Does anyone know if Medicaid (New York) covers estrogen?

Hi all,
I've posted here recently about considering going by a more gender neutral name that can be read either way, and I've slowly started telling close friends and understanding family members about it, which has been helpful and I'm feeling mostly good about this decision. I feel like I already know the answer to these questions, but I wanted to ask them anyway even just to get some validation/support.

1) After you started going by a different name, did it take a while to get used to it, or were you sad about letting go of your birth name?
( more )

Hi everyone,

I have a trans male friend who's uncertain whether it's even an option to get a scrotoplasty without a vaginectomy. I said I'd ask on here for him to see if anyone has any experience/advice on whether this is possible/who to ask.

(crossposted to tguk)

Many of you may have noticed that some pages on http://t-vox.org/ are giving database errors and not letting you see the content. The T-Vox admins are aware of the database issue and are working on it; it's proven to be a particularly obnoxious problem but they're doing their best to get it resolved ASAP. Anyone who's good with php and Mediawiki should please get in touch to help!

In the meantime, on any page that gives a database error, just click the little View Source tab to see the raw contents of the page. There's very little markup code so it should be readable, and you can use Ctrl+F to search it for whatever you're looking for. (If you have a T-Vox account and are logged in, the Edit tab will do the same thing.) Many of the pages do not have an error, fortunately, and can be accessed as normal.

The pages, including the ones with database errors, are still editable, so please do continue to contribute!

A few popular pages that are linked to from the Resources page, which people may now have trouble finding:

* Online Support
* Support groups
* FTM passing tips
* MTF passing tips
* FTM reading list
* General reading list
* Physicians by region
* Therapists by region
* List of transfeminine people
* List of transmasculine people

You can also go to All Pages to find what you're looking for.

Two of the most popular pages that folks may have issues with:

Therapists in the United States - this page links to more specific geographic areas in the US. If you can't figure out how to get to the page you need, here are the links:

Northeast
* New England - CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
* Mid-Atlantic - NJ, NY, PA

Midwest
* East North Central - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
* West North Central - IA, KS, MO, MN, ND, NE, SD

South
* South Atlantic - DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV
* East South Central - AL, KY, MS, TN
* West South Central - AR, LA, OK, TX

West
* Mountain - AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY
* Pacific - AK, CA, HI, OR, WA


Support groups in the United States - same format as the therapists page. If you can't figure out how to get to the page you need, here are the links:

* New England
* Mid-Atlantic
* East North Central
* West North Central
* South Atlantic
* East South Central
* West South Central
* Mountain
* Pacific

I know there are one or two Cambridge folk here - can anyone recommend a trans-friendly beauty salon for some waxing, anywhere in Cambridge city? I'm FTM rather than MTF and non-op, so just asking about a gay-friendly one is not necessarily going to get me someone open-minded...

I just wanted to share this with everyone. Im scared but at the same time proud of myself. I am bi gender, and I wanted a hair style that was unisex so on my fem days I could wear it girly, and on my male days masculine. See my hair was really long, then I cut it shoulder length but very feminine. Today I did the extreme. I went out and got it cut REALLY REALLY short, but I think it looks good and as I lose weight I think it will look even better with my facial shape.

I am so excited. Alot of people are telling me how proud they are of me for coming out. I am so lucky so have so much support in this and I feel so badly for those who don't. So for anyone who needs support and encouragement, I am here for you. And my army of supporters will be there for you too. Don't lose hope.

The only thing I'm having issues with is binders because I have large breasts and not alot of money. Right now I use a waist support but I cant wear that under white shirts. So I plan to get a good binder here soon but I want my packer first. Any who, so what do you all think of the new do.

If you have a Kindle, my book 'The Ghost Wars' can be found-

The Ghost Wars by Cole J. Davis Permalink: http://amzn.com/B0082RDM30 on Amazon.com

Or here-

The Ghost Wars by Cole J. Davis Permalink: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0082RDM30 in the UK.

For those in Europe, it's also available in your regional Amazon site.

