Political Week In Review 7-31-2022

 

Moving Day

Transition  Interruptus

See my "Life Is A Beach" post

Let's Hope!

The Evolution of the Anti-Trans Hate Machine

NPR / WNYC Studio

Listen to the Podcast

Broadcast date - July 28, 2022

Republican state lawmakers have introduced a record number of laws this year intended to limits the rights of trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people. According to data compiled by the ACLU, they've proposed 162 bills in the first half of this year alone, outpacing the 151 laws considered throughout all of last year. 

These legislative campaigns are largely motivated by a small group of wealthy far-right actors with extreme religious beliefs. They might remain somewhat fringe if not for a network of think tanks and outlets with mainstream credibility laundering their ideas to the public. Peabody-award winning journalist and founder of Translash Media Imara Jones unravels this apparatus in her investigative podcast, The Anti-Trans Hate Machine: A Plot Against Equality. She joins us to explain how the machine works, and how to resist it.

From Imara Jones: Full, Uncut Conversation:

There’s an understanding by the people, the politicians, the organizations, and the billionaires that trans people will be the next fight in the gender wars, after what they anticipate, and have anticipated for over a year, to be their victory on abortion rights.” – Imara Jones

F 

Teenage Wears Red, Tuxedo Gown To The Prom

This week, a proud mother named Nina Green showed off a photoshoot of her teenage son wearing a beautiful, red, tuxedo gown and looking as happy as ever right before prom night

.BY BERNARDO SIM  JULY 05 2022

Best-dressed of the night, that’s for sure!

Green tweeted:

“At age 12 my son announced he wanted to go to his school prom in a gown. Four years later we made it happen. I’m so incredibly #proud of him for being true to himself & the reception he got from his whole school was incredible. What do you think [Michelle Visage], [Billy Porter]?

As of this writing, Green’s post has nearly 121,000 likes and over 3,400 retweets. She also tagged Michelle Visage and Pose actor Porter in the tweet, and the RuPaul’s Drag Race judge quote-tweeted the post to celebrate this moment.

Visage wrote:

Ohhhhhhhh yes! You are an amazing beautiful mom and your child is a STAR.”

Green’s Twitter bio reads, “Hard-working mom of two & wife. Communications/Media Management/Former Journalist - Music and Theatre lover. Disney geek. Love running.” She also appears to live in England.

Since sharing these prom pictures of her son, Green has received a swarm of positive responses from people who were impacted and/or inspired by the way she fully embraces her child.

____________

My Note: I am always amazed by the bravery of today's youth.  You go girl!

I Love A Success Story - Harry Styles (revisit)

 Fem-men, Why Are They So Hot?

MY Note: This is an interesting article about how man (some straight) are breaking the dressing mold.  I have previously written about Harry Styles in my post "The Face of the Modern Gender Debate". So found it interesting that others are defending what they call the "fem-men movement".  Do read the whole article here. 

BY: Edije Frangu Nov 15, 2021

Harry Styles
 Isn't Letting Gender Binaries
Define His Style

If anything, dressing femme displays a level of security with their masculinity; they don’t have to boast about it or exhibit it at all times. And frankly, that’s hot. 

Harry Styles serves as a sort of poster boy of this movement, at least for Gen-Z. He openly embraces the concept of dressing femininely as separate from sexual orientation or gender identity, which is often the stigmatized perception of this style: a man who dresses femme must be struggling with their masculinity in some way.  Rather, Styles believes his clothes make it possible for him to encapsulate a creative and free expression of himself, how he’s feeling, or just beauty in general. Sometimes people—regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation—just want to wear a pretty dress, damn it. And that’s why they put Styles on the cover of American Vogue in a dreamy Gucci gown last year.

How To Look Feminine For All Body Type

Looking feminine is the goal of every girl+. For women of any age, being feminine is synonymous with being attractive. Some women are naturally blessed with feminine curves, while others might be less endowed. Regardless of your body traits, there is something every girl can do to look more feminine and feel more like a woman.

