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Free Speech FTM

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Free Speech FTM

[	website	\|	Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, an organization against Speech Codes on Campuses	]
[	userinfo	\|	livejournal userinfo	]
[	archive	\|	journal archive	]

[Jun. 29th, 2009|10:36 pm]

Chaz Bono looks like he weighs about 300 pounds. So - - Is he transitioning because he's a man trapped in a woman's body or because it's more socially acceptable for a man to be fat than a woman? This was my first thought when I saw a recent photo of him.

49 comments|Leave a comment

Nausea after long-term T

[Jun. 24th, 2009|08:57 pm]

I've been dealing with chronic nausea (no vomiting) since October 2008. I'm seeing a doctor for it, but thus far we have not found the cause. We have ruled out heartburn and gastroparesis and now my doctor is thinking it may be a side effect of the testosterone.

The nausea occurs primarily while I am eating or immediately after and can last from a few minutes to several hours. It seems to be more related to the amount of food I eat than the type of food. I have never been a big eater and now I am reduced to meals of about a half cup or less. I am trying to maintain my weight by snacking as often as possible, eating Balance bars and drinking Ensure, but I have still lost 15 pounds since October. This is becoming very worrisome to me and I would love to find a cause, but I have my doubts that testosterone is causing my symptoms.

I've been on T-cypionate since 1999. I started out at 1cc every two weeks, but a couple of years ago I dropped that down to 0.5cc. I figure I'm as virile as I'm going to get and I needed to save a little money. My T levels are still normal at this reduced dosage and I feel fine, so I have no plans to up my dosage again. Aside from the usual initial acne, I've had no adverse effects in the past ten years. In case it should matter, I have had no surgery (but would like to in that mythical someday).

Right now, my doctor is wanting to reduce my dosage down to 0.25cc to see what happens. I have no problem with this, so long as I don't start having periods or mood swings again. It's just that I believe if the T is causing the nausea, I should see some correlation with my dosage schedule, but there is none. The nausea is random and sporadic and the bouts can last a day or several weeks.

So I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced nausea like this as a side effect of the long-term use of T? If you have (or know of someone who has and don't mind putting us in touch), I'd really like to speak with you about what happened and how you resolved the situation. You may respond here or through email (alteredboi@gmail.com) if you prefer.

24 comments|Leave a comment

CPT codes for top surgery?

[Jun. 23rd, 2009|07:47 am]

sparsityproblem

Hello,

Have you attempted to get your insurance plan to pay for top surgery (successfully or not)? If so, what CPT code(s) did your doctor use on the billing statement?

I'm asking because my insurance company, which does pay for SRS, is nonetheless unwilling to reimburse without a CPT code, and my surgeon's office is being completely uncooperative and claiming there are no codes they could use for chest reconstruction surgery. (There are codes for breast reduction and mastectomy, but the procedure that my surgeon does isn't exactly either.) If you had a surgeon who was willing to bill insurance or at least report this information to you, could you reply? Thanks!

Even if you weren't covered, if you had a surgeon who is in principle willing to bill insurance for SRS, it would be helpful for me to know their name so I could contact their office and find out which codes they use.

(xposted to

ftm)

1 comment|Leave a comment

[Jun. 17th, 2009|04:03 pm]

Oh G-d, here we go.

...

3 comments|Leave a comment

[Jun. 16th, 2009|07:41 pm]

pilot_light_out

Sometimes during discussions where I am trying to explain what I am to people, I find myself having to say things like "I was born female but..." and I feel like its not doing what I truly am any justice. And then I see other trans people using this same technique and I feel the need to correct this, but sometimes it feels like you have to put it that way to get people to understand quickly.

The thing is, I don't think I should have to say I was born as something that has never felt true to me. Often times I don't understand how some trans people actually go through with this type of defintion. The "I was born female/male but never felt that, so transitioned to male/female." I think the truth is definetely much deeper than that, and although I think we know that in our hearts the whole time, again sometimes its just easier to explain it that way.

