Transgender-Themed Television Shows & Movies
These are some of the shows that I have personally watched (often many times).
Prefacing notes:
Rating Guide:
* : More entertaining than educational.
** : You probably should include this program in your "watch list," if you are interested in transgenderism.
***, **** : "Must-see" television show or movie (with **** ranking better than ***)
*****: Exceptionally well-done - Make a determined effort to view it!
- **** 20/20 Special With Barbara Walters - Transgendered Children (&larr click for info).
- A Change of Gender. No description.
- **** Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (Movie, 1994) Three drag queens head for a gig at a central Australia casino in a broken-down bus named Priscilla. Terence Stamp; Hugo Weaving; Guy Pearce; Bill Hunter; Sarah Chadwick; Mark Holmes; Julia Cortez; Ken Radley; Alan Dargin; June Marie Bennett; Rebel Russell; Al Clark; Margaret Pomeranz. Great movie!
- *** A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story. (Movie, documentary, 2006) A woman crusades for justice after four young men savagely kill her son who lives as a female. Mercedes Ruehl; J.D. Pardo. A very presentable made-for-television movie, well worth watching! For more on Gwen Araujo, please refer to this Wikipedia entry
- ** All My Children. "All My Children" to Air Historic Transgender-Focused Episode March 9, 2007.
TV GAYED: GLAAD's Weekly Guide to What's LGBT on TV (new listings every Friday) posted this information:
All My Children's transgender-inclusive episode goes viral. On Friday, March 9, you'll be able to download a video podcast of behind-the-scenes footage of the historic transgender-inclusive episode of ABC's All My Children. This vodcast will feature interviews with the transgender people who guest starred on the episode, as well as scenes that didn't make it to the final cut. To download the vodcast, either visit AMC's official site [direct link here] or download it on iTunes.
Related article: GLAAD.org (March 1, 2007) - "All My Children to air historic transgender-focused episode March 9" (this content is also saved here, for future reference).
Comment (Victoria): In preparation for watching this episode, my wife and I began watching some of the preceding episodes. Overall, the subplot involving Zoe, the MTF transperson, is handled very sensitively and realistically, without any sensationalism. This particular episode (March 09, 2007) was interesting in it's historical aspects, as noted in the article (see the link, below), with *just* under 8 minutes total devoted to the TG support group. Once again, this is a soap opera, not a news show or a documentary, but the material was once again presented very well indeed, with a mix of real transmen and transwomen participating. My congratulations and appreciation are extended to *all* of the individuals who were involved in the production of this episode (production staff, actors, participants, ...)!
- ** All My Children: April 05, 2007 episode. [Thursday, April 5, 2007] Bianca is Erica Kane's lesbian daughter. Zoe is a transgender woman who's fallen for Bianca. After weeks of agony, a reconciliation between Zoe and her mother is finally reached. At the end of the episode, Jeffrey Carlson (Zoe) and Eden Riegel (Bianca) deliver a message of support, asking viewers to be an ally and a friend to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people [GLAAD.org; see also GLAAD: Be An Ally & A Friend Resource Guide.
- ** All My Children - April 24, 2007 episode. [Tuesday, April 24, 2007] Zoe shoots her first music video as her authentic self. At the end of the episode, Susan Lucci (Erica Kane) delivers a message of support, asking viewers to be an ally and a friend to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. To find out more, Lesbian, Transgender Characters to Exit All My Children (saved here as a PDF file, for posterity).
- ** American Justice: A Soldier's Secret. A 'homosexual' U.S. soldier is brutally murdered. [Relationship with transsexual girlfriend Calpernia Addams; 'gay' beating death by fellow soldier.] For the last three months of his life, Private Barry Winchell endured daily ridicule at the hands of his fellow soldiers. Winchell had fallen in love with another man, a Gulf War veteran who worked in a local nightclub as a drag queen. But under President Clinton's controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, military personnel were encouraged to remain closeted ... no matter what. Barry Winchell paid for that institutionalized double-standard with his life. A SOLDIER'S SECRET reveals how, in the early morning hours of July 5, 1999, Winchell was bludgeoned to death by a fellow soldier who claimed he had been goaded into the murder by Winchell's roommate. Publicly, the Army called Winchell's death the result of "an altercation between soldiers." But as word got out about Winchell's lifestyle, gay-rights organizations argued that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" allowed a volatile culture of gay-bashing to grow within the military's ranks.