Product Description

The Ghost Wars is a literary science fiction work focused on identity, diversity and the spiritual underpinnings of the nature of good and evil. Set in Vancouver, Canada; our protagonist RCN Captain Billington sees the world from a higher vantage point of a world in which money is no longer man’s ruler, where the health of the planet and the body politic trump all.

Alternating between three interconnecting lives, Jason Bowen, Cole Billington and Cecil Smith each have their own individual experiences of being the outlier in their world. Jason’s autistic neurology has found creative expression through the development of an intricately layered inner world. Cole’s bicultural heritage as a despised alien species with a lifespan of five centuries gives him an inherent sense of how autistics view the world. Cole’s war torn childhood on Garconer Colony has left him with his own dislocated inner aspects. Sucked up by a spatial-temporal gravity well; Cole was torn out of his own time and has been working with the Commonwealth Protection Bureau since its inception in nineteen ten. Born in nineteen hundred; Cecelia Smith began working at the CPB in nineteen twenty eight, going by the name Cecil. Cecil’s life as a transgender man parallels Jason’s own gender queer one.

The Ghost Wars aims to bring readers a new understanding of the issues surrounding gender variation, atypical neurology and spirituality with a futuristic twist. By utilizing a narrative dialogue reminiscent of Plato’s ‘Republic’, characters discuss issues of gender identity, autistic neurology and the legitimacy of emerging Gnostic cults.

I often get frustrated by the inaccurate information and urban myths that get passed around in trans* communities, and have really started to wish there was a sort of Snopes for trans* myths I could point people at. It's not the 'trans myths' that often get debunked on 101 sites, and more about the medical side of things. False notions about surgery, wildly overstated or understated risks of medical transition, misunderstandings about herbal remedies, etc., get thrown around as total fact a lot more than I'd expect.

Unfortunately, solid, factual information is often pretty hard to find. Either it's buried underneath a load of nonsense in search results, or it's in academic papers that are behind paywalls and/or hard to translate into layman's language. I'm just wondering what the best ways are to confront these urban myths?

( You are about to view content that may not be appropriate for minors. )

Hello all,

I am Damien/Bella. I consider myself bigender, I am either male or female depending on the day and my mood. Bigender, for those who dont know, is a transgender term for those who are both. Not in between but sometimes one or the other and switch between the two either consciously or subconsciously. Physically I am female, though today I am Damien. My male persona.

I joined this group and Live Journal in general to meet like minded people, to rant, rave and otherwise figure things out in my life. Im looking to meet others like myself and those who support people like myself. I have a great support when it comes to life, I have great friends who are here for me but it would be nice to get to know and talk to people who are like me, or atleast understand what its like to physically be one thing and mentally and emotionally be something else entirely.

I am struggling with this in many ways because I am in a straight marriage. My husand is extremly supportive but I worry about how far his support with go especially on my Damien days when I am in male clothing, male behaviors, and soon I will even start using packers and possibly STPs. A friend of mine recently came out as transgendered and she helped me to have more confidence in coming out myself. My family still doesnt know about it and not many friends around me do. I feel a little alone in this but I am trying to figure alot of things out includng therapy to help me cope with the new things in my life. Though ironically none of this is all that new considering even in childhood I was always the one volunteering to play dad when we played house and all. But anyway I suppose this is my way of reaching out to others who are similar to myself, or even understand a little. I hope to hear from you soon.

Hi all,

I'm new to this community but I've posted before in genderqueer and other LGBTQ journals here before, so I apologize if the beginning part of this post sounds similar. I'm a female-bodied queer person who doesn't really identify with either gender, or rather fluctuates between feeling like a man and feeling like a woman. While my dress reflects this identity fluidity, regardless of what I'm wearing or acting I still have a very femme face, a high-pitched voice, and a "feminine" shape, so it's hard to pass as butch or androgynous when I want to appear that way. Anyway, I've been playing with the idea of using a more gender-neutral name for the last couple years, and this last week or so I've had a really strong feeling of wanting one. Yet I was surprised at how scared I got once this started becoming a reality...