But the truth still isnt being fought for enough, in my opinion. I was not born female, so why do I have to say that? If I was born female then I would be...

Girl/Boy, Man/Woman, I just dont think (in truth) they are simple physical things. Its a feeling. Its how you feel about the body you have. Yes I have a vagina and a uterus, but sexually I am male. Everyone in the "trapped in by generalized definitions" American Medical Association and what have you can tell me otherwise over and over again, I'll still know that I am male and have always been.

Its like sometimes even trans people themselves havent realized there own true nature. I mean, even if you are not trans there are still truths about the nature of sexuality that one probably still needs to realize, from my observations of our current society, but trans people have a special key to it in my opinion, so we are probably the most capable people when it comes to enlightening others about the nature of sexuality.

These are just some thoughts I've been having. It seems connected to the sort of "male-to-male" argument that some trans guys make. But sexuality is one of the most amazing things in the universe, to me the nature of sexuality is the nature of god, and as transsexuals we have the ability to see it deeper than most, so I get a bit frustrated when I see other trans people sort of, I dont know, denying or rejecting the truth that is inside of them in order to go along with people that just dont seem to "get it." I hope that makes sense. I mean, it seems that way in the media a lot of the time, especially. But god forbid the all powerful American media to spark useless negativity inside of me, ha ha.

Does anyone else see being transsexual as a way to some serious enlightenment? Or should I just take a breath and realize that it doesnt have to be taken so seriously?

9 comments|Leave a comment

[Jun. 10th, 2009|05:06 am]

Quick question...

Do you find the word "tranny" to be insulting or offensive in any way?

Thanks. =P

EDIT desu: I am trans. I find it offensive. Just seeing how many other people do or don't, because I have a numbskull over here that's saying it's not offensive/I'm the ONLY ONE OMG that finds it offensive. I'd like to prove them wrong.

33 comments|Leave a comment

Max Wolf Valerio and Aja Couchois Duncan in NQAF SF

[Jun. 8th, 2009|06:54 pm]

expanding_x_man

I've got all new work being premiered at this year's National Queer Arts Festival in San Francisco! All are invited if you are local and can attend. Hope to see you there!

Exile: Vision Quest at the Edge of Identity: Max went back to the Blood (Kainai) Reserve in 2008 in Alberta, Canada after a 22 year absence. Exile is an exploration and celebration of his journey home. Exile searches for meaning in an individualist post-tribal urban Indian identity, while exploring dislocation, identity fragmentation and transsexual transformation.

(con't from the site)
Max evokes traditional voices and creates new ones, using waking dreams and conversations with the spirits and characters of Blackfoot mythology to show him the way home. Timothy O’Neill worked with Max in the 80’s creating music for his poems; he returns to create a shimmering soundscape using the sounds of nature and samples of traditional Blackfoot music.

Nomenclature, Miigaadiwin, a Forked Tongue is a 26 poem series in which Aja Couchois Duncan relanguages experience as an alternate self. The series is accompanied by visual footage by Alejandro Gabriel Cruz Gonzalez and Rozita Shamaelov Fogelman.

2 comments|Leave a comment

[Jun. 4th, 2009|06:27 pm]

quaere_verum_42

I am hoping to have top surgery in August/September but I have been wondering something hopefully any guys here who had it done could help me out.

I'm not the thinnest guy. I'm 5'6", 190 lbs and I have a bit of a beer gut. I don't like it and I'm really going to get myself running ASAP.

I've been wondering though with top surgery, do they create your chest based off of your body size or do they typically do the same sized chest for anyone? Since I have a gut right now would my doctor create my chest based off of that? Or would I have a flatter chest and more of a stomach? I would like to lose some weight by the time I have surgery so hopefully it won't be too big of an issue but it's just been something I've been thinking about lately.

