charles asher

Testosterone 101

2012-01-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

I recently did a video answering basic questions about testosterone, such as how to get on it, who can prescribe it, where to get it, how much it costs, and if it is covered by insurance.

What is informed consent?

Here are links to the trans health clinics I mentioned in the video:

Callen-Lorde (NYC)

Lyon-Martin (San Francisco)

Tom Waddell (San Francisco)

Dimensions (Youth clinic, San Francisco)

Feminist Women's Health Center (Atlanta)

Fenway Health (Boston)

Howard Brown (Chicago)

Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center (LA)

Outside In (Portland, OR)

Old Town Clinic (Portland, OR)

Here are links to the pharmacies I talked about in the video:

Strohecker's Pharmacy (Portland, OR)
Apothecure Compounding Pharmacy (Dallas, Texas)

Kronos Pharmacy (Las Vegas, NV)

Women's International Pharmacy (Wisconsin, Arizona)

This next video goes into more detail about various testosterone delivery methods:

This video goes into more detail about testosterone cream - where to get it and how to use it.

Transguys & Adam's Apples

2011-12-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

Recently Forest did a great video on Adam's Apples. They are one of many changes that happen on T, but one of the least talked about. Show your Adam's Apple pride!

How to Make an STP

2011-12-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Recently I did a couple videos on how to make an STP. You can make the basic medicine spoon/tubing combo for less than $5 and use it by itself or insert it into a packer if you so desire.

All you need is a medicine spoon which can be purchased for less than $3 at a pharmacy or stores like Target or Wal-Mart and some tubing. The tubing can be purchased at a variety of places from medical supply stores to Lowe's, which is where I bought mine (found in the plumbing section). Both the 3/4' and the 3/8' fit the spoon, but I prefer to use the 3/8' size. It fits nicely into the med spoon and is not a struggle to fit over the spoon like the 3/4' is.

Inserting the tubing into the packer is the most difficult part of the process and you want to be sure to poke the screwdriver exactly through the center and not close to any of the "sides" of the packer so the tubing doesn't bust through two weeks into wearing it.

There is a big myth that you need to heat the screwdriver before inserting it into the packer, but I have found a non-heated screwdriver works better and avoids the chance of melting cockplastic burning my hands. Heated screwdrivers pierce the plastic extremely fast, allowing more of a chance to ruin the placement of the "urethra." Using a non-heated screwdriver allows you the time to ensure the "urethra" is properly placed.

FTM: Coming Out to Parents II [family]

2011-11-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

In my last post I shared a video from Jimmy, an awesome dad of an FTM son. In this video, he along with his son Peter offer advice for transpeople coming out to their parents.

In the following video, Kyp shares his experience with coming out to his family.

FTM: Coming Out to Parents [family]

2011-11-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

Coming out to family - especially parents, can be one of the most difficult challenges one faces when they transition. In addition to the physical and social torment our bodies cause us, thoughts plague us for years about whether our families will understand or disown us, and ultimately, accept us.

Even though coming out to your parents can be a really difficult thing to do, keep in mind in the end they are your parents and love you and want the best for you. Not all parents will have the terrible reaction we all expect, though - Jimmy is one of those parents.

In the following video Jimmy interviews his FTM son Peter about what it is like being transgender. Jimmy is a remarkable man and the kind of dad anyone would be lucky to have. Most can only hope to have parents that are this understanding and educated about gender and identity.

In this next video, the tables are turned and Forest talks openly with his parents about being transgender. He speaks with them about his past, how he never really fit in, and how they feel about him being trans.

I came out to my parents in a series of letters and through many talks throughout the years. I have always been a fan of the written word and have found writing a good medium in which to express my thoughts; the other party has time to process the contents on their own time and how they feel comfortable without the tension of having to take it all in at once or fearing my reaction which could lead to a verbal altercation and misunderstanding.

If anyone is curious on what to say to your parents in a coming out letter, I have published two of the letters I wrote to my parents in the beginning of my transition in my Charlie Begins blog here and here.

Pee Shyness [men's bathrooms].

2011-11-10T08:30:00.000-08:00

Paruresis /ˌpɑrəˈriːsɪs/ par-ə-ree-sis) is a type of phobia in which the sufferer is unable to urinate in the (real or imaginary) presence of others, such as in a public restroom. It most commonly affects males, though there are female sufferers too. [via Wikipedia]

I recently made this video about “pee shyness.” It is an actual medical condition (a social anxiety disorder) called *paruesis (also called urophobia) that affects a lot of men (women can suffer from this too), and transmen seem to suffer from their fair share of it too. I have done a few videos on men's bathrooms because they really seem to be a source of stress for a lot of transmen.

As the video below tries to show, just relax and take it easy! It is not as bad as you think. The less nervous you are, the smoother the experience will go. Guys are way different in the bathroom; they are not as “alert” as women and want to get in there, do their business, and get out of the restroom with making as little eye contact as possible.

Transwomen have the rougher side of the coin; they go from a “business” type approach to the bathroom to a very social and potentially scrutinizing situation. Women pay much more attention to other people in the restroom; men generally could care less. Men are usually comfortable peeing in front of anyone (though not always the case) and they could care less if a woman walked in - if they did, they could opt to use a stall. On the whole, men don't give a hoot and neither should you!

I did this particular video with a non trans male friend while living in San Francisco to get his opinion on the whole men's bathroom situation and peeing standing up. It is important to remember that these are merely his views and not representative of all non transmales, just as my videos and writings are my experiences and do not represent the transmale community as a whole.

We are all different and have different experiences in transition, and they are all valuable and genuine. It is important not to compare yourself to others and just live out your life and transition the way is right for you.

*There is an organization for those who suffer from paruesis called the International Paruesis Association and they are located in Baltimore, MD. They offer support to those who suffer from this condition and promise you are not alone - they estimate that 7% of the public, some 17 million people may suffer from paruesis.

From the IPA website:

Welcome to the official IPA (International Paruresis Association) website. This site is provided as a resource for people who find it difficult or impossible to urinate in the presence of others, either in their own home or in public facilities. Also, for people who have difficulty under the stress of time pressure, when being observed, when others are close by and might hear them, or when traveling on moving vehicles.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE. In fact, recent studies show that about seven percent (7%) of the public, or 17 million people, may suffer from this social anxiety disorder. Often referred to as Pee-Shy, Shy-Bladder, Bashful Bladder, etc., avoidant paruresis is nothing to be ashamed of, and you have made an important step simply by coming to this website.

Inside you will find helpful information on support groups, support seminars (workshops), and even drug therapy. There is also a useful and friendly discussion board where you can share your problems and success -- or just "listen in" -- with others who have the same problem as you.

SF & LA Transgender Film Festivals [film, events]

2011-11-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

The 10th Anniversary of the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival is happening November 3-5, 2011.

Find them on Facebook here and Twitter here.

If you're down in SoCal, the Los Angeles Transgender Film Festival will be held November 4-6 , 2011.

Find them on Facebook here.

"Are You a Girl?" [video]

2011-10-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

In this video I recount the experience I had with the administration at the university where I graduated. I had to have my transcripts sent to Portland State University so I had to stop by student services. I have been getting alumni mail addressed to “Ms. Asher,” which is frustrating – I never thought to do a gender change within the university, and I guess they didn't get the memo when the name changed from Christina to Charles.

After the guy was done processing my transcript request form, he asked me if there was anything else he could help me with. I told him about getting mail as “Ms.” and asked if they “accidentally” had me as female in their system. He looked, turned bright red, and told me they did.

Then he asks, “you're not a girl are you?”

I found this question fairly ridiculous considering he was asking a dude with a beard if he was a girl. I think the whole “Ms.” thing threw him off so much that he didn't really think about what he was asking – I don't think the trans thing even crossed his mind.

If he has asked if I was a transguy or if I had been born female/assigned female at birth, I wouldn't have said no – but I live and navigate the world as male and am not a girl. Simple as that. It's not my problem if he didn't connect the dots!

I have gained a lot more confidence in dealing with situations in which “the trans thing” comes up – whether it be administration at my old college, flying and TSA body scans, or running into someone from my past. I am always matter-of-fact about it and up front – there is no reason not to be, and a little education and awareness go a long way.

New Trans Anthology Inviting Poetry Submissions!

2011-10-17T20:53:00.000-07:00

A message about a new anthology - please reply to
transanthology@gmail.com

OPEN CALL FOR AN ANTHOLOGY OF TRANS & GENDERQUEER POETRY

Dear Author,

We want your words.

What is the project: We are creating an anthology. An anthology of
the best poems out there by trans and genderqueer writers and we would
love to include your work in the book. Our assumption is that the
writing of trans and genderqueer folks has something more than
coincidence in common with the experimental, the radical, and the
innovative in poetry and poetics (as we idiosyncratically define these
categories), and with your help we’d like to manifest that something
(or somethings) in a genderqueer multipoetics, a critical mass of
trans fabulousness.

