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Friday, March 31, 2023

Transgender Day of Visibility

 ESCAPE Today - Be Visible!


From The Evident Change Blog and News site

Gender Equality Month

Commemorated every March, Gender Equality Month brings awareness to gender biases and challenges. Historically, gender inequality has been framed as a binary, but gender inequalities have effects across the gender spectrum. Gender Equality Month is an opportunity to notice and strategize on continued disruption of gender bias, discrimination, and inequity within personal views, laws, policies, institutions, and communities. Today, gender inequalities exist within career and compensation opportunities, particularly in technology, science, and financial industries; in marriage laws; and in healthcare. They also contribute to gender-based violence.   

International Transgender Day of Visibility

As we recognize Gender Equality Month, we also uplift International Transgender Day of Visibility (TDoV) on March 31. TDoV celebrates the contributions of the trans community and promotes the rights of individuals to live as their authentic selves every day in any space. While we have made progress, there is still a battle for transgender people to feel safe, included, free of discrimination, and free of violence. Violence against transgender individuals has risen, especially against transgender Black women.

________________________


My local LGBTQ center held a businesss meetup last week. I was invited to attend and was pleased to be a part of this Palm Beach pre-Pride event. Today being Transgender Day of Visibility there are events planned there; I will keep you posted. Here is a brief description of the Compass Center.


Compass is one of the largest gay and lesbian community center in Florida and the Southeast United States and one of the largest and most respected of its kind in the nation. More than 25,000 people utilize its 14,000 square foot facility, and more than 17,000 referrals are fielded by more than 12,000 volunteer hours graciously contributed by hundreds of community-centered individuals each year.

The Compass Center is where I started Palm Beach County's first transgender support group in 1996. I am so proud that this support group continues under the leadership of Michael Riordan, Compass' Director of Communications.  I am sure many over the years have been helped.  





The Florida Fascist-Republican Party and Guns

Florida GOP pushes [relaxed] gun bill nearly 5 years after Parkland



GARY FINEOUT  01/31/2023 07:07 AM EST



Update  3/30/2023 - Florida lawmakers hand DeSantis political win on guns

Republicans, in a move telegraphed for a while now, are marching ahead with plans to end the permitting requirements for concealed weapons in the state — or the removing of a “government permission slip,” as Florida House Speaker Paul Renner put it.

A Florida Man - I See the Future 

Timing — The Monday announcement by Renner that he was pressing ahead this year with the legislation came about two weeks shy of the fifth anniversary of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland that left 17 people dead.

On board— The NRA is backing the measure that would now make Florida the 26th state that lets people carry concealed weapons without a permit, which also eliminates the requirement that people go through training before they obtain the permit.

Also according to Newsweek :

The bill was introduced just hours before four people opened fire and injured 10 in a drive-by shooting in Lakeland, Florida, according to the Lakeland Police Department. Police Chief Sammy Taylor told reporters in a press briefing Monday night that all of the victims were males age 20 to 35, two of whom receiving treatment in the hospital for critical injuries.

Read More from Politico...

Getting rid of permits for concealed weapons or “constitutional carry,” as the proponents call it, has the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis — and it will be another item he can add to the checklist he can tout when his much-anticipated presidential campaign launches later this year. 

The upcoming legislative session is poised to be a significant one for the Florida [Fascist=] Republican supermajority; vouchers, guns, abortion. [book banning, transgender suppression], will all be on the docket.

Thursday, March 30, 2023

Musical Interlude - Rainbowland


Miley Cyrus and Polly Parton

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in paradise, where we’re free to be exactly who we are,  Living in a Rainbowland, where you and I go hand in hand. Oh, I’d be lying if I said this was fine, all the hurt and the hate going on here.”


Unbelievable - Wisconsin school district bans Miley Cyrus-Dolly Parton duet with ‘rainbow’ in title


Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Smoke Screen

Definition - something designed to obscure, confuse, or mislead (Merriam-Webster).


Fact: As of late March, the Gun Violence Archive has counted 130 mass shootings in the United States this year. Last year, the group counted 647 mass shootings. Of those, 21 involved five or more fatalities.  All involved one type of gun or another. 


