Political Week In Review 12-31-2023

 

The New Republic: Republicans Declare Banning Universal Free School Meals a 2024 Priority

States across the country are moving to provide universal free school meals to all our children. Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to stop them from doing just that.

The Republican Study Committee (of which some three-quarters of House Republicans are members) on Wednesday released its desired 2024 budget, in which the party boldly declares its priority to eliminate the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, from the School Lunch Program. Why? Because “CEP allows certain schools to provide free school lunches regardless of the individual eligibility of each student.”

Little By Little

 Etsy

I Love A Success Story - Nu’est’s Ren

How Nu’est’s Ren is challenging K-pop gender norms: androgynous looks, Lady Gaga covers and playing a wannabe drag queen in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Alecsandra Tubiera 

Published: 12:53pm, 3 Nov, 2020

K-pop star Ren from Nu’est

Through his actions and words alike, K-pop idol Ren has long since been a celebrity known for championing self-love and open-mindedness, and challenging South Korea’s gender norms. Nu’est’s unafraid maknae, or youngest member, born Choi Min-ki, rarely shies away from expressing himself and his thoughts, which only makes him more admirable to fans – and offers an inspiration to the general public in an often-conservative society.

His legendary Boy’s Day performance

Ren once performed as part of a one-off supergroup riffing on the all-female Girl’s Day band – cheekily dubbed Boy’s Day – along with BTOB’s Minhyuk, VIXX’s Hongbin and A-JAX’s Seungjin, for the special 400th episode of Show! Music Core in 2014. To make his transformation complete, Ren wore a long black dress with a wig and glamorous make-up, and was complimented for his commitment to the role.

Florida judge says Ron DeSantis spread false information

On trans healthcare and says there's no 'rational basis' to ban gender-affirming care

BY BRENDAN FARRINGTON

Updated 4:37 AM EST, December 22, 2023

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge hearing a challenge to a transgender health care ban for minors and restrictions for adults noted Thursday that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis repeatedly spread false information about doctors mutilating children’s genitals even though there’s been no such documented cases.

The law was sold as defending children from mutilation when it is actually about preventing trans children from getting health care, Judge Robert Hinkle said to Mohammad Jazil, a lawyer for the state.

“When I’m analyzing the governor’s motivation, what should I make of these statements?” Hinkle asked. “This seems to be more than just hyperbole.”

Hinkle said he will rule sometime in the new year on whether the Legislature, the Department of Health and presidential candidate DeSantis deliberately targeted transgender people through the new law. He raised some skepticism about the state’s motivation as lawyers gave their closing arguments.

The trial is challenging Florida’s ban on medical treatment for transgender children, such as hormone therapy or puberty blockers, a law DeSantis touted while seeking the presidency. The law also places restrictions on adult trans care.

Jazil said the motivation behind the law was simply public safety in an area that needs more oversight and can have permanent consequences.

“It’s about treating a medical condition; it’s not about targeting transgender individuals,” Jazil said.

Jazil added that if the state was targeting transgender people, it could have banned all treatment for adults and children. Hinkle quickly replied that Jazil would have trouble defending such a law.

Hinkle, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, has temporarily blocked enforcement of the law as it pertains to minors, pending the outcome of the trial. The lawsuit also challenges restrictions placed on adult trans care, which have been allowed to take effect during the trial.

At least 22 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and many of those states face lawsuits. Courts have issued mixed rulings, with the nation’s first law, in Arkansas, struck down by a federal judge who said the ban on care violated the due process rights of transgender youth and their families.

Enforcement is blocked in two states besides Florida, and enforcement is currently allowed in or set to go into effect soon in seven other states.

Thomas Redburn, a lawyer representing trans adults and the families of trans children, said DeSantis and the Legislature have shown a pattern of targeting transgender people. He listed other recent laws that affect the community, including restrictions on pronoun use in schools, the teaching of gender identification in schools, restrictions on public bathrooms and the prohibition of trans girls from playing girls sports.

Are You Still Wearing White?

It’s [way] after Labor Day…and I do hope you haven’t put away your whites

During my travels I was amazed at the regional differences in fashion. The Pacific North-West was not colorful; described as eco-conscious fashion. And, New England seems to adhere to the old fashion rules of the past. South Florida is the literal opposite of both of these regions with its Lilly splashes of vivid colors and white sun dresses, year round.

