes. Those protectionsare now gone.

Senator Jeff Jackson, (D-Mecklenburg) says HB2 makes pretty much every anti-discrimination law in the state meaningless. “They repealed every single anti-discrimination ordinance in the state,” he asserted.

HB2 doeslist race, gender, color and disability as protected classes from discrimination; Sen. Jackson says the law takes awayany recourse one might seek if they feel they’ve been discriminated against. “There isno longer any penalty for any business that refuses to serve you because you are African American or refuses to serve you because you are a woman,” said Sen. Jackson.

North Carolina may risk losing billions in aid with LGBT law The Obama administration is considering whether North Carolina’s new law on gay and transgender rightsmakes the state ineligible for billions of dollars in federal aid for schools, highwaysand housing, officials said Friday.

Cutting off any federal money – or even simply threatening to do so – would putmajor new pressure on North Carolina to repeal the law, which eliminated local protections for gay and transgender people and restricted which bathrooms transgender people can use. A loss of federal money could send the state into a budget crisis and jeopardize services that are central to daily life.

Although experts said such a drastic step was unlikely, at least immediately, the administration’s reviewputs North Carolina on notice that the new law could have financial consequences. Gov. Pat McCrory had assured residents that the law would not jeopardize federal money for education.

“It would be a long process of negotiation,” said Jane Wettach, an education law specialist at the Duke University School of Law in Durham. “I think the federal government would be loath to do it and would give North Carolina every possibility, every chance to change their position, to change the law, to negotiate, to make some exceptions. I think they’d go backand forth for a while and try to come to a negotiated settlement.”

McCrory,a Republican who is seeking re-election, and other supportersof the law have been aware, but dismissive, of suggestions that the measure mightendanger the state’s federal largesse. McCrory’soffice did not respond to messages Friday. 76 More CEOs seek repeal of transgender law

RALEIGH —More than 100 corporate executives added their names to a letter delivered to North Carolina's governor on Thursday calling for the repeal of the nation's first state lawlimiting bathroom options for transgender people.

The law signed by Republican Gov. Pat McCrory also prohibitslocal anti-discrimination measures, prevents workers from suing in state court alleging discrimination on the basisof race, sex and other factors; and prevents citiesand counties from requiring businesses to provide minimum wagesor paid sick leave.

The list nowincludes leaders ofmany sectors of the economy. Tourism is represented by Hilton, Marriott and Starwood hotels; AirBnB, Uber and Lyft; and American Airlines, which has a major hub in Charlotte, the state's largest city. Banking and finance executivesinclude the leaders of Bank of America, Citibank, TD Bank, PayPal, and others; Restaurateurs and retailersinclude leaders of Starbucks, Barnes & Noble and Levi Strauss; and Technologyleaders joined in force, including the leadersof IBM, Apple, Intel, Google, Facebook, Yahoo, eBay,Twitter, YouTube, and many others.

The new law "will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation'sbest and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the nation. It will also diminish the state's draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity," the letter said.

PayPal cancels North Carolina expansion over discrimination law a law that restrictsprotections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

The San Jose, California-based company said Tuesday it was canceling its planned expansion in Charlotte because of the law, which was signed March 23. Gov. Pat McCrory wason hand to celebrate daysearlier when PayPal announced plans to hire about 400 people at a new operation centerin Charlotte. The PayPal announcement is the biggest tangible economicbacklash to the state law thatmore than 100 corporate heads have decried as unfair.They say the law makes it more difficult to attract talent to North Carolina jobs.

Springsteen cancels Greensboro show over NC's transgender law GREENSBORO — Bruce Springsteen canceled Sunday’s concert at the Greensboro Coliseum because of House Bill 2, saying in a statement that he and his band would show solidarity for North Carolinians working to oppose the law.

“Some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which ishappening as I write — is one of them,” the singer wrote on his website. “It is the strongest means I have for raising my voice in opposition to those who continue to push us backwards instead of forwards.”

Tickets, ranging in price from $68 to $150, will be refunded at the point of purchase, according to the coliseum. Cancellation of the Springsteen concert is the first major economic blow to Greensboro as a result of the law. Roughly 15,000 tickets were sold for the event,half of them to people living outside of the city.

“You would have had thousands of people coming from other partsof the state and from all over the East Coast,” said Andrew Brown, a spokesman for the coliseum, who estimated that it would lose roughly $100,000 because of the cancellation. “Where we lost revenue is from people coming into the building — from parking, concessions, that kind of thing. It’s a major concert. It would have been one of our biggest eventsof the year.”

City officials did not have a dollar estimate for the lost revenue from foot traffic in restaurants, shops and hotels. Mayor Nancy Vaughan said it would be difficult to quantify as some concertgoers could have become repeat visitors to Greensboro.

The cancellation also meanslost wages for some workers. At the coliseum, several hundred employees were scheduled to work the concert, according to Brown. Hotel employeesand food service workers also stood to lose money, said City Councilwoman Sharon Hightower said. 77 Seven Other States Are Considering Restricting Bathrooms For Transgender People

Regulating which bathrooms transgender people can use is the latest frontier in the fight over how the country should accommodate transgender people. In November 2015, Houston voters overturned a nondiscrimination ordinance to preventit from allowing transgender people to use the bathrooms thatmatched their gender identity. (The ordinance didn’tmention bathrooms directly.) South Dakota passed a narrower bill that would have required students to use bathrooms that matched their biological sex, but Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard vetoed itin early March.

I wanted to know if this kind oflegislation was limited to these few, high-profile cases, or if other states were considering making similar bathroom laws. I found that North Carolina isn’t alone. Lawmakers in seven states are looking to do something similar: Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Mississippi,Tennessee and Wisconsin. Looking at the list shows the contours of the fight — and howdifferent statesare struggling to define a person’s “sex.”

I got my numbers from the National Center for Transgender Equality, an advocacy organization that has tracked all state -level bills that were introduced in the 2016 legislative session and contain provisions that the center believes target transgender people. (I confirmed the details of the billsmyself.) AsofTuesday, the center was tracking 49 bills, 32 of which dealt with bathroom access. More than a third (12) of those bathroom bills are still actively being considered (the rest died in committee or were otherwiseput on hold).