Source Measures in reducing Gun Violence

Transgender persons involved in mass shooting - One


________________________


Do not accept the narrative, "smoke screen", put out by the gun lobby and FOX news.  *Guns are the real issue.  




*According to "HEALTH POLICY BRIEF: A common thread in mass shootings is the use of assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines, which allow a shooter to keep firing for longer periods of time and at a higher frequency, increasing casualties and reducing victims’ ability to escape or intervene. 


Tuesday, March 28, 2023

The Joy Of Dressing For Yourself

Getting dressed for something as simple as grocery shopping gives me pleasure. The art of arranging clothing and accessories in a way that pleases us is communicating without words.

By Susan Street

Susan Street
My Note: Susan is a cis woman of incredible taste and beauty. She is a friend and I hincredibleave a link to her fashion / lifestyle blog in my favorites list. Susan has hit the point for us in our presentation justification; "The joy of being yourself".  

Susan continues: 

This look is fun, modern, and appropriate for my age. I found inspiration for wearing these pieces in this combo on Pinterest. I often save images from Instagram or Pinterest when I like how things are worn, and I know I have something similar. Sometimes you can breathe new life into a garment you’ve had for years simply by wearing it differently. Inspiration is free!

When I was a child, everything was decided for me. My mother purchased or made my clothes without my input and told me what to wear until I was a teen. I remember watching old movies and the women around me that I admired. My primary life goals included wearing red lipstick and high heels!

Dressing for yourself means wearing what pleases you and makes you feel like the best version of yourself. I don’t care one whit if I am the most dressed up woman in the restaurant. I consider it a badge of honor to wear what makes me happy and get dressed to please myself daily. 


WOW! Thank you Susan!
Follow her blog "Susan After 60"










. .   

Monday, March 27, 2023

There Is Something We Can Do!

Jonathan Van Ness tells LGBTQ+ people to shout their existence in powerful speech

Jonathan Van Ness

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness made a powerful speech outside the Texas State Capitol on Monday as part of a rally against the state’s anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Introduced as an “HIV positive and undetectable non-binary truth teller,” Van Ness opened by saying they felt “blessed” to have spent the past three years in Texas because they have met people who have shown them “so much beauty.”

But, they said, “We have child poverty at an all-time high. We have access to health care at an all-time low. People are fighting like they have never fought before for basic human rights, and we are out here debating trans issues that these legislators have no idea about.”

Van Ness said the situation reminds them of Wendy Davis, a former Texas lawmaker known for her 11-hour filibuster to stall an anti-abortion bill.

“We will have to do that,” Van Ness declared. “We will have to be back on these steps in, those chambers, fighting for our rights. This is the first of many times. This session ends at the end of May. We will be looking forward to seeing all of you again.”

Jonathan Van Ness speaks for transgender
rights in Texas during rally at State Capitol


“I was taught growing up that you never talk about religion or politics,” Van Ness continued. “As I have grown older, I have realized that that is a relic of the patriarchy to keep those in power in power. Because they know that when we start to talk about what is really going on, their smoke and mirrors game is gone.”

They encouraged listeners to talk about their “existence” and “humanity” everywhere they go.

“Do not let anyone silence the things that move your life.“Whether that is politics, religion, your faith, your spirit. Because let me tell you something: These people on the right, they are not silencing their faith to legislate your lives.”

Amidst thunderous cheers, Van Ness concluded, “I love you Texas. We’re in this together. Let’s do the damn thing.”


Saturday, March 25, 2023

Friday, March 24, 2023

A Sad Story - Kayleigh Scott

If you know a trans person (and we all do) be sure today to tell them you love then, respect them and support them.  Never miss an opportunity - We never know when a  kind / supportive word is needed!

 


UNITED AIRLINES TRANS FLIGHT ATTENDANT DEAD AT 25 IN APPARENT SUICIDE


Kayleigh Scott - 25 years old 
Kayleigh Scott, a transgender flight attendant famous for appearing in a United Airlines commercial, is dead ... and it appears to be a suicide.

