Trannyweb White House Hopeful - Update!

The U.S. presidential candidacy of Trannyweb's Bennie Lee Ferguson continues to draw the attention of the media, as well as established political figures.

She recently received encouragement from Rob Hodgkinson, Chairman of the Libertarian Party of Kansas, in an op-ed piece on the party's web site.  Additionally, she has received requests for interviews from Fox News Across America and appeared as a guest on the Eric Dondero blog radio show on February 1.  Finally, there is an extensive interview with the candidate to be found at www.arabianmonkey.com in which Trannyweb figures prominently.

Ferguson's less-than-a-shoestring-budget campaign, as well as differing state-by-state regulations concerning the tallying of write-in votes, has prompted her to focus her resources and attention on her home state of Kansas.  

For write-in votes to be officially counted and registered in Kansas, the Secretary of State's office requires a slate of three electors, as well as a presidential and vice-presidential candidate on the ticket. 

Ferguson expects to select a running mate and three electors soon in order to meet these requirements.  Interested parties within the State of Kansas may contact the campaign by e-mail at bennieleeferg@hotmail.com.

She also has a new campaign web site which you can see by clicking this link.

Trannyweb Celebrity Interview - This month, Katie Glover talks to Dr.Wal Torres

Gendercare English Clinic is the first web-based gender clinic. Since 2001 they have developed methods to understand and evaluate people with gender problems. Trannyweb's Katie Glover spoke to one of the founders, Dr Wal Torres, who still runs Gendercare from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil...

KG: Tell us a little about yourself, where you're from and where you live now

Dr Wal Torres

Dr T: I was born and recognized as normal boy, at birth. As the youngest among 5, I was reared as a normal boy. In my dreams I always felt I was not perfectly a boy and that I would like to be a girl but I never showed these feelings to anyone.

I was a good student, I played as boys played in the community - but when playing alone, sometimes I would like to play house and would play female characters. I also started using my mother's and sister's clothes in secret.

Later, I had some difficulties when I started dating girls - and I never dated a boy. I was a good student in College studying engineering - and soon became a successful engineer. I went to Canada to work with a Brazilian company and went on to gain an MSc and PhD in Chemistry.

I got married and had children. I was a successful man. I divorced and lived some years with a woman I loved, and we had a son. So I have children with two different women.

Then, after we split I asked myself - why I can not now be MYSELF and so I started my own transition some 15 years ago.

I knew that engineering would be impossible for me from then on so I studied medicine for two years and then enveloped my knowledge about gender dysphorias AND THE BRAIN. I studied SEX AND GENDER STABILITY. I went to two new college courses: Philosophy and Psychology (Jungian) and then with my research, I wrote a book in Brazil - "Meu Sexo Real" (My Real Sex in English) - where I explain why transsexuality is possible, with a brain background.

I published it in Brazil, using the pen name Martha Freitas in 1998 - through Vozes Editors. My book was presented at the 1998 Frankfurt Book Fair, and Dr.Gunther Dorner tried a German translation - with no success.

During my masters degree in sexology I presented two papers at the XVth World Congress of Sexology, in Paris in 2001 with Prof. Pedro Jurberg, PhD, and there some asked me, "help us, we have transpatients and we know not how to help them"!

When I arrived in Brazil in 2001 after the Congress I talked to Dr.Dorina Quaglia, PhD, and we started Gendercare. She intended a local clinic - and I a web based one, to help much more people! In at least 4 languages - I could afford: Portuguese - my original language, and English, French and Spanish.

We started Gendercare.com in August 2001 and immediately we started developing a method to help people through the web.
We developed our methods, our scales and tests, I applied my mathematical knowledge to develop it.
Since then we have evaluated since nearly 1000 patients from the five continents and in four languages with very good results.

We showed our background at the Chicago Biennial Symposium from HBIGDA/WPATH, 2007 - and a lot is published for free on the web and I was able to develop a method to evaluate and counsel gender dysphorics through the web in a consistent objective way.

I live alone, with my 4 Doberman dogs in Rio and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

KG: How did you first realize that you were different to other people?

Dr T: Since my first childhood, since my early infancy, since I am aware I exist. But that perception was not so oppressive, nor so compulsive I could not survive. I could survive with it, until the day I would not have a reason to survive that way. From then on, in my early forties, I could start showing myself.

KG: Following your SRS you studied for an MSc. Tell us about that.

Dr T: I started studying it even before. Not the MSc in sexology - but psychology and philosophy. After nearly 2 years I lived as a woman - I could have my SRS in Brazil, with Dr.Jurado, who is very good..

I believe the Jurado/Cury surgery in Brazil has the best SRS for older MtF women who live alone and do no have a partner.

Their surgery is very special for older MtF women that are alone - because the new vagina does not collapse and dilatation is not so important as it is following Thai surgery. So we suggest Thai surgeons for young patients and older patients who (or intend to have) a very active sex life after SRS and for older patients without a partner we suggest the Jurado/Cury surgery in Brazil.

KG: What is Gendercare all about?

Dr T: We developed an evaluation method through the web. That way we may evaluate people, from their home, if they have a PC with a connection - from all around the world.

We may evaluate in 4 languages - English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.

A complete evaluation has three steps: email anamnesis, unexpected gender identity test (MFX and FMX tests) and MMPI.

After the complete evaluation, if the patient shows signs that any transition is really needed and is desired - we can offer counseling via email. We ask for blood tests, we suggest hormones, depilations, surgery and so on... And all through the web!!!!

The patient does not then need to look for local help. Some may need a local follow up - and surely for all a local general health follow up during transition is good - but not essential.

KG: What kind of services can you offer our members?

Dr T: Web evaluation of gender dysphorias (gender variance). For TS/HBS, TG's, CD's, IG's, any MtF or FtM situation - we may evaluate and help.

We work not for free but our prices are not expensive - they are affordable for most people. The complete evaluation costs less than US$450.00 and we may do it very fast - in one or two months.

Later, for a complete transition, we will need time, not because someone established it as a law or as a therapy procedure (as does WPATH), but because your body needs time to transition naturally and properly through the action of hormones.

We try to never use silicon -we consider silicon only after all possible natural procedures have failed. After the complete evaluation, we offer transition counseling for less than US$150.00 a month. We believe that scheme is affordable for most people.

KG: How successful has Gendercare been in the past? Can you tell us about a few of your success stories?

Dr T: Our success is, first of all, to evaluate patients correctly. In seven years and having helped nearly 1000 patients, we have never yet failed. Some desired a partial transition. We helped them and they were really satisfied. Others desired a complete transition, with FFS and SRS, MtF or Mastectomy and Metaioidioplasty for FtM's - also with success.

MtF SRS we consider, as I said, Thai surgeons - mainly Dr's Suporn, Kamol, Preecha, Kunaporn - but also others - because they are very perfect and not so expensive.

We recommend Dr Suporn for those who can afford him. However, we suggest that Latin Americans and Brazilians may more easily afford Dr.Kamol and Dr.Preecha prices.

Please click this link to see the Gendercare web site for more information