 From PETITE DRESSING (applies to all body types)

• Wear Clothes that Fit Properly
• Wear Feminine Fabrics
• Wear Dresses and Skirts
• Incorporate Girly Details
• Wear Heels
• Wear Mermaid Silhouette
• Wear Shoes with Feminine Details
• Avoid anything too tight
• Opt for Delicate Jewelry
• Wear Red Lipstick
• Avoid Heavy Makeup
• Refresh your Makeup
• Adapt More Color
• Refresh your Lingerie
• Don’t Forget to Style Hair
• Avoid Any Boyish Garments
• Be Selective with Pantsuit
• Add Perfume
• Skip the Gender Neutral Trend
• Pay attention to Details
• Be Accommodating and Receptive

Each of the points above is expanded with details and photos. A well worth it study.  Here is my favorite:

Wear Heels

The Kitten Heel

Shoes can make or break an outfit, they can also help you look more feminine. The easiest way to achieve a feminine look is to wear heels. Traditionally, women would only wear heels with dresses or skirts, but you can totally wear high heels with jeans or pants, to make the otherwise casual outfit look more polished and dressed up.

Typically, the more slender the heels are, the more feminine they look. Therefore, a stiletto is generally a good choice to make your outfit look womanly. That doesn’t mean you have to wear 5-inch high heels in order to look and feel feminine. A kitten heel is another great choice that achieves a balance between sexy and comfortable, like [the one above].

Culture Shocks After Transitioning

...Transgender People Reveal

By Samantha Berlin

© Kira-Yan/iStock

Thousands of users flocked to a viral internet forum to share their biggest "culture shocks" after undergoing gender transitions.

The Original Poster (OP), known as u/TyDye386, asked the viral question in Reddit's popular "Ask Reddit" thread where it received more than 6,000 upvotes and 4,300 comments. The post can be found here.

Many users said their social interactions changed after their transition, while others said they needed time to get used to the lack of pockets in women's clothing.

According to data analyzed by Pew Research Center, an estimated 5 percent of young adults in America identify with a gender different than the sex they were assigned at birth.

More than four in 10 Americans report knowing someone who is transgender compared to three in 10 Americans in 2017.

Americans under 30 are more likely than their older counterparts to identify as trans or nonbinary, according to Pew Research.

More than 4,300 users commented on the post asking "Trans people of Reddit, what was the biggest 'culture shock' you noticed after transitioning to your gender?"

________________

One of the Girls

"The amount of women in my family, my female friends, and even female acquaintances now confiding every single deep dark detail of their life in me, or just openly talking about their every bodily function," another user commented. "I became 'one of the girls' way before I was comfortable with it."

Safety

"As a passing almost fully transitioned trans woman, it's that people are a *lot* more concerned about my safety as a woman than they ever were as a man," another wrote.

"I am MtF [Male to Female] and even though I knew about it, the amount of sexism, harassment and sexual assault is shocking," another commented. "Logically, I knew it happened. I've had people tell me all about it before. But once I started passing as a woman, holy fuck. Sexual comments happen all the time, even just sitting at a stoplight in my car, people have shouted through my window sexual shit. More than once!"

There's also a closer camaraderie among women just for being women, and so many men have absolutely no idea how to interact with a woman. I've been hit on, catcalled, and the like and I never knew how frequent this all was.

On a more lighthearted note, I was surprised to learn that using purses has the side benefit of me never forgetting my keys in my pants pockets and running them through the wash anymore

Confusion

"I never adjusted my voice after transitioning, so my voice does tend to cause confusion, and yet, rarely an issue," one user commented.

Women's Clothing

"The lack of pockets," one user wrote. "Welcome to sad reality of feminine clothes," another commenter replied.

"Girls are so nice to each other, it’s seems so strange that a random woman in the metro might just compliment me on my clothes, just like that."