The 25-year-old was found dead Monday in her Denver, CO apartment ... the same day she posted on social media about planning to end her life.

In the Instagram post, Kayleigh wrote ... "As I take my final breaths and exit this living earth, I would like to apologize to everyone I let down. I am so sorry I could not be better. To those that I love, I am sorry I could not be stronger. To those that gave me their everything, I am sorry my effort was not reciprocated."

The post was flooded with comments from concerned fans, with many saying they were calling police in Denver to conduct a welfare check.

Kayleigh's post also continued ... 

Please understand that me leaving is not a reflection of you, but the result of my own inability to turn myself for the better. To Ashley, Cynthia, Regine & Sophia. I am so sorry. Please remember me for the good memories we have shared, and never for my downfall. I will see you all again on the other side."

Her sister, Ashley, commented on the IG post confirming Kayleigh's death.

Kayleigh famously shared her transition story in a 2020 United Airlines commercial for Trans Day of Visibility ... thanking the airline for helping her transition.

Police in Denver are investigating ... and the city's medical examiner will determine an official cause of death.

Kayleigh was 25.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988 - lifeline.org.



On TransgenderDayofVisibility 2020, United flight attendant
 Kayleigh shares her story.


Thursday, March 23, 2023

Ex-girlfriend Jeans

Seriously, Guys? The Rate of Men Buying Women's Skinny Jeans Is Rising


By Leah Melby Clinton January 20, 2015

There's been a spike in the number of men buying women's skinny jeans for themselves—that's the news driven to our department after fast-fashion chains failed to stock up on super-slim-line cuts quick enough (the number's up by a third, according to the Daily Mail). The increased sales are happening online, not surprisingly since shopping from your computer allows you to avoid face-to-face judgment with a sales associate. "Last season quite a few hipster jeans brands that we stock brought out super-skinny 'spray-on' jeans, and the demand for them was incredible. They sold out in a couple of weeks," Oliver Tezcan of The Idle Man explained. "The high street wasn't as quick to pick up on this trend, which is much tighter at the ankle, calf, and thighs, so a lot of male high-street shoppers are now having to buy the women's version instead." Now, I'm all for fashion as individual expression, but I have two questions I need to raise. 

Why are people calling them "ex-girlfriend" jeans? Ladies started the precedent with boyfriends, so is the ex necessary? 


Wednesday, March 22, 2023

That 'Blogger's Law in Florida

Republicans couldn't find a better sponsor for this swill?


Political bloggers who don't register would accrue Florida fines...
*Frank Cerabino Palm Beach Post


Palm Beach Post March 9, 2023


If you’re a political blogger in Florida, look out. You may be next.

It’s hard to keep up with the forays into authoritarian dystopia going on here in the “free state of Florida.” But I’ve found that a good rule of thumb is to allow that anything is possible.

So, I wasn’t completely surprised by a new proposed state law that would require bloggers to register with the state if they write anything about Gov. Ron DeSantis, his cabinet or his Republican-controlled state legislature.

Sure, it’s cartoonishly anti-American but DeSantis has already made it known he wants to find new ways to muzzle any disobedient voices in the media.

“We’ve seen over the last generation legacy media outlets increasingly divorce themselves from the truth and instead try to elevate preferred narratives and partisan activism over reporting the facts,” DeSantis said last month as a way to chum the waters.

So, why not start at the fringes by going after the ones least able to defend themselves, the bloggers? Put on your pants and come out of your bedroom. They’re comin’ for you, fellas.

Not surprising. That’s what bullies do. But it is shocking to see just how ham-handed this effort is.

Maybe that's why after a week of blistering bad press over the bill, DeSantis backed away from it on Tuesday, saying that he doesn't support it.

More:The 'constitutional carry' lie and why gun advocates don't love the latest Florida bill

More:Cerabino: Woke or joke? Trying to feel the pain of straight, white men

More:Palm Beachers want DeSantis to intervene on stopping bike lanes on A1A

The attack on bloggers is buried in an otherwise innocuous bill that makes some cosmetic changes to the timing and frequency of the printed public notices that are required for government agencies to make about sales of land.