Also (and part of the big push for getting my surgery done asap) I need to fill out my forms to receive my teaching certification (I already finished college) and it specifies Check the appropriate box for "Male" or "Female". I don't believe the certification has a gender marker on it, but I really don't know what to do since this a government thing. My name is legally changed and that's why I put off getting certified until now, but then I noticed that statement on the form today. I was thinking about now marking anything and saying "Oops didn't see that there" but I also don't want to delay my certification coming.

Thanks in advance!
- Chris

15 comments|Leave a comment

[May. 26th, 2009|02:15 pm]

1_2_suckerpunch

For those of you who have had top surgery:
I'm planning on getting my third tattoo pretty soon, and I'd like to get it across my chest. Obviously, though, I don't want potential interference with top surgery. It would be just a single line of text, medium to small, right under my clavicles...not down on breast tissue or anything. What do you think about potential complications?

5 comments|Leave a comment

Minoxidil/Rogaine/Regaine

[May. 17th, 2009|01:09 am]

Anyone else with experiences?

I've got awesome hair growth. Five months on T, enough facial hair to pass with no problem.

I used it for a few weeks, took a 2 week break, and I'm using it even more now.

I'd post about it in the regular ftm groups because of higher memberships, but they already shut the discussion down a while back.

Mini FAQ: (big faq)

Pricey?
Not at Walmart. Relatively reasonable there. Equate brand.

Dangerous?
Watch for excessive heart rate. Sometimes minoxidil goes systemic and causes extra body hair growth, too. Read the label.

Benefits?
Also helps with acne.

Bummers?
Won't dry on the skin for like an hour.

When does it work?
Two weeks to two months.

What will I see?
Fine unpigmented hair, then fine pigmented hair, then "real" hair.

How long does it last?
The life of the hair follicle. About one to two years.

ETA: Not all medications (whatever they are) work for everyone. YMMV. If you're allergic to it, don't use it. But just because you have, Joe down the street has, or whoever has had a bad experience with it, doesn't mean everyone will and for those folks that really want facial hair and are willing to do whatever to get it, it might help. For me, it was worth a try. For others, maybe not. Don't use if you're not willing to look like a bear to get your beard, too.

16 comments|Leave a comment

looking for someone fluent in spanish, ASAP

[May. 13th, 2009|07:50 pm]

Hi,

I made a couple of videos almost a decade ago. They were both sexually explicit videos, BDSM scenes with various FTMs in them. The tapes are currently being screened in Vienna, Austria, Rome, Italy and next in Valencia, Spain. I have found that it completely changes the way the tapes are experienced if they are subtitled, most specifically so that viewers can hear/see the male pronouns. It really helps people to understand and enjoy what they are watching on a deeper level when the words for male genitals and male identites are made explicitly clear. For example, when people are not comfortable to decide if they are watching an image of dykes or of guys, they get more nervous and triggery watching the scene. (This is what happened at last week's screening in Rome, some genetic women were upset that images of 'violence against women' had been programmed, so they walked out. When it was explained to them that these are 3 guys, and the tape is all about consent, they were shocked again, but no longer triggered.)

So, I am wondering if anyone here would be interested in a barter:
I would send you a copy of the 2 tapes if you could translate the dialogues (which I will provide) into European vernacular Spanish.

Thanks, Danke, Grazie :)

1 comment|Leave a comment

[May. 5th, 2009|05:32 am]

Are there ftm social groups in Atlanta? Are there genetic women who date ftms in Atlanta? I didn't find much when I yahooed FTM Atlanta. I'm going to vacation in Atlanta this month and may relocate there soon.

9 comments|Leave a comment

Real ID act....?

[May. 4th, 2009|07:36 pm]

So....where are things at in the US with the Real ID act?

3 comments|Leave a comment

Happy 2nd Anniversary to us!

[Apr. 29th, 2009|02:56 pm]

expanding_x_man

[

Current Mood

|

bouncy

]

Hello free_speech_ftm free thinkers, non-thinkers, wankers, and associated others!

Today is the second year birthday of free_speech_ftm! I want to thank everyone here for watching, taking part, arguing, agreeing, and generally, hanging out. We've had a good two years, and I am hopeful there will be more.

