THEGAYUK

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  • Tips on how to deal with back pain

    Having lower back pain is one of the most debilitating feelings in the world. If you have ever had it then you will know that it can affect every single part of your life.

    You will probably have to stay in bed for long periods of time and you might withdraw from relationships. You won’t be able to do even the simplest things that other people take for granted, like washing the dishes or walking up stairs.

    Doctors
    You will have done the right thing by getting to the doctors as soon as you had the injury, but you might find that a regular GP will treat the symptoms and not necessarily the back injury itself. The doctor might have given you some painkillers and told you to rest, but you can’t do that for the rest of your life. That is why it is better to see a specialist doctor, so you would have been better asking your GP for a referral to a back pain specialist.

    If you have had back pain for a while and you feel like it is ruining your life, then it is important that you read on for some tips for how to deal with the pain.

    Ice
    This might sound really simple, but when the pain is at it’s worst, you should put some ice on it, especially if you know that it is muscle pain. Putting ice on the affected area will reduce the swelling.

    A lot of people make the mistake of putting heat pads on the area, when the pain is bad, but heat actually makes the injury work. Whilst the heat will feel good and your muscles might relax, heat will actually make the muscle swell up even more.

    Move through the pain
    If you have back pain, the worst thing that you can do is stop moving. This does not mean that you should go running or swimming, or anything like that, but you should go for walks and do the things that you would normally do, around the house.

    If you stop moving, then your spine will become stiff and the pain will get even worse. So you should keep moving and if the pain get’s too bad, you should stop to rest for a short period and take some medication so that the pain is reduced.

    Moving through the pain will also help with your frame of mind because if you are stuck in bed, then you will begin to feel depressed and you are less likely to get out of bed. However, if you keep doing things and keep yourself busy, you won’t sink into a depression because you won’t feel like the injury is affecting your life as much.

    Once you get to the point where you are feeling less pain, but the muscle isn’t as strong as it should be, you can ask your doctor to send you for some rehabilitation instructors. This should be covered on the NHS, but you do have the option of going private if the waiting list is too long.

    When you go to your appointment, you might find that you are doing pilates. This is a brilliant form of exercise for back rehabilitation because it will strengthen your lower back. Furthermore, it is not intensive on your body, you will be exercising through gentle movement, so there isn’t a high risk of further injury.

    During pilates, you will learn exercises for coping with the pain and the breathing exercises will actually calm you down and release any stresses that you might be feeling.

    About London Osteopath Pilates
    London Osteopath Pilates is a leading London based Pilates center. The main instructor is David Canevaro and he is qualified and experienced in rehabilitation pilates and sports therapy. He has worked with many clients and has helped them to overcome a variety of problems. He is a dedicated health professional and is determined to better the well-being of his clients. He offers brilliant customer service and understands that every client is different. He gets most of his clients through referrals because current clients enjoy his personality and the high level of service that he provides. You can visit his website at http://www.london-osteopathy-pilates.co.uk

    by David Canevaro

  • SEX TIPS: How To Keep The Sex Exciting In A Long Term Relationship

    Rachael McCoy is an award-winning sex and relationship coach who is driven and inspired by helping others to achieve the relationship and sex life they have always wanted. We ask her how to keep the excitement going after the sights and the sounds of your wedding day is a distant memory.

    Have at least one night a month where you promise to turn all tech and outside distractions off and just spend time together. In this modern day we all have tablets, phones and other forms of gadgets that distract us away from quality time together.

    Aim to take it in turns to surprise the other person with a gift or experience that they really enjoy. A great tip on how to do this is to listen when your partner says things they like. Make a note in your phone and when they are least expecting it, spring it on them. They’ll be so grateful that you remembered.

    Erotic massage is a great treat that never gets old. When you know your husband/ wife has been having a stressful time, greet them one day after work with some massage oil, a candle lit (warm) room and work your magic to massage their stress away.

