Showing posts with label transgender. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transgender. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
TV shows
There's been some interesting TV shows on recently. Not on the networks, since they're all in repeats for the summer.
On PBS we watched "Man in an Orange Shirt". This was written by author Patrick Gale and was essentially 2 stories, 1 set in the 1940s and the other set in modern
time. The stories deal with love, "gay shame", and families' ways of
dealing with gay family members. The 1st story focuses on Michael
Berryman (played by the uber adorable Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and boyfriend Thomas March, both soldiers until the war ended in the mid 1940s. The 2nd story focuses on veterinarian Adam Berryman (the grandson of Michael) and Steve, the owner of a pet treated by Adam. Flora Berryman (played by Vanessa Redgrave) is the wife of Michael and grandmother of Adam, and is the connecting thread of the 2 stories. The stories were sensitive, the acting was brilliant, and the cinematography was lovely. All in all a very well-done program that left me wanting more. "Man in an Orange Shirt" can be viewed on-demand from your cable provider or on the PBS website.
On FX we're watching the series "Pose". Set in the late 80s, this series explores the NYC ball culture, AIDS fear, and the lives and struggles of several transgender characters. The series showcases many transgender actors as well as Tony Award winner (Kinky Boots) Billy Porter who is phenomenal in this role as the legendary ball announcer. The series is created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, known for their work on "Glee", "American Horror Story" and "American Crime Story". Unlike "Glee", this show takes a deeper look into the complex lives of the characters and is both poignant and fun. If you're not already watching, you can catch up by watching on-demand. Current episodes air on Sun nights.
Have you watched either show? If so, what did you think?
On PBS we watched "Man in an Orange Shirt". This was written by author Patrick Gale and was essentially 2 stories, 1 set in the 1940s and the other set in modern
time. The stories deal with love, "gay shame", and families' ways of
dealing with gay family members. The 1st story focuses on Michael
Berryman (played by the uber adorable Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and boyfriend Thomas March, both soldiers until the war ended in the mid 1940s. The 2nd story focuses on veterinarian Adam Berryman (the grandson of Michael) and Steve, the owner of a pet treated by Adam. Flora Berryman (played by Vanessa Redgrave) is the wife of Michael and grandmother of Adam, and is the connecting thread of the 2 stories. The stories were sensitive, the acting was brilliant, and the cinematography was lovely. All in all a very well-done program that left me wanting more. "Man in an Orange Shirt" can be viewed on-demand from your cable provider or on the PBS website.
On FX we're watching the series "Pose". Set in the late 80s, this series explores the NYC ball culture, AIDS fear, and the lives and struggles of several transgender characters. The series showcases many transgender actors as well as Tony Award winner (Kinky Boots) Billy Porter who is phenomenal in this role as the legendary ball announcer. The series is created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, known for their work on "Glee", "American Horror Story" and "American Crime Story". Unlike "Glee", this show takes a deeper look into the complex lives of the characters and is both poignant and fun. If you're not already watching, you can catch up by watching on-demand. Current episodes air on Sun nights.Have you watched either show? If so, what did you think?
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Becoming Us
Spouse sometimes brings magazines home from his trainer visits. As I flipped through OUT or Advocate (I can't remember which) I saw an ad for a TV show called "Becoming Us" on the ABC Family channel, with the tagline "Gender may bend but family never breaks"
I made a mental note of the show's title so I could look for it on demand.
That night there was nothing good to watch on regular TV so I popped over to the on demand menu and found "Becoming Us". I watched 2 episodes that night, and the remaining 3 episodes last night.
Its a documentary-style show about 16-year old Ben, his older sister Sutton, and his parents Suzy and Carly who are divorced. Carly is a trans woman who used to be Charlie, Ben's dad.
By sheer coincidence, Ben has a 17-year old girlfriend Danielle whose father Dan is also transitioning. Also in the show are Ben's best friend Ayton, his girlfriend Brook, and her brother Lathan.
This show isn't really about being a trans person. It deals with typical family issues like Ben not applying himself in school and Sutton's engagement and upcoming wedding, but also includes the family members' varying reactions and relationships with the trans people in their family. Its kind of like the way "Modern Family" isn't about a gay couple with a young daughter, although it includes them in a very integrated way. This is a documentary-style show, not a scripted one, so things don't always work out in the end, but I find it very interesting to have a look into the lives of a family with a transgender parent.
