Art of Transliness

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Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:40:53 -0500

ryansallans: Mel Wymore is the first transgender city council...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:20:15 -0500

Mel Wymore is the first transgender city council candidate. Wishing him luck! Read more about Mel here.

"I’m a big shaving guru, and I’m a straight razor guy, though I use all kinds of different things..."

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:40:15 -0500

“I’m a big shaving guru, and I’m a straight razor guy, though I use all kinds of different things because I have to be fresh-faced every day so I look like I’m 16. You know, there’s a lot of shaving no-no’s most men don’t really know about. A lot of my friends that have really bad razor burn are doing stuff that’s pretty easily avoidable. Again, wash your face before you shave—that’ll clean off a lot of garbage that’s up in your face, and if you’re shaving against that you’re just packing that junk into your skin. Then it collects and you’re left with problems.

I like taking pride and joy in the ritual of shaving. Every man deserves that alone time in the bathroom, even if guys don’t want to admit it. We don’t have boobs or skirts to hike up (in most cases, at least) and we don’t have makeup to apply. So when it comes down to shaving, it’s something that should be a ritual—a fun experience where you feel like a man. I don’t see why grooming can’t be cool.”

- Darren Criss on shaving. (Details.com)

"Most readers won’t know that the updated policies announced last week by the Social Security..."

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:00:41 -0500

“Most readers won’t know that the updated policies announced last week by the Social Security Administration (SSA) are among the most humane and important public policy advancements for transgender people during the Obama administration or even ever.”

- Great article written by the amazing Mara Keisling with the National Center of Transgender Equality. Read this article, and then go to NCTE’s website to utilize all of their amazing resources.

Mara Keisling: A Huge Small Step: The Obama Administration Delivers Big
(via ryansallans)

When I get my hair cut, whatever top I'm wearing gets covered in hair. My binder dos too. And its hard to get rid of the hair, leaving my binder itchy. I was considering not wearing one, but I'd be wearing nothing and im a c cup. They think im a boy there, so not wearing one would convince them otherwise. What advice could you give? What did you do?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:29:58 -0500

Zak: I’ve not had a huge problem with that, the hair place always puts a sheet over my clothes that works well at keeping the hair off. I also typically shower right after a haircut so I don’t have little pieces of hair getting everywhere afterward. So… I guess I’d recommend that.

queerbois: :: STYLE :: Summer is for Seersucker suits and bow...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:20:31 -0500

queerbois:

:: STYLE ::

Summer is for Seersucker suits and bow ties!

- Ngowo’s Style Corner

transstudent: Bathroom access flowchart for trans* people!Learn...

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:40:24 -0500

transstudent:

Bathroom access flowchart for trans* people!
Learn more. Share on Facebook. Retweet.

After being on T for 1.5 yrs I had a period out of the blue, with worse pain/nausea than I'd ever had pre-T. It lasted a week, then 6 weeks later its happening again. Ive had preg tests, ultrasounds and T level check, all normal. Anyone had this?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:34:09 -0500

Zak: Never heard of this. Obviously it’s good that it sounds like you’re getting it checked out with your doctor. Anyone else heard of anything like this?

Hi! I was wondering, is it a hard requirement that any endo will need to see a letter from someone stating you're trans*? I don't want an endo to prescribe me hormones yet, but I DO want to be medically checked out and find out if hormones are even something I could do. I have a lot of health problems and want to be sure that they would be safe for me to take. Is it possible I could see someone who would just tell me if it's medically safe for me to take them?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:20:32 -0500

(Part 2 from safe to take hormones) And, do you know if they would prescribe me hormones after awhile, without a letter, if I’ve been on hormones for awhile? I read somewhere that once you’re on them you can sometimes do that? I have access to hormones because someone stopped taking theirs and gave them to me, and have been having some trouble getting a more definitive answer. Thank you in advance!

Zak: There are a lot of questions here, so I’ll try to address all of them. For starters, no, it is not a hard requirement that you’d need a letter from a therapist. Some doctors operate under informed consent, so you wouldn’t need a letter. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to ask a doctor if HRT would be medically possible for you in the future, given your medical issues. You’d just need to find a doctor willing to work with you and be clear what it is you wanted.

