Susan's Place Transgender Resources

BREAKING: David Bowie Dead At 69

http://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2016/1/11/david-bowie-dead-69

The Advocate/By Elizabeth Daley January 11 2016 2:42 AM EST Updated January 11 2016 3:25 AM EST

"Multiple media outlets are reporting David Bowie has died, confirming a statement posted to the musician's Facebook page and Twitter account:


"January 10 2016 - David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer. While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."

Bowie was known for his showmanship and gender-bending costumes as well hit songs including "Fame" off the top 10 album "Young Americans." He had just released his 25th album, "Blackstar" on his birthday, January 8. A lyric to one of his new songs, "Lazarus," is "Look up here, I'm in heaven.""

 :(

Ashes to Ashes was the first song by Bowie to really catch my attention, I was probably too young before then to appreciate his earlier stuff. But I bought the single, bought the Scary Monsters album and became a big Bowie fan. What a talent!

It's very sad that he's passed, I hadn't realised he was fighting cancer. RIP!

I think part of my heart just died  :icon_cry2: :icon_cry2: :icon_cry2:

Rest in peace oh greatest of the greats, you are greatly loved and missed

A big salute to Major Tom

How David Bowie challenged public perceptions of sexuality

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2016/01/11/how-david-bowie-challenged-public-perceptions-of-sexuality/

Pink News/By Joseph Patrick McCormick  01/11/2016

"As the world mourn's David Bowie's death, PinkNews looks back at the changing personas of the music legend.

It was announced on social media today that the artist behind Ziggy Stardust had died after an 18-month battle with cancer.

The star had adopted several personas over the years and made comments about his sexual orientation on several occasions."

When I heard this, I was really sad ...  :'(

I have not seen such shock and mourning since John Lennon died.

I was born in 1945 and when he started to emerge in the late 60's/early 70's, I immediately identified with him.

Here was a guy supposedly who was embracing his feminine side and he immediately became my inspiration.

In the 70's I used to go to show business parties and mainstream night clubs in London dressed as a girl because I was one and without him," My coming out " would have been far more challenging and difficult.

Then there was Marc Bolan who sadly died in that car crash in Barnes, South West London .. :(

Not forgetting Lou Reed's " Walk on the Wild Side " - Awesome times.

Was David one of us, maybe?

After my full transition in the 80's my inspiration transferred to Madonna who is my ideal woman.

Rest in Peace David, the whole world is going to miss you.

I think he smoked, as it showed him with a cigarette. I wonder if that caused the cancer. RIP David Bowie. He was one of the greats!

Yes he did silly man.

But it kept his weight down, I reckon.

Also he was saying that if he had not left America to go to Berlin, he would have probably overdosed. Drugs are not good for the body, that's for sure hence his heart attack in 2004. All musicians, well almost all did drugs in the 70's.

All the stress of his career and this took it's toll on him as can be seen in his last video. He had aged dramatically poor guy. The body can only take so much.

I have a dear friend only one year older than me who has smoked for years and suffered a stroke 2-3 years back. He still smokes silly man and this is why I feel that all cigarettes should be banned. It's a terrible drug and highly addictive.

Just watching him on BBC 2's "David Bowie: Five Years" and when he was singing "Ground Control to Major Tom", his eyeliner is exactly the same as I do it. I must have subconsciously copied him ...  8)

Quote from: Stephanie2 on January 11, 2016, 05:27:16 PM
I think he smoked, as it showed him with a cigarette. I wonder if that caused the cancer. RIP David Bowie. He was one of the greats!

Quote from: Paula1 on January 11, 2016, 05:12:04 PM
When I heard this, I was really sad ...  :'(

Was David one of us, maybe?

I would tend to believe so

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi158.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Ft110%2F99shadesofgrey%2FDavid%2520Bowie%2FDavid_Bowie69.jpg&hash=e15756e925426501ce939061d63c54798c8da5cc)

(https://sp.yimg.com/xj/th?id=OIP.Mc126ea4febd853969307c82c035e4fd8H0&pid=15.1&P=0&w=160&h=154) My mother was floored when I came home with this album

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgrantbuist.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F03%2Fjones_discography.jpg&hash=9ac972e9bb6cb5f793a6c27475f66f374390ab3c)

Yes he/she was stunning with great bone structure and slim shoulders ... :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

I'm honored to have my quote in this article from The Daily Dot:

(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.dailydot.com%2Fcache%2F11%2F1c%2F111cb73b354c6b5204b48cea38d62b23.jpg&hash=fb341cf37dd6c466ec8dfc18a1b3552520bd0b8f)

LGBT activists, actors, musicians on David Bowie's towering shadow (http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/lgbt-community-responds-david-bowie-death/)

My quote:

QuoteI feel I've lost an icon today. David Bowie helped me take my first step in my journey to become the woman I am today, part of the journey was first identifying as gender queer prior to transgender. He played a major role in that step. Thank you for all the great music and inspiration to the LGBT community as a role model that it's perfectly ok to be your true self.

