Harmony Santana

Transgender Actress Harmony Santana:

Trans Stuff

From the "Hart-Land"
Seems like the "dog days of summer" are here.
I can only speculate the phrase means something to the effect your dog is tired of the hot weather and is trying to find a cool place to sit it out.
I don't really feel that desperate about the season yet.
I have for the most part enjoyed the wide wonderful new world of feminine summer skin and fashion. Absolutely loved it!
Still waiting for the Veteran's Administration "Advocate" to get back with me. It hasn't been a real long time but I'm trying to push her along.

So far I'm not going to be joining my dog in the cool place yet...so life is good.

"Horror Scope"

Libra (Sept 23rd - Oct 22nd)
"When you truly love something, you just know the words to share and sell your ideas to others. Even if you fell in love with a serial killer, you'd still find something redeeming about them to coo about endlessly.
After all, it's no one's business about what float's your boat. However, if you make your monologues encore performances without applause, figure out why.

I added a picture of transgender entertainer Venus DeMars which I feel to be very adaptable!

For your own "Horror Scope" go here!
"Horror Scope" is my own title. Don't blame theFrisky.

Another "Heart Sister" Again

Lucas commented on one of the older posts in in "Cyrsti's Condo" on the comparison someone made to one of my older pictures and "Ann Wilson" lead singer of Heart.
You can jump back and read it here. (or look at it)
I agree there is some resemblance and I am flattered.
I just wish I had about one one thousandth of her musical talent.
Thanks Marcus!

Nong Poy

Transgender-Transsexual Thai Beauty Nong Poy.

Bored

This weekend, I was feeling a little under the weather so I just stuck around the house and got bored.
As some of you know, you can pass a lot of time surfing the web.
From time to time I have followed the Rad Femme vs Trans Woman blasts which truly I have found very much pointless. I mean, who cares what they think?
Like I said, I was bored and ran across another version of the appeal competition between trans and genetic women and the male gender. A chance for some cheap fun!
Also, I neglected to mention a Rad Femme believes any man is the man who has always kept his foot on the throat of woman since birth-No matter how many operations a person may undergo.
Whatever....
I just mentioned didn't the whole discussion give the male gender a victory if this Rad Femme site was discussing competing for their attention?
The result was I was told I would be given a first time pass for my response because I was certainly "under read".
Why do people always take cheap shots about my 8th grade ed-u-ca-tun?
At least when I get accepted to Oxford in the UK, I can wear a skirt now.
Then what will the Rad Femme's say then? Yawn.

I Didn't Know it was a Contest

During my never ending surfing of Al Gore's web I find these little gems.
This one was called:

"Why transwomen will never be as exciting as women.


It is often said that transwomen can be more beautiful and feminine
than actual women. You hear transwomen say that women who do not
conform to femininity cannot measure up and are not real women, not as
real as them…

So I’ve been thinking about what men get out of being with actual
women. We know that they get services and free labor, such as: babies,
cleaning, emotional support, physical care, sex etc… If transwomen are
able to do some of that and “embrace” the lot of the oppressed then"
Read more here:


I was amused on several levels. The first was the assumption that women are oppressed-don't tell my daughter that.  The birth option is another. What does say about the genetic women who can't or don't want kids? Some say defining "real" women by the birth option is reducing them to a walking vagina.
Finally I thought it was interesting she raised men to the top of the gender food chain by assuming all women- trans or not- are in competition for a man.
Me thinks she protests too much!
I dropped some thoughts on her blog. I will let you know if anything interesting happens.
fine. 

More Hedwig?

It's been awhile but rumors are circulating about a sequel to the movie "Hedwig and the Angry Itch" Hedwig was a 2001 American musical comedy based on a stage musical about a rock band with a transgender East German lead singer.
Think of the sequel possibilities.  Maybe Hedwig settled down to a life as a suburban housewife or maybe a jingle singer for Chick-Fil-A?





