The Vegas Transgender Affirmation Project

I thought it was just a vacation…it turned out to be an education.

At the risk of writing what may appear to be a travel diary, I will recount the events of the past weekend. Not because the

How I Hate the Word “Trans”

For a chemist, I sure seem to get confused easily

Today I read a news article discussing the ongoing debate about “trans” people. The word “trans” has become common parlance in the media to indicate

Beyond Visibility: Transgender Makes the World a Better Place

Carl Jung liked transgender before it was cool.

Carl Jung liked transgender before it was cool.

I am currently working through Week One of the Artist’s Way course from Julia Cameron

You Gotta Know Yourself Before You Can Love Yourself

Who do you love? Probably not strangers.

Ask anybody — would you like to be happy? With the exception of one chemistry professor I knew (who was rumored to have said she “didn’

One Thing Abnormal About My Transgender

In a maelstrom of normal, the eye of oddity is queerly quiet

In the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Flower Drum Song” lies a campy little ditty entitled “I Enjoy Being a Girl.” Laying aside the questionable social

What Would My Father Think of His Transgender Daughter?

All the things the dead cannot say directly

I turned 53 years old recently. The event was met with few accolades — at least from me. I try my best not to be celebrated

The Myth of Fragility

Relying too much on physical strength reveals metaphysical fragility

Boxing — as a sport — consistently fails to capture my attention. I don’t want to watch people get punched in the face; I don’t

The Limbo of Gender Identity

In between Patriarchs and Infants lie geeks who transition gender

There are two realizations I made this week. First, I am not a woman. Second, I am not a father, and — by extension — not a

The Critical Role of Gender in Evolution

The next thousand years depends on you. Don’t mess this up.

Humans ascribe a level of agency to our behavior misaligned to our role on Earth. The truth is Nature is unconcerned with our grandiose thoughts

The Invisible Transfemme

At least I’m not running around nude, amirite?

In the movie “The Invisible Man,” Claude Rains plays chemist Dr. Jack Griffin, who must wear full body wrap — hat, goggles, bandages, gloves, coat, boots

Sound Off: Using My Transgender Voice

What could be the nature of your primary difficulty, you silly goose?

In the movie “Full Metal Jacket,” Gunnery Sergeant Hartman unleashes a fusillade of profanity, metaphor, insult, and nicknames upon a squad of Marine recruits with

Gender Transition: You Are Who You Have Always Been

“Who could ever love a beast so hideous and ugly?” Princess Fiona, “Shrek”

In the movie “Shrek,” Princess Fiona is cursed to change from human to ogre form when the sun sets. She lives in constant fear that

Finding My Name: From Childhood Pain to Transgender Pride

“May I have your name?” asked the Fey Prince. “Yeah, sure — I’m not using it,” answered Amethysta v1.0.

In myths of the Fae — also known as Sidhe, Tylwyth Teg, or Ælfe — faeries commonly take advantage of humans by twisting a turn of phrase

Your Identity Is Non-negotiable

Purge your life of people who choose not to support you in being who you are.

I came out as a transgender woman in August, 2022 — six weeks after I had begun gender-affirming hormone therapy. It took several days to complete

Pain as Self-Care: Why Transgender is Not a Fetish

“I thought I’d gone to the limits. I hadn’t. The Cenobites gave me an experience beyond limits. Pain and pleasure, indivisible.” — Frank the Monster, “Hellraiser”

A recent conversation spurred me to consider my childhood and how it informed my current transgender experience. Like many transgender women, I was diagnosed with

Transgender? Get Ready to Blow Up Your Life!

When I was a child, my friend Jason and I dreamed up a simple method to accomplish the impossible.

Being children, Jason and I expected the laws of physics to be defined by scientists, not revealed by observing Nature. This convenient loophole made ignorance

Labels — the Ultimate Weapon Against Queerness

I remember where I was when I learned the word “ratify.”

It was Summer. The house where I grew up needed the sewer rooted out, and my father did it himself. I remember standing by the

Queer or Not, Identity is Life

Who you are and how you express your identity is vital — literally your tie to health and life.

In a previous article, I discussed the Ayurvedic definition of health as “being established in oneself.” Health is not focused simply on the body. Health

Overcoming my Hidden Transphobia

I admit, as a transgender woman, I still struggle with transphobia.

This statement may sound ridiculous — how could I be afraid of myself, especially when so much of my writing has been a celebration of the

Science vs. The LGBTQ Community

Do you remember household cold fusion devices that promised clean, unlimited power virtually for free?

What about education targeted to our objectively-defined abilities that would unlock our potential as human beings? (WARNING: unlocking your potential as a human being is