The majority of both active and inactive1 bills (69 percent) stipulated thatmultiple-occupancy bathroomsbe separated according to users’ biological sex, not by their gender identity. However, about a fifth (22 percent) of the measures did not require separation. The bills that fell into the latter category looked to allow businesses, schools and other establishments to have the option to divide bathrooms without facing a nondiscrimination claim.

Most of the bills would require that public school bathrooms, in particular, be separated by sex. Illinois state Rep. ThomasMorrison was the sponsor of one of those school-related bills. He said he wrote his bill in response to a high- profile fight in Illinoisin which a transgender student won access to the women’s restroomsand changing rooms in her school. He framed his bill as reactive, saying he wanted to return to what was once the status quo. “I think it’s appropriate to slow down a little bit,” he said. That North Carolina and other states were working on their own legislation, he said, didn’t factor into his decision.

Since the start of this year’slegislative session,billsin seven stateshave already faded away. But legislation is still under active consideration in seven others, so if thosebillsmove forward, activistsmay have trouble boycotting all eight.

More Republican legislators arrested for sexual misconduct in public bathrooms than transgender people

So far, statistics show no trans person arrested for sexual misconductin a public bathroom, BUT surprise, surprise (or not?), three Republicanslawmakershad been arrested for doing very naughty things in there.

Who are they? Well the guys at Newnownext didn’t have to dig too farinto recent history to find these bathroom- seeking politicians:

Back in 1981,Mississippi congressman Jon Hinson wasarrested for engaging in oral sex with a male staffer in the House of Representativesbathroom.

In 2007, Idaho Republican Larry Craig was arrested in the restroom of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport for so- liciting sex from an undercover police officer. Also in 2007, Florida state Representative Bob Allen was arrested after he agreed to give an undercover police officer $20 for oral sexin the men’s room of a public park.

Interfaith group of Charlotte clergy willwork to overturn HB2

Nearly 70 clergy from several faith traditionspledged Tuesday to do whatever they can to overturn North Carolina’s controversial new law limiting legal protection for LGBT people.

“We are morally outraged about this rarely used political maneuver by the state Senate and House to bypass the will of Charlotte’s City Council,” the Rev. Robin Tanner, lead minister at the Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, said Tuesdayat a news conference. “However, we are even more disturbed about the fact that thiseffort deniesentire segments of the population their due protections as citizens.”

Tanner, who chairs the interfaith Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, said the group would financially support the lawsuit recently filed by the ACLU to challenge HB2. “We will support every legal effort to overturn HB2,” said Tanner, a 78 lesbian who married her partner in 2013.

At the news conference, about 20 clergy flanked Tanner, holding signs that read “All Are God’s Children,” “No HB2,” and “Clergy 4 Equality.”

Gov. Nikki Haley says transgender bathroom bill unnecessary in S.C.

COLUMBIA — Gov. Nikki Haley spoke out against the bill that would blocklocal governments from expanding use of gender-designated public restrooms to transgender people, saying it isnot needed in South Carolina. “While other states are having this battle, thisis not a battle that we have seen is needed in South Carolina,” Haley said Thursday. “And it’s not something that we see the citizens are asking for in South Carolina.”

The measure, filed by Sen.Lee Bright, R-Roebuck, on Wednesday, requires transgender people to usebathrooms matching the gender on their birth certificates, not how they may identify themselves. He has stressed the measure’s importance isin the name of public safety, unrelated to differing bills and laws in other states concerning religious liberty.

Haley said South Carolina’s people are respectful and kind when it comes to acceptance. And there has been no report by people feeling like their freedoms are being violated.

Mississippi,s New Anti-LGBT Bill Claims That Women Can Be Fired For Wearing Pants

Many states have considered bills that enable discrimination against the LGBT community, butMississippi’s proposed legislation is perhaps the most explicit in this regard. HB 1523 spells out in storied detail all of the different ways that a person should be able to mistreat people for being LGBT without consequences from the government.

The bill does not pretend to be neutral;it only protectspeople with anti-LGBT religious beliefsand nobody else: The sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictionsprotected by this act are the beliefor conviction that: (a) Marriage is or should be recognized as the union of one man and one woman; (b) Sexual relations are properly reserved to such a marriage; and (c) Male (man) or female (woman) refer to an individual’simmutable biological sex asobjectively determined by anatomy and genetics at time of birth.

Protect Thy Neighbor, a project of Americans United for Separate of Church and State, outlines several hypotheticals for how this discrimination might playout — including impacts beyond the LGBT community. For example, an adoption agency could refuse to place a child with a family if the parentslived together before they were married. A counselor could refuse to help an LGBT teen who called a suicide hotline. A car rental agency could refuse to rent a car to a same- sex couple for use on their honeymoon. And a corporation could fire a woman for wearing pants (though this would likely still be illegal underTitle VII of the federal Civil Rights Act).

Anybody who takesadvantage of any of these opportunities to discriminate would be protected from any tax penalty, any loss of contract or grant, any loss of benefit, any fine or penalty, anylicense or certification, any custodyaward or agreement, or any setbackin employment.

Furthermore, these protections extend even if the disagreement does not involve the government asa party. In other words, anybody can cite their religious beliefs to justify their discriminatory behavior if sued by the victims of that discrimination. When they do, they are entitled not only to victory in court, but compensatory damages as well.

Currently, no city in Mississippi has banned anti-LGBT discrimination underlaw, but several have at least passed resolutions opposing such discrimination, including Jackson, Waveland, Bay St. Louis, Greenville, Magnolia, Oxford, and Hattiesburg. Should any of those cities ever pass enforceable laws, those laws would be voided by HB 1523, which preempts anymunicipal law thatmight conflict with it. All of the above forms of discrimination would become legal in the state no matter what laws a citypassed.

The Mississippi Senate approved the bill Wednesday evening by a vote of31-17. It now returns to the House for concur- rence with an amendment.

Delaware Becomes 15th State to Ban Trans Health Exclusions

Delaware’s insurance bulletin specifically prohibits “the denial, cancellation, termination, limitation, refusal to issue or 79 renew,or restriction, ofinsurance coverage or benefits because of a person’s gender identity or transgender status, or because the person is undergoing gender transition.” Insurance Commissioner Karen Welden Stewart said, “All Delawareans should have access to quality health care, regardless of their gender identity.”