That goes on for nearly the first five pages of the nine-page, Senate Bill 1316 bill. Then, surprise, surprise! The rest of the bill is devoted to creating an unrelated mechanism for the state registration of bloggers. 

Political bloggers who don't register would accrue Florida fines...


At the risk of setting myself up for future registration requirements with Florida's goon squad, I’m asking very reverentially if there’s some secret contest you’re all having to see who can demonstrate the least respect for the intelligence of Floridians.


^Frank Cerabino is a columnist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at fcerabino@gannett.com.


Tuesday, March 21, 2023

I Love A Success Story - He's Really A Girl

What happens when your son tells you he's really a girl

Inside the families embracing the new world of gender variance


Olie Pullen, surrounded by her favourite dolls 

By Cathy Gulli 
January 13, 2014


Since the summer of 2012, Olie Pullen has kept in her bedroom closet a Wonder Woman costume, which she loves, but has struggled to actually wear. The plan had been to don it on Halloween two years ago, but when that day came, Olie, now 11, chose to be a vampire instead. Dressing up in the red and blue costume would have exposed her at school and around her Montreal neighbourhood in a way that didn’t feel right yet: Olie was, after all, born a boy. Oliver.

When he was a toddler, at his own insistence and to the surprise of his parents, Oliver began playing with princess dresses and dolls. He wore skirts, first at home and then out, along with glittery shirts and skinny jeans, and eventually grew his blond hair long. Recently, Oliver started wearing a padded bra and taking hormone blockers to suppress male puberty. He had his name legally changed to Olie, and only responds to female pronouns. Oliver the boy is now Olie the girl. And for the first time ever, she’s comfortable. “The best part is that I feel I’m in the right body,” says Olie. “I feel like, well, I feel good.”



Olie and her parents are part of a small but growing number of families, researchers, educators and health care professionals embracing the concept of “gender variance,” which is also called gender creativity, independence, non-conformity or fluidity. In doing so, they are helping children gradually transition from their gender at birth based on anatomy to something else—male to female, female to male, or to a more ambiguous identity. This response marks a striking shift away from “reparative” treatments used in the past, which saw gender variance as a psychiatric problem that should be caught early and fixed permanently. It also stands in contrast to the view that children are too immature to really know who they are today, or who they’ll want to be in the future.

Unbeknownst to most people, over the last few years many organizations have transformed the rules, policies and practices pertaining to gender variance—in effect, mandating and legislating acceptance and accommodation. The Public Health Agency of Canada published comprehensive recommendations in 2010 for schools to support gender-variant students. Among them: “Ask them what name they would prefer to be called, who they would like help disclosing to” and “organize guest speakers who are gender variant.” The agency also encouraged “training sessions on gender identity issues for all staff” and “single-occupancy bathrooms and designated gender-neutral facilities including the creation of private showers in locker rooms with curtains or doors.” Many schools have obliged.


This is beautifully written and heart warming story about how a loving family has accepted their daughter.   Read more:  


Olie has a message for other kids: 

Follow who you want to be. Not in the sense of a job, like a millionaire or a firefighter. In the sense of if you want to be a girl, or known as queer or a lesbian, follow your heart. Don’t deny your identity.” She already has a future career in mind: “I want to be an astrophysicist,” she says. Her mother says Olie learned the planets in the solar system before the alphabet. “I like stars and the universe—because you can’t really expect what’s out there.”

_________________

What a contrast to what is happening in Florida 


Monday, March 20, 2023

More Men Are Diving Into the Secretarial Pool


The "Perfect Secretary" at work - 2005


I Did Secretarial Jobs

And, loved ever moment.  

Personal Note: Below is an article from The NYTimes November 5, 1975; a bit dated, but interesting. After retiring from my software company in 2000 I looked for something to do that would challenge my feminine character.  As I stated in my resume, "Who could be a better administrative assistant that a retired executive; we know the ropes".  After many interviews, I was hired. First as a volunteer/intern and then full time. The official titles during my seven years were (three jobs), "Administrative Assistant" and "Executive Assistant". One of the jobs was in Palm Beach.  