This anthology is edited by TC Tolbert and Tim Peterson (Trace)—both
trans-identified poets. It will be published by EOAGH Books in early
2012, and you can bet it will be widely distributed!

Deadline for Submissions: Nov 30, 2011
What to Submit: 7-10 pages of poetry, and a prose “poetics” statement
(see below)
Where to Submit: email us at transanthology@gmail.com

Why is this anthology important: While trans and genderqueer poets
have existed for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, there has never
been a collection of poetry exclusively by trans and genderqueer
writers that also highlights a diverse range of poetics and other
marginalized identities. Each particular understanding of self and
gender creates an essentially complex and rich multipoetics that
undermines any sort of universal trans aesthetic. Inherently multi-
vocal and anti-hegemonic, a singular trans experience simply does not
exist and, frankly, we don’t want it to. For this reason, an
anthology is the most conducive venue for undoing any attempted
whitewashing and/or homogenizing of an imagined trans voice. As we
said, we want your words. The words, syntax, perspective, lyric,
narrative, image (or the disruption of any of these) that could
actually only come from you.

What kind of writing are we looking for: This anthology seeks writing
that makes us wet our panties a little bit and wonder what the f* have
we been doing with our lives all this time. While this project exists
in a historical context of several important anthologies that gather
marginalized and under-represented writers (This Bridge Called My
Back, No More Masks, The Open Boat, The World in Us, etc), this will
be the first anthology to foreground the poetic writings of trans and
genderqueer authors. The book will feature 7-10 pages of work from
approximately 35 poets and we hope you will be one of them!

A meta-layer of fabulous: One thing that makes this anthology unique
is that it will include a statement on poetics by each participant,
along with your poems. This is a chance for you to tell us something
about your writing process, writing practice, theory of life, or
whatever you like. It might include the relationship of the body and
text, or the practice of reading and misreading text and the body, or
locations, connections, and divisions of the self amongst text and the
self amongst other bodies or...you get the point.

About the editors:

TC Tolbert is a genderqueer, feminist poet and teacher committed to
social justice. S/he is the Assistant Director of Casa Libre en la
Solana and an Adjunct Instructor at The University of Arizona and Pima
Community College. S/he is the creator of Made for Flight, a youth
empowerment project that utilizes creative writing and kite building
to commemorate murdered transgender people and to dismantle homophobia
and transphobia. TC’s chapbook, territories of folding, was recently
published by Kore Press. His poems can be found in Volt, The Pinch,
Drunken Boat, Shampoo, A Trunk of Delirium, jubilat, and EOAGH. His
work won the Arizona Statewide Poetry Competition in 2010 and was a
Sawtooth finalist in 2009 and 2010. His first full length collection,
Gephyromania, is forthcoming from Ahsahta Press. www.tctolbert.com

Tim Peterson (Trace) is a trans-identified poet, critic, and editor.
The author of Since I Moved In (Chax Press), and Violet Speech (2nd
Avenue Poetry), Peterson also edits EOAGH: A Journal of the Arts
(which published a special issue Queering Language dedicated to trans
poet and mentor kari edwards in 2007). Peterson’s poetry and criticism
have been published in Colorado Review, EBR, Five Fingers Review,
Harvard Review, Leonardo Electronic Almanac, The Poetry Project
Newsletter, Transgender Tapestry, and in the recent book NO GENDER:
Reflections on the Life and Work of kari edwards (Belladonna/Limus
Press). A Ph.D. student at CUNY Graduate Center, Peterson curates the
TENDENCIES: Poetics & Practice talks series dedicated to queer writing
and the manifesto. More information at http://tendenciespoetics.com

We are incredibly excited about this project and look forward to
working with you!

Thank you!

TC and Trace

Federal Bureau of Prisons Medical Policy Undergoes Change [trans news]

2011-10-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has announced major changes in their transgender medical policy, according to the NCLR.

Anyone who is sweating a background check for a potential job will be happy to know the Social Security Administration is no longer informing employers about "incorrect" gender markers, so that's one less thing to worry about!

Transgender Victory in California, LGBT Studies Major at San Diego State

2011-10-17T10:37:00.000-07:00

Great news for transgender Californian's - Governor Brown signed the Gender Nondiscrimination Act (AB 887) on Monday, October 10th.

San Diego State now has an LGBT Studies Major! They are the first institution in California to approve this major as well as only the second college in the US.

- about the major

Over on the East Coast, New York is considering Medicaid to cover transgender surgeries and hormone replacement therapy.

New Trans Clinic in Los Angeles! [healthcare]

2011-10-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Great news! There is a new clinic for trans/gender-noncomforming folks at the St. Nicholas Medical Clinic in Los Angeles.

Like GenderQueer Revolution on Facebook!

WPATH - Standards of Care Revised [trans news]

2011-10-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Standards of Care for trans people has been revised - via the WPATH website:

The SOC is considered the standard document of reference on caring for the transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming population. The newly-revised SOC will help health professionals better understand how they can offer the most effective care to these individuals. The SOC focuses on primary care, gynecologic and urologic care, reproductive options, voice and communication therapy, mental health services and hormonal and surgical treatment.
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (September 25, 2011)-The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) will release a newly-revised edition of the Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People, on September 25, 2011 at the WPATH conference in Atlanta.
"The latest 2011 revisions to the SOC realize that transgender, transsexual, and gender nonconforming people have unique health care needs to promote their overall health and well-being, and that those needs extend beyond hormonal treatment and surgical intervention," said SOC Committee Chair, Eli Coleman, PhD, Professor and Director at Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota.
This is the seventh version of the Standards of Care. The original SOC were published in 1979. Previous revisions occurred in 1980, 1981, 1990, 1998 and 2001.
"The previous versions of the SOC were always perceived to be about the things that a trans person must do to satisfy clinicians, this version is much more clearly about every aspect of what clinicians ought to do in order to properly serve their clients. That is a truly radical reversal . . . one that serves both parties very well," said Christine Burns, SOC International Advisory Committee Member.
More than any other version, 2011 revisions also recognize that gender nonconformity in and of itself is not a disorder and that many people live comfortable lives without having to seek therapy or medical interventions for gender confusion or unhappiness.
This version provides more detailed clinical guidelines to address the health care needs of children, adolescents, and adults with gender dysphoria who need assistance with psychological, hormonal, or surgical care.
In addition to clearly articulating the collaborative relationship needed between transsexual, transgender, and gender nonconforming individuals and health care providers, the new, 2011 revisions provide for new ways of thinking about how cultural relativity and culture competence.
The document includes a call to advocacy for professionals to promote public policies and legal reforms that promote tolerance and equity for gender and sexual diversity. This document recognizes that well-being is not obtained through quality health care alone but a social climate that eliminates of prejudice, discrimination, and stigma and promotes a positive and tolerant society that embraces sexual and gender diversity.
The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), formerly known as the (Harry Benjamin International Gender Dysphoria Association, HBIGDA), is a professional organization devoted to the understanding and treatment of gender identity disorders. As an international multidisciplinary professional Association the mission of WPATH is to promote evidence based care, education, research, advocacy, public policy and respect in transgender health.

Click here to view the NEW version 7 Standards of Care (pdf file)!

On the Male Side of Middle [documentary]

2011-09-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome short documentary by Paul Neudorf, aka pneudorf on the Tube in collaboration with the Brethren Mennonite Council for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Interests.

The film explores body image, gender identity, masculinity, femininity, relationships, and religion and spirituality. You can check out more of Paul's documentaries here.

Traveling as a Transguy.

2011-09-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Traveling via airplane can be a nerve-wracking experience for any transguy, but with a little preparation and confidence, all should go well.

This video talks about body scans, flying with testosterone, packing and binding, carry letters, as well as flying before any legal changes have been done.

The following video goes into more detail about TSA body scans and flying with a packer:

In the video I talked about obtaining a “carry letter” to make your travel as smooth as possible. Here is a link to a sample carry letter from FORGE.

The Silent Years [transition gives voice]

2011-09-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

Recently, Forest (aka ClosetTransgender on the Tube) made a poignant video entitled "The Silent Years." Forest is transitioning without hormones and is having the experience of being somewhat of a ghost; his male identity is often invisible to those he encounters, which lead to feelings of invalidation.

I'm sure many who are early in transition or not using hormones at all can relate to this feeling at some time or another during their transition.

I can relate to where he is coming from and can only imagine how frustrating it is for him to have his male identity be constantly invalidated/challenged/gone unrecognized.

A main theme in my videos is the idea of "transition giving voice;" I feel this experience has empowered me and allowed me to find my voice in this world and speak from a place of great understanding (having embodied two genders in my lifetime).

Nothing is more frustrating than having this (male) identity I've crafted invalidated, so I empathize with Forest when his true self is "silenced" by others.

