Clitoral research!

The LA Times recently published an article about Kim Wallen, an Emory University professor's research.

The theory is that folks who have less distance between their clit and their vaginal opening are more likely to have orgasms from just penetration.

Which makes perfect sense - the closer those two things are, the more indirect clitoral stimualtion a person would receive from penetration.

I'm wondering how he will differentiate g-spot stimulation in his study...

Anyway, check it out!

Gender, running and why science can't tell us what sex we are

For those of you haven't heard yet, there is a young South African woman who is a runner. And she's kicking ass and taking names. So, the IAAF checked her out for steroids - good idea. Steroids are bad. But she was clean. She's just that good.

She's muscly, and has extremely short hair, and girls aren't usually that fast, so, since she wasn't on steroids, she had to be a man right?

Yeah. I'm still stuck on the "girls aren't that fast part".

So there's been all kinds of hoop la. People saying that this question is absurd. Other folks saying that she "must be a man". Her mother saying that she's a woman.

But people do all kinds of crazy things for success in sports. On some level, although it's absurd, I can see how someone could ask the question. Remember the kid who was a baseball player and everyone that it was amazing that someone his age could be so good. Until they found out that he was really four years older?

Most of the coverage has been stupid and sensationalized. Until the New York Times. As I read quotes from the article to my best friend, we both teared up. It's the first time I've seen a main stream news source, hell, "the paper of record" acknowledge that gender is "messy".

“It turns out genes, hormones and genitals are pretty complicated,” Alice Dreger, a professor of medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University, said in a telephone interview. “There isn’t really one simple way to sort out males and females. Sports require that we do, but biology doesn’t care. Biology does not fit neatly into simple categories, so they do these tests. And part of the reason I’ve criticized the tests is that a lot of times, the officials don’t say specifically how they’re testing and why they’re using that test. It should be subject to scientific review.”

And then, they ended the article with this:

“But at the end of the day, they are going to have to make a social decision on what counts as male and female, and they will wrap it up as if it is simply a scientific decision,” Dreger said. “And the science actually tells us sex is messy. Or as I like to say, ‘Humans like categories neat, but nature is a slob.’ ” [italics added]

Since then, they have published an editorial written by Alice Dreger about the complexities of gender and defining gender scientifically. It's an incredibly informative editorial.

All of us should read it. Like now.

at the end of the day, these doctors are not going to be able to run a test that will answer the question. Science can and will inform their decision, but they are going to have to decide which of the dozens of characteristics of sex matter to them.

In the end, their decision will be like the consensus regarding how many points are awarded for a touchdown and a field goal — it will be a sporting decision, not a natural one, about how we choose to play the game of sex.

Thank you Alice Dreger. And I'm buying your book.

Funny, that science doesn't support a binary gender system. Wonder why....

I'd also add that Semenya seems to identify as a woman. Which is good enough for me.

**pic from the NYT article

Amazon Women Rise

Wednesday night at Michigan is the Opening Ceremony. M and K had arrived and redecorated the grotto - making a bit fancier. and a bit more, well, tie dyed. Which for some reason is actually charming in the woods.

But do not. Ever. Introduce anything tie dyed to my living room and I will quietly kill you with sarcasm. Or with very, very bland food. And cruel looks.

I even liked the fancy goddess banners.

After a day selling sex toys with the lovely Jenae, a dinner of Indian Curry and oddly large broccoli spears, we all showered re-dressed, grabbed our officially short enough chairs and trotted off to the main stage. Just in time for the opening ceremony.

The weather was perfect. The light was beautiful. The field was packed with women. Ubaka Hill drummed. Ruth Barret chanted. Ferron sang Imagine as women rose with signs lettered with words.

I love Ferron. There is something so compelling about her gravelly voice. It gets under your skin and holds you up. More women kept standing with more words. It was beautiful.

Then it was time.

For the annual singing of Amazon Women Rise.
Call it cheesey. Call it woo woo.

It's power. It's amazing. Thousands of women, singing and dancing the same song at the same time in the same place for 34 years.

Earlier that day ATB had been joking about it. I'd promised her that I'd come and find her and we'd rise. She was thinking she was too cool for the rising. So M and I ran over to the smoking ok/chem ok section and found the Chicago gyrlls.

