THEGAYUK

Tag: Trans

This is where you can find all articles about and for the trans community. Are we missing something? Send an email to newsdesk@thegayuk.com

  • A “Trans” Woman Abused On Street In Experiment To See If People Would Help

    The social experiment by Trollstation showed a ‘Transvestite’ abused by an actor on the street to see if passersby would step in.

    Trollstation
    Actors create a scene on a busy London street to see if anyone would help a trans woman.

     

    The experiment filmed by Trollstation showed footage of passersby standing around as one actor hurled abuse at another actor named Neg, who used to star in Channel 4’s Balls Of Steel, playing a transgender woman. The man is seen abusing the “transvestite” and saying, in front of a growing crowd, that ‘he’ was disgusting and ‘messed up’ whilst using violent hand gestures.

    Neg Dupree asked passersby for help, with one woman stepping in and suggesting that he ‘leaves it’ and for Neg to just “go somewhere else”.

    The man, who then says that the woman should ‘burn in fire’ is then turned on by Neg, who says “If you point at me again I’ll drop you alright, f**king jog on”, as onlookers stand amused at the unfolding scene, before being told that it was a social experiment to see if anyone would step in to save the trans woman.

  • EastEnders To Make History By Introducing a Trans Character

    Dominic Treadwell-Collins, Executive Producer of Eastenders, revealed at National Student Pride this afternoon that he is set to create a trans character for the iconic British soap.

    (more…)

  • COMMENT: Germaine Greer, Bruce Jenner, and the Fight Against Transphobia

    I’ve long been a campaigner for trans rights and the elimination of transphobia. In recent times I had been thinking that the public are finally starting to understand what it is to be trans and that societal progress is being made.

    Then I started to read about comments made by Germaine Greer, hurtful gossip about Bruce Jenner, and of course the tragic case of Leelah Alcorn. It is now clear to me that the fight against transphobia needs to be stronger than ever before.

    Earlier this week Germaine Greer made an appearance at Cambridge University Students’ Union, where she was giving a talk. During this talk, Greer was questioned about her previous comments regarding trans women, including saying that being trans is a “delusion” and that trans women seem to be “ghastly parodies”. Her response to the questioning was that she “didn’t know there was such a thing as transphobia” and that trans women don’t know what it is like “to have a big, hairy, smelly vagina”.

    Obviously Germaine Greer’s comments will be highly offensive to trans women, but the most disturbing thing is that she cannot see that her unpleasant views are offensive, that transphobia exists, and that she is guilty of it. Unfortunately I feel that there is no hope of changing the views of bigots like Greer, who hold such outdated and prejudiced opinions, but the fight against transphobia is one that must be fought.

    Recently there have been a lot of articles about Bruce Jenner in the media. Normally the Kardashian-Jenner people are not on my radar, but I have read the stories and gossip about Bruce Jenner with interest because along with the gossip has come the ugly face of transphobia.

    I had heard rumours that someone called Bruce Jenner was preparing to transition, but it was only when I saw the cover of In Touch magazine, that had a photoshopped picture of Jenner on it with a full face of makeup and feminised features, that I understood who he is and what the stories were about. The magazine ran a story about Jenner now living as a woman, without having any actual truthful quotes from anyone, and certainly not from Bruce himself. It was simply gossip and speculation.

    From there TMZ ran a similar story and a video emerged of their staff being transphobic and mocking Jenner, with comments such as “well he’s not doing a good job of being a man” in response to somebody saying that Bruce wasn’t living as a female. This hateful stuff in certain sections of the media gives the impression that it’s ok to mock trans people and that they are a source of entertainment. That is certainly not the case.

    Although I’m no fan of the Kardashians, I have to admire the way they are handling the speculation surrounding Jenner’s gender identity and how they are rallying around him. It shows their strength and love as a family unit and I think as a family they are doing exactly the right thing. It’s clear that Jenner has their support regardless of whether he is living as a male or female.