Wrong Bathroom [short documentary]

2011-09-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

Check out this short documentary from YouTube user shanestar entitled "Wrong Bathroom."

From the video's description on YouTube:

short doc blending humor and formal interviews explores the under-reported problem of a lack of gender neutral restroom spaces. featuring lynn breedlove, bryan burgess and melissa lawton.

Written, Directed, Shot and Edited by Shani Heckman

Testosterone, Sex Drive, etc. [hormones, sex]

2011-07-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

One of the most recent videos on my YouTube channel is about my sudden increase in sex drive with this past week's shot of testosterone, whereas just a couple months ago I couldn't even finish.

My libido has definitely decreased from jackrabbit to a steady drive over the course of five and a half years on testosterone (before T I had no interest in sex, no drive at all), but with this past shot, I felt like I was going through puberty all over again!

Guys, if you are on T and your sex drive isn't through the roof, don't worry - it is a common belief among doctors that males hit their sexual peak at 18, so you will just be "one of the guys" when it comes to diminished interest in sex, since most of us transition after the age of 18.

Anti-depressants are also commonly known to decrease libido (which is part of my problem), so if you are on an anti-d and having trouble getting aroused or orgasming, then you could possibly talk to your doctor about changing your dosage or other treatment options to decrease some of that frustration that T so aggressively causes!

Here are some foods to increase libido.

Testosterone! [changes]

2011-06-21T00:55:00.000-07:00

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]

2011-06-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

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]

2011-06-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

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]

2011-06-09T08:32:00.000-07:00

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

Subscribe to Frameline on YouTube

Become a fan on Facebook

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

2011-06-08T13:51:00.001-07:00

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]

2011-06-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

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]

2011-06-05T16:37:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-06-02T22:09:00.000-07:00

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.

At This Point in My Transition [video, lower surgery]

2011-04-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

I posted a video this afternoon about a penis/sexual/psychological problem I've been having lately - it's a little hard to talk about, so I will just let the video do the speaking.

I also have come to a point in my transition where I am seriously starting to consider lower surgery and am starting the whole process of researching/consultation/figuring out funding.

It also feels really great to be back on T; I had to give myself an injection a couple weeks ago because my girlfriend (who is a nurse) was already at work. I am not the biggest fan of needles (that's why I started on T cream), but I like to still self-inject every once in awhile just so I don't get rusty at it and am able to give myself injections if need be.

Strength in Transformation [video].

2011-03-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

This is the latest video I have posted to my YouTube channel, called “Strength in Transformation.” I think this is one of the videos on my channel I am most proud of; the footage was acquired over several years’ time in various parts of the country and took me several all-nighters to complete.

During this whole tumultious and overwhelming transition process, more than just my gender has transformed. I am becoming more whole as a person; transitioning was just a part of the journey. In a way, it was the key that opened the door to the world so I could actually start my journey in life.

I used to struggle with finding balance between my trans self and just my plain old male/person/self, but this hardly comes up anymore in my day to day life. I still struggle with balance, but I find it is more "life-related," rather than gender-related. I worry about the stuff every one else does - my relationships, finances, work; it's quite a relief to not have to think so actively about my gender.

I'm so glad my active transition is over; I was very fortunate to get it done quickly and when I was relatively young. I am 26 and have been on testosterone for nearly six years now; it doesn't feel like that. In fact, it doesn't feel like anything. It feels like this is how I always have been. I can hardly distinguish my trans self from just myself now, and I think that is what I have been striving for since I started transitioning.

Strength in Transformation [video].

2011-03-20T20:02:00.000-07:00

This is the latest video I have posted to my YouTube channel, called “Strength in Transformation.” I think this is one of the videos on my channel I am most proud of; the footage was acquired over several years’ time in various parts of the country and took me several all-nighters to complete. During this whole tumultious and overwhelming transition process, more than just my gender has transformed. I am becoming more whole as a person; transitioning was just a part of the journey. In a way, it was the key that opened the door to the world so I could actually start my journey in life.

I used to struggle with finding balance between my trans self and just my plain old male/person/self, but this hardly comes up anymore in my day to day life. I still struggle with balance, but I find it is more "life-related," rather than gender-related. I worry about the stuff every one else does - my relationships, finances, work; it's quite a relief to not have to think so actively about my gender.

I'm so glad my active transition is over; I was very fortunate to get it done quickly and when I was relatively young. I am 26 and have been on testosterone for nearly six years now; it doesn't feel like that. In fact, it doesn't feel like anything. It feels like this is how I always have been. I can hardly distinguish my trans self from just myself now, and I think that is what I have been striving for since I started transitioning.

Lola Jake Packer Review [video, products]

2011-03-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Heath (R3iNcaRn4tii0N on the tube) reviews the "David" model packer from Lola Jake.

Learn about Lola Jake's new Payment Plans and Exchange Programs here.

Health & Safe Sex for FTMs [info, video]

2011-02-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

More info:

Dr. Nick Gorton's Medical Therapy and Health Maintenance for Transgender Men: A Guide for Health Care Providers

Hudson's FTM Guide: FTM Health Links

TM4M: Resources for Transmen Who Play with Men

Let's Talk about FTM Sex

FTM Safe Sex & HIV Prevention

Transgender Lives with Lisa Ling on OWN [TV]

2011-02-22T16:29:00.000-08:00

Watch “Transgender Lives” tonight on Our America with Lisa Ling on the new OWN network at 10pm ET.

Click here for the OWN network schedule.

Testosterone Delivery Methods.

2011-02-18T03:03:00.000-08:00

There are numerous methods in which testosterone can be delivered, so in my latest video I outlined the four most common:

1. Injections

2. Transdermal

3. Sublingual

4. Surgical Implants [T pellets]

Links to some of the resources and compounding pharmacies I talked about in the video:

Testosterone enanthate vs. testosterone cypionate

Nebido

Subcutaneous testosterone implants

Strohecker's pharmacy

Women's International pharmacy

Transgender Despair & Joy [videos]

2011-02-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

Being transgender can be really tough at times, but with despair, there is always eventually joy. The challenges can be difficult to overcome, feel impossibly overwhelming at times, but the transgender experience is one of the most radical transformative experiences any human can go through, so in many ways it is a unique gift as well.

Trans Canadian Military Dress Codes, Transgender Insurance Coverage, etc. [trans news]

2011-01-24T12:04:00.001-08:00

From the National Post:
As U.S. politicians continue to debate whether to let gays serve openly in the American military, the Canadian Forces have issued a new policy detailing how the organization should accommodate transsexual and transvestite troops specifically. Soldiers, sailors and air force personnel who change their sex or sexual identity have a right to privacy and respect around that decision, but must conform to the dress code of their “target” gender, says the supplementary chapter of a military administration manual.

In other transgender news, according to Joanne Herman, more employers are going to start covering transgender surgeries, but new hurdles are to be expected.

Also, Brian Katcher, a 35-year-old Missouri dad, has won the second Stonewall children's book award for his tale of transgender love.

Transgender Woman Killed in Minneapolis [trans news]

2011-01-24T07:18:00.000-08:00

This saddens me to even have to write this, but a fellow transsister, Krissy Bates, was found dead in her Minneapolis apartment on January 11th around 3pm; she had been murdered. A 40-year-old male suspect has been arrested for her murder.

She was the first murder victim of this year in Minneapolis, and to my knowledge, the first transperson to be murdered this year in the US. She will be honored on Transgender Day of Remembrance in November.

The US isn't the only place transpeople, especially transwomen, are victimized. Killings of women, especially transgender women, has been on the rise in Honduras, according to vivirlatino.com.

In the last four weeks the bodies of five transgender women in Honduras have been found. The murder of women, especially transgender women, has been on the rise following the June 28, 2009 coup. According to the International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission, prior to the most recent murders, there have been 31 deaths of LGBTI people in Honduras in the last year and a half.

Violence against transpeople has to stop - there is a need for awareness and education; that is why I remain visible and do what I do.

Facial Hair Growth [five years on testosterone]

2011-01-11T20:19:00.000-08:00

Someone recently commented on my New Year's video complimenting my facial hair growth. I just noticed yesterday it was getting quite thick myself, so I thought I'd document it before I shave it all off!

Even being over five years on testosterone, I can only grow decent sideburns, and I don't get nearly as much hair on my cheeks as I do on my chin and neck. I can grow a decent chinstrap and an even better goatee and neck beard. I still have some patchy spots on my chin where I don't think it will ever fill in.

Facial hair doesn't always grow in evenly, and some guys don't get it at all. Here is a video I did on patchy facial hair growth followed by a video on dysphoria caused by lack of facial hair.

I tried to participate in "No Shave November" this past year, and document my troubles "holding out" in this video:

I'll leave you all with a classic shaving video - it's shaving time!.

Five Years on Testosterone [2005-2010]

2010-12-01T02:40:00.000-08:00

Trans/Queer Visibility

2010-11-04T03:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a great video from Danny (aka dannyrideshorses) dealing with visibility as a queer person. She is the partner of a heterosexually-identified transman and struggles with wanting to be seen as bisexual or queer while honoring her boyfriend's straight identity.