"This is it for me too. The very first time I went out in public dressed femininely after I came out, I had two other women say nice things about my outfit. I was stunned. In all the previous more than thirty years of dressing like a man, I can't think of a single time a man complimented me on my clothes. And I've always been pretty fashionable, no matter what gender I'm dressing for. Now I almost expect it. I know what outfits and looks I have that will always get other women to compliment me. It's wild."

Your comments please: 

Political Week In Review 7-24-2022

 

NY Times - Josh Hawley cheered on Jan. 6. Then he fled.

The image of Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, raising his fist in solidarity with a crowd of Trump supporters outside the Capitol on Jan. 6 became an iconic symbol of how he and members of his party had made common cause with members of the mob that ultimately stormed the building.

Don't Get Discouraged

Escape This Weekend! 

Judge Blocks Biden Rules for Trans Access to Bathrooms, Sports

 

Erik Larson  July 17, 2022

(Bloomberg) -- A judge in Tennessee temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s rules ensuring transgender people at schools and workplaces have access to bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams, the latest setback for LGBTQ Americans amid a backlash from Republican-led states.

Mandates issued last year following an executive order by President Joe Biden clash with state laws restricting such access for transgender students and employees, US District Judge Charles Atchley ruled Friday evening. The decision blocks the rules nationwide until the case is resolved.

Atchley, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, said a nationwide injunction against rules issued by the Education Department and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was warranted because of the “extraordinary circumstances” of the lawsuit.

The suit was filed by 20 states, including Alabama, Kentucky, South Carolina and West Virginia. Some states have passed laws allowing students or teachers to sue school districts for allowing transgender students to use facilities aligning with their gender identity.

The Biden administration argued the rules were justified by the US Supreme Court’s landmark finding in Bostock v. Clayton County, which held that LGBTQ employees are protected from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The judge said the states are likely to prevail in the case because the rights created by the rules “appear nowhere in Bostock” or Title IX rules against discrimination in schools.

The ruling follows a string of legislative setbacks for the LGBTQ community in conservative states, including a wave of laws or bills seeking to restrict discussion of gender identity and sexuality in schools.

The nonprofit Human Rights Campaign [HRC] called the ruling “yet another example of far-right judges legislating from the bench.”

“Nothing in this decision can stop schools from treating students consistent with their gender identity,”Joni Madison, Interim President of the HRC, said in the statement.

Read more here: Federal judge blocks Biden's directives to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination by Kelly McClure (Salon)  - 7/17/2022 

And the Perfect Bra Award Goes To...

Soma - BODIFY
Flexible Fit Perfect Coverage 

Training day - Sunday I had  “Advanced Bra Training” at work. It was so much fun. 

My new store manager (new to Soma) of about 3 months, decided that the two of us should know more about bra fitting and the Soma’s brands / styles.

Opening time on Sunday is 12:00, so we arrive about an hour and a half before opening. First we watched a video that feature the “5 Points” of proper bra fitting.  We then measure each other and picked 5 different/styles of bras to try. Oh darn, do have to try on all those beautiful bras styles?

This was so we could test the 5 points on each other, and best recommend style/fit to our customers. So the two of us then critiqued each other’s fit and look. The last step was to put on a cami/top to see if each bra looked good over clothes.  Soma is known for its smooth t-shirt bras.   

I had one customer in that day that allowed me to find her a bra she liked. She was not a conventional size (small) and said that finding a good fitting, flattering bra had always been a problem. She purchased two and went up to my manager on the way out and told her how helpful I was.  

And which bra is my favorite?  The new "BODIFY - Flexible Fit Perfect Coverage Bra". Here are the product details from the Soma site.

3 years. 1,500 women. 1 revolutionary bra. Meet Bodify™, the t-shirt bra that changes with you. Soma makes Smart Bras™ because you're not a one size fits all. Patent pending Flexicup™ stretches and recovers to hug your unique body shape. Patent pending Floataway Wire™ in airflow mesh moves with you while Get a Grip straps stay put, keeping you comfortably held. Down to the last detail we've thought of you, even adding mesh detailing in the front for breathablity.