    The way to tackle transphobia (and any other kind of discrimination) is to educate children from a young age so that future generations become more enlightened and informed. I also think we need to call out the media when they say or do something that is transphobic. They need to be held accountable for their comments and the damage they can do. Prejudiced, discriminatory comments and actions have the power to kill. You only have to look at the tragic story of Leelah Alcorn to see that’s the case. However, I believe that by standing up together as allies of trans people we can help to reduce and perhaps one day eradicate this issue.

    If Bruce Jenner is living as a woman and in the process of transitioning, then I wish him all the best with his journey. It’s not an easy process for any person, never mind such a prominent celebrity with the glare of the media on them. I hope that in time he is able to be open about who he is and not be ridiculed for it. However, if he isn’t living as a woman and is simply experimenting with his appearance, that is ok too. Everyone deserves to be able to express themselves freely without prejudice and I hope that in time Bruce Jenner and every other person on this planet is able to do that, regardless of gender identity.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • SEXING THE TRANSMAN, The Buck Angel Interview

    SEXING THE TRANSMAN, The Buck Angel Interview

    Buck Angel is a 42-year old brawny muscular redheaded good-looking bearded hunk. With his heavily tattooed body, his twinkling eyes and his infectious smile, he is in fact one very hot man. But this wasn’t always the case, as in our label-fixated society Buck is actually a transsexual who is very much a man but one with a significant difference than most. He is, as he loves to describe himself so succinctly, ‘a man with a pussy’.  (more…)

  • Trans Drivers Blamed For Russian Road Accident Hike

    Officials in Russia are planning to ban transgender and transsexual drivers from owning or qualifying for a driving license, in a move to lower Russia’s death rate on the road.

    In a truly bizarre move, Russian officials have made an announcement that they are to tighten restrictions on who can apply or qualify for a driver’s license. Those who are likely to be banned are those they claim have ‘metal disorders’ which the government has listed transsexual and transgender men and women. Also banned will be those with gambling addictions and those who compulsively steal.

    Also listed as disorders, those with Fetishism, exhibitionism and voyeurism. The move has been made because the government is worried about too many road accidents. The decree was signed on the 29th December by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

    Human Rights lawyers and activists have decried the move, but the Professional Drivers Union has supported the move. Alexander Kotov, the union’s leader told the BBC, “We have too many deaths on the road, and I believe toughening medical requirements for applicants is fully justified,”

    He did say that the requirements should not be so strict for non-professional drivers.

    According to available statistics, in 2012, 28,000 road fatalities were recorded in Russia, around 55 per 100,000 vehicles. The USA reported 36,166 in the same period, 13.5 per 100,000 whilst the UK reported 2,175 deaths, 6.2 per 100,000 vehicles.

    In countries where homosexuality is illegal such as Zimbabwe, Yemen and Uganda, death rates are 212, 587.6, and 1518.1 per 100,000 vehicles respectively.

    The move is an extension of Russia’s already restrictive campaign against LGBT people. In 2013 the Russia government infamously enacted the anti-gay law, which forbids the promotion of homosexuality to anyone under the age of 18.

  • The Sun Comes Under Fire For Questioning Trans MP Hopeful On Gender

    The UK’s biggest daily newspaper has come under fire after it published an article on transgender labour MP hopeful Emily Brothers, who is blind.

    The article published by The Sun (10th Dec), asks how Emily Brothers could possibly know she was in the wrong sex if she was blind, saying:

    “Thing is though… being blind, how did know she was the wrong sex?”

    Mark Healey from the 17-24-30 campaign, which aims to highlight hate crimes in the UK, has called on readers to make a formal complaint to the regulatory body IPSO, after calling the piece an “unacceptable piece of journalism.”

    Recently the leader of the labour party Ed Milliband said he was ‘so proud’ that his party had selected a transgender parliamentary candidate to stand in May’s general election.

    Brothers will contest the seat of Sutton and Cheam and is quoted as saying she wanted to be a ‘positive role model’.