If your cable provider offers ABC Family, you can watch the 5 episodes shown so far on demand or on your computer at their website. New episodes air on Mon nights. Let me know if you've seen this and what you think of it.
That night there was nothing good to watch on regular TV so I popped over to the on demand menu and found "Becoming Us". I watched 2 episodes that night, and the remaining 3 episodes last night.
Its a documentary-style show about 16-year old Ben, his older sister Sutton, and his parents Suzy and Carly who are divorced. Carly is a trans woman who used to be Charlie, Ben's dad.
By sheer coincidence, Ben has a 17-year old girlfriend Danielle whose father Dan is also transitioning. Also in the show are Ben's best friend Ayton, his girlfriend Brook, and her brother Lathan.
This show isn't really about being a trans person. It deals with typical family issues like Ben not applying himself in school and Sutton's engagement and upcoming wedding, but also includes the family members' varying reactions and relationships with the trans people in their family. Its kind of like the way "Modern Family" isn't about a gay couple with a young daughter, although it includes them in a very integrated way. This is a documentary-style show, not a scripted one, so things don't always work out in the end, but I find it very interesting to have a look into the lives of a family with a transgender parent.
If your cable provider offers ABC Family, you can watch the 5 episodes shown so far on demand or on your computer at their website. New episodes air on Mon nights. Let me know if you've seen this and what you think of it.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
New Girls
I started watching a new show on the Discovery Life network called "New Girls on the Block". It focuses on 6 transgender women who live in Kansas City. Let's meet the cast:
Jaime and AiYana both used to be straight men, but are now lesbians in a relationship with each other.
Chloe and Kassidy are best friends and used to be roommates until Kassidy moved to TX for a new job. Kassidy returns to Kansas City frequently to hang with her friends.
Robyn is in a hetero relationship with Andrew, who was Robyn's best friend when she used to be male. "We went from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend" she says in the opening.
Macy used to be Ken, and is still married to and living with her wife of several years, Sharon.
While I guess this show is technically a reality show, it is not at all like the other reality shows that are far from reality. (Read: The Real Housewives, The Shahs of Sunset, etc.) This show has more of a documentary feeling, and I'm enjoying learning more about the challenges and rewards of transitioning. I have no interest in changing genders but I have a lot of respect for those brave enough to undertake it. I've seen several shows over the years that have focused on the preparation to transition and the beginnings of it. This is the first show I've seen that is entirely focused on life after transitioning.
I encourage you to give this show a try! "New Girls on the Block" airs on Sat nights. Find your channel and show time here.
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
Prime directive
So the other day I was looking on Amazon for a new laptop bag. My old one doesn't have handles and Walter chewed off one of the zipper pulls. I found this snappy red one with retractable handles for $21.99 which I thought to be a reasonable price.Then I saw that the shipping and handling was $8.54 which I thought to be UNreasonable. I mean, its basically neoprene and weighs nothing.
This led mean to think again about an Amazon Prime membership. If I were a Prime member, this item would be on my doorstep in 2 days for free. But would I order enough stuff to justify the $99. annual membership fee? Conversations with my colleagues at work revealed that all of them are Prime members and they enjoy not only free shipping on lots of stuff, but also free movies and TV series (streamed like Netflix), and now free music too.
One of my colleagues said that when she realizes she's a couple days from needing diapers, she just orders them from Amazon and they arrive on her doorstep. No need to make a special trip to the store and lug home a heavy/bulky box of diapers.
Then I remembered Joe P telling us about an Amazon Prime original series called Transparent that he really liked. (It has 2 Golden Globe nominations.) So I clicked on the Prime tab and saw that they offer a free month's subscription, so I signed up. I immediately got free shipping and 2-day delivery of my snappy red laptop bag, and then went home and began watching Transparent.
Its about a divorced couple and their adult children, all of whom have their own issues. Dad begins a journey to become a transgendered woman (hence the title), mom is dealing with the terminal illness of her 2nd husband, son Josh sleeps with every woman he meets and then thinks he's in love with each of them, older daughter Sarah leaves her husband and children to rekindle a romance with an old girlfriend, and younger daughter Ali struggles with the monotony of life despite having no job or responsibilities to tie her down. We loved it and watched all 10 episodes within 24 hours!
I haven't spent much time perusing the other original series and movies available, but I'm going to try to get as much viewing as possible done during my free 30-day trial membership. Then I'll decide if the $99. annual membership is worth it.
