Alexis Arquette has passed away
 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/11/entert...arquette-obit/

Very sad.

First Transgender Marine (FtM)
 

OOOOOOOOO RAHH!!!!! :cheer:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/19/politi...icy/index.html

I never thought I'd ever see this in my lifetime. :winky:

~Theo~ :bouquet:

This is excellent! Is this the first person to come out as trans and indicates his intent to physically transition? Or is this just the first in the Marine corp?

If so, I am VERY glad there is someone who began this process prior to Donald Trump coming into office because it would be harder for him to "undo" the federal order I would think (if he could?), since it is not like he will be able to "prove" that it has been disruptive to the military.

I do know that there are some FTMs already, who have been on hormones and such. There was that one guy, Army, who when overseas lived as male. When he returned (>6months ago?, his command allowed him to continue to live as male).

I really appreciate this post, as I have been worried about this specific issue. Cis women being allowed in the Army infantry has already gone into effect, right? I think it was supposed to occur this past June and I may have read that 3 women have already moved into those positions...or were in the process and 1 made it in...or something like that?

Hey, Theo. Yes, I know that trans people have been serving forever in the military, I was just wondering if to your knowledge if this was the first marine to take advantage of the new policy of coming out while living in your birth sex and then transitioning within the military system, or just the first person in the military

But, I see that I misread the article and he is not even the first FTM marine to transition with the military's help. I hadn't heard of any military personnel yet taking advantage of the new policy, so that is why I was asking. Even though I have never been in the military, I have been excitedly waiting to hear about the first trans person coming out and then medically transitioning under the new policy. This is the first I have heard that it has happened.

Thank you for the link. It answered my questions. <thumbs up>

How the heck did I miss this last June? :blink:

Oregon court rules that ‘nonbinary’ is a legal gender

Dec. 8, 2016 11:38 AM ET

Major survey of transgender Americans finds pervasive bias

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The largest-ever survey of transgender Americans paints a grim picture of pervasive discrimination and harassment, to the point that many of them attempt suicide at some point.

Released on Thursday by the National Center for Transgender Equality, the survey assesses input received in 2015 from 27,715 respondents from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. The largest previous transgender survey, conducted by the center and a partner organization in 2008-09, had 6,450 responses.

There have been some important gains for transgender rights in the years between the two surveys, but the new survey showed little or no improvement in terms of transgender people's day-to-day experiences with bias.

One finding remained virtually unchanged from the earlier survey: 40 percent of the respondents said they had attempted suicide at some point. Researchers have estimated that the overall attempted suicide rate in the U.S. is less than 5 percent.

Another notable finding: 59 percent of survey respondents said they avoided using a public restroom in the past year because they were afraid of confrontations or other problems. About one-third said they limited the amount that they ate and drank to avoid using a restroom.

"Discrimination and violence threaten transgender people's ability to have even the basics: food, a place to sleep, or a job," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the national center. "This survey demonstrates that there is a lot of work ahead to achieve simple parity and full equality for transgender people."
According to a recent estimate by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, there are about 1.4 million transgender adults in the United States.
In the year prior to completing the survey, 46 percent of the respondents reported being verbally harassed and 9 percent said they were physically attacked because of being transgender. Forty-seven percent said they had been sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime.

The abuse can start before adulthood. Of the respondents who were out or perceived as transgender while in school, 24 percent said they were physically attacked because they were transgender and 13 percent said they were sexually assaulted. Seventeen percent said they left school because of severe mistreatment.

The survey found significant economic disparities, with 29 percent of respondents saying they lived in poverty — roughly double the percent of the overall U.S. population. The unemployment rate among the respondents was 15 percent, three times higher than the national rate at the time of survey was conducted. Only 16 percent of the respondents said they owned their own home, compared to 63 percent of adults nationally. And 30 percent of the respondents said they had experienced homelessness at some point.

According to the survey, problems of discrimination were particularly high for transgender people of color, those with disabilities, and those living in the U.S. without legal documentation.

More than one-third of the survey respondents identified themselves as "non-binary" — a term used to describe people whose gender identity is not exclusively male or female.

Karen Parker, director of the Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office at the National Institutes of Health, hailed the survey as "an unprecedented and comprehensive insight into the experiences of transgender people."

In an email, she also said the survey's detailed findings on health care could potentially help ease the barriers that sometimes deter transgender people from obtaining appropriate care. Nearly one-quarter of the respondents to the survey said they did not see a doctor when they needed to because of fear of being mistreated.