    Taking the time to cook your partner a nice meal is a lovely gesture as it shows your spending time and energy to do something thoughtful for them. Actually sitting down and eating together (not in front of the TV) is becoming less common these days too so make sure the table is set and you can both talk about your day/ week or life in general.

    Get a red light bulb and swap it with your normal bulb. It completely changes the look and atmosphere in the room, instantly making it feel very seductive and naughty.

    Going out with friends may not seem romantic at the time but socialising and ‘representing’ as a couple with friends is a really fun thing to do. In other people’s presence we tend to be more playful. It will give you lots of things to talk about and it’s something you can both enjoy together.

    Some spontaneous oral sex is always a pleasurable treat for a loved one. Catch them when they are nice and clean but not expecting your sexy treat. Make the effort to spend a decent amount of time working their ‘goodies’ with your lips and tongue.

    For an incredibly sentimental gift idea, how about putting together a collage of images. It will be even more romantic if you do it for no apparent reason, just to make them happy. There are plenty of apps that do this now or you could print off your favourite picture memories and cut them to fit nicely in a frame. It proudly shows your declaration of love and will definitely show your partner you care.

    Doing things separately may seem the opposite of romantic but actually it’s a very healthy thing to do in marriages (and relationships in general). As much as you love each other, living in each other’s pockets can become suffocating and predictable. Doing hobbies separately creates desire and interest into the other person, giving you both some great conversation too.

    Remember to show gratitude. In long term relationships it’s easy to forget to say the little things like ‘Thank you’ ‘I love this about you’ or ‘I’m so grateful for’. This mainly happens because we’ve said it so many times before and we just expect the other person to know. But it is imperative that you always remember to tell your husband/ wife these things regularly. It will make all the difference to your marriage and help ensure that it’s a long and happy one. ∎

    by Rachael McCoy

  • Condom Requirement Law For Porn Stars Clears First Hearing

    A Bill which would see all adult performers in California required by law to wear condoms has cleared its first hurdle.

    The landmark and controversial California Assembly Bill AB1576 which requires condoms in all adult films made statewide in the state of California, cleared the state Assembly’s Appropriations Committee earlier today in a 9 to 3 vote.

    Today, Isadore Hall and Michael Weinstein forced the AB1576 bill down the throats of the Adult Entertainment ndusry despite the huge amount of opposition of adult film performers themselves as well as LGBT political groups.

    Now, as stated in the bill, AB1576 denies performers control of their own body, their own sexuality, and their own privacy. The Free Speech Coalition collected over five hundred signatures of adult performers who have come out in huge numbers in opposition to this bill, despite Assembly member Hall’s endless shaming.

    Reuters reported on how vial Assembly member Isadore Hall (pictured right) of the 64 Assembly District has been towards performers of the Adult Film Industry. ‘

    For the past few month, Hall has portrayed performers as a public health hazard, using discredited studies that read like Victorian pulp novels. This isn’t about protecting performers, this is a morality crusade aimed at driving a legal, regulated business out of the state and underground.’

    by Paul Goldberg

  • GALLERY: Men Of Tahiti, by Verner Degray

    Noted French photographer Verner Degray shares some intimate photographs of men from Tahiti.

    Verner Degray, 38, born in France, settled ten years ago in Tahiti. Struck by the beauty of the Tahitian boys, he decided to immortalise it on glossy paper, offering artistic nudes of Polynesian men.

    These photos of muscular Tahitians are usually taken in chaotic universes, abandoned hotels, warehouses or garages, to play the contrast between the ugliness of these places and the beauty of the models.

    This photographer is involved in the fight against homophobia and he believes that ‘it is not easy in Tahiti, where religion has a huge influence’. According to him, ‘despite what you may think of this island where you can live in “pareo”, with the myth of the”vahine” here , the nude is “tabu” (Tahitian word by the way…)’ .

