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

  • 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

     

    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.

  • Vigil For Trans Girl Leelah Alcorn In London Trafalgar Square

    On the 28th of December 2014 Leelah Alcorn, a trans girl from Kings Mills, Ohio, was found dead on the Interstate 71, having killed herself.

    In her widely publicised final words published on her Tumblr blog, she gave the cause of death as a lack of access to trans-related healthcare and the associated sense of helplessness in the face of systemic transmisogyny. In light of Leelah’s death, there has been an unprecedented outpouring of grief and anger by the trans community and its allies, with well known celebrities such as Stephen Fry and Laverne Cox voicing their anger across social media platforms. In addition to this a petition, which currently has around 200 000 signatures, has been produced that calls for an end to transgender conversion therapy, one of the direct causes of Leelah’s hopelessness. Finally there have been candlelit vigils across the world, the largest being the ‘Stand Up 4 Leelah Candle Vigil’ in Columbus, Ohio on January 2nd.

    In response to aforementioned events, we the trans community of London and the surrounding areas stand in solidarity with the vigils occurring across the globe, and at 1pm on Saturday 3rd of January we too will come together to memorialise Leelah Alcorn.

    This vigil will take place in Trafalgar square and serves four purposes. First it is there simply to remember a life cut so short by someone that shared our struggles, a girl killed by systemic transmisogyny. Second it is there to remind people that her death was a political death, that when a member of our community is brutalised at the hands of oppression we must all fight back. Third it is a reminder to other folks that we are more than just individuals in this struggle, that as a community we are stronger and that we can create positive change. It is deeply saddening that Leelah’s parents are still refusing to give her the basic respect she deserves, even in death, and so the fourth purpose of this vigil is to do what they will not and mourn a sister.
    Facebook Event: www.facebook.com/events/743397569080952

  • FILM REVIEW | Mr Angel

    ★★★★ | Mr Angel

    Buck Angel is a brawny muscular red-headed good-looking bearded hunk. With his heavily tattooed body, his twinkling eyes and his infectious smile, he is in fact one very hot man. In our label-fixated society Buck is actually transgender, or as he loves to describe himself so succinctly, he is ‘a man with a pussy’.

    What strikes you immediately in this extraordinary wonderful documentary by Dan Hunt, is that before you start to try to get your head around all the gender-transitioning is how remarkably charismatic and engaging Buck truly is. He is full of charm, totally fearless with such a strong sense of purpose which we soon discover is something he achieved only after battling so many demons in his past.

    Buck has always identified himself as a male – even when he grew up – he was a rather stunning looking woman who carved a career out of fashion modeling. That in turn led to cocaine and then a rapid spiral downwards where he ended up turning tricks, more suicide attempts and then literally ending up in the gutter.

    Life eventually changed for him for the better after taking hormones and testosterone and he had a double mastectomy and ‘Buck’ was born. Not content with just being a male, he worked out aggressively and once he achieved a really great physique he launched into a career in porn. Here he carved out a unique niche for himself because as he kept saying ‘he never had bottom’ surgery.

    As we follow him making personal appearances at Sex Industry Trade Shows he is unabashedly proud about his career and although he repeatedly insists that he is not a sexual oddity, he definitely is challenging the accepted terms and classifications we are currently used too. For examples he shoots videos with gay men for the gay market, but as his partners are penetrating his vagina, doesn’t that make it ‘straight’ sex? And when he does another scene with a MTF person who still has a penis, isn’t that also heterosexual sex?

    I have to say that regardless of the technicalities of the actual penetration that takes considerable mind-blowing, you are firmly persuaded by a combination of Buck’s words, demeanor, attitude and spirit that he is very much a man.

    The documentary made over 6 years sees Buck now happily married to Elayne, a piercing expert, and they are living in Mexico with countless dogs. Buck is now re-positioning himself from sex-worker to sex educator as he undertakes a series of speaking engagements and advocacy about gender-roles in particular. I would normally be skeptical about how anyone can switch sides like this and be either accepted or respected, but it’s hard not to be swept away by the combination of Buck’s enthusiasm and the belief in has in himself.

    One of the biggest hurdles Buck had to overcome was helping his parents and siblings come to terms with his new persona. It’s not just the gender altering but it is also the porn career, which is hard for all of them to get their heads around. It is a remarkable journey that they all take together, and I defy anyone not to reach for the tissues when his father breaks down.

    This is not a film for everyone… Some of the imagery is very graphic. I do hope it gets the biggest audience it deserves.

    Full credit to Mr. Hunt for not only helping to start de-mystifying some of these questions, but more essentially for the respect that he accorded both Buck and his story.

