The Gender Distressed Agenda

[Sarahp]

@Sarahp thanks for your kind words, I am trying to be polite as it feels ike my brain is being ripped apart by severe migraine headache as I have lots of medical conditions I'm most definitely not apologising for on my thread about my coping strategies I have explained clearly enough, the nausea from my 2000mg of Metformin combined with uncontrollable migraine made me housebound for last 24 hours and just drinking water and resting in dark room until the storm inside my skull clears...

I am happy to discuss anything about my experiences of gender dysphoria, my sexuality, my identity and how these intersect with the NHS, the rest of my life and other medical conditions, and it does actually take guts, bravery, willpower and self-determination to rise above lifetime of shaming, ridiculing, bullying and abuse to be an open book to raise awareness, and I have to add from my lived experiences, it's the easiest thing in the world not asserting yourself, not making space in the world to become your authentic self, to live big lie hiding under rocks in the shadows, even using other people as props to pretend to pass as "straight" (this is called a "beard"!), or burying everything you can't deal with under layers of drugs, alcohol, gambling, addictions, debts, running away from all of your problems and your self, so please, don't even try to get reductive with me and reduce me down to one word or leave snarky passive-aggressive comments on my threads expecting what exactly, an apology?! Oh Ghurl, Please!

Sarah I think it's great that your friends who appear to be trans/non-binary/experiencing gender dysphoria have you as supportive friend as you can see there's plenty of naysayers out there in hostile environments hating on minority groups to make themselvs feel better, and similarly to diabetes (oh yes, she went there ha, cry more!) gender dysphoria is chronic lifelong condition requiring healthcare, treatment, support network and understanding medical professionals to be managed and for positive outcomes, and it's real testament to the best of humanity that complete strangers can gather together virtually and offer peer support around diabetes which everyone experiences slightly differently, and I am learning so much every time I log-in, I didn't know that insulin resistance can cause pregnancy loss in pregnant women, and that does include potentially trans men who are pregnant as again taking testerone if you are female-bodied does not have guaranteed side effects on every single trans man...

And again as it bares repeating, I have no shame discussing these facts and issues openly about human sexuality and gender identity and biology, and if you really do on this support forum, maybe you need to consider that you are incredibly ignorant, in desperate need of education, and you have lived an extremely sheltered life if this level of polite debate and discussion provokes such reaction you feel entitled to silence others and "shut it all down", I will not be silenced as long as I am following the rules, and I will not be closeted or repressed for other people's comfort or "awkward feelings" that's on those who have tried to shut me down, and I'm really not going anywhere as there is no "magic wand cure" for diabetes, thanks! Not living my life under rock to please others and neither should I be expected to, thanks so much for your understanding!

Sorry you are going through so much @maryjaneholland I suffer with migraines triggered by my diabetes due to brain tissue changes and they are no fun, how are you now?
Your welcome and I truely hope you stick with us and share your experiences, I learned something from your post as well around trans men who haven’t had surgery and that they can become pregnant, it’s not something I ever thought of even though I have both trans male and female friends but none were in settled relationships when they started their journeys, just shows you how much we can learn home each other and I hope our paths cross soon, best wishes

 

[Inka]

@Inka I don't want to give "Miss Bowling" too much power or credit here, but she is one of many influential public figures with platform and PR staff to get press releases turned into published news articles, and I think it's reasonable to draw lines between constant invalidating and scaremongering (where exactly is all the "toiletgate" evidence and why does anyone think toilet door sign would stop any dangerous criminals or rapists or murderers from carrying out their illegal impulsive deeds anyway?) at the expense of all trans and non-binary people in the UK, and the point-scoring populism of desperate unelected zombie government grasping at straws, so the polls said many voters are unhappy about publicly funded gender clinics, so we closed them, the pundits say they are "concerned voices about mutilating children's bodies with genital surgery" (untrue in UK), so we will remove all access to gender affirming care with puberty blockers from age 16 to 18, here's one article inevitably with linked articles highlighting more tragic suicides of young trans people...
https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/04/18/puberty-blockers-paused-scotland/

I’m glad your migraine is a little better @maryjaneholland . That horrible tender feeling takes a while to go away though, doesn’t it? I hope you’ve been able to take it easy today and that it hasn’t flared up. Migraines really are horrible things and can be completely debilitating.

