LGBTQ, transgender

Writing for Rochester Woman Online – “All About the H”

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Just as 2016 was coming to a close, a cool and exciting new opportunity came knocking at my door. I was invited to join the writing team of Rochester Woman Online (formerly Rochester Woman Magazine). The publication started the new year moving from printed magazine to digital distribution.

My contribution will be a monthly column called: “All About the H” Please take a few minutes to read the first entry featured in the January edition: Meeting Life’s Challenges as Growth Opportunities. My biggest challenge in life has been being a transgender woman in a world that doesn’t understand what “transgender” means. I share how I turned this challenge into a rewarding career path as a public speaker and human rights advocate.
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LGBTQ, outreach, public talks, transgender

Addressing Ben Carson’s Transphobic Remarks in a Public Forum

How Absurd Ben Carson Is

On July 19, 2016, politician and former presidential candidate Ben Carson referred to transgender people as the “height of absurdity” (see video clip). His disparaging remarks were met by the audience with laughter and applause. On August 7, 2016, I addressed Mr. Carson’s poor behavior during an event called “Breaking Bread, Building Bridges“.
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LGBTQ, transgender

Transition Transmission: Episode 71 Gabbing Gabby is Back!

Transition Transmission PodcastI was invited to join podcasters: Amber, Tibby and Ramona for Episode 71 of Transition Transmission. It was an honor and joy to join the Transgender Trio for my third appearance on their entertaining and informative podcast.

Show topics:

  • I talk about public speaking, personal history, family and the complicated relationship with my wife
  • The potential social impact of trans model Carmen Carrera getting married on reality TV
  • Caitlyn Jenner’s remark about trans women who look like a “man in a dress”
  • A 46 year old trans woman living as a 6 year old girl
  • Discussion about a woman who claims Star Wars is racist

I’ve been a big fan of Transition Transmission since discovering it about a year and a half ago. Give it a listen and I bet you’ll become a fan, too! One of my favorite things about the show is that they’re not all about trans stuff, all the time. In addition to intelligent and thoughtful discussion about the latest transgender news, there’s plenty of humor, fun, geek-talk, banter and off-topic side discussions.

Website: Transition Transmission
iTunes: Transition Transmission
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public talks, transgender

Free Public Presentation: Understanding & Supporting Transgender Friends & Family

understanding transgender graphic v2b1_50

If you live within reasonable travel distance of Rochester, NY, please join us for this free public event! It will be held at Open Arms MCC (707 East Main Street Rochester, NY 14605), Sunday November 15, 2015, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

Knowledge is power and I’m all about empowering people!

About the event
Transgender people face a variety of social and economical challenges. Issues such as: discrimination, disparagement, ridicule, assault, murder, and lack of access to affordable healthcare from qualified providers, are just the tip of the iceberg.

This adversity isn’t limited to the transgender population. It also affects friends and families of transgender people, who may feel powerless to help. Our loved ones want to be understanding and supportive, and sometimes need a little guidance and support themselves.
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television, transgender, video

Should Transgender Girls be Allowed to Play in Girls Sports?

My answer is: absolutely! Later this month (July, 2015) the New York State Public High School Athletic Association is expected to create new guidelines for transgender athletes.

Lynette Adams, reporter for News 10 WHEC Rochester, invited me to talk about whether or not transgender athletes have any inherent advantages in sports. I appreciated the opportunity to discuss the realities about such concerns and met with her for an interview. A brief sound byte from the interview made it into the final story and can be seen in the video posted above. Here’s a link to the story on the WHEC News 10 website where the video and text copy can be found.
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LGBTQ, transgender

Transition Transmission #62: Caitlyn Jenner, Does Passing Matter, Transrace and Diverse Opinions

Transition Transmission PodcastAs stated on the official website: “Transition Transmission is a podcast by, and for, transgender people. We are also a transgender and lgbt news conduit. Our mission is to push for transgender rights, visibility of transgender women and men, and let our readers and listeners know what’s going on in the world.”

I highly encourage you to listen to episode 62 of the podcast for thought provoking, in-depth exploration and discussion about Caitlyn Jenner’s big reveal in the Vanity Fair glamor spread earlier this month.

In this episode, I had the honor of joining the Transgender Trio, along with Bunny, as a guest during the roundtable discussion about Caitlyn Jenner and a variety of topics, including “transrace” and Sense8. It was fun and exciting to be on the podcast and add my thoughts and feelings to the mix. I’m so very grateful for the opportunity! Apologies for the poor quality of my audio (due to hardware issues on my end). I was able to remedy the problem after the recording was in the can. Doh!

Podcast discussion points
Do looks matter? Would there have been a different reaction if Caitlyn wasn’t as glamorous? Is passing important? Caitlyn thinks so – do you? Is Caitlyn a hero? Is she a good representative for the trans community? Is all the publicity about Caitlyn Jenner a good thing or a bad thing for transgender people?

Much of the episode revolves around Caitlyn Jenner and the very diverse thoughts and feelings evoked by the recent explosion of publicity. This serves as a springboard for important discussions about the underlying issues that many within the transgender population feel so passionate about: positive, negative and everything in-between. There’s more going on than just Caitlyn-talk and you’ll find plenty of intriguing discussion contained within.

But don’t stop at just one episode – this podcast is a collection of coolness, informative, entertaining and all out fun. Transgender talk is just the tip of the iceberg.

Website: Transition Transmission
iTunes: Transition Transmission
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tips and advice, transgender

The Savvy Psychologist and Transgender Awareness Done Right

Psychology has long been a topic of much interest to me. Over the years, research and study in this field has been immensely helpful in understanding myself better and maintaining a level of sanity in an insane world. My enthusiasm for psychology continues and there are so many handy resources to tap into, including a number of excellent podcasts.

About a month ago I discovered The Savvy Psychologist’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Mental Health. Podcast host Ellen Hendriksen, PhD, invites listeners to, “Meet life’s challenges with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgement.” She offers “quick and dirty tips” using “practical psychology to help you be happy, relaxed and most importantly, yourself.”

Transgender 101: 6 Essential Questions and Answers
This week’s episode is about a topic near and dear to my heart: transgender awareness and education. In preparation for the show, Ellen enlisted my help as a consultant. As a fan of the podcast, it was fun to get involved behind-the-scenes and play a supportive role. Her dedication to providing useful information and treating the subject with dignity and respect was clear from the start, and very much appreciated. To say I was impressed with the end result would be an understatement. I encourage you to check it out for yourself here on the audio podcast and transcript page.
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Exploration of society through a transgender perspective