I

Classic Beauty

April Ashley, transgender transsexual British model
Check this quote:

"April, now 77-years-old, will be accepting an MBE from Queen Elizabeth
this fall. Which is interesting, because the <strike>reptilian
satanist<strike> Queen of England hasn't exactly been a major
supporter of the LGBT community. . . But I guess even her cold-blood
has warmed to April's pioneering legacy:"


From: "Blitz and Shitz" (Love it!)

Going to the Dogs!

From Idooog


"The very famous Liuzhu, who is called a "WeiNiang" in Chinese because he is a man who likes to dress up as a woman attended the spring and summer style conference. He was wearing a white suit and looked so sexy and beautiful.
His hair looks like a geisha's hair and to steal the spotlight successfully, he also brought the pet dog to cheer for him."
 ( I did some editing on the original text but the author's English is better than my Chinese!)

Thought of the Day

Does a new tatoo on an old person look better than an old tatoo on a young person?

Male Baritones and Female Sopranos

Transsexual opera singer Emily De Salvo 

There is Someone in my Head

I'm an old self professed hippie
Of course one of my favorite bands has been the Moody Blues.
One of their songs has a lyric which includes the words "there is someone in my head and it's not me."
I used to believe that about my gender dysphoric self. A whole lot of booze went into trying to get that other person out of my head but she wouldn't leave.
It was refreshing to catch the song on a classic rock station I was listening to this morning.
I realized the someone in my head is me and life is so much better!

You Probably Knew to...

NEVER eat at a "Chick-fil-A. If you didn't, read on:

After years of masking anti gay policies and affliliations under a guise of friendliness, Chick-fil-A is boldly embracing the discrimination of LGBT American's. Which is not exactly an earth shattering announcement if you ever knew anything about this radical right company.

Now,  I believe it is their American right to have any belief they want at Chick-fil-A and I believe in my right to NEVER give them a cent of my money and to tell others about them. Plus I don't believe in their Un-American right to discriminate.

Here's an example of why:

When questioned about Chick-fil-A's donations in a recent interview, COO Dan Cathy replied "Guilty as charged" Cathy continued: "We're inviting God's judgement on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you what constitutes marriage."

Obviously Cathy knows better than God to make that statement.

We all know "what comes around-goes around" and someday we will read about Cathy having a little break in a porno theatre with a chicken sandwhich. (I just love the use of his last name!) 

In the meantime, you can do more than just not eat with them.

Go to the Human Rights Campaign  site to sign a petition.

Remember that Cathy believes in God's judgement to make money.

It's number one in his "Ten Commandments".

The "Three P's"

Every once in awhile these stray thoughts run through my noggin and I have to put them down in words before they go into the huge never-never land of my brain.

I don't get into the topic of presentation much here at all for various reasons. 

I believe one person's successful presentation is another's dismal failure number one and number two most of us follow a progression of moving past presentation into perception. We are who we are.

That is not to say you should ignore the basic styles and fashion of the gender we are moving into. After all that can be the fun part!

When you totally perceive yourself to be your gender of choice then you are home free with most of the public. They know it's not just dressing up for you if you are wearing your new heels or that new tie (for you trans guys).

Male India actor with a great example of softening the male triangle.  Long straight hair  over the shoulders and of course the breasts which become the focal point of the look.

Another "P" word which pushed it's way to the surface this morning was proportion. Even though I'm far from being a small humanoid, a dear friend has always pushed the proportion word on me. She pointed out that my big parts just seemed to fit together. I've always believed (as evidenced by the zillions of on line cross dresser pix and video's) that many men have really good looking female legs. Of course the cross dressers get fixated on them and forget their bodies are like a triangle-with the point at the bottom and the top across those broad shoulders most of us have. We know there are many ways to fix proportion from do it yourself foam to purchased fixes to hormones.

The final "P" I'm tossing into this post is power. 

Your inner belief in yourself gives you a power of being which people sense. That purpose will take you far.

