Tag Archives: Human Body

Life’s Trials as a Transgender Female

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What follows are words from a woman born in a man’s body, the emotions involved and the trials endured by someone struggling to find a place in our world for herself. I have included photographs of women who may have, to some degree or another, gone through similar circumstances. They have all made transformation from male bodies to female, short of the final step of genital reassignment, which they may or may not be planning to do. Some of them have erections, which is often not likely after a long period of estrogen treatments. For reasons of their own, they have posed for these stunning photos.

By Leslie, in her own words:

Two weeks ago, I found this blog completely by accident while researching Transgender issues and health concerns. I found pictures of younger and prettier women than myself, yet I have found a measure of healing from those images. Even though I can not ever really look like them now, I can still join them given time.

I lived the horror of being born Trans Female in Texas. Born in 1955, I grew up watching the other girls develop, realizing that I was doomed to live out my life imprisoned in the body of a man. I tried to talk to my parents and get help. My mother tried to understand and my father …my father almost killed me.

From the time I was caught dancing bare foot on the hardwood floor of the living room in one of my mother’s dresses at the age of 9, I was beaten and threatened any time I showed the least bit of femininity. After numerous broken bones and death threats, I went into hiding. I left home as soon as I had my first job at the age of 17.

Life was dangerous for a Trans Girl in 1974. There were frequent stories in the news about “freak boy/girls” being found dead. I stayed in hiding. I intentionally took on the most dangerous adventurous jobs I could find. I survived being shot, stabbed, gassed, set on fire, blown up, struck by lightening and many other dangerous and exciting activities. I never even thought I was attempting suicide; I was just proving to my father that I was tough.

Eventually I married a woman. Now, I can admit that my only interest in her was to appease my abusive father. Over the course of time, I divorced and married 3 times. I “fathered” 3 children that I was forced by circumstance to leave and become an absent parent. I worked hard over the years to re-establish some form of trust with my children. They have given me 9 grandchildren.

The incongruity of being a woman trapped in the body of a man continued to grow. To this day, I can not look in a mirror without seeing the momentary flash of my true self. I saw her just this morning. Then reality imposed itself on my vision and I stood looking at the male-ish form I am trapped in.

She’s beautiful, now a middle aged Welsh, Irish, Native American mix. Her hair is graying and she has the scars and lines of a hard life on her face. Still she is a wonderful sight. I want to be able to get more than a fleeting glance of her. I want the world to see HER.

 I stand 6 feet 2 inches tall and weigh 200 pounds, so that I am rather large. I wear a size 44 jacket. I look similar to that wonderful blonde woman (left) in the corset, only I look more Native when she is Scandinavian.

I had to leave Texas, when I refused to conform to the wishes of my family and their interference in my life. There have been moments when I contemplated suicide. Since I have never accepted Christian theology and believe in reincarnation, I did not want to have to repeat my failure to overcome the adversities of this life. I dismissed thoughts of death and decided to make the best of what I can become.

I came out while in college at the tender age of 53. I lived the sheltered life of a Continue reading →

World Naked Bike Ride

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Colorful, adventurous, humorous, exciting, delightful: just a few of the many words that could describe this daring event. Some paint themselves elaborately, others just dash their clothes, but everyone has great fun.

Look at the smiles on their faces. Is there a better way to express an understanding of the human body, a better way to spread the idea of body acceptance?

It doesn’t matter if you don’t have a perfect body. Muscle bound or a little thick around the middle, handsomely endowed or sporting a smaller variety, it doesn’t matter–everyone is in sync and part of the whole.

Picture yourself among them, the camaraderie, the feel of fresh air and sun on your skin, other naked bodies beside you, in front and behind. Feast your eyes with an awareness that makes you feel lighter and glad to be alive.

It makes you wonder how anyone can find the human body shameful. A volleyball game on the beach, a hike along a secluded trail, a swim in the pool; is there really any reason to always hide our bodies during a day in the sun?

Are these spectators wondering what it would be like to get out of their clothes and be one of them? Continue reading →

I’m Different

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A small percentage of us are born with ambiguous genitalia. One’s chromosomes are simply askew. At birth, depending upon the variants, the doctors involved or the parents generally assign the infant a gender, though it is typically impossible to be sure if the infant is a boy or a girl until the child is older and develops his or her own gender identity.