Here's the secret. No one is too cool for this moment. Every woman rises. From the 80 year old woman in her wheel chair, the 43 year old pregnant woman in a loin cloth, the 30 year old tattooed hipster ro 6 year old little girl blowing bubbles who's thrilled that she gets to wear her tutu every day for a week. We all rise in our own way. With smiles on our faces and joy sparkling in the air. We rise.

TSA, Gender and trans folk trying to fly....

Last week the TSA started to implement new regulations.

It's called the Secure Flight Program.

Secure Flight matches the name, date of birth and gender information for each passenger against government watch lists to:

• Identify known and suspected terrorists
• Prevent individuals on the No Fly List from boarding an aircraft
• Identify individuals on the Selectee List for enhanced screening
• Facilitate passenger air travel
• Protect individuals' privacy

After matching passenger information against government watch lists, Secure Flight transmits the matching results back to aircraft operators.

From the TSA website 8/18/09

When you purchase an airline ticket you now need to provide your gender.  There are only two boxes: female and male.  At the airport, the TSA will not let you thru security unless both the name and gender on your legal ID (drivers license, passport, etc.) match the name and gender on your ticket.

The idea is to increase the accuracy of the watch list.  Say there is someone on the terrorist watch list who is named Kerry Anderson and that person is male.  This would prevent all Kerry Andersons who are female from being pulled out of line and going thru extra security screenings.  Frankly, although it's annoying, it makes some sense.

Of course, this is going to add an additional layer for folks who are trans and going thru security.  Hell, it could make stuff a little dicey for anyone who's not gender normative. Of course going thru security or customs as a trans person wasn't easy before.

I flew yesterday.  I'm cis gendered, but when I was going thru security at the Boston airport I asked a few questions.  

Here's how the conversation went.

Me: "Hey, can I ask you a couple questions about the new policies in relation to gender and IDs?"

TSA agent:  "Sure"

Me:  "I have a lot of friends who are trans gendered - their gender appearance doesn't match the gender on their driver's license.  What should they do?  What will happen when they hand you their stuff?"

TSA agent (looking a little bit nervous, but willing to listen):  "Well if we have any questions, first we'd call over the supervisor"

Me:  "Would it help if they brought a Dr's note?  You see, my brother is on testosterone and he looks like a guy, but on his driver's license his name says Judy and his gender says female"

Other TSA Agent steps in:  "Hormones don't change certain facial structures like your nose, or the shape of your eyes.  That's the stuff we look at.  It'll be fine for him.  We understand.  And we don't judge."

Which was nice to hear.  But I was in Boston.  In the first state in the nation where same sex marriage became legal.  And the second agent was clearly better educated on trans stuff.  I'm willing to bet the reaction would have been a little bit different in, say, Alabama, or Idaho.

I also sent an email to the TSA and am waiting to hear back from them.  I'll let you know what I hear (if I hear back at all).  The National Center for Transgender Equality has been in communication with the TSA about the new policy, so the TSA is aware of the issue.  But I doubt that will filter down to every agent checking IDs.

Here are my suggestions for getting thru security if you are trans and your name and gender on your DL don't match your gender presentation.  These suggestions are based simply on my years of experience in working with bureaucracy, federal programs and folks who are on the front line enforcing policies.  These are not suggestions from the TSA or any other organization.  They may not be politically correct, but they are designed to get you thru security with as little drama as possible.  The NCTE has some suggestions that may be more politically correct - click here for those.

1) Buy your plane tickets under the name and gender on your driver's license/state issued identity card (DL).  Double check your itinerary to make sure everything is correct (I saw a guy this weekend who had to go back to the ticket counter because his name on his license and his ticket didn't match and I'm pretty sure he wasn't trans). 

2)  Use your DL as your ID.  I've noticed the TSA agents spend more time examining other documents - even passports.

3)  Check your DL picture.  How much does it not look like you?  If it's really different (significantly shorter hair, major weight loss, etc.), think about "losing" your DL and getting a new one with a picture that looks more like you.

4) Get a letter from a medical professional on letter head that states you are transgendered and documents your legal name and gender. 

This  what I'd suggest for the text of the letter:

****** was identified as [gender] at birth, but now identifies as [blank].  ***** has undergone medical treatments in order to have their appearance match their gender identity, but they have not yet legally changed their name or gender.  As their medical provider I can attest that this person is legally ****** and [gender].