All right dammit, enough of playing with the "P's". So I did more than three-never said I could count! You get the point! (Sorry)

Life in the Hartland

Kind of catchy...right?
Actually I was referring to the fact I do live in Ohio, USA.
What did musician John Mellancamp (from nearby Indiana) sing in one of his epic tunes "It's probably where they will bury me."

Peaches Christ (Joshua Grannell) burns down the town. (Photo: Leonardo Herrera)

I can bore you and relate my positives for being here- but on occasion I do yearn for a little wider stage to view. Especially when I read this review on the "Silence of the Trans".
From the Bay Area Reporter": 

When the Oscar-winning chiller The Silence of the Lambs was released two decades ago, it came under fire for presenting a cross-dresser as a cannibalistic serial killer. In her new show The Silence of the Trans,which will be performed at the Castro Theater on Saturday, July 28, monstrous drag diva Peaches Christ tosses all that political correctness out the door and has a little fun with one of her favorite horror movies.

We spoke to Peaches' alter-ego, filmmaker and horror buff Joshua Grannell, who assured us that there was nothing for the trans community to worry about. "Our friends who are transgender, drag queens or transvestites understand that the show is a parody, a comedy. The film was protested because LGBT representations on screen were not as varied as they are now. And Silence of the Lambs is a pop-culture phenomenon. It's a great, campy movie."

"I extend a hand to the trans community," said Sharon Needles, who co-stars in the show. "They've been dealing with a big struggle. But there is a big difference between language and intent. We are in the business of pushing buttons. We are equal opportunists who offend everyone. Drag queens are the clowns in our culture."

With no disrespect to a wonderful diverse town such as Columbus, Ohio it's time such as this I wish I could just go across town and catch a show like "Silence"! It's a little rough to jump on my private jet and head to San Fransisco. 

(What would I do for an over dose of The Ohio State Buckeyes!)

Hypermasculinity and the Transgender Vet

A new study is being released this fall on the connection between the military and transgender vet according an article in San Diego by Beth Ford Roth:
"A soon -to-be  published study claims men who served in the military were twice as likely to consider themselves transgender as men who were not veterans.
The study by Air Force veteran and psychologist George Brown  looked at more than 5 million veterans as subjects."

The study went on to say many joined the the service to become a "real man" and was a way of suppressing their gender dysphoria.
No real surprise. Right?
I'm a little different in that I was a "draft induced" vet from the Vietnam era and the exclusion for genetic females was yet another cause to yearn to jump the gender fence.

In her article Roth contacted the Pentagon for a reaction to the upcoming release.
 Their official reaction was quoting the Dept of Defense regulation that states transgender people are not allowed to serve in the military.
(Other than the ones who have served, do serve and will serve-of course)
This does give the Pentagon time to bring in a fresh load of sand to stick their heads into and further ignore the status of current transgender servicemen and women.
They also can stock in extra whip lash medication for future neck trauma. An injury sustained by violently turning your head the other way.

There was a Before and an After

I just had to pass along another transformation set of pix from the Beverly Hill's group who does some amazing work.
Somewhere in the dark recesses of my mind it seems one of the old plastic surgery "reality" shows featured a  young transgender girl whose rich father footed the bill for quite a bit of quality work at one of these surgeons-with stunning results. I thought for a second Gia may be that person but I believe that unlike Gia the transgender woman I remember had dark hair.
But here is Gia:

Before and after!

Quote of the Day

"Don't come knockin if the trailer's rockin'!"
Barry Weiss...one of the world's great philosophers along with the late Randy "Macho Man" Savage.

Chris Walls

Reportively Chris Walls was the Headmaster 16 year old Ashlyn Parram  (above) backed down after being refused testing when she showed up in her girls uniform.  Ashlyn showed him a copy of the Equality Act 2010, which stated she had to be treated the same as other pupils at the Giles Academy, Lincolnshire.

Ashlyn, who was wearing make-up and hair extensions as well as a girl’s uniform, claimed, however, that when she returned to the sports hall for the GCSE maths paper she was segregated from other pupils. She was put at the back of the room 40ft from everyone else.