My personal observation is that it is comfortable, fit well and added just the right amount of shaping to really look good under most any top.  

Cool Nights PJ Shorts

My second pick of the day was the "EMBRACEABLE Perfect Coverage Bra". 

Soma provides a professional fitting service so if you just want to come in for that, we welcome everyone. If you are shy about being measured, then just come and browse our beautiful bras and panties. Online ordering is always an option. Do look at The "Cool Nights" sleepwear; it so comfortable with an ever so slight feminine differential.   

Several other note on working retail at Soma. The overall corporate structure is very accepting and diverse. I have called the help desk several times to reset passwords and have only encountered a helpful / accepting attitude. My store manager and co-workers are great. I am only working a few day a week (about 10 hours) which is perfect and I make myself available to fill in as needed. Although the retail work is hard, going to work is a pleasure.     

I Love A Success Story - Abby Hwong, AKA NoSo

NoSo's debut album is a care package for someone in need: Their younger self

By Elle Mannion

The Korean American singer-songwriter toys with the nuances of identity and escapism on their guitar-led debut album.

Abby Hwong

 "Music has always been a tool for me to express feelings I feared would be unacceptable, in a form that's more poetic and palatable for people," says Abby Hwong, the Los Angeles-based artist who performs as NoSo. In their dreamy indie rock songs, Hwong wrestles with what it means to confront those fears and emerges with confidence, becoming accepting of — even proud to share — those feelings. That newfound fortitude is at the heart of their debut album, aptly titled Stay Proud Of Me, which they describe as a labor of love written to their younger self.

All Things Considered Interview:

I think some of the earliest memories I have all revolve around gender. I think I was around 4 years old when I started becoming kind of cognizant of it. And I would be in preschool, and I would see these boys around me, and I would feel this strange envy. And I couldn't articulate why I felt that way, but I had a feeling it was unacceptable to say out loud. And I would always think, like, oh, this can't be it, right?

Music has been integral to Hwong's life since childhood: Their album's cover art was inspired by the '80s Korean records their parents played for them as a baby; growing up, they would see legends like B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin at the Chicago music festival where their mom worked. Hwong began playing guitar at age 12, but didn't start writing music seriously until moving from the Midwest to Los Angeles at age 16. "That's when I was able to look inward and feel like I had a valid reason to write emotional songs." Hwong explains. "That allowed me to see, going forward, that everything I had repressed, I could write about." They eventually attended the University of Southern California to study popular music.

NPR Music first discovered NoSo when they entered the Tiny Desk Contest in 2019 with a song that showcased their impressive guitar skills, including an earworm riff that still sounds refreshing years later. You can hear Hwong's virtuosic, memorable guitar playing throughout Stay Proud Of Me, which is also elevated by a fuller production of cinematic synths and lush pop sounds; they're especially skilled at packaging heavy subject matter as a catchy hook or chorus without cheapening its sentiment. Hwong is nonbinary, and their songwriting has been a place where they process their evolving gender identity. They wrote the album's opening track while recovering from gender-affirming top surgery: "So lovely to meet you, again / so lovely to be born again," they sing gently as the instrumentation swells, setting a compassionate tone for the album. On songs like "Suburbia" and "David," they reflect on growing up in a nearly all-white Chicago suburb; on "I'm Embarrassed I Still Think Of You" and "Feeling Like a Woman Lately," they reflect on their identity as a queer and trans person. Across the album, they give themselves freedom to explore varying instrumentation, experiment with song structures and play out their daydreams.

Stay Proud of Me is released on 8 July via Partisan8

Feminine Differential - Encoding

Men, what items of female-coded clothing and accessories would you wear if it weren't a big deal?

By Eivind

MY Note: What a good question! We challenge the very norm that this post rails against. I love to dress-up and will spend hours planning, shopping and putting together an outfit.  And what is the event? Maybe dinner out with friends, or an evening at the performing art center...  For whatever the reason, I make it a point to look my best and why? because I want to.  I enjoy the "Feminine Differential".