-----------------

I was contacted this morning for a quote about his death. I've been getting a lot of contacts about that article so we will see what happen.

Oh wow.. Just because he was a man who was unafraid to challenge a stereotype or 2, suddenly he's trans. What a load of..

We all know that the only person who can say we are trans is ourselves. Why is it suddenly OK to label a dead man?

David Bowie, Original Trans Ally

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/01/100983/david-bowie-gender-sexuality-hero

Refinery/Jan 11, 2016 3:50 PM Sally Kohn

"By 1976, a year after "Fame" topped the charts in the United States, David Bowie was becoming, well, famous. No longer well known just in the United Kingdom, where he'd already had hits in "Spaceman" and the Ziggy Stardust-era "Starman," Bowie was becoming a global phenomenon. So he up and...moved to Berlin? The reason why is at the center of not only Bowie's identity as an artist but his influence on culture in general. "

This is a big loss of creativity and inspiration... Lennon, Presley, Jackson, Bowie. You chose your order.

No I said that he might have been trans and IMHO I don't think that is labelling him.

Just a comment, that's all.

And many people thought the same about Michael Jackson but does not mean that he was.

Imagine what that would have done to both their careers if they had come out as trans while famous !!!

Probably end of careers and look how the media persecuted Jackson in any case whether justified or not.

Paula

Quote from: kelly_aus on January 11, 2016, 09:50:58 PM
Oh wow.. Just because he was a man who was unafraid to challenge a stereotype or 2, suddenly he's trans. What a load of..

We all know that the only person who can say we are trans is ourselves. Why is it suddenly OK to label a dead man?

Great article and thanks for sharing ... :)

Quote from: stephaniec on January 11, 2016, 10:45:55 PM
David Bowie, Original Trans Ally

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/01/100983/david-bowie-gender-sexuality-hero

Refinery/Jan 11, 2016 3:50 PM Sally Kohn

"By 1976, a year after "Fame" topped the charts in the United States, David Bowie was becoming, well, famous. No longer well known just in the United Kingdom, where he'd already had hits in "Spaceman" and the Ziggy Stardust-era "Starman," Bowie was becoming a global phenomenon. So he up and...moved to Berlin? The reason why is at the center of not only Bowie's identity as an artist but his influence on culture in general. "

Quote from: kelly_aus on January 11, 2016, 09:50:58 PM
Oh wow.. Just because he was a man who was unafraid to challenge a stereotype or 2, suddenly he's trans. What a load of..

We all know that the only person who can say we are trans is ourselves. Why is it suddenly OK to label a dead man?

agreed.

besides, the best way to classify him is "Bowie".

I thought (his) name was Ziggy

Quote from: stephaniec on January 12, 2016, 11:49:19 AM
I thought (his) name was Ziggy

nah, his name was Frunobulax.

Don't tell me that guy was human.

He's probably just returned to his homeplanet

Quote from: kelly_aus on January 11, 2016, 09:50:58 PM
Oh wow.. Just because he was a man who was unafraid to challenge a stereotype or 2, suddenly he's trans. What a load of..

We all know that the only person who can say we are trans is ourselves. Why is it suddenly OK to label a dead man?

I would not say he is transgender at all. He was certainly non-binary spectrum and queer. He was an icon to many in the LGBT community because he was always re-defining himself and wasn't afraid to be "out" there.

Quote from: Zóôt Threepwood on January 12, 2016, 12:14:18 PM
Don't tell me that guy was human.

He's probably just returned to his homeplanet

+1

Quote from: kelly_aus on January 11, 2016, 09:50:58 PM
Oh wow.. Just because he was a man who was unafraid to challenge a stereotype or 2, suddenly he's trans. What a load of..

We all know that the only person who can say we are trans is ourselves. Why is it suddenly OK to label a dead man?

Don't understand what all the fuss is about, no one is actually labeling Bowie or anyone else

The Trans umbrella covers a broad spectrum, Bowie may or may not have self identified and there is no problem with that

There is nothing wrong with being trans, asking questions and/or having an opinion

Bowie held a large impact and influence over me starting at a rather young age and I am merely grieving in the loss of a greatly talented individual whom I identify with

Amen

RIP to the Goblin King

If he was trans/non-binary/queer it was sort of acceptably so, in that people who were liked it when it could represent revolt and the freedom to dye their hair and mildly shock their maiden aunts... it's okay to be non-binary or gender non conforming as long as people can focus only on the clothes that you wear, and as long as you don't ask for non traditional or even non birth pronouns - as long as you stay in the comfortable range. Don't get me wrong, i love Bowie and I kind of can't even believe he was mortal... but it's upsetting to read all the articles praising him and the things he did, and then thinking about the people who will praise him for giving them the freedom to wear a bit of glitter and turn around and refuse to take trans kids seriously. it's like for many people 'genderfluid' is only admirable if it's arty or can do something for them. Bowie obviously didn't need labels, and that's great... but what if he did? Would people have taken him seriously if he'd asked for neutral pronouns or transitioned to female instead of going into suits and ties in his later years?