Ashlyn, who used to be called Lewis, said: ‘The whole way through the exam I felt like bursting into tears, and it was around 15 minutes before I even started the exam because I was so upset. Two points:

If this story is true then Chris Walls should be deluged with emails about his attitude and two: 

What the hell is the Mail on line doing following up a "16 Year Old Transsexual" headline with the "he" pronoun in the story? I changed the he's to she's.  Really?

Lewis before Ashlyn

Under Trans Construction

I'm still obsessed with 70 grand and I went to the "Hill's" to check it out...Beverly Hill's that is.
I went to a site called the Beverly Hill's Institute which specializes aesthetic and reconstructive surgery.
I don't know how much Lauri spent for work for a trip to the "Hill's" but she did well.

after

Laurie before

And what was done:After hairline forehead lift, Fleming/Mayer flap, orbital bony contouring,laser
resurfacing of lower face and voice modification surgeries

Wouldn't have "Propecia" worked?

Just kidding!

Move Over Thailand!

Perhaps I don't get out much. I just made the comment that 70 grand was an extreme amount of money for SRS etc. 
Of course then I read a post about Serbia being a new hotbed of SRS surgery for several reasons- one of which of course was cost.

According to the New York Times

Nearly 100 foreigners and Serbs have undergone sex reassignment surgery in the past year, and the numbers are growing, according to theBelgrade Center for Genital Reconstructive Surgery, with candidates coming from France, Russia and Iran, and from as far away as the United States, South Africa, Singapore and Australia.

Dr. Marci Bowers, (right) a gynecologist in San Mateo, Calif., who has performed 1,100 sex reassignment operations over the past 10 years and is herself transgender, noted that in the United States, a global center for sex changes, only about five surgeons were performing the operation regularly. She said that social conservatism and a lack of surgical skills in many countries, combined with surgeons’ fears of potentially catastrophic complications, were promoting the growth of transgender tourism.
Here's my point on the cost:
Foreign patients say they are attracted to Serbia by the price tag of about $10,000 — compared with $50,000 or more at some clinics in the United States for the more expensive female-to-male procedure. So when you add other procedures I'm sure 70 grand is out of the question.
Finally, you may be asking "Why Serbia?"

Sociologists say the more accepting attitude toward transgender people in Serbia signals the first glimmers of a shift in a country where conservative currents still run deep.

“We are the children of two parents: one is the Orthodox Church, the other is communism,” said Dr. Dusan Stanojevic, a pioneer of sex reassignment surgery here.

He said transsexuality was so taboo in the former Yugoslavia that it was not even mentioned in medical textbooks. But a surgeon, Dr. Sava Perovic, began performing the operations in 1989 after being approached by a man suffering from gender identity disorder.

Follow the NY Times link above for more!

A 14 Month HRT Journey

From The Rocket News:
A pictorial journey of a young transgender woman.
Day one:
Notice the dosage.

 Ten Months:

Fourteen Months:

Go here for more! (Ignore the tomato)

Kara and 70 Large?

Some of you (rightfully so) questioned the ability of a few hair replacement products to mysteriously turn unwilling males into females.
I'm sure more than a couple folks have rushed out and purchased a generic brand if it is available on a retail shelves.
Here's another add on to another "story" which is floating around the cyber world.
Kara/Kody recently made headlines of sort by "going on the way" to emulate her idol Britney Spears-to the tune of 70 grand? Really?
That is a lot of cash and I'm sure you can spend that much on body modifications...but from some of the pictures she may have wanted to spend a little more on wigs...
Or less on cigarettes?

Or the lack of it....Kara and Britney.

"Horror Scope"

Libra (September 23- October 22) Getting ahead via another person is not going to work. Although you have the patience of a saint, you can’t wait for others to give you validation. Trust your power, you have it. In fact, others will only get in your way now, as they’ll distract you. Understand what you really want, then focus, and finally push and shove apologetically to get there. Move "Get Out Da Way"! I guess. That's mine, go get yours from theFrisky 

Maybe I got a little too involved with the "Dirty Diana" post!
(I have no patience! dammit!)