Being visibly queer is something I struggle with as well as I am in a relationship with a cisgender heterosexual woman, and socially, we are obviously read 100% of the time as a heterosexual couple.

Most of the time this is just fine with me, but sometimes I want it to be known that I am trans, or that I am not your typical mainstream dude, and I want my struggle to be honored and recognized.

Thorn in Your Side [trans march documentary]

2010-11-03T01:26:00.000-07:00

Check out this cool gender-bending documentary exploring the San Francisco Trans March featuring Namoli Brennet's song "Thorn in Your Side."

Testosterone: Five Year Voice Comparison.

2010-11-03T01:22:00.000-07:00

Testosterone start date: November 30, 2005.
Pre-testosterone photo: July 31, 2005. (21st birthday)

Current voice recording & photo: November 1, 2010.

New & Noteworthy: JustJehryn.

2010-11-03T01:15:00.000-07:00

Meet Jehryn, (aka JustJehryn). He's 20, lives in Phoenix, is a graphic designer, is pre transition, and new to the tube.

Family, Weddings, and Other Awkward Social Situations.

2010-10-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

In this video Charlie (aka localterror on the tube) recounts a story of going to a wedding recently and the awkward situations that entails. I'm sure we can all have a similar "awkward social experience" we can relate to.

Ignorant Questions & Comments about Being FTM.

2010-10-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Meet Joe, aka JoeLikesHisBro on the tube. He is 15 and from The Netherlands.

In this video Joe talks about the ignorant questions and comments all FTMs (and trans people in general) have to endure on sometimes a daily basis.

Some of the things I get asked most often are:

1. Do you have a penis or a vagina?
2. Have you had the surgery?
3. How does your family feel about your transition? Do they accept you?

All of the aforementioned questions are of a sensitive nature and not ones that are appropriate to bring up in most social settings, especially one in which two people have just met. I would never ask someone about their genitals or their family life the first time I met them. Or ever.

It is exasperating that when a non trans person meets a trans person they immediately start asking questions that are inappropriate and would not be asked in the first place had the person they had just become acquainted not had a transgender history.

Long Island TDOR 2010.

2010-10-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

The 7th Annual

Long Island Transgender Day of Remembrance

Sunday, November 21, 2010
7:30 PM

Temple Sinai of Roslyn
425 Roslyn Road
Roslyn Heights, New York

We will come together as a Community
to remember those who have lost
their lives due to senseless acts of violence.

Speakers...
Rusty Mae Moore
Chelsea Goodwin
Diane Freedman

Trans Voices

Performers...
Robert Urban
Chelsea Goodwin

Light Refreshments

The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the Remembering Our Dead web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester's murder like most anti-transgender murder cases has yet to be solved.

New & Noteworthy: MrLukePaul.

2010-07-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Meet Luke, aka MrLukePaul on the tube. He lives in Milwaukee and is just starting his transition. He will be seeing Dr. Steven Brown for his hormone therapy, an excellent doctor who has treated trans patients for years and has done a lot of research in the way of transgender hormone therapy.

You can read Dr. Brown's "Hormone Replacement Therapy for Transgenders Do's and Don'ts" here.

Dr. Kelley Winters Keynote Speech.

2010-07-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the keynote speech Dr. Kelley Winters delivered at the Colorado Gold Rush Conference in Denver earlier this year.

A little about Dr. Winters from the TYFA website:

Dr. Kelley Winters is a writer and community advocate on issues of transgender medical policy. She is the founder of GID Reform Advocates, member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and Advisory Board Member for the Matthew Shepard Foundation and TransYouth Family Allies. She has presented papers on the psychiatric classification of gender diversity at annual conventions of the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association and the Association of Women in Psychology. Her articles have appeared in a number of psychology and psychiatry journals and in two books.

Kelley assisted in drafting the current human rights ordinances in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. She was instrumental in trans-positive reform of Colorado drivers license policy in 2006 and in adding Gender Identity and Expression to employment policies of the Hewlett-Packard Company. Kelley received the Colorado Pride Award from Equality Colorado in 1999 and the and 2002 Sonja’s Dream Lifetime Achievement Award and 2007 Melissa Chapman Award for Social Change from the Gender Identity Center of Colorado.

Dr. Winters also authors the GID Reform weblog which can be found here.

Gender identities and gender expression that differ from expectation of assigned birth sex remain very much classified as mental disorder and sexual deviance by the American Psychiatric Association. The consequences of this undeserved stigma to our human dignity, social legitimacy in our affirmed roles are enormous and devastating. We lose our jobs, our homes, our families, our children, our civil justice and our access to medical care to defamatory stereotypes that place an unfair burden of proof upon all gender transcendent people to continually demonstrate our sanity, our competence and our human worth.

The current diagnostic criteria of GID and TF describe transition itself as symptomatic of mental illness, especially so for gender nonconforming children and transwomen. This burdens our supportive medical and mental health providers to re-spin, to repackage, this flawed nomenclature as congruent with social and medical transition, when in fact it was written to contradict transition. As a consequence, only a privileged portion of us who need access to hormonal and/or surgical care are afforded access. Worse yet, trans youth and even adults remain subject to psychological gender reparative and cruel aversion "therapies" intended to shame affirmed gender identities into dark and solitary closets.

The Fifth Edition of the DSM is scheduled for publication by the American Psychiatric Association in 2013. It is the first major revision since 1994. Critical decisions for the diagnostic categories and criteria have already been considered, and the DSM-5 work group authoring the sex and gender categories was sadly stacked to favor bias intolerant of gender diversity. After a period of unprecedented secrecy, draft language for proposed gender diagnoses were disclosed on February 10^th for a period of public review and comment through April 20.

This is a pivotal point in the history of our community, as the DSM-5 will likely impact the lives, civil liberties and medical care of all gender-transcendent people through the 2020s.

In spite of the barriers that we face with mental health policymakers, I have hope for positive change in the DSM-5. The proposed Gender Incongruence diagnoses for adults, adolescents and children (formerly called Gender Identity Disorder) represent some forward progress on both issues of stigma and barriers to medical transition care-- the first forward progress that we have seen in 30 years of DSM revision.

Most significant, is a statement of explanation by the subcommittee that for the first time refutes the false myth of "disordered" gender identity:

"We have proposed a change in conceptualization of the defining features by emphasizing the phenomenon of 'gender incongruence' in contrast to cross-gender identification per se"

This clarification that diverse gender identities are not in themselves the focus of mental pathology is historically unprecedented, since the introduction of Transsexualism to the DSM in 1980. This statement alone provides a powerful educational tool to advocates for our community.

Moreover, the proposed Gender Incongruence category for children has been reformed so that children must show dissatisfaction with birth-sex assignment to meet the criteria and can no longer be diagnosed strictly on the basis of gender role nonconformity. Again, this is an unprecedented step forward for kids who transition in their social roles and for gender nonconforming kids who are not trans but were pathologized in the past.

However, much work is needed to clarify these new criteria so that they do not continue to diagnose difference. For example:

* "Incongruence" is not clearly defined to mean incongruence as experienced by the subject. It could still be misrepresented to mean nonconformity to cultural gender stereotypes.

* The new criteria have retreated from clinically significant distress as a focus of diagnosis, which supports the medical necessity of treatment.

* Ambiguous language continues to misrepresent transition and desire for medical transition care as symptomatic of mental illness.

* The offensive term "Disorder of Sex Development" is used to describe people born with intersex conditions.

* For children, nonconformity to anachronistic gender stereotypes is still emphasized as symptomatic of mental disorder.

* These categories are placed in the DSM section of Sexual Disorders, though describing emotions and behaviors that are not necessarily sexual.

In spite of these, I am for the first time optimistic that the DSM subcommittee authoring these Gender Incongruence diagnoses may be willing to listen to our concerns for more positive reform.

I believe that we stand at our own inflection point in the history of an affirming trans movement, one that our youth in this room will look back upon as adults.

As brothers and sisters in the community, as parents and allies, as medical and mental health providers, please lend your attention and your voices to issues of social stigma and transition medical care access that are rooted in these mental health policy decisions.

2010-07-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Meet Kasius, aka payntedadiction on the tube. He is currently living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but originally is from Franklin, North Carolina. Being a southern boy myself, I always like to see guys in the southern states come out of the woodworks.

That being said, Kasius seems like an awesome dude with a lot of confidence and is finding a lot of support in his life from his friends and co-workers.

Here is his intro vid:

TransVisibility in Mainstream Media

2010-07-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

Jesse, aka JessesYellowBackpack on the tube (rad username!), brings up the important question of transgender visibililty in the mainstream media.

Most importantly, or perhaps most pertinently, he brings up the question of FTM characters in the mainstream media, the problem of Max on The L Word, and F to M mainstream media visibility issues as a whole.