So what is up with the "No white after Labor Day" rule? According to the blog  Dressed To A T:   

One of my favorite
"Winter White" looks

Originally, it seemed to start in the late 1800′s when the snobby upper crust needed another way to set themselves apart from the normal hardworking lower and middle classes.  The women who were currently the popular crowd made up a bunch of fashion rules that anyone who was anyone needed to follow. 

Of course there are some that buck the system.  Most famously was Coco Chanel who insisted on wearing white year round!  Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand.  She is credited with liberating women from the corset and popularizing sporty chic clothing after World War I. And she particularly disliked this no white after Labor Day “rule”.

The blog goes on to illustrate  some of my favorite looks for breaking the old rules!

Enjoy and find you favorite winter white "Escape" look. 

Never Regret

 

From the site "Pink Femme" - Ggod advice.

These days I am somewhat older than I once was. With age comes the awareness about things in my past that I regret and things that I don’t. If I have to label the bucket that holds nearly all my regrets, the label will say: “Opportunities Not Taken”.

Here at Pink Femme, we talk about getting to know the whole of who you are as a person, including the femme part of you, rather than suppressing a part of your personality. That is an opportunity to become a more whole person.

Ezoic

Never will I ever regret the times in my life when I took the opportunity to learn more about my inner self and become a more whole person. Hugs

This post was created by the talented Candie Hart and originally appeared on her Tumblr blog. It is reproduced here with her kind permission. Be sure to check out more about Candie at the end of the post and give her some Pink Femme love.

Ezoic

Can a person regret being intimately involved with their whole being?  Absolutely not!  And neither shall I or any girly boy, for that matter, ever regret being feminine.  Is it challenging?  Yes.  Is it abnormal?  According to society, it is.  Is it perverted?  Depends on who you talk to.  Is it regrettable?  The answer is definitely, “NO!”

To be rather candid about it, I find it incredibly ludicrous that anyone would think that a boy would ever regret acting like, talking like, dressing like, and being like a girl.  It’s not unnatural and it’s not immoral. It might go against a norm set by a standard of gender bias within our culture, but it’s certainly not a lifestyle worthy of anything less than honor.

It’s good to be girly and it’s great to remain girly!

No regrets!

Merry Christmas 2023

Holiday Tree at the
Colony Hotel '23

Many of you will remember this alternative version of the "Night Before Christmas" from previous Christmas eves. This has become my tradition to you for Christmas.  I hope you enjoy.

Wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. May you find good health, peace and happiness in 2024.

 And above all else, Escape; live "your" life!

.

Cross Dressing Night Before Christmas

Posted to alt.fashion.crossdressing by Shae Guerin 2002-12-23.

'Twas the night before Christmas,

and all thru the house...

I was making my plans to look more like my spouse

I carefully laid out my very best clothes

My bra and my panties, my slip and my hose

My stockings weren't hung by the chimney tonite

They were on me instead, feeling sensually tight

My dress was of velvet, a burgundy red

And on my long nails a new polish was spread

With makeup and jewelry, high heels on my feet

I was looking so sexy, and feeling so sweet

When out in the yard there arose such a noise

That I sprang from my bedroom, forgetting my poise

The moon on the snow with it's brilliant white glitter

Reminds me of lace, to set my heart a-twitter

When what to my long-lashed eyes should appear

But a person in red with a sleigh and reindeer

But I couldn't tell, was it a 'he' or a 'she'

The one with the pack was dressed somewhat like me

There in the sleigh was this 'cutsey' old flirt

With a white wig and makeup, a red blouse and skirt

The reindeer were sparkling, with rhinestones and pearls

And their antlers in ribbons, so they all looked like girls

When s/he stepped from the sleigh, to my eyes were revealed

Her knee-hi black boots with their seven-inch heels

Santa just blushed, but I stood there and smiled

And said, "Hello, my dear, can you stay for awhile?"

"Well you finally caught me", he said with a pout

"At this time on Christmas, folks are seldom about."