    Available on Amazon

  • INTERVIEW | Laverne Cox

    INTERVIEW | Laverne Cox

    ‘Hello, New York calling!’ We’ve just been put through to one of our favourite women on television right now and I’m just bursting with questions. The dazzling Laverne Cox who plays in-prisoned hairdresser Sophia Burset in the hit Netflix series Orange Is The New Black is on the phone.

    Asking how she felt to be the object of everyones desires, through much laughter I’m informed in her delicate Southern Belle accent ‘Well, I’m still single’.

    Yet behind the laughter is a deeper message where the reality of her situation was quickly offered.

    ‘I just did the Thomas Roberts Show this morning and I said, I’m not supposed to be here. Black trans women from a working class background in America aren’t supposed to be promoting hit TV shows on national television.’

    In an industry which has become strongly focused on ticking boxes it would seem that Laverne ticks a lot and yet Laverne is far from a ticked box.

    ‘I didn’t have any expectations. I hoped that people would like the show [Orange Is The New Black]. I was like, ok, Netflix have a lot of folks. A lot of people will see this show and it may lead to some more acting work.

    ‘I loved the part and was thinking this is great, people can get to see what I can do as an actress.’

    Laverne Cox hails from Mobile Alabama, deep in the Bible belt of the United States, lodged between Georgia and Mississippi. Her first television appearance was on Law & Order in 2008, but it wasn’t until 2010 that Laverne’s true television credentials would be proved, when she became the first African American transgender woman to produce and star in her own TV show TRANSform Me on VH1

    Laverne’s current project Orange Is The Next Black is fast becoming a landmark show for Netflix, I asked why Laverne thought the show had been so popular?

    ‘There are stories we don’t get to hear a lot in our culture. We don’t hear from women who are incarcerated, especially diverse women of colour.

    ‘In America we have 5% of the world’s population and a large proportion of it are in prison. It represents what’s wrong with our culture.

    ‘Most of the time it’s because the system has failed them as people, they are not humanised.

    ‘We’re not programmed to think of them as human beings and our show makes these women profoundly human.’

    Laverne is one of the most regarded if not the most visible activist for the transgender community, which being a famous face must bring about a lot of extra pressures.

    ‘I would love to just have one day without having to talk about transgender but the reality is that so many trans people are impaled in their lives. Such as that story in Jamaica about the trans kid Dwayne Jones who was brutally murdered’

    ‘I would love to not talk about it, but the problem is people aren’t talking about trans issues, about transphobia so somebody’s got to talk about it and that talk has to lead to action.’

    n action group here at home Trans Media Watch were also keen to put a question to Laverne asking what her perception was on how trans people are represented on TV and if she thinks it is starting to change.

    ‘The reality is we don’t get enough trans people on television, enough transgender stories told and so I think we have a long way to go before we have more of those representatives like Sophia, but I would like to think we are moving in the right direction.’

    I wondered how the transgender community has reacted to Laverne since she’s become so much more visible now,

    ‘There has been a lot of love and support, the biggest was when trans kids write to say that I’ve inspired them to go for their dreams.’

    I asked if there were any role models in her life,

    ‘My idol was Leontyne Price the African-American opera singer who was the first international black opera sensation and she’s a huge inspiration for me.’

    As September is our Coming Out month we wondered if coming out was little by little for Laverne or a big blaze of glory?

    ‘It’s weird the words coming out. The only person I ever came out to was my mother. I thought I was gay and joined an LGBT organisation on campus in university.

    ‘I then realised I was trans. The interesting thing for trans people that’s different for gays or lesbians, who often have to come out to different people in many parts of their lives, I don’t have to as people generally know or suspect and if not they google me.

    ‘As a trans women it was a really slow process and was really about accepting myself, starting my medical transition and then changing my name.

    ‘It was all very gradual and all very much about accepting myself.’

    Not everyone in this world is switched on to the many differences in life so I wondered how Laverne coped when people realised she was trans. Did she see the change in their eyes or the thoughts of what should or shouldn’t I ask?

    ‘For most part if people are gonna have a problem with me that’s pretty obvious because they’re going to steer clear of me. Which is the best thing about being out and proud.

    ‘I don’t draw bad energy to me. When I’m myself then people are cool with me.’

    I asked whether it was easy to come or to accept the realisation that you’re transgender, Laverne has a very simple formula;

    ‘It depends where you live, how much money you have, on race, your support networks’.

    Although we had focused on a lot of serious questions I had just one more to ask. In Orange is the new Black, Sophia had amazing hair in prison. Does she think she’d keep up the look if she was locked up?

    ‘Oh God, I don’t think I’d personally care that much’ she laughed.

    So what would be the worse fear about going to prison?

    ‘All of it’ was the quick answer. ‘Often trans people don’t end up in women’s prisons so that leads us to become targets of sexual violence, so I would be terrified of that’.