Whereas the child may very well grow up well adjusted, society at large is uncomfortable with hermaphrodites. Beginning in the early 1960s, children with ambiguous genitalia were typically assigned a gender. Those with larger penises were boys, so their vaginas were surgically closed. Smaller penises were surgically turned into clitorises. In the 1990s, some affected intersex individuals formed the Intersex Society of America to address the issue of premature gender assignment.

It’s a classic example of nonacceptance and prejudice against those who are different. By Mother Nature’s hand, some of us are born different. How can anyone see our diversity as anything other than the beauty of life? Intersex individuals can and do lead productive, normal lives, and wish for nothing more than to be accepted. Interestingly, many have the capability to choose an intimate relationship with either gender

In 2002 Jeffrey Eugenides published a Pulitzer Prize winning novel called Middlesex, which is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Primarily a Bildungsroman and family saga, the novel chronicles the impact of a mutated gene on three generations of a Greek family, causing momentous changes in the protagonist’s life. According to scholars, the novel’s main themes are nature versus nurture, rebirth, and the differing experiences of polar opposites—such as those found between men and women. It discusses the pursuit of the American Dream and explores gender identity. Continue reading →

Transgender Women … Are There Enough of Them?

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Can you imagine sleeping with such a beautiful, uniquely endowed woman?

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You would never have to “come out”.

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Does such human diversity confuse the Religious Right?

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What if her penis is larger than yours?

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You can take turns being on top.

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She’ll make you think you’ve died and gone to Heaven.

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This is part of a series on transsexual women. The series has been amazingly popular. You must be as intrigued and enchanted as I am. Continue reading →

Concerned About Your Labia?

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I can understand why some women have negative feelings about their labia. Men are the same way about their penises … too small, curved too much, too hairy … so we’re all pretty much in the same boat. None of us are perfect, and most of us perceive our “flaws” with exaggerated emotions. But labia, like penises, are like snowflakes … no two are the same. In fact they are part of our physical personalities that make the human race interesting. Therefore, in this post you will see a variety of labia, all of which are normal, all of which would thrill nearly any man or any female lover.

We’re all self-conscious about our bodies to begin with: too short or tall, fat or thin, our complexions are too light or dark or have imperfections, our butts are too flat or too broad … the worries are endless. But the labia are a special part of a special part, a part that women want to share with someone special. So they, like men and their penises, use the Internet and certain magazines to establish what is apparently an ideal look for their genitals. No wonder so many plastic surgeons drive a Mercedes Benz, especially those that do labiaplasty, a procedure, if purely for cosmetic reasons, I hope to discourage you from.

For More see Vaginal Surgery Info

Here are a few of the concerns women have about their labia:

Me and my boyfriend are thinking about having sex for the first time, I have never let him see my labia before because I am worried what he might think. They are very large and are dark brown in colour, is this normal? Is this even attractive?

After finding out my b/f uses porn to help him along when I’m not around, I decided to keyword “large labia” on the Internet to see if what he’s looking at looks like me. …Apart from them being teens, which I’m not, I’m 27, all of the girls had small ‘perfect’ looking labia, again, which I don’t have.  I already felt self conscious about my labia, both minora and majora are large and hang quite low, they’re pretty symmetrical but there is a lot of them to say the least. I found a website showing all sorts of labia sizes, even larger ones similar to mine.. whilst I think they’re beautiful I still find mine pretty ugly. Added to that I never know what to do with the hair down there, leave it long to hide the big lips, or have it short, neat and tidy but have my horrible lips hanging for all to see. I don’t know. Its odd that I can view other large labia as attractive, some of them even turned me on if I’m honest, but I still think mine are ugly.

I think my vagina lips are not normal. My inner lips are way way bigger then my outer ones! It wasn’t like that when I was little! It really bugs me. I won’t even let my boyfriend touch me there, cause I’m afraid he will think I’m not normal or something. My boyfriend has asked me if I wanted to have sex but I turned him down because of this. Is my vagina normal?

My inner vaginal “lips” stick out, is this normal? I’m insecure about it, and embarrassed to let my boyfriend see.

