RENO, Nev. – By combining interviews with lifestyle information, personal care tips, entertainment news and history tidbits, Transformation magazine offers readers a different kind of window into the world of T-girls.
“Transformation is a publication that covers the transgender, cross-dressing and drag community with a fun and sexy attitude,” said Hanna Rodgers, president of Transformation Publishing. “We have been in print for over 20 years and are the only publication of our kind produced in America. Not only is Transformation the only magazine for this community printed here, but we aren’t afraid to include erotic nudity and talk about the fetishistic appeal of cross-dressing.”
YNOT: How and why was Transformation started?
Hanna Rodgers: It actually evolved out of catalogs which were produced specifically for transvestites. The founder of Centurian Publishing, Jeri Lee, is a crossdresser who began his business as a fetish dealer and recognized the need for clothing and accessories made for people just like him. These catalogs always included a few photo features or informational articles so he created Transformation to provide even more of this type of lifestyle content.
The first tagline for the magazine was “The magazine for men who enjoy being women” but we have tried to expand that scope because transgender women do not identify this way and they are a large portion of our current audience.
Who are your target audiences?
Our audiences include people all across the gender spectrum, including full-time trans women, part-time crossdressers, and drag queens. We also have many readers who are trans allies and fans of the TS adult industry, who see all of these women as the special people they really are.
What kind of content do you offer?
Our features include interviews with TS adult performers, drag queens, and all sorts of other gender outlaws, as well as special event coverage, trans friendly nightclubs, news and entertainment, plus columns on transgender life, dressing/makeup, and letters from readers and a correspondence corner.
I’m very proud of the fact that our writers include Krissy Kyung of krissy4u.com, the award-winning Voluptuous Diva Michelle Austin, blogger extraordinaire Caramel Black, Tasha LaBlush, Sally Bend, the incredible Mistress Samantha, actress and producer Shelbe Chang, and just recently longtime reader Randi June has come on board to write from her perspective of dressing for over 50 years! We are always looking for more contributors and story ideas so I hope to hear from some of your readers with suggestions.
What kind of advertising base do you have?
Our main base has always been ourselves because Centurian has been in this business for 45 years and we carry everything from breast forms and body shapers to custom clothing and bondage. We are a very specialized company that also deals in hard to find books and magazines like Forced Womanhood (our own publication) as well as many from Europe such as Transliving, Marquis, Heavy Rubber, and Skin Two. We are still a small company but we are totally unique in what we offer and the services we provide.
Our other advertisers are amazing and everyone seems to get great response from their exposure in Transformation because our readership is so dedicated. They include adult companies like Grooby and Thirdworld Media, sex chat line operators, makeover consultants and many companies who provide products for the trans community (clothing, wigs, etc.).
What does the success of your magazine say about the trans community?
I feel that it says the trans community is just as much a part of “normal” society as any other, that they are human beings who want the same out of life as anyone else and to live their lives as they wish to. Transgender men and women are nothing new in the world but in the past few years they have all been stepping up, becoming visible, and fighting for rights that they should already have. They are exposing many deep-seated prejudices and discriminatory practices of our lawmakers and caregivers towards not only their community but also other ethnic and religious minorities as well; just look at what has been happening in Ferguson, MO.
Our success also says that trans people are here for good, they matter, and they need a community sounding board just like everyone else.
What kind of reaction has the ‘mainstream’ audience had to your magazine; both in terms of readership and advertising?
Unfortunately I think that our ‘mainstream’ audience is still fairly small because I have not seen too much reaction from it. What I can say is that among allies the reception has been overwhelmingly positive, especially to my decision to tone down the hardcore element.
Regular contributing photographers such as Remy X, Altomic Visuals, and 3Ball Photography all like the fact that we focus on the personal stories of the models while still featuring their gorgeous nude bodies so readers can get to know them as people, not just transgender women.
I am finding that our ‘mainstream’ reach is growing though. In the past two months I’ve had at least two different men thank me for doing what I do because the magazine has helped their girlfriends (who are transgender) have more confidence and courage. I cannot even tell you how great it is to hear stories like that, to know that all the hard work we pour into the magazine is making a difference for trans people.
What are your future plans?
Plans for the future include digitizing the magazine for online distribution, expanding hard copy distribution at newsstands, more theme issues (we just completed our 2nd Annual Sexy Swim issue), increased presence at events and conferences, and sponsorships of transgender nightclubs.
I know it will be a lot of hard work but I’m very excited about all that the future holds for Transformation.