The bulletin states that under the Delaware Unfair Trade practices act, insurance plans sold in Delaware may not maintain “any blanket policy exclusion” for transition-related care.Plans also maynot “deny, exclude, or otherwise limit coverage formedically necessary services” for gender transition if those servicesare covered for other medical conditions. The bulletin says that “determinations ofmedical necessity, eligibility, and prior authorization requirements for diagnoses related to an insured’s gender identity [should be] based on current medical standards established by nationally recognized transgender health medical experts.” It also makes clear that even though, like many states, Delaware’s state “benchmark” for its health insurance exchange is based on an existing plan with a transgender exclusion, insurance companiesmay not copy that exclusion into their own plans.

Louisiana Gov. Edwards to rescind Jindal’s anti-gay order

A spokeswoman for the office of Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) has told reporters that the governor intends to rescind an executive order targeting the LGBT community that was signed into effect last year by former Gov. Bobby Jindal (R), as first reported by the Hollywood publication Deadline.The executive order, which is currently still in place, allowsbusinesses and state agencies that receive taxpayermoney to cite “sincerely held religious beliefs” as justification for refusing to provide goods and services to LGBT people and same-sex couples.

“As far as Jindal’s religious liberty order, the governor intends to rescind it in the near future,” Sanford said in a statement. Reversing Jindal’s order would mark Edwards’ second prominentmove towardspromoting LGBT equality. Upon taking office earlier this year, Edwards issued anexecutive order prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in state employment and by companies that contract with the state.

Deadline reports that Edwards isparticularly interested in courting the film industry. Louisiana already offers generous taxincentives for production companies to film in the state. Like Louisiana, the state of Georgia has also reaped finan- cial benefits that come from offering the tax breaks to the film industry. For the past two weeks, Georgia hasbeen under the spotlight as Gov. Nathan Deal has weighed whether to sign or veto an anti-LGBT “religious freedom” bill that would have mirrored Jindal’s executive order. Under pressure from the film industry — including some companies that threat- ened to stop filming should the anti-LGBT bill become law —and the local business community, Deal eventually de- cided to veto the measure.

Pennsylvania governorsigns nondiscrimination executive orders

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday signed two executive orders banning anti-LGBT discrimination.

The first order prohibits discrimination against state employeesbased on their sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV statusand other factors. The second mandate bans state contractors from discriminating against their LGBT employees.

“I am taking action to protect those that I can and send a signal to the country that Pennsylvania is open for business no matter who you are or whom you love,” said Wolf. “Whathappened in North Carolina, and what is going on in other states, should be a call to pass non-discrimination legislation in Pennsylvania now.”

Ted Martin, executive director of Equality Pennsylvania, a statewide LGBT advocacy group, applauded Wolf. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney also praised Wolf.

1 in 3 trans people have quit their job because of discrimination

The statistics were released to mark International Trans Day of Visibility. A new study has found that 60% of transgender people have experienced discrimination at work. The UK survey questioned 435 people who identified as trans.

The results showed that 60%of trans people have experienced transdiscrimination at work – 38% from colleagues, 25% from management and 29% during job interview. 53% also felt the need to hide their trans status from colleagues.

In contrast, 51% believe acceptance and understanding of transemployees has improved in the workplace due to in- creased media focus on transissues. A further 50% received positive reactions from colleagues when they transitioned, while 29% reported not experiencing discrimination at work. 80 However, a shocking 36% of trans people surveyed said they had left a job because the atmosphere at work was unwelcoming to them, while 21% said they received no support from HR while transitioning.

How ID Laws Disenfranchise TransgenderVoters Part of the grand short-sightedness of voter ID lawsis that they depend upon obsolete notions of fixed identity for participation rights in a democracy premised,in many ways, on changing identities. People change their minds about politics, which is why we have elections every few years. People frequently move, or get evicted, or foreclosed on, and change addresses. Names change when people marry or get divorced. Names and appearances can change when people undergo a gender transition or come to identify as “non binary,” falling somewhere between genders.

None of these changesinvalidate people’seligibility to to cast votes, but voter ID laws certainlymake elections tougher for the people experiencing these transitions. And few votershave asmuch trouble on Election Day in voter ID states than transgender people.The UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute offers some estimation of those unique burdens in itsnew report “Voter ID Lawsand Their Added Costs for Transgender Voters”:

It may be difficult and costly for a transgender person to obtain photo identification that accurately reflects their gender and appearance after they have transitioned. Updating forms of ID with a change of gender is a unique responsibility that transgender people bear in order to vote in strict photo ID states. The processes involved in updating IDshave costs thatimpose disparate burdens on transgender Americans who wish to vote in these states. These costs are significant.

Unlike cisgender voters—people whose gender presentation matchesaccepted standards of the sex they were assigned at birth—who are just changing an address or last name aftermarriage, transgender people must find a physician who will write a letter verifying their gender identity in order to change the gender marker on most accepted ID.

This isa letter many physicians will write only under certain conditions, such as when a patientopts for gender-affirming surgery. Many transgender people, however, choose not to have invasive surgery, for a range ofpersonal, medical, and financial reasons. Yet thisis part of the criteria that some states—including Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia—have for allowing a person to change the gender marker on their license.

Ten U.S. Mayors Form Pro-LGBT Coalition

Ten mayors have come together to form a coaliton united in protest against states that are passing anti-LGBT laws. The group is called Mayors Against Discrimination, and the members came together "in the wake of recent discriminatorylaws enacted against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals," saysa press release from the office of out Seattle Mayor Edward B.Murray.

Along with working together to ban travel to states that pass anti-LGBT legislation, the mayors will coordinate to examine "prohibitionson contracting and purchasing from companiesin these states," along with developing "model resolutions that can be adopted by city councils and other legislative bodies," says the press release.

Mayors Against Discrimination also announced plans to work with private sector leaders and companies, such as Wells Fargo, Starbucks, Marc Benioff from Salesforce, and others to "applydirect political and economicpressure to repeal or stop the alarming spread of discriminatory laws in the United States." The Mayors Against Discrimination coalition currently includes the mayorsof Seattle; New York City; Philadelphia; Portland, Ore.; Oakland, Calif.; Honolulu Sante Fe, N.M.; Washington, D.C., and Tampa, Fla.