- Anger Management. (Movie, 2003) A meek businessman clashes with an aggressive therapist after being ordered to undergo 20 hours of counseling. Adam Sandler; Jack Nicholson; Marisa Tomei; Luis Guzman; Allen Covert; Lynne Thigpen; Kurt Fuller; Jonathan Loughran; Krista Allen; January Jones; Woody Harrelson; John Turturro. Honestly, a mildly entertaining movie (Nicholson - what were you thinking?), but the show briefly features Woody Harrelson appearing as a transvestite.
- Airline: Lost in Translation. Two passengers cannot speak English; a transsexual needs to be rebooked; weather delay. OK, if you happen to come across it; otherwise, don't go searching out this episode.
- *** Body Work: MTF Transsexual - 1-3 of 3. [2004, Great Britain] (1) Paula continues the journey from male to female. (2) Paula continues her transition from male to female. (3) The final transition in Paula's sex change. &rarr Victoria: Pretty well-done. In one episode (2?), Paula is having electrolysis, but with the most-Medieval-looking contraption, with ~2-dozen needles, wire-harness sticking in/out of her face?!
- **** Born in the Wrong Body [MSNBC documentary, April 22, 2007; also later aired - December 2007 - as "Born in the Wrong Body: Girls Will Be Boys"] The lives of men and women at various stages of the process of transsexuality. Click here to view the accompanying the MSNBC story (also saved here, for posterity).
Updated notes: The lives of men and women at various stages of the process of transsexuality. Two episodes of Born in the Wrong Body premiere December 23 and December 27 (2007). The first part, Girls Will Be Boys [note: this was actually just a repeat broadcast (unmodified) of "Born in the Wrong Body"] , takes an intimate look at three adult biological females who have been living their lives as men and the path they take towards making their bodies match the gender they believe they are. The second hour, On the Edge, delves into the transgender "Ballroom" scene in New York. This episode follows four "transwomen" (transgender men-to-women) who walk on the edge of living life fully while being pushed to the edge of society.
- **** Born in the Wrong Body: On the Edge [MSNBC documentary, December 2007] The lives of men and women at various stages of the process of transsexuality. Two new episodes of Born in the Wrong Body premiere Dec. 23, at 9 p.m. and Dec. 27, at 11 p.m. The first part, "Girls Will Be Boys" [note: this was actually just a repeat broadcast (unmodified) of "Born in the Wrong Body"], takes an intimate look at three adult biological females who have been living their lives as men and the path they take towards making their bodies match the gender they believe they are.
- **** Born in the Wrong Body: Girls Will Be Boys [Aired February 06, 2008] Girls Will Be Boys, takes an intimate look at three adult biological females who have been living their lives as men and the path they take towards making their bodies match the gender they believe they are. Featured Diane (now Eric) and his partner, from Wyoming; Patric [sic] and Amy from North Dakota, and Maclyn "Mac" Davis McCord and Judy Hoff, from North Carolina. Mac (formerly Carole) is 59, and dkennel owner / dog trainer / shower; they live newar Louisburg, N.C. All three men had genital reassignment surgery (FTM bottom surgery - construction of a penis) on the same day at Marci Bowers' hospital in Trinidad, Colorado.
The second hour, "On the Edge," delves into the transgender "Ballroom" scene in New York. This episode follows four "transwomen" (transgender men-to-women) who walk on the edge of living life fully while being pushed to the edge of society.
- Boston Legal - Crossdresser Sues Health Club. [Not the actual title] Cross-dressing Clarence files a lawsuit after he's kicked out of a gym for women only.
- ***** Changing Sexes: Female to Male. People discuss wanting to be the opposite sex.