I don’t actually know what “toiletgate” is. From what you’ve said afterwards, I guess it’s about single sex toilets? No, a sign won’t stop a rapist, but women are safer in single sex toilets and more at risk in unisex toilets and changing rooms:

Unisex changing rooms put women at danger of sexual assault, data reveals

The vast majority of reported sexual assaults at public swimming pools in the UK take place in unisex changing rooms, new statistics reveal.

www.independent.co.uk

To be very clear, more at risk from men not trans people. There are also lower level crimes like voyeurism and the like. Of course, it’s not just safety, it’s privacy and dignity too. Women fought hard for their toilets. You might well be familiar with the so-called urinary leash - another example amongst many of sexism. Moreover, some women have religious beliefs that preclude them using mixed sex facilities, some women are survivors of sexual assault, etc.

The suicide of anybody is absolutely tragic. I lost one of my best friends to suicide and it still makes me cry even though it was many years ago. People need better support, particularly young people. It’s a smack in the guts to read about the suicide of a teen or young adult. Awful, awful thing to think that anyone would feel that was an answer and be that desperate.

I haven’t read all the Cass report, just summaries, but I do think that young people with gender distress deserve the best care and evidenced care too. Having read excerpts from the Report, it seems that wasn’t necessarily the case. Here’s a brief article/statement from the BMJ:

The Cass review: an opportunity to unite behind evidence informed care in gender medicine

At the heart of Hilary Cass’s review of gender identity services in the NHS is a concern for the welfare of “children and young people” (doi:10.1136/bmj.q820).1 Her stated ambition is to ensure that those experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care. This will be disputed, of...

www.bmj.com

I like the positive way it ends:

“The Cass review is an opportunity to pause, recalibrate, and place evidence informed care at the heart of gender medicine. It is an opportunity not to be missed for the sake of the health of children and young people. It is an opportunity for unity.”

 

[maryjaneholland]

@Inka I appreciate your tone as yes I have certainly heard and been subjected to personal attacks, transphobic abuse and death threats from people claiming to be "feminist women" over the years, but significantly missing from the Cass report was all that evidence gathered from the trans community asking trans and non-binary what they wanted in future from the NHS gender clinic services, oh wait, that was shelved and binned by the ahem "Equalities Minister" Kemi Badenoch who uses her public platform daily to denigrate trans people!

So here's Professor Stephen Whittle (co-founder of Press For Change who narrowly got the Gender Recognition Act through Parliament) interviewed in the Guardian regarding the Cass Report, my favourite quote:
“Underfunding, staff overwhelmed, records not properly kept, mental health services in need of massive improvement. But I also think you can see the fingerprints of transphobia on the report.”

Some organisations he described as anti-trans had undue influence on government and officials, he said. “Since 2010 I’ve not been included in one conversation with government, none of us have. But these other people are sitting round the table and enjoying their power. I think aspects of the Cass report were heavily influenced by the fear of these people and pressure from them.”

Much of what happened after the Cass review would depend on a willingness to provide services with proper resources and offer “a lot of talking therapy” for individuals. “Cass has the potential for positive change but it has to be backed up with significant funding,” he said.

Veteran trans campaigner: ‘Cass review has potential for positive change’

Stephen Whittle talks about life for young trans people in the 1970s and now, and the influence of ‘anti-trans’ views today

www.theguardian.com

And on Twitter/X he continues quote "Cass “medical transition is the right path for some” Pls explain (rationally w/out abuse) why people who— are not trans,— don’t have a trans child,— are not clinicians in this field, have any say in the healthcare of trans children, young adults & their families?" plus clearly showing how I have described how toxic, hateful, unfriendly and trolling Twitter/X can be if you are clearly identifying as outside of the "norm" even slightly, never mind an open book public figure like Whittle! See: https://twitter.com/stephenwhittle

I have put on public trans film nights in the past with friends, showing documentary made by trans men about the lack of safe toilet facilities on university campus for trans and non-binary people over fifteen years ago or longer, so the "toilet safety issues" have been so debunked and proven to come from opinion-based radical feminist books long out of publication, it's total dead end, nobody is 100% safe anywhere in public, and hardened criminals who don't respect any laws will never be fazed by "polite notices" or door signs, and I have no religious beliefs, so I guess the onus is on religious groups to lobby for their own facilities as opposed to some grudgematch pitting minorities against each other over who has the right to pee in public toilets, ugh...

