Tag: transgender

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Trans Icon Janet Mock Makes History With ‘POSE’ Directorial Debut

Janet Mock made history earlier this week as the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of TV with the recent Pose episode, “Love is the Message.”
Janet Mock (via Instagram)

Janet Mock made history earlier this week as the first transgender woman of color to write and direct an episode of TV with the recent Pose episode, “Love is the Message.”

The series, which explores the lives of LGBTQ people in the underground ‘ball scene’ alongside the emerging Donald Trump era in the go-go 1980s, artfully brings not only sexual orientation and gender identity to a mainstream TV audience, but also factors in the intersectionality of race.

In an interview with website them, Mock shared:

“The ballroom is a black and brown space before it’s a trans and queer space. So you can’t just say we have this great trans and queer show, you have to add in the layer of the race stuff… had to be very clear that a white trans girl’s experience is very different than a black trans girl’s experience — especially a black trans girl that’s struggling with economic resources in 1980’s New York City.”

“So we gave Elektra (Dominique Jackson’s character) more pointed lines about whiteness, or Angel (Indya Moore) started calling Stan (Evan Peters) a white suburban boy. We had to put that stuff in there.”

This was taken under the amber light of the #posefx ballroom on my first shoot as a Director. Don’t let the smile fool you: I was nervous af about doing something I had never done before, a job that seemed to be reserved for white men, a position in the industry that rarely invited women and/or people of color to sit in the director’s chair. I doubted whether I had the skills and experience to be a director. But I was pushed by @mrrpmurphy who told me I could (“you’re naturally bossy…like me”) and used his Half Initiative to make it happen. But still I had to talk myself through self-doubt (like so many “firsts” have done before me) by saying, “You wrote this script. You know these characters. You helped shape them, make them, move them. You got this, and your whole life as a black trans girl with all your experiences have prepared you for so many unknowns — from being the first in your family to go to college, to get a masters, to work as a journalist, to leave the safety of telling others stories to actually tell your own story, to write two memoirs that centered #girlslikeus, to be the first trans woman of color to be hired in a writer’s room…and yes, the first to write and direct an episode of television. You can do this, will do this and are deserving.” I couldn’t do it alone — no director can. I thank my mentors @mrrpmurphy & @gwynethhorderpayton for pushing, nurturing and supporting me, my DP @simondennis_dop for making it all seem so easy, my first AD Deanna Leslie Kelly, my production designer @jame03, HMU @wigorama @barryleemoe @sherrilaurence, @eriberryk and @tanasepopa for being architects, my editor Shelly Westerman, the marvelous @alexisvmw, my ❤️ @svcanals and the entire crew and the cast especially @theebillyporter, @katemara, @indyamoore, @mjrodriguez7, @evanpeters, and our guest star @johnnysibilly who gave all of themselves to episode 6. LOVE IS THE MESSAGE — and there was no way to write, prep and shoot this script without that LOVE. I hope you enjoy “Love Is the Message” tonight on @fxnetworks. @poseonfx airs at 9PM.
A post shared by Janet Mock (@janetmock) on Jul 8, 2018 at 9:07am PDT

At this year’s VH1 Trailblazer Honors, Ryan Murphy spoke with love and deep respect regarding his experience working with Mock. He also shared that he pushed the trans icon into her first directing gig.

“I said, ’No, Janet, you have to direct. You have to!’ And she wasn’t sure, and I pushed her and pushed her. She did it. And I’m so honored and thrilled to say that it is perhaps the best hour of television in my entire career that I have been associated with.”

“And I say, to Janet, thank you and I’m in awe of you.”

The series has really captured my attention not only for its subject matter but for the quality of the series. The writing, the performances, the production – it all adds up to very powerful, revealing story-telling.

Watch the trailer for Mock’s episode below.

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Starbucks Expands Transgender Employees’ Healthcare Coverage

(image via Flickr/Yukiko Matsuoka)

Since 2012, employee healthcare plans for coffee company Starbucks has covered gender reassignment surgery for its transgender employees.

But now, the coffee giant has announced expanded coverage for trans employees including breast augmentation, breast reduction, facial feminization and hair transplants.

In exploring new options for trans employees, the coffee purveyor consulted with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Starbucks was the first company in the world to ask WPATH to help translate their recommended standards of care into a medical benefits policy, said Jamison Green, the immediate past president of WPATH, who worked with the company on the benefits package.

“Starbucks was not afraid to ask all the right questions and demand that people get the best possible care,” said Green. “We produced a list of the most crucial benefits and those that are deemed problematic to insurance companies, such as facial feminization and electrolysis.”