Anyone else have Amazon Prime? What do you think?
Friday, June 21, 2013
Another step
Friday, June 14, 2013
More equality
As if getting same sex marriage in DE earlier this year wasn't enough, there is now an effort to pass a gender identity nondiscrimination act too. Even more equality!!
It is looking very good that this legislation will pass, and our fabulous Governor Jack Markell has always been committed to equality for all Delawareans. Very exciting!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
IDAHO
No, not the state, but rather the effort. IDAHO stands for Internation Day Against HOmophobia, and includes Transphobia.
Spouse's brother-in-law sent me the following article. It was pasted into an email so I don't know the source, but thought I'd share it anyway. I was a bit surprised I'd not seen anything about this on the blogs I read, but then again, my blog reading has been very light recently. Enjoy!
On May 17, human rights activists and concerned individuals from around the world will once again mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. However, as awareness of and support for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people expands globally, advocacy groups and individuals have faced pushback in the form of increased violence and stigmatization in many areas—often with dire consequences. Last Friday in the Russian city of Volgograd, 23-year-old Vladislav Tornovoi was tortured and killed, with initial reports indicating that he was attacked after coming out as gay to several companions.
Discrimination and violence against LGBTI people is a worldwide phenomenon. The Trans Murder Monitoring Project’s 2012 global figures show that 265 transgender people were victims of violent killings in the previous 12 months, an increase of almost 20 percent from the preceding year. The intensity and brutality of the violence inflicted on gay men in Iraq is arguably the worst in the world, and the Kuwaiti authorities recently trumpeted the arrest of 215 gay men and lesbians, following a similar operation last year that affected 149 people identified by police as gay or transgender. But these problems are not limited to authoritarian states in Eurasia and the Middle East. Democratic Brazil, home to very public annual gay pride parades, has the highest rate of LGBTI murders in the world. And in the United States, federal government statistics show that the share of hate crimes targeting LGBTI people ranks second only to those motivated by race.
In many countries these sorts of crimes regularly go unpunished or unrecorded, and are rarely classified as hate crimes. Some governments, like Russia’s, not only callously disregard such abuses, but actively encourage prejudice, stigmatization, and adverse stereotyping of LGBTI people.
The old “deviance” arguments still cited by many states to justify the criminalization and persecution of LGBTI individuals or their behavior have been thoroughly discredited in light of scientific information about the nature of sexual orientation and gender identity. Many in the international community have responded accordingly, invoking universal principles of human rights to check ongoing discrimination and violence against LGBTI people around the world. In June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution sponsored by South Africa, along with 38 other countries, that condemned human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Nevertheless, criminalization and attempts at criminalization have continued, and new homophobic and transphobic tactics have emerged. Some government leaders join intolerant nonstate actors—including certain religious figures—in advancing absurd claims that their young people are being “recruited” into homosexual or transgender “lifestyles.” In Russia, at least 10 regional legislatures have already imposed fines for promoting homosexuality among minors, and a federal bill that would ban “homosexual propaganda” has easily passed its first reading in the lower house of parliament. Uganda’s notorious Bahati Bill, which has teetered on the verge of passage in Uganda’s parliament since 2009, has now been reframed to outlaw the “promotion” of homosexuality and the “inducement of children.” Such efforts should be seen for what they are—brazen attempts to stigmatize and fuel fear and hatred against LGBTI people, often for political reasons.
LGBTI individuals do not seek special rights or privileges. They are simply entitled to the same freedoms and protections that everyone should enjoy under international human rights norms and laws. The most prevalent demands are the rights to free association, free expression, privacy, and authenticity (in other words, the right to be oneself).
A robust concept of human rights extends beyond legal systems to encompass the social practices by which these rights are realized on a daily basis. There is an important distinction between possession of a right, the legal enforceability of that right, and the respect a right receives in practice. Many governments have accepted their obligation to uphold human rights for LGBTI people in law and policy, only to struggle with implementation due to a lack of political will or capacity, or in the face of ongoing societal discrimination. Far worse are the states that have not only denied LGBTI people their basic human rights, but also legitimized and encouraged societal hostility through their laws, policies, and actions.
