This is the first article for my advice column in the OUT! newsletter. Enjoy!

Dear Dori,

I have a friend who believes he may be transsexual. He is easily influenced and currently surrounded by trans-identified friends and I'm concerned he may be jumping into the wrong decision about his body. I was wondering how permanent the effects of hormone ( Read more... )

I'm nearing the end of Hell Week and I've reached the point where I've prioritized and stopped caring about a lot of my stress. My English paper is finished. Not great, but I have the weekend to work on it. I have algebra homework I'll do all day after class and a test tomorrow. If I fail all of that I still pass the class, and that's all I care ( Read more... )

I only have about ten minutes to update this thing, due to my moving tonight and my many papers tomorrow. So I'll just try to fill you in on what's been up with me lately ( Read more... )

A friend of mine informed me this week is National Infertility Awareness Week.

Since he shared his story and views about infertility I thought I'd share mine today.

Although there is progress being made on uterine transplants and other fertility work, as a transsexual woman I cannot bear children. This was one aspect of my body I had a hard time ( Read more... )

I went on my first date last night. That's right, my first date ever in the right body/sex/gender/social role/whatever. He's also the first straight boy I've ever been involved with, which makes this the most comfortable/natural/awesome date I've been on. Not that there was much to compare it with besides a few lesbian attempts and one-kiss gay ( Read more... )

Although I am outspoken about the effects of my birth status in GLBT settings and in my writing, to most people I remain nothing more than another cisexual woman. In the Trans community we call this "stealth", a term I despise because it implies deception for not wearing a Scarlet "T" across my chest. This is the most common justification of trans ( Read more... )

Last night (or this morning, if you must be accurate) I had a good laugh with Chris about the very intoxicated couple we went to Waffle House with after bowling. He was the chattiest drunk I've ever seen, constantly pressing the importance of one topic to death before being distracted into another. We quickly ate our waffles and left once we paid ( Read more... )

Please understand my reasons for not speaking today. I am participating in the Day of Silence, a national youth movement bringing attention to the silence faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their allies in schools. My deliberate silence echoes that silence, which is caused by name-calling, bullying and harassment. I believe ( Read more... )

If there's one thing I've learned in this bizarre, short life of mine it's this: There will always be haters wherever you go and you can't stop them. All you can do is rise above it. Last night I was criticized for my meeting notes and my newsletter, particularly my "Dear Dori" column by Little Miss You-Know-Who: "Seriously? So, you will be ( Read more... )

This week I feel like a real bra-burning, ass-kicking, fist-shaking activist. This Monday I participated in my first meeting as an officer at Out and was impressed by how smoothly things went, despite a constant barrage of negativity coming from the back row. Miss "I'm starting my own club because I don't like yours" accomplished nothing but ( Read more... )