    After François Rousseau, Verner Degray was the official photographer for Mister Tahiti 2014 Calendar. He is now making his work known internationally.

     

    To see more of his photography: www.verner-degray.com

    and his making of:

    http://youtu.be/KFWJjmoRa4k

    http://youtu.be/MdE4yQZcAhY

     

  • Michael Sam becomes first openly gay player drafted to National Football League (NFL)

    GLAAD, US’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy organization, today responded to the historic draft of openly gay football player Michael Sam to the National Football League (NFL). Sam will become the first-ever openly gay footballer to play for the league next season.

    “Without a doubt, this is a game changer,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Today, Michael Sam has redefined what it takes to be a champion. He’s tackled stereotypes and joins the ranks of athletic trailblazers like Jason Collins and Brittney Griner in showing Americans that there’s no place for homophobia on the field. As support for equality continues to surge, it’s clear that sports fans are ready, football is ready, and America is ready for its first openly gay NFL player.”

    GLAAD encourages fans to share their support for Michael Sam by sharing #SamFans graphics on Facebook and Twitter.

    In February interviews with The New York Times and ESPN, Sam first stated: “I am an openly, proud gay man.”

    In December 2013, The Associated Press named Sam the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year. He was also selected as one of 10 unanimous first-team all-Americans. He led the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in both sacks and tackles-for-loss and resides in the top 10 nationally in Division I in those categories.

    Sam is the among several high-profile athletes to come out as LGBT recently, with others including the NBA’s Jason Collins, the WNBA’s Brittney Griner, NCAA Division I basketball player Derrick Gordon, WWE’s Darren Young, UFC’s Liz Carmouche, MMA’s Fallon Fox, and Major League Soccer’s Robbie Rogers.

    In an NFL document released in April 2013, the league described its equal employment opportunity policy as: “It is the policy of the National Football League to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.”

    In the document, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also stated: “The NFL has a long history of valuing diversity and inclusion. Discrimination and harassment based on sexual orientation is not consistent with our values and is unacceptable in the National Football League.”

    The NFL added sexual orientation to its list of protected classes in September 2011.

    The NFL has also demonstrated its commitment to inclusion by participating in GLAAD’s annual anti-bullying campaign, Spirit Day. For the past two consecutive years, the NFL has ‘gone purple’ online in a stand against bullying and to show its support for LGBT youth. In December 2013, the You Can Play Project and the NFL announced the ‘High Five Initiative,’ an “effort to create meaningful connections between LGBT youth and leaders within the professional sports community.” Troy Vincent and Dwight Hollier, former NFL players and NFL player engagement executives, visited the Hetrick Martin Institute, the nation’s largest and oldest LGBT youth services organization, yesterday to do just that. The league is also collaborating with You Can Play and You Belong for the second annual You Belong LGBTQ Sports and leadership initiative

  • Study Reveals Why Gay Teens Binge Drink

    Stressful experiences, such as victimisation and homophobia, associated with heavy episodic drinking.

    Higher rates of binge drinking by lesbian and gay adolescents compared to their heterosexual peers may be due to chronic stress caused by difficult social situations, according to a study to be presented Saturday, May 3, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

    Research has shown that lesbian and gay people experience higher rates of physical and mental health problems. One explanation for these disparities is minority stress. According to this theory, chronic stress due to discrimination, rejection, harassment, concealment of sexual orientation, internalized homophobia (negative attitudes toward homosexuality) and other negative experiences leads to poor health.

    The authors of this study sought to determine if minority stress theory could explain why gay and lesbian adolescents engage in binge drinking more than heterosexual youths. To do this, they analysed responses from 1,232 youths ages 12-18 years who took part in an online survey conducted by OutProud: The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Youth. Sixteen percent of youths identified themselves as lesbian females and 84 percent as gay males.

    The survey asked questions about sexual minority experiences and included more than 260 variables. It represents the only known research to explore the relationship between binge drinking and a variety of minority stress experiences, such as homophobia and gay-related victimisation, in a large national sample of lesbian and gay adolescents.