MTFs face a different side of this coin; while they might be more "visible" or represented in mainstream media in comparison to their FTM counterparts, television, film, and other media never fail to have their shortage of MTF prostitute-type characters, which obviously does not accurately reflect 98% of MTF womens' lifestyles. Transwomen also struggle for positive representation in mainstream media, though rather than having to struggle to even be seen and to then stake a place for themselves, they are having to try to reverse an unfortunate culturally-ingrained stereotype.

What do you you all think?

TJ Reaches One Year on T.

2010-07-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Remember T.J. Jourian, from the 2005 documentary film Transgeneration? Well, he has his own YouTube channel; you can find it here.

He recently reached his one year on testosterone mark on July 2nd, so here is his video documenting the occasion:

Here is T.J.'s very first YouTube video:

New & Noteworthy [starting T]

2010-07-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Meet Jo, aka JR6984 on the tube. He is 26, just started testosterone on Father's Day and is married and has a six-year-old daughter.

Joe doesn't allow embedding of his videos, so you can watch his intro video here.

Starting T [beginning transition]

2010-07-03T04:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a great video from LT, aka lateasharichardson in the Minneapolis, MN area talking about his excitement in recently starting T and his new, happy, joyous outlook at life.

His excitement and happiness is contagious and I can relate; few moments in my life have compared to my transition milestones of starting testosterone and having surgery.

Emotions Before Top Surgery.

2010-06-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Tristan Skye (aka TristanSkye79 on the tube) just had his top surgery with Dr. Charles Garramone in Sunrise, FL. He made an awesome video documenting his experience and his emotions leading up to surgery, and examines his wife's feelings as well (after all, everybody in our lives transition, not just us!).

Tristan ended up being less nervous about the surgery than his wife Sicily was, probably because she was so busy getting everything in order and making sure it all went smoothly for him. Hat's off to awesome SOFFA's everywhere! Thanks for all you do.

Tristan and Sicily also run an awesome transgender social networking site called TQNation. Definitely check it out and create a profile.

Here is a video log I recorded on the day of my top surgery, December 12, 2006. As you can see, emotions were high that day.

I can't believe it will be four years in December since I've had the surgery. My life has changed in so many ways, more than I ever expected. Surgery has given me the freedom from the body I was trapped in my entire life. Thank you, Dr. Fischer!

Being Gay in Indian Society [& penis size]

2010-06-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

According to the BBC, condoms are "too big" for Indian men.

See, transmen aren't the only one with smaller penises! Western culture bombards us with the idea that "bigger is better" with everything, including penis size, and we forget many of our non trans brothers in other parts of the world have smaller penises and put emphasis on things like academic and artistic achievement rather than athletic performance, machismo, and penis size.

And as many women and gay men will tell you, "it's not the size of the boat but the motion of the ocean that counts."

Transgender Health Experiences & Behavior Project [research]

2010-06-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

Call for participants!

From the Transgender Health Project:

Researchers at NCSU and SUNY Buffalo are interested in learning more about the health-related experiences of transgender individuals. Transgender individuals report difficulties accessing needed services, such as sensitive medical care, and we'd like to hear more about these experiences. The study is also designed to explore possible effects of mistreatment in these settings on health and risk behavior. If you identify as transgender or gender non-conforming, please consider taking our survey to describe your experiences. You are eligible to participate if you: (a) identify as transgender or gender non-conforming, (b) are 18 or older, and (c) can read and write in English. Participants should expect the survey to take between 10-60 minutes and will have the option of entering a raffle for 1 of 15 $50 prizes. Click here to access the survey. Thank you!
Congratulations to the first five raffle winners! The second and third set of winners will be selected on June 15th and June 30th. Hurry for your chance to enter!

Transgender Love. [beautiful video]

2010-05-28T00:47:00.000-07:00

This beautiful video about transgender love is from Warren, aka sillyyetsuccinct on the tube. It is emotional, honest, and raw, and I hope to find a love as deep and fulfilling as Warren and Simon have found one day.

"People find love when they learn to love themselves."

Voice 4.5 Years on Testosterone [still working on my voice]

2010-05-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I filmed myself playing guitar and working on my singing voice a bit. A video taken a few weeks ago follows for comparison.

TransOhio 3rd Annual Trangender & Ally Symposium [events]

2010-05-24T18:28:00.001-07:00

Registration now open for Third Annual TransOhio Transgender and Ally Symposium

Columbus, Ohio — May 22, 2010 — The 3rd Annual TransOhio Transgender and Ally Symposium, which will be held on the campus of Ohio State University from August 13-15, 2010, will feature over 70 workshops and seminars by local and nationally recognized presenters. Registration for this year's Transgender and Ally Symposium is now open.

TransOhio, Ohio's only statewide Transgender advocacy and community organization, has expanded this conference, which originally consisted of a single day just three years ago, to three full days of workshops, seminars and social events, including a day that is specifically set aside for medical, social service and legal providers. "This is the first year we will be hosting a Provider's Day at our Symposium. We're going to be able to offer continuing education units (CEUs) as we've partnered with The Ohio State University's College of Social Work. Additionally, the GLBT Alumni Society – Scarlet & Gay and The Longaberger Alumni House have also been key partners in making this day come together," said Shane Morgan, Founder and Chair of TransOhio. The General Symposium sessions, held both Saturday and Sunday, will occur onsite at the Ohio State University Multicultural Center at the Ohio Union.

"Recently, we've seen several established as well as new medical and legal providers stepping up to learn about the Transgender community and their needs and the issues that are specific to the community. Part of TransOhio's mission is to provide opportunities to continue to develop qualified professionals that the Transgender community can seek out for services," according to TransOhio Board Member Jacob Nash. "People need to know that they have options and need to be able to select a professional who best fits an individual's needs and works for them."

Presentations, workshops and seminars will cover topics such as Health & Safety, Partners, Spouses & Family, Sex & Sexuality, Legal Issues & Employment, Religion and Spirituality, Education & Advocacy and Culture, Media and Arts. Friday night events include a Meet & Greet and the Fabulously Fluid! gender-bending performance showcase. Saturday evening, TransOhio will host a special performance of local performer Sile P. Singleton's – PAINT! A Transformative Project at the Columbus Performing Arts Center's Shedd Theatre in Columbus. PAINT! is set against the backdrop of a socially constructed notion that communities of color are "more homophobic than white communities," Singleton, chases the metaphor of the rainbow from her earliest childhood memories in the church to today's rainbow clad "twirly" boys and "dykes on bikes." Singleton guides the audience through the very personal journey of an American Black Midwest Queer Trans-person and her quest for the symbol of hope and `everlasting inclusion.'

For more information about TransOhio or the 3rd Annual TransOhio Transgender and Ally Symposium, visit www.transohio.org or transohio2010.wordpress.com to register.

Contact:
Shane Morgan
TransOhio
(614) 441-8167
TransOhio@gmail.com
www.transohio.org

Meet Reuben Zellman, Trans Rabbi [trans & religion]

2010-05-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

There is often a preconceived notion that trans people (or LGBT people in general) are not and cannot be religious. While many organized religions still have a lot of "catching up" to do in terms of LGBT acceptance, FTM rabbinical student Reuben Zellman has found his calling and acceptance in reform Judaism.

Reuben also launched TransTorah.org a few years ago, an amazing and comprehensive site for anything Jewish and transgender.

Presidential Memorandum: Hospital Visitation.

2010-05-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Presidential Memorandum - Hospital Visitation

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

SUBJECT: Respecting the Rights of Hospital Patients to Receive Visitors and to Designate Surrogate Decision Makers for Medical Emergencies

There are few moments in our lives that call for greater compassion and companionship than when a loved one is admitted to the hospital. In these hours of need and moments of pain and anxiety, all of us would hope to have a hand to hold, a shoulder on which to lean -- a loved one to be there for us, as we would be there for them.

Yet every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides -- whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay. Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend. Members of religious orders are sometimes unable to choose someone other than an immediate family member to visit them and make medical decisions on their behalf. Also uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives -- unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated.

For all of these Americans, the failure to have their wishes respected concerning who may visit them or make medical decisions on their behalf has real onsequences. It means that doctors and nurses do not always have the best information about patients' medications and medical histories and that friends and certain family members are unable to serve as intermediaries to help communicate patients' needs. It means that a stressful and at times terrifying experience for patients is senselessly compounded by indignity and unfairness. And it means that all too often, people are made to suffer or even to pass away alone, denied the comfort of companionship in their final moments while a loved one is left worrying and pacing down the hall.

Many States have taken steps to try to put an end to these problems. North Carolina recently amended its Patients' Bill of Rights to give each patient "the right to designate visitors who shall receive the same visitation privileges as the patient's immediate family members, regardless of whether the visitors are legally related to the patient" -- a right that applies in every hospital in the State. Delaware, Nebraska, and Minnesota have adopted similar laws.