"I don't go enfemme very often at home,

Mrs Clause doesn't like it, so I do it alone.

"So when I give out goodies to make others smile

"I like to feel pretty and femme for awhile."

"So I ride off dressed up, from my hi-heels to wig,

"On Christmas eve night while I'm doing my gig."

I said, "Don't worry Santa, your secret is safe

Why don't you come in and just freshen your face."

We sat and we talked and vented our passion

For feminine frills and the latest new fashions

We finally parted with a hug and a kiss

She said, "I must go now, or some children I'll miss"

I went to my party and had a great time

With music and laughter and good food and wine

But when I returned and looked under my tree

I found some new pretties from sweet Santa to me

Lacy panties, a bra and a soft satin blouse

Perfumes and some candles to light up my house

But it wasn't the goodies that swept away my blues

It was knowing that Santa was a cross dresser too

So next time don't judge all the people you meet

By what they are wearing when out on the street

For in being ones self, there's no 'wrong or right' 

Political Week In Review 12-24-2023

 

Last Minute Holiday Shopping...

 Enjoy Your Saturday

Make sure an "Escape" is on your gift list to yourself. 

Skirts for Everyday

Ready to Try Out a Skirt? 5 Street Style Stars Share Their Favorite Spots

BY CHRISTIAN ALLAIRE   July 8, 2021

When Billy Porter wore a Christian Siriano gown to the Oscars in 2019, it more than an epic fashion moment: It was a bold display of queer pride. The headline-making moment certainly got people talking. “You don’t have to understand or even agree with other people’s authenticity or truths, but we must all respect each other,” Porter told Vogue in 2019. “People are going to be really uncomfortable with my Black ass in a ball gown—but it’s not anybody’s business but mine.”

Two years later, and it’s clear that Porter was onto something. This year, we’ve seen all sorts of men’s skirts from Thom Browne (who has long perfected the kilt skirt for him and her), to Louis Vuitton, Chopova Lowena, and more. Men’s skirts are certainly not a new idea. Designers like Jean Paul Gaultier were showing men’s skirts back in the ’90s, and many traditional men’s skirts have existed for centuries, such as the Scottish tartan kilt and the floor-length Indian mundu. However, the sheer abundance and availability of men’s skirts in fashion now is definitely noteworthy. Frankly, it’s about time.

Who exactly is the clientele? Sure, risk-taking celebrities such as Porter, Kanye West, Jared Leto, Marc Jacobs, and Harry Styles have all proudly stepped out in skirts. But I’ve noticed more fashion-forward men and nonbinary people ready to embrace skirts too. Even I, a man who’s never worn a skirt, have found myself drawn to the idea of layering one atop my trousers this fall, like how Chopova Lowena has often styled it. 

Quin Lewis, who is a Washington-based foreign-affairs official by day, is a regular skirt wearer and street style fixture at the menswear shows. “I feel really badass when I’m wearing a skirt,” says Lewis. “There is the sense that I’m doing something that’s going against the grain and skirting the rules on what would traditionally be thought of as acceptable attire for men.”  Fish Fiorucci, a nonbinary model, adds that they’ve always worn skirts and views them as a piece that shouldn’t be gendered. “I’ve never understood why skirts were labeled for women: Skirts are genderless to me, and also ageless,” says Fiorucci. “They allow me to live in different eras depending on the length, type of fabric, and fit.”

It can be daunting to shop for a skirt for the first time. So for those who are intrigued, Vogue asked five skirt lovers who don’t identify as women where they most feel safe and comfortable shopping for them. Whether it’s luxury designer boutiques or smaller thrift shops, these street style stars shared their favorite spots to shop for skirts—where the fashion isn’t necessarily gendered and the experience is guaranteed to be both welcoming and free. So what are you waiting for?

Victor Vegas:

I wear a skirt because I want to. It’s a big fuck you to all the people who think it’s a big deal for a guy to wear one. It feels right for me because I make it what I want it to be. I see it like any other article of clothing. It has no gender or sexuality, it’s a piece of fabric brought together to create a unique silhouette. I shop for my skirts at 10ft Single by Stella Dallas in Brooklyn. That place is pretty relaxed. Also, the L Train Vintage off Morgan Avenue [in Brooklyn] has some good skirts. I don’t often shop for skirts online since I need to see and feel how the skirt falls in order to decide whether or not I like it. But on the rare occasion I do, it’s always secondhand sites like eBay or Depop. I also really love the Vaquera skirts. I feel like they embody the kind of skirt I love to wear: unapologetically brash, with a pretty attitude. 