The mayors have all banned nonessential employee travel to North Carolina, after the state passed House Bill 2. The mayors also banned travel to the state ofMississippi,after the state passed House Bill 1523. This reaction from mayors across the U.S. is similar to the backlash against Indiana’s so-called Religious Freedom Restoration Actlast year. After Gov. Mike Pence signed RFRA, the governors of Connecticut, New York, and Washington all halted official travel to the Hoosier State. The law, which cost the state an estimated $60 million in boycotts, was later amended to assure it would not allow discrimination.

Southern cities unite against anti-LGBT legislation

As anti-translegislation moves through the South with North Carolina and Mississippi enacting discriminatory laws and other states considering similar bills, there isa growing movement by Southern cities to reject radical anti-LGBT attacks 81 and support transgender members of their communities.

This movement has taken the form of city resolutionsagainst North Carolina’s HB2 and Mississippi’s HB1523. So far, the impressive list of cities that have adopted resolutionsinclude Jackson and Biloxi in Mississippi and North Carolina cities Greensboro, Durham, Chapel Hill, Caroboro, Bunken County, and Marion.

Durham, North Carolina: “If they talk to people who have faced thisissue head on who understand that when you ask a transgender woman to go into a men’s bathroom, that is a form of harassment and discrimination and that’snot something that we’re going to stand for here in Durham.” — Durham City Council member Charlie Reece

Jackson, MS: “Regardless of what our Governor, our state agencies our legislature mayhave passed, the city of Jackson wants you here regardless of what color you are, regardless of your sexual orientation, regardless of what gender you are, we want you here in Jackson.” — Councilman Tyrone Hendrix, author of the Jackson City Council’s Resolution to Commitment to Diversityand Hospitality.

Greensboro, North Carolina: “HB2 does not reflect the goodness, the decency and the humanity of the people of North Carolina.” — Councilwoman Nancy Hoffmann.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina: “That long history that we have of being welcoming and inclusive is notgoing to change no matter what they pass at the state legislature.” — Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger

And thisis just the start.More citieshave indicated they also plan to pass resolutions, and other prominent Southerners, like North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper — who has said he will not defend the law in court — are speaking out as well. And through Southernerson New Ground, our jointTLC@SONG program, and other grassrootsgroups, Southerners are organizing actionsdemanding the repeal of these laws.

Southern cities are making it clear that, despite the actions of their state legislatures and governors, they value all members of their communities no matter sexual orientation or gender identity.

15 Minutes CanMake A Big Difference For Transgender Equality

A simple 15-minute conversation with a stranger can have a lasting positive impact on how a person thinks about transgenderissues like nondiscrimination protections.

That’s according to a groundbreaking new study published in this month’s Science. Researchers David Broockman (Stanford University) and Joshua Kalla (UC Berkeley) assessed the effects of door-to-door canvassing and found not only that a simple conversation with an experienced canvasser helped shiftindividuals’ thinking about transissues, but that the shift lasted over time — even after they were exposed to opponents’ fearmongering bathroom ads.

This study shouldn’t have been groundbreaking. When Broockman and Kalla first started their research, they began by analyzing a similar study conducted byMichael LaCour at UCLA in 2014. LaCour claimed to have found a significant impact from canvassers discussing marriage equality with voters, especially if the canvassers were gay themselves, and Broockman and Kalla were simply planning to work with the Los Angeles LGBT Center to conduct a follow-up.But when they started exploring LaCour’s data, they found massive discrepancies that seemed to demonstrate the results were completely fabricated. LaCour’s study was eventually retracted.

The focus of the canvassing conversations was to ask voters to put themselvesinto the shoesof transgender people. Rather than doing a lot of storytelling, Broockman explained that the canvassers were acting more like therapists, asking voters to share storiesabout their own lives and then finding ways to connect those experiences to the kinds of oppres- sion trans people face. In fact,it was that experience thatmattered most.

“It seems like these kinds of personal interactions can lead people to change theirmindsin a way thatlasts,” Broockman said, noting that the impact from a television ad, for example, can often fade within 24 hours. When voters were shown anti-trans television ads, the effect of the conversation with the canvasser would still bounce backlater. Surveys con- ducted with the study’s participants weeks after the canvassing interaction showed that the improved acceptance of trans people had stuck. 82 A Vancouver Charity is Funding a Group Backing North Carolina’s Anti-Transgender “Bathroom Bill”

M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, one of the largest charities in the Pacific Northwest, gave $375,000 this year to a right- wing legal group that supports North Carolina's anti-transgender legislation.

In February, the Vancouver, Wash.-based Murdock trust announced a $375,000 grant to a Scottsdale, Ariz.,-based group called the Alliance Defending Freedom.The group is a conservative Christian nonprofit that's backing laws across the nation to require transgender people to use the bathroom thatmatches the gender on their birth certificates.

The North Carolina law, the first in the nation to restrict people from using the restrooms that align with their gender identity, has been widelypilloried asan attack on LGBTQ rights.

Cosponsor of Tenn. Transphobic Bill Accused of Sexual Harassment

Amid all the talk in Tennessee about the alleged (and unfounded) dangers of allowing transgender students in bathrooms and locker rooms with cisgender (nontrans) students, it turns out one of the key sponsors of the state's anti-translegislation is facing pressure to resign because of hisown history of alleged sexual harassment.

Tennessee Republican Rep. Jeremy Durham is one of the sponsors of the House Bill 2414, which last week passed the House Education Administration and Planning Committee. HB 2414 and its companion, Senate Bill 2387, aim to prohibit students in public elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universitiesor institutions of higher education, from using the bathrooms or locker roomsthat comport with their gender identity. But Durham isaccused of harassment himself — not in restrooms, but elsewhere.

Tennessee's House speaker, Republican Rep. Beth Harwell, recently announced that she'smoving Durham'soffice across the street and limiting his access to the House floor, CBS News reports. Harwell'sactions follow an investigation into Durham's conduct by the state attorney general, which included testimoniesby 34 women, including politicians, lobbyists, and various staffers. Reports of harassing text messages and sexually suggestive in-person behavior dogged Durham, with some women saying he plied them for their contact information; others said they were fearful of being alone with him. Many women hesitated in reporting the behavior because they feared losing their jobs or being seen as "untrustworthy" by their superiors.

