Your Trans Voice Got You Locked Down? Get Your Key and Break Free!

Long ago decided my voice was not going to inhibit my transition after coming to the conclusion it was not going to reflect my gender no matter what I did. It was a hard thing to come to terms with as my gender presentation at the time was, lets just say rough, undefined and unrefined. Sounding like a man just did not help.


Even with today's more inclusive social atmosphere vocal presentation remains an obstacle for many, particularly male to female trans people. For instance, I have a friend who has told me the major issue that is keeping her from fully transitioning is her voice. To me she sounds and looks enviable but it is our own self perception that holds us back after all.

There may be help for the vocally insecure as there are people who are studying this issue. Given time and effort who knows what might be possible? Yesterday I was contacted by Stefanie Hays, a graduate student at Louisiana State University who's conducting a study which could lead to drastic improvements in our lives.

She explained "I’m doing a research project about attitudes and perceptions about voice among people who identify as trans. The speech/voice field has done some previous research about trans voice, but hasn’t traditionally (received) a lot of input from the trans community itself. I’m hoping to start addressing that problem through a research project, using an online survey."

This survey was designed to collect information about personal satisfaction with voice, how voice impacts the participant’s life, what (if anything) the participant has done to change their presentation of gender vocally, and overall satisfaction with those procedures or behaviors. The results will be published in my master’s thesis.

I just finished the ten minute survey. She has included all of her contact information including the supervising professors phone number. Of course you are free to opt out at any point during the survey.

Film "Çocuğum" ile Türk tabu yıkıcı Shattering Turkish Taboos With the Movie "My Child"

The news from Turkey nearly always heartbreaking, is instead today, groundbreaking.

 Just released a movie made in Turkey about LGBT youth and the incredible hardships they face. But who would make such a thing in this land where we read about the horrific murders of trans people many regulated to sex work and honor killings , the tragic slaughter of sons and daughters by family compelled by a false sense of shame and guilt?

The answer is Turkey's bravest  LISTAG (Families of LGBTs in İstanbul)! These souls, who I am so honored to write about today, are the ones featured in this documentary titled My Child.

Meet Mother Pinar, a founding member of Listag and the mother to a transgender child who "was raised in a traditional family with “honorable woman”, “not to come home after it’s dark” kind of myths and of course with sins, taboos and disgraces like many of woman in her generation."

So how was it that Mother Pinar found herself with her daughter on our road less traveled? Read about this incredible woman in Gays of Turkey.

Visit the offical My Child website and learn how you can bring this documentry to your family.

NYPD Releases Pictures and Names of the Men Wanted For Rape Of Transgender Woman

Domique Fennel, Wayne Green, Kalif Halie, Jorge Castro are wanted in connection with the Rape and beating of a midtown transgender woman Febuary 28th 2013 according to NY1.

Thursday DNA.com reported that "at least three men sexually assaulted a screaming transgender woman at gunpoint after a fight erupted over money in their Midtown hotel room early Thursday morning, police said.".

"The attack occurred about 2:15 a.m. in a hotel on 57th Street, in the Midtown North Precinct, according to the NYPD."

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS. Members of the public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at Crime Stoper.com, or by texting tips to CRIMES (274637), then entering TIP577

Anti Muslim Right Wing Crusaders Conflate Transsexualism with OtherKin

David Horowitz's racist right wing extremist "Front Page" publication took a moment out of there busy schedule of bashing black people, Islam and democracy to spew a torrent of vile hatred towards transgender people.

Contributor Neanderthal Daniel Greenfield's post "Forget Transgender, Get Ready for Transpecies" utilizes a Southpark episode to draw a absurd parallel between "otherkins" and trans folk. Otherkins is widely regarded as a religious based belief in which people "identify as mythical creatures, with others identifying as creatures from fantasy or popular culture." - Wikipedia.

I have seen this Southpark parody of trans people before and really didn't find it offensive. I thought it was funny, offering a commentary about the tribulations of transition albeit in low brow fashion. It is really important after all to have a sense of humor about life.