    ‘Although other studies of adolescents commonly report on sexuality or sexual identity, these general population studies do not typically assess nuanced experiences of stress among sexual minority adolescents,’ said lead author Sheree M. Schrager, PhD, MS, director of research in the Division of Hospital Medicine at the Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

    Consistent with minority stress theory, participants reported greater psychological distress when they experienced violence or victimization, if they had internalised homophobia, and if they had made their sexual orientation known.

    INTERNALISE HOMOPHOBIA
    Internalised homophobia was a significant predictor of binge drinking, while experiencing violence or victimization was marginally associated with drinking large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Those living with their parents were less likely to report binge drinking.

    Feeling connected to the gay community was both positively and negatively associated with binge drinking. Those who felt connected were more likely to report binge drinking. However, community connectedness protected against internalized homophobia, thereby indirectly protecting against heavy episodic drinking.

    ‘Given that interventions are more effective when they are developed to match the cultural experiences of participants, theoretically grounded studies like this one can potentially lead to tailored treatment approaches based on the unique experiences of lesbian and gay adolescents,’ Dr. Schrager said.

    Dr. Schrager will present “The Application of Minority Stress Theory to Binge Drinking Among Lesbian and Gay Adolescents” from 3:45-4 p.m. Saturday, May 3. To view the study abstract, go to http://www.abstracts2view.com/pas/view.php?nu=PAS14L1_1675.5&terms=.

  • BOOK REVIEW | The Road To London by Adriano Bulla

    The future of (gay) literature.

    (more…)

  • How to lose the last few KILOS

    Darren Liddy, 27, has come a long way since 2011 when he embarked on a journey to lose over 7 stone.

    He says: ‘Generally I eat healthy, but I seem to be stuck in a rut as far as losing weight/body fat is concerned.

    At the minute I weigh 227lbs, I want to get down to at least 200lbs. But I can’t shift my last 27lbs. I’ve been on my own fitness journey for a year now, I started at 294lbs and as proud as I am of what I’ve achieved so far, I’m still not happy. I need to achieve my goal of being 200lbs so I can focus on getting the body of my dreams.’

    We’ve asked expert nutritionist Robert Hodson from Nutrition Expert to help Darren reach his goal.

    My first thing to say to you would be, don’t lose heart! You have already lost 67lbs which is a fantastic achievement. I know it can be frustrating, but weight loss plateaus are normal and do happen, however diligent you are with your eating & exercise regime. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t things that you can do to help kick start the weight loss once again.

    You’ve provided me with your current weight, but I wonder whether you have had your body fat % measured? If you haven’t, I highly recommend you do, as measuring and keeping a record of this will give you a much better indicator of how you’re doing. Simply monitoring your weight does not differentiate between changes in fat, muscle and water. If you are exercising regularly you are likely to be building muscle mass, and as muscle weighs more than fat, you could be burning fat but this not always registering on the scales.

    As you lose weight, not only does it become naturally harder to lose, but your metabolism slows down too. Because of this, your daily calorie requirements become lower, so this may be a good time to revisit your portion sizes. I would recommend switching from having 3 large meals a day, to 6 smaller meals. If this seems time-consuming, one idea may be to make your lunch as usual (for example), and split it into 2 portions. Regular eating will keep your metabolism fired up, and it will also make it easier to control your portion sizes and prevent overeating, as you will never be eating when you are really hungry. It is also important that you take time over your meals. It takes 20 minutes for your stomach to start to tell the brain that it’s full, so by chewing slowly and pausing between mouthfuls you will become much more in tune with your bodies hunger signals.