This isnot the first time the Nashville politician hasbeen accused of wrongdoing. He wrote a letter — on House stationery, no less — in support of a pastor who pleaded guilty to statutory rape and possessing child pornography. He also hasbeen accused of altering prescriptions, butno charges were ever filed.

Lesbian teen asked to prove gender, ejected fromMcDonald’s for using women’s toilet

A lesbian has said she was kicked out ofa McDonald’s for using the women’s toilets, after being mistaken for a man. 16 -year-old Ny Richardson was asked to prove her gender when a staff member saw her enter the women’s toilets. Richardson, who was visiting a Hull branch alongside her girlfriend told Yahoo: “I ordered my food and left it with my girlfriend as I went to the toilet.

“When I was in there, someone told me to get outand when I sat back down, the manager came over and told me that I needed to leave because I have been in the girls’ toilet.”

She responded: “I said to him, ‘Why do I need to leave? I’m a girl, can you not tell by my voice?’ “He then asked me to show some ID, but when I didn’t have any he told me to get out and he rang the police.” The lesbian has said she was “humiliated in front of the whole restaurant”, and that she is “still angry” about his attitude.

Mississippi’s restaurants protest anti-LGBTI religious liberty law

Following the lengthy list of businesses that have made their opposition known to North Carolina’s religious freedom bill, HB 2, a growing number of companies have been quick to speak out against similar legislation in Mississippi. The latest is the Mississippi Hospitality and Restaurant Association (MHRA), which has announced the launch of a new campaign, ‘Everyone’s Welcome Here’, for the end of April.

The MHRA, a non-profit organization that represents 1,400 member establishments, will print posters and decals for hotelsand restaurants to display to affirm the fact that ‘Everyone’s Welcome Here.’ ‘Our industry serves a diverse customer base and we want to make sure all customersare appreciated and welcomed. We have a very clear and strong message to convey.Mississippi’s restaurant industry is open for everyone’s business.’ 83

According to the statement,Mississippi’s 4,300 restaurants contribute significantly to the local economy, providing employment for over 80,000 people and over $228 million in State taxes.

Why The ‘Bathroom Predator’ Myth Is 'Straight-Up Right-Wing B.S.' Amid a nationwide discussion of where transgender people should be allowed to relieve themselves, opponentsof equal access frequently trot out the provably false claim that sexual predators will exploit nondiscrimination laws to attack women and children.

But there’sone glaring problem with that argument, as American Civil Liberties Union staff attorney Chase Strangio explainsin a new video from Media Matters: “That’s never happened, in the history of any nondiscrimination law,” explains Strangio, who is himself a transgender man. “So basically, the idea is, We can’t protect trans people, because if we do, everyone is going to pretend to trans so they can go into the bathroom and assault the people they really wanted to assault, but they can’t, because there was no legal mechanism for them to do so. That’s ridiculous.”

That’s notjust ridiculous, addsMedia Matters research fellow Carlos Maza. “Thatbathroom predator talking pointis some straight-up, right-wing bullshit.”

Tennessee attorney general says transgender bathroom bill could be costly

NASHVILLE — Tennessee's public schools and colleges risk losing hundreds ofmillions of dollars in federal funding if a transgender bathroom bill becomes law, state Attorney General Herbert Slatery warned Monday.

Slatery said the bathroom bill, which would require students to use bathroomsbased on their gender at birth, risks being seen as violating the federal Education Amendments of 1972 if "the U.S. Department of Education, which is charged with enforcing Title IX, interpretsTitle IX to require that transgender students be given access to restroomsand locker rooms consistent with their 'gender identity' instead of their anatomical gender."

He said federal officials' interpretation and the U.S. Department of Education have already challenged some school dis- tricts' implementations of policiesmirroring the Tennessee bathroom bill. Slatery also said if House Bill 2414 is enacted, a public school or college that "implements that law will be putting itsTitle IX funding at risk, because a recipient of federal funding that discriminatesin violation ofTitle IX may lose its federal funding."

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam and state education officialshave raised similar concerns. A legislative fiscal note says the loss to public schools and colleges could hit $1 billion or more if the Obama administration cracks down.

More North Carolina Conventions Nixed Over Law

Several more groups are canceling planned conventions or gatherings in North Carolina because of a state law limiting protections for lesbians, gays and transgender people. Ryan Smith, a spokeswoman for the Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau, says that five groups totaling about 1,000 attendees have already canceled. She said in an email the canceled events would have brought $730,000 to the area.

Smith said another 16 groups are considering cancellationsof eventsexpected to have an impact of $24 million on the area.

LGBT Pride Flags Burned Outside North Carolina Church

Two rainbow flags which had stood in frontof a North Carolina church have been burned. The flags— recognized internationally as symbols of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender pride — went up in flames Friday night outside the United Church of Christ in Hillsborough, reports The News & Observer, a local paper. Church members found the scorched remains of the flags Saturdaymorning. In response, the church raised a new set of rainbow flags the same day.

Rev. Jay Kennett said the banners had been erected three weeks ago, after the Republican-led legislature passed a sweeping anti-LGBT law known as House Bill 2, “to let the [LGBT] community know there was a church that supported them and welcomed them.” “Sad,” he said of their destruction. “I just grieve that somebody would do that.”

The flags had held special significance for James and Brent Denisar-Green. The same-sex couple from Durham had waved the flags in a Pride march alongside members of their congregation. They wed last year in the church. 84

“I don’t know how you can’t take itpersonally,” Brent told the paper. “What crossed my mind was how hateful,” he continued. “I just couldn’t believe somebody would do that, especially to a church.”

His partner, James, had been initially hesitant to join the church before finding a supportive community there. He had a message for the fire-starters, who are unknown at present. “I would challenge them to come and actually visit our church,” he said. “We’re open to all, even those who burn flags.”

Liberty Counsel Admits It's Behind 'Bathroom Bills' Nationwide

As so-called bathroom bills continue to crop up in states across the country, mainstream media is starting to dig deeper to find out where the onslaught of anti-LGBT legislation is originating. CBS Evening News correspondent Dean Reynolds went to the Orlando, Fla., headquartersof the anti-LGBT legal nonprofit Liberty Counsel, where the group’s founder proudly took credit for the recent uptickin state-sanctioned bigotry.

