from gender dysphoria to complete euphoria

GIRLS IN SPACE n FASHION PAGES n MAKEOVER GIRL n CHAPLAIN’S CHATTER n COFFEE BREAK
The Membership Journal of the Beaumont Society Issue 89
FROM
GENDER
DYSPHORIA
TO COMPLETE
EUPHORIA
by Jane Hamlin
INCREASING
VISIBILITY
by Penny Ellis
LOO
AT TKING
BIGGHE
PICT ER
U
BY D
REW RE
CUN ASH
NING LYN
HAM
INTERVIEW WITH
LIL +
TRANSGENDER
LIAM NEWS
WIGS: SHOULD
I CHOOSE REAL
OR SYNTHETIC?
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After all why shouldn’t we?
If you choose to make your holiday booking with The Select Travel Group, we
will be delighted to donate £10 per person to the Beaumont Society Charity.
For more information or to book please contact [email protected]
or telephone 01234 819560.
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Hayley
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.contents
08
28
President: Kay West
20
THE BEAUMONT
SOCIETY
was established in 1966
Charity status granted (2010)
Registration no. 1135548
Membership
Annual membership of the Society
currently costs £29, for which you receive
four issues of this magazine
22
In this issue
Spring 2015 · Issue 89
4.
President’s Page
28. Electoral Divide
6.
Transgender News
30. Makeover Girl
8.
Sam & Ellie’s Fashion Pages
32. Outsiders in London
Electronic membership is now available
for those who do not wish to receive a
magazine in the post, with the magazines
available to read on the website.
If you have any questions about
membership, or would like to join, please
get in touch with your regional organiser
(phone numbers by area on
01582 412220) or Jane Hamlin the
Membership Secretary
([email protected])
Application forms can be downloaded
from our website
(http://www.beaumontsociety.org.uk)
THE BEAUMONT
TRUST
12. Obituary – Barbara Ross
34. Looking at the Bigger Picture
14. Gender Dysphoria
36. Help!
16. Obituary – Christine Goodwin
38. View from the Border
18. Wigs – Real or Synthetic?
40. Bond Films
20. Interview with Lil Liam
42. Chaplain’s Chatters
The Beaumont Quarterly
Magazine is published and
produced by Goldmine Media
22. Star-Crossed Girls in Space
44. Coffee Break
Creative Designers:
Jennifer Kirk / Stephanie Wright
27. Letters to the Editor
Helpline Tues and Thurs 7 to 11pm
07000 287 878
Sub Editor:
Patsy Bearman
03
.president’s page
GIRLS IN SPACE n FASHION PAGES n MAKEOVER GIRL n CHAPLAIN’S CHATTER n COFFEE BREAK
The Membership Journal of the Beaumont Society Issue 89
PRESIDENT’S
COMMENT
HELLO MEMBERS
Unfortunately, it is with great sadness that I
need to start this report with the passing of
two people who were known to many people
in the Trans community.
The first person to pass over was Barbara
Ross OBE. From a personal level, I met
Barbara on several occasions. She had a
warm and friendly disposition with modesty
and integrity, and she put me in mind of ‘the
Good Samaritan’. She helped people who were
considered ‘outsiders’ at a time when Trans
people were virtually unaccepted in society.
I for one will miss Barbara, but I have reaped
a harvest of her good work. An obituary can
be found on page 12 of this current edition of
the Beaumont Quarterly.
Secondly was the sudden death of
Francesca Acaster, who was the driving
force, along with a group of helpers, of the
Cortex Group in Hertfordshire. They also
engaged with the general public in several
ways, and this struck me as courageous. They
amalgamated with a Men’s Group, attended
local events and arranged social trips to other
areas. Francesca was an excellent facilitator,
fair minded and good humoured. I am so
sorry to hear she has passed on.
In early December, which seems a long
time ago now, Irene and I attended the
London Friend Christmas Party, run by
Helen Elliott and her team. There was
a very friendly, social atmosphere with
plenty of festive food and cheer. If I were
not so busy I would attend more often, but
I do recommend a visit if you live in that
particular area.
The Beaumont Partners advise me that
their numbers requesting support are rising
and include wives/partners of Trans men.
This is good, as I feel all strands of Trans
people should be provided with help and
support by the Beaumont Society. After
all, if we’re divided, we will never achieve
acceptance and the ability to contribute and
integrate with the wider society.
On a different note, we are now working
on developing the Beaumont Society app for
use on all smartphones. If you have any ideas
or suggestions that you would like to see on
this technology, please email or telephone me
04
with your thoughts and I will pass them on to
the technical team at Goldmine Media.
I would like to take this opportunity to
thank all those who attended my Medieval
Weekend and entered into the theme
with some FANTASTIC costumes. Not to
mention our FABULOUS models in the
fashion show. There were a lot of new and
friendly faces which gave the event a really
good atmosphere. I would also like to give
a special mention to Tracie, who popped in
at Harrogate as she lived locally. She has a
special interest in BSA motorcycles, especially
her three Rocket 3’s and a Victor, which she
can answer questions on in the members’ area
of the website. If any of you are interested,
please contact her directly. For those who
have not used this area before, we have details
in this issue which will explain how to use it.
I think it is now safe to say goodbye
to winter and hello to spring. The light
mornings and evenings are fast approaching
when we can wear our lighter clothing,
so please enjoy and make the most of the
sunshine...when it comes!
Hope 2015 turns out to be all you hope for.
Kind regards
Kay
FROM
GENDER
DYSPHORIA
TO COMPLETE
EUPHORIA
by Jane Hamlin
INCREASING
VISIBILITY
by Penny Ellis
LOO
A KIN
B TGTHE G
PICIG
ER
BY D TURE
CU REW A
NNIN SHLY
GHA N
M
INTERVIEW WITH
LIL +
NEWS
LIAM TRANSGENDER
WIGS: SHOULD
I CHOOSE REAL
OR SYNTHETIC?
Spring Issue 89
UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS
WITH GREAT SADNESS
THAT I NEED TO START
THIS REPORT WITH
THE PASSING OF TWO
PEOPLE WHO WERE
KNOWN TO MANY PEOPLE
IN THE TRANS
COMMUNITY.
PS. I promised an interview with Rachel Dee,
our new North West RO, in this edition of the
magazine. However, time has run out for both
of us, and this will now be printed in the June
edition of the magazine.
Submissions
Do you have something you
would like to add? Would
you like to feature inside the
Beaumont magazine?
Please send your stories,
letters and contributions to
[email protected] and,
you never know, we may include
it in the next issue of
Beaumont Quarterly.
TRANSGENDERNEWS
NEW ZEALAND
YOUNGSTER ASKS
FOR SUPPORT TO
LIVE AS A BOY
A 9-YEAR-OLD FROM NEW ZEALAND
who was born a girl but identifies as
a boy has gained worldwide support
after a heartbreaking video about the
adversity he faces on a daily basis was
posted online.
Milla Brown’s mother, Renee
Fabish, published the video pleading
for people to accept her son for who
he is. After watching her child cry
himself to sleep night after night,
Ms Fabish started to realise that
Milla’s preference for masculine
clothing wasn’t just a tomboy phase,
regardless of people telling her that
her daughter would ‘grow out of it’.
Milla has been diagnosed with
gender dysphoria, and has referred to
himself as girl-boy from as young as
two years old. According to the video,
he came to his mother in tears asking if
there was any medicine she could buy
to turn him into a boy.
The video has now reached 7 million
views on Facebook and received an
overwhelmingly positive response,
and Ms Fabish hopes the video will
encourage acceptance of her child and
all those in the transgender community.
TRANSGENDER MODELS DRAWN
TOGETHER BY PREJUDICE
A GROUP OF TRANS MODELS have come together
in Delhi, India to create a new calendar celebrating
their unique community. With very few opportunities
available in India for transgender people to enter the
field of mainstream modelling, the group decided to
promote transgender modelling themselves.
Rudrani Chettri, who organised the calendar
shoot, felt that transgendered people are treated
very unfairly in her country and that there is very
little available for them. Therefore, she decided to
form a group where they could offer encouragement
and support to each other. The fashion world has
embraced the transgender community in recent
years, with trans supermodels Andreja Pejic and Lea
T achieving global fame for their catwalk prowess.
The Delhi calendar models hope that this venture
is the first step towards their acceptance by a wider
Indian society.
EASTGENDERS
EASTENDERS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Dominic Treadwell-Collins
has revealed that he intends to introduce the first trans character
in the soap’s 30-year history and hopes to have a transgender
actor play the role.
During a recent discussion at Student Pride, he talked about
the ‘power of EastEnders’ and how they could change their
world a little, helping to influence people who may be quite
bigoted. He also revealed that research is currently being done
so that the storyline is handled as sensitively as possible.
As soap fans will know, this will not be the first transgendered
character to appear in a popular soap. Coronation Street
introduced its first transgender resident in 1998, with Julie
Hesmondhalgh receiving critical acclaim for her portrayal of
Hayley Cropper, until she left the soap last year.
Hollyoaks also got its first trans character earlier this year,
when Blessing Chambers came out as a transgender woman.
However, neither of those soaps have cast transgender actors,
nor have they portrayed trans men.
ANDREJA PEJIC MAKES HER
CATWALK DEBUT AS A WOMAN
TRANSGENDER MODEL ANDREJA PEJIC has made
her debut appearance as a woman on the catwalk in yet
another first for the fashion world.
The model, who was formerly known as Andrej,
took to the catwalk at Giles Deacon’s London
Fashion Week show. This was her first fashion
show appearance since undergoing gender
reassignment surgery to become a woman.
She looked stunning in a high-collared, Victorian-style
shirt, satin black coat with bow detailing and polka-dot
tights from Deacon’s Autumn/Winter 2015 collection.
06
Pejic, 23, began gender reassignment surgery at
the beginning of 2014. Previously, her androgynous
look helped her to secure gigs modelling both male
and female collections for such designers as JeanPaul Gaultier and Marc Jacobs.
However, despite her unique position, she always knew
that gender assignment surgery was on the horizon and
was something she had considered since the age of 13.
The Serbian model is expected to appear in a
number of other shows at both Milan and Paris
Fashion Weeks.
PRISON GENDER
REASSIGNMENT FOR
WHISTLEBLOWER
CHELSEA MANNING, the
whistleblower who leaked classified
documents to WikiLeaks, will receive
hormone treatment for gender
reassignment while in prison, the US
Defence Department has confirmed.
The treatment would enable the
army private, formerly known as
Bradley Manning, currently serving a
35-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth,
Kansas, to make the transition to being
a woman.
A lawsuit had alleged Manning
was at a high risk of self-castration
and suicide unless she received
more focused treatment for gender
dysphoria. Manning is the first
transgender military prisoner to request
such treatment. According to the
lawsuit, the army was providing some
treatment but not enough, including
psychotherapy from a mental health
specialist who lacked the qualifications
to treat gender dysphoria.
The 26-year-old former intelligence
analyst was convicted in August 2013
of espionage and other offences
after sending more than 700,000
classified documents to WikiLeaks
while working in Iraq. Transgender
people are not allowed to serve in
the US military, but Manning can’t be
discharged from the service while
serving her prison sentence.
Gender Identity Research and Education Society
Melverly, The Warren, Ashstead, Surrey KT21 2SP
Telephone: 01372 801 554
Information for trans-people, their families and
professionals who care for them.
www.gires.org.uk
London girls can meet at the :-
The London Friend
86, Caledonia Road, Kings Cross, London N1 9DN
on the Second Sunday of the Month, at 7.00pm for company and chat
in a friendly atmosphere for a small charge of £2.00.
Refreshments available.
This venue is secured for the LGBT community
Phone Helen Elliot on 020 8371 5663
A Beaumont Society supported meeting
Can you help with funds for the
LondonFriend!!!
Northern Concord
The Northern Concord is
a social group for
Cross-dressers, transvestites,
transexuals and their wives or
partners. The group is based in Manchester,
England and has worked for the TG community
successfully for over 23 years
www.northernconcord.org.uk
E-mail: [email protected]
P.O. Box 258, Manchester M60 1LN
Check with Diane Ball
[email protected]
For meeting dates and venue for ladies in
LINCOLNSHIRE
and local counties
The South's leading
transgender party night!
On the 3rd Thursday of each month from 7:30 11:30 pm at the Empire Hall, Salisbury Road,
Totton, Southampton, SO40 3PY.
❖ Hosted by THE FRIENDS OF TOTTON DISCO.
❖ Entry only £6.
❖ Fully licensed bar serving wines, spirits,
real-ales, ciders, lagers and soft drinks.
❖ Hot food, tea and coffee available.
❖ Fully sprung dance-floor.
❖ Quiet background music until 9:00 pm
offering an opportunity for chat.
❖ Free car parking in the nearby library
car-park.
❖ Raffle (not April 2014).
Information from Eleanor Roberts:
[email protected] or phone
07786 226635
Clinics providing
gender identity
services in England
The London Mental
Health NHS Trust
Gender Identity Clinic
179-183 Fulham Place Road
London W6 8QZ
Tel: 020 8483 2801
Sheffield Health and Social
Care NHS Foundation Trust
Sexual and Relationship
Sexual Medicine and
Transgender Services
Portbrook Clinic
Michael Carlisle Centre
Nether Edge Hospital
75 Osborne Road
Sheffield S11 9BF
Tel: 0114 271 6671
Leeds Gender Identity Clinic
Management Suite
1st Floor
Newsam Centre
Seacroft Hospital
York Road
Leeds LS14 6WB
Tel: 0113 305 6346
Sunderland Gender
Dysphoria Service
Upper Poplars
Cherry Knowle Hospital
Ryhope, Sunderland
SR2 0NB
Tel: 0191 569 9401
Nottingham Gender Clinic
Mandala Centre
Gregory Boulevard
Nottinham
NG7 6LB
Tel: 0115 960 2820
Devon Partnership NHS Trust
The Laurels Gender Identity and
Sexual Medicine Service
The Laurels
11-15 Dix’s Field
Exeter EX1 1QA
Tel: 01392 677077
.sam & ellie
S
SAM & ELLIE’S
FASHION PAGES
pring is with us; well, we hope so! We’re writing the articles for this
edition of the magazine while shivering in late January chill. Over the
years we’ve written lots of articles on spring weddings, spring garden
parties and so on. This year we’ve decided to be a bit different and pick
some spring work-wear fashions, starting with an article on women’s suits.