- ***** Changing Sexes: Male To Female. Transsexuals discuss the compulsion to be the opposite sex.
- Chicago Hope: Boys Will Be Girls. Dr. McNeil goes to court to help a teenage boy who has been forced to live as a girl; Drs. Simon and Alberghetti join forces to help an Alzheimer's patient. Adam Arkin; Hector Elizondo; Mark Harmon; Rocky Carroll; Carla Gugino; Lauren Holly; Barbara Hershey; Alan Rosenberg.
- Chicago Hope: Women on the Verge. Kronk's transsexual former girlfriend (Mia Sara) returns for hormone treatments. Mandy Patinkin; Adam Arkin; Christine Lahti; Thomas Gibson; Vondie Curtis-Hall; Roxanne Hart; Peter Berg; Jayne Brook; Hector Elizondo; Jamey Sheridan; Kathy Najimy; Nathan Watt; Mia Sara; Ryan Phillippe; Justin Burnette; Harriet Sansom Harris; Gregg Henry; Victor Bevine; Mariangela Pino; Bert Rosario.
- CNN: Gender Brains: Why Does He/She Do That? CNN House Call With Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The differences between male and female brains.
- *** CNN: TransYouth Family Advocates (TYFA.) The TYFA President and her trans-son will be on CNN's "Paula Zahn Now" at 8 pm Wednesday June 27, 2007. &rarr "TYFA Advocate Shannon and her seven year old affirmed female daughter, Ashley are flying to New York City tomorrow 6/19 to record an interview with Paula Zahn ("Paula Zahn Now"). The tentative air date for this show is 8:00 pm June 27th, 2007." Also included interviews with former Largo Florida city manager Susan (formerly Steve) Stanton, and Trinidad CO SRS surgeon Dr. Marci Bowers; ...
- Update: Be sure to tune in to CNN at 8:00 pm EST Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 for the latest story of a TYFA family. Paula Zahn will be interviewing TYFA Advocate and Board Member, Shannon, her husband John, Ashley (7 year old affirmed female daughter), and several siblings. Shannon and Ashley traveled to New York last week for the studio shots and the film crew visited their home to meet with the rest of the family. This is the 'family next door' living in 'anywhere middle America.' Our desire is that this program will help people realize that our trans and gender variant children are everyday people just like them and that it will garner compassion and understanding for gender variant people of all ages.
- **** Cruel and Unusual: Transgender Women in Prison. This engaging documentary examines the often-dire situations of transgender women sent to men's prisons, where they often find themselves in isolation and constant fear of violence.
- Comment - Victoria: This was very well done ... It's somewhat depressing to hear these troubling stories, but as you watch, you can't help but be inspired by the quiet dignity, resilience and determination shown by these transwomen under extraordinarily difficult circumstances! For those uninformed laypersons who believe that transsexualism is a "choice," this film should convince any reasonable person the fallacy of this conviction!
- Imagine the anguish over something as fundamental as your gender. Then imagine struggling with that in prison, completely isolated, in constant fear of violence. WE takes an unflinching look at the lives of transgender women in men's prisons in the US.
- Review - Outcast FIlms: "This searing documentary of how correctional institutions treat transgender prisoners is as necessary as it is shocking. It's necessary because transgender people are three times more likely than non trans folk to spend time behind bars. As one former inmate says, "I couldn't get a job with the name Linda, I wasn't welcome in the homeless shelters ... what else could I do but steal?" The indignities outside pale compared to life on the inside, where a prisoner's gender identity is simply not recognized, and a trans woman with male genitalia is housed with the male population. Not only are these women easy targets for violence and sexual predation, their unique medical needs go unmet. Some of the women profiled recall the frustration of putting off hormone therapy for years while serving their sentences. Others, already taking hormones, were not allowed to continue their treatment in jail and had to suffer the pains of cold turkey withdrawal. Few encounter sympathy from prison staff - one woman recalls a prison doctor's smirking prediction that she would end up a suicide - and the best safety from bullying that most prisons can offer is to move trans inmates to solitary confinement, where they can spend months or years with almost no human contact. It's a grim picture that adds up to cruel and unusual punishment, which is supposedly prohibited by the Eighth Amendment. The documentary's subjects share their heartbreaking stories with dignity, candor and even hope."
