Trump abandons transgender students, condones discrimination and bullying
Last week I attempted to write something positive to show that there is still hope for the trans community and progress is still being made, but unfortunately I feel compelled to wade back into the cesspool of politics given the importance of Wednesday’s events and the impact they will have on the most vulnerable members of our community; our children. It was a shameful day for America Wednesday when the Trump Administration rescinded protections for transgender students that had allowed them to use the bathroom which corresponded to their gender identity, and in the process overruled his own Education Secretary,
Hope for 2017: trans community is still moving forward
While 2017 has given the transgender community a lot to be fearful of, there have still been some positive things which have occurred that may have gotten overlooked. We’ve all been inundated with politics lately and everyone should be well aware of the intentions and risks we’re facing from the current administration, but in the midst of so much negativity and fear there are signs that we as a community are still making progress and moving forward, which is an important message that we need to make sure people hear. We need to give people in our community hope and
Getting to know three-time TEA nominee Lianna Lawson!
Lianna Lawson is a new face in the trans porn scene who has made a big impact and become a fan favorite. Her work can be seen on several different sites such as Shemale Yum and Tgirls.porn, and she can also frequently be found camming. Lianna was nominated for three 2017 TEAs for Best New Face, Best Solo Model, and Best Scene with Casey Kisses. Hello Lianna and thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview! No problem, I'm happy to oblige! Congratulations on your three TEA nominations! How does it feel to get that many
TEA Time is almost here: the 2017 Transgender Erotica Awards are coming!
With the Transgender Erotica Awards coming up soon I thought I’d share my perspective about what it’s like to attend the TEA events for those of you who have never gotten the chance to experience it in person. Hopefully this will help convince you that it's an event that can't be missed! The purpose behind the Transgender Erotica Awards is to recognize those who work in and have excelled in this industry, but it’s so much more than just the awards. While it is nice to be recognized for your accomplishments, the best part of TEA is just getting together
My thoughts on the Chelsea Manning case
I have to admit I have mixed feelings about Chelsea Manning’s sentence being commuted by President Obama. I suppose I’m okay with it because it does not absolve her of the crimes she was convicted of like a pardon would have, and she has clearly suffered inhumane treatment while being incarcerated. Chelsea Manning is a United States Army soldier who was courtmartialed and convicted in July of 2013 for 17 violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses, including five counts of espionage and theft, after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly 750,000 classified or unclassified but sensitive military and diplomatic documents.
The war against porn…yet again
So once again we have a President and a Republican led Congress who feel the need to declare war against the porn industry. Excuse me, but hasn’t this been tried numerous times, most recently under the Reagan Administration, and haven’t they all failed? Yes indeed. Apparently no lessens have been learned from these past failed attempts. In July of last year Trump signed a pledge promising that as president he would, among other things, consider appointing a Presidential Commission to examine the harmful public health impact of Internet pornography on youth, families and the American culture. Could it be that
A Canadian original, the beautiful Jelena Vermilion!
Jelena Vermilion gives us one more reason to love Canada! This sassy and articulate young woman has made a splash in the porn industry and leaves quite an impression when you get to know her. She has that special star quality of being amazing in front of the camera while performing and also being extremely insightful and informed about not only the issues within the trans community and porn industry, but also global issues. This lady can definitely hold her own in an interview! One of the things I enjoy most about doing these interviews is that it gives me
Remembering 2016 and what it means to you
2016 has been quite a year, and as it comes to a close I thought it would be fun to look back and ask people what they will remember most from this year. I reached out to a bunch of folks and here are the replies I got back. A big thank you to all who took the time to participate and for the thoughtful answers you provided. Steven Grooby There has been a lot of confusion, anger and division in 2016 but what I remember most of the year is much different. I try to travel somewhere new each
Isabella Sorrenti: beauty, brains, and so much more!
Hello Isabella, and thank you so much for doing this interview! You’ve been nominated for multiple 2017 AVN awards including Favorite Trans Performer and several TEA awards including Best Solo Model and Ms. Unique. What does it mean to you to be recognized by the industry and fans for your work? It means a lot to me. Receiving recognition and these accolades just sweetens the deal for me. It shows how much my fans appreciate not only my work but me as a whole. I try to keep in contact with a lot of them when they message me. I
The holiday spirit: Error 404. Page Not Found.
I’m sitting here at 12:39 AM with my column due later today, and I cannot think of anything to write. Sounds odd to say that since there are an infinite number of subjects to write about, but I got nothing. I’m trying to avoid anything to do with politics since we’ve been deluged with politics for so long and I think most people are pretty burned out with anything remotely connected to politics at this point, but it’s hard to avoid since it’s so interconnected with everything in life these days. I’ve been going through various news sites looking for
Post-election thoughts on how to navigate through these unsettling times
It’s been a month since the election and we’ve had a chance to take a deep breath and calm down after what has been one of the most acrimonious and hate-filled elections in history. Unfortunately there has been little calm; many people are feeling angry and frustrated, as evidenced by the numerous protests and demonstrations by people who fear for their rights and safety. And on the other side, Trump is preparing for his presidency and his supporters are busy mounting boycotts against any and all companies which dare to speak out against Trump or voice their support for human
A very special interview with my oldest son J
This is an interview I have been working on for several months and is very special to me for obvious reasons. I initially came up with the idea of interviewing my oldest son J because he’s had the unique perspective of knowing me before my transition as his dad, and after transitioning as I became Rebecca, and also because he knows about my career in the Adult Entertainment Industry as Becca Benz. As the interview progressed and we talked about our lives and shared experiences we discovered that it allowed us to see things in a different perspective, and it
It’s time to end the shaming of the Porn Industry and those who work in it.
