Recent Entries

• Adobe Flash Player

  by Pauline Smith July 14, 2015
  Like many of you I am neither geeky nor computer literate, but I do try to keep up to date and keep my various devices safe against virus attacks.   I use two computer systems - Apple and Microsoft. Apple by and large is free of viruses and Microsoft is permanently under attack from trolls an...
  comments

• Transgender News

  by Pauline Smith June 27, 2015
    As a community we have been in the news a lot recently. As ever the Guardian is a really useful way of keeping up with news in our community, as is the BBC.   It's easy for me to forget as well that living in Manchester gives me access to a more tolerant community than where many of y...
  comments

• Being Transgendered and Happy

  by Pauline Smith June 16, 2015
  The Guardian Live sponsored this event which was live at Amnesty International in London, June 4th 2015.   Paris Lees, Dr Kate Stone, Owen Jones, Peter Tatchell, Munroe Bergdorf and Jake Graf discuss the main issues facing the trans community today, and what we all need to do to ensure we liv...
  comments

• Does feeling like a woman make you one?

  by Pauline Smith June 11, 2015
      Does feeling like a woman make you one? It’s OK to ask   This article, by Hadley Freeman, appeared in today's Guardian (11 June 2015). I read it and some of the comments late this morning. There were about 400 comments back then and now there are almost 1300. 400 is very...
  comments

• A guide to transgender terms

  by Pauline Smith June 3, 2015
  A guide to transgender terms   This appeared on the BBC website, which is aimed at "vanillas" or cisgendered people. A big big step forward even in the 8 years I have been back in the UK. I find it interesting that the word transvestite is no longer used in the UK, and I suspect that tranny i...
  comments

• LGB Study on growing old

  by Pauline Smith May 27, 2015
  This study into how older people, classed as those over 50, cope with being LGB as they age was pubished on 21st May 2015.  I heard about it on Radio Manchester earlier this morning, as the report studies the LGB older community in Mannchester.   I have extracted the initial 2 paragraphs...
  comments

• Queer Street

  by Pauline Smith May 19, 2015
  I was listening to Radio Manchester this afternoon (19 May 2015) and they were interviewing 3 people - two of the "stars" and the originator/director/producer of the series.  Its called Queer Street as its about Canal Street in Manchester'sgay village,the titelwas inspired by Queer as Folk. Fr...

• The Polling Station

  by Pauline Smith May 6, 2015
  What Can’t you do in the Polling Station This is a light hearted look at the UK's general election tomorrow and what you can and cannot do in the polling station, based on a BBC article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-32451429     Well first off you cannot take selfies,...
  comments

• The Need to Pass

  by Pauline Smith April 27, 2015
      Bruce Jenner doesn't need to 'pass' to deserve respect. No trans person does     By Meredith Talusan (The Guardian)     Many transgender people don’t perfectly embody cisgender beauty norms, but that doesn’t make us any less human or wort...
  comments

• Depression

  by Pauline Smith April 9, 2015
  Snap out of it !!!   How? When? Why?   Life is not a game of cards..with Mr Baker and Mrs Baker, but something where we really do experience ups and downs. At my mature age I know that I (you) appreciate the ups in life much more only because I have had the downs. That does not mean th...
  comments

• Tony Blackburn + Stephanie Hirst

  by Pauline Smith March 2, 2015
  Interesting story about the special relationship that Tony Blackburn and Stephanie Hirst have and still have.  For me, it just goes to show that mainstream vanilla people do and will accept us. Friends and family do not always turn away when we tell them   The article is from the Observe...
  comments

• The Danish Girl

  by Pauline Smith February 27, 2015
  Eddie Redmayne as transgender pioneer Lili Elbe – first picture released   The first photos of eddie Redmayne in the role of Lili Elbe have been released. I have posted them below with the article and links to the article.     Pauline xxxx   This article was wr...
  comments