My Administration can expand on these important steps to ensure that patients can receive compassionate care and equal treatment during their hospital stays. By this memorandum, I request that you take the following steps:

1. Initiate appropriate rulemaking, pursuant to your authority under 42 U.S.C. 1395x and other relevant provisions of law, to ensure that hospitals that participate in Medicare or Medicaid respect the rights of patients to designate visitors. It should be made clear that designated visitors, including individuals designated by legally valid advance directives (such as durable powers of attorney and health care proxies), should enjoy visitation privileges that are no more restrictive than those that immediate family members enjoy. You should also provide that participating hospitals may not deny visitation privileges on the basis of race, color, national
origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. The rulemaking should take into account the need for hospitals to restrict visitation in medically appropriate circumstances as well as the clinical decisions that medical professionals make about a patient's care or treatment.

2. Ensure that all hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid are in full compliance with regulations, codified at 42 CFR 482.13 and 42 CFR 489.102(a), promulgated to guarantee that all patients' advance directives, such as durable powers of attorney and health care proxies, are respected, and that patients' representatives otherwise have the right to make informed decisions regarding patients' care. Additionally, I request that you issue new guidelines, pursuant to your authority under 42 U.S.C. 1395cc and other relevant provisions of law, and provide technical assistance on how hospitals participating in Medicare or Medicaid can best comply with the regulations and take any additional appropriate measures to fully enforce the regulations.

3. Provide additional recommendations to me, within 180 days of the date of this memorandum, on actions the Department of Health and Human Services can take to address hospital visitation, medical decisionmaking, or other health care issues that affect LGBT patients and their families.

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

You are hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

BARACK OBAMA

Falling in Love with a Transgender Man [oprah magazine]

2010-05-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Oprah magazine: Falling in Love with a Transgender Man

For the Bible Tells Me So [documentary film]

2010-05-20T22:19:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful documentary film that takes on the heated debate centered at the intersection of homosexuality and Christianity. Told from a progressive standpoint, this film is truly eye-opening and should be watched by those who oppose homosexuality as well as those who believe homosexuality and Christianity are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Harvard Divinity scholars offer academic testimony while the film also intimately follows the personal lives of several families with gay and lesbian children and the repercussions the hatred of the church has had on their childrens' lives.

For the Bible Tells Me So

Laura Bush Pro-Choice & for Gay Marriage [a little late]

2010-05-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

The former first lady Laura Bush appeared on Larry King Live and admitted she tried to persuade George W. from making gay marriage such a big issue.

Major fail.

Still somewhat consoling to know she has somewhat socially liberal politics.

Shaving Techniques.

2010-05-17T20:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a video from Jason (JayseBallard) demonstrating his shaving techniques.

Here's a fun video from Marek, aka vanness5 , demonstrating shaving with a straight razor:

Diagram of Sex & Gender

2010-05-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

From gendersanity.com:
Diagram of Sex and Gender
BIOLOGICAL SEX
(anatomy, chromosomes, hormones)

male ------------------------------------- intersex ------------------------female

GENDER IDENTITY
(psychological sense of self)

man ---------------------------------- genderqueer/bigender ----------------woman

GENDER EXPRESSION
(communication of gender)

masculine ------------------------------- androgynous --------------------feminine

SEXUAL ORIENTATION
(romantic/erotic response)

attracted to women ------------------ bisexual/asexual --------------------- attracted to men

Biological sex, shown on the top scale, includes external genitalia, internal reproductive structures, chromosomes, hormone levels, and secondary sex characteristics such as breasts, facial and body hair, and fat distribution. These characteristics are objective in that they can be seen and measured (with appropriate technology). The scale consists not just of two categories (male and female) but is actually a continuum, with most people existing somewhere near one end or the other. The space more in the middle is occupied by intersex people (formerly, hermaphrodites), who have combinations of characteristics typical of males and those typical of females, such as both a testis and an ovary, or XY chromosomes (the usual male pattern) and a vagina, or they may have features that are not completely male or completely female, such as an organ that could be thought of as a small penis or a large clitoris, or an XXY chromosomal pattern.

Gender identity is how people think of themselves and identify in terms of sex (man, woman, boy, girl). Gender identity is a psychological quality; unlike biological sex, it can't be observed or measured (at least by current means), only reported by the individual. Like biological sex, it consists of more than two categories, and there's space in the middle for those who identify as genderqueer, bigender or neither gender. We lack language for this intermediate position because everyone in our culture is supposed to identify unequivocally with one of the two extreme categories. In fact, many people feel that they have masculine and feminine aspects of their psyches, and some people, fearing that they do, seek to purge themselves of one or the other by acting in exaggerated sex-stereotyped ways.

Gender expression is everything we do that communicates our sex/gender to others: clothing, hair styles, mannerisms, way of speaking, roles we take in interactions, etc. This communication may be purposeful or accidental. It could also be called social gender because it relates to interactions between people. Trappings of one gender or the other may be forced on us as children or by dress codes at school or work. Gender expression is a continuum, with feminine at one end and masculine at the other. In between are gender expressions that are androgynous (neither masculine nor feminine) and those that combine elements of the two (sometimes called gender bending). Gender expression can vary for an individual from day to day or in different situations, but most people can identify a range on the scale where they feel the most comfortable. Some people are comfortable with a wider range of gender expression than others.

Sexual orientation indicates who we are erotically attracted to. The ends of this scale are labeled "attracted to women" and "attracted to men," rather than "homosexual" and "heterosexual," to avoid confusion as we discuss the concepts of sex and gender. In the mid-range is bisexuality; there are also people who are asexual (attracted to neither men nor women). We tend to think of most people as falling into one of the two extreme categories (attracted to women or attracted to men), whether they are straight or gay, with only a small minority clustering around the bisexual middle. However, Kinsey's studies showed that most people are in fact not at one extreme of this continuum or the other, but occupy some position between.

For each scale, the popular notion that there are two distinct categories, with everyone falling neatly into one or the other, is a social construction. The real world (Nature, if you will) does not observe these boundaries. If we look at what actually exists, we see that there is middle ground. To be sure, most people fall near one end of the scale or the other, but very few people are actually at the extreme ends, and there are people at every point along the continuum.

Gender identity and sexual orientation are resistant to change. Although we don't yet have definitive answers to whether these are the result of biological influences, psychological ones, or both, we do know that they are established very early in life, possibly prenatally, and there are no methods that have been proven effective for changing either of these. Some factors that make up biological sex can be changed, with more or less difficulty. These changes are not limited to people who change their sex: many women undergo breast enlargement, which moves them toward the extreme female end of the scale, and men have penile enlargements to enhance their maleness, for example. Gender expression is quite flexible for some people and more rigid for others. Most people feel strongly about expressing themselves in a way that's consistent with their inner gender identity and experience discomfort when they're not allowed to do so.

The four scales are independent. Our cultural expectation is that men occupy the extreme left ends of all four scales (male, man, masculine, attracted to women) and women occupy the right ends. But a person with male anatomy could be attracted to men (gay man), or could have a gender identity of "woman" (transsexual), or could have a feminine gender expression on occasion (crossdresser). A person with female anatomy could identify as a woman, have a somewhat masculine gender expression, and be attracted to women (butch lesbian). It's a mix-and-match world, and there are as many combinations as there are people who think about their gender.

This schema is not necessarily "reality," but it's probably closer than the two-box system. Reality is undoubtedly more complex. Each of the four scales could be broken out into several scales. For instance, the sex scale could be expanded into separate scales for external genitalia, internal reproductive organs, hormone levels, chromosome patterns, and so forth. An individual would probably not fall on the same place on each of these. "Biological sex" is a summary of scores for several variables.

There are conditions that exist that don't fit anywhere on a continuum: some people have neither the XX (typical female) chromosomal pattern nor the XY pattern typical of males, but it is not clear that other patterns, such as just X, belong anywhere on the scale between XX and XY. Furthermore, the scales may not be entirely separate: if gender identity and sexual orientation are found to have a biological component, they may overlap with the biological sex scale.

Using the model presented here is something like using a spectrum of colors to view the world, instead of only black and white. It doesn't fully account for all the complex shadings that exist, but it gives us a richer, more interesting picture. Why look at the world in black and white when there's a whole rainbow out there?

Talk Stealth to Me [being trans in the south]

2010-05-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

Meet Drew, aka MrTransTalk on the tube. He just graduated college with a BSW in social work, and is going to be vlogging about mental as well as physical health for transgender people. He also will be focusing a lot of vlogs on his experience being stealth in the south.

Check him out! Here is his intro video:

Talk Stealth to Me:

Hir: Awesome Trans Poem

2010-05-11T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a really cool performance of a spoken word piece called "Hir."

Coming Out & LGBT Issues with Allan.