Happy First Day of Winter '23

 

Winter Solstice: Thu, Dec 21, 2023, 10:27 PM

This fashion layout goes back to last January, "Shopping Your Closet for A Cool Evening Escape". Keep in mind that there are so many winter fashion choices that look so chic.  Winter cover-ups are so exciting and hide a world of body imperfections.   

At Work 

Happy first-day-of-winter and take advantage of the  hustle and busel of holiday shoppers to "Escape".  Everyone is so busy with their mission shopping. it is easy to blend.  

My Lingerie retail store has been busy this season and I love seeing men in "Shopping for their wives/girlfriends; "Tis The Season..."

Has The Florida GOP / DeSantis Regeime Gone Completely Mad?

"Don't Say Period"

After Erasing the LGBTQ Community, Republicans in Florida Are After Basic Female Health Education

Note: "Regime" is a form or government at odds with the general population. 

When did the don't say period law passed in Florida?

‘Don’t Say Period’ Bill
Latest Example of States’ Efforts
 to Limit Sex Education

The bill, Florida House Bill 1069, took effect July 1 and limits K-12 instruction on sex-ed issues – from sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) and reproductive health to gender identity. The bill also bans schools from enforcing policies that would require teachers to use students' preferred pronouns. Aug 4, 2023

Things are getting exponentially worse in Florida with GOP lawmakers pushing for an law it will prevent children and teens from learning about the menstrual cycle before sixth grade.

This goes against the advice of medical professionals who believe children should learn about puberty and the changes it brings before they reach it.

Many girls get periods before sixth grade'

Another issue is that many girls get their periods when they are 8 or 9, way before starting sixth grade.

And though the bill does not say it will ban talking about periods, Republican state Rep. Stan McClain said his bill would include restrictions on girls talking about their menstrual cycles.

Nine decades ago, a 13-year-old girl’s death...

Democratic Rep. tried to reason with McClain

Democratic state Rep. Ashley Gantt reminded McClain that girls get periods before sixth grade. She asked whether the bill would ban those girls from talking about them.

Gantt asked, “So if little girls experience their menstrual cycle in fifth or fourth grade, would that prohibit conversations from them since they are in a grade lower than sixth grade?"

McClain responded, “It would.”

DeSantis fights “woke” ideology

Banning period talk is another intriguing bill that goes against “woke” ideologies DeSantis despises.

Other laws included gender talk, the so-called “don’t say gay” bill, and erasing diversity from books. Additionally, many books have been banned, which begs the question: how will children learn about real life outside classrooms?

See Opinion: Florida Republicans’ stunning bout of misogyny and ignorance - by Jill Filipovic

Most girls and women menstruate, or will menstruate once they mature; this is not a sexualized fact and should not be a source of shame. It is a fact of life. That Republicans in Florida choose to shroud this reality and to force young people into silence says very little about any inherent shame in menstruation or living in a female body. It says everything about the legislators’ fears and anxieties about girls and women knowing themselves, their sexuality and having knowledge itself. And it’s that sad and narrow view – not menstruation – that should be treated as shameful.

Jill Filipovi

Florida bill banning Pride flag...

Would make showing support for LGBTQ people a 'political viewpoint'

Palm Beach County schools
recognize LGBTQ+ History Month

My Note:  Freedoms are being eroded  in "The Free State of Florida, as  Ron DeSantis (Governor of Florida) like to describes  his home state.  Keep in mind, DeSantis' 2024 pitch is "Make America Florida".  Here is another example of what a DeSantis presidential reign would look like.   

______________

A Florida Republican lawmaker’s bill declares showing support for LGBTQ people is a “political viewpoint,” despite the existence of LGBTQ Democrats, Republicans, independents, and entirely unaffiliated and non-political LGBTQ people.

The goal of GOP State Rep. David Borrero’s legislation is to ban all versions of the LGBTQ pride flag from any and all local government buildings, including schools and universities.