If you can have the clinician cut and paste a current picture of you into the letter, that could help.

Most cities have a sliding scale clinic where you could get a letter such as this.  

And yes, I know that you may identify as a gender other than male or female.  The TSA agent needs a box to put you in so that you can get on your plane.  Give them a box.  Fight the battle to eliminate the gender binary when you don't have a plane to catch.  Or a cavity search to avoid.

5) Self disclose when you hand the TSA agent your info - I recognize as a cis gendered person  I do not fully understand  how scary that could be.  People from a group which is marginalized are not the folks who should be responsible for doing the education, but in this case, I think it will save you a lot of trouble and drama.  A very simple, "I know my appearance doesn't match my legal gender, I'm trans.  This is my legal name and gender.  I have a letter from my doctor here as well,"  could help prevent a delay and reduce the amount of time you have to spend dealing with a legal system which marginalizes all folks who don't fit easily into a gender box. 

***

If you are some one who doesn't identify as trans, but presents in a way that is outside of dominant culture gender norms, check your DL.  If the picture of you is from when you were a girly sorority girl and now you are a muscly butch with a shaved head - "lose" your license and get a new one with a new picture.  A lot can change in the years between DL pictures.  Even more between passport pictures.  Hell, things have been a little faster for me at the airport since my DL picture now has my pink hair.

If you have any problems, please contact the National Center for Transgender Equality at 202-903-0112  so that they can follow up with the TSA 

***btw - Owen's birth name is not Judy.  He doesn't choose to share his birth name with many folks, so I don't either***

Non-monogamy and Feminism

Check out this article about the intersections of non-monogamy and feminism.  Really interesting stuff! 

Nonmonogamy and Feminism: A Happy Couple

Thanks to The Undomestic Goddess for pointing this out!

Julie and Julia

This weekend, we went to see the Julie Julia movie.  Which I was super excited about because I loved the book (the Julie Julia Project).  And I'll watch Meryl Streep act in almost anything.

The movie was lovely.  It portrayed two couples in supportive relationships (and yes, I know that Julie Powell has had problems with her marriage since - and picked up the pieces).  And it is so rare to see good marriages portrayed in Hollywood.

And, I don't know how accurate the depiction of Julia Child was, but, I walked out of the theatre thinking that I'd found a kindred spirit.  I know what it's like to lay down on a bed and have your feet hang off.  I know what it's like to tower over your partner.  And to be gleeful about small things. And loud.  And a little clumsy. And to build counters that are higher than normal in your kitchen.

But here was my take home message.  In my memory, Julia Child was one of the most influential cooks in the United States.  In fact, she's probably the first cook I could name.  

She didn't find her passion until she was almost 40.  She was almost 50 before her first book was published - and the book wasn't even her idea (although it became very much hers).  She wasn't on TV for another two years.  Julia Child was in her 50s when her career really started going.  Julia. Child. 

And she may not have done it if it weren't for the solid, strong support of a loving partner.

So often all we hear about are people in their teens and twenties who run in and do amazing things.  Which is great.  But we still get messages that life is over at some point.  That just isn't true.  Grandma Moses started painting in her 70s.  She painted for 30 years.  One of her paintings is in the White House.

I'm thrilled.  What's going to happen in the next 50 years? What amazing things will I learn? 

Wheeeee!

**btw- both Meryl Streep and Amy Adams were brilliant in this movie.  And how lovely to get to eat that stuff while you're at work!!

The Gold Vibrator Sells!

Who says we're in a recession?!

A few months ago, Lelo, one of my favorite sex toy makers, introduced a new line of "Lux" toys. And by "Lux" they mean gold plated.

I'll admit, when I saw them, I was a bit perplexed. It felt like something that would be more appropriate in the 80s or 90s. When the folks who had money were throwing it around like crazy. A $2000 vibrator when most of the folks with cash have just lost a lot of it in the stock market?

But I was wrong.

Lelo just sold their first Yva vibe for $2,229 to a woman in New Zealand.

Damn! Good for them. And, no doubt for the buyer. Metal is sexy. And every Lelo product I've ever used has been fabulous.

Of course, as far as I can tell, it's an upgraded Nea Vibe. Which we sell. And that's only $82...