    Your current diet looks well balanced, and it’s great that you are getting a good source of protein into dinner every day in the form of fish or meat. Protein is great for satiety (it keeps you full up!) and it also promotes lean muscle tissue, which is beneficial for fat burning. It would be great if you could boost your breakfast with a bit more protein, and here are a few ideas of how to do this:

    • Top your porridge with nuts and seeds (such as almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds)
    • Have an egg-based breakfast e.g. 2 poached eggs on a slice of wholemeal toast or a mushroom omelette
    • Treat yourself to a cooked breakfast at weekends- 2 eggs (scrambled or poached), 2 slices of bacon, grilled mushrooms and tomatoes

    For lunches, make sure that your salad or sandwich (always choose wholegrain bread!) includes a good source of protein in the form of lean meat, fish, eggs, beans or pulses. You can also mix this up a bit by opting for a chunky soup- most supermarkets and coffee shops do good options now. Be wary of low-fat yoghurts as they often replace the fat with added sugars (this tends to be the case with many low-fat products).

    The healthier option is to opt for natural full-fat probiotic yoghurt, with some fresh fruit.

    At dinner, fill up on vegetables (particularly the green, leafy ones- broccoli, cabbage, spinach, kale) – these should always take up at least half your plate. Try switching your potatoes for sweet potatoes, and try quinoa as a high-protein alternative to rice. Finally, good luck, and keep us posted!

    Robert Hobson is a registered nutritionist and qualified trainer for the Royal Society of Public Health. He’s over 15 years experience in consulting people or organisations in food and nutrition. He has a BSc in Human Nutrition as well as an MSc in Public Health Nutrition. He used to work for the NHS promoting healthy eating and has specialised in helping government organisations meet nutritional standards and legislation.

  • Gay Marriage – The Fast Facts

    Same sex couples not in an existing legal partnership will be able to give notice of marriage from Thursday 13 March 2014, with the first marriages to take place on Saturday 29 March.

    Here are the key legal facts about marriage between same sex couples from Joanne Clark at law firm Lester Aldridge

    The majority of the provisions of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 come into force on 13 March 2014.

    In general terms, the law of England and Wales will apply in the same way to a marriage which has taken place between same sex couples as to a marriage between opposite sex couples.

    Married persons of the same sex will not be able to divorce on grounds of adultery or to have their marriage annulled on grounds of non-consummation.

    An existing civil partnership does not automatically become a marriage when the new Act comes into force but civil partners may choose to convert it.

    When a civil partnership is converted into a marriage, the civil partnership will end and the marriage will be treated as though it had existed from the date of the civil partnership. However, the regulations which will provide the procedure for converting a civil partnership into a marriage have not yet been made.

    Currently, the Civil Partnership Act provides that no religious service can be used at the signing of a civil partnership document. The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act however permits the marriage of a same sex couple in any appropriately registered building.

    There is provision in the new Act for same sex marriages contracted under foreign law to be recognised as marriages in England and Wales. This applies to existing marriages as well as those entered into in the future.

    No provision is made for civil partnerships entered into according to foreign laws to be converted into a same sex marriage.

    The intestacy rules will also apply to same sex married couples so that a spouse of a same sex marriage will benefit from their husband or wife’s estate.

  • SEX TOY REVIEW: Pulse by Hot Octopus

    Something very pleasurable awaits you with the new vibrating sex toy, Pulse, which some are calling the ultimateguybrator.

    Despite looking like some kind of futuristic Star Trek comms unit, the Pulse, will, without doubt, drive you nuts.

    Apparently, there’s a lot of science to back up why, essentially a vibrating cock ring, will drive you mad with pleasure, but who cares – just put it on and find out for yourself.

    You can use with or without lube and the unit has multi speeds – so you can control how much vibration you get.

    Unlike other masturbators the Pulse is cleverly very usable and simple to get used to – and thanks to its open top design requires a lot less cleaning and drying out compared to other products.

    It can be used solo or together – however the sharing option with this toy is most probably for a man/woman combo rather than a man on man experience- as the woman gains pleasure from the vibrating Pulseplate on the outside of the unit, which another just wouldn’t

    The unit retails for £69 and is rechargeable via a USB connection.