Anyway, I have no more energy for any of this, maybe there will be new government by the end of this year and an end to hostile environments for all minority groups and those who gloated about trans people being attacked by politicians on daily basis to distract from all their failings in public life and failures to provide basic public services or water courses free from sewage or the "golden sunny uplands of Brexit" will be ridiculed instead for going along with all the scapegoating and very high suicide rates of trans people only made worse by shutting down all the NHS gender clinics - in case the "concerned voices" bothered to enquire what happens next, it's all back to black market hormones ordered online, visiting other countries for risky botched surgeries as "holiday" where NHS will have to deal with fallout upon returning to UK, young trans people putting themselves in danger to get cash to pay for private healthcare as soon as they turn 18, as opposed to an entire community detransitioning and praying for forgiveness of their sins and living under boulders and rocks and corrugated iron on hilltops, nope, that doesn't work either, not going back in the closet for anyone or anything...

 

[maryjaneholland]

The Daily Mash - News Inverted - Celebrity Misinformation - All camel's eyes and sheep's bollocks: The Gammon food critic goes Moroccan - Sean Lennon and James McCartney and other nepo babies you're delighted to see fail - Can you guess the Tory MP by their blackmail sex scandal? A fun game for families...

The Daily Mash

www.thedailymash.co.uk

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa slams government attacks on trans people: "It's divide and conquer"

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa slams government attacks on trans people

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has called out the UK government for using trans people as a scapegoat for its "own ineptitude".

www.thepinknews.com

Makes change to see an actor with refugee background who identifies as black and queer publicly state they are trans ally!

Maybe return next week, I have ticketed events for woke things like housing co-operative training workshops to attend 😉

 

[Inka]

@maryjaneholland I very much appreciate your tone too. I strongly believe that courteous, civilised and thoughtful debate is a good thing. I think that we agree on a lot of things - probably more than either of us realise. I know of Stephen Whittle. I first watched him years ago on a Ch4 (?) programme about trans people. I agree that trans people should have input into services that are for them.

Anyway, I don’t want to tire you further, especially when you’re not feeling 100%. I hope you have a peaceful and pain-free evening 🙂

 

[maryjaneholland]

Going to Leeds for weekend, but not happy about coming across like whiny toddler on diabetes support forum and then realised there are many issues I am facing which many women and minority groups and disabled people have in common around safe spaces in public and specifically public toilets which we all know have been the first victims of death by thousand cuts over recent years and decades as there's no legal duty for local authorities to provide any public toilet facilities thanks to 19th Century Victorian legislation and lack of consideration in the present from "those in power" who can mostly stand and pee freely without being challenged anywhere in public, what privilege!

So here's some useful info everyone can use to improve their lives and their confidence going out, Toilet Map of UK!

Toilet Map: Home

Disability Rights UK sell Radar Keys to access public disabled toilet facilities which can be securely locked as most average people blank their existence and have no need to use or carry Radar Keys, so under Equality Act 2010, diabetes does fit the legal definition of disability by requiring daily management as chronic long-term condition, as does severe depression or anxiety or sleep apnoea or incontinence, and many other medical conditions, if you follow my drift, available for £5 without VAT for individuals who have genuine need to order and use them responsibly etc:

The official and only genuine Radar Key

The official and only genuine Radar Key. Buy your disabled toilet key from Disability Rights UK. The National Key Scheme (NKS) offers disabled people independent access to locked public toilets around the country. Toilets fitted with National Key Scheme (NKS) locks can now be found in shopping...

shop.disabilityrightsuk.org

And similar to diabetes, there are established international care standards for transgender health care with wealth of useful medical info, guides, resources, publications, you never know, someone in your circle of friends or family or colleagues may one day need this gateway to life saving professional healthcare for gender diverse patients, World Professional Association for Transgender Health:

WPATH World Professional Association for Transgender Health

The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, interdisciplinary professional and educational organization devoted to transgender health.

www.wpath.org

Doctors question Cass report's dismissal of "poor quality" of trans healthcare research:

Doctors question Cass report's dismissal of trans research

A group of Canadian doctors have questioned the Cass report's findings that research into the field is 'poor quality'.

www.thepinknews.com

Enjoy your weekend, please feel better going out safely if lack of access to public toilets has put you off and order your own Radar Key if you want or need that extra security for any valid reason, stay safe out there! 😉

 

[Inka]

Enjoy your weekend @maryjaneholland 🙂 x

 

[Sunnyside3049]

@Inka really good to know your favourite music finds help you to cope better with your diagnosed diabetes medical conditions, as it's really so clear from this diabetes support forum that there is no "one size fits all" approach or magic wand "cure" for diabetes that yet exists, and the NHS appears to leave us in the lurch with not enough qualified staff or resources to really fully support NHS patients living with chronic lifelong conditions like diabetes...

@Satan’s little helper yes it's funny how everything about the music industry has been disrupted by the internet over nearly thirty years of it being available in most households, I still have box of audio cassettes from growing up, making mixtapes and swapping with friends, my parents have old boxes of original vinyl from previous decades, but it's also sad that not eveything published by record labels appears on streaming services, there are huge gaps in music history, entire genres, whole artists, just absent as they don't have enough follows/likes/subscribers/social media presence or whatever, but again if it helps you on bad days or to cope better with bad side effects and manage your diabetes better, it can only be good thing right!

@Sunnyside3049 well please forgive me, I am having bad day due to bad side effects from my Metformin prescription medication I take because guess what? I have been fully medically diagnosed by medically qualified GP as very much having Type 2 Diabetes, and if you had actually bothered to read thru all the posts on this thread from very established members of this diabetes support forum, it would be apparent to you that I refer to struggling with my diabetes where it intersects with other diagnosed medical conditions such as gender dysphoria in the first post, and the rest of the thread is pretty much all about various coping strategies both my self and other people living with diabetes use to manage our diagnosed medical conditions, umm-hmm, okurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! *tongue-pop*

Hopefully you can navigate all the sections of the support forum contributing your own tips and wisdom for living with and managing diabetes, and if not, maybe by reading thru threads you may learn something new, and if not, move along to the next thread, there's even "Entertainment" and "Books" and "Off The Subject" sections where people may or may not choose to post anything at all about diabetes-related issues!

If my existence or LGBTQIA+ Communities existing offends you, then sorry, no refunds, and no retractions will be posted at this time, as queer people get diabetes too, umm-hmm, snap!!

Everyone is entitled to have an opinion, I posted mine, if it’s not liked….well, I do not intend to have a long drawn out discussion, life is too short.

 

[maryjaneholland]

@Sarahp thanks for your kind supportive comments posted on diabetes support forum, really appreciated and wish I could enquire more about your support for your friends who are trans/non-binary/transitioning gender roles in various ways and they are really lucky to have your friendship and support, but as usual it's more important that cisgendered heteronormative people with diabetes here get to play quizzes and word games on moderated support forum and state that their simple request directed at minorities to just "shut it all down" was perfectly fair and reasonable, so I guess opinions are very much like arseholes, everyone's got one!

Here's diabetes-specific conundrum for everyone here though - I have followed all the NHS healthcare advice for managing my diabetes, with few slips due to being threatened with eviction by over-zealous housing managers around January/February/March this year, and despite 2000mg of Metformin every day for eight months, my HBA1C blood glucose levels have nearly fully reverted to what they were around August/September 2023 when I was first diagnosed to 90 now, previous high of 95 where I had been untreated and undiagnosed for several years, nobody in the NHS knows or cares or is bothered enough to have that debate in the present as I was refused health screening ha!

