Mar
03
I took the time to read the New Yorker article referenced by the Washington Post in my last post.
It is well worth reading.
With all due respect to the esteemed Washington Post, Pejic doesn’t really seem to identify as male any more than he does female. His focus is, much like was discussed in my missive on Psychology Today, that there is no benefit to identify as one or the other.
He says he never did “drag”; he just dressed pretty, in the same way girls do. Semantics, perhaps, but evidence of a certain mindset.
He does not divide the world into girls and boys, and roles for each, orientations and attractions. He just takes it as it comes, with no labels.
Read More»
Mar
02
After seeing that episode of Bones, I sat down to write my post about it. In the process of doing so, I looked up references to androgyny in Asian culture and found some fascinating things.
Pretty men in Japan seem to be well-liked by young females, and are popular television personalities and performers as they appeal across a broad spectrum of that society. They are also popular in manga comics as the prototypical male, especially those targeted at girls.
Here’s a telling quote about the history and endurance of this type of character, from the wikipedia entry on the subject (link is below):
Read More»
Mar
01
I don’t know how many of you are familiar with the television series Bones. In many respects, it is just another crime-drama show.
What brings Bones to my blog is an episode I just happened to land on the other day, which involved a visiting Japanese forensic investigator. (This episode, though new to me, is a couple of years old, BTW.)
As a subplot to the usual grisly murder investigation, the regular characters on the show were mystified as to the gender of this visitor, and determined to figure it out. Each professed their opinion based on whatever gender markers they found relevant. There were actual debates about this.
Read More»
Feb
29
More mainstream coverage and acceptance of the blurring of gender lines…
Andrej Pejic is the only person who can walk down top fashion runways as either a man or a woman. People seem to accept that.
The Washington Post did a feature on him on February 10th. How much more mainstream can you get?
Oh, but FYI, Andrej is not transgender. So says the Washington Post:
Read More»
Feb
25
Lately, I have been overwhelmed by the number of supportive articles I have found in mainstream media.
This most recent example is an article in Psychology Today discussing the obsolescence of defining sexual orientation and gender.
[M]any young people are no longer finding that categorization by sexual identity is meaningful or useful. They dispense with labels that limit behavorial freedom and instead are digging deeper to discover and embrace their true desires wherever that leads them. Their sexual partner’s gender matters less than the fulfillment of their physical and psychological desires…
We are beginning to recognize that we may no longer need to be part of a sexual community of others who share our attractions. Instead, as our culture continues to shift, we are leaning towards honoring the uniqueness of our individual desires.
The author’s conclusion:
“[M]y inner truth was more perfectly found within my desires than within any identity I subscribed to.”
The whole article is at: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/intelligent-lust/201202/beyond-sexual-orientation
Feb
22
It is impossible to crossdress in a world where there is no dress, and no dressing. So, clearly, in a world with no clothes, a crossdresser (defined here as a man who dresses like a woman but maintains his male identity throughout) is simply a man.
But, let’s take it a bit further: what makes a naked t-girl female (especially where she has had no surgery or hormones)?
Differently posed, how do you go about being “trans” in a theoretical world where there are no clothes?
That is, in essence, the question asked of me by an insightful reader comment on a post from last summer entitled Cause or Effect? that questioned whether I was trans or not. His feeling was that my answer to that question – or my attempts to answer it – would provide insight on the subject.
And, I think he was right.
Read More»
Feb
08
I had a date with the judge today on the small matter of a particularly vexing parking ticket.
I don’t normally fight these things – they are SUCH a waste of time! – but the sneaky guy actually gave me the ticket while I was in the car.
So, I got dressed in a sports jacket, black trousers and white shirt, tied my hair back in a neat low pony tail and went to court.
I presented myself to the prosecutor, who took a quick look at me, and said, “And, what’s the name, ma’am?”
I showed her the ticket with my male name on it.
Unfazed, she inquired, “Are you his representative?”
Read More»
Sep
17
As you all know, I am a gender-traveler – not only from one gender to the other, but from one place to another.
My “home and native land” of Canada has disappointed me with its restrictive laws, which are unnecessary to any constructive purpose. I recounted my dismay with Canadian air travel laws in a recent post (click here).
By contrast, I read today that Australia has enacted new rules that allow their citizens to acquire a passport with gender designated as M, F or X (for indeterminate), with only a doctor’s letter of support. No surgery, no imminent surgery, no proof of medical condition required.
Read More»
Jul
28
Ever heard of Kazaky?
They are an up-and-coming boy band, with multi-million-hit youtube releases of two music videos last year. Kazaky is a highly sexualized, gender-bending energetic, athletic Ukranian band, pumping out beat-heavy dance anthems that are actually pretty good!
But, what caught my eye – aside from their rock-hard abs and impressively synched dance steps – was that these boys do it in 4-inch heels!
Now, you know that I am not a big fan of mixing and mashing genders, but I do try to keep an open mind and see how each new idea in this regard hits me, as honestly as possible.
Read More»
Jul
22
Yesterday, I was asked why I would feel inclined to try the boy thing again after having moved so far away from it over the past few years.
An interesting and instructive question at that. So, here is how I answered the question, more or less:
It seemed a pretty natural idea – this experiment – given all the doubts I have expressed recently right here on my blog. I want to see what I miss or don’t miss. I want to see what has happened to my guy side – whether he is the same as before or not, and whether whatever started me on my feminine road tweaks me again.
No doubt that Janie has become a dominant force in my life, though she is not a dominant personality at all. The majority of my time has been spent as female for months now – all but a sprinkling of hours here and there.
I need a better understanding of where Janie came from, whether it is a choice or not, and whether it serves me well. I am striving to find all that out as soon as I can, and I will accept whatever is truth for me.
In that regard, take note of a little inner conversation I had this morning when I got up after not nearly enough sleep.
Read More»
Recent Comments