This post comes from Michael Woodward: In keeping with its theme "Toward a Greater Diversity", the IFGE Annual conference has successfully engaged many leaders and champions for the FTM community to take part in its 23rd Annual Conference. The conference, which runs from Monday, March 31, 2008, to Saturday, April 5, 2008, is being held in Tucson, Arizona at the Doubletree Reid Park Hotel. Wingspan's Southern Arizona Gender Alliance (SAGA) is the local host committee. Past conferences have been decidedly transfeminine-oriented, but organizers made concerted outreach efforts for 2008 to transgender men, as well as people of color and allies of all ages, to ensure a broad range of issues, identities, and dialogues are represented in Tucson. While pre-conference excursions and social activities start Monday, the actual conference program kicks off Thursday morning, April 3, with a plenary session featuring renowned activist Jamison Green, author of the prize-winning book Becoming a Visible Man. Green has served on numerous national and international boards and received many awards for his work. Following a welcome by Tucson Mayor Robert Walkup, Mr. Green will address the attendees on the Conference theme of diversity. His international travel in service to the transgender community has introduced him to an amazing array of transgender expression, yet he has observed distinct similarities among diverse groups. In this session, he will reflect on the evolution of the transgender community-or communities-and the meaning and importance of diversity for our movement. Later in the conference, Green will also present a workshop session titled "Identity Crisis-an open discussion about who we are." Read more.

According to a Reuters report: "As Renee Richards, the world's most famous transsexual athlete, looks back on her life, she has one regret -- the fame she attained." Dearest Renee, your 15 minutes of fame are WAY past. If you're so against the fame you received, why are you writing another book? "In the mid-1970s and when her memoir, "Second Serve: The Renee Richards Story," came out in 1983, was treated as an curiosity and besieged by television chat shows.… Read more.

Jen Burke, of Transcending Gender, is celebrating her two year blogging birthday. If you haven't been over to her blog, well... YOU SHOULD! She's a very prolific blogger (and blawger) and a very talented writer! The only thing I fault her for is passing out cake. I think I gained ten pounds just looking at that cake! Anyone know how to put candles on some rice cakes? Read more.