There’s no need to panic, though. Neither of us can resist at least some
mentions of seasonal clothes. It is an uplifting time of year, after all.
Love from Sam and Ellie. X
Email us at: [email protected]
CARDIGANS
FOR SPRING
An attractive cardigan is a spring essential, ideal to
have with you just in case the temperature drops on an
evening out. We think that the most useful style is of a
longer length, dropping to below the hips, and maybe
even below the bum. Beware the current fashion for
short styles: ideal for RGs with their shorter backs, but
not so good for the male frame.
We’ve selected a few that we like. You’ll notice
that we prefer styles that either have a pattern or an
interesting texture. Plain styles of knitwear can quickly
show their age once they’ve been through the washing
machine a few times, although a good trick is to
always turn knitwear inside out before washing. This
minimises the bobbling effect that can result from the
friction of a wash cycle.
If you like wearing jeans or trousers then
some of these styles will match
really well. The Nordic winter
cardigan from Bon Prix has a hood
and would be ideal for chilly days.
It has gained five-star reviews
from purchasers. Good to take
on holiday if you plan a trip in
our north European climate.
BON PRIX NORDIC
WINTER CARDIGAN
SELLING AT £24.99
AND AVAILABLE IN
SIZES UP TO 24
08
M&S CASHMILON
CARDIGAN IN
PINK OR BLUE
SIZES TO 24; £25
M&S DEEP
V NECK TIEDYE PATTERN
CARDIGAN; SIZES
TO 22; £35
BON MARCHE
FLUFFY KNIT
CARDIGAN IN
GREY; £24
BON PRIX LONG
MARL KNIT
CARDIGAN BY
BODYFLIRT;
£24.99 AND IN
SIZES TO 24
.sam & ellie
AN
IDEAL
SHIRT
FOR
SPRING
M&S SHIFT-DRESS
TWO-PIECE SUIT
IN BLUE: SELLING
AT £79
M&S
CHARCOAL
SKIRT SUIT AT
£55
M&S CONTRASTTRIM SKIRT SUIT
AT £79
Fashionable
Women’s Suits
Suits are multifunctional and can be worn
not only to work and to interviews, but
also to restaurants, weddings and funerals.
A skirt or dress suit can be broken
down into individual pieces to be worn
separately or mixed with other suit pieces,
creating a variety of looks. You might even
want to consider a trouser suit!
The jacket style can be fitted or boxy,
double breasted or single, and with a
varying number of buttons on the jacket.
The skirt can be styled in a number of
ways but generally reaches no less than a
couple of inches above the knee. A suit can
help you to look classy and professional in
a variety of situations and places.
In additional to the formal long-sleeve
suit jacket, short sleeved and three-quarter
length sleeve suits are available. Linen suits
are particularly suitable for the summer
months, whereas more traditional wool
suits are preferred in winter. For colour
choices we would recommend moving
away from the traditional black, dark
grey and pinstripe. Modern styles include
pastels for the spring and rich reds for
the autumn. Instead of putting on a dress,
many women find it easier to slip into a
crisp suit for dinner at a smart restaurant.
Remember that a dress suit will save you
the trouble of having to find a blouse or
top to match the skirt, and will look smart
and chic when the jacket is removed. These
are more common as wedding outfits, but
can also serve as smart work-wear.
We like this soft-textured shirt
from Next, selling at £28. It’s in
fairly vibrant colours, but they are
well chosen and would match up
extremely well with either a denim
skirt or jeans. The material is
polyester and washes well.
Be aware that the length is
deliberately shorter than average.
The shirt is designed to fit close to
the body, and for the hemline to
be only just below waist level for a
woman of average height. If you are
tall you may find it too short. Either
try on before buying or take a tape
measure to the shop with you, having
already measured the minimum
length for your body shape.
The shirt is also available in blue,
still with a daisy design, or in plain
blue. We are not so keen on these
colours. Go for the red one.
NEXT
DAISYFLORAL
SOFT SHIRT
£28
09
.sam & ellie
M&S ‘SECRET
SLIMMING’
CIRCLES-PRINT
BANDEAU
SWIMSUIT:
SELLING AT £35
M&S POLKADOT SKIRTED
SWIMSUIT AT
£39.50
M&S ‘GLOBAL
PRINT’ BEACH
DRESS AT £25;
SIZES TO 22
BEACHWEAR
If you’ve never experienced the joy of
sitting on a warm, sunny beach in a
fashionable swimsuit, then you really
must consider giving it a try. If you’ve
looked after your figure and have a good
shape, then it’s worth considering walking
down to the water’s edge and having a
paddle, or even going in for a dip. Do,
though, have a critical look at yourself in
the mirror beforehand. It can be a bit of a
nerve-wracking experience if the beach is
at all busy, so you must be sure that you
pass the visual examination that you will
inevitably get; we all watch people as they
walk down the beach towards the water’s
edge, don’t we?
Here are some suggestions for
beachwear that will get you ready for the
experience. Most swimsuits will not be
suitable unless you are TS and have had
surgery. We suggest two possible solutions
to the problem.
The first is to wear a swimsuit that has
a small skirt attachment, and we have
included a picture of one of this season’s
from M&S. This style can look really
lovely; Ellie has one bought last year in
blue with white polka dots, and it gained a
positive comment from a couple of ladies
sitting a few yards away from her on the
beach.
The second is to wear a more normal
style but with a cut that is lower on the
leg and has inbuilt shapewear support.
This might go most of the way
to disguise any bulge, but a
careful inspection would
be wise.
Also important is a
suitable top layer, to wear
above the swimsuit.
This could be a simple
dress that pulls on
easily, or a floaty
kaftan.
Remember the
all-important
sunhat, an
essential fashion
item, and a large
capacity beach
bag. Sandals or
flip-flops will
also be required,
and plenty of
sunscreen lotion.
DEBENHAMS
BLUE SNAKE
KAFTAN AT £30
10
.sam & ellie
Fashion Tights
If you’ve been reading our fashion pages
regularly over the years, you’ll know how
much we both love fashionable hosiery.
We think that a woman should make the
most of her legs; they are one of our most
attractive assets. Don’t restrict yourself to
plain, flesh-coloured tights or stockings,
although these can have a useful role. Look
at the huge range of patterned hosiery on
offer, and not just from the more upmarket
stores. Ellie has recently bought tights and
hold-ups from Primark and they have
proved to be a terrific buy. BHS also offer
some good, low-cost styles.
If you do like nude/flesh colours, then
consider some of the styles that have an
attractive pattern on the back, and we don’t
just mean a thin, black seam. If you have
sometimes worn fishnets, then consider
some of the more ornate alternatives. In
cooler weather opaque styles can be the
ideal choice, but choose a colour that
complements your outfit: purple, chocolate,
blue, satin-effect grey. Don’t restrict yourself
to black, and opt for ones with a slightly
shiny finish. We both think that the cheaper
matt effect styles in black look exactly that:
cheap.
We’ve shown several styles here, but look
out for your own preferences.
ANIMAL PATTERN
TIGHTS; 2-PACK
FROM NEXT AT £9
LILAC PELERINE
TIGHTS FROM
NEXT AT £9
NEXT LACE
TIGHTS; £10
ROSIE SILK SET
AT £38
ROSIE FOR
AUTOGRAPH
AT M&S
JONATHAN
ASTON ‘IN
BLOOM’ TIGHTS
FROM JOHN LEWIS
AT £15
JOHN LEWIS
WOLFORD
DAPHNE TIGHTS
AT £33
If you are looking for some luxurious
lingerie at affordable prices, then
look no further than the Rosie range
at M&S. This range has often gained
outstanding reviews in the press,
coupled with very high online ratings
from purchasers on the M&S website.
Every woman needs at least one set of
luxury underwear, so if you don’t have
a favourite, take a look at this range.
We’ve shown one of the colourful,
silk sets of lingerie, selling at £38.
11
.obituary
BARBARA ROSS OBE
To the many hundreds of people whose lives have been
touched by Barbara Ross’ work for the transgender
community, the news of her death will bring a sense of
personal loss.
B
arbara will be remembered with love
and gratitude. She died peacefully in
her sleep on 16 February after a twoyear struggle against cancer, during which
she showed the same courage, kindness and
dignity which had characterised her work for
trans people. She was still dealing with client
issues until a few months ago.
Barbara was acknowledged as one of the
most experienced gender counsellors in the
UK and was highly regarded by experts in the
gender identity field around the world. She was
a qualified social worker, initially gaining wide
experience in the East End of London between
1950 and 1970, thereby building her expertise
in dealing with the most intractable cases in an
area of significant social deprivation.
She moved to Norfolk in 1970, where
she eventually became involved in gender
counselling, at a time when understanding of,
and support for, individuals with profound
issues of personal identity was almost unheard
of. The origins of her work in this field lie
in a chance referral in 1974 by a social work
colleague who asked Barbara, because of her
interest in minority groups, to see ‘a strange
young man who is probably gay’. She met
Robert – and her life changed! Her eyes were
opened to a problem she had not previously
come across in her social work round: the
anguished world of inner gender conflict.
Through Robert, she saw at first hand the
pressures, the self doubt, the guilt, the fear of
being found out and the intolerance within
society which people with gender issues had
to live with. And later, when Robert tragically
took his own life, because of the lack of
comprehension of his condition by the health
SIX YEARS AGO,
THE BARBARA ROSS
ASSOCIATION WAS
FORMED TO ENSURE
THAT HER WORK
CONTINUES.
12
profession of the time, Barbara just knew she
had to do something. She must find a way to
change the climate, to provide a more focused
service for transgender people.
GENDER IDENTITY SERVICES: Barbara
founded the Norfolk-based Gender Identity
Services to provide support and counselling,
and to develop appropriate pathways through
the psychological/medical maze that confronts
people with transgender issues. For almost
forty years she has worked unstintingly in
this field, providing a quality of advice and
support for her clients that was outstanding.
To underpin this work, Barbara subsequently
opened her own home as the venue for a social
support group called OASIS, which has been
meeting twice monthly for the past 29 years.
Six years ago, OASIS branched out in finding
a venue nearby for one of these monthly
meetings – which has further increased
membership and extension of activities.
TRANSGENDER CONFERENCES: In
2001, Barbara Ross gave her work a new
dimension by inaugurating a series of biennial
transgender conferences at the University of
East Anglia – the latest of which took place
in September 2014. These conferences bring
together leading international experts in
the field and offer a unique opportunity to
professionals and clients to hear about the
latest research and significant developments
in the field of gender dysphoria. They also
provide for transgender people and their
families the chance to see the whole picture, to
draw encouragement and comfort from each
other.
During her 40 years as friend and counsellor
to hundreds of clients, Barbara Ross has
seen – and indeed helped to influence – a
major shift in attitude of health professionals
and of society in general. The prejudice faced
by those with gender-related problems is
not quite so widespread, even if there is still
some way to go. The award of the OBE to
Barbara in 2011 is an important indicator in
this respect – it placed a significant flag of
recognition in the public domain. It marked
the depth of her commitment and the quality
of her professional contribution to service
of the transgender community. But, more
fundamentally, her award is a further signal of
an acceptance by society at its highest official
level of the gender dysphoric person. It is
another step towards a genuinely inclusive
society where people with gender issues do not
have to dissemble but can be confident in their
personal worth and of the contribution they
can proudly make to the community at large.
BARBARA ROSS ASSOCIATION: Six
years ago, the Barbara Ross Association was
formed to ensure that her work continues. This
association has assumed overall responsibility
for organising the TG conferences and the
continuation of the OASIS groups.
For Barbara, the cardinal principle has
always been the primacy of the individual – a
person’s right to come to terms with who (s)
he is, no matter what society thinks. She has
achieved her remarkable success through a
combination of unqualified acceptance of
difference, a skilled professional insight and
an honesty of purpose which enabled her
both to affirm her clients and to charm the
professionals.
Barbara Ross was a pioneer in the field of
gender dysphoria. We mourn her passing – she
will be missed – but the world is a better place
because of her. May she rest in peace.
by OLIVIA JOHNS
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.gender dysphoria
FROM GENDER
DYSPHORIA
TO COMPLETE
EUPHORIA
by Jane Hamlin
BACK IN JUNE 2014 I WAS SITTING IN THE SUNSHINE IN MY GARDEN IN
SOMERSET, GLASS OF CHILLED WHITE WINE IN MY HAND, REFLECTING
ON WHY I WAS SO HAPPY. JUST TEN DAYS PREVIOUSLY I HAD BEEN
WAITING IN THE NUFFIELD HOSPITAL IN BRIGHTON TO BE CALLED
TO THE OPERATING THEATRE FOR MY GENDER RECONSTRUCTION
SURGERY. IT HAD BEEN AN AMAZING AND ASTONISHING TIME.
14
gender dysphoria.
W
hy had I taken so long
to get here? I had
spent most of my 65
years denying that I
was female, and even
when I eventually realised that it would not
go away and I could not hide it any longer,
I did not believe that I could pass in public.
Over several years, with the help and support
of my wife, I had become more adventurous
in my outings and more aware in my choice
of clothing to the extent that whenever we
were away from home, I was Jane. I only wore
drab for work and around the village. Then
one day, whilst peering out of the door to
see if anyone was about before creeping out
to the car for a shopping trip, I realised how
stupid I was. I went to the phone and made an
appointment to see one of the doctors at the
local surgery. I was in luck. By chance I had
been given an appointment with a GP who
had helped another trans person through the
system and consequently knew what to do.
From then on I lived full-time as Jane. After
a couple of appointments with psychiatrists,
and having been officially declared to be in
good mental health, I was referred to The
Laurels, the gender identity clinic in Exeter.
The people there were wonderful, and after
a few appointments I was diagnosed with
Transsexualism MtoF with significant Gender
Dysphoria – although it had been obvious for
a long time.