I started this forum two years ago after being fed-up with the language policing policies on another FTM LJ site. There were so many words or phrases that could not be used, no matter what context they were being used in. I felt as though people were afraid to post because they would have their asses paddled right in front of that entire FTM community, which was huge and lurking. Glaring as their tiny or not-so-tiny butts were spanked to a bright sparkling red color online, by gleeful, leering, slightly crazed moderators!

These practices were intolerable to me. I had to stop this wank fest, this crazed carnival of spanking and scolding, or at least, give people an alternative to the madness, so I created this forum.

We've had some ups and downs, and I have had to actually create a framework of some basic rules for this place, and they can be seen on the Community Profile page. But, the basic spirit, of not having any SPEECH CODES is the foundation and remains. By speech codes I mean, that there are no rules about specific phrases or words, and each person must take responsibility for their own language and opinions here. While some may argue with any particular word, or attitude, there won't be a moderator to step in and ban anyone who says something like, "I know I am a bit slow sometimes, but why do trans men want to get bottom surgery?" Or, "It was really lame that I got chewed out for shaving over the sink the other day by my girlfriend." I mean, I am not going to lecture you or threaten to ban you because you admit to being "slow" or say "chewed out" or "lame" or for calling your female "significant other" your -- girlfriend. This has happened in other FTM or transgender places online, and while some members of this forum may have a hair up their ass about people having a girlfriend or wanting one, or being one -- I, the moderator will not have these attitudes or inflict them on you. I mean, some think that one should never ever ever say "my" girlfriend, that she is not a "girl" and not YOURS, but dang -- that is your business. And, the same goes for issues with the phrases mentioned. And, many more that I have not even considered as objectionable, since more seem to become objectionable in other places all the time.

But really, it is all common sense I think. I mean, my advice is to be civil, be generally polite, and have fun. If you must be incendiary, be smart. Or, try... But, mainly have a good time.

I also hope we can help inform each other and encourage each other one way or another. I don't see this as a "snark" community, but I do sometimes feel "snarky". You might as well. In any event, I hope we are creating a new way for trans men and our assorted allies to be "safe" even as we take the risk of communication. One that does not rely on speech codes or constant attitude adjusting from authority figures.

So, Happy Birthday to us!

Have fun, take care!
NOT your Big Trans Daddy Moderator --
Maximilian --

30 comments|Leave a comment

[Apr. 24th, 2009|01:42 am]

I need a job.

A place I worked at awhile back is hiring again for the exact same position I held beforehand. However, since then, I have started transition. I have had my name legally changed, and have been taking T for 11 months.

The staff was pretty groovy, but I want to hear some personal anecdotes from people who have reapplied for jobs held pre-transition. Furthermore, how the hell do I even say "I worked for you in the past, but you won't recognize the name on my resume because it used to be ____."? Is it a disaster waiting to happen? I find that people who knew me pre-transition (but don't have any high stake/involvement in staying on my good side) are considerably less likely to try when it comes to pronouns/names, but I've never handled a similar situation employment-wise.

Guidance, gents? Thanks. :D

4 comments|Leave a comment

[Apr. 23rd, 2009|11:08 am]

quaere_verum_42

I got my name legally changed (yay!) this past March. Living in Philadelphia I was able to bypass the posting in a newspaper part because of being trans. I was even told the case was sealed so they can't access the old name.

I was filling out an application that asked "Have you ever been known by any other name?"

I even called a legal office (Equality Advocates PA) to make sure what to do and I was told I have to list my old name.

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of being stealth and having my name changed? What have other people done when it comes to this? I understand the point because they need to do background checks but I really don't like this, especially if I will always have to do this...

Any thoughts?

17 comments|Leave a comment

Sylvia Rivera Law Project against Hate Crimes Law and GENDA

[Apr. 22nd, 2009|07:10 pm]

expanding_x_man

So, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project is not supporting hate crimes legislation, which means, they are not supporting GENDA. Read and see why:

SRLP announces non-support of the Gender Employment Non-Discrimination Act!

