I think we can have a lot of anxiety when it comes to visiting a doctor as not every transgender person is the same and many of us are still going back in forth between genders, sometimes even on a day-to-day basis. Trusting someone with who we are is not easy as it’s sometimes hard for us to understand ourselves who we are, let alone explaining this to someone else.
Huffington Post has an interesting article about this and I think it’s totally worth a read.
Love, Hannah
It doesn’t seem that long ago when I thought I was the only boy who wanted to wear makeup, but 2017 is off to a groundbreaking start when it comes to de-genderinzing cosmetics.
De-genderizing? Is that a word? It is now.
First up, from Buzzfeed, Maybelline Just Hired A Guy To Be The Face Of Its New Mascara.
MAC also has just released their new Caitlyn Jenner line of makeup. See the entire line here.
Love, Hannah
An anti-transgender bill was introduced in the Minnesota House on Wednesday that could scale back gender-inclusive schools policies across the state if passed.You can read more about this proposed bill here.
Also, Texas and Kentucky have filed new bills to restrict transgender bathroom usage. More on that here…
I have a feeling this is just the start…
Love, Hannah
We all know 2016 was a very difficult year when it comes to the deaths of iconic and famous celebrities. It was a year that not only had a significant number of deaths but also how many were unexpected, starting with David Bowie, then Prince and most recently George Michael. Even if you didn’t care for their music, I’m sure most of us were struck by the gender fluidity and androgynous looks they presented. These days a male pop star wearing a dress might not be that big of a deal, but in the early 70’s it was almost scandalous. Prince was…well, growing up in Minneapolis in the 80’s, Prince was 
everything. It was really fun having one of the biggest pop stars of the era living in our city, especially someone as, well, fabulous as Prince in our midwestern city. I remember seeing him when I was younger and was blown away by him…I didn’t care for his music at the time but here was a man wearing make up. He wasn’t in drag, he just…wore it. My whole little world changed at the thought of wearing eyeliner. These days I suppose it’s commonly referred to as being agender or gender fluid but at the time it really had an impact on me. George Michael was one of the first celebrities I remember as coming out as gay when I was growing up. I think all three of these musicians really shaped and changed what it meant to be a man for me.
My father was a very typical man of the time…dominating, loud, angry and very mean. To children, their father sets the standards of what a man is “supposed” to be. To see these musicians at a young, impressionable time was nothing less than life changing. Perhaps life affirming might be a better phrase because all of a sudden I didn’t “have” to be anything. There were others besides myself that didn’t want to be what a man was “supposed” to be.
NPR has an interesting article about these artists and how they redefined gender roles and it’s really worth a read.
Love, Hannah
I’m sure we all have seen the cover for the upcoming issue of National Geographic that features a trans girl.
From the magazine:
“The story of gender plays out all around us. More and more, celebrities are shining a spotlight on the subject. But more quietly, our children, parents, teachers, medical professionals, and officials every day confront an array of issues with gender at the center. Everywhere we looked, in the U.S. and around the globe, individuals and organizations are fighting to redefine traditional gender roles, whether it is girls in war-torn Sierra Leone rejecting the cultural norm of female genital mutilation and child marriage, men in Sweden making use of extended paternal leave after having a child, or people who reject binary, boy-girl labels and find their true identity elsewhere on a gender spectrum.
This is why we’re devoting the January issue of National Geographic magazine entirely to an exploration of gender issues — in science, social systems, and civilizations — and decided to feature the first transgender person on the cover of our magazine: nine-year-old Avery Jackson.”
What struck me about the cover and the upcoming article is how much I appreciate a respected media source such as National Geographic putting our community out front in such a public, positive and matter-of-fact way. Being transgender is hard to explain to ourselves, let alone to someone else. It is wonderful to read an article like this that explains what being transgender is and what it means in a clearer way than I ever could.
Love, Hannah
North Carolina’s Legislature is poised to repeal the controversial “bathroom bill,” after the Charlotte City Council unanimously voted to repeal its local anti-discrimination measure.
The state law, called House Bill 2 or HB2, was passed in March as a direct response to that Charlotte measure — over the course of 12 hours, in the state’s first special legislative session in 35 years.
This is wonderful news. I was afraid that this law would set a precedent and other states would follow suit, especially with the incoming vice-president. Bathroom laws change from state to state and change from time to time, so it is important you are aware of the laws and of your rights. Bathroom laws are also, in my opinion, a way to gauge the public’s perception of us and a way for us to see what they think of us. A law like this changing helps our community become a little more accepted.
Love, Hannah
UPDATED…
The North Carolina Legislature began a special session on Wednesday morning to vote on the repeal of a controversial state law that limits civil rights protections for LGBT people, but the effort failed by day’s end as the Legislature adjourned without passing any bill.
Jenkins, a former policy aide for Glidden and veteran presence at City Hall, would be the first transgender member of the Minneapolis City Council if elected. Another transgender candidate, Phillipe Cunningham, is running for council in Ward 4.
“I am prepared and ready to bring positive change toward a more equitable Minneapolis,” Jenkins said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the residents of the 8th Ward, and beyond, in creating the policies and programs necessary to bring sustainable improvement for everyone in our economy, housing, and services.”
Love, Hannah