I was prescribed female hormones and a
testosterone suppressant, and eventually, after
a second psychiatrist confirmed the original
diagnosis, I was referred to Mr Phil Thomas
at the Brighton Gender Clinic. There was a
three-month wait for my first appointment,
and then another three-month wait for the
actual surgery. I was very excited at the
prospect, and my only fear was that I might
become ill, or the surgeon might become ill,
so that surgery would be delayed. Fortunately
all went well and we both stayed healthy! So
in June 2014 I arrived in Brighton for my
operation. That night, the anaesthetist came to
see me and introduced himself. He was full of
praise for my surgeon: ‘Whatever else they say
about him, he’s quick,’ he said. I wasn’t sure I
wanted to know that. Was that a good thing?
I could see it might be a good thing from the
anaesthetist’s viewpoint, but...
When the time came, they checked and
double-checked that I was the correct patient
before administering the anaesthetic. There
followed some jokey chat about what I
might dream about whilst under the effects
of their potions, and then I woke up in my
room a few hours later with various tubes
attached. Apparently all had gone according
to plan. The surgeon, Mr Thomas, had been
superb. There were regular checks on me:
blood pressure, temperature and pulse by the
ever-attentive nurses. I just had to lie there;
I couldn’t do much else! For the first few
days, I was lying on my back, and the most
demanding thing I had to do was cope with a
liquids-only diet. Unfortunately this did not
include a red or white wine. To prevent blood
I WAS PRESCRIBED
FEMALE HORMONES
AND A TESTOSTERONE
SUPPRESSANT,
AND EVENTUALLY,
AFTER A SECOND
PSYCHIATRIST
CONFIRMED THE
ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS,
I WAS REFERRED TO
MR PHIL THOMAS
AT THE BRIGHTON
GENDER CLINIC.
clots, I was fitted with special stockings and
Flowtron boots which ensured that the blood
in my legs kept circulating whilst the rest of
me was still. The programme for recovery had
been very carefully planned. Consequently,
over the following week, I went from being
totally bedbound on a liquid diet to getting
up, wandering around and eating normal
meals. This was managed in small, carefully
graduated steps.
I often get asked how much it hurt, and I
can honestly say that it didn’t. The pain was
managed very effectively, and after a couple of
days I was only given paracetamol to relieve
such discomfort as there was. I did not need
anything else. The most painful part was when
they removed the tiny tubes for draining fluid
from around the operation site and when the
catheter was removed. I have heard that other
people have had more painful experiences,
but I can only talk about my own. After the
week in hospital, I went home and had to be
very sensible throughout the recuperation
period to prevent infections and injury. As
long as I did not make any quick twists and
turns, I was fine. For two weeks after I came
home, I was housebound and began the
process of looking after my new vagina. I had
to dilate (insert a dildo-like dilator into the
new vagina for about 20 minutes) three times
a day which was, and is, a bit tedious, but it
is important to ensure that it does not heal
over again. Dilating becomes less frequent as
time goes by – although I will always have to
do it at least once a month. After six weeks,
I began to drive again, and now I feel great.
In September we went to a wedding, which
was a very jolly occasion. As the beer and
wine flowed and the evening wore on, people
began dancing. One of the more energetic
participants noticed me still sitting and came
over to encourage me to join in. ‘I’m not
allowed to,’ I said, ‘I had an operation recently.’
She paused for a moment, looked me straight
in the eye and said, ‘What, the operation?’
‘Yes,’ I said. She held up both hands with
fingers splayed.
‘Put them there,’ she said, ‘give me the full
ten!’
We enjoyed the double hi-fives.
Three years or so ago I was officially
diagnosed with gender dysphoria, but now
I would say that I have total euphoria! I am
delighted with the way everything has gone
and am so happy with life. However, I have
been very lucky. When I was working I had
supportive colleagues who were genuinely
pleased for me. Friends generally said things
like, ‘We liked you when you were a bloke,
so why would it be any different now?’ My
youngest granddaughter, aged eight, when she
was told about me concluded very logically,
‘I expect Grandad wanted some hair.’ I
have a wonderful wife who, though having
reservations about me going for surgery, has
been brilliant. People tell me that I have been
brave, but, of course, it is she who has been
the brave one. Sadly, I know others who have
not received the same level of support, and
there have been lonely times for them. These
have been my experiences; perhaps you have
had different ones that you would like to
share.
15
.obituary
CHRISTINE GOODWIN
BY CLARE ALLINGTON
Taking into account the impact of the Gender Recognition Act and the resultant legislation that affected the
lives of so many people in the LGBT community, it would seem little or nothing is known of the individual
who took the British Government through the courts all the way to the European Court of Human Rights. This
followed years of harassment, intimidation and dismissal from roles due not only to her gender not matching her
official documents, but also the prejudice of work colleagues, which was dismissed as ‘expected’.
W
e all know Emily Pankhurst;
Nelson Mandela; April Ashley:
all commended in life or after
for their contributions to equality, but
Christine Goodwin is known by very few, her
contribution and sacrifice overlooked. So I,
as her daughter, write this article to inform,
inspire and commend the little people in
society, who do so very much to affect change
but are somehow airbrushed out of society.
Christine died on 8th December 2014; up
until this point we had been collaborating
writing her life story. We were both very keen
to make this book about not only her transition
but also about coming out to family/workplace,
the trials and tribulations, the successes and
bad times. She was always very keen that her
legacy was that no other Transgender person
would experience what she had.
Her road to Strasburg effectively began as
soon as she was dismissed from her workplace
and told at the Employment Tribunal that ‘she
16
was a man, and should not be wearing a skirt,
so what did she expect if someone put their
hands up it?’
SHE WAS ALWAYS VERY
KEEN THAT HER LEGACY
WAS THAT NO OTHER
TRANSGENDER PERSON
WOULD EXPERIENCE
WHAT SHE HAD.
This was life back then, as I’m sure many
of you have experienced. She set about to
overturn the decision of this tribunal, and
it took her to Europe. It took her years,
researching the law as she went; as she batted
off challenge after challenge, she lost her house
and considerable amounts of money funding
her own case.
And now she has gone, and her contribution
is remembered as nothing more than a citation
in a legal textbook.
But...there is so much more to Christine
Goodwin. Her story needs to be told, not only
of living as a man and raising four children,
running a successful business and travelling the
world, but also how her life, whilst changing
considerably after transition, was then fraught
with other challenges.
It is hoped that this novel will inspire the
future generation to affect change and to
stand up for themselves. Christine hoped
that her new life would be comfortable, but
it was fraught with discrimination, not only
as a Transgender woman but also as a female,
most especially in the workplace. Whilst being
an historical account of her life, I am keen to
show the funnier sides of life as a Transgender
woman, with children and grandchildren.
MORE THAN JUST
A WIG SHOP!
Our services extend beyond those of a typical
wig supplier or hair salon. To complement
our hair services we also have an in-house
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EYEBROWS
Hair Stroke – natural look using hair simulation
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mimics pencilled look
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Fashion and Latino – thicker liner, fashion looks, tailored to clients requirements
LIPS
Liner – lining vermillion boarder to lips with fine line
Blush – lining lips ad brushing colour, gives illusion of s plump look
Full colour – lipstick look with colour covering whole lip
2 of our Makeup Artists offer make-up tutorials and make-up
for special occasions including photo shoots.
Raoul have private styling rooms and offer full salon services,
such as cutting and styling either in the main salon or in the
privacy of our private styling rooms.
BESPOKE WIG MAKING
Made-to-measure bespoke wigs, made in-house from human hair.
READY TO WEAR PIECES
Raoul have over 5000 synthetic wigs to choose form, plus a large
selection of ready-made human hair wigs to try on a number of styles
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WE ARE OPEN:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
from 9am to 5.30pm (last appointments
4pm) and our Late Night is Thursday when
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Saturday 9am to 4pm (last appointment
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5 minutes’ walk from Paddington Over
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.wigs
WIGS: SHOULD I
CHOOSE REAL OR
SYNTHETIC?
BY ROBYN EDWARDS
If you are a first-time wig buyer, it can be difficult to know which type and style of wig is best for you. There
are so many reasons people opt to wear a wig, from disguising alopecia to making a fashion statement, so
there is no ‘one size fits all’. The best we can do is arm ourselves with knowledge when it comes to choosing a
hairpiece that will work for our unique needs and desired appearance.
B
oth human and synthetic wigs have
their advantages and limitations that
make them right for different people
– consider your time, budget and
needs before you invest.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE
CHOOSING YOUR WIG
WILL YOU WEAR IT EVERY DAY?
If you wear your wig on a daily basis it is
sometimes best to opt for a real hair wig, as they
tend to last longer, can be styled into different
looks and can even be cut if you get tired of the
style you purchase. In fact, if you are serious
about wearing a high-quality wig on a daily
basis, most wig suppliers recommend having
the wig cut and shaped to your features by a
qualified hair stylist.
It is an investment that can be changed
time and time again without any further wig
purchases. Provided you care for it in the correct
way, store it on a wig stand and treat it with the
oils and conditioners it needs, it will have quite a
long life span.
WHY ARE YOU
PURCHASING A WIG?
Are you purchasing a wig for hair loss, a change
of style, a one-off event, until your hair grows to
the desired length or as a fashion accessory for
nights out? If you are looking for a permanent
fix, a real hair wig is likely the perfect choice.
However, if you are looking for a temporary new
look, synthetic wigs may be all you need.
18
HOW LONG DO
YOU NEED IT TO LAST?
If you are suffering from alopecia or cancer
treatment–related hair loss, you are possibly
looking for a wig you can wear often for many
months; in that case, a wig will be better selected
from a real hair collection. However, if you
are having treatment for cancer, you need to
consider if you are going to feel up to styling
your human hair wig regularly.
If you just need something to cover a haircut
that went wrong, then synthetics will see you
through until the problem is solved. If you are
making a gender transition and wish to cover up
your own hair whilst it grows, you can choose
between real and synthetic, depending on how
long you think it will take for your hair to reach
its desired length and whether or not you want
to be able to style and colour it.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU
WILLING TO SPEND?
Synthetic wigs are considerably cheaper than
real hair wigs. However, they need to be
replaced every three to six months if used on
a daily basis. Whilst real hair wigs are a more
expensive investment, they will last you much
longer and can be restyled if you get tired of the
look, rather than replaced as with synthetics.
ARE YOU ELIGIBLE
FOR AN NHS GRANT?
If you are eligible for an NHS grant, you should
consider investing in a human hair wig. These
discounted or free wigs will be of much better
quality and last you throughout your gender
transition or treatment, provided you care for
and store them correctly.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SYNTHETIC AND
HUMAN HAIR WIGS?
HUMAN HAIR WIGS
Human hair always offers the most natural look
and feel. It can be coloured (strand test needed),
cut and styled to cater for your individual tastes.
Wig quality is defined by the extent to which
the hair follicles run in the same direction. This
helps the hair to look and feel smoother, as well
as reducing the chance of tangling.
Whilst human hair wigs look the most
natural and last the longest time, they require
the most care and attention – as with your own
natural hair. Your wig will require daily styling –
although this can be a joyful process for those of
us who may not have had the chance to indulge
in this pleasure! Styling can also offer you a sense
of normality when it comes to your daily routine,
especially if you have recently lost your hair.
Human hair needs to be treated with products
specially designed for human hair wigs – it is
important to remember that whilst the hair is
real and natural, it doesn’t have access to the
scalp’s natural oils, so you will need to replace
them with specific products.
Human hair wigs shouldn’t be worn straight
from the box. Instead, head to your local
hairdresser or wig expert to have the hair styled
around your face and cut into the perfect shape.
.wigs
SYNTHETIC
PROS AND CONS OF
HUMAN HAIR WIGS
PROS
n They look natural.
n They can be blended with existing hair.
n They can be cut, coloured (strand test
needed) and styled, and can have the
parting moved.
n They are durable.
n They have a realistic texture.
CONS
n They are more expensive.
n They require daily care, styling and
need to be shampooed, dried styled
and conditioned often.
n They lose style under different
weather conditions.
HUMAN HAIR NEEDS
TO BE TREATED WITH
PRODUCTS SPECIALLY
DESIGNED FOR
HUMAN HAIR WIGS –
IT IS IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT WHILST
THE HAIR IS REAL AND
NATURAL, IT DOESN’T
HAVE ACCESS TO THE
SCALP’S NATURAL OILS
SO YOU WILL NEED TO
REPLACE THEM WITH
SPECIFIC PRODUCTS.
Synthetic wigs are the cheaper option on the
wig and hairpiece market. They are also easier
to care for and style; however, they cannot be
coloured and normally cannot be heat styled or
have the parting changed for a different look.
There are some high-quality synthetic models
that can be heat styled to a certain extent.
Due to advances in the plastics and
synthetics industry, the denier (a unit of
measurement used to rate thickness of fibre) of
the hair is very similar to that of human hair.
Many are made so well that it is difficult to tell
the difference between them and a real hair
wig.
Synthetic wigs can be used straight from
the box and require little to no styling, as the
material is treated with ‘memory’, meaning that
the style will always bounce back (even after a
day in the worst of the British weather!).
Synthetic hair will only last up to about six
months with daily use, so it is a great option for
women and men who want a quick fix between
hair styles or for fashionable purposes.
PROS AND CONS OF
SYNTHETIC WIGS
PROS
n They are styled and virtually ready to
wear out of the packet.
n They just need to be ‘shaken’
before being worn.
n They are substantially cheaper than
real hair wigs.
n Low maintenance and the style will
hold.
n Can look very similar to human hair.
Whichever wig you choose, buy it from a
reputable company who specialise in wigs
and wig hair. Choose a well-known brand
that is known and positively reviewed online.
Try to avoid ‘cheap deals’ and real wigs that
seem to have a price that is too good to be
true – they most probably are.
Finally, choose a wig that really makes
you feel good; it’s never a bad idea to go for
a private wig fitting to see which styles really
complement your natural assets. Once you’ve
learned the tips and tricks, it will be easier to
select styles to add to your wig repertoire.