The report's release comes at a time of uncertainty for transgender Americans. President Barack Obama's administration has taken many steps to expand transgender rights — including some workplace protections and a directive advising public schools to let transgender students use restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. Transgender activists fear that some of those initiatives might be slowed or reversed after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

They also are concerned by possible developments at the state level — such as a proposed bill in Texas that would limit transgender people's bathroom access. The Texas proposal is similar to legislation enacted in North Carolina in March that triggered an extensive economic and political backlash.
___

Associated Press
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c...5f88b5104479b7

Ah, thanks for the reminder Anya! :)

Here is the link to the 2015 US Transgender Survey Complete Report & the Executive Summary that was just recently released.

I meant to post this the other day when I received it in my email box but life got in the way.

http://www.ustranssurvey.org/report

Also, here is the live video:

First research study on chest binding published in a medical journal, partial post but link included
 

Inside the Landmark, Long Overdue Study on Chest Binding

by Zing Tsjeng

SEP 28 2016

Chest binding is an everyday reality for many transgender and non-binary people, but healthcare professionals know little about the practice. The first ever medical study on the practice says that it's time to change that.

"I remember the first time I put on a binder," recalls Naomhan, a non-binary trans activist from Belfast, Northern Ireland. "An ex-boyfriend gave me his old binder and after I put it on, I remember looking down at my chest and then into the mirror, feeling euphoria at how happy it made me feel."

Chest binding is a fact of life for many people, including trans men, some gay women, intersex people, and gender non-conforming individuals like Naomhan. Flattening the appearance of one's breasts—whether that's through Ace bandages, compression undergarments, layered T-shirts, sports bras, or commercial binders—doesn't just make it easier to pass in public as the correct gender or wear masculine clothes. For many, it's a matter of psychological well-being.

"I couldn't take my binder off except to sleep," Naomhan says. "It would be the first thing I put on when I woke up in the morning, and I would feel dysphoric even sitting at home without my binder on."

Outside of the queer community, chest binding remains a relatively unknown phenomenon. It is more commonly discussed by trans vloggers (the search term "my first binder" brings up about 114,000 results on YouTube) than it is by healthcare professionals. But new research conducted by The Binding Health Project and published in Culture, Health, and Society—which they say is the first study on chest binding published in a medical journal—shows that a discussion on how to help people bind safely and effectively is long overdue.

A qualitative report from the five-person strong research project goes into more detail about the benefits of binding for those they surveyed: "Based on our preliminary analysis, for most participants, binding was a positive experience and led to improvements in mood and self-esteem, minimized gender dysphoria, anxiety, and depression, and helped them to feel in control of their bodies," a report they published on the study reads.

"In fact, some reported that a positive impact on emotional and behavioral health makes the physical discomfort of binding worth it.""Binding is a part of daily life for many, but it can have negative impacts on your physical health—ranging from minor to severe—across a wide range of symptoms, from pain in different parts of your body, to shortness of breath, to bruising or other skin changes," explains researcher Sarah Peitzmeier. She is a member of the Binding Health Project, which hopes to "expand and contribute new information on the physical and mental health effects of chest binding." It comprises of Boston University medical students and graduates, as well as a PhD student at in public health at John Hopkins.

The researchers hope that the study will provide an initial roadmap for change, educating physicians on the benefits and impacts of binding and allowing those who bind to take charge of their health. They scoured peer-reviewed literature and information from health clinics, LGBTQ organizations, and online community resources, coming up with 28 potential health outcomes from binding. 1,800 respondents answered an online survey with questions ranging from how often they bound, what they used to bind their chests with, and their gender identity.

According to the study, binding was a "daily occurrence" for its participants. Just over half of respondents bound their chests seven days a week, with people binding for an average of ten hours a day.



https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/artic...nsgender-study

Growing Up Trans
 

This reminded me of a really good one I saw recently which focuses on the younger generation. Not sure if it's already been listed, but free to watch:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/fi...wing-up-trans/

Lets hope she doesn't ask anyone what is in their pants this time. :seeingstars:

I did hear positive things about it.

I agree this is a good video. I used a clip of it when talking with some medical residents end of last year.

[QUOTE=Gemme;1124489][B][SIZE="3"][COLOR="YellowGreen"]National Geographic gender documentary, hosted by Katie Couric, airs on February 6th.

I've heard great feedback from it so far.