I am unsure about hate crimes legislation myself as it creates a protected category of citizens, and in effect, makes one person's murder more unlawful than another person's. More ominously, this type of legislation tends to create "thought crimes" penalties since when someone is being prosecuted for committing a hate crime it is the thoughts they were thinking at the time of the crime which are unlawful. And, people's thoughts are often up for question. I mean, many men will call another man a "fag" or a "pussy" when they are getting in a fight, but that does not mean that they actually do think that man is a homosexual, or that they even think he is effeminate. If he kills the person, then, this man might get an enhanced or different sentence even if he was only using common slang. I mean, even if he really did not kill the guy because he thought the guy was really gay. It is possible this enhancement could put more years on a prison sentence, although I guess a good lawyer could argue that the crime was not a hate crime by pointing this out. However, not everyone gets good lawyers.

I guess that is where the SRLP is coming from. These laws could be used against disadvantaged groups very easily. They often are. Not by design, but by convenience.

Also, while the SRLP does not make this argument, I believe that it is very important that we not criminalize thought. If someone murders someone, premeditation or passion, or accident may be a decisive factor in their sentencing, but the exact contents of their malefic intent should not be as important. Criminalizing thought is a slippery slope leading to "thought crimes' legislation, and all the totalitarian horrors that entails.

I am not sure on this one though. The reason is because hate crimes do have as part of their intent the effect of terrorizing a whole community or group of persons. However, on the other hand, even if I am not in a community that is targeted, I may still be in a state of terror if that category of persons is broad enough for me to know someone in that category , or to be related to a person in that category. Also, murder is murder and tends to terrorize regardless of who is being murdered.

I always thought that hate crimes should be an enhancement on sentencing only, but SRLP argues against it here. They say that even as an enhancement the law can be often used against the groups it means to protect. They cite black men being given more jail time due to hate crime enhancements in their sentencing because they have killed white people. I am a little surprised since frankly, I did not think white people were a protected category under hate crime laws.

In any event, it could be that hate crime laws are a slippery slope. Murder and assault are already against the law and should be punished regardless of who is the victim. Justice wears a blindfold for a reason.

13 comments|Leave a comment

[Apr. 22nd, 2009|06:29 pm]

I may have posted something like this before, I dunno I'm getting old excuse me.

But what do you guys feel about people who take certain words like "cis" or "hermaphordite" "tranny" or "boi" offensive? I mean, I understand that one would not want to be called these things, but where do they get off banning the use of these words from other peoples vocabulary?

I think this goes for any word in any community. Especially in this community, tranny transgendered community, where we are all labeling ourselves as different things. So what if someone wanted to label themselves as a "tranny". Why shouldn't they be able to call themselves that without getting shit from others?

52 comments|Leave a comment

Amazon from a Glamazon

[Apr. 16th, 2009|06:11 pm]

expanding_x_man

Recently, Amazon.com had a little "glitch" with its sales rankings and LGBT books. It is better now, and they claim it was some French programmers who screwed things up, but some are skeptical. Here, on YouTube, trans musician, activist, writer and Glamazon, Christine Beatty "Glamazon" offers up her take on the debacle...

WARNING: She is in a white slip! This is not "work safe", unless you work in a brothel. With that in mind, I offer up this video. It may be madness, or just a chance for Christine to pose provocatively in her underthings in front of a camera and make oooo shapes with her lips, with her legs slightly spread, and her slip hiked waaaay up, but on the other hand, these allegations could be true. At the very least, it is amusing. Trans activism being ah, active! Here:

( Read more... )

8 comments|Leave a comment

3x black double front

[Apr. 9th, 2009|12:49 pm]

Does anyone need a 3x double front in black? I have one I'd like to sell fairly cheaply to someone who can use it, it's so huge on me, I can't wear it.

Let me know!

7 comments|Leave a comment

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