I believe very high levels of distress, stress hormones, adrenaline, anxiety/panic attacks, insomnia, lack of good quality sleep, lack of intensive exercise (I have only done short walks slowly due to aforementioned health issues), and even accessing NHS healthcare and treatment being difficult and traumatic to me leading to stressful NHS complaints process has got me here, so now trying hard to do more intensive exercise every day regardless of weather and despite feeling impossible, reduce or remove big sources of stress in my life to see if this makes difference in the future, which could be people or organisations or complaints or giving time/energy/attention to ignorance where it's most definitely not my job to educate, attending classes which promote relaxation/meditation/yoga/healthy living/reducing stress...??

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear your levels are remaining stubbornly high @maryjaneholland

Metformin will be having more or less it’s maximum effect at 2000mg, but Met generally works gently ‘in the background’. It helps to reduce glucose output from the liver, and helps to increase insulin sensitivity. But my understanding is that it doesn’t really work specifically on the meals you are eating (so moderating your carbohydrate intake can make a huge difference). I know you were trying low carb before - have you recently added up your daily carb intake?

Unfortunately some of the situations you are experiencing especially those involving such high levels of stress and anxiety could be exerting significant upward-pressure on your glucose levels

 

[maryjaneholland]

@everydayupsanddowns thanks for your support and good practical tips, reaaly useful and helpful and I am very grateful to learn so much about managing diabetes from this forum from so many wise experienced people living with same battle, I guess please excuse my occasional forays into where diabetes intersects with my private and personal life but I promise to be less intrusive or graphic than the average NHS diabetes nurse aiming for roughly PG13 rating of typical Jackass/Jonny Knoxville bad taste film production ha! 😉

Yes I feel full review and taking stock of my current situation is in order, I am still in the process of swapping out unhealthy foods, low carb salads instead of sandwiches, cutting out more dairy to be fully vegan (cheese is highly addictive and very high in satured fat and calories, keep thinking about the cow abuse, moo!), trying to weigh up salt intake and reduce that to lose weight and reduce bloating, but again big solution for me would be new functioning kitchen with fully working appliances to make healthy meals from wholefoods and fully ditch the "supermarket refined foods diet", I have been prescribed Propanolol for stress/anxiety/high blood pressure/high resting heart rate, so need to look after my self better and be more assertive about people making demands on my time, when I should be exercising and burning calories and losing weight and managing my health issues to get control back over my life...

Spent whole evening on the phone to friends and family, and going to get membership and discount cards sorted, so I have more options like daytrips to National Trust properties for long walks, long train and coach journies to countryside for hiking, staying at Youth Hostels for weekend trips further afield like Cumbria and Northumberland for hillwalking and sight-seeing, I feel really stupid for putting things off telling my self "when you lose weight, you can enjoy going out again, without all the punching down comments" but having busy routine and exercising every day reduces stress levels, burns calories and reduces BG levels, I can't say what's best for everyone but I will be limiting my contact with NHS to clinics and specialist appointments every few months as no longer have anything polite to say to GP's, I say "Mounjaro", GP says "Global Shortages" Ugh! 🙄

 

[maryjaneholland]

My life feels like an uncontrollable rollercoaster right now, and I return to this influential documentary which I feel everyone can relate to as it's really about the human spirit triumphing over adversity in unexpected creative and flourishing ways to survive, and unfortunately the HIV/AIDS epidemic and institutionalised homophobia and racism prevented many of these young people from thriving and becoming part of our established modern day LGBTQIA+ Communities, but some of their stories, their strengths, their talents and their glorious freedom found in the NYC ballroom scene of the 1980's live on in celluloid, in film history and on Youtube for now... Yass Qween, Mama, Shake Dem Cakes, The House Down Boots, Tens, Tens, Tens across the board, Snap, Werk, Vogue, Hold That Pose Ghurl! PARIS IS BURNING (1990) 😉

 

[DeeM]

@maryjaneholland I am mainly a lurker on here, but I just wanted to say that I, for one, am really glad to read all of your posts - and I especially love the inspiring suggestions like the video above. I hope you will continue to post about everything you care about and not just diabetes!

