Hostility

I am normally a fairly easy going person, until recently it seems. As a matter of fact, since the election. What really fires me up is a self professed transgender woman, trans man or ally who voted for "45" (Trumper) in the election.  I for one, wasn't one to vote away my hard earned LGBT rights.

For those who thought they wouldn't get taken away, it is already happening under Trumps appointee to the Attorney General position. That's right-already. If you are in the latter category and don't care what's happening, that's your business, but if you do, there are places to resist and protest all this craziness. (Don't think the Russians weren't the smart ones in directing the election towards "45"?)

I hope there is more than one spot to register your resistance, but this is the one I just received in my email.

"I just signed this petition telling Congress to push back against the First Amendment Defense Act, legislation to codify discrimination against LGBTQ people into federal law. I think you should too. Will you sign too? https://act.credoaction.com/sign/FADA?referring_akid=a257598056.5201849.mWNnNI&source=conf_email Thanks."

Act NOW!

 

Much Needed Vocal Advice!

From Connie:

Although I really despise the sound of a woman who speaks with a vocal fry, I'm hearing it more and more - even among radio professionals. These women often include a toned-down valley girl kind of phrasing, especially at the end of a phrase or sentence. I have been experimenting with using just a tiny bit of the vocal fry, as it has little to do with the vocal chords' ability to create pitch or tone. It sure does force one to soften the voice because it hurts at a higher volume - unless you want to sound like the late actress, Selma Diamond, who was a chain smoker. 

As a singer, I have always tried to open up and project, even when being gravelly (the trick is to create the gravel in the sinus cavity and not in the throat). By cutting back on the projection, and using a touch of the gravel (or fry) for certain words, I am slowly improving my feminine voice. My pitch will never be high enough to be that of the average woman, but there are cis women who speak in a pitch similar enough to mine. I'm really a baritone who had tried to be a tenor for many years (popular music has few baritones), and my three-octave range moves more toward the low end than the high. Working on a little fry has helped, in that I don't have to think at all about vocal range to use it.

Thanks!!!

Voice Overs?

I have found personally one of my biggest MtF transition hurdles has been my voice.

Jacqueline Bisset

I am light years away from my ideal of a low sexy Jacqueline Bisset voice! 

While I know there are great voice coaches out there in the world, with my budget, I am limited to what I read on line to come up with a DIY slightly feminine voice.

I struggle also with the fact my voice is very gravely from my days as a (back in the day) "Top-40" disc jockey.

Regardless of all of that, Saturday, Liz and I were out shopping when I heard a distinctly male voice behind me talking. For no particular reason I turned around and there were no men behind us.

Immediately my "trans-dar" antennae went up and we let the couple pass with the male voiced person. Now, I know there are many women with very low voices, but I also know somewhere along the line cis-women have a distinctive way of phrasing/talking and this person didn't.

Of course there was no way I was going to say anything because the couple seemed engrossed in being grumpy with each other. I was just fascinated.

I did have a chance to look for an Adam's Apple to no avail (can't see mine either) and for other telltale signs. On the feminine positive side, she was wearing leggings and had to die for hip development but on the male negative side, she had a real male belly.

So who knows? Like passing ships in the night, I am sure we will never meet again. I just thought it was exceedingly rare for the possibility of another couple such as Liz and I to be in the same small store at the same time. Two transgender lesbians?