This is a subject I’ve written about before, but due to recent events I feel the need to address it again. Shame is something we cannot ignore or pretend doesn’t exist. Unfortunately shame is all too prevalent in today’s society and is used as a means of taking away people’s dignity and sense of worth. And that must stop. Now. Shame is something that many transgender people, including me, have struggled with; I felt ashamed and embarrassed about myself for most of my life. But I had finally, finally moved past that and felt good about myself and my life.
Chatting with Ms. Unique, Chelsea Marie!
Chelsea Marie is one of biggest names in trans porn and definitely a fan favorite! Known for her colorful hair and many tattoos, Chelsea is the 2016 Transgender Erotica Award winner for Ms. Unique and looks to be a strong contender again in 2017! I had the pleasure of getting to hang out with Chelsea while I was living in Los Angeles earlier this year and really enjoyed getting to know her. I’d always seen her around but I have to admit I was a little shy about approaching someone as famous as she is, but Chelsea is a really
What Veterans Day means to this trans veteran
I had my Veterans Day column all written and ready to go, but after the events of the past 24 hours I decided to trash it because what I’d written no longer seemed relevant. The landscape of our country has suddenly undergone a seismic shift and my view of this country, and what Veterans Day means to me as a transgender veteran, has changed. First and foremost, I am proud to be a veteran and to have had the honor of serving my county, but right now I feel a bit betrayed by my country, and that is something I
Through The Benz: Six months and counting!
I just realized it was six months ago this week that I began writing Through The Benz on Grooby.com, so I thought I’d write a short column looking back over the past half year and share my thoughts about what it’s been like for me to write the column and try to assess how I’ve done so far. Having a weekly column is a dream come true and I want to thank Kristel and Steven for giving me the opportunity; it’s a privilege being able to write for Grooby and I hope I’ve lived up to your faith in me.
Being Becca: Thoughts on the Five Year Anniversary of my transition
November 1st was the Five Year Anniversary of when I began living full-time as Becca. I must be getting old and losing track of time because it sure doesn’t seem like it’s been five years already! But one thing I do know for certain is that I’ve lived life more in these last five years than I did the rest of my life combined. Or I should say I’ve lived more for myself in the past five years; prior to that my life was full and rewarding but in different ways. I was living for others, being a son and
Chatting with the one and only Honey Foxxx!
Honey Foxxx has established herself as one of the premiere stars of trans porn over the course of her ten year career. It’s only been recently that I’ve gotten to know Honey and it’s hard not to be impressed by how intelligent and articulate she is and how she’s so sweet and down to earth. She is definitely a wonderful representative of the adult entertainment industry and all that is good about it. She devotes a lot of time and effort to her advocacy efforts in the LGBT community and sets a great example for the rest of us. So
Becca Benz shares her thoughts on politics and the 2016 Presidential Election
As some of you may have noticed, politics is a subject I rarely discuss on social media. It’s not because I don’t care or I’m politically unaware, it’s because politics have becomes so ugly and divisive that any conversation having to do with politics usually ends badly. We as a society seem to have lost the ability to discuss things in a calm and rational manner when there is a difference of opinion; people can’t accept that not everyone will agree with them, and there is no more “agreeing to disagree.” It almost seems like people would prefer to see
The story of me and my car
My car and I have a long history together which began way back in 1997. I’m not the kind of person to get attached to a vehicle or give it a name, but after all these years I do feel a bond with my car. She doesn’t have a name, she’s just kind of like the old girl who has become my companion during the many travels and adventures we’ve shared. She’s become more than just a piece of machinery to me, she has almost become part of the family. Back when I was married and living in Idaho we
The Art of Porn: Al Tom and his Skin City project in Part 2 of our interview
When you ask most people what they consider art, porn is usually not at the top of the list or even on the list, oftentimes because they find porn morally objectionable. Be that as it may, the fact remains that the human body is a beautiful thing which has been celebrated in all forms of art since the beginning of time, and porn is just another way of showcasing that beauty. In the past twenty years, thanks in large part to the efforts of Steven Grooby, founder of Grooby Productions, transgender porn has become more popular and has helped expose
[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. Al has become a good friend and he is one of the sweetest people I know. Each time I’ve had the opportunity to work with Al it has been a learning experience for me and always so much fun. And his photos are amazing, which is a testament not only
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 many good things happening and helped me in so many ways. I’ve written before about what led me to apply to be a model so I won’t go into that again, but I’ve never really written much about the shoot itself, so what better time than on the two year
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 find it fascinating to hear them talk about their craft as well as their unique stories and experiences. I have gotten to know many of the photographers who work for Grooby and enjoyed hearing their stories and felt people might enjoy seeing the industry from a different perspective; that of
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