    In a recent interview with PinkNews, she said,

    “In an ideal world I wouldn’t be speaking out about my past because it’s very private; however I recognise that as a politician the key thing is trust.

    “I don’t want to be somebody who has notoriety as having a transgender background, but I also believe it’s an experience that has value to it, that I can be a positive role model.”

    Columnist Rod Liddle has said that he sorry for “the poor joke”.

    In a statement released today, Mr Liddle said: “I wish Emily the very best and I’d definitely vote for her if I lived in Sutton and Cheam.

    “I am sorry for the poor joke!”

  • You Were Known To Us: Transgender Day Of Remembrance

    ”Tiffany. 18 years old. Cause of death – dismemberment”

    ”Camille Verona. 24 years old. Cause of death – suffocation”

    ”Luna. 27 years old. Cause of death – gunshot to the chest”

    And that is just to pick a few examples at random.

    In the past year, there have been 268 reported murders of trans women and trans men around the world. And that is just the number we know about. The true figure is undoubtedly far higher. While the statistic in itself is depressing, it’s the individual stories of violence and brutality that lie behind it that is truly shocking.

    Since 1999, 20th November has been the annual date for Transgender Day of Remembrance. Its purpose is simple; to remember the members of the transgender community that have been victims, but also to acknowledge those who have committed suicide, as statistically the trans community are the social group most likely to be driven to take their own lives.

    In the UK, the largest commemorative event for TDoR is held in Manchester, also the site of the world’s first permanent trans memorial, a 12 foot tall wooden tree sculpture in Sackville Gardens, the green space in the heart of the city’s famous Canal Street area.

    From small beginnings, Transgender Day of Remembrance has steadily increased in profile and media coverage. Tony Cooper, organiser of the Manchester event and a trustee of trans charity Sparkle told me. ‘This is our eighth year in the park and it’s grown hugely every single year’.

    This year over 200 people crammed into a marquee in Sackville Gardens to hear the names of those who have died as a result of violence in the past year read out, listen to a rousing performance from the Manchester LGB Chorus and then at the end of the evening to light candles and assemble at the memorial. Some had also brought flowers and handwritten cards to leave in memory. From the trees close to the memorial hung photographs of some of those we had gathered to remembered; their faces watching us, a moving reminder of the unnecessary waste of human life and why so many felt compelled to gather in the park on a chilly Sunday evening in late November.

    The assembled crowd was truly diverse in terms of age and background and many had traveled long distances to be there and pay their respects. Many also had there own stories to tell of personal experiences of hate crime.

    As we set our candles in the sand boxes at the foot of the huge wooden sculpture, I chatted to a lady called Carol who had travelled overnight from near Bristol to be in Manchester.

    ‘I had trouble myself. I was in hospital earlier this year. It all got too much for me. I had this friend and she got killed. They smashed her face up. I saw her in the hospital. They made her look so horrible. I still see her all the time looking like that but it’s better now I’ve had help’.

    The overwhelming message of TDoR is a simple but powerful one ”You Were Known To Us”. Each speaker reinforced this. This does not just apply solely to victims of hate crimes on other continents however. A few speakers also noted that there were many instances of trans men & women who had died of natural causes but whose families had opted to bury them as their birth gender, denying them their identity. As one lady who had recently lost a close friend who was then buried as a man by her family told me, ‘I want to lay flowers on the grave of the woman I knew, not a man called David who was a stranger to me.’

    It was a theme that Tony Cooper focused on in his speech too, along with the importance of community and reaching out to others, both half a world away and far closer to home, ‘Do we need a day to remember? No, we don’t need a day… But a day to say you were us. Because you are us.’

    The Sparkle weekend, a celebration of the transgender community held in Manchester each July, has grown to a point where, after Pride, it is the Gay Village’s second biggest weekend of the year in terms of visitor numbers and revenue. In purely commercial terms, this year’s event generated a not inconsiderable sum of £2.8 million for the local economy. It is indicative of the growing visibility of the community in the UK.