    It seems even the light hearted questions have this harsh reality of real life behind them and the work style to be done for trans recognition.

    I couldn’t leave it there. If you could smuggle one thing into prison and be allowed to keep it, what would you take. ‘Moisturiser’

    We both started laughing.

    If you want to read more about Trans issues or are looking for support then do check out:http://www.transmediawatch.org

  • Touching Tribute From A 7-Year Old Pupil Of Trans Teacher Lucy Meadows

    Nearly 100 Teachers, union members and students joined forces on Saturday to march in memory of Lucy Meadows, a trans teacher from Accrington in the United Kingdom, who was found dead in her home in March.

    Miss Meadows was thrust into the media spotlight after a letter to parents from the head teacher of St. Mary Magdalene’s Primary School, where she was working, regarding her transition was sent to the press in December.

    A day later the Daily Mail published a column by Richard Littlejohn that was headlined:

    “He’s not only in the wrong body… he’s in the wrong job”

    A petition, which called for the resignation of Richard Littlejohn because of the article, garnered over 200,000 signatures in less than a week and a vigil held outside theDaily Mail offices in London in memory of Miss. Meadows attracted over two hundred people.

    Daisy Moreton, a 7-year-old student at St. Mary Magdalene’s attended the event on Saturday and according to the Manchester Evening News carried a handwritten poem that she had composed for her late teacher.

    The poem read: “Makes you happy/ in high spirits/ smiles/ said kind things./ Made us feel good/ ever helpful/ always nice/ delightful/ one of a kind/ wonderful teacher/ scientist.”

    Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, organiser Debs Gwynn, the North West National Union of Teachers Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender representative, said:

    “This rally was called for two reasons – to allow the local community to show support and solidarity for what happened and to raise the issue of transphobia more widely.

    “I have been talking to parents and pupils today and the kids were supportive of Lucy. And they are devastated that their teacher is now dead.”

    She added:

    “It was a great success, lots of people spoke at the end and they were keen to stress that they were there to support Lucy, her family and her colleagues.

    An inquest into Miss. Meadows death has been opened and adjourned.

  • COMMENT | The T Community – Be Proud

    The vigil for Lucy Meadows that took place outside the Daily Fail HQ was a wonderful show of solidarity between people of all genders and sexualities, protesting for a common cause. Although is it awful and tragic what has happened, I did have to smile to myself at the sight of Trans visibility.

    Over the years there has been growing support for LGB people but support for T people seems to be lagging behind. I imagine that a lot of this is down to a lack of understanding of and exposure to trans individuals, but I do feel that sensationalism in the press has not helped. Transgender people do not get an easy time in the press and that was highlighted when Richard Littlejohn wrote his highly offensive piece in that awful rag. As many people believe what they read in the ‘newspapers’ (I use that word very loosely) that leads to further misunderstanding of what it is to be Trans and the whole process that is gone through.

    Personally I am accepting of all people from all walks of life. I couldn’t care less whether someone is black, white, gay, straight, bi, transgender, or anything else. My circle of friends is incredibly diverse and I also employ somebody who is trans. I see beyond sexuality and gender identity, and focus on personality and values that the person has. Someone’s constitution is far more important and interesting than whether someone likes men or women, or identifies as male or female. It’s a shame that people such as Mr Littlejohn and certain sections of the media in general are not so enlightened.

    I feel that the Lucy Meadows situation along with the recent Julie Burchill ruckus has seen a turning point in trans activism. The community is becoming more vocal and visible, and being brought to the forefront of the news. I think that’s fantastic and is long overdue.

    Transgender people I know have been scared to be so visible with who they are through fear of persecution, but I sincerely hope that this recent wave of activism and increased visibility leads to the empowerment of Transgender people up and down the country, and that they feel able to be more open about who they are.

    Obviously, things are not going to change overnight but the ball is now rolling. The vigil for Lucy Meadows showed that there is a sense of community and solidarity between Transgender people, but also that it extends to a wider community of enlightened human beings who do not accept the poor treatment of a minority. It’s that wider community that I am proud to be a part of.

     

    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.

  • Vigil Outside Daily Mail Offices Following Death Of Transgender Teacher Lucy Meadows

    In memory of Lucy Meadows: Vigil Against Monstering.

    Following the tragic death of popular primary school teacher Lucy Meadows last Tuesday, a ‘vigil against monstering’, in Lucy’s memory, has been planned to take place tomorrow evening, (25th March 2013) outside the Daily Mail offices in Kensington.

    Online anger has being growing after the emergence of an article written by Daily Mail columnist Richard Littlejohn.