Trans Roller Girl!

If you are one of our British readers here in Cyrsti's Condo you have probably already heard of Dirty Diana.
She is a transgender female member of the London Roller Girls and is featured in the Pet Shop Boys new video.

Diana on left

I think back to times I have been taken to task for being a little too attached to my jeans and sports and love this!
I put the video in the "Entertainment Center" for your viewing pleasure.

Transgender Youth Fighting for her Future

A headmaster tried to ban a transgender schoolboy from sitting an exam dressed in girls' uniform - until the pupil slammed a copy of the Equality Act on his desk.
Ashlyn Parram, 16, wore girl's tights, a skirt and blazer to her first GCSE exam but was told she could not sit the paper, because she was not in correct uniform.
Incredibly, the furious teen had printed off a copy of the law governing discrimination in Britain and marched straight to head teacher Chris Wall's office for a showdown.
More from the "Huffington Post"

"Ashlyn pointed out the law to the gobsmacked head - a former Olympic diver - who then admitted he could not stop her taking the test.
But when Ashlyn reached the exam room she was forced to sit apart from the other pupils on the other side of the sports hall - in segregation.
The year 11 has openly lived as a girl at home for two years but has sensitively toned down her appearance at Giles Academy, Boston, Lincolnshire to avoid abuse.
Her mum Miranda Johnson on Monday publicly backed her gutsy daughter, who has officially been diagnosed with gender dysphoria.
The family have lodged a formal complaint against Mr Walls, who they claim has failed to help protect Ashlyn - one of the youngest in Britain to begin sex-change treatment on the NHS.

Ashlyn and Mom (right)

They claim Ashlyn has been forced to ensure a string of bullying and discrimination by pupils - and even teachers.
Shockingly, during a series of meetings with school bosses to address failings alleged by Ashlyn's parents one senior teacher even told them gender dysphoria doesn't exist. The teacher said: "This is Lincolnshire - we are a very conservative county - we don't have things like that."




Really???? Follow the link for more!

Hero Worship in the Heartland

Transsexual 26 year Kara Hays was born Kody in Ohio and has decided to emulate pop-star Britney Spears.

As with any other young girl. Kara (pictured on the right above) had her idols.
She focused on Britney and Christina Aguilera for her inspiration.

 The 26-year-old says her new appearance, which has turned her into a lookalike of the pop singer who shot to fame with her debut album '...Baby One More Time' in 1999, has finally brought her happiness following years of anguish.
After shocking classmates by turning up at a Halloween dance, aged just 12, dressed in a red vinyl body suit in homage to Britney's costume in her 'Oops I did it again' video - he caused uproar in the town in Ohio, US, where he grew up.( In all fairness to my home state, I can see the possibility of a costume such as that being an attention getter in a lot of places!)
But at the age of 15, his parents allowed him to see a doctor and he was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 1999 and began taking female hormones.
Over the next few years, he sprouted breasts, began to freely dress as a woman and changed her name to Kara. Eventually opting for SRS.


More importantly, what is Chris Crocker going to think? Chris used to be Britney's biggest fan!

300 Grand

Hits are just aren't friendly words.
We just passed 300,000 hits on Cyrsti's Condo.
 I prefer visits. So what!
The bottom line is I value your visits highly and "yall stop back soon"!

Defining "Transgender"

Imagine my surprise when I saw the story about the military gay pride march in San Diego. Sure, there a plenty of gay pride march stories which have absolutely no bearing on my life as a transgender woman. The surprise came when Yahoo News ran a supporting story on new transgender diagnostic terms.
I don't pretend to be any sort of an expert in psychiatric terminology- unlike a person such as Sherri Lynn but this article got my attention.
It seems to me the new diagnostic terms being debated could take the transgender community out from under the mental illness tag we have lived with. (That's was my first stop at the Veteran's Administration.)
Before I pass along a few excerpts from the article, I need to mention the nation's psychiatric establishment is  working to overhaul its diagnostic manual for the first time in almost two decades. This process just doesn't happen very often.
Being labeled mentally deficient is bad enough and that is only the beginning.  Read on:

"The most symbolic change under consideration so far for the manual's fifth edition, known as the DSM-V for short, is a new name for Gender Identity Disorder, the diagnosis now given to adults, adolescents and children with "a strong and persistent cross-gender identification." In the manual's next incarnation, individuals displaying "a marked incongruence between one's experienced/expressed gender and assigned gender" would be diagnosed instead with "Gender Dysphoria," a term that comes from the Greek word for emotional distress.

While the shift may seem purely semantic, switching the emphasis from a disorder that by definition all transgender people possess to a temporary mental state that only some might possess marks real progress, according to Dana Beyer, a retired eye surgeon who helped the Washington Psychiatric Society make recommendations for the chapter on "Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders."

"A right-winger can't go out and say all trans people are mentally ill because if you are not dysphoric, that can't be diagnosed from afar," Beyer said. "It no longer matters what your body looks like, what you want to do to it, all of that is irrelevant as far as the APA goes."

Historically, what is happening does resemble what the gay community went through years ago:

" But while there are parallels, achieving what the APA did for gays four decades ago is more complicated for people who identity as transgender, an umbrella term that encompasses transsexuals, cross-dressers and others whose self-concepts otherwise do not align with the male or female label they were given at birth. Unlike sexual orientation, the accepted protocols for treating many patients expressing profound discomfort with their given gender call for medical intervention."

I have taken you as far as I can on this extremely important and complex subject. For more go here.

One final comment.  A huge debt of gratitude to Dana Beyer and so many other transgender and transsexual men and women who did not go stealth and decided to make a difference!

Quote of the Day

I'm not spoiled...it's a lifestyle...
My Dog

Transgender Yin and Yang

Certainly transgender women and men have never "cornered" the market on suicide thoughts and attempts but sometimes I think we dominate it. Here's another story:
"Jay Ladin took out a two-year life insurance policy in 2006, intending to kill himself and leave everything to his three children.
After he discovered insurers would refuse to pay out on the policy in the event of a suicide, Ladin took out another life insurance policy of sorts: becoming Joy Ladin".
 (pictured on right)
I will argue with anyone that until you walk in our transgender shoes, (heels or wingtips) you have no idea how easy it is to not being able to find a solution.
As facts and figures are starting to be collected it seems at least one out of four young trans youth have considered or tried suicide.
Very recently I have had the chance to interact closely with four transgender friends who are wonderful examples of the yin and yang.
I need to point out that all four of these folks identify transgender and not transsexual at this point in their lives. 
For the sake of clarification in this post, I'm using the transsexual term for a person who desires a full genital change and the transgender term for a person whose desire to live a life dictated more from a mental basis.
Between the four I was able to ride the Yin and Yang trans roller coaster at it's finest and most varied.
My spirits soared with a friend who is going through a successful coming out party with the world and one who is on the verge.
My heart went out to the other two in various stages of figuring how to live a life they desperately need to exist in this world.
Regardless of current circumstance, the four of them and I have all most likely visited the dark side.
One has for sure as I heard the story of an all too handy pistol. Mine was a bottle of pills which I thought had a very good chance of doing the job but fortunately didn't. I can't speak for the other three.
More than likely, most have you have visited that totally dark room.  You can't find a door or a window or even a sliver of light to guide you out.
Truthfully I don't know what to call the moment when you find that light "Yin or Yang" and it doesn't matter.
All that really matters is reality.  If you have passed on- certainly most will remember your gender legacy-the wrong one.
That little flicker of light that appears in your dark room just may be more light than you will see when Yang closes your coffin lid.
I'm selfish, I want you all to experience the joy of self acceptance with "Yin" and mention how proud and happy I am for my one friend!






Read more of Joy's story here.

New Form of HRT?