There was much public interaction because two of the jobs entailed setting up fundraising events, symposiums and seminars. I even did one-on-one fundraising visits with established donors. Several I still know and talk to occasionally. 

I will never forget the evening I was attending the holiday office party, when my boss's wife introduced me as "Larry's Secretary".  I smiled.

I believe that I was the perfect "Secretary".  I certainly enjoy every moment.  


______________________



November 5, 1975

While women airline pilots and miners have dominated the headline as invaders of male bastions of power, a small number of men have been staging a career revolution of their own.

Thousands of men are entering the world of office work, a field vacated by many followers of the women's rights movement. These men are discovering that in today's depressed economy the secretarial route may he the surest step up the corporate ladder. Others are finding that the stenographic pool offers more fulfillment than the assembly line or construction crew.

The New York Times Archives
“Many male college graduates are using secretarial work to get their foot in the door.” said Edith Foster, vice president of the Katharine Gibbs School, which enrolled several men this year.

Typist Has Advantages

“Because of the recession, there are fewer training programs and less recruiting on college campuses. A male graduate who can type will get the job over another applicant because he won't need a secretary assigned to him at the beginning of his career and will save the company money.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics there were 3,200,000 secretaries in the country last year, up from 1,873,000 a decade earlier. Of these, 28,900 were male secretaries up from 13,000 in 1964.

The bureau does not keep separate statistics comparing female secretarial salaries to male salaries. Fran Riley, public relations director for the National Secretaries Association (International), also said her organization did not have comparative salary figures.

Interest Linked to Wages

“More men are becoming secretaries today because an outstanding secretary can earn as much as 820.000 year,” said Doris M. Brookshier, national executive director of the National Secretaries Association, which has 30 men in its 33.000‐member organization. “Certification examinations like ours also have helped upgrade the image of secretaries and have made the field more attractive to men.”

“In the past, real‐estate firms, insurance companies, and railroads were the only companies that would hire male secretaries because it. was traditional for top executives in these firms to have male secret—cies,” “aid Helen Lamm, manager of the marketing division of Kelly Services in Los Angeles, the nationwide temporary ‐ help agency that was formerly known as Kelly Girls.

“Now all kinds of companies want male secretaries because they are such diligent workers. Men who never thought about secretarial work find they like it and are good at it because it enables them to use a variety of skills.”

Kenji López-Alt Spent 5 Months Studying Chicago Thin-Crust Pizza. Here’s What He Learned.

Bob Goldrich, Walter J. Leonard and Jerry J. Marks are three men who have worked as secretaries for Kelly Services in Los Angeles recently. None of them planned a secretarial career but they acquired their typing skills to help them do term papers. Mr. Goldrich, a sophomore in history at the University of Southern California, could not find a summer job and Mr. Leonard and Mr. Marks were both tired of their management jobs in manufacturing and retailing and wanted to try new fields. All of them were welcomed by employers.

“Employers like male secretaries because men are used to get ting the job done,” explained Mr. Goldrich. “The women spent 20 minutes on coffee breaks chatting with their friends while we did the typing.”

“Executives give male secretaries more responsibility because it is easier for man to work at night or to come in early than it is for a woman with young children,” said Mr. Leonard. “They also know that a man is usually the breadwinner

for his family and anxious to get promoted so they notice him more and take a greater interest in his career.”

Male secretaries are usually better paid although the gap in salaries is closing because of equal‐rights legislation. In 1972, the latest date for which information was available, the average male secretary earned $179 a week, compared with $145 a week for women.

Hostility Declining

Hostility from women secretaries also seems to be decreasing. “Sexual roles in the office are not as rigid as they once were,” said Mr. Marks, who worked for several women bosses. “Do your own thing is the motto today and people tend to relate to each other as peers rather than as superior and inferior.”