    The remit that the trustees of Sparkle have set themselves is of ”education, action and accessibility”.

    Manchester is a city often celebrated for its tolerance and diversity and this year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance saw a large number of attendees from across the wider spectrum of the LGBT community. It’s certainly a start. But when in 2014, there remains 21 European countries where by law trans women and men must be compulsorily sterilised prior to gender reassignment surgery, there remains much to be done.

    And to quote one of the speakers from the marquee ”268 people were murdered in the last year. Just for being themselves”

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Transgender-Remembrance-Memorial-Project-Manchester/127795353947830?fref=ts

  • First Trans and Gender Non-Conforming Swimming Group Opens In London

    Trans and Gender Non­Conforming Swimming Group (TAGS), after meeting with Lewisham council, have confirmed they have full private use of the training pool at the Glassmill Leisure Centre, Lewisham for a transgender safe swimming group.

    Facilities are accessible for individuals with disabilities and include a very discrete space with electric blinds on all windows to ensure privacy. There is a 20m Teaching pool with moving floor to alter depth. The Glassmill Centre also includes gender specific and gender neutral training facilities. Swimmers will have an hour and a half slot for changing and swimming. In additional, pool staff will be given training by TAGS to ensure that gender issues are covered and treated sensitively. There will be TAGS representatives to greet swimmers and take them to changing area. There are also accessible CCTV monitored parking at a very reasonable rate (£2 per hr) open until the centre closes and a cafe space to socialise. Parents of young people and carers are welcome to swim or spectate.

    TAGS is the only Trans Gender Non Conforming swimming group in London. This first swimming session is part of a three-month trial with Lewisham Council, so TAGS is seeking all interested swimmers to take the initiative to support the space by coming to the sessions. The cost will be £3.20 (lower for Lewisham residents) a session. The more swimmers at each session, the more TAGS can negotiate the cost down further.

    TAGS is organised by volunteers from the Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Society. Roberta Francis, the main volunteer, organised TAGS because she wanted to go to her local swimming group, but felt nervous. “I felt there was a big need for a swimming group in London to allow trans and gender non­conforming people the opportunity to have access to a safe space. Being able to swim is a basic right but for many trans people it can be really difficult because of how we are treated in the community as a whole,” Roberta said.

    Jay Stewart of Gendered Intelligence, said: “We know physical activity reduces mental distress. This is such a huge factor in trans people’s lives due to the pressures to conform to gender norms. I feel incredibly proud that this initiative has been led by some of our volunteers at Gendered Intelligence. The Gendered Intelligence Volunteer Scheme is all about strengthening the wider trans community and this is doing exactly that.”

    Anyone wishing to attend the TAGS swimming group can join their Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/269765326552514/ Or contact admin@genderedintelligence.co.uk for more information.

  • INTERVIEW: My Transexual Summer: Lewis Hancox

    Lewis Hancox, a 24-year-old Digital Film and Video student tells Matt Peake about what it was like to appear in Channel 4’s ‘My Transsexual Summer’, his plans for the future and about the love of his life, Sophie.

    Can you explain the process of how Channel 4 initially approached you?

    I made video blogs on YouTube ever since I first started my transition to see how I changed. Twenty Twenty, the production company, found me on YouTube and emailed saying ‘we found your videos and we think you’d be good for this programme. Can we give you a call?’ They came round to film an audition tape then rung me up saying we’d like you to be part of the show.
    During the show you lived in a house with all the other Trans people? How was it meeting everyone?

    Yes, it was a big massive house in Bedford and we stayed there every other weekend during the summer. That was really fun. I’d never met anyone else transgender before and I was really excited to meet other people in my position and really nervous because I knew cameras were going to be on us. Straight away me and Drew just clicked because I think she’s my age and she’s a northerner and we just had loads in common. That would have never happened if it wasn’t for the show.
    I find it interesting that the representation of trans people in the show was so varied from people only weeks into their transition and others who were years into theirs.