This article was contributed by Joseph’s
Wigs, where you’ll find an extensive range
of human hair and synthetic wigs for every
person and every budget. We welcome you
for a private wig fitting at our shop in Surrey
with our expert, caring consultants – our goal
is to find the perfect wig and create a positive
experience for each of our clients. n
CONS
n They are much less durable than real
hair wigs and only survive about six
months of daily use.
n The colour, style and parting cannot
be changed.
n They are normally extremely heat
sensitive and not suitable for men or
women who work in kitchens or near
any source of heat. Hair dryers can also
harm them.
n They are not easy to restyle, even when
you buy synthetic hair that has been
treated for heat styling tools.
19
.interview with Lil Liam
by drew aShlyn cunningham
interview with
LiL Liam
So after writing numerouS blogS on my life, my viewS on the tranS world and giving you all
advice, i thought it waS about time to take a backSeat and get the viewS from other tranS people
out there – to give you all the opportunity to Shine and give your viewS on what it’S like to be
tranS, and to Show that we are people juSt like everyone elSe.
So it is with great pleasure to be able to
have this lil’ cheeky chappy as my first
interviewee – Lil Liam.
Drew: Thank you so much for doing
this interview, Liam. So tell me and the
readers a little bit about yourself so they
can get a sense of who you are as a
person.
Liam: Ha ha, alright. Well, I’m 22 years
old. I’m a trans guy. I’m living in Alberta,
Canada. I’m really into sports and health,
and music. I’m actually now featured on
the MTV website as an artist, which is a
huge accomplishment for me. So, that’s
a little bit about myself, kind of in a nut
shell. You can check it out at
www.mtv.com/artists/lil-Liam/
Drew: Nice, we will all have to check
that out. So you said you are into sports.
What kind of sports are you into?
Liam: Well since I’m Canadian, it’s got to
be ice hockey, soccer and basketball.
Drew: Are you into wrestling or anything
similar?
Liam: I’m into mixed martial arts. I actually
teach kids, around 5–8.
20
Drew: So have you always been into
sports from a very young age?
Liam: Yeah, I’ve always been into sports,
like, ever since I could walk.
Drew: Ha ha, love it! So I guess since
you have said you were always into
sports, and you’re a sporty person, it
brings me onto my next question. When
would you say you first discovered what
transgender was and when did it first
catch your eye?
Liam: Well, when I first started feeling
like I wasn’t a girl, I was around five
years old. I started voicing out to my
biological mother and saying I was really
depressed. Then I went to the doctor
and they gave me Prozac, which isn’t
really something you should give a fiveyear-old kid. They first diagnosed me
with depression and anxiety, so I didn’t
really know the term ‘transgender’ until
a few years ago when Ryan Cassata
was on The Tyra Banks Show. I was
pretty sure that the way I felt was the
same as him, so I started going to see a
psychiatrist and talking to people about
how I felt. And it was pretty difficult for
me because at the time I was living in
the Middle East where being gay was
not really legal, so I kind of had to do it
underground. I’ve always been kind of a
tomboy, but I had to transition naturally,
so I used supplements that help boost
your natural testosterone because I was
in the Middle East, and also because my
mother is against my transition – even to
this day she’s still against it. I got kicked
out of her house when I was 15 and she
told me to do things on my own if I was
going to go and transition. So I guess
that’s kind of how I got introduced to
what trans was.
Drew: So it sounds like you have had a
rough time. But having said that, how
do you feel your relationship is with your
family now? Has your mum learnt to
accept it yet?
Liam: When I started transitioning with
hormones and getting more on board
with it, I lost a majority of my friends. My
family completely shut me out on my
mum’s side of the family. It hurts but then
you’ve got to learn that not everyone is
going to accept you. But my biological
father accepts me 100% – he helps me
with my hormones, so I’m glad that I have
.interview with Lil Liam
his support and that he is back in my life.
Drew: So, in a way, you have gained
your father back since transitioning,
which must feel amazing.
Liam: I never knew my dad until I moved
back to Canada, so I never knew him for
21 years. He’s now letting me stay with
him and his fiancé until I get back on my
feet, which I really appreciate.
Drew: So going on from that, we have
spoken about transitioning and going
through depression, which I think is
a very common thing a lot of us go
through. That made me want to ask
you: if transition wasn’t possible, how
do you think your life would have turned
out?
Liam: If hormones were not an option,
I’d have still had my hair the way it is. I
would still work out, take supplements
and be myself even if hormones was not
an option. I went years trying to please
my mum and society, but if society isn’t
going to accept me then they really don’t
deserve to be a part of my life. I’d still act
the way I am. It’s not about being a man,
it’s how I express myself.
Drew: So I guess going on from being a
man, how would you define what it feels
like to be man?
Liam: For my own personal take, being
a man is not the size of what you have
in your pants. For me, being a man is
having a head on your shoulders, being
able to provide and doing something with
your life – that is my definition of being
a man. Being responsible for your own
actions, looking after your family and
being there for your family, not how many
girls you can get or how much beer you
can drink.
Drew: I agree it’s not about what you
carry between your legs. For me, it’s
how you feel as a person. There’s never
going to be a true answer to what it’s
like to be a man or woman, because
we will never know what it’s like to be
anyone else other then ourselves.
Liam: Exactly.
Drew: Do you feel that there are
struggles in your everyday life that a lot
of cisgendered people take for granted?
Liam: I just started hormones in August
2014, so changes are there, but I’ve never
been mis-gendered. I’ve never been
mistaken for anything other then a guy. But
now that my voice has got deeper, a lot of
people are like, ‘Wow! Your voice isn’t like a
little boy now.’ The other thing I get now is
a lot more attention from females when I go
to bars. I wasn’t expecting that. Not a day
goes by when I go to the bar and get at least
three numbers, so I guess guys take that for
granted.
Drew: Ha ha! So since you mentioned
hormones, how did it feel when you
first started them?
Liam: The first day of my T-shot I was
really happy. I knew looking online,
watching different trans guys on YouTube
and knowing what the side effects were
would help, but for me I was like, ‘Nah,
nothing is going to happen to me, I’m
Canadian.’ Ha ha! I guess the one thing I
get is hot flashes. I went to the doctor and
he told me it’s because you’re basically
killing your ovaries when you take
testosterone, so I wasn’t really expecting
that. And even though it’s winter, I have
to go out in a vest and shorts because of
the hot flashes. My appetite has grown
too, I just eat and eat. A buffet is just a
bottomless pit to me, they never fill me up.
Drew: Ha ha! So moving on to a lighter
subject, I started out doing vlogs on
YouTube and documenting my transition.
What were your reasons for joining and
escaping to the world of YouTube?
Liam: Before going into transition, I told
myself I don’t want to do it because
I’m scared of my mum, since she is so
against it. But it wasn’t until I was doing
talks in Dubai on trans topics and what it
means to be trans. There’s a lot of trans
people out there. I remember there was a
little boy younger than 10, and he came
over and said, ‘Man, you need to talk
and help others out there because it has
really helped me.’ So when I was packing
up from Dubai to move to Canada, I just
thought, ‘Screw this, I’m doing this for
me and I want to help other trans guys.’
I started a channel in August, then did a
new channel after and I’m slowly getting
more views. I feel like I’m helping people
out there better understand what it’s like to
be a trans guy.
Drew: I agree that your videos help
people understand. I watch your videos,
and the things that you talk about are
so interesting. Even for someone who is
trans, I still learn things that I wouldn’t
necessarily know. I think your channel
is amazing and you certainly need to
continue doing them.
Liam: Thank you so much.
Drew: So obviously you’re on YouTube
and have put yourself into the public eye.
Do you think there is now a pressure
on you from the other trans guys in the
community in regards to you passing or
just being a role model?
Liam: For trans guys I don’t think it’s a
huge pressure on appearance because we
know who we are. Although I guess my
friend Ryan got bashed by the community
because at the time he had long hair, and
they didn’t think guys should have long hair.
So appearance-wise I don’t think there is a
big pressure. I guess the biggest pressure
for us is in regards to our height and the
fact that we are a lot shorter then cis guys.
Drew: I think height is an issue for both
the men and women trans. Men tend to
be shorter and trans women tend to be
taller, which can make us stand out a little
bit more. And I guess if you don’t fit the
norm of what people think trans people
should look like, then there is pressure
on you because they look at you as if you
don’t fit in. So if you had to give advice to
anyone who was just starting out in their
transition or just needs a pick-me-up to
know that they are normal and everything
is OK, what would you say?
Liam: To the people who are wanting
to come out, I would say really know
yourself mentally and emotionally and
be prepared, because not everyone
is going to accept you. I lost half my
friends and family because I did come
out and wasn’t going to be their little
girl. For the younger kids, make sure you
have a support group, whether it be a
teacher or some adult that can stand up
for you and intervene with your parents.
My mum couldn’t accept it when I was
going through depression, and I don’t
think anyone should go through that.
They tell you at school to be yourself
and be happy, but then you get punished
for that. I think if you’re just entering
your teens, make sure that this is
something that you know all about. Look
into the subject before coming out to
your parents so you know how they are
going to react. Maybe do it gradually by
changing your clothes and luring them in
so it isn’t such a big shock to them.
Drew: So finally, what do you wish to
gain in the future?
Liam: Well I did have bottom surgery
that got detached from my body,
which wasn’t my fault, so I’m in a lot of
pain. I’m hoping Canada will take me
on regardless of my age and provide
me with the lower surgery, because I
can’t afford to pay another $60,000 for
something that was not my fault. So I
really hope they will help me out with
either reimbursing me or helping me out
with some of the money. I’m hoping one
day I can have my bottom surgery again,
have my top surgery and be comfortable
in my own skin. I guess that’s all I can
hope for now.
Drew: Honestly hunny, you’re amazing,
and I know it’s been really tough for
you at the moment. But for me, I can
see you’re slowly getting there, and I
really hope the best in everything for
you. And I can’t say it enough but,
again, thank you so much for being
able to be a part of this with me.
You’re a star.
Liam: Ha ha! Honestly, you’re very welcome.
21
.girls in space
D
E
S
S
O
R
C
R
A
T
S
N
I
S
L
R
I
G
!
E
C
SPA
nne Armitage
by Pauline A
The two men lounging around the
intersection of corridor 69B and Yuri
Gagarin Plaza on the space transfer station
orbiting Wayne’s World guffawed. They
thought themselves cosmopolites. They’d
travelled a good bit. They knew their way
around, or so they thought.
22
.girls in space
They were confident in their masculinity,
having witnessed and even participated
in the sexual revolution that had seen
women’s liberation and feminism reach its
final conclusion and swing back, putting
women back into their rightful place – the
kitchen. It was a brave woman now who
dared to wear trousers rather than a dress
or skirt! They epitomised the self-assured,
confident, even arrogant young men of
their globe.
What had made them laugh was the sight
of a rather petite young man walking past,
sporting a rather slinky scarlet evening
gown with a splayed netting fish-tail skirt,
long blonde wavy hair and glittering makeup, carrying a tiny evening handbag. There
was no doubting that this was a man, since
the dress was cut so as to accentuate the
bulge between his thighs and to minimise
any hint of protuberances on his chest.
The man in the red dress, hearing their
laughter, having been laughed at many
times in many places, and by better men
than these dense-as-a-planet-core yokels,
decided that he wasn’t going to let this
matter be ignored. True, he didn’t want
to ruin such a pretty dress in a fight, but
‘turning the other cheek’, so to speak,
wouldn’t stop their kind of ignorance from
possibly spreading.
Turning on his high heels, he planted his
imposing 5ft 6in elfin beauty in front of the
hobbledehoys.
‘Here gents, what’s your game?! You’re
clearly laughing at me! Why are you
laughing at me?’
Both of the yahoos burst into another fit
of giggles and doubled over in mirth. The
taller of the two managed to control himself
and launched a salvo of sarcasm before
losing control of himself again.
‘My, don’t you look gorgeous in your
pretty dress!’
The gloriously attired man found himself
totally confused.
‘Thank you for the compliment, but I
really don’t see what you find so amusing.’
It was the turn of the yahoos to be
confused; their insult just wasn’t working
with this effeminate pansy. He clearly
hadn’t accepted the words as an insult.
Continuing, he informed, ‘My name is
Susan Janet Gloriosa and I’m from the
planet Transvestia! Now please tell me
what’s so funny!’
There was another bout of mirth from
the two before Susan assertively enquired,
‘On my planet, it is considered the height
of bad manners not to offer one’s name in
return when one introduces oneself. It can
be considered a duelling offence. People
have died from committing such a faux pas.
With whom am I conversing?’
The talk of duelling and death brought
our worthies out of their paroxysms of
laughter. Rather sheepishly, they looked
at each other. The smaller one offered the
olive branch.
‘I’m William Dullard and this is Jonathon
Dunce, and we are from the planet Moron.’
‘Interesting,’ commented Susan with an
amused look in his eye. ‘On Transvestia,
William and Jonathon are women’s names.’
This discomfited William and Jonathon
quite a bit. It started them thinking.
William’s hesitant question floated gently
into the conversation.
‘So all the men’s names, such as John,
Peter, Simon, Trevor, David, etc. are all
women’s names on your planet? And all the
women’s names such as Samantha, Tracy,
Elizabeth and Daphne are men’s names?’
‘Yes! No! You mean that you give women
men’s names such as Samantha, Tracy,
Elizabeth and Daphne? And you give
men women’s names such as John, Peter,
Simon, Trevor and David? How bizarre!’
Susan continued, ‘That perhaps explains
why you are wearing women’s clothes. At
first I just thought you were cross-dressers!
I very nearly laughed at you, but I was
brought up to be tolerant to minorities.
Oh! Is that why you were laughing at me?
Because by your world view I’m crossdressed?’
Looking decidedly out of his depth,
Jonathon assayed an apology. ‘Sorry Miss.
We won’t laugh at you again.’
‘Miss! Now I know that you are trying to
insult me!’
‘No, no! I assure you, I’m not. I, er, am
having difficulty getting my head round this
gender confusion. I meant no insult. I’m
sorry.’
‘Apology accepted. Where is your
spaceship bound?’
‘The planet Pan-ty-waist in the Girdle
sector.’