________________

   

I think the saddest part of the male wardrobe is the options available for those occasions when you'd like to dress up beyond the everyday; say for a party or celebration of some sort.

Vintage Rhonda 
1984

On ordinary days, say at work, you'll find the men and the women wearing pretty similar things. Jeans and a t-shirt, or perhaps some other cotton-trousers and a shirt or blouse instead of a t-shirt. Few people (of either gender) wear significant jewelry or makeup, half the women are (as near as I can tell) completely without makeup, and the other half have applied some modest amount.

But what happens when there's a celebration or party of some sort?

The men? They swap their jeans for black dress-pants, and upgrade their shirt and that's it. Add a vest and/or tie if you're feeling fancy, and that's about it.

Google "man dressed for party" and you get tons of variants of this theme:

And there's nothing wrong with that, as such. It's just that if you remove the tie and the vest, then this is more or less what I wear for work every day, so it doesn't really feel like much of a upgrade.

Makeup isn't common for men, even for parties, nor are jewelry of any kind. You can wear a necklace and/or bracelet if you like; I suppose. But be prepared for ordering both online, because if you walk into any jewelry-shop closer than 50 miles from me, you'll find that more than 90% of their selection is clearly intended for women.

The women? They seemingly have an order of magnitude more choice along several distinct axes that are more or less unavailable to me.

Starting at the top, they can make their hair in a large vairety of fancy styles; me I don't have much hair to begin with, and even if I did, and EVEN if I was among the comparatively few men who have long hair (by itself something you're socially pushed not to do), I'd STILL find my choices much more limited than those of a woman. I googled "party hairstyles" and looked at the resulting 1000 images. Literally ONE of those images depicted a man; that tells you something. (and adding "for men" doesn't help much; 95% of the images you get will have the same hairstyle, or a very close variant.

I'm exaggerating slightly when I say that all the men have the same hairstyle, but I think anyone would agree that there's substantially more variation and more choice among the women. More significantly, the hairstyles for men are pretty much the same they'd use for a day in the office; there just isn't that much potential for going fancy. In contrast, many of the women's styles are hairly glamorous and definitely sets them off relative to a everyday hair-styling.

I'm not even going to go into makeup, except to say that women have options for making more of it for a celebration or party than for a ordinary day, and men pretty much don't.

Clothing is a biggie too. Women choose from trousers, skirts, dresses and various other things I don't even know the name for. Men choose from trousers and .. well that's pretty much it really; I mean there's shorts, but while a shorter dress or a skirt is a real option for a party for a woman, for men the tendency is that you can only ever go shorter than full trousers for very informal parties; i.e. you're dressing down even more. Yes I know kilts and things like that exist, but it's not a social norm to wear them. Yes you can, but it takes more courage than I have; It's rare enough in my social circles that I've never attended a party where even 1 of the men was wearing one.

Shoes? Well, I guess I can pick between black and brown leather? Are there anything else that men actually wear to parties? I'm not gonna post even more images, but I encourage anyone who doubts that men are lacking choice here to google "elegant shoes women" and "elegant shoes men", and witness the wall of near-identical brown or black leather shoes that is the sole option for men -- then compare it to the equivalent results for women.

I'd like to add at the end that though this lack of choice is a curse for those occasions when I'd like to dress up, it's also sometimes a blessing. For someone uninterested in clothing, it's cool that you can get away with having just a single suit, and one decent shirt; and you're good to go for anything up to and including your own wedding in 5 minutes flat. (10 if you need a shower)

But yes; if I "could", (I realize that technically I can!) there's definitely occasions were I'd spend an hour making my hair glamorous, and an additional half-hour applying more dramatic makeup than usual; then I'd pick something just a bit extravagant to hang in my ears, a nice necklace and matching bracelet, fancy shoes in a fun and attractive color and some kinda fancy clothes.

