Transgender Playboy

From Germany, the editor of Playboy magazine says it will feature a transgender model on its cover for the first time.

Editor-in-chief Florian Boitin said Tuesday that putting Giuliana Farfalla  (left) on the cover - topless, as is customary for such magazines in Germany - was in line with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's tradition of being "resolutely opposed to all forms of exclusion and intolerance."

Boitin says the 21-year-old Farfalla is a "wonderful example of how important the fight for the right to self-determination is."

And, staying in Europe, Trans  broadcaster India Willoughby has been slammed by Celebrity Big Brother viewers for comparing drag to blackface.
She attacked the art of drag after housemate Shane Jenek, who is better known for performing as Courtney Act, helped a fellow contestant, Apprentice star Andrew Brady, to transform into a drag queen. 

Comments

Connie said…
I have to admit that I find myself torn, often, between the art portrayed by nude photos and drag performance, and the objectification and parody I see in them. I won't go so far as to compare drag to black face, but I do see the playing into stereotypes and parody that can exist in drag shows. Of course, I'm not impressed by Elvis impersonators, either, and art is a matter of taste. Elvis, by the way, took black R&B music and introduced it to a white audience. I applaud him for that, because the music was better than what the white kids were used to. He didn't wear black face to do it, but he did end up being a parody and caricature of himself. So much of drag, to me, ends up being about the same. I'd rather not see either, really, but I'd definitely not want to see a nude Elvis impersonator!