‘On business? Dressed like that? Panty-waist is in the Transvestian sphere of
influence. You’ll not do any business as
cross-dressers, everybody will laugh at you!
Actually I don’t understand why women
would want to wear such rough fabrics,
such unimaginative cuts, and trousers?
Yuck! Even less can I understand why men
would want to wear such ugly clothes, but
given what you’ve been telling me, it does
have a certain logic.’
Thinking a moment, Susan enquired,
‘Don’t tell me, you’re passengers on the
“Silver Tiara”? That’s my ship too! I get off
before you though. She’s got a wonderful
boutique on board. If you want I can help
you pick out some lovely satin business
dresses and evening gowns. I promise
that I won’t be embarrassed to be seen
with you. Perhaps we can share a table at
dinner. I’ll help you with your make-up...’
Susan was quite flummoxed. She was
suddenly alone. The two cross-dressers
had set off at a run towards the ticketing
desks. She could just about make out
William’s comment to Jonathon.
‘Let’s get back to Moron quickly, while
we still can!’ n
23
2
Kay’s Medieval Harrogate Weekend 2015 - M&CO Fashion Show
Kay’s Medieval
Harrogate
Weekend 2015 Falconry
Kay’s Medieval Harrogate Weekend 2015
.letters page
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
NEVER CLIMBED
HIS MOUNTAIN
F
irst, I would like to thank the Society in allowing this
presentation – I think you will agree that it is a win-win deal
for all concerned: the members will have not only an exciting,
award-winning memoir but also a chapter and ongoing blogs (now up
to 66) covering, in layman’s terms, transgender, transsexual, gender
dysphoria and transvestism, along with the many other variations out
there. Not to mention earned income for the Society.
Yes, there are a number of good books available that cover the
tribulations and experiences of one
individual or the interactions of a couple,
but this is the only resource offered
that covers, to some degree, the entire
multifaceted identity of our community.
Next is the financial return for the members
will split the royalties with me, the author.
The final benefit goes to the author for
making further progress in spreading
the word – information, not ignorance.
Knowledge brings acceptance and
vanquishes fear.
My initial motivation in writing the
memoir Never Climbed His Mountain,
Second Edition was to create a literary work.
The awards received in 2013 validated that
desire. One chapter, ‘Myths, Fallacies and
Most Therapists without a Clue’, is devoted
to the who, why and what that created the
vast diversity under the transgender and
TS umbrella. The most recent printing of
this memoir linked this chapter to blogs,
currently at 66, that bring new light to
this complex activity. For example, this writer believed that the great
majority of CDs were heterosexual. Sisters vehemently protested
that they were straight when first revealing their inclinations to a
spouse. That proclamation was made honestly, but you know what?
For some it turned out to be false. How we arrived at a bi and gay
percentage of about 20% is explained in detail in the blogs. As a result
of these findings, the wording in the first paragraph of the link will
be corrected in February 2015. One of many other misconceptions
was that transition required hormonal and/or usually surgical
reassignment. Now even the professionals agree it isn’t true. Hence
the need for revisions and new understanding – a never-ending task –
highlighted with Bruce Jenner currently making the headlines with a
public generally confused as to the definitions of ‘transition’.
And now the crux of this dissertation. You see, recently I signed
up with an agent in the UK, Gazelle in Lancaster, who now handles
distribution everywhere but North, Central and South America. They
in turn teamed up with Gardner Books in Great Sussex to create a
catalogue of books that they believe would attract members of the
LGBTQ groups. Happy to say that the cover page of this catalogue
features our award-winning cover. Believing that the members of
this Society have the same goal as I – to
spread knowledge and understanding – I’m
appealing to you to help me spread the word
that there is a resource out there available to
TGs, family, friends, relatives, employers and
the curious that can be easily understood by
all. This memoir serves another vital purpose
too – illustrating that one’s life is not limited
by being TS or TG, not by a long shot, but by
our achievements, goals and talents that make
up the whole person – not to be denigrated by
narrow-minded observers.
At age 89, whether anyone buys my book
is not as important as providing needed
information to the public. The blogs are
available for free on Google, my website,
www.neverclimbedhismountain.com,
or very recently on Amazon Books UK.
To reiterate: to help bring some revenue to
the Society, this author will donate half the
royalties of any book purchased through
the Society; so kindly go to this link: www.
gazellebookservices.co.uk/GazelleBooks/
sresult.pgm?search1=9780741469892&searchtype=advanced
Be sure to enter your code – Beaumont – and click the appropriate
button. Gazelle will pay all shipping and handling fees to anywhere
in the world. In addition, they will record the sale so that the Society
may receive credit. As of this writing, Amazon sells the memoir for £3
less, but Gazelle is paying the S&H, plus the Society is earning half the
royalties.
Really hope you folks will consider this proposal favorably.
Julie/Julian
27
.electoral divide
CROSSING
THE ELECTORAL
DIVIDE
by Ruth Hunt
The forthcoming general
election looks set to be one
of the most hard fought in
living memory. But who will
be getting your vote? Posh
David Cameron, toothy
Ed Miliband, bland
Nick Clegg – or even
swivel-eyed Nigel Farage?
28
electoral divide.
I
f your answer is: ‘I don’t trust any of
them’, then perhaps we should look
at some of the people both here and
abroad, present and past, who we, as
members of the transgendered electorate,
might want to put our ‘x’s against when we
visit the ballot box.
Our first candidate, unsurprisingly
perhaps, is from the United States of
America – the town of Silverton, Oregon to
be precise. There, Stu Rasmussen was elected
as Mayor in 1988 while presenting as male.
Unfortunately, he was voted out four years
later, but he was not to be deterred.
The next time he ran, he dressed in heels
and a skirt and become the first openly
transgendered mayor in the country. He said
that his decision to go public with his crossdressing made him ‘blackmail-proof ’. He
added: ‘It’s also my responsibility to the rest
of the transgender community to help show
others that we are not freaks and weirdos.’
Oddly, a formal complaint was filed
against Mayor Rasmussen recently for
showing too much skin!
Crossing the water to Europe, we have the
wonderfully named Vladimir Luxuria, who
was an Italian MP before she lost office in
2006. She campaigned against conservatives
as a transgendered candidate for Italy’s
Communist Refoundation Party.
Vladimir, who doesn’t consider herself
either male or female, campaigned for
all gay and transgendered people who
try to get into Italy from countries where
homosexuality is punishable by death.
And let’s not forget Anna Grodzka, a
Polish politician who is currently the only
openly transgender member of Parliament
in the world. In her sixties, Anna was elected
to the Polish Sejm in 2011.
Along with her duties as an MP, Anna also
advocates for transgender rights in Poland.
Part of her goal is to speak out against the
violence and discrimination trans people
face. She says: ‘I think this is because
although on an individual level we are often
all too visible, as a social group, our voice is
rarely heard.’
But she’s not alone. In Japan, Aya
Kamikawa, a 35-year-old writer, is
a Tokyo municipal official, the first
openly transgendered person to seek and
win elected office in Japan. She was elected
in April 2003, and when she submitted her
election application papers, she left a blank
space for ‘sex’.
She won a four-year term as an
independent and faced massive media
attention but, despite an announcement that
the government would continue to consider
her male officially, she stated that she would
work as a woman.
Looking back in history, there seems to
have been quite a tradition of cross-dressing
politicians dating back even to Roman
times. Enter Elagabalus, who was made
Emperor of Rome from 218 AD to 222 AD
at the age of just 14 after successful political
shenanigans by his aunt.
During his reign, he preferred to dress as
a woman. He removed all the hair from his
body, wore make-up and called his chariot
driver, Hierocles, his husband. He even
offered any doctor vast amounts of money if
they could perform surgery on him to make
him biologically female.
LET’S NOT FORGET
ANNA GRODZKA, A
POLISH POLITICIAN
WHO IS CURRENTLY
THE ONLY OPENLY
TRANSGENDER
MEMBER OF
PARLIAMENT IN
THE WORLD. IN HER
SIXTIES, ANNA WAS
ELECTED TO THE
POLISH SEJM IN 2011.
None of this exactly made him popular in
the highly traditional Rome of the time, and
this wasn’t helped by the fact that Elagabalus
married a priestess who’d been sworn to
virginity, and instituted controversial sunworshipping religious practices. Sadly, he
was assassinated in 222, at the age of only 18.
Moving forward in time to New York in
the 1800s, we come across Edward Hyde,
who was Governor of New York and New
Jersey between 1701 and 1708 and who
dressed fully as a woman. Remember, this
was the time when Puritan values still held
sway in society, so his decision was an
incredibly brave one.
He reportedly told the 1702 New York
Assembly that since he represented the
Queen, he would dress like her (this was
obviously before American Independence).
A portrait of Hyde fully dressed in female
garb is on display at the New York Historical
Society.
And, of course, when we come closer
to home, we have the most famous crossdresser, probably in the UK – Eddie Izzard.
Not content to be a hugely successful
comedian and actor, as well as tireless
charity fundraiser with his multiple
marathons, he has announced that he will
stand for London Mayor in 2020.
In an article in The Guardian, he said:
‘Everybody says I would be a good fit for
mayor because it’s a personality-led thing.’
However, if by 2020, London has an
incumbent Labour mayor, he’ll run for
parliament instead. Having helped Labour
fight four general elections, and been
cheerleader-in-chief for Ken Livingstone’s
2012 mayoral campaign, he has a good idea
of what he’d be getting himself into. ‘But I
have to do this in my life. I should stand up
and be counted.’
So while we may not be able to put a cross
against cross-dressing Eddie’s name this
time around, we may well have the chance in
another five years’ time!
But there is someone who may be
worthy of your vote in 2015. She is Emily
Brothers, who is seeking to become our first
transgendered MP. And if that is not enough
of a barrier in the predominantly white,
male House of Commons, she is also blind
and gay.
So, if she was elected as Labour MP for
Sutton and Cheam, she would not only be
shaking up the status quo but also making
history. However, she doesn’t want to be
known as ‘that transgendered MP’ – or that
blind and gay one, for that matter.
As she told The Daily Telegraph at the
end of last year: ‘I’m not a “transgender
politician”. I transitioned to be a woman, to
live my life as woman. The key thing I want
to say to my would-be constituents is that
my priority is dealing with policy across
the board. I’m a mainstream politician
interested in issues, such as health and
reversing the damage the coalition is having
on the cost of living for working families.’
So things may well be looking up as
the transgender vote is something that
may play an increasingly influential part
in mainstream politics in many countries
across the world.
Perhaps, now is the time to stand up and
be counted!
29
.makeover girl
MAKEOVER GIRL
by Gill Springgay
W
My eyes are blue. Could you offer me any
help? I would be extremely grateful.
Many thanks,
Miriam, Staffordshire.
STAR LETTER
Dear Makeover Girl,
I hope you can help me. After a lot of
practice I have managed to apply my
make-up to a reasonable standard.
However, I really struggle with eye makeup, technique and choosing colours to
match my eyes. I don’t know where to start
really but I have just been wearing a simple
blue eyeshadow over the lid and a bit of
highlighter. It looks a little plain and I
don’t do anything different for the evening.
Dear Miriam,
Thank you for your letter. I do receive a lot
of questions about eye make-up as it does
appear to be a common problem. It’s perhaps
one of the trickiest areas of make-up to get
right but when done properly can look very
effective. The advice I usually give for basic
eye make-up application is to firstly select
three colours including a cream or white
shade for the highlighter, a mid shade for
the lid and a darker tone of the second shade
for the contouring colour. When choosing
eyeshadow colours, always go for colours
that will contrast your own eye colour. For
instance, if you opt for blue when you have
blue eyes, the colour of your eyes will not
stand out. However, by selecting a warm,
contrasting colour like terracotta or coral,
the blue of the eyes will stand out.
To begin, first select your highlighting
shade (cream or white) and apply to the lid,
inner corners and under the eyebrow. This
will create a base for you to work on and also
highlight the brow bone. This is important
as it opens up the eye area. In fact, the
eyebrows are very important as they frame
the face. Next, using another brush, select
elcome, readers, to your
regular beauty column. My
name is Gill Springgay and I
work as an image consultant exclusively for
the transgender community. With over five
years’ experience as a make-up artist and
hair/wig stylist, I have helped many people
over the years with many issues.
I have offered to feature in a regular
column giving advice and answering
questions concerning make-up, skincare
and beauty. If you would like to write to
me, all letters will be replied to and your
letter may even feature in the next edition
of the magazine. You can write to me at
Dear Makeover Girl at www.makeovergirl.
co.uk or alternatively you can email me
directly at [email protected].
Best Wishes, Gill xx
30
your mid shade and apply to the lids of the
eye. Never overload your brush with shadow
as you increase the risk of fall out onto your
face, so go easy and add a little at a time. The
darker shade is then usually applied to the
outer corner of the eye and along the socket
line where it is blended together using an
eyeshadow blender brush. The blender brush
is an important tool in your make-up kit.
They vary in quality and cost, and obviously
brushes with natural hair are always the best
quality. Once the shadow is applied, line the
eyes on the upper lids with an eye pencil or
gel/liner/liquid. You should begin by lining
the outer corner of the eye to 2/3 of the way
across. Then line underneath again from
the outer corner to 2/3 way in. I usually
advise lining just along the water line unless
you have large eyes, in which case you can
apply kohl pencil to the inner rims. Finish
with a coat or two of mascara to the top and
bottom lashes. Always apply more mascara
to the outer corners winging the lashes out.
When opting for an evening look,
simply apply the colour more intensely
and widen the eyeliner to make it more of
a statement. Once you are confident with
this basic technique, you can then begin
experimenting with different colours of
shadow, mascaras and eyeliners. Remember:
have fun practising and reinvent yourself!