Up until this time I hadn't really given any serious consideration to Otherkins but now thanks to Greenfield I am a believer. I think Greenfield, a Neanderthal, is one of those fairy tale beings that somehow transitioned in part anyways while the rest of his species faced extinction. But sadly for Greenfield its obvious from his article he and his ilk are are doomed to extinction too having not yet developed intelligence on par with humans.

Again we go to Wikipedia to learn what has happened to and the future of the Daniel Greenfields of the world.

1.Neanderthals were are a separate species from modern humans, became  are becoming extinct due to climate change or interaction with humans and were are being replaced by modern humans moving into their habitat beginning around 80,000 years ago.[74] Competition with humans probably contributed to Neanderthal extinction.[75][76] Jared Diamond has suggested a scenario of violent conflict and displacement.[77]

Support Leah, Mississippi High School Senior Who Was "Protested" For Being Transgender

Leah, a trans high school Student was met with a protest by South Panola High School students when she began wearing gender appropriate clothing with the schools blessings.

About a dozen students protested outside their school saying Leah was being afforded special rights. They made their point by wearing clothing defined as inappropriate by the School, sweat suites and shorts. They claimed it was only fair they should be allowed to dress that way since Leah a Male to Female trans woman, who in there opinion is male, was being allowed to wear female clothing.

What in reality was happening is this. They are a bunch of high school bigots and this was a way they thought they could express there transphobia without being directly called out for it. Well I'm calling you out for it. You're bigots.

In response to this transphobia a facebook page was started called Mississippians Support Leah which posted this statement:

1. There is no "special treatment" going on here, well unless you call equal application of the law "special treatment".
2. The School District's policy requiring "gender appropriate" dress is unconstitutional as it is very much settled law that gender expression is protected under the 1st Amendment, among others, to the Constitution.
3.... The District will change their policy and remove "gender appropriate" dress as part of the dress code as it is unconstitutional from its initial installation, nothing anyone says or does will prevent this from happening -- see #1.
4. Any religious arguments in opposition are irrelevant as they are clearly unconstitutional according to the US Supreme Court and this area is very much long settled law.
5. God, Jesus, etc. have never left public schools as students and school staff may pray and express their faith as long as it is not disruptive to the educational environment and is not sponsored or interpreted to be sponsored by the school (aka state aka government). If you desire a religious-focused curriculum that is your right and you should consider a private religious school to satisfy your needs as it is not your right to force public schools to violate the law through a religiously endorsed curriculum.
6. This is the 21st Century and change is coming to even the darkest of places and will continue to shed light on us all -- either you can accept this and abide by the law or move aside as this express change train is coming through

It's all pretty simple really. "

There was also a facebook page in opposition to Leah "pray for South Panola School District" but it has since been taken down after only reciving a dozen likes. A parody of that facebook page SUPER prayers for south panola school district remains up.

NYC Police: Trans Woman Raped In Midtown Motel At Gunpoint

Source: DNA.com MIDTOWN — At least three men sexually assaulted a screaming transgender woman at gunpoint after a fight erupted over money in their Midtown hotel room early Thursday morning, police said.

The attack occurred about 2:15 a.m. in a hotel on 57th Street, in the Midtown North Precinct, according to the NYPD.

The woman, 27, was in the hotel room with one of the men, but she kicked him out after an argument, cops said. The man returned moments later, carrying a gun, and he brought two other men with him.

The three men then sexually assaulted the victim as one brandished the firearm and threatened to shoot the woman if she did not stop screaming, police said.

The NYPD released surveillance images of three suspects, but cops added it remained unclear whether there were additional men involved in the attack.

The suspects fled after the assault, police said. The woman was transported to Roosevelt Hospital with bruises and abrasions.

The first man was described as 5-foot-9 and bald, with a Chinese character tattooed on his chest. His accomplices were described as only as 18- to 28-year-old men.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-TIPS. Members of the public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at Crime Stoper.com, or by texting tips to CRIMES (274637), then entering TIP577