I have a couple of concerns with your question, one being that you are taking hormones not prescribed to you (or, at least considering taking hormones not prescribed to you) and another being that you are taking (or considering taking) these hormones despite the fact that you are unsure if it is medically safe for you to take them. I absolutely understand that it can be difficult to access medical care for many people and I certainly understand the powerful draw of taking hormones not prescribed to you if someone gives them to you for free. However, it is not only illegal, but also dangerous to do this. I’m sure you are aware of both of the legal and medical issues with this, but I do feel I need to at least mention this when responding to this ask. You could really be endangering your health here, you just don’t know.

I don’t know if having been on hormones before would make it easier or more difficult to get a doctor to prescribe them for you. On one hand, when changing doctors I did not have to present my new doctor with a letter from a therapist in order to get my prescription for testosterone refilled, but I did have to send my medical records from my old doctor and so she knew I’d been prescribed testosterone before by a reliable medical professional before she wrote my script. I’ve heard that doctors may be less trusting of patients that have taken testosterone illegally and that it might actually make it a bit more difficult to start T, but I really don’t know if that is true or just a myth.

If I were you, I’d seek out a doctor that works under informed consent that would be willing to work with you in figuring out if testosterone would be okay for you and start T under the guidance of a trained medical professional. Particularly since you say you have health concerns I think it is important to go to a doctor since they will closely monitor your health and adjust your dose accordingly.

What shows up when a potential job place gives you a background check? Assuming only your name has been legally changed.

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:40:31 -0500

Zak: That depends on how thorough the background check. Many background checks for minimum wage jobs, however, are just criminal background checks and probably wouldn’t bring up anything related to your transition (perhaps the fact that you’ve had a name change, but not much more). I’m not really sure, however, this is just what I’ve learned in my personal experience and research on this topic.

'M' or 'F'? Outdated IDs worry transgender people

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:00:41 -0500

'M' or 'F'? Outdated IDs worry transgender people:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lauren Grey didn’t think much about the gender recorded on her Illinois driver’s license until she went to test-drive a new car. Although she had been living as a woman for months and easily obtained a license with her new name and a picture reflecting her feminine appearance, Grey’s ID still identified her as male, puzzling the salesmen and prompting uncomfortable questions.

Have either of you noticed a shift in the kinds of people you're attracted to since transitioning? Prior to realizing I was trans*, I was really attracted to masculine or androgynous women, but I've pretty much lost that, mostly finding the really feminine women attractive. I'm guessing I was attracted to masculine women because I saw something in them that I wanted, but now that I identify as male, I don't find it appealing anymore. Is that odd?

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:20:16 -0500

Zak: I haven’t really noticed a shift in the types of people I’m attracted to, but I don’t think it is odd for that to ebb and flow throughout your lifetime regardless of transition. Who I was attracted to in High School is totally different than who I’m attracted to now. I think your theory that you were attracted to masculine women because you saw something in them that you wanted for yourself makes sense. It’s tough to say exactly why your feelings might have shifted, but I certainly don’t think it’s odd or cause for concern.

itscarororo: This is pretty personal for me and I’m a little...

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:40:17 -0500

itscarororo:

This is pretty personal for me and I’m a little nervous to post it, but making it was therapeutic.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was young (it runs in my family) and throughout my life I have encountered a lot of misinformation about it. There is definitely a stigma against mental illnesses because they are invisible. People tell you you should just try harder and think positively and get over it, but depression is a disorder that just doesn’t work that way.

I hope that any of you out there suffering from it, or anxiety, or anything else like that gets the help you need. Talk to someone if you can, make a doctor’s appointment, research your options. The first step is the hardest, but it’s the most important one.

I just recently started packing and while it makes me feel less dysphoric, I feel like it looks like a constantly have a boner. I bought a legit silicone packer in hopes that it'd be a more realistic look, but I didn't expect this big of a bulge. Any suggestions as to how to make it less...."out there"? Also, any advice on STPs? I haven't had any issues just using the stall in the men's room, but I'd like to get an opinion on them.