This makes it sound as if I'd be cross-dressing, I guess. And I think that by itself is precisely the problem; I have no desire to look like a woman. But once in a while I'd like to look like a glamorously dressed and styled MAN, and my problem is precisely that it too often feels as if that is a contradiction in terms, and an option that quite simply doesn't exist.

Is This What You Want - Christian Fascism?

 

Is living in a "Christian Fascist" governmental state, something you desire?  Understanding where we are headed is fundamental.    

 

Definition of fascism:

A political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. Wikipedia 

Christian Fascism has its start when Pat Robertson and other radio and television evangelists began speaking about a new political religion that would direct its efforts toward taking control of all institutions, including mainstream denominations and the government. Its stated goal was to use the United States to create a global Christian empire. (https://www.popmatters.com/christian-fascism-american-democracy-hedges)

Here is one of the most interesting aspects of this new Christian Fascism according to the Pew Research Center:  

Nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults (73%) say religion should be kept separate from government policies, according to a survey conducted in spring 2022. Just 25% say government policies should support religious values and beliefs. 

Despite the will of the majority, consider the Supreme Court is relentlessly funding and empowering Christian Fascism. This is the Trump / McConnell court. It not only overturned Roe v. Wade, ending a constitutional right to an abortion it did much more; the list continues:

• Ruled on June 21 that Maine may not exclude religious schools from a state tuition program. 
• It has ruled that a Montana state program to support private schools must include religious schools. 
• It ruled that a 40-foot cross could remain on state property in suburban Maryland. 
• It upheld the Trump administration regulation allowing employers to deny birth control coverage to female employees on religious grounds.
•  It ruled that employment discrimination laws do not apply to teachers at religious schools. 
• It ruled that a Catholic social services agency in Philadelphia could ignore city rules and refuse to screen same-sex couples applying to take in foster children.
•  It neutered the 1965 Voting Rights Act. 
• It watered down laws allowing workers to combat sexual and racial harassment in court.
•  It reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions to permit corporations, private groups, and oligarchs to spend unlimited funds on elections, a system of legalized bribery, in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission. It permitted states to opt-out of the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. 
• It undercut the ability of public sector unions to raise funds. 
• It forced workers with legal grievances to submit their complaints to privatized arbitration boards.
• It ruled that states cannot restrict the right to carry concealed weapons in public. (Pew - "Most Americans, including most gun owners, support restricting public places legal gun owners can carry firearms.")
• It ruled that suspects cannot sue police who neglect to read them their Miranda warnings and use their statements against them in court. 

Outlawing contraception, same-sex marriage, transgender right/protections, and same-sex consensual relations are probably next. Only 25 percent of those polled say they have confidence in this Supreme Court decisions.

CNN has an opinion post entitled, "A terrifying glimpse of what could await America after the 2024 election".   [This] should serve as a huge wake up call to voters that they would be electing a man who will let nothing -- not the truth or the safety of Americans -- stand in the way of his omnipotent aspirations.  Let me add that Ron DeSantis is equally dangerous. 

So why is Christian fascism dangerous. Having strong religious beliefs is a fundamental right all Americans cherish. But, the rise of a movement that believes the separation of church and state is a myth and advocates for a government shaped by conservative Christian values as a political force is a threat to a diverse, democratic, multicultural America. Having Christian nationalists imposing their beliefs on the rest of us is counter to everything America has championed throughout its history.

Speak out!  Vote!

Political Week In Review 7-17-2022

 

Believe...

 

Transgender Life Today

Transgender History
by Susan Stykey

Susan O'Neal Stryker (born 1961) is an American professor, historian, author, filmmaker, and theorist whose work focuses on gender and human sexuality. She is a professor of Gender and Women's Studies, former director of the Institute for LGBT Studies, and founder of the Transgender Studies Initiative at the University of Arizona, and is currently on leave while holding an appointment as Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair in Women's Leadership at Mills College. Stryker serves on the Advisory Council of METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) and the Advisory Board of the Digital Transgender Archive. A transgender woman, she is the author of several books about LGBT history and culture.