    Yes, we were all at different stages in our transition. At the time I hadn’t had my chest surgery. The show helped me raise the money as St. Helen’s wouldn’t fund the chest surgery saying it wasn’t part of the gender reassignment process, which is ridiculous. Within the time that the show was filmed people really transformed.
    Obviously having the support for the chest surgery funding. What was the general reaction from the public?

    I was a bit worried and almost dropped out of the show at the last minute because I didn’t want to reveal to everyone that I was transgender. I felt it was something to be ashamed of and I was embarrassed by it but I literally didn’t get a single negative reaction.
    The most unlikely people in St. Helen’s, like the chavs, were shouting at me saying ‘oh, it’s that guy off the telly! Well done!’. In terms of transitioning, some people don’t even want to be classed as male or female and would rather be called ‘genderqueer’. Personally, I just see that being transgender for me is a medical thing. I feel like I’m just a guy that happens to be born a bit differently. It doesn’t not make me feel ashamed or embarrassed because I don’t mind telling people I was born a bit different. It’s a condition that I have or had. I have to put it behind me and I’m just me.
    You said you’re still in contact with Drew and Fox but have you met the others since the show?

    After the show came out we did a UK club tour. We got to be in the VIP sections and basically live the high life for a year. So that was amazing. I now live down south and am moving to Brighton in April with my girlfriend. Sarah lives in Brighton so I’ll probably see her a lot more.

    You met your girlfriend after the tour didn’t you?

    Yes, basically it worked out quite well. Sophie saw the show and messaged me on Facebook saying ‘Congratulations on getting the money for your surgery!’ or something along those lines. I messaged her back and checked out her pictures because I thought she was hot. I never actually thought that I would meet someone online but we just got on straightaway. We live in Buckinghamshire now. Everything just flowed really “I feel like I’m just a guy that happens to be born a bit differently. It doesn’t not make me feel ashamed or embarrassed because I don’t mind telling people I was born a bit different” naturally.
    What are you up to at the moment?

    I’m studying Digital Film and Video. It’s the one time when I’m actually doing well at Uni because I’ve dropped out of other Uni’s in the past. I’ve also been doing loads of work on the side with Fox so I’m building up a really big portfolio.
    How was it coming out to your parents?

    I told my mum first and she completely understood because when I was a kid I used to say that I was a boy all the time so I don’t think it was really a shock for her. She was still concerned but only because she thought that I would have a hard life. We both didn’t know anything about it so we did research and watched shows about it. We were both learning together.
    My dad was the one who was a little bit weird about things. When I told him, it was like the news had just been sprung on him. I think he felt that I should have discussed it with him, rather than saying ‘I am going to transition’. Maybe he felt that he wanted to be a part of that decision. I think the real issue was that we didn’t see each other enough. On ‘My Transsexual Summer’, they wanted me and my dad to talk and we became closer, with him beginning to accept it. He’s completely cool with it now. He wanted me and Drew to get married at one point. I actually came out as liking girls before coming out as Trans so I suppose that I’ve sort of had two coming outs.
    So what is your ultimate ambition?

    I really want to write a comedy drama based on my life about being Trans with me as the person going through college having to experience that but making light of it and turning it into comedy.

    How do you feel about the representation of transsexuals in the media?

    I think that slowly it’s getting better but what I’d like to see is more Trans people in the media, but not about them being Trans. For example, if I’m a filmmaker, I want to be known as the filmmaker who happens to be trans. I think that would help people recognise that we’re all normal, and that we’ve all got ambitions, hopes and dreams. There is still prejudice and it needs to be tackled directly. Also there are not many Trans men in the media. I know that there are a lot of people that don’t think Trans guys exist, like my girlfriend thought, before she watched ‘My Transsexual Summer’, that a Transgendered person was a man changing into a woman, she didn’t realise that it could be the other way round.
    How do you feel about the gay media’s representation of transsexuals?