     

  • COLUMN | Life before and after ‘My Transsexual Summer’ – LEWIS HANCOX

    So I’m sat here in bed, sore, swollen and slightly nauseous from all the painkillers. I have various tubes coming out of me for various reasons and just thinking about them makes me lose my appetite. I’ll be honest, I’m not always an optimistic person and I often take things in life for granted (who doesn’t?) but as I use my seemingly endless spare time to reflect, I start to think about how fortunate I am… how I’m surrounded by loving people… how I have a whole future of opportunities… and how far I’ve come in the past three years. Three years ago I could only dream of being in the position I am now – and by that I don’t mean bed bound, sporting surgical stockings, willing on the day I can eventually take a shower – I’m talking about the much bigger picture.

    I entered 2011 with no particular expectations or hopes. I wouldn’t say I was content but I’d accepted my life for what it was. I’d already dropped out of uni so I wasn’t destined for greatness. The dreams I had as a kid of working for Disney, making it big in Hollywood – probably not gonna happen without a B.A, right? I was working part-time at an arts and crafts shop so at least it was a vaguely creative area… ish. I loved my co-workers though, they became like family. They were so supporting of my transition from female to male and I owe most of my confidence to them. I needed their support even more so since the local Primary Care Trust turned down my request to fund my chest surgery – the next vital step in my transition.

    I appealed, I spoke with the woman in charge personally, I sent suicide threats, I did everything I could think of. It didn’t matter. They said a double mastectomy was not a part of the gender reassignment process the PCT consider funding. Lower surgery is funded however. Trust St. Helens to be the one town in the whole country who have things totally backwards. Now it wasn’t only my dreams that had come to a standstill… it was my transition. It’s easy to see why I predicted 2011 was going to be a pretty uneventful year… I predicted wrongly.

    It all started with an email around Spring time titled ‘Channel 4’. That sure caught my attention. A TV producer had found my awkward vlogs on YouTube and apparently decided I was fitting for an upcoming reality show all about transgender people. I phoned her and the next thing I knew I had a TV crew in my living room, then I was on route to a huge mill house in Bedford where I met six other trans folk, some of whom became my best friends! I’d never knowingly met another trans person before – partly the reason I wanted to be involved in the show. I also had an urge to prove wrong all the prejudiced people out there and spread awareness of trans issues. I can’t pretend it was solely for unselfish reasons though… I had always been fascinated by the media and I revelled in the opportunity to become a TV personality. Who knew what could come of it? Maybe it wasn’t too late to make something of myself after all.

    ‘My Transsexual Summer’ had much more of an impact than myself and the other contributors could ever imagine. Since it aired in Autumn of that year we were being recognised left, right and centre by people of all ages, backgrounds and identities! Even the most unlikely viewers would come up to me in my small-minded hometown and congratulate me as though they knew me personally. People I’d never met before seemed genuinely touched by how open and honest I’d been on national television. I had a lot of ‘wow, I’d never be able to tell you were born a girl’ and a shed full of beard compliments. Then there were the people that approached me not because of their disbelief that I was trans but because I’d inspired them to live an authentic life, or even just because they liked my personality. Whether I inspired or entertained people, it still meant I affected them one way or another and there’s no better feeling.

    The amazingly generous public contributed towards my chest surgery fund and in only two weeks after the fourth and final episode aired I had a whopping £6000! Stephen Fry and Graham Norton donated online – I love telling people that, it never gets old (to me). I began 2012 with a new chest and a new found self esteem. A UK club tour awaited me… ‘BRING IT ON!’ would sum up my attitude. Let me tell you, having bouncers shuffle you from the club entrance to the VIP section to try avoid fans mobbing you is a very surreal experience. Free drinks, dancing the night away, feeling like you’re somebody… if I could go back and do it all again, I would in a heartbeat.