Many of the new procedures now available to Starbucks employees were considered ‘cosmetic’ by most insurance companies and therefore not covered. But for trans people, these are essential to trans people in their journey to be who they are.

Tate Buhrmester, 15 year employee of Starbucks, manages a store in Austin, Texas.

A 2014 report from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Williams Institute found that 41 percent of the 6,500 transgender adults who responded to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey had attempted suicide at some point, compared to the 4.6 percent of the overall population.

One reason for the high percentage of suicide attempts may be “due to distress related to barriers to obtaining transition-related health care, such as a lack of insurance coverage, inability to afford those procedures, or lack of access to providers,” the report authors wrote.

With suicide rates much higher for transgender people compared to the general population (4.6% versus 41%), having access to these procedures can literally be life-saving.

Plus, trans people can often have trouble finding trans-friendly healthcare providers. To address those barriers, Starbucks has advocates trained to work with trans employees to help them navigate the healthcare systems, find the proper providers and help in making sure claims are covered.

Read more about Starbucks’ announcement here.

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Transgender Woman Wins The Crown Of Miss Universe Spain

Angela Ponce has won the crown of Miss Universe Spain and will compete at the Miss Universe pageant this fall
Angela Ponce, Miss Universe Spain 2018

As Pride Month comes to a close, Spain has crowned Angela Ponce as its representative for this year’s Miss Universe competition.

She is the first transgender woman to win the crown and will represent her country in the Miss Universe pageant come this fall.

Ponce has previously competed in the 2015 Miss World Spain competition representing Cadiz but failed to take home the crown that year.

At the time, she told the Daily Mail she felt like a winner anyway saying, “I have the regional crown on my head and I will keep fighting to make us seen, to make us heard and to demonstrate that I am already a queen with my own crown.”

“Society is not educated for diversity and that is what has made me go public,” she added. “Here I am and I’m not weird, I just have a different story.”

The Miss Universe competition has allowed transgender contestants to compete since 2012.

Watch Ponce’s winning moment below.

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Music Video: Eli Lieb “When You Need A Friend”

Openly gay singer/songwriter Eli Lieb went back to his old high school to spread love and support after a young teen transgender boy committed suicide
Eli Lieb

Out singer/songwriter Eli Lieb shares this uplifting music video for his song, “When You Need a Friend,” which Eli wrote in the aftermath of a young, male transgender student as his old high school committing suicide.

Backed by The Trevor Project, Eli returned to his old school to reach out to kids there and spread some love.

Premiering the new video on NewNowNext, Eli shares:

“I wrote, ’When You Need A Friend’ inspired by his memory, but also for anyone in need,” he says. “I wanted people to know that times can be really tough but if you keep fighting through them, there’s a bright future ahead. I also wanted people to feel like they have a friend in me, even if they don’t know me personally. I want people to feel like when they play this song, that I am there with them offering support.”

If you read The Randy Report with any regularity, you know I’m a big fan of Eli and his music. Click here for more of my coverage of Eli.

Hit play on the video below, and you can also check out my recent interview with Eli for The Randy Report podcast.

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Woof Wednesday: Andrew Christian’s New Trophy Boy Is Hot!

(Photo: jessediamondfitness/Instagram)

Jesse Diamond, a personal trainer based in San Diego, California, is the first transgender man to be featured in a Pride campaign for underwear designer Andrew Christian.

In an interview with Gay Star News, Diamond says joining the Andrew Christian crew is a dream come true. It’s his first modeling gig and he’s clearly ecstatic about the opportunity.

‘When I started working out about five years ago, my dream was basically to become Marky Mark. I wanted to be an underwear model, a buff guy, and I’ve been buying Andrew Christians for years. So it was definitely like a dream come true for me.”

Diamond shares that he began transitioning four years ago (he began presenting as male at the age of 3) and was able to ‘pass’ pretty quickly. He adds that he’s aware some trans folks aren’t so fortunate.

One of the biggest difficulties for the 27-year-old during transitioning has been to find clients for his personal training business.

“Most of the other people I’ve worked with have been trans people,” says Diamond. “Cis males don’t seem to want to work with me because of my stature. I’m too small. And then women don’t want to work with me because I’m too muscular.”

Diamond is featured in Christian’s annual Proud campaign which promotes the brand during Pride season.

Christian told Gay Star News he’s thrilled to have Diamond join his team.

“Andrew Christian was one of the first, out, loud and proud LGBTQ companies, we are so happy that we now have Jesse as part of our team,” said Christian.

Noting the current political landscape for the LGBTQ community, Christian says,”It is extremely important that we all stick together and support each other in every way possible especially being inclusive and celebrating the amazing diversity in our community.”