“A governmental entity may not erect or display a flag that represent [sic] a political viewpoint, including, but not limited to, a politically partisan, racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoint. The governmental entity must remain neutral when representing political viewpoints in displaying or erecting a flag,” HB 901 reads.

The bill makes no mention of religious flags.

This is the second time Rep. Borrero has tried to get LGBTQ pride flags banned from government buildings.

“Borrero’s bill is similar to legislation he and Tampa Republican Sen. Jay Collins filed in February (SB 668),” Florida Politics reports. “Collins later filed an amendment with a list of allowable flags, including the Confederate flag, but quickly withdrew it and his original bill from consideration.”

It is possible this legislation could gain more traction now.

Read more at: Lawmaker refiles bill to ban pride flag from government buildings

Equality Florida, the state’s largest LGBTQ nonprofit advocacy organization, responded by warning:

If conservative lawmakers won’t stop trying to erase us, we won’t stop showing up to oppose them.”

Feminine Differential - DRESSING FOR ANDROGYNY

 A GUIDE FOR AMAB PEOPLE

     01/09/2018

My Note: Maybe I should have known these all along but today I learned two new acronyms: AMAB and AFAB:

Assigned female at birth/Assigned male at birth (noun) – Refers to the sex that is assigned to an infant, most often based on the infant's anatomical and other biological characteristics. Commonly abbreviated as AFAB (assigned female at birth) or AMAB (assigned male at birth).

Pinterest has so many suggestions on  how you make androgyny work and how I found this article. Keep in mind that dressing androgynous is an easy way to transition to an all feminine look.  

This post from the "Live Love LGBTQ+" blog deals with how we can dress androgynous and still reflect a feminine differential.

See also my post on "How to Wear the Androgynous Look in a Feminine Way".

 _________________________

The Skirt

Hey guys, gals and non binary pals and welcome to another blog post. Today we’re going to be talking about androgyny.

The Merriam – Webster dictionary defines androgyny as the quality or state of being neither specifically feminine or masculine, the combination of feminine and masculine characteristics, the quality or state of being androgynous

This basically means dressing in a way that doesn’t fit either gender role.

Typically, androgyny is associated with AFAB non-binary people and butch lesbians. It’s very rarely associated with AMAB people or with masculine identifying people. But androgyny is something that’s open to literally anyone. Even cishets.

Androgyny is just a way of expressing yourself and your gender. You get to define what is masculine and what’s feminine, so androgyny has no real definition of the right way of doing it. However, today I’m going to give you a rundown of how to dress androgynous based on typical gender stereotypes, as far as clothes come in.

In order to avoid confusion, I’m going to split this post into AMAB and AFAB. If you are neither of those, just chose the one that more closely resembles your body shape.

The Dress

Today’s post will be the AMAB one and a post either next week or the week after will be the AFAB one.

So, for AMAB people, the most important thing is not to have too many sharp lines in your clothing. AFAB people generally have wider hips than AMAB people, so you want to hide the fact that you don’t.

Skirts are always a good way to do this, especially loose ones that flow a bit at the bottom. They can create lines that aren’t there, creating a shape that’s more androgynous

The post continues with a discussion on DRESSES, JEWELRY, and MAKEUP.

The whole point of androgyny is freedom and expressing yourself so that you feel comfortable. If you don’t want to do any of the things on this list because they don’t make you comfortable, then don’t. You get to decide how you express yourself and what androgyny means to you.

Where am I going to be free to be who I am?'

Tennessee musicians grapple with the potential impact of new anti-drag law

My Note: Weeks ago I listened to an NPR radio interview; "We Must Stand With Our Sisters - This Is Why". Terry Gross did the radio interview with Tennessee drag star, Bella DuBalle, and the information she provided it so important. I encourage you to listen if you have not.  

Below is an excerpt for another NPR piece, 'Where am I going to be free to be who I am?' it touches on the ambiguity in the Tennessee law and it's effect on the Nashville Music scene. Make no mistake, as transgender persons we can be swept up in these laws.  

_____________________

By: Jewly Hight 

Audio Link 

...

