The following video shows a wonderfully vivacious transgender woman. And, CNN gave her great and respectful coverage. As to her appearing in the Victoria's Secret show, who knows?
I have issue with Transgender women being presented as "so special". In my opinion, her presentation is flawless. Finally someone "got it" about voice training, because the voice is what usually betrays us. It took about three years of HARD work to get my own voice to sound female, and she did it, so I know it is possible.
I think the "walk", you know, the female walk is harder, and the "Model" walk is even harder. And, looking at this woman, her hip development makes me wonder about her being inter-sex.
SO, I suppose my point is that I want trans-women to reach a point someday, where they feel accepted and validated enough that after SRS and all that, it will not be necessary to reveal one's past. We as a group are as varied as any other group. Some of us want to be exhibitionist stripper chicks. And, believe me, controlling that drive in myself is at times a trial. On the other end there are those of us who simply want to get the surgery and disappear. I try to be that woman, but it is so hard.
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/showbiz/2013/11/13/s...
Comments
Wow!
Who would ever know?
Portia
Its getting better I think
Now that they are treating children with hormone blockers, they will look like born females having had a normal female puberty. No male bone structures and musculature to battle.
I would imagine you'd still tell a spouse, unless it was someone who didn't want children. Or you lie to him about why you can't have children. How to handle that would be the only real issue I can think of..?
I blogged this
last weekend from the 'i' the smaller sister of the Independent, she's a very lovely woman and yes her voice is good too.
When I transitioned I went to see a colleague who was head of the speech and language therapy department and she told me my voice and modulation was fine. I was also asked where I was coached by a voice coach and told her I hadn't been. I've taken part in radio programmes when I was with the UK Gender Trust and I don't recall anyone commenting adversely on my voice. Then, I suppose it's been a long time since I transitioned so I might have learned a thing or two by now.
Angharad
Still working...
On a lot of things, voice included. It isn't easy, but it is worth the effort. I know several t-ladies that have totally given up on sounding female. I don't understand it, but I do not judge. Everyone has to find their own way.
We still have a problem in some US states, they will not change our birth certificates, ever. They might amend it, but it still leaves no doubt you were born male. Indeed, they still declare you are male. Oklahoma and Texas are bad examples, Oklahoma (my birth state) is worse. Texas is fighting the fact that California will modify the birth certificate completely to show that you were born female by not accepting the certificate as valid. Best guess is that this will go to the federal Supreme Court after the Texas Supreme Court shows their bigotry where it will be slapped down. The constitution of the United States is pretty clear about "full faith and credit" concerning documents and marriages between states.
As near as we (the Texas TG community) can tell, the right ring idiots really don't want transgendered people to marry, ever, as they pick which ever precedent suits them. This nonsense will eventually be dealt with, but until then we just have to keep fighting the fanatics in the courts, who are also part of the problem.
Is This Really Something To Aspire To?
Is this what some transgender women aspire to? I'd have thought they of all people would be repulsed by such shallowness.
(The above statement is intended as a starting point for debate. It's a first impression, and I'm ready to be swayed by reasoned argument.)
It's not about looks in my case...
...but blending in. While I would certainly love to look like some of these transgender models, I would be happy with looking indistinguishable from any group of cisgender women on the street, with as few glaring reminders of my birth gender as possible. I'm as confused as you, Nicki, why "passable" is equated with "supermodel gorgeous" these days. How many cisgender women meet that standard, after all?
Livin' A Ragtime Life,
Rachel
At what age did she transition?
Y'know that when a trans-kid starts hormones in early puberty most of those nasty masculinizing stuff just doesn't happen. Likewise all the usual & customary feminizing things DO happen.
Three years into my transition, my voice does pretty well, unless I have to raise it above normal levels then Goddess only knows what will happen.
- Janet.