[Interview] The Talented and Mysterious Al Tom of Altomic Visuals
Al Tom was one of the first people I got to know when I was new to the industry. We met for the first time the day I arrived in Los Angeles for TEA 2015, and we did a shoot for the swimsuit issue of Transformation Magazine that same day.
Reflecting back on the two year anniversary of my shoot with Grooby
Yesterday, September 20th 2016, marked the two year anniversary of my shoot with Grooby for Shemale Yum. It’s hard to believe it’s already been that long, but as I look back over the past two years that shoot was an important event in my life because it led to so
Buddy Wood talks about photography, modeling, the porn industry, and the Cubs!
When I first approached Grooby about writing for them my initial idea had been to do a series of interviews with photographers, because the models get interviewed all the time but the photographers aren’t nearly as well known. And as someone who has had a life-long interest in photography, I
A Day in the Life
One of my favorite songs, “A Day In The Life” by the Beatles, came to mind when thinking of a title for this column, which wasn’t the original post I had intended for today, but the events of the past 24 hours (Monday August 29th – Tuesday August 30th) kind
The Joy of Dancing
For most of my life I hated dancing. I can count on one hand the number of times I danced prior to my transition, and those were at the insistence of my wife when I was married. But then at the ripe old age of 53 I finally became enlightened
Thoughts on the party, the business, and personal accountability
The Grooby 20th anniversary party was every bit as wonderful as I imagined it would be. It was nice having so many people there to share in celebrating such a special occasion. But the best part was seeing friends and having the time to talk and reconnect. The night was
Grooby 20th Anniversary
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Grooby Productions. To mark this special occasion I wanted to do a column about what Grooby means to you; the fans, the models, the employees, the photographers, everyone. I asked you to share your thoughts about what makes Grooby special to you, whether
Surviving, and asking for help
I have always considered myself very blessed to have the love and support of most of my family, especially my sons, because I know that is often not the case in the trans community. But I now find myself in the position of having lost so much of the love
Jen Richards on being trans, the show Her Story, politics, The TSA, and Caitlyn Jenner
Jen Richards is a writer and actress who is the co-writer/star/producer of Her Story, a show about the dating lives of two transgender women, and was a series regular on I Am Cait. She is also a consultant & advocate focusing on gender and social justice. She was previously the
Becca Benz exclusive interview with: Becca Benz!
Hello Becca, and thank you for agreeing to do this interview! Thank you Becca, I’m a big fan of your writing and it’s an honor to be interviewed by you! Okay, seriously. I’ve been thinking about doing a question and answer column for a while now and I thought this
The truth about trans women and our penises
One of the most common misconceptions society has about trans women is that we all hate our penises and would like nothing better than to chop them off if we had the chance. To set the record straight, even if we elect to have Genital Reconstructive Surgery, the penis is
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” – Kate Moss
“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” – Kate Moss We’ve all heard that infamous quote made by Kate Moss in 2009 that sparked outrage and has also been used as a rallying cry by pro-eating disorder websites. I never really understood what she meant, but now I actually do,
Krista Michaels on art, politics, and being trans
Krista Michaels is someone I have a great deal of respect for and have wanted to interview for a long time, so I’m very excited to have this opportunity. She is socially aware and has strong opinions about the issues we face, and is very accomplished in a variety of
Aging Gracefully
When I first got into modeling I was worried about my age and considered it a hindrance to being successful. It was a harsh realization that the majority of models in the industry are the same ages as my sons. So I listed my age as ten years younger than
Struggling not to lose myself to depression
Depression affects nearly 15 million adults in the United States and is something which is all too common for those of us who are transgender; the two seem to go hand in hand. We all know the statistics, that 41% of trans people attempt suicide, which is 22 times more
Krissy Kyung on trans identity, acceptance, and the division within our own community
In Part 2 of my interview with Krissy Kyung we touch on some of the important issues in the trans community that have been controversial and have often led to divisiveness within our own community. I hope it gets people to think about these issues and leads to some discussion.
Krissy Kyung talks about the porn industry, modeling, and food!
Krissy Kyung, owner of the long-running and very successful site krissy4u.com is more than just a pornstar. She has an extensive blog network, is a Contributing Editor for Transformation Magazine, an author of trans erotica, an active member of the trans community, and a well-respected voice within the adult entertainment
How HB2 inadvertently helped the trans community
While most people agree that North Carolina’s HB2 is a vile piece of legislation that should never have been passed, the good folks of North Carolina actually accomplished a lot with that piece of hateful and bigoted legislation. They managed to showcase to the entire nation exactly the type of
Does online porn really lead to erectile dysfunction?
I recently read an interesting article about a possible correlation between watching online porn and erectile dysfunction, which almost seems counterintuitive. Or does it? In Time Magazine’s cover story from the April 11th issue, “Porn and the Threat to Virility,” author Belinda Luscombe writes, “A growing number of young men
Interview with Steven Grooby – Part 2
Welcome back to Through The Benz! In Part 2 of my interview with Steven Grooby we focus on the industry and some of more important issues facing not only the industry but the trans community. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! It’s very