For nine months, William McKee took the generic version of Propecia, the pills that promise to halt hair loss.
But the drug had radical side effects: Instead of becoming a better-looking man, he started becoming a woman, he claims.
“My rock-hard chest from the gym began to soften . . . reaching the point where I had noticeable ‘breasts’ even under my clothing,” he says.
Among other changes, the 38-year-old software engineer claims, “my shoulders were literally falling into a more feminine position, and my hips were loosening and becoming wider, as on a woman’s body.”’

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/bald_cure_made_me_woman_9whwIzBiccvWIMacwRlkqO#ixzz21MueN9Z5

 

 

"Mandy" before and after generic "Propecia"

What Kind of Daughter Did Your Mom Want?

 (I posted this question Oct. 7th, 2010 on Cyrsti's Condo.)
Yes girlfriends, I'm talking about us.
Some Mom's really wanted a daughter and dressed some of us as girls. Some Mom's may have found it interesting to relate to us on some level as a girl and let us in on a little makeup or clothes. Other Mom's may have shut us out all together.
All of the mother/son interaction intrigues me because of a couple of reasons.
The first would be the simple question of why me? Did my Mom set me up for all of this? (My brother believes she did).
The second would be is how much I look like her.
How many of you believe your Mom knowingly  or even unknowingly opened your door into a female world?
I remember vividly the way my Mom blotted her lipstick and made sure the rest of her outfit was together before she went out.  I would bet you my brother doesn't!
The age old question-environment or genetics? Was I predisposed to be trans? Most likely it's a question I will never know. (Update! Perhaps the DES drug my Mom very well could have taken during her pregnancy could been the answer.)
Maybe the whole "daughter" question explains my total lack of respect for women who do not take care of themselves. This girl was raised believing that appearance was part of the female gender.
My Mom passed away years ago and I believe in two sure facts.
She would like the fact I try to keep up a good appearance.
She would hate the fact I'm a lot like some of the girls I brought home she didn't like!!!!!!

Another Transgender Candidate!

Gina Duncan could make history on Aug. 14 by becoming the first transgender person in Orange County to be elected to a County Commission seat.
According to FOX 35 of Orlando, Gina was born Gregory Pingston. A senior management in banking for 30 years, she decided to transition in 2007 at 50 years old, and after having a long marriage and two children.


The candidate said she hopes the campaign centers around the issues at hand, and not her gender.
“I hope some day, and maybe not in my lifetime, but some day being transgender means no more than being right or left-handed; and I hope that happens soon,"

With people such as Gina the future could be here sooner than expected!

A Special Camp for Transgender Kids!

 How great is this!
Camp Aranu'tiq is a weeklong, overnight summer camp for transgender and gender-variant youth ages 8 through 15.
It's a place where life experiences are shared and lifelong friendships are made.

Camp Aranu'tiq (a-ra-NOO-tick) is based on a traditional model of summer camps.
Activities for our New England location include: arts & crafts, drama, canoeing, swimming, creative writing, music, teamwork-building "challenge" activities, and a host of land sports such as soccer, kickball, basketball, volleyball, and more. For our California location, activities include: arts & crafts, drama, canoeing, swimming, creative writing, teamwork-building "challenge" activities, "gaga" (a type of dodgeball), volleyball, rock climbing, and archery. The week also includes campfires (with s'mores!), a talent show, and other special activities. There will be a few professional therapists at camp for campers who may want to talk, but the main focus of the week is on having fun.
Campers will go to different activities on a rotating basis with assigned age-appropriate groups. Groups will always be accompanied by adult volunteers. Campers will sleep in bunks divided by age group. All bunks will be under the direct care of adult volunteers at all times. For more information on living quarters, please contact us.
We also believe that parent/guardian peer support is very important. We will make every effort to provide parents with an opportunity to meet one another and keep in contact.

Of course there is more info here.

More Derrick!

Derrick Barry.
If you read Angel's comments here in Cyrsti's Condo about her chance encounter with female impersonator extrordinare Derrick Barry-she had no idea she wasn't looking at a real woman.
No real surprise I guess after seeing a few pix!