Freedom House works closely with human rights defenders in a range of political environments around the world to raise awareness, improve recognition of and respect for the human rights of LGBTI people, and address any lack of political will when it comes to enforcement. On May 17 we stand in solidarity with all human rights defenders, including those who identify as LGBTI, as we commit ourselves to the pursuit of a world in which human diversity is honored and valued, and human rights are enjoyed equally by everyone.
gainst Homophobia and Transphobia. However, as awareness of and support for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people expands globally, advocacy groups and individuals have faced pushback in the form of increased violence and stigmatization in many areas—often with dire consequences. Last Friday in the Russian city of Volgograd, 23-year-old Vladislav Tornovoi was tortured and killed, with initial reports indicating that he was attacked after coming out as gay to several companions.
Spouse's brother-in-law sent me the following article. It was pasted into an email so I don't know the source, but thought I'd share it anyway. I was a bit surprised I'd not seen anything about this on the blogs I read, but then again, my blog reading has been very light recently. Enjoy!
On May 17, human rights activists and concerned individuals from around the world will once again mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. However, as awareness of and support for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people expands globally, advocacy groups and individuals have faced pushback in the form of increased violence and stigmatization in many areas—often with dire consequences. Last Friday in the Russian city of Volgograd, 23-year-old Vladislav Tornovoi was tortured and killed, with initial reports indicating that he was attacked after coming out as gay to several companions.Discrimination and violence against LGBTI people is a worldwide phenomenon. The Trans Murder Monitoring Project’s 2012 global figures show that 265 transgender people were victims of violent killings in the previous 12 months, an increase of almost 20 percent from the preceding year. The intensity and brutality of the violence inflicted on gay men in Iraq is arguably the worst in the world, and the Kuwaiti authorities recently trumpeted the arrest of 215 gay men and lesbians, following a similar operation last year that affected 149 people identified by police as gay or transgender. But these problems are not limited to authoritarian states in Eurasia and the Middle East. Democratic Brazil, home to very public annual gay pride parades, has the highest rate of LGBTI murders in the world. And in the United States, federal government statistics show that the share of hate crimes targeting LGBTI people ranks second only to those motivated by race.
In many countries these sorts of crimes regularly go unpunished or unrecorded, and are rarely classified as hate crimes. Some governments, like Russia’s, not only callously disregard such abuses, but actively encourage prejudice, stigmatization, and adverse stereotyping of LGBTI people.
The old “deviance” arguments still cited by many states to justify the criminalization and persecution of LGBTI individuals or their behavior have been thoroughly discredited in light of scientific information about the nature of sexual orientation and gender identity. Many in the international community have responded accordingly, invoking universal principles of human rights to check ongoing discrimination and violence against LGBTI people around the world. In June 2011, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution sponsored by South Africa, along with 38 other countries, that condemned human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Nevertheless, criminalization and attempts at criminalization have continued, and new homophobic and transphobic tactics have emerged. Some government leaders join intolerant nonstate actors—including certain religious figures—in advancing absurd claims that their young people are being “recruited” into homosexual or transgender “lifestyles.” In Russia, at least 10 regional legislatures have already imposed fines for promoting homosexuality among minors, and a federal bill that would ban “homosexual propaganda” has easily passed its first reading in the lower house of parliament. Uganda’s notorious Bahati Bill, which has teetered on the verge of passage in Uganda’s parliament since 2009, has now been reframed to outlaw the “promotion” of homosexuality and the “inducement of children.” Such efforts should be seen for what they are—brazen attempts to stigmatize and fuel fear and hatred against LGBTI people, often for political reasons.
LGBTI individuals do not seek special rights or privileges. They are simply entitled to the same freedoms and protections that everyone should enjoy under international human rights norms and laws. The most prevalent demands are the rights to free association, free expression, privacy, and authenticity (in other words, the right to be oneself).
A robust concept of human rights extends beyond legal systems to encompass the social practices by which these rights are realized on a daily basis. There is an important distinction between possession of a right, the legal enforceability of that right, and the respect a right receives in practice. Many governments have accepted their obligation to uphold human rights for LGBTI people in law and policy, only to struggle with implementation due to a lack of political will or capacity, or in the face of ongoing societal discrimination. Far worse are the states that have not only denied LGBTI people their basic human rights, but also legitimized and encouraged societal hostility through their laws, policies, and actions.