Of course, that isn’t how Mathew Staver framed the anti-LGBT bills that are often passed under the guise of protecting “religious freedom.” “It’s only aboutbeing free to pursue your faith,” Staver, founder and chairman ofLiberty Counsel, told CBS News. “We have no interest in discriminating against anyone.”

Nevertheless, CBS News notes that “Liberty Counsel has been helping to draft legislation for conservative lawmakersin at least 20 states.”

The network did mention thatLiberty Counsel provided legal representation to defiant antigay Kentucky clerk Kim Davis when she said her faith prevented her from doing the job she was elected to do and issuing marriage licenses to same- sex couples. CBS did not explore the long list of right-wing, antigay clientsLiberty Counsel has championed, nor did the network disclose that the organization has been designated an anti-LGBT hate group by the progressive Southern Poverty Law Center.

The Surprising Sexual Harassment Scandal Accompanying Tennessee’s Anti-Transgender Bill

Despite it previously being “killed” in committee, a resurrected anti-transgender bill is still pending in the Tennessee legislature. Like its counterpartsin other states, it poses a number of economic risks and comes with itsown unique controversies, including some hypocritical sexual harassment. The bill was expected to receive a committee hear- ing Tuesday afternoon, but sponsor Sen.Mike Bell (R) was thrown offby a damning fiscal analysisissued Monday by State Attorney General Herbert Slatery (R). Slatery estimated that because the legislation would put all of the state’s schools and universities in violation of Title IX of federal law, the state risked losing its federal education funding — to the tune of $1.2 billion.

Considering proponents of the bill claim that it’s necessary to protect women and children,one ofits other sponsors, Rep. Jeremy Durham (R), hasironically been exiled from various Houseoffices because of accusationsof recurring sexual harassment. House Speaker Beth Harwell (R) announced last week that she wasmoving his office and limiting his access to committee roomsand the House chamber because ofa “pattern of conduct” toward women that allegedly includes sexual commentsand inappropriate physical contact. The move follows an investigation of Durham’s conduct by Attorney General Slatery. “Representative Durham’salleged behaviormay pose a continuing risk to unsuspecting women who are employed byor interact with the Legislature,” said in hismemo to Harwell. Durham denies any wrong- doing.

Though there continue to be zero casesof transgender women abusing their access to women’s restrooms to harm others, 34 women have expressed complaintsabout Durham’s behavior. Durham doesnot identify as transgender.

Durham’s hypocrisy won’t help protect the bill from increasing public pressure against its passage. For example, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry (D) has warned that the legislation could similarly hurt the state’s tourism industry, “resulting in a potential loss of over $10 million in state and local tax revenue and nearly $58 million in direct visitor spending removed from our economy.” Likewise, many of Nashville’s musicians have begun speaking out against the legislation as well.

But the anti-transbill isn’t the only legislation that could hurt the state’s reputation. Lawmakerspassed HB 1840 on Mon- day, which gives any counselor or therapist the right to refuse treatment on the basis of their religiousbeliefs. If they do, the victim of that discrimination shall have no right to sue. Gov. Bill Haslam (R) hasnot said if he will sign or veto the bill. 85 High school transgender issue crosses over to Virginia

Most students only need to raise their hand and ask a teacher’s permission to use the restroom. For Gloucester High School teen Gavin Grimm, it’s a bit more complicated than that.

After a district court denied Gavin a preliminary injunction that would let him use the boys’ bathroom while the case is pending, the ACLU appealed the decision on Oct. 21, 2015, and on Jan. 27, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the first federal appeals court to weigh in on the debate over which restrooms transgender people should be allowed to use. Though Gavin’s case specifically focuses on Gloucester County, its outcome could have national implications, potentiallyinfluencing the way that other localities, including Fairfax County, approach thisissue.

“[If Gavin wins the preliminary injunction,] it will be the first time a federal court says that trans kids can use the right bathroom,” Robert Rigby, the founder and presidentof employee group FCPS Pride, said. “It will have a striking national impact, and…it won’t just be big news. Other courts, other people, other kids and other states will be able to refer to this case.”

Rigby says that the 4th Circuit Court isexpected to issue its ruling soon.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) added gender identity as a category covered under its anti-discrimination policy in May 2015, but the school board has yet to implement specific procedures dictating bathroom use, name changes on school records and other issues that affect transgender and non-gender-binary students.

“Many state and federal court cases are currently underway or in-process regarding this topic. FCPS ismonitoring these cases and continues to evaluate the impact theymay have on any potential FCPS regulationsand procedures,” Torre said in an email.

For now, schoolsmostly deal with these issueson a case-by-case basis.

The mother of a transgender girl who attends a Fairfax County middle school, a woman who asked to be identified only by her last name, Brewer, says that her daughter currently uses a utility closet when she has to change outfits for physical education classes. While she’s permitted to use a gender-neutral bathroom for those purposes, the school’s unisex bathroom is too far away from the gym,meaning that she would frequently arrive late for class, and it doesn’t have a locker where she can store her books and supplies.

Brewer says thatit also took several weeks for the school to figure out whether to use her daughter’s newname or her old one on homework and other records, but the family otherwise hasn’t encountered any major problems since her daughter started transitioning at the beginning of the school year.

If Gavin winshis case, the court decision would affirm FCPS’s existing policies regarding gender identity while offering a guide that the county can follow when implementing more specific regulationsin the future.

Reassignment surgery not necessary tochange gender markers on N.L. ID

Sex reassignment surgery is no longer required prior to changing the gender marker on birth and marriage certificatesin Newfoundland and Labrador. The House of Assembly putaside usual convention Wednesdayin order to make sure that changes to the Vital Statistics Act and the Change of Name Act passed third reading on Pink Shirt Day, which celebrates respect, tolerance and an anti-bullying message.

The change comes after an order by the province's Human Rights Commission, which responded to requests by transgender advocates.

Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta,Manitoba, and Nova Scotia have also taken steps to facilitate a change of sex designation on certificates without people having to undergo surgery.

