Interview with Tafad Tan

An interview I did today with three Cardiff creatives (Jason Philips - musician and producer, Alrick "Ninjah" Wilson - musician and occasional drag queen, and Max Lewy - poet), on such topics as Beijing, burlesque, decluttering, writing, being transgender, and boasting a little about famous relatives. YOUTUBE LINK

Convalescent Critic #2: “Steven Universe”

(One unlikely hero, one redeemed ex-fascist functionary, one PTSD-afflicted alien superbeing, and one sentient pumpkin. A fairly typical day in the Steven Universe universe ...) “Steven Universe” (and the Crystal Gems) (US animation, 2013-present) The likelihood is that most of the world heard of this little sci-fi / comedy gem (pun totally intended) way before...

A Catholic Transsexual Applauds Several Points in Latest Papal Remarks

An article by a dear friend elucidating the recent, unexpected news that the Catholic Church is showing signs of softening its stance somewhat regarding gay and gender-reassigned people. Though not exactly a definitive swing towards liberalism, these hints do represent a dramatic change of tone from the oft-paraphrased trans people as "nuclear weapons" analogy and...

Jumping Hoops – A Rant on the Welsh NHS

Today, as I learn that my legal caseworker is leaving her job and my MP can't be of any help in local health issues, I am far from being in the best frame of mind... Let's quickly recap... Early last year, my husband and I went to our GP to finally pursue gender reassignment, as...

Year of Politics and Procrastination…

I always suspected this blog would tail off rather than go out with a bang, alas, but although I must take part of the blame for that in a sense it has been unavoidable: in the early stages of transition one's mood was of constant panic, and it was a matter of priority to keep...

Fighting Back

Cal returned from the GIC last Tuesday, and the news was all good: like me, he has been granted a second appointment in February, at which point all going well he will be approved for HRT. The clinician seemed absolutely charmed with him (only naturally), and they had a good conversation. The fact that we...

GIC – First Assessment

Apologies for the delay, but things haven't stopped moving since I returned from London last Friday. As for the reason I was there at all... well, it certainly took a long time (albeit 11 months rather than the dreaded 13) and there were plenty of times I dreaded it wouldn't happen at all, or would...

The Transphobe Within

"Nowadays we are all likely to meet people who think they are women, have women's names, and feminine clothes and lots of eyeshadow, who seem to us to be some kind of ghastly parody, though it isn't polite to say so. We pretend that all the people passing for female really are. Other delusions may...

Burning Bridges and Glitching Vampires

My silence has been repeatedly noted, so I thought it time to type a quick assurance that contrary to the evidence Cal and I are still alive and well, and continuing as planned with our transitions. There have, alas, been no positive developments, though, and this week I find myself a somewhat lonelier trans lady......

Dear Lurkers…

To the people who have, one hears, been trailing my Twitter account in the hopes of finding something to accuse me of, and have in the service of this cause revived Natasha Hinde's Huffington Post article on Uterus Transplant surgery for trans women. Although my position is obvious enough from the section of my answer...