Still, there are male secre taries who have encountered opposition. Ralph A. Dowling, past president of the Denver chapter of the National Secretaries Association and a secretary for more than 20 years, was unemployed for several months last year after he left the Denver law firm where he had worked for 14 years.

Mr. Dowling, who had received his secretarial training at the University of Alabama and who is a certified professional secretary, received little response to his resumes. He had eight unsuccessful job interviews before he found his present position as secretary, to the medical director of the Air Line Pilots Association in Denver.

“Male applicants for secretarial positions incur resentment from female personnel directors because they think that the men are after their jobs,” said Mr. Dowling.

“Male executives are even less enthusiastic because they are afraid that their peers will jump to the wrong conclusions and accuse them of being homosexuals if they hire a male secretary. Men also favor women secretaries because they would prefer to have their peers ask, ‘Who is that sharp chick working for you?’ rather than ‘How did you ever find that efficient man?'”

Happy in His Job

The 42‐year‐old Mr. Dowling likes being a secretary so much that he has passed up opportunities in management.

“It is hard to be a man in a field dominated by women,” he admitted. “Like the token woman, I am under great pressure to be above average. Women secretaries are very critical and want to know if I do sloppy work.”

Unlike many women secretaries who object to serving their bosses coffee and running errands, Mr. Dowling considers such chores “all part of the job and a little like being a host in your own home.”

“Secretarial work is a field that more men should consider because it can be a lot of fun,” lie said. “After all, it is only in the last 100 years that women have taken over the field. Before that, people like Cleopatra had male secretaries and nobody thought it unusual. Maybe what we need is Warren Beatty to play a sexy male secretary in his next film. That might end these sissy rumors forever and encourage a lot of men to sign up for shorthand and typing.”

   

Saturday, March 18, 2023

The More...





 
Elliot Page
He’s Juno. He’s Ariadne. And he’s Vanya. Once Ellen page, Elliot Page has rocked the world with his talent and his courage to be his true self.

In February 2014, he came out as gay during his speech at the Human Rights Campaign. 

Later in December 2020, the Canadian actor revealed the news that he is now transgender with the new name Elliot Page. The news shocked everyone. His tremendous bravery inspires the LGBTQ community and human beings in general.

Friday, March 17, 2023

We Must Stand With Our Sisters - This Is Why


Drag queen (and ordained minister) Bella DuBalle won't be silenced by new Tenn. law


March 16, 2023 - 12:51 PM ET
Heard on Fresh Air
Terry Gross



NPR Link

Please Listen - An Amazing Interview

Tennessee's new law criminalizing public drag performances goes into effect April 1. The law, which refers to "male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest," makes it an offense for a person to engage in an adult cabaret performance on public property — or in a location where the performance could be viewed by children.

Bella DuBalle

The first offense for violating the law is a misdemeanor, with a fine up to $2,500 and/or up to 12 months in jail. Subsequent violations could be felonies, punishable by up to 6 years in prison.

Tennessee native Bella DuBalle is an ordained minister and also the show director and host at Atomic Rose, the largest drag club in Memphis. She says the Tennessee law was written by legislators who don't understand what drag is.

"The idea that they think that every drag performer is doing something hypersexual or obscene obviously means they don't know very much about it," DuBalle says. "I cannot succinctly put into words what the entire art of drag is, and the fact that these legislators who know far less about the art than I do and have never been to a drag show are sitting out there making these laws — that's a little upsetting."

One of the points in the interview: 
        On when straight men do drag, it makes a joke of femininity

When a straight person does it, it's a joke. ... When I put on a dress, it is a statement of strength. It is a statement of how powerful my femininity is. So for me, I think it's about the way that we approach the feminine. The patriarchy has always used drag as another way to reinforce that women are weaker. I think we, as the queer community, actually champion that pride or that femininity. We're very proud of something that other people are deeply ashamed of 

__________________


First they came for the Drag Queens
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Drag Queen

....

Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me. 

See my post "First They Came..."


Tennessee drag queen Bella DuBalle 

More Here -Tennessee drag queens are “fearful” and “angry” after the state passed a ban on their art form – but they won’t stop fighting.