Gill x
Northern Concord’s
Cross
Talk
13th - 15th September 2015
A relaxing mid week break in the middle of September. Afternoon tea will be served in the beautiful marquee
and gardens. Venture into the woodland and seek out the secret gardens, all lovingly restored to reflect their
Victorian heritage. Monday - The theme for the day is Ladies Day at Ascot (not compulsory) During the early
evening the "Races at Ringwood" will take place with prizes to be won. Followed by a three course hog feast &
buffet supper with ethnic influences. Music to while away the evening. Tuesday - we have Garden Games,
croquet, giant chess, giant noughts and crosses and quoits in the gardens. The evening will start with a
Pimms, canapés and strawberry reception. A string duo will be playing during drinks reception and 4 course
Dinner. Music and dancing provided by the Tropicana DJ playing after dinner until midnight. Late residents Bar
in the Hotel as usual.
The price for Sunday, Monday
& Tuesday nights is just
£210.00 per person, for
Monday & Tuesday nights only
£160.00.
Our venue is the Ringwood Hall Hotel
A beautiful Georgian listed Manor House
close to the historic market town of Chesterfield,
Booking forms are available now,
go to Northern Concord’s website
at:.......
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.outsiders in London
OUTSIDERS
IN LONDON
O
My next major London
exhibition, ‘Outsiders in
London, are you one too?’,
opens on 23rd March
for seven weeks. As a
photographer and artist, I have
always been a keen observer of
the extraordinary diversity and
beauty of nature, people and
life in general. In this latest
project, I strive to show that
outsiders (a term which often
has negative connotations) are
not only those from faraway
places or those who don’t
quite fit in; I was determined
to show that there is another
side to this coin and that
there are those who stand out
deliberately, who consciously
choose to go against the
grain, people who challenge
established social, cultural
or religious norms, and who
question the policies and
orthodoxies broadly accepted
by those of us who are of the
mainstream or, as we imagine,
who are ‘on the inside’.
32
f course, sexual
identity is one of
the most important
determining factors
in most people’s
lives, and it is also
a fairly common reason why so many
people who discover that their sexual
proclivities are outside the often strictlydefined norms of conventional society
become (or certainly perceive themselves
to be) outsiders for the rest of their lives.
It is therefore not perhaps surprising
that out of the 40 sitters who agreed
to be part of this project, more than a
third might be described as gay, lesbian,
transexual, transgendered, cross-dressing
or asexual. Finding volunteers, especially
these sorts of volunteers, to take part in
a public portrait exhibition was not easy
but, thanks to the Beaumont Society in
London, doors were magically opened
and a number of arresting portraits and
life stories have been secured: Raphael/
Rachel Spicer describes his life as a
happy husband, father and long-term
cross-dresser; Margaret Dawn Pepper’s
transition at a mature stage in his life is a
deeply moving story; from early boyhood,
Pippa Holmes felt that he differed from
others – these days, s/he considers
‘transgendered’ and ‘transexual’ to be
descriptive of the two personas in which
s/he lives a fulfilled and extraordinary life
– her story is a compulsive read. All these
three individuals have been associated
with the Society in the past, and some are
loyal and active members still.
The project also features a number of
other candid and affecting life stories,
substantially shaped by questions of
sexual identity. A proud gay man,
Naseer Muhammad, also happens to be
a Muslim, a religion with a well-known
difficulty in accepting that some people
are born homosexual. Alec Scott Rook
who, while describing his long struggle
with inherited bipolar disorder, also
describes, with astonishing honesty,
his fairly recent transition from Alison
to Alec. At a time when conventional
family life is again being seen as the only
desirable building block in the edifice
of our society, Sonita Turner describes
the torture of her own home life, well
before discovering that she was a lesbian,
a recognition that inevitably added to
the many challenges she has had to face
but that has also offered her a route to
great personal happiness. And, finally,
Melanie Sawyer, an attractive young
woman who dares to proclaim her happy
life in a warm, tender, loving but asexual
partnership, something which is almost
beyond most people’s comprehension.
These are just a few examples of the wideranging and fascinating content of this
project.
‘Outsiders in London, are you one too?’
is a strictly non-commercial exhibition
about Londoners, dedicated to this
extraordinary city and to its people,
but the themes it deals with have truly
universal relevance. The exhibition, which
is free, is being held for seven weeks in
the Gallery in the Crypt, St Martin-inthe-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London
WC2N 4JJ, from 23rd March to 9th May
.outsiders in London
2015. (There is lift access for the disabled
from street level.)
Full details about the project and the
exhibition, together with all the images
and full versions of every life story, are
already uploaded onto the website: www.
outsidersinlondon.org. May I urge you to
take time to look through the images and
to read the life stories, not only of those
sitters who are mentioned above but also
of the many other remarkable individuals
who are featured in the exhibition. I
hope that every one of us will recognise
in these images, and life stories, a little
bit (perhaps a lot) of ourselves or of
someone close to us.
The exhibition also seeks to encourage
remembrance of all those other outsiders
whom we shan’t be getting to know:
those who, having taken part in the
project, then felt the need to pull out;
those who have been swept away by life’s
treacherous riptides and are no longer
with us; and those who never found the
strength to come forward in the first
place, outsiders who don’t dare even to
cross the threshold of the Beaumont
Society, or indeed of any of the other
support organisations, and who thus
live clandestine lives, often in isolation,
feeling that they are the only ones in the
world who just don’t seem to fit in. n
Milan Svanderlik (photographer / artist)
All images are © Milan Svanderlik,
London, UK
33
2
.looking at the bigger picture
25TH NOVEMBER
2014 – THE DAY I
FINALLY REALISED
THAT I SHOULDN’T
UNDERESTIMATE
MYSELF AND THAT I
SHOULD ALWAYS SEE
MYSELF AS AMAZING
AND BEAUTIFUL,
EVEN IF IT MAY COME
ACROSS AS ARROGANT
AND BIG-HEADED.
LOOKING AT
THE BIGGER
PICTURE
BY DREW ASHLYN
CUNNINGHAM
34
T
R
E
.looking at the bigger picture
I
’ve never really taken the time to sit
back and think just how far I have
come in my life. And turning 26 soon
made me think that it’s about time I
look at things differently.
As a minority, we as trans people have
come to the conclusion that once we
start hormones and have surgery, we will
become our true selves. And as I sit here
and type this it makes me think that, yes,
taking hormones and having surgery will
make me comfortable in the long run. But
when I look at the bigger picture, it makes
me question everything.
The combination of hormones and
surgery won’t turn me into a woman,
because I will never know what a woman
is supposed to feel like, just as I will
never know what it’s like to be a man.
For a long period of time I have always
tried to explain to people that, for me,
the definition of what it is like to be
transgender is that I feel like a woman
trapped inside a man’s body.
My shell may have been more towards
the male side but I still don’t really know
what it is like to be a man.
Growing up I was always wanting
to play with dolls and dress up in my
sister’s clothing, and to me that was
what made me feel comfortable. But
once I hit puberty things seemed to be
different. Yes I was still into girly things
but that didn’t stop me from trying to
express myself as a male. I still had sexual
relations with men and explored my
sexuality as a gay male. As time went on
I knew that this role I was playing wasn’t
the one I wanted to identify as. I knew that
I wanted to be a woman. But what does it
mean to be a woman?
At the time, it meant having long hair,
wearing make-up and wearing female
clothes. That was the only way I could
identify myself as what it was like to be
a woman. I never knew there would be
so much more to feeling like a woman,
though in reality that isn’t the case.
I guess the only way we can identify
as our true selves is when we are at our
most comfortable. And if that means we
need to take hormones and have surgery
then that’s what we must do.
For me, I don’t know why I need to
have the admiration and acceptance
from society to be seen as and viewed
as a woman but that is just what makes
me feel comfortable. To be spoken to in
female pronouns. To be sent a birthday
card with ‘daughter’ on the front. It’s the
little things that make me feel comfortable
in my own skin.
I know that for myself I had to take
hormones to cancel out the male
hormone testosterone, so it wouldn’t
make my characteristics be seen as more
masculine than they already were. And
I know that in the future I want to have
surgery on my face so that I feel more
accepted by society and know that it will
be easier for them to view me as a female
in their world.
For a long time I used to look down at my
body and cry because all I saw was a male,
but as time has gone on and oestrogen has
taken effect I look down and all I see is a
woman with a little bit extra.
I KNOW THAT FOR MYSELF
I HAD TO TAKE HORMONES
TO CANCEL OUT THE MALE
HORMONE TESTOSTERONE,
SO IT WOULDN’T MAKE MY
CHARACTERISTICS BE SEEN
AS MORE MASCULINE THAN
THEY ALREADY WERE.
Even though I have a penis still, I don’t
view myself as a man, even though if you
were to take that one part of my body and
ask people if it’s a female characteristic or
a male one they would choose the male.
It’s things like this that make me ask
the question of what it’s like to be a
woman. Because even though my body
hasn’t changed that much, I still feel more
comfortable and view myself as a woman
more than I would a man. So is this what it
means by feeling more like a woman?
For a long time I have put my mind
in situations where I know I’m going to
get upset. I have obsessed for a long
time trying to compare myself to genetic
women, knowing that they have the life
that I want. Constantly looking at pictures
online and becoming depressed because
I want to be able to pleasure a man the
same way a cisgendered woman can,
when in reality I shouldn’t feel pressure to
compare myself to any of those things.
Before I transitioned I never knew what
it was like to be put under a spotlight and
judged for pretty much every detail in my
life, mostly regarding my appearance.
Before, I could walk out the house not
having a care in the world when it came
to the way I appeared, because guys
don’t pick at things with other people’s
appearances, they just get on with things.
Whereas since I have transitioned it’s
become more apparent to me that women
put so much pressure on other women
because they want to be the best out
there. Statistics show that women adjust
their appearance at least eight times a
day! And it makes me wonder that without
the pressure of looking good for other
people and yourself, would it mean that
there would be less judgement on how we
view everyone else?
It hit me when I realised that since
transitioning, people feel they have the
right to pass comments on the way you
look. Working in the make-up industry
has had a big impact on me. People say,
‘Oh, you’re wearing too much makeup,’ or, ‘You need to be more glam.’
Then they say, ‘You dress like a slut,’ or,
‘You need to put on weight.’ Before I
transitioned I never experienced anything
like this, which is why even though I
was depressed, I wanted to be seen as
a woman. I was never aware that we as
women judge one another and put each
other under a spotlight. And what is it all
for? To please a guy. No thanks.
I’d rather be happy with myself and
appreciate the little things in life than
put so much pressure on myself to try
and become something that I think other
women and men want me to be. So to
wrap things up, I guess I wanted to finish
by saying that it is not worth comparing
ourselves to what we think a woman
should be like. Instead, we should just
appreciate being happy and having
people around us who can accept us for
who we are and not what we are.
I want you all to say to yourself each day
that you’re amazing and beautiful, and just
remember one thing: we are all soft and
pink on the inside and should embrace
who we are AND what we are! n
www.twitter.com/drew_ashlyn
www.youtube.com/lita212
www.instagram.com/drewashlynmua
email: [email protected]
35
2
.help!
HELP!
I THINK THEY’RE
TRYING TO TURN
ME INTO A
TRANSVESTITE!
by Pauline Anne Armitage
36
help!.
CALL ME PARANOID IF YOU WISH, BUT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT EVERYONE
WANTS ME TO BE A TRANSVESTITE! I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO WEAR, WHAT
SEEMS RIGHT TO ME. WHEN I DO, OTHERS SEEM TO FROWN AND LOOK
ASKANCE AT ME. IN SOME SHOPS, THEY HAVE EVEN POINTEDLY REFUSED TO
NOTICE ME, SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO SERVE ME. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG,
OTHER THAN REFUSING TO BE AS THEY SEEM TO WANT?
E
very morning when I wake up,
I know just what I’d like to wear
for work. However, I know that
if I don’t wear the prescribed
uniform of a male-tailored suit, shirt and tie,
then I’ll be seen as a rebel, a ‘square peg in a
round hole’, and if not forced out of my job
immediately then I’ll be conveniently moved
up the list of those to be made redundant first.
Yet strangely the dresses, skirts and blouses
that I prefer are permitted to other workers
doing essentially the same job as me! The only
difference that I can see is that those workers
were born with a different arrangement
of flesh between their legs and have later
developed protuberances on their chests!
This isn’t a new phenomenon. It’s been
going on since I was a child! Even my
own relatives are complicit. It might even
be considered that they are among the
ringleaders of this plot! Perhaps they think
that they are doing me a favour in trying to
teach me to conform to a world that pays
lip-service to diversity but is really rather
suspicious of it. After all, if everyone is the
same, then you can understand them, predict
how they will behave and hence, perhaps, be
able to manipulate and control them.
Ah, family, yes! Because I was defined
at birth as a ‘boy’ they dressed me up
in rather utilitarian clothes with little
decoration, frills, flounces, etc. To this
day, I see in shops rather pretty children’s
dresses and mourn the childhood that I’d
have loved, but was not permitted. It wasn’t
just the lack of pretty clothes. There was
an unspoken hidden agenda whereby I
was expected to learn and do things that
were considered appropriate for boys and
men. At the same time, I was subtly steered
away from doing those things considered
appropriate for the other classification,
girls and women. Girls were allowed – no,
even encouraged – to be expressive, to
give themselves over to exuberance and to
glory and revel in emotion. I, on the other
hand, was taught that I was to be reserved
and to hide any form of expressiveness, to
repress exuberance, and that emotion was
not appropriate for me. ‘Keep a stiff upper
lip’, ‘Don’t let it show’ and ‘Keep it all inside’
seem to have been the watchwords. Even my
sister who was a year older than I seems to
have been part of the plot.
There were pretty clothes around, usually
far too big as they were destined for jumble
sales. We children would play in them
without too much differentiation as to
appropriateness, until one day my sister told
me rather brutally that I couldn’t play with her
and her friends in these ‘dressing-up’ clothes
because I was a boy, and boys don’t dress up
in girls’ clothes. As I was taught, I buried the
pain of this rejection deep in my soul. It took
decades before I could remember just how
shocking and hurtful this rejection was. I’m
not even sure that I’ve fully exorcised it yet.
School was a refined form of hell! Because I
knew myself different from what was expected
of me, this probably showed to the other boys
who were doubtless all trying to conform
to a norm that really was unattainable too.
