Recent Entries

• The Danish Girl

  by Ariane Durand Tue at 12:23 PM
  This morning I watched The Danish Girl. This is a beautiful but sad film. And so important for understanding what it is for a man to want to be a woman. It made me cry. Eddie Redmayne was brilliant as Lily in the film. But he said that if it was made today, he would not accept the role. I agree tha...
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• Coming out

  by Ariane Durand Mon at 8:35 PM
  I am a member of a WhatsApp group called Run the Wall. This is a group of runners, cyclists and other athletes who stand in solidarity with Palestine and occasionally take part in sporting events, marches etc to draw attention to what's happening there and raise money for relief work. It's a lively ...

• War on Woke

  by Ariane Durand Mon at 5:26 PM
  Esther McVey is the Minister for Common Sense (no really). Today she has banned civil servants from using rainbow lanyards with their badges. They should show their support for government objectives and leave their political views at the door. See this Guardian article. As an ex-civil servant I am ...
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• LGBT+ religion

  by Ariane Durand Apr 21
  Oh my, where does the time go? Two months since I was last here!  There's a simple answer to that one. Ariane had a cycling accident and broke a bone in her hand. Now in a cast, and bandaged. It is neither practical nor beautiful to wear a dress in these circumstances. So I have to wait until ...

• The well-dressed fan

  by Ariane Durand Feb 20
  Ariane went to the Etihad tonight for the City match. There were some women present in the crowd. I bet I was the only one there tonight in a little black dress and pearls. Always look your best girls! Even if no one notices. I could have taken the bus or tram to the stadium (it's about a mile east ...
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• Ariane does normal #2

  by Ariane Durand Feb 13
  Life's been hectic for a while. But today was an Ariane day. When I had the house to myself, straight after breakfast, I made up and got changed. Today I was going to do all the normal things the boy would have done, only as a girl.    First up, some piano practice. Playing the piano is Ariane's n...
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• Too long in boy mode

  by Ariane Durand December 28, 2023
  Just after Manchester, I came out to another friend. It was a very natural thing to do. I said I was hoping to live more and more as Ariane within the limits that my circumstances allowed. Not just in safe environments like Canal Street, but in normal life (gigs, football matches, walking round town...
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• The loneliness of the long-distance TGirl

  by Ariane Durand November 29, 2023
  By Wednesday morning I was feeling the effect of all the gin I’d drunk the night before. I got up, then went back to bed. Eventually I felt ready to face the day. I decided to proceed with Plan A. I caught the train south, 30 minutes to Disley on the edge of the Peak District. Then I went for a long...

• Ariane at the Etihad

  by Ariane Durand November 29, 2023
  Ariane is back in Manchester for a few days. This has to be one of my favourite places. Another first last night. Ariane went to the Etihad to watch City play. Me and 50,000 men. Lots of abuse! Directed at the team though not at me. We played very badly in the first half but turned it round in the s...

• The new normal

  by Ariane Durand November 13, 2023
  I'm having an Ariane day. I wanted to do the same as I would in boy mode. So I started off responsibly with a stack of ironing, in our front room looking out the window and hoping to see some passers by or the postwoman (I was planning to open the door to her, but sadly no post for me today). Then I...