2010-05-10T16:19:00.000-07:00

Meet Allan, aka drallankock on the tube. He has been working with the LGBT community for 20 years and is here to answer any of your questions or just to talk.

You can shoot him a line directly to his gmail, allan.drallankock.kock207@gmail.com to speak with him personally.

Post-Transition Voice: Swimming After Surgery & Locker Rooms.

2010-05-10T16:14:00.000-07:00

Meet Chris, aka islandofmisfits on the tube. He's been on T for four years and had chest surgery last year, and in this video he recounts swimming in a public place for the first time since his chest surgery.

He also talks about his experience in the guy's locker room and how it wasn't as bad as he expected it to be.

Christian: One Day Post-Op with Dr. Medalie in Cleveland, Ohio

2010-05-04T22:54:00.000-07:00

In this video Christian, aka ctshaw84 on the tube shares his top surgery experience with Dr. Medalie in Cleveland, Ohio. He is 26 years old, got double incision, and just had surgery done on the 24th of April.

Send some well wishes his way for a speedy recovery!

Statement on Gender Incongruence in Adolescents in the DSM-5

2010-05-04T22:43:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE

TransActive Education & Advocacy "TransActive"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 13, 2010

Contact: Jenn Burleton, Executive Director
Phone: 503-252-3000
Email: jenn@transactiveonline.org
Website: www.transactiveonline.org

TransActive Education & Advocacy Fully Endorses Statement by
"Professionals Concerned About Gender Diagnoses in the DSM"

We recognize that gender dysphoria in youth is a serious issue and may require medical intervention as well as therapeutic support. For those youth who identify as transgender or transsexual, or who express gender dysphoria and discomfort with their anatomical body, early intervention can alleviate future difficulties, and can assist young people to mature in their affirmed gender identity. This is consistent with the American Psychological Association’s goal of promoting “legal and social recognition of transgender individuals with their gender identity and expression” and is especially important for adolescents who typically lack the resources and authority to achieve this goal without clinician assistance.

Statement on Gender Incongruence in Adolescents in the DSM-5

by Professionals Concerned with Gender Diagnoses in the DSM

We are mental health and medical professionals, clinicians, researchers and scholars concerned about psychiatric nomenclature and diagnostic criteria for gender-variant, gender-nonconforming, transgender and transsexual people in the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), and call ourselves Professionals Concerned About Gender Diagnoses in the DSM. Below are our suggestions for the diagnosis of Gender Incongruence (in Adolescents) in the DSM 5.

Our group recommends a separate diagnostic category for adolescents. Adolescent issues are markedly different from those facing pre-pubescent children and those experienced by adults. Adolescent sexual and gender development are complex processes (Pleak 2009; Striepe & Tolman 2003) and should be clearly separated out with the DSM from the presenting issues of prepubescent children and/or adults.

We recognize that gender dysphoria in youth is a serious issue and may require medical intervention (Spack, 2009), as well as therapeutic support. For those youth who identify as transgender or transsexual, or who express gender dysphoria and discomfort with their anatomical body, early intervention can alleviate future difficulties, and can assist young people to mature in their affirmed gender identity (Cooper 1999). This is consistent with the American Psychological Association’s goal of promoting “legal and social recognition of transgender individuals with their gender identity and expression” (APA 2009, para. 18) and is especially important for adolescents who typically lack the resources and authority to achieve this goal without clinician assistance.

We also recognize the severe harm that can occur and the future problems that can be averted by clinician responsiveness to adolescents requesting assistance toward living in a manner consistent with their gender identities and expression. We therefore support providing reversible hormone blockers to teenagers who are capable of giving informed consent (Gross, 2001) based on scientific evidence that clearly documents successful outcomes for transitioning teenagers (Cohen-Kettenis, Delemarre-van de Waal, & Gooren, 2008). Many adolescents who are forced to wait to access hormones or hormone blockers access gender-aligning medications in dangerous environments without proper monitoring (Rosario, 2009); for this reason, we caution against a 6 month waiting limit, as adolescent mental health can deteriorate rapidly when youth are forced to endure the traumatic experience of daily life in bodies that do not meet their psychosocial needs.

We further caution clinicians against imposing specific packages of medical interventions or dictating the order in which youth receive particular medical interventions, as adolescents’ needs vary considerably and should be addressed, based on individual self-reported need or request.While medical intervention are essential for some youth, others may seek legal or social recognition without any gender-aligning medical interventions. Youth who are utilizing gender-aligning medical interventions, and those who have successfully transitioned without medical interventions, should be considered to have achieved gender alignment.

We believe the focus of this diagnosis should be on dysphoria (defined as distress, extreme discomfort, or an emotional state of dis-ease), because it is discomfort, not a particular gender identity or expression, that is the psychological issue. It is essential that the diagnostic criteria focus on anatomical distress or distress with current assigned gender role, with explicit verbalization from the youth that his or her current gender role or anatomical sex does not match his or her internal sense of gender. Gender dysphoria may also be manifested by distress or discomfort with deprivation (Vitale 2001) of social role or anatomy that is congruent with experienced gender identity. Experienced gender is not limited to fixed binary roles, but may encompass fluidity, masculinity, femininity, both, or neither.

It is important to note that social role transition, or Real Life Experience (WPATH 2001), and puberty blocking medical care in adolescence may have diagnostic value in clarifying gender dysphoria. While transition to an affirmed social role may relieve the distress of gender role dysphoria, transitioned youth may still suffer anatomic dysphoria and remain particularly distressed about anticipated pubertal changes associated with their natal sex. It must be carefully stated that the diagnostic threshold is distress related to assigned gender role or physical sex characteristics and not gender nonconformity due to social expectations of normative gender (Vanderburgh 2009).

Finally, we suggest restoration of a clinical significance criterion, which would clarify that distress, discomfort or impairment must meet a threshold of severity. This would limit false positive diagnosis of gender nonconforming youth who would not benefit from diagnosis. It is crucial, however, that this criterion exclude distress or impairment that is caused by societal prejudice or discrimination. To cast victimization as symptomatic of mental illness would inflict further harm upon victims of prejudice.

Our Suggested Diagnostic Criteria for Gender Incongruence in Adolescents:

A. In youth who have reached the earlier of age 13 or Tanner Stage II of pubertal development, a distressing sense of incongruence between persistent experienced or expressed gender and current physical sex characteristics or assigned gender role, as manifested by the youth’s self-report or documentable observation of at least one of the following indicators for a duration of at least 3 months. Incongruence, for this purpose, does not mean gender expression that is nonconforming to social stereotypes of assigned gender role or natal sex.

1. A distress or discomfort with living in the present gender or being perceived by others as the present gender, which is distinct from the experiences of discrimination or the societal expectations associated with that gender.

2. A distress or discomfort caused by deprivation of gender expression congruent with persistent experienced gender. Experienced gender may include alternative gender identities beyond binary stereotypes.

3. A distress or discomfort with one’s current primary or secondary sex characteristics that are incongruent with persistent experienced gender or with anticipated pubertal development associated with natal sex.

4. A distress or discomfort caused by deprivation of primary or secondary sex characteristics that are congruent with persistent experienced gender or with anticipated deprivation of congruent physical sex characteristics after puberty.

B. Distress or discomfort is clinically significant or causes impairment in social, educational or other important areas of functioning, and is not due to external prejudice or discrimination

References:

Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., Delemarre-van de Waal, H. A., & Gooren, L. J. G. (2008).The treatment of adolescent transsexuals: Changing insights. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5(8), 1892–1897.

Cohen-Kettenis, P. et al. (2010). “Gender identity disorder in adolescents or adults,” American Psychiatric Association DSM-5 Development. Available online: http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevisions/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=482#

Cooper, K. (1999). Practice with transgendered youth and their families. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services: Issues in Practice, Policy & Research, 10, 111-129.

Gross, B. H. (2001). Informed consent. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, 4, 24.

Nuttbrock, L., Hwahng, S., Bockting. W., Rosenblum, A., Mason, M., Macri, M., & Becker J. (2010). Psychiatric impact of gender-related abuse across the life course of male-to-female transgender persons. Journal of Sex Research, 47(1), 12–23.

Pleak, R.R. (2009). Formation of transgender identities in adolescence. Journal of Gay &Lesbian Mental Health, 13(4), 282 -291.

Rosario, Vernon A.(2009). African-American transgender youth. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 13(4), 298 — 308.

Spack, Norman P. (2009). An endocrine perspective on the care of transgender adolescents’, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 13(4), 309 — 319.

Striepe, M.I, and Tolman, D. L. (2003). Mom, dad, I’m straight: The coming out of gender ideologies in adolescent sexual-identity development. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 32(4), 523-530.

Vitale A. M. (2001). Implications of being gender gysphoric: A developmental review, Gender and Psychoanalysis, An Interdisciplinary Journal, 6(2), 121-141.