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:20:14 -0500

Zak: That’s a common issue with packers, honestly. Many of them are significantly larger than the average flaccid penis, for starters, but part of the problem is how many people wear their packers. Often it takes some work and shifting around to figure out how to best wear your packer (should you point it up, lay it along your leg, wear it higher, wear it lower, or what? that depends on what you think looks best). Experiment with harnesses and what underwear you wear with your packer as well. Briefs or boxer briefs, for instance, are more likely to hold your packer close to your body (if you wear them over your packer) and can make your bulge smaller and less prominent.

As for STPs, virtually all the advice I could think of on that topic is contained in this article. I personally don’t use an STP anymore because I found it a little bit of a hassle to deal with. I just use stalls in men’s rooms, although I sometimes run into issues where all the stalls are taken or that there aren’t any stalls at all. I usually just try to find another bathroom in that situation and things have worked out fine for me so far. They can be really great for some people, though, so it might be worth trying if you’re curious.

WATCH: Should OkCupid Expand Gender And Sexuality Options?

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 18:40:11 -0500

WATCH: Should OkCupid Expand Gender And Sexuality Options?:

Gay, lesbian and bisexual users are among the many who turn to OkCupid to liven up their personal lives, but is the dating and networking site too limiting in its specifics? That’s how Ryley Pogensky feels.

i've been out to my family as trans since 2009 and they do not accept it at all. since it's summer now, it gets pretty hot here in texas and i like to wear shorts to help combat the heat. but the last time i wore shorts in front of my mom, she pointed out my legs because i don't shave them anymore. i hate confrontation but i really don't want to die from heatstroke or something. how do i deal with the fear of my family confronting me for just being myself?

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 16:00:49 -0500

Zak: Well, one option would be to wear more summery long pants like linen pants. That’s just avoiding the problem with your family, but it might be worthwhile if you don’t think you could get anywhere with your family and you know they’d give you crap for having unshaved legs. You could also just wear shorts and try to ignore whatever your family says. It’s hard to ignore negative things that our family says about us because these are the people that taught us about the world and are supposed to love us no matter what. However, if you prepare yourself for what you think they’re going to say and prepare a response (such as “this is just who I am,” or “I have the right to choose what to do with my legs”), perhaps that can help you with your fear of your family confronting you.

Father's Day

Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:20:21 -0500

Happy father’s day to those that went through pregnancy and childbirth or searched through sperm donors and sat in fertility clinics or waited for word from an adoption agency or gladly welcomed a foster child into their home or fell in love with someone with a child in order to become a father. And happy father’s day to all those that serve as a father figure to a child in their lives.

And to those struggling with their fathers, whose relationships with their fathers are complicated or whose fathers are toxic or whose fathers have rejected them, remember that you do not owe your father anything (not even a call) this father’s day.

And, of course, for those whose fathers have been positive influences in their lives, remember to let them know how lucky you are to have them.

Private Facebook support group for Non Op Trans Folk & their loved ones

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 18:40:24 -0500

nonop:

It is set to ‘secret’ to try and help maintain privacy, as that prevents non-members from seeing the group or who’s in it, so I cannot give a link to the group.

If anyone would like to join- I can send invites via email. Please send me an ask (anonymous is fine) with the email you use for facebook and I will add you.

You can also send the email address to the Non-Op Facebook Page if you would prefer.

If anyone has any questions/comments/concerns, please let me know!

Is it possible to machine wash a binder?

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 13:20:24 -0500

Zak: You could probably wash it on delicates in washing bag but I think you’d want to air dry. It’s probably safest to handwash, though.

Introducing TUFF: Trans United with Family and Friends

Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:40:19 -0500

Introducing TUFF: Trans United with Family and Friends:

Guest blogger Jacob Rostovsky is creating a new non-profit, Trans United with Family and Friends (TUFF), to provide financial assistance to those who can’t afford to transition.