Category Archives: Fashion

Personal appearance, clothing, fashion, makeup, etc. Includes trans beauty contest news.

August 2021 Trans Talk on 90.1 FM KKFI

Today we are going to start out with the transgender news of the month as presented by Nightshade, then we are going to interview Chandra Klein, who is an electrologist joining us not only to talk about hair removal, but also a bit about her life as a transgender woman who helps people throughout the community.

We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, August 28th at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.

January 2020 Trans Talk and Community Calendar for January-February 2020

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Hello everyone! We’re kicking off the new year with the transgender news of the month as usual, and then we are going to be talking with four special guests in our studio – a coterie of Kansas City drag kings: Dick von Dyke, Buttwiser, Victor Shawn, and last but not least Boris Tudeth. They are going to talk about what is the art of drag and what being a drag king means, their inspiration and their lives, and some of the fun things they have going on in the community.

After that lively subject we will be talking with some other lively folks, Michael Grayman-Parkhurst and some of the cast and crew of the latest Spinning Tree Theatre production “Girlfriend,” a coming of age story of two Nebraska boys in the summer of 1993 who slowly fall in love while bonding over their love of music.

We do hope you will be able to join us this Saturday, January 25 at 1:00 pm on 90.1 KKFI, Kansas City Community Radio! You can also stream the program live on kkfi.org, or via various apps on your phone.

Monthly Community Calendar – by Fiona

Hello I’m Fiona Nowling with the Kansas City community calendar. As usual, all the calendar can be found on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TenthVoice/

Every month, I lead the Kansas City SOFFA group for Significant Others, Friends, Family, and Allies of Transgender and nonbinary persons. We meet on the first and third Wednesday of the month. In February, we’re meeting on the 5^th in the conference room & on the 19th in Study Room 116. That’s at Leawood Pioneer Library, 6.30 – 8pm. For driving directions and other SOFFA information, you can visit transascity.org/SOFFA or email soffakc@yahoo.com

UMKC’s Trans Social group is back in session – it is for trans and nonbinary student and recent students. For more details, you can reach out to the UMKC LGBTQIA office in the Student Union building. They’re also holding an LGBTQIA+ Leadership retreat for current students on February 1^st and you can get details and register for it at http://bit.ly/umkc-lgbtqia-leadership

Every third Thursday, the Equal Trans Support Group meets at 5:00 PM at the Kansas City Center for Inclusion, a couple of doors down from our studio at 3911 Main Street, Kansas City Missouri. The Center has lots of other events too, which can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/InclusiveKC/

JoCo Q-Space is a youth group for LGBTQ youth. They meet every Thursday from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at Saint Andrew Christian Church 13890 W 127th St, Olathe, KS 66062. For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/jocoqspace/.

Passages, the LGBTQIA youth group in Kansas City, Missiouri, has started back up and is every Wednesday from 6 – 9 pm at 205 West 65^th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64113. You can find details at https://www.facebook.com/kcpassages/

There is an MTF support group at the Kansas City Center for Inclusion on the first and third Tuesday of the month at 6pm. There is an FTM support group elsewhere, both for adults and for youth, so if you are interested, please text or call Gus at 816-785-8686.

Authentically Me is a social group for gender diverse children in KC and their families, aimed at children 12 and under. If you are a parent of a gender diverse child in Kansas City, you can find their page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthenticallyMeKC/ and join their group https://www.facebook.com/groups/AuthenticallyMeKC/ to get scheduling information and support for your family.

The Kansas City PFLAG chapter, which is Parents, Families, Friends, and Allies of LGBT people will meet on the 2nd Sunday of the month at 3pm, at the Village Presbyterian Church in Prairie Village, and the 4th Sunday of the month at 3pm, at the Kansas City Center for Inclusion.

I’m Fiona Nowling and that’s the community calendar for the upcoming month.

THIS SUNDAY: A Presentation on the Bible and Transgender Identity

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Transgender persons are often told that their gender identity and presentation are forbidden by the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Insults are hurled, jobs are lost, and discriminatory laws crafted based upon this belief. But is this really accurate? Does research into the linguistic origins and the historical context of the Bible suggest that rather than being condemned, transgender persons may actually be accepted within the texts?

This lecture is intended for peoples of all faiths or no specific faith as a way to help understand how different interpretations of religious texts can yield significant differences in the meaning of the text – and how to respond to some religious-based arguments against the validity of transgender identity.

Please join Una Nowling, Director of Transgender Studies at the Transgender Institute, hostess of “Trans Talk” on 90.1 FM KKFI, and the founder of Transas City, as she presents her research on a positive relationship between transgender persons and the Bible.