Susan O'Neal Stryker:

For the first time ever it is possible for some people to be trans without a huge social penalty. 

Transgender Studies scholar Susan Stryker speaks on the current ubiquity of transgender issues in US media and culture within longer world histories of the biopolitical management of minoritized bodies and identities.

Two Easy Pieces with A Cute Jeans Hack

 

Above are two wardrobe items that are easily identical as a feminine look (Feminine Differential). Yet can easily blend in for any everyday outing. A great casual look. Working at the mall is see this look every day on multiple females. Pair these jeans with the stripe top above, a white shirt/t-shirt top, or even a sweater - easy. 

The Jeans are Talbots SLIM ANKLE JEANS - EMBROIDERED PALM TREE; new this season and the fit is fantastic.  Just slim enough with a great fit all the way up.  Talbots tends to be generous with their sizing and these have just enough spandex to not gap at the waste and still fit nicely in the seat. The tropical palm tree embroidery add a ever so unmistaken feminine differential.  

The top is Amazon's Romwe Women's Striped Batwing Short Sleeve Knot Front Boat Neck T Shirt Tee   I love the loose fit with the cute neckline and tie bottom  accent.  Again another feminine differential with out going with over the top cleavage or lace.   

The jeans above are a reasonable ankle size.  Pulling then over my feet is not a task and taking then off does not involve calisthenics. However my new Talbots SCULPT PULL-ON JEGGINGS - ELLIS WASH are different. I adore the way they fit.  

I can pull them up for tummy support with a flat look, and legs and tightly tapered to the ankle.  On me they are not cropped but fall perfectelly at the ankle. Which brings me to the difficulty of pulling jeggings on over the foot and especially the difficulty of getting them off. 

Notch hem Jeans

I took the jeggings into my seamstress to add a small cut/notch of about 2.5 inches at the ankle to help on/off. The best $12.00 I have spent in a while. Not only does it help with the on/off, but adds another feminine differential. You don't see that on men's jeans. OK, OK - neither do they wear JEGGINGS, so I guess i compounded the differential. 

Enjoy the hack and always add a "Feminine Differential"; when lingerie underneath is not enough.  Be happy! Be visible! Escape!     

   

Rae Bourbon - Let Me Tell You About My Operation

Our History

Don't Call Me Madam The Life and Work of Ray Bourbon

For almost thirty years, I’ve been researching the life and work of a unique American nightclub and vaudeville performer, Ray Bourbon.

Almost forgotten today, Ray was probably the most prominent and influential gay female impersonator of his day. He released dozens of 78s and lp records – about ten hours of material in all – giving the most detailed and comprehensive look at the work of a pre-Stonewall performer we have.

Read more here.

DeSantis’ Plans for Colleges

 In Florida, DeSantis’ plans for colleges rattle some academics.

My Note: If you think the "Don't Say Gay" bill that DeSantis pushed through the Florida legislature applies only to K through 3rd grades then think again. There is the “Stop WOKE Act”.  Remember DeSantis is effectively running for president and with a future Republican House and Senate, like he has in Florida, plus the SCOTUS that is currently sitting, he will have free reign to bully all US higher education system with similar bills.  He is a bully!

___________________________

BY: Susan Svrluga, Lori Rozsa 

In his efforts to remake higher education in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed laws that alter the tenure system, remove Florida universities from commonly accepted accreditation practices, and mandate annual “viewpoint diversity surveys” from students and faculty.

DeSantis (R) also pushed through legislation he dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act” that regulates what schools, including universities, and workplaces can teach about race and identity. The legislation — which went into effect Friday — already faces a legal challenge. [When the challenges get to the SCOTUS what do you think will happen?]