( more behind the cut )

Does anyone here know if there is a term in use within the intersex community (or beyond), to refer to those who are not intersex? Something that does the same job for them as cissexual for trans people, heterosexual for gay people, or neurotypical for autistic people?

OK, question for any trans guys who've had a copper IUD fitted while on T. Did you get any spotting/cramping, and if so how long did it take to die down? I'm on day 2 and not enjoying it...

I have been out for nearly seven years now. There have been many improvements and changes. Protections for GLBT persons are law in many counties, towns, states, and countries. There is also more backlashes because we dare to make our voices heard. Transgender Day of Remembrance reminds me that we’re still in a fight.

What is encouraging is that more people are seeing through the labyrinth of lies thrown up by our enemies. I am seeing cracks in the armor of seemingly impenetrable social institutions because people are being educated about gender and sexuality. The church is one such institution. I am part of a task force that forming a ministry for LGBTQI persons. I’m very happy about this because I’m involved with the church. No longer can churches ignore part of their congregations because we are everywhere. One of my desires is share my story and educate the church about what it is to be transgender.

On a personal level, I’m very comfortable with where I am at the present time. The gender has been fluid the past several days. I have been interacting with the public quite a bit. I enjoy speaking with others. Others hve taking notice because I’ve been sent emails and notes. I even have an admirer at the community center.

My spouse is still trying to understand my being transgender but she has
made progress. I’m making new discoveries as I continue on this journey. I’m really happy about life.

Hey Everyone,

I am doing research for my school project that will I will hopefully be able to use to help trans* masculine individuals stay healthy. My project is concerning why or why not trans* masculine identified people have pelvic exams done. My hope is that with the information I receive I will be able to relay it to trans* clinics in order to help them. I understand that this subject is extremely uncomfortable and sensitive. But if you are interested in completing this survey click here.  I've created a tumblr that is specifically aimed at this research.  The survey will be found at that link. 

Thanks,
Jack

Hi! I'm hunting down trans history and have found recent stuff, and stuff on like Hirschfeld and Ellis, and Harry Benjamin, but can you point me toward resources (articles, videos, books, anything) that talk about transsexuality (as we understand it now; they would often use different language back then) from like 1960-1980? I know that the Johns Hopkins program was a big deal in that period, but I'm not coming up with much about them. Which is weird, because you'd think they'd have been publishing articles in scholarly journals and stuff... maybe I'm just searching wrong? Anyway, any information would be appreciated.

Hey. My name is Stealthy, and I'm a non-binary CAFAB transsexual.

I'm 13, and I live in Australia. We're in school holidays right now (the breaks between terms, anyway), but I go to an all-girl's school. This, however, is a temporary situation.

See..earlier today, I went to my first gender therapy appointment! This was something I've been waiting for for over half a month, so I'm really happy I finally got to go there. I've always found it kind of on the difficult side to discuss this stuff with my mum. I mean, often she'd seem to understand, but then she'd say something that implies she sees me as a girl, and...it was just really complicated, and I was glad to finally get to talk to someone else.

The therapist was a really awesome woman, really supportive. I told her she could tell my mum all the stuff we talked about, so afterwards I was reading the books that the place had on gender identity (they have a book by Kate, the birl who was CAMAB, presents as female and identifies as genderless-shi was the author of Gender Outlaw, but I was reading a different one of hir books) while they discussed the situation.

Anyway, to cut a long story short-it's not long until I socially transition, at least as much as I can with a non-binary identity (I plan to find some way to live openly as non-binary, no matter how many strongly worded emails I'll need to send to companies whose online forms include only two gender options). I'm going to be moving schools soon.

I want to include a lot of stuff in here, but I just can't find the words. So...yeah. Hi, everybody! Hi, Dr Nick~

BUTTERFLY IN EFFECT: BEYOND BINARY explores themes of environment, gender and the space between. All performers self identify somewhere on a Trans, Gender-Queer, Gender-Fluid, or Gender Non-Conforming spectrum with interpretations of environment ranging anywhere from the outdoors to religion. Proceeds to go to local LGBTQ youth organizations.