Location

Johnson County Central Library, 9875 W. 87th Street, Overland Park, KS 66212 – Carmack Community Room

Date and Time

3:00 – 4:15 pm, Sunday, July 31st

There is no cost to attend, although donations will be accepted for transgender persons in need in the Kansas City metropolitan area.

A Free Evening of Beauty Event from the Transgender Institute

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On July 28, 2016 a free event will be held to provide advice and demonstrations for creating a feminine appearance that fits your style. Called An Evening of Beauty and Transformation for Trans Women in the Midwest, the event will be an opportunity to mingle with complimentary refreshments and live music, while learning from representatives such as:

Wig Design – Robinn Scholfield

Vocal Feminization – Caroline Gibbs

Fashion, Image Consulting, and Skin Care – Anna Mc Connell

Makeup Artistry – Monique Brown

Master Hair Stylist – Alonda Lona

Laser Hair Removal – Mirabile Medcosmetic

I’ve been to these events before, and they are always well-attended and thus provide an opportunity to meet many other transgender folks from the Kansas City Area. I hope to see you there!

Date and Time

6.00 to 8.30 pm, July 28, 2016.

Location

Bravadas Wig Design Boutique, 11004 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, KS, 66210

Introducing the Transgender Newsbank

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The Transgender Newsbank is a collection of more than 400 newspaper and magazine articles from 1911-1994, organized by year and date. I have spent 3 months finding and formatting these articles for easy viewing, in addition to typing write-ups about them and linking to other topical pages. The Transgender Newsbank is the largest effort of its kind on the Internet that I can find which is freely available, and like all Transas City features is uncluttered by advertisements.

While a Transgender Newsbank may be unexciting to some, it will form the basis of an online historical library to help researchers, scholars, and anyone who is simply interested in the history of our people.

The Transgender Newsbank

Transgender Model Lea T Signs Major Beauty Contract

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I must say, dear readers, I’m glad to see some news about Lea T, as she had dropped off the proverbial radar somewhat. While supermodels are normally reserved a special place of jealous head-tossing in my mind, I have to give a lot of love for a trans sister who’s made it in an industry where every millimeter of her appearance and every step of her poise is under the most intense scrutiny.

I hope that Lea T’s rising tide helps lift all of our boats just a little, in terms of awareness and acceptance if nothing else.

Transgender model signs major beauty contract – Life & Style – NZ Herald News.

Drag Queens in Facebook Name Row

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A new petition has surfaced among part of the crossdressing/drag community to pressure Facebook into allowing drag performers to hold accounts under their professional (stage) name. At first this doesn’t seem like any big deal – more than half of the transgender women on my friends list are posting under a name which is not legally theirs. I did so myself until I finished transition.

However, Facebook also allows people to create pages under their specific persona, or any persona, so it seems like this might be a better answer. The downside is there is less “personal touch” working through a page via a standard Facebook account.

I don’t know what the right move is. It seems that Facebook wouldn’t have any real way to verify a person’s name, nor that much interest in cracking down on someone using an alias. Then again, making an exception here for drag performers shouldn’t be as big a deal as Facebook appears to be making it.

BBC News – Drag queens in Facebook name row.

Colorado Springs Transgender Teen Up For Homecoming Queen

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I’m always happy when I see runs at homecoming royalty or the prom which involve these visible, fearless, fighting transkids. I admire so much their courage and strength for doing what they have to do, and it often reminds me of just how bad it was in the 1980’s to be LGB, let alone T in high school. I am always amazed when I step into a high school nowadays for a lecture or for youth counseling just how different of a world these kids are living in and being educated in. It’s times like that when I truly don’t feel so afraid for the future.

Of course, all you have to do is read the comments at the bottom of the article, and then you’ll see why I’m so afraid for the present.

Transgender Teen Up For Homecoming Queen.

Freedom Shoe – A Great New Effort to Make Comfortable Shoes for Transwomen

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Last night myself and Fiona, along with others from the transgender community, met at the Transgender Institute to be part of a focus group with a team of local individuals who have a plan – a plan to make a line of shoes which will specifically accommodate transgender women. This brand-new company is Freedom Shoe, and they are just right now trying to get off the ground to bring forth a line of shoes for Spring, 2015. Attending from Freedom Shoe were Pamela Williams (the entrepreneur), Ali Mazlum (the artist), and Barry Barton (the craftsman). Caroline Gibbs and Jennifer Niehouse provided creative input and expertise in the community, and overall it was a good two-hour discussion.