    The piece entitled: ‘He’s not only in the wrong body… he’s in the wrong job’ was first published on December 20th 2012. Littlejohn, who referred to Meadows as ‘he’ throughout, claimed her decision was due to ‘personal problems’ and inferred that by proceeding with gender reassignment surgery showed she didn’t care for the children she taught.
    The original article, which was removed after the announcement of Meadows’ death, can be read here:http://web.archive.org/web/20121221195332/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2251347/Nathan-Uptons-wrong-body–hes-wrong-job.html.
    It’s claimed that following Littlejohn’s column, Meadows, who was transitioning at the time, was routinely hounded by the press. In a New Year’s Day email to a friend, reported by the Guardian, Meadows complained that the media had published one of her wedding photos, and had lifted other photos from her siblings’ Facebook pages. She described the lengths she had taken to avoid being photographed. “I became pretty good at avoiding the press before Christmas. I live about a three-minute walk from school so they were parked outside my house as well as school. I’m just glad they didn’t realise I also have a back door. I was usually in school before the press arrived and stayed until latest I could avoid them going home.”

    Two online petitions calling for Littlejohn to be fired and issue a formal apology have received huge support over the weekend. The tally of signatures, combining the Change.org and Sum of Us petitions stands at almost 90,000 today.
    http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/the-daily-mail-fire-richard-littlejohn-for-victimizing-lucy-meadows-leading-to-her-possible-suicide

    http://action.sumofus.org/a/daily-mail-littlejohn-lucy-meadows/1/1/?sub=homepage

    The Daily Mail have vehemently defended Littlejohn. A spokesman said: “It is regrettable that this tragic death should now be the subject of an orchestrated Twitterstorm, fanned by individuals – including former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell – with agendas to pursue.”
    Campbell had previously tweeted: “I hope journalists are doorstepping Dacre Murdoch and Littlejohn for their reaction to Lucy Meadows suicide. The Mail really is scum.”

    David Allen Green, legal advisor to Trans Media Watch, a charity for transgender people, told BBC Radio 4’s The World Tonight: “There is no public interest in the story whatsoever. The only part of the story which seems significant is that there is a gender reassignment, what used to be called a sex change.”

    “What makes it especially easy for tabloids is that transgendered people are very unlikely to fight back. They are usually members of the public and have no experience of dealing with media and all they want to do is to make it go away.

    “In a way, tabloids treat transgendered people the way they would treat anybody if they could get away with it.”

    “There is a sense that transgendered people are fair game for sensationalist reporting. These are people who are going through the most traumatic experiences you can imagine and they are suddenly humiliated by these stories in the tabloids.”

    We at TheGayUK stand strongly against any forms of discrimination. The T in LGBT needs to be supported as strongly the LGB. We must all stand together to change attitudes.

    Details of the vigil:
    Monday 25th March at 6.30pm.
    Outside Daily Mail HQ,

    Northcliffe House,

    2Derry Street,

    Kensington

    London

    W8 5TT
    Nearest Underground station: High Street Kensington (District and Circle)

    www.thetube.com

  • NEWS: Transgender Teacher Lucy Meadows Found Dead

    A transgender teacher who started the new year as Miss Meadows at her school, St. Mary Magdalen’s C or E Primary School in Accrington, has been found dead at her home.

    (more…)

  • Texas Teen Vows To Fight For Right To Wear Prom Dress

    Teenager Tony Zamazal from Texas has vowed to fight for the right to wear a dress to Prom.

    Tony Zamazal from Spring, Texas is fighting for the right to wear what she feels comfortable in for her High School Prom.

    However Zamazal ran into problems when he asked an assistant principal at Spring High School, who is in charge of the dress code for the prom. The student claims that the assistant principle gave him an immediate answer.

    According to KHOU:

    “He told me it just wasn’t in the dress code. [He said] women wore dresses, and men wore tuxedos,” explained Tony Zamazal.

    Zamazal expressed disappointment at the remark, but has vowed to make a stand.

    “If I do get to go as a woman, I will be ecstatic,” said Zamazal. “If I don’t, it would be devastating, because I put myself out there.”

    The Spring High senior says she doesn’t care what others think about him, as long as she gets to be herself.

    “It’s not okay to just tell people, they can’t be the way that they are. It’s not just a choice of the way you look,” added Zamazal. “It’s more of who you are.”

    A Spring Independent School District spokeswoman says there is a process through which Zamazal can fight this. It would begin with him taking his request to the principal of Spring High School.

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Geo Wyeth AKA Novice Theory

    Perched atop an Ikea coffee table playing a battered old Casio in nothing but his underwear is the curious ball of nervous energy that is Geo Wyeth.

    (more…)

  • BIG BROTHER: Benedict Tucks His Dick

    A potential storm is on the horizon for Channel 5’s Big Brother after Benedict Garett, 32, a contestant on the show, and former teacher has been caught hiding his package between his legs, in what might possibly be seen as offensive to transgender housemate Luke Anderson.

    (more…)