Transgender

How American Healthcare Is Failing Transgender Patients

Dani Castro had developed a UTI, but was afraid to go to the doctor due to her track record of bad experiences. She collapsed and became unresponsive, so a friend drove her to the ER. (Content warning.) “I was hospitalized, and my gender marker was listed as male,” she said. “I had to push back…

Transgender Creator of Assigned Male Webcomic Facing Death Threats From Online Trolls

For the past two years, Montreal-based artist Sophie Labelle has published Assigned Male, a webcomic about an 11-year-old transgender girl named Stephanie who is in earliest stages of transitioning and coming out to the people around her. While Labelle’s work has been noted in the queer webcomics community for its frank and powerful portrayals of…

Meet Bethany Black, The First Transgender Actor on Doctor Who

Now that shows like Sense8 have helped massively expand the presence of transgender people in science fiction and fantasy, one of the most venerable TV shows is following suit. Trans actor Bethany Black is appearing in Mark Gatiss’ upcoming “scary” episode. Black previously appeared in Tofu, Cucumber and Banana, the LGBT show created by former…

Are you curious about what makes a person transgender? So are the scientists trying to understand its biological underpinnings and the best way to help people with gender dysphoria. Kate Wheeling pulls together a short list of recent research findings on the subject at Pacific Standard. Contact the author at [email protected].

Germany is the first European country to recognize a third gender

Starting this November, German parents will be able to select male, female, or “indeterminate” when filling out their newborn’s birth certificate. This means that parents won’t have to label their baby’s gender, thereby allowing those born with intersex characteristics to make a decision later in life. Or not. The new law, which goes into effect…

Miss Universe contestant petitions World Health Organization to remove transsexualism as a mental disorder

Many of you will remember Jenna Talackova, the Canadian Miss Universe nominee who had to fight for her right to compete at last year’s pageant because she’s transgendered (she won the appeal and finished in the top 12). Now, Talackova is asking the World Health Organization to remove transsexualism from their list of mental disorders.…

Science Fiction That Could Turn You Queer, If Only for a Nanosecond

I know it’s not really true that you can use mind-control to turn somebody queer and make that person want you, OK? I know that. But sometimes in the happy land of science fiction, you come across a book or movie that makes it seem like the whole frakkin universe has been taken over by…

We Already Knew Men Could Get Pregnant

The media is going nuts over a man named Thomas Beatie who has become pregnant, but to anyone familiar with cutting-edge science or science fiction his situation is totally old news. Here’s how it happened: there was this guy who used to be a chick, but when he switched over to the guy side he…