from Booklist:

“Boyd never expected to write about transvestites and their partners, yet here is her fascinating account of marriage to a crossdresser, the intent of which is to reduce the tumult his crossdressing causes in the couple’s lives and to help more women deal better with having transgendered husbands. The originator of an online support group for couples like hers, Boyd supplements her own experiences with those of others to explore the diversity within a stereotyped group (the male-to-female transgendered) and answer questions concerning their behavior. Boyd was supportive from the onset of her knowledge of “Betty,” but even after two years’ socializing within a supportive transgender community, the Boyds’ first outing in the real world terrified her because of her own and society’s expectations-and that was the first of a series of painful realizations. Boyd’s skill as a writer enables readers to enter a relatively hidden existence easily, and perhaps even to appreciate its complexities. Her account, though initially disquieting to some, well may become a standard text in gender studies.”
-Whitney Scott

Amnesty International Request for Testimony

Campaign Against Discrimination > Request for Testimony from LGBT People
Request for Testimony
In the United States, Amnesty International’s (AI) work includes research and organizing around human rights violations by police, correctional officers, and the criminal justice system, as well as human rights abuses based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, sex, race, national origin and immigration status.
AI is now researching how the police interact with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and communities. For example, we are trying to find out:
* How the police answer calls for help by LGBT people;
* Whether the police fully investigate crimes against LGBT people;
* Whether police officers treat LGBT individuals with respect;
* How police officers deal with same-sex domestic violence or sexual assault;
* Whether LGBT people have experienced verbal harassment from police officers;
* Whether LGBT people have been physically or sexually assaulted by police officers;
* How LGBT people�s experiences with police might differ based on race, sex, age, income, immigration status and gender identity.
The goal of the project is to make real changes, especially for communities who are most at risk of being treated badly by police. At the end of the project, AI will be publishing a report that will describe police interactions with LGBT people across the country, and talk about specific examples. The report will let the public know how police treat LGBT people and communities, and will include recommendations based on our findings. AI will be organizing based on the report�s recommendations.
Gathering people�s accounts of their personal experiences with police is an important part of this project. That is why AI is asking LGBT people to tell us about their experiences with the police. We fully understand that you may want to keep your experience private The information that you provide will be treated in the strictest confidence. We will not include names or identifying information in any public documents unless you tell us that it is OK to do so.
For more information

Take My Breasts Away event

February 7, 7:00-10:00 pm
TAKE MY BREASTS AWAY
Gala fundraiser to raise money for FTM Evan Schwartz’s chest surgery. The incredible line up includes: Emcee Tristan Taormino; The Cast of Butch McCloud with Episode 7, Honey I Shrunk The Lesbians!; Helen Boyd, author of My Husband Betty; Drag performer extraordinaire Johnny Kat; clips from Transparents, a film about FTMs and their children; plus postcards to send to your congress persons, raffle with great prizes, and tasty culinary delights.
Location: The Center, 238 W. 13th Street, NYC
Admission: $20* (*no one turned away). You can purchase tickets in advance at www.smarttix.com.
Email: johnnykatloveschilifries@hotmail.com
URL: www.hottrannieboy.com

KFAI (Minneapolis) Radio Interview

For those of you in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, I’ll be interviewed on a talk show tonight on KFAI radio. The show is called “Fresh Fruit” and it focuses on the issues that arise for GLBT families. I’ll be on around 8:00 – 8:20 PM.
Tune in if you can!
1/29/04: If you have RealPlayer, you can listen to the audio here.

Trans*Am party 1/25

For those of you who couldn’t make last night’s book party at the Corner Bookstore, which was a smashing success, there is another party this Sunday night. It’s called Trans*Am – produced by Ethan Carter, and open to trannnies, genderqueers, and supporters.
What: Trans*Am
Where: Meow Mix, 269 East Houston @ Suffolk
When: Sunday, January 25th
Doors open at 9pm, with tunes by DJ HiFi Hillary, hosted by Carolyn, and featuring readings by Evie, Sydney, Carolyn, Tennessee, and yours truly!
There’ll be contests to give away a few free copies of MHB.
For more information

Entertainment Weekly

In the January 23/30 edition of Entertainment Weekly, right under the Best-Sellers list, you’ll find a box titled “Opening Acts.”
In that box appears an excerpt from My Husband Betty .
Our first national coverage!