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I’ve read a lot of articles on labia but I still can’t seem to get the thought of my own out of my head. Mine are big and noticeable which I know are normal but still bother me. I think it looks gross in certain underwear and I am very insecure about it. At times I even try to tuck them in so you can see them. I am 16 and started noticing this about a year or so ago. I am not sure if I was always like this or not. I’ve been with this guy for about 8 months and hes been down there with his hands and what not but I am a virgin and I was very skeptical about even letting him preform oral sex on me because of the reaction that he might have thinking it’s disgusting. About a week ago at his house things started to get serious but kept my hands covering my vagina because I was nervous. He was confused at why I would do that and told me he really want to give me oral sex and I really wanted to. I eventually let him and he did not say one thing bout my larger labia. I was very surprised and pleased but couldn’t shake the idea of what he really thought. I still consider surgery when I turn 18 for myself. I just cannot get the thought that I look gross out of my mind. I really need help on what I should do.

Being sexually active, I have become more conscious about my vagina. I am very Continue reading →

Ron Mueck’s Astounding Art

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Ron Mueck at work on one of his lifelike, larger than life statues.

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Mueck began his career working on the Australian children’s television program Shirl’s Neighbourhood. He was the creative director and made, voiced and operated the puppets Greenfinger the Garden Gnome, Ol’ Possum, Stanley the snake and Claude the Crow amongst many others. The show was made for Channel 7 Melbourne between 1979 and 1984, broadcast nationally and starred the ex-lead singer of Skyhooks, Graeme “Shirley” Strachan.

Mueck’s early career was as a model maker and puppeteer for children’s television and films, notably the film Labyrinth for which he also contributed the voice of Ludo, and the Jim Henson series The Storyteller.

Mueck moved on to establish his own company in London, making photo-realistic props and animatronics for the advertising industry. Although highly detailed, these props were usually designed to be photographed from one specific angle hiding the mess of construction seen from the other side. Mueck increasingly wanted to produce realistic sculptures which looked perfect from all angles.

In 1996 Mueck transitioned to fine art, collaborating with his mother-in-law, Paula Rego, to produce small figures as part of a tableau she was showing at the Hayward Gallery. Rego introduced him to Charles Saatchi who was immediately impressed and started to collect and commission work. This led to the piece which made Mueck’s name, Dead Dad, being included in the Sensation show at the Royal Academy the following year. Dead Dad is a silicone and mixed media sculpture of the corpse of Mueck’s father reduced to about two thirds of its natural scale. It is the only work of Mueck’s that uses his own hair for the finished product.

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San Francisco is Getting It Right

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We’re down to somewhere between 33% and 35% of cutting male infants in the United States. More parents are beginning to question this bizarre, antiquated practice. I’m not really wanting to advocate more laws, but I wish there had been one when I was born.

The following is an article in the guardian.co.uk, written by Neil Howard and Rebecca Steinfeld.

Time to ban male circumcision?

San Francisco voters will decide later this year whether, like its female counterpart, male infant circumcision should be outlawed. If passed, article 50 — the “Genital Cutting of Male Minors” — would make it unlawful to circumcise, cut, or mutilate the foreskin, testicles, or penis of another person aged under 18. The bill includes an exemption for cases of medical necessity, but not for custom or ritual, which has profound implications for the many Jews and Muslims who consider it an essential part of their religious or cultural practice.

Unsurprisingly, the bill has attracted considerable controversy. Some regard it as a modern manifestation of western antisemitism, while certain feminist groups consider the idea of comparing male and female genital cutting to be both offensive and unsubstantiated.

 Neither the World Health Organisation nor the UN oppose male circumcision, and given that the procedure is so unquestioned that 33% of American boys still undergo it, one might think that they have a point. But is it really so simple? And are the differences between male and female circumcision really so straightforward?

 According to research, the sexual damage caused by female and male genital cutting can be extensive. Female genital cutting, which can involve removal of the clitoris, may reduce the likelihood of orgasm and cause complications during childbirth. Similarly, male circumcision can result in excruciating pain, nerve destruction, infection, disfigurement and sometimes death. Like the clitoris, the foreskin serves a sexual purpose, and it protects the “head” of the penis from outside elements.

Continue reading →