- ** CSI: Crime Scene Investigation - Ch-Ch-Changes. The team explores the world of transgenders in what turns out to be the ultimate case of mistaken identity. William Petersen; Marg Helgenberger; Gary Dourdan; George Eads; Jorja Fox; Paul Guilfoyle; Robert David Hall; Robert David Hall; David Berman; Aisha Tyler; Archie Kao; Sarah Buxton; Kevin Fry; Raphael Sbarge; Allen Lulu; Kate Walsh; Cassandra Foreseter; Deprise D. Bredcia; Sam Anderson; Marci Bowers. [Note: Dr. Marci Bowers - a GRS surgeon and herself a MTF transsexual - is a consultant and has a minor role; the program also features TS makeup and voice coach Calerpernia.]
- *** David Reimer (Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada) - Canadian hero ... A compelling and tragic tale ... :
- MSNBC Reports: Face in the Mirror. Parents must decide whether to change their child's gender.
- Born a Boy, Brought Up a Girl. A doctor advises that a victim of a botched circumcision be raised as female.
- See also:
- Divorce Court: Cross-Dresser. After 9 years of marriage, she discovers he is a cross-dresser.
- Dog Day Afternoon. (Movie, 1975) A loser robs a Brooklyn bank with his stupid buddy to pay for his lover's sex change. Directed by Sidney Lumet. Al Pacino; John Cazale; Charles Durning; Chris Sarandon; Sully Boyar; James Broderick; Penny Allen; Carol Kane; Marcia Jean Kurtz; Amy Levitt; Susan Peretz.
- * Dr. 90210: Board Certified Drastic Surgeons. Uncommon cosmetic procedures, including kimrey, FTM transsexual breast reduction.
- (not yet rated) Dr. 90210: Sexual Healing. Dr. Alter helps a transsexual patient.
- *** Dr. Keith Ablow: Living With A Sex Change. Transgender men and women and their spouses explore the reasons why they had sexual-reassignment surgery. Includes Helen Boyd and her "husband" Betty, and a M2F2M (ultimately diagnosed as intersexed) transsexual.
- *** E! True Hollywood Story: Divine. Transvestite performer Divine is best-known for roles in John Waters films "Hair Spray," "Polyester" and "Pink Flamingos."
- Flawless. (1999) After a debilitating stroke, a conservative man, on his doctor's advice, takes singing lessons from a drag-queen neighbor. Robert De Niro; Philip Seymour Hoffman; Barry Miller; Chris Bauer; Skipp Sudduth; Wilson Jermaine Heredia; Nashom Benjamin; Scott Allen Cooper; Rory Cochrane; Daphne Rubin-Vega; Wanda De Jesus; Karina Arroyave; John Enos; Jude Ciccolella; Mina Bern; Vincent Laresca; Madhur Jaffrey; Mark Margolis; Sheik Mahmud-Bey; Luis Saguar.
- Holiday Heart. (Movie, 2000) A drag queen mourning the loss of his lover takes in a drug addict and her daughter. Based on the play by Cheryl L. West. Ving Rhames, Alfre Woodard, Jessika Reynolds, Mykelti Williamson, Jonathan Wesley Wallace.
- *** Incredible Medical Mysteries: Transsexuals. Gender is an issue of personal identity.
- Inked: Busting Out. [Drag Queens; Dizzle's MTF transformation] Quinn goes to a cosmetic surgeon to begin to assert her identity; Thomas and Carey want to scout out a new location in Florida.
- Inside Edition: Cross-Dresser. A cross-dresser wears men's clothes to work and women's clothes during off-hours.
- The Investigators: Dark Secrets. A cross-dressing killer with multiple personalities eludes authorities.
- * Jenny Jones - Drag Queens. Drag queens take polygraph tests to validate their stories of popularity. Meet drag queens who claim to be playing men for cash, but say they are giving nothing in return. One guest says he's been dressing like a woman for over a year and loves to play men for cash, vacations and cars. His friend says nothing in life is free so a lie detector test is in order.