The lawsuit argues that the act violates constitutional rights and would have a dangerous chilling effect on academic freedom. A judge is expected to rule soon on a request by University of Central Florida associate professor Robert Cassanello to block the law. This week, the judge denied similar requests from other plaintiffs, saying they lacked standing. The state has asked a judge to dismiss the suit.

Cassanello, who teaches classes in civil rights movements, Jim Crow America, and emancipation and Reconstruction argued that the law “restricts his ability to accurately and fully teach these subjects.”

Meanwhile, the board of governors for Florida’s public university system took initial steps Thursday to approve regulations for enforcing the law, with potential penalties including discipline and termination for employees who do not comply. The law also ties some university funding to compliance.

Read more...

___________________

According to the ACLU: 

The First Amendment to the Constitution protects speech no matter how offensive its content. Restrictions on speech by public colleges and universities amount to government censorship, in violation of the Constitution. Such restrictions deprive students of their right to invite speech they wish to hear, debate speech with which they disagree, and protest speech they find bigoted or offensive. An open society depends on liberal education, and the whole enterprise of liberal education is founded on the principle of free speech.

I Love A Success Story - Mathilda Högberg

 

Mathilda Högberg

MATHILDA and Christian are a happy, young couple living in Gothenburg, Sweden. They’ve been together for eight years after meeting online and they instantly felt a special connection with each other after their very first dating app message. Mathilda is a transgender woman and, before meeting Christian, she had found the online dating world a bit of a minefield with men often disappearing or sending her nasty, abusive comments when she told them that she’s trans. However, Christian was supportive and accepting of Mathilda’s news that she was trans and their relationship grew and blossomed.

The couple have experienced some comments online from trolls who say that Christian is ‘gay’; Christian explained how this makes no sense as Mathilda is a woman, saying to her: “It’s not true, I know that you’re a woman in every way possible.” These transphobic comments occur on a daily basis which they both find very draining. Truly met up with the couple at their home in Sweden to hear about the incredible news that they’re engaged and also hear how they’ve dealt with the awful online judgement they’ve had to face in their relationship.  See this amazing video also. 

Political Week In Review 7-10-2022

 

Happy Saturday - Happy Girl

 CoCo Wall Art

America Is in Denial

Too many Americans are blithely dismissing threats that could prove cataclysmic.

By Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney is a Republican senator from Utah.

Even as we watch the reservoirs and lakes of the West go dry, we keep watering our lawns, soaking our golf courses, and growing water-thirsty crops.

As inflation mounts and the national debt balloons, progressive politicians vote for ever more spending.

As the ice caps melt and record temperatures make the evening news, we figure that buying a Prius and recycling the boxes from our daily Amazon deliveries will suffice.

When TV news outlets broadcast video after video of people illegally crossing the nation’s southern border, many of us change the channel.

And when a renowned conservative former federal appellate judge testifies that we are already in a war for our democracy and that January 6, 2021, was a genuine constitutional crisis, MAGA loyalists snicker that he speaks slowly and celebrate that most people weren’t watching.

What accounts for the blithe dismissal of potentially cataclysmic threats? The left thinks the right is at fault for ignoring climate change and the attacks on our political system. The right thinks the left is the problem for ignoring illegal immigration and the national debt. But wishful thinking happens across the political spectrum. More and more, we are a nation in denial.

I have witnessed time and again—in myself and in others—a powerful impulse to believe what we hope to be the case. We don’t need to cut back on watering, because the drought is just part of a cycle that will reverse. With economic growth, the debt will take care of itself. January 6 was a false-flag operation. A classic example of denial comes from Donald Trump: “I won in a landslide.” Perhaps this is a branch of the same delusion that leads people to feed money into slot machines: Because I really want to win, I believe that I will win.

Bolstering our natural inclination toward wishful thinking are the carefully constructed, prejudice-confirming arguments from the usual gang of sophists, grifters, and truth-deniers. Watching angry commentators on cable news, I’m reminded of H. L. Mencken’s observation: “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is clear, simple, and wrong.”