 

[maryjaneholland]

Hello Lurkers! Ha @DeeM thanks for your lovely comments, really appreciated as I feel very powerless and out of control wanting to metaphorically burn my membership card for the club nobody wants to join right now, and I can allow my self to cry without feeling it's "weak" or "girly" or "churlish" to express my feelings and emotions, I lost this round, but I fully intend to win the battle with diabetes fighting on all fronts for my goal of remission...

Bursting into colour with the dramatic, flamboyant and fabulous re-telling of queer trans black latino mixed race communities of 1980's New York City fighting the AIDS crisis, entrenched racism/sexism/transphobia/homophobia with virtually no legal rights or recognition, street homelessness and cultural appropriation from every pop star coming for their looks and their moves, ballroom culture is laid bare in "POSE" available on BBC iPlayer (Series 3) and Disney+ (Series 1-3) So Slay The House Down Boots Mama, and Don't Mess With The Qweens, Learn It and Learn It Well...🙂

"Pose" Season 1 FX Networks Playlist

POSE | SEASON 1 | FX

Don’t miss out on more Pose videos only here on FX: http://bit.ly/SubscribeFX About: Set in the 1980s in New York City, Pose is a dance musical that explores...

m.youtube.com

"Pose" Season 2 FX Networks Playlist

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIDyzBpnfjqm-3cXqICfALgP3O3ApMFIh

"Pose" Season 3 FX Networks Playlist

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIDyzBpnfjqmjwOsJFH2L4Mqb6cwRp1po

BBC iPlayer "Pose" Season 3

Pose

Groundbreaking US series about the underground world of 1980s ball culture.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I lost this round, but I fully intend to win the battle with diabetes fighting on all fronts for my goal of remission...

Good for you @maryjaneholland. Bring that attitude!

 

[Sarahp]

Hi @maryjaneholland sorry I am slow at the moment, I am not awfully well with a bowel infection right now, more than happy to chat about how I support my friends and /or diabetes or anything else. You are doing amazing by not letting this beat you (duk post “ diabetes is relentless and so are we” which is true , it’s on their social media posts), your messages are really interesting to read and I am learning from them, I know from my friends experiences that living with stigma is something you will be facing daily and it will cause stress and impact your diabetes management wise on many levels and I think it is a issue DUk could do with featuring, so much so I have messaged one of the team who I link into re my volunteer work to mention it, if I hear back I will update.
I look forward to our paths crossing again, I have added you as a favourite so I don’t forget your user name ( woolly migraine head can affect my memory).
Thinking of you, best wishes Sarah

 

[maryjaneholland]

@everydayupsanddowns @Sarahp thanks for your support and kind words, having very bad time of it despite aspiring to say coolly "I've got this under control, not my first time at the raw deal rodeo, turned so many lemons into lemonade you wouldn't believe all the stories!"

I really hope you can get all the healthcare and treatment you deserve for your conditions, you do have to fight to be seen and not accept the pushbacks, but also without crossing the line into "zero tolerance policy for abusive behaviour towards NHS staff" it's very fine line and balancing act for chronic conditions and heavy users of the NHS! Thanks for highlighting how stress, stigma and discrimination can wield their powers over physical health issues and specifically BG levels for managing diabetes, so few months of intense pressure, threats of losing my home, usual family dramas and being discharged from long-term services has undone maybe six months of hard work trying to lower my BG levels, but I am now better informed and spending my free time researching better ways for me to manage my diabetes, including the new Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) being available on NHS prescription from all high street and online pharmacists I have contacted thus far, Boots Pharmacists even offer to waive the private doctor consultation fee if you are paying the full private prescription price which incidentally is £220 for roughly one month supply kwikpen... And yet, everyone at my GP Surgery says the same stock phrases without making any enquiries or fact-checking of any kind such as "Mounjaro? Semaglutides? No, global shortages, no availability, no pharmacists can fill prescriptions, so we just don't prescribe, supply issues, you understand!" Ugh!

