Testosterone! [changes]

I'm recently back on testosterone after nearly a month off, and one of my latest videos is on the overwhelming amount of hunger I've had since my last shot.

Here is another video on "being late" with T:

One of the things I looked forward to most when starting T (besides dick growth!) was the voice change. Here is a five year (2005-2010) voice comparison:

Facial & Body Hair: 5 Years on Testosterone:

Bearded Me (Facial Hair Growth):

Changes Four Years on Testosterone:

Changes Two and a Half Years on Testosterone:

No Timeline for Testosterone:

Transgender People Included in White House's Champions of Change! [news]

Transgender people are included in the White House's Champions of Change Series!

Transgender activist (and founder of LaGender, Inc) Dee Dee Chambly is featured.

Counseling for FTMs, Gender Variant, & Queer Folk [resources]

Therapy is one of the steps we must take in order to transition, but even after medical transition is over transgender people still deal with plenty of other issues, some trans-related, some not. It can be nice to talk to someone and get an outside perspective and some guidance - especially someone of trans experience.

Trey Polesky is a licensed therapist and a man of trans experience himself. He is located in Bloomington, Illinois but also offers online therapy sessions via Skype. Over half of his clients identify as LGBTQI, and he can not only assist in helping you start medical transition by providing hormone and surgery letters, he also specializes in the following:

LGBTQI issues

Trans issues (letters for HRT, surgery, etc)

Depression

Anxiety

Grief and loss

Substance abuse/dependence

Relationship or family difficulties

Anger management

Increasing self esteem and confidence

Abuse or trauma

Compulsive behaviors

Work/school challenges

Significant life changes

Trey can be reached via his personal website, by e-mail: treypolesky(at)gmail(dot)com, or you can give him a call at 773-819-5428.

You can view Trey's profile on Psychology Today here.

Transgender Documentary: Enough Man [film]

Enough Man is a documentary by filmmaker Luke Woodward which explores sex, sexuality, body image, and relationships from the perspective of nine FTM transmen. It has been both criticized and praised for its implicit depictions of sex and has often been referred to as the intersection of documentary and pornography. It screened at Frameline International LGBT Film Festival in San Francisco in 2005.

Luke's second film, Tour De Pants, screened at Frameline 33.

The Frameline Film Festival is the largest and longest-running LGBT film event in the world. Frameline 35 will be held June 16-26th this year; many programs are selling out already, so be sure to purchase tickets soon!

Follow Frameline on Twitter

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Become a fan on Facebook

ENDA of 2011 Introduced into Senate - Take Action Now! [news, politics]

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) of 2011 was introduced to the House and Senate on April 6,2011.

Please contact your state representatives and senators today to ask them to support the issue!

image via the Bay Area Reporter

Portland Wins Trans-Inclusive Healthcare! [trans news]

Good news, Portlanders! Most of you were probably aware of Mayor Sam Adams' push to get the city of Portland to end discriminatory practices and include trans-related healthcare in its benefits, including surgeries (!), hormones, and other treatments for transgender people. Well, it just PASSED, making Portland the third city in the country to offer "sex change" benefits to transgender people.

via Basic Rights Oregon:

WE DID IT! After nearly two years of working with city leaders, we are proud to announce that today the Portland City Counil unanimously voted to end insurance exclusions against transgender City employees.

This is huge. Portland is now the third municipality in the country to provide trans-inclusive care to their employees, and Oregon is a clear leader in the national efforts to end insurance discrimination against transgender communities.

This victory belongs to Basic Rights Oregon's Trans Justice Working Group-trans and allied community leaders who have worked tirelessly for nearly two years on our campaign to end health care discrimination against transgender Oregonians. It also belongs to the Portland City Council, especially Mayor Sam Adams whose leadership for the LGBT community shone through today.

Why is this care so important? Basic Rights' Executive Director Jeana Frazzini explained it in her testimony today:

The American Medical Association has identified transgender health care as being medically ncessary. Yet many transgender Oregonians are routinely denied the ability to purchase health insurance or are denied coverage for basic, medically-necessary care solely becaust they are transgender. Without health insurance, many transgender people have no access to health care and have nowhere to turn if they develop health problems. This discrimination is all too common and can lead to serious-even life-threatening-conditions.

We are thankful to the dozens of you who turned out to help make history, and countless more helped make this a reality. This victory shows just what can happen when each of us takes a stand, large or small for trans justice.

Thanks for all of your extraordinary work. We'll be working with the City to ensure smooth implementation and continue onward to the next victory!

PS-If you're in or near Portland, be sure to join us to celebrate tonight at Crush (1412 SE Morrison) from 5:30-7:30pm!

Don't Be Shy [transition gives voice]

I created the original "Don't Be Shy" video back in May 2007 because I really felt that the lyrics described what transition had done for me; it allowed me to come out of my shell and gave me a voice. It allowed me a physical presence in this world and a path in which to navigate it, and I finally could genuinely participate in a world I had previously viewed from only the outside.



The song still means a lot to me and much has gone on in my life since the original video was made, so "Don't Be Shy II" is meant to be an update of sorts. I also feel it reflects a new level I have reached in my transition; through medical transition I found my voice, now I am at the point of refining that voice.

In the past four years since the original video was made, my transition has moved beyond just defining my physical place in the world as a male, but evolved on a spiritual and intellectual level; the second video hopes to reflect that.

What is Chest Surgery Like?

Yesterday I posted this video to my YouTube channel which intends to be a quick overview of what to expect when you have chest surgery; it also hopes to answer questions and calm some nerves!

As with all my videos and blog posts, the opinions reflected herein are solely my own and I do not claim to speak for anyone but myself.

Here is a follow-up video I shot this afternoon with some tips for guys preparing for surgery.



This is a video log I shot the morning of my chest surgery in the hotel in Baltimore.



This is me seeing my chest for the first time on December 19, 2006, a week after my surgery.



Here is a video shot the same night I saw my chest for the first time and documents a simple, but significant milestone in any transman's transition - being able to wear a t-shirt for the first time with a flat chest.

Click here to watch a short documentary I did while in college called, "I Got a Sex Change with My Best Friend!"

I had my surgery with Dr. Beverly Fischer in Timonium (Baltimore), Maryland on December 12, 2006.