- * Jerry Springer - Transsexual Self Mutilation - Part I. [Not the actual title.] A transsexual tells why she cut off her own legs with a saw.
- * Jerry Springer - Transsexual Self Mutilation - Part II - Update. [Not the actual title.] An update on a transsexual who cut off her legs.>p>
- * Judge Maria Lopez: Drag Queen vs. Dressmaker Lawsuit. A drag queen sues a dressmaker saying the drag pageant dress was ugly and too small.
- Juwanna Mann. (Movie, 2002) Banned from the NBA, a basketball player dresses in drag in order to play in a woman's league. Miguel A. Nunez Jr.; Vivica A. Fox; Kevin Pollak; Tommy Davidson; Kim Wayans; Jenifer Lewis; Ginuwine; Annie Corley; Tammi Reiss; Heather Quella.
- ** Larry King Live: Men Becoming Women; Women Becoming Men. (MTF; FTM) CNN, Friday August 10, 2007. "Discussion of transgender issues. Men who go under the knife to become women, women who become men. Inside the world of transgender people." &rarr Featured MTF transsexual Jesus Lam, Miami, FL, who has fully transitioned and is fully passable, accompanied by her two teenaged sons; FTM transsexual Ryan Sallans, Lincoln, NB; Toni Llerena, also from Miami, FL (?), a pre-hormonal, non-surgery MTF transgender, with ambitions of having SRS and becoming a TG Victoria's Secret model; pre-op MTF transsexual Susan Stanton, the former Largo, FL city manager who was so unfairly fired for being transgendered; and gender therapist Marilyn Volker, Ed.D., a Florida therapist/sexologist who specializes in transgender clients.
- Comment (Victoria): Overall this was an informative program, with a good range of intelligent guests; however, the show basically presented trans issues at a "Transgender / Transsexual-101" level, in that the questions posed by Larry superficially addressed the basic questions that the general public (his target audience) might ask, reflecting confusion and ignorance regarding issues such as crossdressing vs. transgenderism/transsexualism, sexual orientation (gay, straight, bisexual, ...) vs. gender identity (male, female), etc.!
Nevertheless, shows such as this and last evening's Presidential [Candidates] Forum on GLBT Issues - broadcast nationally on the Logo network last evening (August 09, 2007) - provide a positive, educational outreach to the general population on behalf of all transgendered peolple, which we should applaud!
- Here are some comments on the show from the Cross Dressers Discussion Forum:
- No, he's not a crossdresser! Ew! But did anybody see his show last night, probably a repeat and a tremendous boost for all of us, there was a psychologist on there who set the record straight on all three aspects, gender, sex and orientation - it was wonderful.
- I saw the interview. Larry King seemed to be asking the same old questions: Are you gay? Do you still stand up to pee? What a stupid question to be asking! I thought the people responded quite nicely and showed the good side of us. I think its always a good thing when we can make our case and show the world!
- I thought he did a great job of not sensationalizing the topic. I also thought the speakers did a great job of presenting our issues. I think it would have been nice to have had a "proper" cd and maybe a draq queen so people could differentiate. But all in all, a great job. The first woman was absolutely beautiful and the FTM guy was pretty hot. It made the rest of us look good.
- And this was a comment from one of Larry King's guests (this communique was passed along from an email exchange, to a friend of mine - Victoria):
- Comment: "Good job tonight on Larry King!! Excellent show, although Larry apparently still doesn't "get it."" &rarr Reply (from panelist): "... Thanks for kind words and you are right - he did not - and he never spoke to us before, during breaks or after ... Strange ... but the producers took us all out to dinner and felt it was good. The BEST news is that people are calling for resources so I'm glad we shared our stories and those resources."
- ** Larry King Live: Transsexual Alimony Controversy. CNN, Friday March 30, 2007 [Florida]. Lawrence Roach has been ordered to pay his ex-wife alimony even though she is now a he. Is this fair, being that same sex marriage is against the law?