Advance tickets recommended, one weekend only 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
BUTTERFLY IN EFFECT: BEYOND BINARY-a benefit for LGBTQ youth 
April 13-15 2012
(Fri-Sat 7PM // Sun 5 PM)

WOMEN'S BUILDING: 3543 18 th St. #18
TICKETS: $10 donation, no one turned away for lack of funds
Advanced tickets recommended
BOX OFFICE: http://butterflyineffect.eventbrite.com/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

( Performer and Beneficiary information )

Posted by request on behalf of one of the contributors.

For those who are into poetry, Stone Telling magazine has just published their Queer issue, which includes several poems on trans and genderqueer topics. It can be viewed at http://stonetelling.com/issue7-mar2012/ - I hope folks here will read and enjoy. If you like these poems, feel free to let others know about Stone Telling magazine. The editors are trans-friendly and are actively seeking queer- and trans-related work.

Hi All-- I was wondering if people can give me links to communities regarding stopping hormones--I know people have given me some before but I can;t seem to find them. Thanks in advance!

Well, my name is Cheyenne and although I'am not transgender I'am very interested in the topic. I'm currently writing a pro con paper for my A.P. english class in high school and would love to get some interviews under way. I personally feel that if a person feels uncomfortable with the gender they were born with then they should be able to choose whether or not they want to change that. Who are we to tell others what to do, think and feel? If there is anyone out there willing to help me then tht would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

Trans/Formations: ethics and politics of trans medicine and healthcare
April 3, 4-5pm
102 Wurster Hall

There will be three papers (one from Eric Plemons, one from Chris Roebuck, and one from Tey Meadow) and plenty of spirited discussion to follow.
The event is slotted to end around 5:30 and there will be a gathering afterward at Free House on Bancroft and College.

http://events.berkeley.edu/index.php/calendar/sn/sph.html?event_ID=54193&date=2012-04-03

Hey all, still doing research about having an orchiectomy, the material I keep finding, which is so minimal and pretty much limited to folks with experiences of "i'm having an orch and plan for vaginoplasty in the future" doesn't represent my personal experience with my body and needs around transition. I guess I'm curious if there are folks here who had an orchiectomy and are into their penises, or kinda into them, and where your desire for this surgery comes in.

Also, the material I keep finding hasn't ever really mentioned anything about what happens to individual's scrotal tissue in/after the procedure.

I'm not particularly interested in the aesthetic of a scrotal tissue removal along with the orchiectomy, that's my personal preference though. I curious if folks have had surgery, kept their scrotal tissue (for whatever reason, i'd like to hear if you'd share), and essentially what it looks like. I guess I can imagine a lot of things; the tissue retracting and the scrotum/lack-of-testicles looking small (this is actually what I'm after), the tissue looking just like extra skin, etc.

Obviously everyone is different, but this lack of information feels really frustrating as it seems like my desire around transition, surgery, my body is not accessibly represented anywhere, and I guess I'm just calling out to folks to share if any of this resonates with them!

Hey TGLJ!

I work for a worker owned company in San Francisco of about 240 workers. A small group of us are trying to develope a proposal for our company to include transgender healthcare as part of our benefits. Our HR department is really good about supporting trans workers access to hormones etc., but does anyone have experience bringing a company into a more complete system of care for trans folks?

Our company has a good track record of trans support (we have several trans people on staff who are well respected) but we are trying to:

-figure out the logistics: Should we basically ask the company to pay out of pocket for things like SRS, orchiectomy, or should we try to appeal to our insurance company?
-Pre-empt discussions about what to include: what's a good way to approach procedures that are seen as "cosmetic" like breast enlargement or FFS?

Again, our company tends to be pretty trans-positive, but I slightly dread conversations about this stuff with cis people. Any info or feedback would be great.

Thanks!
~c