Bettina Rheims best photograph of a transgender sex worker from the 1980s in Paris. Quite an interesting piece especially as it suggests that most of them are now probably dead, presumably from horrible diseases. It struck a chord with me because I transitioned about the same time. Things are so different now.
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/dec/03/bettina-...
Oh, and it happens to be my birthday, today.
Angharad
Comments
Happy Thirty-Something Birthday
Many happy returns!
But your last Birthday was only a year ago!
Time flies which is why I still remember the work I was doing in the late 1970s. Long hours for a minimum wage was the best I could but at least I didn't have to work the streets. In Britain I understood that if you didn't have a job it was unlikely that the psychiatrist would recommend you for surgery so I imagine in France those girls had no escape. Things are improving but unless transition is made while still at school the hoops transitioners must go through must be immense with many youngsters unemployed.
Heavy thoughts but there is the bright side that we can now through BC make new friends and wish our sister Angharad a Very Happy Birthday
Rhona McCloud
Happy B-DAY.
And indeed, many happy returns.
Anne Margarete
Many Happy Returns.
I hope you have a great day. The trouble with winter birthdays is the weather's rarely conducive to a decent bike ride. Mine's in early January so I'm in the same boat.
Annoyingly, despite being Guardian subscribers, ours didn't arrive this morning, hence my usual extended breakfast read was severely curtailed. We pensioners need our little luxuries :)
Robi
Happy birthday!!!
Happy birthday!!!
changed but the same
So if it has improved, it proves how bad it was back then because it is still very bad for the young and abused transgender persons of today. Things have improved but treatment is still nauseatingly slow, 3-5 years before surgery is done for gender centrers in the the UK. Our people are still being beaten to death, ostracised by family and friends, fired from jobs for no other reason; frowned upon in crowds and in severe cases kicked out of establishments. Things have changed but sadly are still the same in the majority of the world as far as how we are treated.
By the way, Happy Birthday and may there be many more to come. You're a wonderful person and deserve all the best.
Dahlia
Tough era to be in
I started transitioning in the mid-80s and I worried mightily about being able to keep a job. However a crucial 5 years later and things were better. It is too easy to sell the only asset you have because of society's rejection. Sadly, being obviously trans still will mean you may not be hired as you will just not be selected next to an equally competent choice just due to it being less of a hassle for the employer, for example. I don't expect this to change much until I am well into retirement.
Happy Birthday...
If I recall properly, Happy Birthday little sister. :)
Gwen
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday Angharad and may you have many more years to delight us with your writing.
HBTY
I was reading the Graun a couple of days ago, and they had an article on male/female brains, in which the headline read "no such thing" while the article said that there were factors that were predominantly female or male...
I wondered whether one of their coterie of transphobic writers had got at the article. I note that there were only 14 comments on your link, and at least one set (all deleted) was from a persistent troll. Sigh. The saddest was from someone being 'reasonable' who declared that nobody was forced into prostitution/destitution, they just needed to find a job where the employer didn't care about them being trans. I hadn't realised it was that easy. Next, world peace and a cure for cancer.
Happy Birthday!
and may you enjoy many more (with the emphasis on ENJOY)
Love, Andrea Lena
Happy Birthday
May everything that happens to you today make you smile and feel warm.
Portia
today
may you have a grand birthday or at least a happy one.
quidquid sum ego, et omnia mea semper; Ego me.
alecia Snowfall
Well Done!
Survived another year? Atta Girl! Keep this up and we'll see Chapter 10,000 of Easy as Falling off a Bike, with Cathy and Simon as grandparents, toddling around Stanebury.
Happy Birthday, Girl!
Red MacDonald
Another birthday?
But it was only last year that you had the previous one!
Hope it has been a good day for you and the year ahead is good.
Brian
Happy birthday, Ang!
Happy birthday, Ang!
To the moggies: Give mum a little extra loving today!
Kris
{I leave a trail of Kudos as I browse the site. Be careful where you step!}
Happy birthday to someone who
Happy birthday to someone who brought us great notice of a small beautiful animal that deserves to be shown to the world!
Happy birthday Angharad, may you enjoy your special day!
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
Happy Birthday
Have the merriest birthday possible, and many more in the years to come. Love your writing, many an evening enjoyed reading some of your works. From me and my six cats have a Happy Birthday.
Hugs and meows
Francesca
Sia
PeePee
Pumpkin
Tessie ( Princess)
Buffy
Abby (low rider)
- Formerly Turnabout Girl