We had a great and productive discussion last night, talking about everything from economics to fashions to manufacture to sensitivity to the transgender community. The plan is to create a line of women’s shoes with the specific fit based off of “male” shoe lasts. The company wishes to focus on transgender women at first, because they feel that it’s more challenging for transgender women to find women’s shoes which fit, than for transgender men to find men’s shoes which fit. However, they by no means want to limit themselves to women’s shoes once the business gets rolling. They also plan to ship shoes wherever someone needs them, so I’m hoping transgender women across the country will take note of this effort.

Now here’s a way you could help with the direction of this group, which will only cost you a minute of time. They have an anonymous survey linked from their website which they would like folks in the community to fill out, so they can get a clearer picture of what transgender people want in a shoe. Please take a little time to help guide them, and it may in the end help all of us out.

In addition, if you have interest in shoes, or want to offer suggestions or comments, please contact Pamela Williams at pwilliams@freedomshoe.com.

UPDATED – Open House at the Transgender Institute, Sunday, August 10!

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I was asked by the wonderful Caroline Gibbs today to announce that there will be an Open House at the Transgender Institute this Sunday, August 10, from 4 – 7pm. And in typical Transgender Institute style, it’s going to be a lavish affair to which all are welcome to attend!

The activities which are planned include:

Wardrobe advice and a fashion show.
Information about a new clothing store focusing on transgender women.
Makeup artists and consultants.
Hair, brows, electrolysis, and laser information.
Weight loss information.
Food, drink, and good times!

But on top of all this, there will be two highlights at this Open House. First, Stephanie Mott and her Jazz band will be performing live music through the night. If you’ve never heard Stephanie sing before, then you are really in for a treat! And second, Chloe Prince and the ladies from the exciting Trans Across America documentary project will be joining by Skype on the big screen to talk and answer questions.

This is an event you cannot miss, and best of all it’s absolutely free! For more details, driving directions, and other information please contact the Transgender Institute directly.

The Transgender Institute
8080 Ward Parkway, Suite 400
Kansas City, Missouri 64114
Call: 816-305-0943
Email: caroline@transinstitute.org

Model Andrej Pejic Comes Out as Transgender Woman; Faces Inane Criticism

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Andreja Pejic (born Andrej) has been famous for several years as a “gender bending” fashion model, who has worked in both men’s and women’s clothing lines. Recently she had been increasingly appearing as a woman, and just two days ago came out publicly about her transsexuality.

According to Pejic, she “dreamt of being a girl” and one of her first memories is “spinning around in my mum’s skirt trying to look like a ballerina.” She started taking puberty blockers to maintain an androgynous appearance, and at 17 burst onto the fashion scene with her tall, thin, blonde persona. At first she was satisfied remaining somewhat gender fluid, but a year and a half ago she reconsidered and recently completed GRS to become fully female.

She has also come out to some strange criticism, such as from Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn, who said:

“The fact that fashion designers would put basically adolescent-shaped boys or men in women’s clothes is head-scratching for me because, anatomically, women and men have different shapes.

So, to be looking at women’s fashion on a tall, skinny guy with no hips, there’s no way you can project yourself into those clothes.”

Right. Because the average 5’11-inch size 0 fashion model is so representative of the average woman. Wait, what?

Andrej Pejic comes out as transgender woman: Jean Paul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs model undergoes gender surgery – People – News – The Independent.

A Roundup of Four Negative News Items

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Hey, you can’t say I didn’t warn you…as I’ve gone through the news feeds from mid-week relating to transgender news, yours truly has picked out four post-worthy items which you may not have seen. None of them are especially positive, but neither are they catastrophic. And a couple of them are so over-the-top as to be somewhat silly.

We begin with the case of a gender-variant South Carolina teenager who was forced to remove their makeup prior to having their photograph taken by the DMV. This isn’t especially surprising – first off, it’s South Carolina. I mean, it’s only been legal to whistle on the Sabbath for 3 years now, so you have to expect some lack of tolerance. Second off, it’s the DMV – for crying out loud, if there ever was a domain of senseless, arbitrary, and random application of rules it’s there. Going to the DMV is sort of like entering a Salvador Dali painting, where up is down, right is purple, and number 12 is carrot. So yeah, this wasn’t too difficult to predict…

Next up we have some sad news, as some timbertool (or timbertools) decided to ruin the Trans Pride LA Festival film screening by calling in a bomb threat. It was the second bomb threat of the Pride event, and one which had to be taken seriously given the appalling level of violence shown towards our people.