Thursday, March 16, 2023

A True Account of What is Happening...

I'm a transgender college student, and Ron DeSantis just requested data on trans healthcare from my clinic. I'm worried about what the state will do next.



Story by insider@insider.com (Andy Pham)
March 18, 2023


  • I'm a transgender college student at the University of South Florida.

  • During my freshman year, I used the campus health facilities to get hormone-replacement therapy.

  • I felt numb when Ron DeSantis requested data on trans healthcare at campus health facilities.

On January 11, Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration issued a memo to publicly funded universities in Florida requesting anonymous and aggregate data on trans healthcare at campus health facilities. 

In mid-February, University of South Florida officials indicated they would hand over the information, detailing the number of people who received gender-affirming care through university facilities by age and year.

I am one of those people.  



As both a patient and a premed student, all this weighs heavily on my mind

As a trans person in Florida, I've witnessed our rights get eroded over the past decade. I believe DeSantis and his administration are setting a dangerous precedent.

Ultimately, trans people want the same civil rights that many cisgender people take for granted. We want bodily autonomy, informed consent, and safe treatments for ourselves and our intersex peers.

I've witnessed my trans peers smile when a passing classmate calls out their chosen name, when they run a hand through their new buzz cut, and when they slip into a dress for the first time.

We are healthier and happier as our true selves. Let us live our ordinary lives.

Editor's note: DeSantis addressed his reasoning for requesting university healthcare data at a news conference, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "These are very young people, and you have all kinds of things that go on in those years," DeSantis said in February, according to the news outlet. 

Most of it resolves itself by the time they become adults, but the way to deal with that is to provide whatever counseling is needed, not to hack off their body parts."

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Feminine Differential - Midi and Maxi Dresses

 YOUR GUIDE TO [the coming] SUMMER STYLE: MIDI AND MAXI DRESSES

Chicos is my sister store to Soma Intimates.  Occasionally I find something I like there in spite of their weird sizing. If you do not know your Chico's sizing then best to always shop in the store where you can try it.  The craziness that I wear a ".5" in their pull o pants in mind blowing.  Takes vanity sizing to whole new level.  

I receive Chico's news letter and found this interesting piece on Midi and Maxi Dresses.  It add insight to a confusing dress / skirt length.



STYLE SOLUTIONS

Puff-Sleeve Smocked Midi Dress
Summer is the right time invigorate your dress collection. With so many great summer dresses for women on sale this summer, styling each new item can seem like a challenge. It can be hard to choose accessories, shoes, or top layers without knowing how different lengths flatter your form. Once you know what lengths you love, styling will be fun and easy, especially when you’re shopping online. Let’s take a deeper dive into a couple of the most popular summer dress lengths—midi and maxi—so you can create stunning looks every day.

THE MIDI

Midi length dresses and skirts have been popular since the 1940s. This hem length usually hits the calf at the midpoint between the knee and the ankle. By the 1960s, it looked like midis would be replaced by mini skirts and dresses, but the legendary publisher of Women’s Wear Daily John Fairchild said 1970 would be “the year of the midi.” While it didn’t happen overnight, by the 1980s, midi length garments were packing women’s closets again. They’ve been a favorite of consumers and designers ever since. 

Why has this style stayed fashionable for so long, even with the advent of other lengths? Some say this style has stayed relevant because it looks so sophisticated. Also, it can be incorporated into other popular cuts and fits, like embellished necklines, A-line silhouettes, and wedge hems.

STYLING THE MIDI

When it comes to styling summer dresses for women, accessorizing midi length can be as simple as adding a few key elements. Take our Puff-Sleeve Smocked Midi Dress for example. All you need is a comfortable and chic pair of heeled sandals, and you’re all set for Sunday brunch or date night. 

THE MAXI

Maxi Dress
It’s said that the maxi length was popularized in 1968 by acclaimed designer Oscar de la Renta. At the time, he created a cotton and lace dress for Elizabeth Arden Salon. Maxi dresses and skirts typically hit at or just above the ankle.