- **** Larry King Live: Transgender Controversy. CNN, Friday April 13, 2007 [postponed from intended air date, April 12, 2007]. The man (Steve/Susan Stanton) fired by the city of Largo, Forida that he'd served for fourteen years as city manager, because he planned to become a woman. ... // ... Largo, Florida. Fired as city manager after announcing he would seek a sex change, Steve Stanton will discuss his case tonight on CNN's "Larry King Live," when he is expected to reveal whether he will sue the city. Stanton, 48, was fired last month from his $140,000-a-year job when a majority of city commissioners voted to uphold a decision to dismiss the administrator. "I don't think that you go on Larry King to announce you're not going to sue the city," Alan Zimmet, Largo city attorney, said Wednesday. Although Stanton could be terminated with or without cause, that does not prevent him from claiming he was fired illegally, Zimmet said. Commissioners who voted to dismiss Stanton have said they did so because they lost confidence in him, not because he wants to be a woman. Supporters say the timing suggests the firing was motivated by the transgender issue. Stanton's attorney, Karen Doering of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, says commissioners violated Largo's nondiscrimination policy.
Stanton On Larry King Live Friday (April 13, 2007): The St. Petersburg Times (also saved here) today revealed that Steve Stanton is slated to appear with his attorney on Larry King Live. Stanton will announce whether he'll sue his former employer on Larry King, said his lawyer, Karen Doering, senior counsel for the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Simon Aronoff, deputy director National Center for Transgender Equality, said Stanton will join his organization in Washington, D.C., next month to lobby Congress for the transgender-inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The article discusses Stanton's legal chances, quoting yours truly on the pro-Stanton side: "He has an excellent case, but not necessarily an easy one," said Jillian Weiss, assistant professor of law and society at Ramapo College of New Jersey. She pointed to three cases handled by the Florida Commission on Human Relations that could help Stanton." More at the St. Pete Times, which also quotes the attorney of a trans Largo resident who successfully sued for gender identity discrimination ....
Fired Florida transsexual city manager says he won't sue. [(AP) April 17, 2007] A Largo, Fla., city manager fired after revealing his plans to have a sex change said he will not sue and that he will begin living as a woman full-time by the end of May. Steve Stanton, 48, said Friday during the taped segment on CNN's Larry King Live that he will be living as Susan within the next two months. He said he and his wife will separate. Stanton had previously said taking Largo to court would be like ''suing my mother,'' but the city of 76,000 west of Tampa had expected him to sue. ''It is tempting to seek retribution in the courts, but after much reflection and soul-searching, I just cannot find it within my heart to sue Largo, a city I have always and will always love. I do not want to punish the citizens of Largo,'' Stanton said in the statement. The National Center for Lesbian Rights said in a press release that Stanton has decided to focus on education and public advocacy on behalf of the transgender community instead of filing a lawsuit. The city commission voted 5-2 in February and again in March to fire Stanton from the $140,000-a-year job he held for 14 years. Wthat prompted the votes, commissioners said, was Stanton's judgment on the job, not the revelation that he planned a sex change.
- *** Larry King Live: Undergoing Transsexual Surgery. CNN, Feb. 15, 2006. Actress Felicity Huffman; musician Dolly Parton. Felicity Huffman and Dolly Parton of "Transamerica," plus people who've had transgender operations (FTM; MTF; GG with MTF 'identical' twin), take us inside their world. Very well done.
- * Masterminds: Double Crossed. Charles Dougherty aka "Shannon Ireland," a transsexual con artist. Additional Information: The Broad Was A Fraud: Transgender Woman Con Artist
- Maury Show: Born A Boy or a Girl - You'll Never Guess. Women and some men in drag model sexy summer swimwear.
- ** Maury Show: "I Am A Man - But I Was Born A Woman!" FTM Transsexuals talk about their sex changes.
- Maury Show: Can You Guess - Hollywood Honeys or Handsome Hunks? The audience tries to decipher which of the guests are men dressed in drag and which are actually women.