The famed underwear designer added, “We also have several other shoots scheduled with trans models that we are very excited about.”

Check out more from Jesse Diamond below. #woof

A post shared by Life Coach ⚧ NASM certified PT (@jessediamondfitness) on May 17, 2018 at 4:26am PDT

(h/t Gay Star News)

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News Round-Up: May 23, 2018

blake.jpg
Blake McGrath

Some news items you might have missed:

• Canadian dancer and choreographer Blake McGrath looking chill in Miami Beach (above). Check out his Instagram for videos of his ah-mahz-ing choreography.

• Netflix’s series 13 Reasons Why has come under fire for a controversial, graphic male rape scene.

• A Boy Scout and his dad were kicked out of a hardware store because the store employee doesn’t “support homos.”

• One of the gay men Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis refused to issue a marriage license to in 2015, David Ermold, lost his bid to challenge Davis for her office.

• A federal judge in Virginia has sided with transgender student Gavin Grimm over the rights of trans students to use the bathroom that aligns with their gender identity.

• The NFL has announced a new policy that will fine teams an undetermined amount if players on the field fail to stand during the national anthem played before the start of the game. Players who wish to protest will be allowed to remain in the locker room.

• Check out Jess Glynne’s new single, “I’ll Be There.” Glynne is the first-ever British female to earn six #1 UK singles. I’ve previously featured her collaboration “Real Love” with Clean Bandit on The Randy Report. Hit play below.

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News Round-Up: May 22, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Obaid Habibi was being a little cheeky I think when he posted the above pic asking, “Should I buy this?” My first reaction was, “I’ll take two!”

• Colton Haynes tweeted (then deleted) his thoughts on Hollywood needing to be more inclusive of LGBTQ actors. #WhyDelete?

• A federal court in Virginia has sided with trans student Gavin Grimm saying that federal law protects transgender students from being forced to use separate restroom facilities.

• Congress has voted to rollback the Dodd/Frank bank regulations that helped save the country from another Great Depression. #SRSLY?

• A new study shows that brain activity in transgender people resembles that found in cisgender people of their gender more than their sex assigned at birth.

• A new children’s picture book tells the story of social activist Harvey Milk and his collaboration with Gilbert Baker, the man who designed the iconic symbol for the LGBTQ community: the rainbow pride flag.

• Bonus – I love the artist Silverjow on Instagram. Why didn’t cartoon characters look like this when I was growing up?

Hunks of the week #69A post shared by Silverjow's art (@silverjow) on May 22, 2018 at 11:57am PDT

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News Round-Up: May 13, 2018

Some news stories you might have missed: • A mother who is “against people being gay” wrote to Dear Abby saying her 43-year-old daughter just came out as lesbian. Abby knew just how to handle this one… • A Texas teacher was accused of “promoting a homosexual agenda” when she showed students a picture of herself and her wife dressed up as Disney characters on the first day of school. • Starbucks has now adopted an open-bathroom policy following an incident in Philadelphia last month were two black men were arrested while waiting for a business colleague. • An Oregon school allegedly forced an LGBT student to read the Bible as punishment…? • GLEE star Kevin McHale says of his recent coming out: “I think there was zero surprise. People knew.” • The Trump administration continues its attack on the trans community by rolling back prison protections.

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Podcast: Miami Beach Gay-Bashing; Matt Bomer In Upcoming “Anything;” Diver Tom Daley Speaks Out On LGBT Rights At Commonwealth Games

In this week’s podcast:

• Miami Beach Pride gay bashing

• Sen. Cory Booker calls out Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo on LGBT rights

• Newly-elected Alabama Sen. Doug Jones became the latest co-sponsor of The Equality Act citing his son Carson’s coming out as affecting his view on LGBTQ rights

• Out UK diverTom Daley speaks out against Commonwealth anti-gay laws

• Matt Bomer’s casting in upcoming film trans-oriented ANYTHING gets boos from transgender community

• And the latest political parody from Randy Rainbow – “You Can’t Stop His Tweets”

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

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Podcast: ACLU Sues Ohio Over Trans Birth Certificates; “Roseanne” Reboot Gives LGBTs Pause; NFL Gets 1st Male Cheerleaders

In this week’s podcast:

• The ACLU has filed a lawsuit against the state of Ohio for the state’s policy that bars transgender people from changing their birth certificates.

• There will be NO questions about LGBTs in the 2020 Census

• “Roseanne” returned to TV this week but folks are conflicted about watching

• The NFL will have its first male cheerleaders in the upcoming season

• “Queer Eye” reboot has been renewed for a 2nd season

• Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility. I explain why we observe the day each year.

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.