I wanted to highlight the stigma and the history/herstory of LGBTQIA+ Communities creating safe spaces and meeting socially in privately booked events to celebrate drag performance and female illusion as an artform, with all the associated drama of the drag queen sisterhood and the cabin fever pressure of sharing hotel rooms with drag queen competitors, in time period where homosexuality was illegal in the UK prior to the "Sexual Offences Act" receiving Royal Assent in July 1967, but clearly discrimination still existed as the New York City Stonewall Riots in June 1969 led to the first organised "Gay Pride" events anywhere in the world, it was also illegal for men and women to cross-dress in public, so "The Queen" documentary filmed in 1967 (released in 1968) depicting an underground drag queen beauty pageant competition was illegal and unlawful in many ways at the time and you can feel the tension and unease and tenuous DIY atmosphere where the venue owners shout at all the participants to leave despite paying for the venue, and RuPaul's Drag Race fans may appreciate some of the lines and reference points such as "Your Make-Up Is Terrible!" and Aja playing Crystal LaBeija (Co-founder of the House of LaBeija shown in "Paris Is Burning") - Reminisce and Enjoy! 😉

 

[maryjaneholland]

There's so much distress and uncertainty for all of us trying to manage diabetes dependent upon broken underfunded NHS, prescription drugs shortages across the board far outside of our control and constant attacks upon disabled people where apparently anyone in receipt of disability benefits should just give up go and live in caves and do their bit for upgrading the Ministry of Defence as part of general punching down "let's all hate upon minorities" drive which screams "levelling up" and although I don't have all the easy solutions, it's heartwarming and nostalgic for anyone who lived through the 1990's to be reminded of how other minority groups have responded to adversity and being tested by the authorities over years and decades, with no resolution in the present for the most vulnerable trans women of colour most likely to be victims of hate crime and murder...

Being Queer Trans & Non-Conforming in the shadow of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1990's... I doubt anything similar to Madonna adopting Vogue ball dancers as "cultural appropriation", the life-affirming Wigstock celebration of drag and queer communities in New York City public park and riverside pier and performance artistes including RuPaul pushing all the boundaries of taste and decency exercising free speech would be tolerated with today's culture wars, cancel culture and toxic social media, but the 1990's was all pre-fibre broadband, pre-streaming services and pre-social media, so there's different freedom to not having mobile phones and social media audiences hungry for viral videos taken out of context...

Enjoy the live music and creativity and clock those nineties fashions hair and make-up which are apparently finding new audiences amongst Gen Z! Get It Ghurl! Love & Gratitude to Madonna, NYC Ballroom Houses, Miss Lady Bunny, RuPaul, Crystal Waters, Lola Lypsinka, Mistress Formika, Jackie Beat, Joey Arias, Alexis Arquette, John Kelly, Deee-Lite, Deborah Harry, Candis Cayne, Raven-O, Charles Busch, Jem Jender, The Love Delegation, Jelly Joplin, Wendy Wild, John Sex, Tangella, Flloyd, Sister Dimension, The Ladies Auxillary of Avenue A, Leigh Bowery, Duelling Bankheads, Varla Jean Merman, Charles Pierce, Flotilla De Barge, Charlie Brown, and many more behind the scenes...😉

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qWDlhwYJcpg

 

[maryjaneholland]

Dragtime (1997) HBO Feature Documentary

 

[maryjaneholland]

Well, you made it this far to the end of the thread, the dying embers, the hidden track at the end of that old LP, so for my beautiful and slightly freaky lurkers, here's summary of what I have tried to say over many posts written very eloquently by the infamous "pregnant man" Freddy McConnell and which ironically highlights how government policy denies biological realities and essentialism about "chromosomes" when it comes to making gaybies with LGBTQIA+ parents... Transition, evolve, be yourself, live your life, seize the day, don't look back with regret when it's all too late and your time is up, coz there's plenty many more Qweens being born and coming after you, Sugar, umm-hmm... 😉

We may have equal marriage - but LGBTQ+ people are still locked out of equal parenthood | Freddy McConnell

The law is badly lagging behind when it comes to rights for LGBTQ+ families. We need urgent root-and-branch reform, says the freelance writer Freddy McConnell

www.theguardian.com

Calpernia Addams - Soldier, Medic, Singer, Songwriter, Producer, Actor, Activist, Trans Woman, Proud Owner of XY Chrome-zones... Check out rest of her videos to serve the full dish, darling...