I just wish it were ANYONE else rather than Couric! There is just this gut feeling I get from her and not in a good way:|

So the last couple of days I've been immersed in watching the panel discussions at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland (What? Doesn't everyone?) and came across this, the last place I would have thought;



It is hosted by the National Geographic coinciding with the release of this months issue that the NG Gender show is apparently derived from. There is interesting discussion also about binary/non-binary millennial perceptions and the idea of a post-identity world that I found interesting too.

From NPR last month but the issues are just as concerning this month
 

Transgender Americans Race To Finish Paperwork Before Trump Administration

December 17, 2016

Jeff Brady/NPR

Many transgender people in the U.S. are rushing to change their designated gender on government documents before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. They worry the next administration may take that ability away.

There's no indication so far that this is a priority for Trump. Mara Keisling with the National Center for Transgender Equality says Trump's positions on trans issues are not clear. But she's concerned about people he's nominated for key positions in his administration.

"Virtually every — if not every — appointment he has announced so far has been an extremely anti-LGBT person," says Keisling. She says trans advocacy groups around the country have been fielding calls from concerned people ever since the election. And they are not alone.

"The calls to our office have increased a lot," says Benjamin Jerner, managing partner of the Philadelphia law firm Jerner & Palmer, which specializes in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender legal issues.

States control many government documents, such as birth certificates and driver's licenses, Jerner reassures his clients. A new president won't affect those.

Of more concern, he says, are gender designations on federal documents such as passports, immigration papers and Social Security accounts.

Jerner says passports are the biggest concern because State Department rulescould be changed relatively easily under a new administration.

Deciding whether to change gender designations on documents can be an especially tricky question for parents of transgender children. Jerner recently held a legal clinic for such parents in Philadelphia and says 18 families showed up.

"I think that just tells you the level of fear and anxiety that's out there," he says.

Among those attending were the parents of 10-year-old Dylan, who was born a boy but — with her parents' encouragement — has long hair, wears pink and lives as a girl.

That fits with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the leading U.S. group of doctors serving children. The general idea is that parents should support their child and not make any big decisions that could limit the child's options in the future. That's because some children who appear to be transgender early on are not when they grow up.

NPR agreed to use only first names for Dylan and her family. Some groupsconsider it a form of abuse to allow a child to transition to the opposite gender — even though it's in line with the AAP. Dylan's parents — Marla and Jennifer — say other families have had child abuse reports filed against them after they were identified in news stories.

Marla says Dylan has identified herself as a girl for as long as she could talk. "It took us about three years to really sort out with Dylan what that meant," Marla says. "We kept telling her, 'Oh, there's lots of ways to be a boy — you can be a fancy boy, you can be a sparkly boy.' " But Marla says Dylan steadfastly insisted she's a girl.

Marla says they plan to administer puberty blockers when Dylan reaches that stage. That will make it easier for Dylan to physically transition to female later if she chooses.

Dr. David Levine, a professor of pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, says this is a good approach.

"I predict this 10-year-old is going to do great, because the parents are so on board and so supportive of their child," he says.

Levine says he's not too worried that a Trump administration will make big changes that will affect transgender people. But he also is not opposed to parents who want to change their child's gender designations now because, technically, that's something that could be reversed in the future if it became necessary.

Dylan's parents had planned to change her gender on government documents when she got a driver's license. Because of their concerns over the political climate, they are doing that now instead.

So, on a recent evening — just as Dylan and her siblings were finishing up homework — a notary came to their home to witness Marla and Jennifer signing a short stack of papers. Once filed, they will change the gender listed on Dylan's birth certificate, Social Security account and passport — when she gets one — to female.

Correction
Jan. 12, 2017

A previous Web version of this story labeled the American College of Pediatricians an "anti-LGBT group." That is not an accurate description because the group holds opinions on a wide variety of issues.

http://www.npr.org/2016/12/17/503753...administration

It is relatively easy to change one's gender on a passport and it is also easy with social security. No surgeries required. All trans people should do this right away. The other pieces are connected with states, so don't believe that he can touch those.

Balanced and Interesting Documentary:
 

I have not watched the documentary....

What is this about? What is balanced? And what is your goal in posting this?

Honestly, if it is another post where you, as a cis person, are questioning the accepted medical care/looking to debate the care or rights given to trans people, I wish you would create another thread for that.

It doesn't feel good to see those kind of posts in a trans thread, by a cis person. I will be honest and tell you that I am not sure of your agenda and it makes me uncomfortable.