Because I was less successful in hiding my
inability to be a good little clone, I was bullied
unmercifully. The teachers knew quite well
what was going on but did nothing to stop
it, since they too were part of the conspiracy
to deny any form of individuality and selfexpression to boys, while encouraging just
that in girls.
In those days, getting a job wasn’t as hard as
it is now, but just as the transition from junior
school to senior school had been a step into a
harsher, more conformist milieu, so too was
entry to the world of work! It was here that I
was introduced to the horrible uniform that
has been the staple workwear that I’ve had to
put up with for most of my working life.
So you see, it isn’t just my imagination: the
world really is trying to repress my femininity!
However, like any good ‘underground’ fighter,
I have lived a good ‘cover’, protecting my
true inner self, allowing her to gradually
strengthen. In time, she was strong enough to
face the world, with some trepidation. Those
brave steps gave her the confidence to take
more steps until I have now reached the point
where I now almost feel that I can truly tell
the world to ‘get lost’, with its subtle repressive
gender slaveries. It’s just a shame that it’s
taken so long. There are very few places now
where I cannot be true to my feminine self:
the occasional family event, funeral (but
even there, depending on whose life we are
marking, I can sometimes be myself) and, of
course, work. I can and do live in the role that
I feel is more appropriate to me.
Even at work, however, there has been
significant changes in the last decade. In many
of the more go-ahead organisations, dual
and transgender people are no longer seen
as being akin to Dracula or Frankenstein’s
monster. Perhaps I’ve lived in ‘cover’ for too
long! I’m not yet ready to attend work as the
true me. Many people there though do now
know that I live a feminine life, but perhaps
the fear of further rejection is more than I can
face. Because it has taken so long to reach this
point, retirement is not that far off. Why fight
a battle that will soon become moot? Perhaps
if I’d been able to garner the strength of will to
look myself in the face and to spit at the world
in the eye, even as little as five years before
I did, then that battle might well have been
worth fighting! n
37
.view from the border
Increasing
Visibility
by Penny Ellis
There is no doubt that trans people and transgender
issues are becoming increasingly visible in the media
and not simply in the old story, ‘Man wears dress!’ A
number of incidents have caught my eye in recent weeks.
ELECTION CANDIDATE
A little over a year ago Emily Brothers was
selected by the Labour Party to stand for
the Sutton & Cheam seat in the forthcoming
General Election. She has no chance of
winning in a strong Tory area but the Labour
bigwigs must have been pleased to tick two
boxes – a female candidate who is blind.
A year later she announced that she was a
trans-woman so becoming the first known
trans-person to stand for a major party in a
General Election.
One might ask why, as someone who
had completed her transition, she came
out as trans. There is no legal reason why
a trans-woman or man should declare that
they were previously a different gender
if they become a candidate. Her answer
was, unfortunately, the old story of fear of
being outed by the media. She decided she
wanted to control the announcement by
doing it herself rather than have a journalist
dig into her past during the election and
find what they considered to be a juicy
secret.
The response to her press release was
interesting. At first the usual suspects (i.e.
the Sun) came out with hackneyed abuse
but soon had to back-pedal and apologise
when Brothers retaliated with wit. That was
followed by sensible reporting about her
history, particularly in The Guardian. I have
no idea what Labour Party members think
but I am sure their leaders are delighted
that they can tick off another minority group
as being represented in the election.
38
I don’t live in her constituency so I cannot
vote for Emily Brothers, but I wouldn’t in
any case. I don’t care what the candidate
is so long as they represent my views and
come over as honest and hard-working.
Nevertheless, I am pleased that a trans
person has taken this step despite the
scrutiny that she will be put under. Now I am
waiting for the first openly dual-role trans
candidate to step up. It won’t be me – three
years on a town council has been quite
enough thank you, and I haven’t worn a
dress to a council meeting once.
BOY IN A DRESS
Talking of wearing dresses, I wonder how
many readers watched the Christmas
showing of David Walliams’ The Boy in a
Dress. My granddaughter read the book
a while ago, along with Walliams’ other
children’s novels that she loves, but I didn’t
have the opportunity to question her about
her reactions to it. With Walliams’ form as
a cross-dresser from Little Britain sketches
I anticipated an enlightened slant on the
story. I was disappointed.
The boy misses his departed mother,
who was a keen fashion follower, so he
likes looking at the fashion magazines she
was fond of. An older girl discovers this and
grooms him into dressing in her designs.
He finds he likes the feeling of being a girl,
and his friend encourages him to flout the
authority of his headmaster by appearing
at school in drag. He is discovered and
expelled. However, because he is a wizard
football player, his school team need
him and rebel against the headmaster
by all wearing dresses in a match. The
headmaster is also discovered to be a
secret cross-dresser and it ends happily
ever after.
Or is it? There is no evidence that the boy
continues to wear dresses or question his
gender. In fact he reverts to being a ‘normal’
boy. The story suggests that to be accepted
as a cross-dresser, you have to be a hero or
genius in some other area of recognisably
male activity. Also, the cross-dressing
headmaster was nasty because of his own
fear of being outed but at least at the end
he is reconciled to his transgenderism.
My conclusion was that while
Walliams’ story gave some exposure to
transgenderism, it didn’t advance our
acceptance in society.
TRANS IN MIDDLE EARTH
My final observation this time is that
even in The Hobbit (the film, not Tolkien’s
book), cross-dressing is a joke. In the
final film, the cowardly henchman of the
Master of Lake hides with the women and
children by dressing in petticoats, skirt
and blouse with his hoard of gold stuffed
in his bra. This provides a few moments of
fun amongst all the battle scenes and the
most clichéd of punch lines – ‘Your slip is
showing’. Disappointing was my verdict.
I hope my stories of detective
Jasmine Frame provide a better insight
into transgender life. Painted Ladies:
A Jasmine Frame Story is available
as e-book and paperback from all
bookstores, and there are more Jasmine
Frame stories on my blog www.ellifont.
wordpress.com n
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.Bond films
Bond Films
by Kitty Potter
Tula was cast as an extra in the 1981 James Bond film
For Your Eyes Only. Shortly after the film’s release, the
tabloid News of the World came out with a front page
headline that read ‘James Bond Girl Was a Boy’.
Caroline Cossey (‘Tula’) – For Your Eyes Only
Cossey was born Barry Kenneth Cossey
in Brooke, Norfolk and raised as male.
Through puberty, Cossey was distinctly
feminine in appearance due to a variant of
an intersex condition known as ‘Klinefelter’s
syndrome’, where, instead of having
the XY male chromosome pattern, she
possesses the genotype XXXY (people with
Klinefelter’s syndrome usually have XXY).
In Cossey’s autobiography My Story, she
describes an unhappy childhood where she
suffered confusing feelings and bullying by
peers due to her femininity. Growing up,
Cossey’s closest companion was her sister,
Pam, with whom she played dress-up in
their mother’s clothes. Cossey left formal
schooling when she was 15, and found
work in a clothing store and as a butcher’s
apprentice. At 16, she moved to London
and worked at a variety of low-wage jobs.
Cossey started transitioning after
befriending a post-operative trans woman.
By 17, Cossey was receiving hormone
therapy, living full-time in a female gender
role and had begun a career as a showgirl
at a London nightclub. Despite initial
shock, Cossey’s parents were eventually
supportive. Following breast augmentation
surgery, Cossey worked as a showgirl
in Paris and as a topless dancer in
Rome to save up for sex reassignment
surgery (SRS). After years of hormonal
and psychological treatment, and legally
changing her name, Cossey had her final
surgery on 31 December 1974 at Charing
Cross Hospital, London.
Cossey now began an active social life
as a woman, concealing her past as a male.
Asked about her dating life, Cossey replied,
‘I’m afraid I went a little wild.’
Cossey worked as a model under
the name ‘Tula’. She appeared in top
40
magazines such as the Australian Vogue
and Harper’s Bazaar, and worked
extensively as a glamour model. She was
a Page Three Girl for the British tabloid The
Sun and appeared in Playboy in 1981.
In 1978, Tula won a part on the British
game show 3-2-1. A tabloid journalist then
contacted her, revealing he had discovered
she was transsexual and planned to write
about it. Other journalists researched her
past, attempting to interview her family
members. Cossey dropped out of the show,
convincing the producers to release her
from her contract. After this incident, Tula
maintained a lower profile, accepting only
smaller assignments.
Tula was cast as an extra in the 1981
James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.
Shortly after the film’s release, the News
of the World came out with a front page
headline that read ‘James Bond Girl Was
a Boy’. By her own accounts, Tula was so
upset she contemplated suicide. However,
she continued her modelling career. Tula
responded by releasing I Am a Woman, her
first autobiography.
Tula became engaged to Count Glauco
Lasinio, an Italian advertising executive,
who was the first man to date her knowing
of her past. He encouraged her to petition
for changes in the British law concerning
transsexuals. The engagement ended, but
her legal efforts continued for seven years,
eventually reaching the European Court of
Human Rights.
In 1991, Tula released My Story, her
second autobiography. In it she gave details
of her transition and her unsuccessful battle
with the European Commission. She was
featured in the September 1991 issue of
Playboy, in a pictorial, ‘The Transformation
Of Tula’, as an acknowledged transsexual.
.Bond films
Charles Gray – Diamonds are Forever
Ernst Stavro Blofeld
is a supervillain from
the James Bond
films. An evil genius
with aspirations of
world domination, he
is the arch-enemy
of James Bond and
is head of the global
criminal organisation
SPECTRE.
He was played on
screen by Donald
Pleasence, Telly Savalas and Charles Gray, but Charles Gray’s
Blofeld lacks the menace of the previous two, taking the character
far into high camp. When Blofeld abducts Bond girl Tiffany Case,
he decides to do it in drag, and for the audience watching, this
was just a shocking surprise to see James Bond’s greatest archenemy dressed up as a woman.
Blofeld also has working for him a very unusual couple of
henchmen: Mr Wint and Mr Kidd. There is a strong suggestion
that they are involved in more than just a professional relationship
as they appear to be homosexual with each other.
k.d. Lang – Tomorrow Never Dies
Having previously worked with
Bond composer David Arnold on
his album Shaken and Stirred:
The David Arnold James Bond
Project, Arnold decided to work
with k.d. Lang for the next
Bond movie theme tune called
Tomorrow Never Dies. However,
Sheryl Crow’s song became
the official theme, and the k.d.
Lang song was relegated to
the end credits and renamed
‘Surrender’.
It appears that the producers
weighed up a couple of things:
whose image and face was
more fresh to audiences. You
had Sheryl Crow, who was
stunning and had a great body, and then you had k.d. Lang, who was
an openly gay lesbian and dressed more like a man than a woman. It
was not the first time that image was an issue: Alice Cooper had lost out
to Lulu for the Man with the Golden Gun theme as she was more family
friendly.
However, critics were harsh on Crow’s performance, saying the
music has the right swank and swing but her brittle voice lacks the
operatic quality of the best Bond themes. Rolling Stone was also critical
and believed Lang’s song to be superior. Writing for Filmtracks.com,
Christian Clemmensen also wished Lang’s song had remained. Over
time, ‘Surrender’ has been included on Bond greatest hits albums.
Funeral scene – Thunderball
Bond and his French
liaison were present
at the funeral of
SPECTRE’s Number
6, Colonel Jacques
Bouvar, investigating his
apparent death after the
colonel passed away in
his sleep.
Bond laments that
he did not have the
opportunity to kill the
SPECTRE operative
personally, stating that
he had murdered two
of his colleagues. As
the pair stand on the balcony outside the chapel, Bond
observes Bouvar’s widow behaving suspiciously, noticing
that she opens a car door for herself.
It is revealed that in an attempt to evade reprisals,
Colonel Bouvar has faked his death and disguised himself
as his own widow. Bond surprises him at his French
château, where a fight ensues and ends with Bond
breaking Bouvar’s neck with a fire poker.
Grace Jones – A View to a Kill
Jones’ distinctive, androgynous appearance, square-cut,
angular padded clothing, manner and height of 5’10½’’
influenced the cross-dressing movement of the 1980s.
Jones took on the role of Zula the Amazonian in Conan the
Destroyer in 1984, and in 1985 Jones starred as May Day,
henchman to main antagonist Max Zorin in the 14th James
Bond film A View to a Kill. She is an original character, created
specifically for the film. She was another big, strong Amazonian
woman who was extremely intimidating.
Despite being, arguably, one of the most evil villains, she is
one of the few to change sides and become an ally, like Pussy
Galore in Goldfinger. However, unlike Pussy Galore, I don’t
see this character as a Bond girl. She was not helpless, and
James Bond never needed to rescue her because she could
completely handle herself. In one scene, she lifts a man over
her head with no apparent effort!
Grace Jones is not a Bond girl...she is a Bond woman.
41
.chaplain’s chatter
Psalm 73 verses 21 to 26: “When my heart was filled with bitterness
and my mind was seized with envy, I was stupid, and I did not
understand. I was like a dumb animal in Your presence. Yet, I am
always with You. You hold on to my right hand. With Your advice You
guide me, and in the end You will take me to glory. As long as I have
You, I do not need anyone else in heaven or on earth. My body and
my mind may waste away, but God remains the foundation of my life
and my inheritance forever.”
Chaplain’s
Chatter
by Rev Nicola Wilson
A
question I am often asked is, ‘Why are you so joyful?’ Well, I found joy when I realised
that as imperfect as I may be, I am the perfect Nicola Wilson. I am God’s creation,
designed according to His plan for me – just like each of you. That is not to say there is
not room for improvement! For most of my life I have been struggling with the fact that I feel I
am a female in a male’s body. A few years ago, I decided to ‘come out’, and since then I have lived
my life as much as I can as a female. In doing so, I feel that I am being the person I am meant
to be, although it can bring, on many occasions, great difficulties.
However, I believe that life has no limits and I would like you to feel
What is worse is that when we consider
the same – no matter what you might face.
ourselves unworthy, we are putting limits
Just pause for a few moments and think about any limitations
on how God can work in us! You are His
that you have placed on your life or that you have allowed others to
place on it. Now think about what it would be like to be free of those
creation. He made you for a purpose and
limitations. What would your life be like if anything were possible?
you are of tremendous value.