Those lawmakers have been pushing through a sweeping collection of bills that crack down not only drag shows, but may imperil the performing careers of singers and instrumentalists who don't do drag at all, but happen to be nonbinary, transgender or gender-nonconforming, while also eroding the rights of trans youth, adults and their families in crucial education and health care matters.

Tennessee is hardly the only state where Republicans are erecting such obstructions around the lives of LGBTQIA+ residents. That's nearly become a national obsession among conservatives this legislative session. Similar drag bills are in the works in Kentucky and elsewhere; Arkansas, Florida, Utah, South Dakota, Alabama and Mississippi have also already put a stop to gender-affirming care for youth; North Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, Georgia, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia and Texas are debating their own legislation, often targeting not only transgender health care, but athletics too.

Still, Tennessee's actions are notable for how aggressive they are — according to the Human Rights Campaign, they outnumber those of many other states — and for how they'll impact Nashville's lucrative and widely watched music industry. Given how many of country's leading women have served as judges on RuPaul's Drag Race — roughly half a dozen and counting — it's not surprising that there are murmurs of concern about the fate of drag in certain corners of the country mainstream. But the implications for musicians of many stripes means the worry's spread all around. It could disrupt numerous other scenes: those populated with young, queer voices; or those inclined toward activism; or those that pride themselves on their independence. Pop stars could be deterred from bringing their tours to Music City, or going there to make use of its infrastructure, work with its seasoned pros or brush up against its history. It's hard to imagine an entertainment town thriving when LGBTQIA+ expression, a prime mover in popular culture always and everywhere, gets constricted. Nonbinary roots singer-songwriter Adeem the Artist forecasts a drain of talent and influence: "The strength of Nashville is going to only diminish from here out," they say, "especially as the world develops beyond it."

Read More

Political Week In Review 12-17-2023

 

A Perfect Day

 

Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful

 30 Decent Yet Chic Winter Outfits 

This is a very nice list with photos of fashion models wearing over 30 winter outfits.  When I was in my completely cover-up fashion period i loved this look.  I would travel to colder cities and would blend in with completely.  Here in the semi-tropics I dress quite a bit differently.  However one can never have too many fashion inspirations.  

I love the blog tagline -"Be Your Own Kind Of Beautiful". Featured are four outfits below. Browse the others.  Enjoy - Which one was your favorite?  

I Love A success Story - Singer Jade Mya...

Hopes to inspire transgender youth

Canadian country singer Jade Mya has decided to speak out about being transgender.

By Nick Patch
Entertainment Reporter

Thu., Sept. 1, 2016

Jade Mya

When Jade Mya was 11 or 12, she remembers a morning when her stepfather stopped her before school because he thought her outfit — a baggy white sweater dress slung over black tights — was too provocative.

The issue wasn’t that the modest ensemble was revealing but instead that Mya had grown up identifying as a boy.

“He got really upset,” Mya recalls. “I still remember that day, him sitting me down, being like: ‘You can’t dress like that. You can’t go to school like that.’ He was freaking out.

“I remember talking back and saying, ‘I’ll go to school like this if I want to. This is comfortable. I like this. I’m different.’”

Perhaps that conversation looms large for Mya because it set so many things in motion; first, the concerned parents who “you could always hear talking at night,” then 18 months of weekly therapy, followed by consultation after consultation with doctors. Finally, she began to transition at 15 years old. Doctors told her she was the youngest person in Canada ever to do so.

Or perhaps she remembers that conversation so clearly now, at age 25, because it was an early instance of Mya retaining the resolve to be herself.

Read More...

I’m a strong person. I’m like a brick wall. You can’t push me down.”

Several of the songs from her debut are borrowed from the country soap Nashville, a show that doubles as an “addiction” for Mya, who says she’s watched all four seasons seven times each. Particularly, she was moved by a storyline revolving around a rising country star who came out as gay before being dropped by his label.

“I sort of relate to him,” Mya says. “He just came out and was afraid of losing his fan base, which is still a fear in the back of my mind: people not being OK with it.

Youtube - Telescope 
Jade Mya

“But honestly, I’m still OK with it. I love being the person I am. I’m proud to be this person. I want people to see it’s OK to be the person you are.”