World Professional Association for Transgender Health (2001). Standards of Care for Gender Identity Disorders Sixth Version, Available online: http://wpath.org/Documents2/socv6.pdf

Yunger, J.L., Carver, P.R, & Perry, D.G. (2004). Does gender identity influence children’s psychological well-being? Developmental Psychology, 40(4), 572–582.

TransActive educates the public on subjects useful to the individual and beneficial to the community. We provide necessary support to improve the quality of life of transgender and gender non-conforming children, youth and their families through education, services, advocacy and research.

Transitioning in High School.

2010-05-02T18:55:00.000-07:00

Here is a video from Shye, aka ShyeAustin on the tube.

He is a 17 year old transguy from Florida and is currently transitioning in high school. I know a lot of guys look back and wish they could have transitioned in high school, but transitioning at a young age presents a whole set of problems- as Shye says, it's hard sometimes having no one to talk to about his trans status at school, and often is the subject of harsh words from his classmates questioning his gender.

This does not go to say that transitioning young is a completely negative experience- it is not; in fact, it is amazing guys can transition so young now and be themselves and get the male socialization many of us feel we missed out on.

He has disabled embedding on his videos, but you can check out his intro video here and his week 40 shot video here.

A Passing Story.

2010-05-02T03:31:00.000-07:00

In this video Cam (feedthefire32) tells a funny (and uplifting) story of passing very well while getting his fingerprints done for his name change.

Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen [trans documentary]

2010-05-02T03:27:00.000-07:00

Check out the film "Still Black: A Portrait of Black Transmen."

The "New" Queer Identity: Bois.

2010-05-01T09:48:00.000-07:00

Video: A Boi's Life

From the video info:

An intimate look at a slice of the new generation of queer identity: bois. Boi is a term used in the queer community to refer to a person's sexual and gender identity, and it may include: a person who looks and acts like a young, heterosexual male and partakes in casual sex, a transman, an FTM or female to male, a submissive butch, or a bisexual gay with effeminate traits.

Born in the Wrong Body?

2010-04-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

Xavier (laidbaqq) did an amazingly honest, raw video about dysphoria and what it feels like to be "born in the wrong body," which is a sentiment many trans people can relate to.

Body: Pre-Testosterone Physique.

2010-04-30T21:53:00.000-07:00

This guy (SuperIronfreak) should give every pre-testosterone transman a glimmer of hope- I can't imagine what a beast he will be on T! He's 22, from Texas, and about to start T soon. Given his amazingly muscular physique pre-testosterone, I cannot wait to see this guy's progress on T!

Amazing Transition Video.

2010-04-30T17:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most amazing transition videos I've ever seen. Skylarkeleven made it. Check him out.

You can also listen to some tunes of his on MySpace here.

Female-to-Male Transsexual Issues with Jamison Green.

2010-04-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

Being Trans Is Ok. I Like Being Trans. [self acceptance is the answer]

2010-04-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

Variations in Bodies [trans people aren't the only ones who struggle!]

2010-04-27T16:44:00.001-07:00

As trans people we often get so caught up in our body dysphoria and trans plight that we forget cisgender people struggle with body image issues as well. This video beautifully illustrates the variations found in all bodies.

A Name Story.

2010-04-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

This is a touching name story from chief845214. He talks about how his dad helped him come up with his male name, which was especially important to him because his dad also named him at birth.

New & Noteworthy: FtMNorway.

2010-04-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Meet Leo, aka FtMNorway on YouTube. He is 21 years old, has a twin sister, and is a musician and composer.

Check him out!

Unisex Bathrooms - Safe2Pee.org.

2010-04-26T15:07:00.000-07:00

Navigating public restrooms can be difficult for trans and intersex people.

Luckily Safe2Pee.org keeps a list of all unisex restrooms in the states.

Being Intersex, Public Restrooms, and Keeping an Open Mind.

2010-04-26T00:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a video from openheartzoo that really struck a chord with me. In this video Bo speaks about the difficulties trans and intersex people face with everyday situations (most) cisgender take for granted- specifically in this case, using public restrooms.

Also, Bo makes a good point in the video that just because "you have a friend" that is a certain way or lives a particular lifestyle, that it does not make you an expert in that subject.

We all need to keep our minds open.

To All of the Kick Ass, Beautiful Fierce Femmes Out There [awesome poetry]

2010-04-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

This is just so amazing in so many ways, you just have to watch it for yourself.

New & Noteworthy: Mike (DutchTransguy91)

2010-04-18T12:30:00.001-07:00

Meet Mike (DutchTransguy91), an 18 year-old guy from the Netherlands. He is just starting his transition and is new to YouTube, so take a minute to get to know him.

The embedding is disabled on his intro video, but you can watch it here.

Here is his second video:

New & Noteworthy: Edward (TheEdman93)

2010-04-18T11:06:00.001-07:00

Meet Ed (TheEdman93), a 16-year-old guy from the UK new to YouTube.

I Got a Sex Change with My Best Friend! [documentary: parts 1 & 2]

2010-04-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

In the spring of 2007 I made a short documentary film while in college about my best friend Troy (tro23y on YouTube) getting our chest surgeries done together in December of 2006. We went to Dr. Beverly Fischer in Baltimore (Timonium), Maryland.

Chest surgery was one of the most moving and empowering experiences I have ever had, and I can wholeheartedly say it was made 1,000 times better by having it done with Troy.

Dr. Perovic, Trans Surgeon, Dead at 72.

2010-04-14T02:29:00.000-07:00

Dr. Sava Perovic, gender reassignment surgery pioneer, has died in Serbia. He was 72 years old.

According to Yahoo news:

Perovic, a respected urologist, began gender reassignment surgery in the 1980s in Belgrade and soon became a leading expert.

With his team, he performed a number of surgeries abroad, mostly in Asia, including urologic and genital corrective procedures.

Perovic died after a long illness, the reports said without giving details. His funeral would be held on Thursday in Belgrade.

I was not aware Dr. Perovic had battled a long illness; my thoughts go out to his family. Dr. Perovic drastically improved FTM lower surgery throughout his career and his death will be mourned in the trans community.

This Week.

2010-04-14T02:25:00.000-07:00

It's only Wednesday and this week has already had its fair share of ups and downs; as you can see, cake makes everything better.

I Got a Formspring! [ask me anything]

2010-04-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

I registered an account over at Formspring.com, so feel free to head over there and ask me some questions!

http://www.formspring.me/charlesasher

Also, it's true. My hair is gone.

The Penis Video [i'll answer your questions]

2010-04-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by my blog! As I promised in my last YouTube video log, I will answer any & all penis questions you might have.

Leave a comment here or send an e-mail to charlesasheryt@gmail.com if you do not feel comfortable asking your question publicly.

Dysphoria and Sex

2010-03-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

CodyOriole did an excellent video inquiring if sexual dyphoria improves after starting testosterone; the short answer is it does!

Here is my response.

Choosing a Name

2010-03-18T17:40:00.001-07:00

Jakftm did a video on choosing a name, and I think this is a common problem many trans people face, so here is my response to him; his video no longer appears to be available.

Trans Artwork - Amazing Paintings by Cobi Moules

2010-03-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

Check out these paintings by this awesome artist Cobi Moules.

My favorite image is located here.

Trans Thought of the Day: Parent/Dating Rant

2010-03-02T23:00:00.001-08:00

Snipncody, aka Shaun did a short video venting about his mother always questioning the sexuality of the women he is interested in. I responded back to him also expressing my frustration with how my mother always inquires if the woman I am interested in/seeing know my trans status.

It makes you feel invisible sometimes; I just want to be human and not have to think about "transy" things for one day.

LGBT Social Stress - One Thing I Hate About Being Gay!

2010-03-01T01:20:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from imawsome202. She doesn't identify as trans, but she does identify as lesbian and made this video ranting about some of the social stress that she (and her girlfriend) have to deal with that directly results from her sexuality; it is the same kind of social stress trans people have to deal with on many levels and I thought many people could relate to this video.

She's sick of people staring at her and her girlfriend when at parties and other social situations; I can relate, I've often been stared down at parties, dehumanized, invalidated, and left feeling like some kind of alien.

As someone who was been othered, I find living in an environment like San Francisco where heteronormativity is actively challenged and rejected everyday certainly has helped me to feel less isolated.

Urban Exploration: Chicago

2010-02-28T20:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Welcome to the first post in the "Urban Exploration" series! One of my favorite things to do is document San Francisco while I'm out and about as I'm a big fan of urban living. I saw this video from JayYankee88 exploring Chicago, and it inspired this series.

Here he is exploring Chicago, Illinois.

London Pride & Trans Youth Network

2010-02-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from Karl, aka grimreaper636. The first is about his experience at London Pride last year and also gives some information about the Trans Youth Network, which Karl has found to be a helpful resource in coming out as queer youth.

You can check out the Queer Youth Network here.

Karl also has another video in which I am mentioned as one of his role models, among several other great guys.

Check out the Official FTM UK Colab Channel!