Freedom House works closely with human rights defenders in a range of political environments around the world to raise awareness, improve recognition of and respect for the human rights of LGBTI people, and address any lack of political will when it comes to enforcement. On May 17 we stand in solidarity with all human rights defenders, including those who identify as LGBTI, as we commit ourselves to the pursuit of a world in which human diversity is honored and valued, and human rights are enjoyed equally by everyone.
gainst Homophobia and Transphobia. However, as awareness of and support for the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) people expands globally, advocacy groups and individuals have faced pushback in the form of increased violence and stigmatization in many areas—often with dire consequences. Last Friday in the Russian city of Volgograd, 23-year-old Vladislav Tornovoi was tortured and killed, with initial reports indicating that he was attacked after coming out as gay to several companions.
Friday, September 02, 2011
Friday fragments
Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.
Tomorrow night is the last night of Legends show series. I'm really sad to see it come to an end since it has been such a pleasure to perform in it. I'm happy to be in the very last performance tomorrow night though.
This video had me completely mesmerized!
I had 2 settlements this week, 1 on Mon and 1 today, so you know that THAT means... commission checks!!!
Its hard enough when an adult feels they are transgender, born in the wrong gender body. But this amazing story is about a 10-year old who has made this same discovery. Even more amazing? Her parents understand and support here. Watch the video here.
This is Labor Day weekend and I am scheduled to work on Sat. I'm supposed to be off on Sun but I am showing property to a young couple who work opposite schedules and are only off on Sun together. Although my office is open 1/2 day on Mon I'm not going in. I'm hoping to spend the day at the beach, weather permitting.
Here's wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend!
Tomorrow night is the last night of Legends show series. I'm really sad to see it come to an end since it has been such a pleasure to perform in it. I'm happy to be in the very last performance tomorrow night though.
This video had me completely mesmerized!
I had 2 settlements this week, 1 on Mon and 1 today, so you know that THAT means... commission checks!!!
Its hard enough when an adult feels they are transgender, born in the wrong gender body. But this amazing story is about a 10-year old who has made this same discovery. Even more amazing? Her parents understand and support here. Watch the video here.
This is Labor Day weekend and I am scheduled to work on Sat. I'm supposed to be off on Sun but I am showing property to a young couple who work opposite schedules and are only off on Sun together. Although my office is open 1/2 day on Mon I'm not going in. I'm hoping to spend the day at the beach, weather permitting.
Here's wishing everyone a fun and safe holiday weekend!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Trans news
I have always had a soft spot in my heart for transgender folks. As they would explain, their bodies do not match the gender of their minds and hearts. Just imagine for a moment how it might feel if everything about you inside indicated you were male, yet your body was clearly female.
Some embark on the long road of transitioning their bodies from one gender to another, which can last years. Most start with 'top' surgery to either acquire or remove breasts. Some also have 'bottom' surgery to reinvent their genitalia, although this is far less common than top surgery due to the complexity and cost. Some also have other cosmetic surgeries to alter their appearance. All trans people must take testosterone or female hormones to begin the transition. Psychological counseling is also required for those who desire and can afford 'bottom' surgery.
I found it interesting when this story appeared in my local paper. Apparently some male-to-female (MTF) transgender folks were topless on the beach, despite having female breasts. Fortunately they complied with requests to cover up, in accordance with local decency laws. It appears the local police treated the trans folks fairly and sensitively.
Then today a friend sent me this story about how the US government is making it easier for transitioning people to change the gender on their passports. It seems that 'top' or 'bottom' surgery used to be a requirement , but now it is not, providing they have a letter from a physician.
Crush du Jour: Alfonso Herrera
Some embark on the long road of transitioning their bodies from one gender to another, which can last years. Most start with 'top' surgery to either acquire or remove breasts. Some also have 'bottom' surgery to reinvent their genitalia, although this is far less common than top surgery due to the complexity and cost. Some also have other cosmetic surgeries to alter their appearance. All trans people must take testosterone or female hormones to begin the transition. Psychological counseling is also required for those who desire and can afford 'bottom' surgery.
I found it interesting when this story appeared in my local paper. Apparently some male-to-female (MTF) transgender folks were topless on the beach, despite having female breasts. Fortunately they complied with requests to cover up, in accordance with local decency laws. It appears the local police treated the trans folks fairly and sensitively.
Then today a friend sent me this story about how the US government is making it easier for transitioning people to change the gender on their passports. It seems that 'top' or 'bottom' surgery used to be a requirement , but now it is not, providing they have a letter from a physician.
Crush du Jour: Alfonso Herrera
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