    I think in the media that there is too much focus on surgery and things like that and it’s good to educate people but it’s not good if someone were to ask someone if they’ve had surgery or not, to just be nosey. It’s not like people who aren’t Trans are going around ask others what their bits are like. Why should that matter?
    How do you feel about the representation of the Trans community within the supposedly ‘LGBT’ organisations?

    There is the debate that the T shouldn’t be with the LGBT because LGB refers to sexuality and transgender isn’t sexuality. I’ve never been involved or been to an LGBT group for support because I’ve never needed it. I tell a lie, in fact I’ve been to an LGBT group once when I was at Salford Uni and everyone just assumed I was a gay guy when I was there. I think there’s still work to be done with people realising that LGBT isn’t just about being gay. I’ve never felt the need to be part of that though as I don’t see myself as any different. I’m a straight guy and I don’t feel the need to go to LGBT groups.

    Could you explain more about the surgery that you’ve had?

    Well before the surgery, you have to have had your name changed and have been living a whole year as the new gender. It sounds weird to say as I’ve been living my whole life as this gender, except for that time in high school, as a guy. I then got on the hormones for a few years before I had the chest surgery because I had to raise the money myself. I applied for the lower surgery and everything was straight forward and within a few weeks they said did I want to come in for my first stage. There are two different types of surgery. There’s the phalloplasty, which was featured in the show with the guy who had the skin graft from his arm, but I’ve gone with a different type of surgery called the metoidioplasty.

    This interview is from our Feb 2014 Issue – available from iTunes and Android.

  • Kellie Maloney wants out of Celebrity Big Bro

    Kellie Maloney has admitted to some of her friend housemates that she wants out of the Celebrity Big Brother to ‘face it’.

    Kellie talks to James and George about her disagreement with Audley. Kellie said she asked to leave again last night and James asks her why she would do that. Kellie says that she should have been told that Audley had a ‘phobia about trans-people.’ James says: ‘I don’t think that is the case babe.’ Kellie says: ‘I was Audley’s biggest enemy in the outside world; I set out to bring him down totally in boxing. Audley tolerates me, he doesn’t accept me.’

    In a conversation in tonight’s episode, Kellie talks to Dee, saying that she wants to go and doesn’t see the benefit of staying and that she wants to ‘go outside and face it.’

    Later on, whilst with Edele, she has the same conversation, but Edele tells her that one purpose of Kellie staying is to raise awareness and Kellie says: ‘I’ve done that.’ Lauren comes over and says that Kellie is being silly and weak and that she is stronger than that. Audley says goodnight to Kellie and they have another hug.

    Big Brother continues tonight at 9:00PM on Channel 5

  • Celebrity Big Brother Kellie Maloney still feels like a straight man mentally

    Kellie Maloney, who recently came out as a trans woman has been opening up about her transition.

    In a conversation with Claire King today on Channel 5’s Celebrity Big Brother, Kellie Maloney, says that she still thinks she will be a heterosexual male mentally but isn’t sure if having a relationship with a woman would make her a lesbian.

    Famously in the Mayoral election race in 2004, Maloney, a UKIP candidate at the time, garnered much criticism from the LGBT community by saying, there were “too many gays” in Camden.

    Maloney, who was living as a man at the time, tried to justify these remarks telling the BBC, ‘I don’t want to campaign around gays… I don’t think they do a lot for society… what I have a problem with is them openly flaunting their sexuality.’

    Kellie says that her decision to transition was about gender identity and not about sexual orientation and thinks that she will probably live the rest of her life without a partner.

    Kellie also talks to Edele about her forthcoming operations.

    Kellie says she needs to have her boobs done and more work on her face before the final operation at the end of the year. Kellie says, ‘Then there will be no stopping me.’

    Watch Celebrity Big Brother on Channel 5 tonight at 9:00PM