My challenges have opened up remarkable opportunities to speak
to and to reach out to many who are in need. You have your own
challenges, and you, too, are imperfect, but you are the perfect YOU! Too often we convince
ourselves we are not good enough, smart enough, attractive enough or talented enough; we buy
into what others say about us, or we put restrictions on ourselves. What is worse is that when
we consider ourselves unworthy, we are putting limits on how God can work in us! You are
His creation. He made you for a purpose and you are of tremendous value. Therefore, your life
cannot be limited any more than God’s love for you can be contained. Just imagine, then, what is
possible for you!
A THOUGHT TO LEAVE YOU WITH: We have choices. We can choose to dwell on our
disappointments and shortcomings. We can choose to be bitter, angry or sad. When faced with
hard times and hurtful people, we can choose to give up. Or we can choose to learn from the
experience and move forward, allowing God to bring us real joy. How are you going to respond
the next time a challenge comes your way? Think about these words from Psalm 73.
Yours in Jesus, Rev Nicola Helen Wilson.
Feel free at any time to contact me on 015242 62776 (voicemail box facility) or email
[email protected]
42
This will be our 24th year at Rotherham. This years event is promising to be as good as ever.
Friday Night's theme The Charlston Years'.. (NOT COMPULSORY)
Gala Night's theme Red, White & Green', (NOT COMPULSORY)
The cost for the full weekend is £172 per person. Extra Day/s THURSDAY 19th £68 per person SUNDAY to Monday 23rd.
£68 per person. Single room supplement £15.
Dress code applies. Smart and Elegant, as befitting the occasion. No fetish clothing, PVC, Rubber, Children/Baby Clothes.
For further details and booking forms Janett invites you to contact her with SAE to :Janett Scott
72, Putteridge Road, Stopsley, Luton, LU2 8HG.
E: [email protected]
T: 01582 732936
Monthly instalments available at no extra cost.
Standing orders are welcome.
Janett Scott’s
Weekend break for Ladies
Holiday Inn
West Bawtry Road,
Rotherham, S60 4NA
T: 0870 400 7235
E: [email protected]
The 24th Ladies Rotherham Weekend
Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd November 2015
Are you taking full advantage of
the Beaumont Society website?
As a member of the Beaumont
Society, you can benefit from a
whole host of features that the
website has to offer.
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To find out more, visit www.beaumontsociety.org.uk
E: [email protected] W: www.goldminemedia.co.uk
Mermaids is the only charity in the UK providing
support for children and teenagers with gender
identity issues and their families. The charity provides
peer support forums for young people aged 13-19
and a separate forum for parents. Support is also
available via a telephone helpline. Mermaids can help
with a range of issues, such as coming out at
school, family issues and seeking treatment for
gender dysphoria.
.coffee break
Beaumont Wordsearch
Crossword
1
12
2
14
Y C S P A C E M A N O C A T
11
T A C A R P E T
I B A L M E G I
N B R S S A A T
K A E U G T B R
15
3
3
4
4
5
6
N U G G E T
R L L P G Q
W O Z L A S
O C H U R E
A G C Q N G D W O H E M A G
13
E R U N N E R D I L B M
M M O I S T H E C L E E B
O F W Z O O S N H L P R L
N L S N T R I T I I H C E
D O O E C A F N P H A O G
L
5
8
7
9
12
9
10
16
A
S
U
A
S
S W L A N S W E R S N U N S
A N F L A M E T E D T G I R
W E D I A G O N A L T H R A
13
11
10
ACROSS
1. An organism which lives in or on another
organism (8)
3. Actor famous for Willow and An
Idiot Abroad (7,5)
4. A baby horse (4)
5. Controversial UK polititian (5,6)
6. Pop band, lead singer Gwen (2,5)
7. A six-sided object (7)
8. A semiaquatic fish-eating
mammal (plural) (6)
9. A dish enjoyed after a drunken night out (5)
10. Something sticky (8)
11. Move continuously and rapidly to and fro (7)
12. American TV show with vampires, set in
New Orleans (9)
13. A white bird (4)
DOWN
1. Danger Mouse’s sidekick (7)
2. Battered amphibian (4,2,3,4)
3. 70s/80s band, homeless person with
special powers (10)
4. Eastenders character was married to Masood (6)
5. Brass instrument (8)
6. A feeling of sickness (6)
9. To make clean (8)
10. Removed with a cotton bud (6)
11. A type of music with guitars (4)
12. Half of an 80s band, linked to Xmas dinner
vegetable (6)
13. To put an end to (7)
14. French Provençal stewed vegetable dish (11)
15. Someone who mends shoes (7)
Cartoon
BROCHURE
CHILLI
SAUSAGES
PLUMB
CARPET
ELEPHANT
DIAGONAL
ANSWERS
RAMBLE
QUIZ
WOOL
ARMS
ALMONDS
CABBAGE
MOIST
NUGGET
FISH
KNIT
TENT
HOTEL
COUGH
EGGS
BALM
ZOO
RENT
TACO
PEAT
RAGE
RING
SHED
GIRL
NUNS
FLAME
FOUNTAIN
SCARECROW
WOODCHIP
SPACEMAN
RUNNER
FLOWN
Suduko
5
2
6
4
8
1
2
8
5
6
9
7
2
8
4
1
3
2
7
Hidden Word
Find a eleven-letter word by moving from circle to circle.
Each letter must be used once
E
N
E
Go to www.beaumontsociety.org.uk/competition for all the answers
44
M
T
A
G
R
R
N
A
BRO
CHI
SAU
FLA
PLU
FOU
SCA
WO
SPA
RUN
FLO
CAR
ELE
DIA
ANS
RAM
QUI
WO
ARM
ALM
CAB
MO
NUG
FISH
KNI
TEN
HOT
COU
EGG
BAL
ZOO
REN
TAC
PEA
RAG
RIN
SHE
GIR
CHE
SHE
NUN
“Beau Bedford”
a transgendered
meeting
On every 2nd
Saturday of the month
WOULD IT BE HELPFUL
TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO
SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS
YOUR SITUATION?
YOU ARE NOT ALONE...
7.00pm to 10.30pm
The Cafe, Day Resource Centre, 3 Kimbolton Road
BEDFORD MK42 2NT
Come and join this our first informal monthly social
meeting intended for all transgendered people
and their family and friends in Bedford and the
District around
This is the first opportunity for transgendered
people to meet and socialise with others. There will
be refreshments and eats available.
Come and be yourself and changing facilities are
available for those who need them.
Contact Robyn Smith 01933 316286 / 07921 383791
A RECENTLY-FORMED GROUP OFFERING:
Confidential support to women whose partners are transgender and may express
themselves through cross dressing.
Volunteers who are all women who have been through the experience of living with a
transgender person. They will provide emotional and practical support, information and
understanding of others in a similar situation.
We can relate to your feelings and reassure you that they are “normal”.
BRIEF DETAILS OF THE SERVICES WE INTEND TO PROVIDE
Confidential Online Forum
Confidential Telephone Support Line
Answers to frequently asked questions
Letters describing their personal experiences from wives & partners of transgender people.
CONTACT DETAILS: [email protected]
WEBSITE ADDRESS: beaumontsociety.org.uk/partners/partners.html
OPERATIONAL FROM: 1st April 2013
Sponsored by the Beaumont Society
A charity offering support for all transgendered people
Sandra
Hawkins
*5&$#"#5"$#*"&$*#5"$
Forever You
Sandra Hawkins is an experienced Electrologist and Beautician who has
many years of experience helping clients achieve their hair removal and
beauty requirements
ŗ4QFDJBMJTJOHJO&MFDUSPMZTJTGPSQFSNBOFOUIBJSSFNPWBM
ŗ'VMM#FBVUZ4FSWJDFJODMVEJOH&ZFCSPX4IBQJOH8BYJOH(FM/BJMTFUD
ŗ&YQFSJFODFPGUSFBUJOH5($PNNVOJUZXJUITFOTJUJWJUZBOEEJTDSFUJPO
ŗ%FMJWFSJOHUSFBUNFOUQMBOTXJUIFNQBUIZBOEVOEFSTUBOEJOH
ŗ0OFUPPOFUSFBUNFOUTXJUIGSFFDPOTVMUBUJPOT
ŗ%JTDSFFU1SFNJTFTXJUI1BSLJOH
Flexible Appointments to suit please feel free to leave a message
or call in complete confidence.
5FMPS
Email: [email protected]
www.beautyliaisons.co.uk
PHOENIX
THE TRANS SUPPORT GROUP FOR KENT
A friendly place to meet for chat / coffee in a secure venue on
the first Sunday of each month from 1600 - 1900
Cost £5 per person. Tea/Coffee 50p per cup
BI-MONTHLY MEETINGS
(Next Meeting January 2015)
Venue Address: Lower Rd, Northfleet, Kent DA11 9BL.
Contact Becky Essex 07595 159108 [email protected]
“Trans in the
21st Century”
Edited By Alice Purnell
and Jed Bland
ISBN 978 0952 135 777
By, Joanna Darrell
Trans in the 21st Century, or, T21C as it’s come
to be known, is the Beaumont Trusts update
to its previous publication “Transvestism and
Cross-dressing. Modern Views”.
Divided into 20 sections, 7 of which are related to
“medical matters”, 8 to “Transgender groups, including
families” and the remainder being spread across a
number of categories including personal accounts and
Trans culture and history. More extensive than it’s
predecessor, the book covers a broader range of
material within each section. The transgender section
now features a number of personnel accounts, which not
only help make the book more accessible to readers but
also provide a useful insight for healthcare professionals.
“Trans in the 21st Century” is priced at £15.00 (excluding P&P) and
is available from both the Beaumont Society and Beaumont Trust.
Either email [email protected] or visit the Beaumont
Trusts website at www.beaumont-trust.org.uk.
THE BEAUMONT SOCIETY
Established 1966
www.beaumontsociety.org.uk
The purpose of the BEAUMONT SOCIETY are to form an association of those who help CROSS
DRESS or who are TRANSSEXUAL and, through this association, to provide a means of help
and communication between members, in order to reduce the emotional stress, eliminate the
sense of guilt and so aid better understanding by them and of their families and friends.
HELP LINES
BS INFORMATION LINE 01582 412220
The Beaumont Trust
BM Charity,
London, WC1N 3XX
Trustline:
07000 287 878
(7pm to 11pm Tues & Thurs)
www.gender.org.uk/bt/
Press for Change
Scotland
Trans-people and the law
www.pfc.org.uk
Edinburgh Trans Women
[email protected]
Meet on first Saturday monthly
7.30pm to 09.30pm
9 Howe Street EH3 6TE
Email or telephone 0131-523-1100
Tel: 08448 708 165
10.00am to 5.00pm
Enquiries: [email protected]
Transsexuals, Transgendered & Partners
GENDYS NETWORK
www.gender.org.uk/gendys
EUROPE
Association Beaumont Continental
Centre MBE 130 39,
Boulevard da la Liberte 35000
RENNES
www.abcfr.org
BM Gendys
London WC1N 3XX
Northern Ireland
Belfast Butterfly Club
028 9267 3720
(Weds. 8pm to 10pm)
www.belfastbutterflyclub.co.uk
E-mail: [email protected]
Grampian Gender Group
Meet 3rd Saturday Monthly
Details Mobile No 07050-562175
Monday & Wedneday 7pm to 9pm
The Sandy Initiative
Gender Identity Clinic
Glasgow
Tel No 0141 211 8130
(For Scottish Transsexuals no GP
Referral Necessary)
You can contact the Facilitator by email
[email protected]
Lgbt Centre Helpline 0300-123-2523
Tuesdays & Wednesdays from 12 to 9pm
Beaumont Partners
All enquiries can be directed to [email protected]. We also operate a postal service for members who don’t have
access to the internet, or just prefer post! If you would like to use this service, you can write to us at the below address.
27 Old Gloucester Street London WC1N 3XX. Please address your letter to “Beaumont Partners”.
The views expressed in the Beaumont Magazine are those of the members and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or the
executive committee of the Beaumont Society. All items appearing in the journal are, except where noted to the contrary, subject to the
copyright of the Beaumont Society and shall not be reproduced without the written permission of the Beaumont Society. The editor
reserves the right to alter, shorten or refuse any item submitted for publication. The Beaumont Society may not be held responsible for
the truth or accuracy of any claims made by any advertiser in this publication. All members are advised to check the price of goods
and services offered by advertisers. The Beaumont Magazine is also available for electronic members in PDF format.
47
KAYS
HARROGATE
WEEKEND
SUMMER EVENT 30 JULY - 2 AUGUST 2015
THE CAIRN HOTEL, HARROGATE – FRIENDLY, HELPFUL STAFF AND EXCELLENT LOCATION
FOR SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, CAFES AND WINE BARS
SPECIAL OFFER – Book before 1 May 2015 and the price is only £159.00 for Friday and Saturday.
After 1 May, the price is £169.00 for Friday and Saturday. A discount of £5.00 will apply for a
Beaumont Society member ONLY. Extra nights (Thursday and Sunday) are priced at £64.00 per person
per night and includes Dinner and Bed & Breakfast. Additional nights are £58.00 per person per night and
includes Dinner and Bed & Breakfast. No single supplement. Family and friends welcome.
.FFUBOEHSFFUTFSWJDFGPSOFXDPNFSTt5SBEFTUBMMTt'3&&CPUUMFPGSFEBOEXIJUFXJOFPOUBCMF
4BUVSEBZOJHIUPOMZ
t'SJEBZOJHIUo'BTIJPO4IPXCZ.$P.PEFMTSFRVJSFEoDPOUBDU,BZ
t4BUVSEBZOJHIUo(BMB%JOOFSXJUIFOUFSUBJONFOUGPMMPXFECZBEJTDPPSZPVDBOSFUJSFUPUIFMPVOHF
BOEDIBUt4VOEBZCSVODIBNVOUJMBNt4VOEBZFWFOJOHo#BSCFDVFBOEPQFODPDLUBJMCBS
Kay West, 35 Hawthorn Avenue, Stopsley, Luton, Beds LU2 8AN
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01582 416213