T-Wood

I’ve heard the same complaints about OP (diversity, etc) but have given the same response as the publishers.  Just look at an actual issue.  There certainly is a predominant style, but that’s the nature of magazines (and quarterlies) but economic, different definitions of transitions, and racial diversity have been there in (I think) every issue.  

transpride:

Someone recently expressed to me their dislike of Original Plumbing. I offered to send the gentleman who run the magazine a message about their complaints. Both my message* and their response is as follows.

Shaan:

Sup gentlemen?

I don’t know which of you handles the “@FTMquarterly” Twitter page, if either, but I figured I’d bring an issue some people have with the magazine to your attention. I’m just a messenger boy so don’t kill me, cool?

Long conversations short, there are people who don’t support OP because it has a reoccurring theme of featuring (usually) White, post-op, on/post-T, “affluent” individuals. They see this as discrimination because there has never been a pre-transition person in the mag, which apparently makes it seem as though pre-transition folks don’t count or exist.

Someone also pointed out an issue with the title, “Original Plumbing.” It’s symbolic of being proud of what you were born with, which in turns seems discriminatory to people to opt to have lower surgery of some sort.

There were some other tidbit complaints but nothing I can remember enough to bring up. I just offered to try and make contact with you guys about it since I have you both added here on Facebook. If you could respond, that would be cool. If not, it’s understandable.

Shaan

P.S. - You guys should throw the issue #5 release party in Seattle, and for people 19 and under, so I can go.

Amos:

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. It is inevitable that some people will feel the magazine does not speak to them. We do our best to represent as diverse a group of guys in each issue. If you pick up any of the issues, you will see guys on t and no-ho guys, pre and post-op (top and bottom surgery) and you will definitely see guys of color. It sounds like the people upset have not seen the magazine. As far as calling it OP, the explanation is in the mission statement. Personally, on any given day, the term “Original Plumbing” changes for me… some days it is referring to what I was born with, while other days it is what I would like to get rid of. Other people have told me that “original plumbing” means to them what they used to have, while others have told me is it what they embrace. It is up to the reader to have their own experience to the term.

We are two guys doing our best to give our community a platform to speak for themselves. Each issue only has room for 5-6 guys, within that we make it as absolutely diverse as possible. This is a labor of love and the last thing we intend to do is make anyone feel left out or underrepresented.

Amos & Rocco

_{*This is the least professional message to a professional I’ve ever written.}