Beck's Cafe now on WordPress 3.0!
Okay happy readers Beck’s Cafe has just upgraded to WordPress 3.0
It took five minutes, including plug-ins…holy cow!
This should be awesomely fun perking up fresh posts…thank you all for reading by the way. I really appreciate it!
Click over to this link to learn about the awesome wonderfulness that is WordPress 3.0
C O D E I S P O E T R Y
Transgender Rabbinical Students Are Finding Acceptance and Equality in the Jewish World
On this perfect Sunday for lazily sipping coffee, I wanted to point our readers to a terrific piece on a Transgender Rabinical Student named Reuben Zellman. He transitioned, became a Rabbi and started a web site too. Great reading about faith and being who you are in an apparently unlikely situation. Read all about the story at JewishJournal.com here: Transgender Rabbinical Students Finding Equality in the Jewish World. You can see his site here, TransTorah.org
(Thanks to special correspondant Grace for pointing this article to us)
Transgender persons now allowed to have their appropriate gender on their passports
Transgender persons will now be allowed to have their appropriate gender on their passports. As reported in the Washington Post this morning by Ed O’Keefe:
The State Department has revised its policy on changing passports for transgender people, announcing Wednesday night that a doctor’s note will now suffice in such cases.
Previously, the State Department had required that a person undergo sexual reassignment surgery before it would change the passport. The policy had outraged transgender advocates, who called for an updated approach.
Under the new policy, which takes effect Thursday, a doctor must attest that the person is undergoing clinical treatment for gender transition, State said. Limited-validity passports will also be available to applicants in the process of gender transition, the department added.
That’s pretty exciting news first thing this morning! But what has prompted such an important change? WPATH and the AMA!
State noted that its policy is “based on standards and recommendations of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), recognized by the American Medical Association as the authority in this field.”
The department also stressed that passport-issuing officials “will only ask appropriate questions to obtain information necessary to determine citizenship and identity.”
You can read the full article here at the Washington Post, “State eases rules for changing gender on passports“
You can also read the official statement by the U.S. State Department here: “New Policy on Gender Change in Passports Announced“
More news and other sources on this topic at Google News here.
Fashion tip 1: how to preserve your pantyhose
Wherever you are on your journey as a transgender woman, there’s a whole bunch of things we all have to learn. We have to learn how to eat (with a fork vs. say a trough…thank goodness for Monica Pratt’s help there during First Event!), we have to learn how to walk (preferably on two feet) and we have to learn how to stretch that dollar. So here’s a tip that might help.
When you put on new, fresh from the package, pantyhose, rolling it up one leg then the next, starting at your tippy toes, seems pretty straightforward. But what if you just washed your stockings? You don’t want to risk ruining a pair and wasting your hard earned money. Here’s the tip, for pantyhose or stockings, where you have to slip your hand down them in order to prepare them to roll up your freshly shaven legs. Wear white gloves. That’s right. Purchase a pair of inexpensive white gloves, don those first on your mitts, then commence with putting on your pantyhose or stockings. You’ll avoid any chance of a run and be able to fearlessly slip them up your ultra smooth shaved legs.
(many thanks to TCNE Member Jennifer for sharing this fashion tip with our readers!)
Boston Pride June 3 to June 13 for the LGBT Community and Allies; MTPC Invites You to Join Them!
Boston Pride is June 3 to June 13 for the LGBT Community and Allies. I attended last year on the day of the parade and was overwhelmed with how supportive the entire LGBT community was! I was also surprised to see vendors like the NY Time and a vinyl siding company exhibiting and TJX handing out carry bags. I thought to myself, “well, Pride has pretty much gone mainstream, not much to talk about!”.
This year, as last, MTPC invites you to march, work, and party with them! Seriously great folks and fun too. Besides that they do alot of work for our community on a shoe string budget. I got an email from Gunner Scott, their Executive Director, with the following info; feel free to use at will fair readers:
Proud to be Transgender, Proud to be an Ally – March with MTPC!
Let’s make it the largest transgender and ally contingent Boston has ever seen this year!
MTPC is looking for members of our community, our friends, family and allies to join us at Boston Pride on June 12thWhen: Boston Pride on Saturday, June 12th
What: Marching; we will meet at 11:30 am on Tremont St in South End – Exact meeting location will be posted on our website and facebook page on Friday,June 11th (that is when Boston Pride tells us). You can just show up and
march with us!What Else? Don’t like to march or want spend some time with awesome MTPC folks then come and donate an hour or two at our table selling t-shirts, talking up the legislation, and meeting lots of LGBT and allies. Join MTPC’s table at Boston City Hall Plaza, Tremont St. near Government Ctr. You can reach Government Center by the T
Volunteers needed for following shifts:
- 9 am -11 am (set up)
- 11 am – 1 pm
- 1 pm – 3pm
- 3 pm – 5 pm
- 5 pm – 6 pm (break down)
To RSVP to march, or to volunteer, e-mail Rachel at rachel@masstpc.org or call the MTPC office at (617) 778-0519.
Now about them Pride Parties MTPC is at…..
Sat June 12 – Pride Night official MTPC after party.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD: QUEER/TRANS PRIDE PARTY
9 PM-2 AM, Midway Café, 3496 Washington Street, $5 cover, 21+
“Don’t call it a comeback…” Remember when you were dripping with sweat from
dancing so hard? Boston’s only explicitly trans-welcoming queer dance
night, returns just in time for Pride with DJ D’hana and special guests DJ
Sir Loins and Stella.
Sun., June, 13 – JAMAICA PLAIN BLOCK PARTY
JP Block Party with Food Sales Benefitting Network/La Red
12-7 PM, Perkins Street, free entry from 12-1 and $10 after 1 PM
(This event tends to get more women, just as an FYI and the Stuart St block
party tends to get more men, but neither is gender exclusive, but just to
make folks aware.)
This year’s JP Block Party will feature DJ Jodi, DJ D’hana (of The
Neighborhood) and DJ Kristen Korpos. All are welcome, but you must be 21+
with ID to drink. Trans welcoming event!
(MTPC is looking for volunteers to table with us at the Block Party)