- ** Maury Show: The Shocking Lives of Men Who Were Born Women! [April 15, 2008] Transgender guests tell their transformation stories; includes a MFM (male-female-male again).
- ** Maury Show: Transsexual Sex Changes. Transsexuals talk about their sex changes.
- Maury Show: "Hot Spring Bunnies or Men Dressed as Honeys? The audience tries to decipher which of the guests are men dressed in drag and which are actually women.
- ** Maury Show: Is This "Woman" My Dad? (Aired Monday November 05, 2007) Today on MAURY, Lionel [Kassandra Lansing] left the family when Laura was just six months old, only to return 14 years later. Soon thereafter, Lionel again left the family and returned again when Laura was 21, however, this time much had changed for him and would soon change for Laura. In those last seven years, Lionel became a transsexual and now lives as Kassandra. Today, Laura doesn't know how to react or what to think, but she has one question and needs Maury's paternity test to answer it- Is this "Woman" my Dad? &rarr Yes.
Updates (Nov. 2007): (Pers. comm. - Sandy is a good personal friend) Sandy and Laura continue to talk by phone almost daily; there are rough sopts, but a good relationship is being established, slowly.
This story was briefly updated on a year-end episode of Maury [aired Monday December 31, 2007], recapping the top 10 most popular stories / guests of 2007, based on viewer feedback (Sandy was #7!).
One of the things that Sandy wanted to promote on the Maury Show, but didn't get a chance, was her project to start a shelter for "abandoned / neglected / abused" transkids: "Safe Trans Kids" (www.transkidsawareness.org).
- ** Maury Show: We Were Born Women - Today We Are Men! FTM Transsexuals talk about their sex changes.
- ***** MSNBC Investigates: The Secret Wardrobe. Very well-done presentation of cross-dressers & crossdressing.
- *** Montel Williams: Murder of Boy Named Gwen. MTF Transsexual Gwen Araujo. See also this Wikipedia entry.
- ** Montel Williams: Transsexual Teen. No description.
- *** Montel Williams: Transgendered. Transgender individuals share their life stories and talk about their battle for equal rights.
- *** Montel Williams: Transgendered 2. [ &larr Listed title - "TS Sex Surgery" - was inaccurate. Aired September 20, 2007] Transgendered individuals talk about their goals to undergo sexreassignment surgery. Susan Stanton; father of MTF transgendered Duke University dormitory student; transgendered children (MTF; FTM).
- Rebroadcast Tuesday December 04, 2007: "Transgendered - Trapped in the Wrong Body" (click here for a summary).
- **** My Secret Self - A Story of Transgender Children. [A Barbara Walters, ABC News 20/20 Special, Friday April 27, 2007] Transgendered children and their families. A 6-year-old boy begins living as a girl during kindergarten; a 10-year-old, born a boy, lives as a girl; a transgendered 16-year-old takes testosterone injections. See also this page.
Ths show was very presented, and ABC News opened a message board related to the program, but I noticed that they were inexplicably and surreptitiously censoring (deleting) selected posts, and editing others, e.g. removing specific URL's, etc. I cannot tolerate censorship! Once I noticed this reprehensible behavior, I began posting these messages (example shown), that were also deleted - sometimes almost immediately, sometimes later - and reposted, as necessary:
PLEASE NOTE: THIS BOARD IS BEING CENSORED!! Selected posts to this discussion thread
are being deleted (I have been copying and saving all of them, so I know / can prove
that it's true)! Also, several posts that I have made here alerting you to this fact are
also being removed, very quickly! This behavior (deletions of selected posts) is
ongoing, so I shall continue to re-post this message until this board is closed or
the site administrator's provide an explanation. Sincerely, V.
ABC NEWS never responded to my posts - other than deleting them - and never acknowledged censoring these postings. Accordingly, up to / including May 08, 2007 - at which point the frequency of posts had dropped off to one or two (uncensored) posts per day - I tried to save as many of these messages as possible, which you can access here. &larr Please note: This plain-text file is huge - do not print it, as it is *at least* 106+ pages in length!