MHB Book Party at Corner Bookstore

On January 21st, at 7pm, the Corner Bookstore will be throwing the debut party for my book My Husband Betty. It’ll be a party open to the public, with wine and cheese, and of course we’ll have copies of the book for sale!
We would love for you to attend.
HB readingWhat: My Husband Betty book party
Where: The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Avenue, at the corner of 93rd street,
When: Wednesday, January 21st, 2004, at 7pm
I would love to thank the owners of Corner Bookstore for throwing the event by having people buy the book there, so if you haven’t yet bought a copy – do it then!
For CDs: there is a place to change in the basement. If you can email me to let me know you’re coming/will need to change there, I’ll be able to give the folks at the bookstore fair warning!
Feel free to spread the word; all are invited!

Men in Skirts: Art & Activism

It seems someone got the big idea that men who wear skirts should all show up en masse at the “Men in Skirts” exhibit currently showing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They’re asking you all to show up either Feb 7th or 8th, to raise visibility for men’s sartorial freedom. Below is the letter I received which includes more information and websites that are promoting the event. Seems like a cool idea to me!

When tyranny rules freedom starts with taking the first step. Although the first step may seem insignificant and it may not meet all your requirements, it is necessary to achieve complete freedom We all wish we could have complete freedom of dress, however currently within our society, it is not possible for men in spite of the fact that women enjoy this freedom. I realize that we all want our freedom this very moment, however society thrives on conformity and to accomplish change from within it takes time. It took women several decades to achieve complete freedom of dress. At first they wore pants styled for women with zippers in the back and on the side. Eventually the zipper moved to the front and equality was achieved. In order for men to achieve freedom of dress we need to capitalize on their achievements and begin with the basics. On February 7 & 8, 2004 we are asking every man who desires freedom of dress to join us at the Metropolitan Museum to attend the special exhibit “Bravehearts: Men In Skirts”. During the weekend several activities are planned during which we can express our concerns and show a united front for freedom of dress for men.
We would like this event to have a first step appearance. What we mean by this is to have as many men as possible attend in skirts as men without expressing other qualities that are considered feminine by our society. In other words, before society will accept you dressed as women we have to overcome the stereotype associated with wearing a skirt. Although you may not agree with our mission statement our goal is the same, freedom of dress. Therefore it doesn’t matter if you are a crossdresser, transvestite, or post-op transsexual, our first step as well as our ultimate goal is the same, freedom.
The number of men who attend is proportional to the rate at which we achieve our individual goals. In other words if several thousand men attend society will accept this more quickly. However if only a few men attend it will take much longer to achieve our freedom. Once this initial freedom is achieved an individual can expand it to where they feel comfortable with it.
Please attend, we need your support.
Although there are several sites dedicated to this movement the following provide the most comprehensive coverage. These web sites also have links to other sites regarding these issues.
The Bravehearts’ Kilt Forum
Tom’s Cafe

Corner Bookstore Book Release Party

On January 21st, at 7pm, the Corner Bookstore will be throwing the debut party for my book My Husband Betty. It’ll be a party open to the public, with wine and cheese, and of course we’ll have copies of the book for sale!
We would love for you to attend.
What: My Husband Betty book party
Where: The Corner Bookstore, 1313 Madison Avenue, at the corner of 93rd street,
When: Wednesday, January 21st, 2004, at 7pm

I would love to thank the owners of Corner Bookstore for throwing the event by having people buy the book there, so if you haven’t yet bought a copy – do it then!
For CDs: there is a place to change in the basement. If you can email me to let me know you’re coming/will need to change there, I’ll be able to give the folks at the bookstore fair warning!
Feel free to spread the word; all are invited!

Amnesty International & GLBT Violence

I’ve long been a fan of Amnesty International, and yesterday I discovered that they are currently “spotlighting” a Human Rights activist who works in the TG community. Rodrigo Lopez Barrera has been threatened, shot at, and received an anonymous death threat. Why? He campaigns actively for the Transvestite Association of Chile.
Amnesty is asking that people send two letters – one to the Minister of the Interior of Chile, the second to the Governor of the Province (Los Andes) that Barrera lives in. The details of the case and the addresses of both officials can be found on AI’s press release about this case.
For you closet CDs, this is a perfect opporuntity to show a little support for your sisters, and to speak out without any chance of being outed. No-one but you & these officials in Chile will know you’re a crossdresser!
I also strongly suggest writing to Amnesty International at information@amnesty.org.uk and thanking them for choosing this case to highlight. AI is a well-respected international human rights group, & their choice, to spotlight a TG case, will have reverberations throughout the world.
If you want to really thank them, send a donation, too.