'Don't Be Mean' Beer: 36 N.C. Breweries Sign Up To Sell Brew Aimed At HB2

It's a beer with a message — and its brewers say it's a simple one. Responding to North Carolina's HB2 law that voids cities' anti-discrimination rules, two of the state's brewers are creating a new beer: the Don't Be Mean to People: A Golden Rule Saison. Three dozen breweries have signed up to sell the beer on their draft taps; cansof it will also go to people who have donated to the project's fundraising campaign, which currently stands at nearly $18,000 — far more than the original goal of $1,150. 86

While it may seem like a symbolic gesture, the beer also signals resistance to the controversial legislation from within North Carolina's burgeoning beer industry, which last year accounted for $1.2 billion in economic impact,according to the Brewers Association. "We didn't feel like HB2 represented us asbusinesses or as residentsof North Carolina," said ErikLarsMyers, the CEO and head brewer of Mystery Brewing Co.in Hillsborough. He's collaborating on Don't Be Mean to People with Keil Jansen, the owner and brewmaster of Ponysaurus Brewing Co. in Durham.

Don't Be Mean to People will be released sometime in the middle of May. As for whatit'll taste like, Myers says they're going for a beer that's "bright, crisp, grainy,and fruity. And above all, delicious."

The two brewers say they'll donate 100 percent of the profit from the newbeer's sales to two North Carolina-based groups: EqualityNC, which opposes HB2 as part of itsadvocacy efforts, and QORDS, which operates summer music camps that focus on gay and transgender youth.

Leading businesses take stand against states' new anti-LGBT laws

Once shy of causing a political fuss, businesses large and small are backing LGBT rights, and states that don’t support them are losing jobs as a result.

Following the passage of House Bill 1523 into law Tuesday,Mississippi will soon be the state offering the least protection to gay, lesbian and transgender people at a time when twenty-one states, largely across the south, have introduced laws offering their clear response to the legalisation ofgaymarriage by allowing people and businesses to refuse services based on their own religious beliefs.

In North Carolina, PayPal canceled a $3.6m investment for a new global operations centre that would have employed 400 people; Nissan, the largest single employer in Mississippi, quickly reiterated its support of the LGBT community, and Duke Energy, the state’s largest power company, has come out strongly in opposition to discrimination, but has not taken a position on the law itself.

Local business leaders and educators warned that the legislation could harm the state’s competitiveness in attracting business and investment. “These assholes talk about gay women and gay men using the exact same language they were using in the 50s and 60s for segregationist purposes,” said the award-winning chef John Currence, owner of several restaurants in Oxford,Mississippi. He warned that Mississippi’s HB1523, known as the Religious Liberty Accommodation Act, would put businesses off from setting up in the state.

But to whatextent can business leaders affect policymakers, particularly when it comes to issues that are matters of apparent faith to conservative lawmakers butoutrageous prejudice to others?

“We weren’t given a choice.The governor said he was doing it on behalf of bakers and florists so they wouldn’t have to take part in same sex marriages. But they never asked the people they claimed to be acting for. So the first thing we did was to say, ‘No, you don’t speak for us.’ You don’t succeed as a business by discriminating against sexuality just as you don’t succeed if you discriminate against people for their colour or age or disability.” Academics say the current legisla- tion, combined with the Citizens United bill of2010 that in effect gave corporations the rightsof citizens, has placed cor- porations at the forefrontof efforts to contain the spread of ideologically extreme legislation.

In North Carolina, more than 130 business, including Bankof America, signed on to a letter urging lawmakers to repeal the transgender law in the upcoming legislative session.

“Corporations would rather be silent, but they can’t be. The public, particularly the buying public, want to know where companies stand on issues. Consumersare politicized and they are paying attention to the point that it’s become an expectation that corporations will take positions.”

NORTH CAROLINA: WOMAN KICKED OUT OF LADIES’ BATHROOM BY POLICE AFTER BEING MISTAKEN FOR TRANSGENDER

Charlotte, NC | A North Carolinian woman was brutally ejected from a ladies’ bathroom yesterday after nearby police officers were alerted by local citizens that a transgender was using a public women’s bathroom.

Linda Hovensky, a 54-year-old resident of Charlotte, was tased multiple times by police officers as she was forced outside of the ladieswashroom with her pantsdown and in front of a large crowd. Linda Hovensky wasbeaten, 87 tased and thrown on the sidewalkwith her pantsdown in front a large crowd afterbeing mistaken for a transgender woman

Miss Hovensky wa s jailed for a period of over five hours at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department because she was unable to identify herself before a friend was able to bring proof of her identity to police headquarters. “The idiot copsleft mypurse on the scene and left me to rot in jail for five hoursbecause theythought I wasa man? I’m going to sue the hell out of them, you can be sure about that” she told local reporters, visibly angered by the whole affair.

New York's first major transgender center is now open in the Bronx On Friday the Bronx Trans Collective officially opened, creating a safe harbor and "one-stop center" for the trans community.

The center, at 937 Summit Avenue near Yankee Stadium, will provide all sortsof servicesand support, including "job readiness programs, health care, housing referrals, immigration assistance and legal services, specifically regarding name changes," according to DNAinfo. People can drop in at anytime and take part in support groups, youth counseling, yoga classes and more. While there have been places focusing on transgenderissues and services in the city, this is the city's first major multiservice center, the New York Times reports. The center was created as a group effort between community organizations and Councilman Ritchie Torres, who told the New York Times, “Transgender New Yorkers of color living in poverty face a level of discrimination most of us will never know. We’re creating a model for the rest of the city to follow.”

Federaljudge: Law protects against transgender discrimination

HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) — Over the last decade, federal courts and a federal agency have agreed that a law protecting people from sex discrimination alsoincludes discrimination based on a person’s gender identity or transition from one gender to the other.

While the Ninth, Sixth and Eleventh circuits, along with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, have each recognized that discrimination based on a person’s transgender identity constitutes sex discrimination, other circuits have ruled the opposite. Such a splitmeans the issue will likely reach the U.S. Supreme Court, which considers that as a factor when it decides which cases to hear, Professor Arthur Leonard of the New York School of Law told Legal Newsline.

“I think we need a Supreme Court decision to set a national standard,” said Leonard, who founded The LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.

Discrimination claimslike thisone may be more frequent — or they may be simply getting more attention — because of a few factors, Nathaniel Glasser, an employment attorney at Epstein Becker Greene in Washington D.C., told Legal Newsline. Those factors include the LGBT movement and public support for LGBT issues, the Supreme Court’s marriage equality decision and legislation on the state-level that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Additionally, EEOC is taking more action after expanding its definition of sex discrimination, he said.