    Like the domino effect, one good thing led to another and I met my soon-to-be girlfriend in the Summer. Sophie Moore was like no other. It began with a Facebook message – Sophie had watched My Transsexual Summer and wanted to get in touch with a few kind words. A few kind words led to back and forth, essay-style messages and a few months later we met up in London. Despite Sophie living down South while I was all the way up in the North West, I knew from the start this was vastly different to my previous flings. I have many a terrifying tale to tell about ex-girlfriends and if I was still the bitter lemon I once was I’d probably divulge… but a year and a half in with Sophie and I feel like I’ve never known anything but her.

    With what seemed like pure miracles finding me over the course of two years, I started to believe anything was possible. I started to believe in myself again. I don’t often consider myself a brave person but there are a few plunges I’ve taken in my life that remind me I can be. Deciding to finally leave St. Helens and pursue my dreams is one of them. I applied to university again and got onto a film making course! I left my Mum’s house, quit my job at the art shop and moved in with Sophie in Buckinghamshire. In a year I’ve made films to be proud of and I’m doing well at uni for once – I’m as ambitious as when I was a kid again. I have a passion for story telling and entertaining. I’ve been writing comedy films and pushing my filmmaking to new limits, confidently contacting people within the industry as though I’m worthy of a reply. It’s all about confidence and a positive outlook, believing the universe can be good to you and not spending your time mulling over mishaps and regrets.

    In combining my creativity with my status as a transgender advocate, I teamed up with Raphael Fox (who I met on the set of My Transsexual Summer) and together we have created the ‘My Genderation’ film project that won us a place on the Independent On Sunday’s Pink List. The series of short films explore transgender and gender variant people in a way that the mainstream media has never before – with sensitivity, creativity and most of all, empathy. We’ve had one film endorsed by the BBC and have some upcoming work that will potentially air on Channel 4. See, I could be all ‘woe is me’ about being born transgender, I mean, it certainly isn’t an easy ride… but without having starred in My Transsexual Summer I would have never been given such a platform to showcase my films and get them recognised. Fox and I have received many messages from My Genderation viewers telling us how inspirational and helpful the films have been in one way or another – we couldn’t ask for a better response.

    So there you have it. A summary of the past three years of my life. Three years that shocked and surprised me with every twist and turn. It’s so easy to lose hope when your life appears to be moving backwards, or moving nowhere at all… but I’ve learned that in reality we’re always moving forwards and there’s always the unexpected waiting for you around that next corner. As I type this I’m reminding myself it’s true. I don’t want to be forever knows as ‘that transman from My Transsexual Summer’. I want to be a writer, an actor and a director. I know I’m aiming pretty high, some people tell me too high. However, I think I’ve already proved anything is possible and I’m slowly making a name for myself in the filmmaking world. I was walking down a corridor in uni last month and was greeted with my own face on a massive poster hanging on the wall! I was in the ‘London South Bank spotlight’ for having one of the My Genderation films recognised by the BBC before even entering my second year. It’s moments like that I realise I must be doing something right.

    I’ve not yet explained the reason I’m bed bound and full of tubes… kinda sounds like I’ve been abducted by aliens for experimentation. Well that just isn’t the case, although I have felt pretty spaced out since I went in for my lower surgery seven days ago! That’s right, I’ve done it – I’ve completed my medical transition! I opted for a type of surgery called metoidioplasty. With that I had a full hysterectomy plus removal of the other ‘female’ parts inside me. It feels surreal that those organs are all gone. Then again, it feels surreal that they were even there in the first place. I can’t see the benefits of the surgery just yet because everything is so swollen and painful but I know in a few months time when I’m as right as rain I’ll be so thankful I got it over and done with. There’ll be no more surgery to get in the way of my ambitions. I’m entering 2014 with a lust for life and more determination to achieve my filmmaking dreams than ever before.

    Visit Lewis’s Website: http://www.lewishancox.com

     

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