Next we have the case of ABC News Assignment Editor Ben Sherwood, who came out as transgender in the summer of 2013, and changed their name to Dawn Ennis. Then, after taking steps to transition, declared that they had a bout of transient amnesia, and that they never really were transgender. Then suddenly, they’ve gone back and discovered that no, really, they really were transgender. Now they have been fired from their job, and they are blaming anti-transgender discrimination. Well…folks, you will look until your eyes fall out to find a more pro-transgender person than I, but I’m also wondering why anyone is surprised that an employer might have some concerns over a person who is cisgender-no they aren’t-yes-they-are no-they-aren’t… Honestly, I think this would be difficult for most employers to handle, aside from the fact that there’s no proof or convincing evidence presented to say that it even is a discrimination case.

Finally, we get to comedy time, where the arch-conservative and anti-transgender Linda Harvey, of Mission America, claims that Satan, yes Satan, is behind the growing acceptance of transgender persons in America. It would be easy to dismiss her as another harmless flake…except that she has a lot of followers who believe everything she says. Never underestimate the evil that some will perpetrate all in the name of “fighting evil” (cough…thousands tortured and murdered by witch hunters…cough).

Carmen Carrera Fires Back at T Word Critics

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Carmen Carrera speaks out in the continuing outrage against RuPaul and Bianca Del Rio’s continued and unapologetic slurs towards the transgender community. Recently I posted a link to Del Rio telling Carmen Carrera to “…take what’s left of her dick and stick it in her mouth and shut the fuck up.” Ms. Carrera, for her part, said:

“I’ve reached out to Bianca, and I’ve already tried to speak to her. … But for me, it’s a lost cause,” … “And it’s sad. It’s really sad. I watch the TV show, and I really ended up liking what she’s done on the Race, and I appreciate her as an artist. But now I don’t know if I can respect her as a person. I get that you’re comedy, and I get that you like to poke fun at things, but it’s like, for me, I consider you a sellout. If you’re not realizing the bigger picture here, and you choose to just use something like this to get some comedy points, or … just because you know the majority of the Drag Race fans are transphobic, so you’re gonna throw me under the bus, just to get a good arousal from people, for me, you’re a sellout.”

“When the wig comes off, when the makeup comes off, I’m sure Bianca wants to be respected as a gay man,” she continued. “And that’s where this comes in. I’m trying to fight for respect. Just respect. All you have to do is respect me. Use the right words. If you don’t consider me a woman, then use trans woman. Whatever works for you. But don’t try to use something that’s a slur or something that’s meant to degrade who we are. … It’s a mess. I literally get nauseous thinking about it, because there’s so many issues in there.”

Del Rio pseudo-apologized for their slur, with the offhand tweet:

“Hey Carmen Carrera, I’m sorry for my lame joke, i have now fired my comedy writer (me). love ya.”

Ye-ah. Keep on keeping it classy, Del Rio. Yeesh.

Carmen Carrera Fires Back at T Word Critics | Advocate.com.

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio tells Carmen Carrera to “stick whats left of your dick in your mouth and STFU”

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Again, I have to ask the people who defend either RuPaul or the use of the word “tranny” – are these the ponies you want to bet on? Really?

In a video which was unashamedly originally posted on the Facebook page for RuPaul’s Drag Race (the link below will take you to another copy), recent Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio takes to the microphone to tell what she really thinks of us in the transgender community:

“And let’s face it, we wouldn’t know who the fuck Carmen Carrera was if she didn’t fuckin’ get on Drag Race. Maybe she should take what’s left of her dick and stick it in her mouth and shut the fuck up.”

Absolutely no apology has been made, nor even an attempt by RuPaul to distance himself from the slurs and hate speech posted by his protégé.

It’s long past time for the community of transgender and transsexual women to stand up and shun RuPaul. Send him to Coventry, and stand up to anyone who idolizes him and ask “how can you do this?” For all that people can argue that RuPaul raised awareness for LGBT causes in the past, his flurry of recent capers and antics show that at best he’s a woefully clumsy dinosaur, unable to comprehend a world where transgender and transsexual women finally take their rightful place at the table.

RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bianca Del Rio tells Carmen Carrera to “stick whats left of your dick in your mouth and STFU” ~ Planetransgender.

Tyra Banks to Produce Transgender Docuseries for VH1

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TransAmerica is the name of the series, and it is expected to comprise 8 episodes focusing on a group of Chicago transgender women. According to the network:

“It would be easy to focus on the transgender aspect, but this series is about so much more,” VH1 executive Susan Levison told the Reporter. Banks promised the show “will blow the roof off stereotypes and set the record straight as we experience the lives of these fun, stunning women.”

It’s due to run in late 2014 or early 2015, so keep an eye peeled for it when it arrives. More information can be found at the link below.

Tyra Banks to Produce Transgender Docuseries for VH1 (Exclusive) – Hollywood Reporter.