As he counselsemployers on matters like this, Glasser said he first advises them to be compliant with state and local law. Atleast 21 statesand D.C.have lawsprotecting sexual orientation.Most of those laws include protections for gender identity.

“I advise employers that don’t operate in those jurisdictions to extend those protections to their employees because, from a practical perspective, it fosters a better and more welcoming office environment and, from a legal perspective, preventsagainst discrimination claims filed under the broader interpretation of federal law,” he said. “It’s best for em- ployers to proactively create a healthy work atmosphere and deter any such claims than have to react to defend them later.” 88 Transform California: a new campaign to change our state

Transgender Law Center is proud to partner with Equality California and an amazing coalition of over 30 organizations for today’s launch of Transform California, a statewide publiceducation campaign to raise awareness, understanding and acceptance of transgender and gender nonconforming Californians.

We gathered in LosAngeles thismorning with communitymembers, allies, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and manyothersin a commitment to making California a place where all transgender and gender nonconforming people can feel safe and live free from discrimination. Across the country, we have seen a wave of discrimination and harmful laws that take aim at the transgender community. And we know that every single day, transgender people still face serious discrimination and outright violence. Campaigns likeTransform California, raising up the voicesof transgender and gender nonconforming people, are critical to changing our culture and pushing back against violence and discrimination.

Over the coming weeks, the campaign will release videos, stories, and more from transgender and gender nonconforming people across the state. You can stay updated with the campaign by following Transform California on Facebook and Twitter.

Sponsor of Tennessee “bathroom bill” pulls legislation — for this year The measure’s chief sponsor, Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) announced on Monday that she ispulling the bill in order to further study the issue, according to The Tennessean.The bill, which requires transgender students to use only those restroomsand changing facilities that best correspond to their biological sex atbirth, waspreviouslyheld for study by the House Education committee, before being revived earlier thismonth and allowing to proceed forward. Lynn’s action kills the bill for this session, but she’s vowing to renew her fight next year.

“I have learned that our school districts are largely following what the bill says,” Lynn told reporters in a press confer- ence inside her office. “I am still absolutely 100 percent in support of maintaining the privacy ofall students. But I’m going to roll the bill over until next year so we can work on those issues.”

Despite the Volunteer State’s governor, Bill Haslam (R), expressing concern that the bill could imperil federal Title IX funding — bolstered by an opinion by Attorney General Herbert Slatery reaching the same conclusion — and a ground- swell of opposition from the business community and the entertainment community to the bill, Lynn claimsher decision hasnot been influenced byany threats of an economic backlash. She claims the bill is still needed to protect the privacy of students who may feel uncomfortable sharing facilities with transgender children.

“Today’smove helps ensure that every child in Tennessee will be treated with respect and dignity,” Hedy Weinberg, the executive director of the ACLU of Tennessee, said in a statement. “We will remain vigilant to ensure that all Tennessee children are treated equally under the law.”

After North Carolina’s Law, Trans Suicide Hotline Calls Double

Anti-transgender bathroom lawslike North Carolina’s HB 2 are not just inconvenient for transgender people.They may also be life-threatening.

Greta Gustava Martela, co-founder of TransLifeline, a crisis hotline for transgender people, told The Daily Beast that their call volume has “nearly doubled” since North Carolina restricted the use of public bathrooms based on birth certificate gender markers.

TransLifeline data shared with The Daily Beast shows that before Governor PatMcCrory signed HB 2 on March 23, the hotline’s daily volume peaked at around 200 incoming calls. After the law, the peaks started getting higher. From April 8 to April 16, the most recentdate included in the data set, the hotline has only seen two daysbelow 200 incoming calls. On April 13, they received what Martela notes is an “unprecedented” 357 calls.

The spike in calls to the Trans Lifeline is sadly unsurprising. “If I had to guess what’s being impacted I think [it’s] probably people’shope for the future,” Martela said, citing recent legislative attacks on transgender people that have been endorsed by the Republican National Committee.

Researchers have already concluded that the suicide risk for transgender people depends on broader social support but now, it is becoming clearer that it is also directly tied to having a safe place to pee. 89 Federal Court of Appeals Rules In Favor of Transgender Student in Virginia Restroom Access Case

RICHMOND, Va. – A federal court of appeals today ruled in favor of transgender male student Gavin Grimm in his challenge to Gloucester High School’sdiscriminatory restroom policy that segregates transgender students from their peers by requiring them to use “alternative, private” facilities.

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit marks the first time that a federal appeals court has determined that Title IX protects the rightsof transgender students to use sex segregated facilities that are consistent with their gender identity.The Fourth Circuit remanded the case for the district court to reevaluate Gavin’s request for a preliminary injunction under the proper legal standard.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Virginia brought the case in June 2015 seeking a preliminary injunction so that Gavin may use the boys’ restroom when school resumed for hisjunior year. In September, U.S. District Judge Robert Doumar ruled against Gavin by dismissing his Title IX claim but allowed his case, under the Equal Protection claim, to proceed.

Target says transgender people can use bathroom that aligns with their identity

Minneapolis-based Target Corp.is weighing in on the nationwide conversation about which bathrooms transgender peo- ple can use. The company put out a statement saying thatinside its stores, transgender employeesand customers are welcome to use the restroom or fitting room that corresponds with their gender identity.

“Inclusivity is a core belief atTarget,” the company said. “It’s something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day.”

Trump on transgender bathroom debate: 'Leave it the way it is'

GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Thursday said North Carolina is"paying a big price" for a controversial bathroom law thathasbeen blasted by LGBT advocates, adding that officials should just "leave it the wayit is." Trump said the state unnecessarily mandated that transgender people use public restrooms that correspond with their biological gender, adding that transgender people should use whatever bathroom they want.

Trump was asked during a town hall interview on NBC's "Today" show whether he would let Caitlyn Jenner, a transgender woman, walk into Trump Tower and use any bathroom that she wanted. "Thatis correct," Trump responded.

"There have been very few complaints the wayit is. People go, they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate, there has been so little trouble," Trump said.

Trump also noted that "there isa big move to create new bathrooms" for transgender people. "I think that would be discriminatoryin a certain way. It would be unbelievably expensive for businesses and the country. Leave it the way it is." 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103

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