Additional credits to popularizing maxi dresses and skirts include the 1965 film Doctor Zhivago. The length was used when costume designer Phyllis Dalton was tasked with creating dresses that fit the film’s setting in pre-revolutionary Russia. Then, a 1966 Vogue spread featuring Barbra Streisand in a floral print maxi dress created a stir around the new style.

Since the 1960s, maxi lengths have gone in and out of fashion, like most cuts and lengths do. Now, the maxi length is a favorite again, but what makes it so appealing? It’s likely returned to the closets of consumers because it flatters any body type at any height. Whether you’re petite, curvy, lean, or tall, maxi dresses can suit you.


STYLING THE MAXI

It’s commonly known that maxi lengths are especially great for petite figures, because they lengthen by creating the illusion of longer legs. The most versatile silhouette for a maxi length dress is A-line, but this cut can be designed with other shapes, like straight line and empire waist.\

Maxi Dress
When styling a maxi dress, keep in mind that this length is most-commonly worn with flat sandals. Just in time for summer, we’ve launched a line of high-quality flat sandals that are a perfect match for the maxi dress. If you like a little height, try a low heel of no more than 2”. This length also looks good with ballet flats, strappy low heels, and sometimes even boots.

Maxi length has the benefit of being practical during any season. For the warmer months, consider pieces made of very lightweight fabrics for your wardrobe, like our Tiered Sandwash Maxi Dress. Best of all, maxi dresses come in a range of style, prints, and colors, so you can wear one every day of the week! If you want to add a topper to a sleeveless maxi dress, go with a cropped denim jacket

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Summer dresses for women come in quite a few different lengths and cuts. Based on their history, midi and maxi hemlines are likely to remain an effortless style option for years to come. There’s nothing better than wearing a lightweight dress on a warm day. Now you know exactly how to wear two of the most popular styles. It’s time to get excited about sundresses again!


Tuesday, March 14, 2023

$5000 Bounty

Texas Republican wants 'bounty hunting' law that would target drag queens 

BY: Matthew Chapman
March 13, 202
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A Texas lawmaker wants to introduce a bill that would effectively allow bounty hunting [citival action with reward] against drag performers in the state, reported LGBTQ magazine The Advocate

Houston-area state Rep. Steve Toth filed the bill on Thursday. "According to the bill, 'An individual who attends a drag performance as a minor may bring an action against a person who knowingly promotes, conducts, or participates as a performer in the drag performance that occurs before an audience that includes the minor,'" the Advocate reported.

Under this law, attendees could sue for actual damages, attorney’s fees, and statutory damages of $5,000.

The bill is modeled after the infamous abortion bounty law that allows private individuals or groups to sue anyone who "facilitates" a woman procuring an abortion past six weeks of gestational age. Right-wing judges allowed this bill to take effect even before Roe v. Wade was overturned, making Texas the first state since the 1970s where abortion was effectively outlawed.

Over the past year, Republican politicians around the country have attacked drag performances, including those organized as explicitly child-friendly events for the purpose of exposing children to the concept of gender nonconformity and promote understanding from an early age.

"This election cycle, Republicans are positioning themselves as the defenders of 'parental rights,' which those on the right believe have been eroded by 'woke' ideology being pushed secretly by teachers and professionals who work with children," said the Advocate's report.

"However, this bill strips parents of the right to, for example, take their children to a family-friendly brunch hosted by a drag queen. 'It is not a defense to an action brought under this chapter that the minor was accompanied at the drag performance by the minor’s parent or guardian,' the bill states. The bill states that civil action can be brought up to ten years after the offending event."

Activists have warned this bill's language is so broad it could essentially ban any kind of public performance by a person dressed other than in clothing associated with their gender assigned at birth.

"For example, transgender rights activist and reporter Erin Reed points out that the bill could potentially bar Grammy-winning singer Kim Petras, the first out trans person to win the coveted award for best pop performance by a duo or group, from performing in Texas," said the report. "'These bounties can easily be turned against trans performers,' Reed wrote. 'It could ban a trans person singing karaoke. It could ban pride.'"