Round Peg in a Square Hole and a Transsexual Life

Perseverance and success. Take a look at a 12 year journey!

It's NOT Dressing Up!

I'm not a "gurl" or a "girrl" and I'm NOT dressing up...DAMMIT!

I feel better now, thanks for letting me vent.
Actually this is a "warm and fuzzy" post.
My life is truthfully is in a nice little holding pattern.
I can describe it as climbing a mountain . You work and work to make it to a certain level. Hope you maintain it and move upward.
Or maybe life now is similar to being in the eye of a hurricane.
For the briefest moment I am satisfied to watch the world swirl around me-not unlike a merry go round.
As I watch, I see all the components of the world which have some sort of bearing on me.
The so called straight world and the gay one. The transsexuals and the cross dressers  all ride by on their carnival horses and let's not forget the demands of everyday life. It all becomes a blur. Right now though, I don't care.
I know this little respite won't last long but it's a welcome mental vacation.
Maybe it's like a little mental "stealth". If I can get away from the world for just a second, I would never tell and be a better person for it!

Derrick Barry

Famous female impersonator Derrick Barry (on left :) )

Living Trans Between the Ears

I follow the "Ask Matt" blog quite a bit. Matt is a FtM transsexual. He gives me a wonderful prospective into how the "other half" lives plus provides information to you trans men here in Cyrsti's Condo.
Many times our experiences are the same except of course- the approach.
I am so fortunate to have two trans men who I call close friends. Both share experiences with me.
One is going through the coming out to work and family and the other passed along a mens' restroom excursion...just in the past two or three days or so. It's a rare look into the reality of a transgender man's world without the high tech, polished web look.
Here's the work experience:

" Today was a big day.  I had a meeting with my dept manager and my team leader.  They both have known me for over 7 years.  I felt it was going to be an interesting meeting.  I had told them that I had something personal that I needed to discuss with the.  Now my manager is probably 15 years or so younger than I am (probably more) and my team leader is probably 10 years or so order than I am.

Their reactions were much like everyone else's that I have told.  They were happy and enthusiastic.  My team leader even said "cool".  They both like the new name.  Tonight my manager even sent me a text message with quote that made her think of me and the journey that I am on.  The quote was, "It's impossible to consistently live inconsistently to what you really believe."  She then proceeded to tell me how happy she was for me and that she was proud of me.  It felt kind of funny since she is so much younger than I am but the support is great."

I feel so good for him! He has been through some hard times and it's about time karma shines a little light his way.
On we go to Matt and a reader question from a person's whose partner is a transgender man. He dressers in a masculine fashion and binds. He is considering top surgery but is not really considering "T". "He feels isolated by a community of people who call him fake or a 'cis' woman trying to feel special because he doesn't want to transition".

Matt's answer and more here.

Overall, the reoccurring ideas and thoughts I take from these posts are: Is it easier to for a trans man to use the men's room or a trans woman to use the women's room?

Finally, is the 20 to 30 something generation more accepting of the transgender/transsexual culture than older folks?

Transgender Veteran News

This is the latest episode of my life with the Veteran's Administration.
Keep in mind I have found out that even though the VA has a overall policy, that does not mean it applies to where you may live. For those of you who follow Cyrsti's Condo on a semi regular basis, you know basically where I live which doesn't mean much except for this post.
If you need geographical info about Ohio just email me and I will help as much as I can.
Today was very successful for me. You other transgender vets may have other stories which vary but this is what I learned the hard way.
1.- It was easy for me to get the approval for HRT from my VA center BUT:
2.- My center had no one who was qualified to prescribe. Important: Your primary VA Doc may approve the outside scripts to be filled by the VA pharmacy but chances are he is not really qualified to prescribe (Endocrinologist). The drugs themselves are not the potential major cost to you. The outside Doc is.
3.- Following advice from the center I went to an outside qualified doc thinking the VA would pick up the tab.
4.-The VA didn't and I took my case to a person called a "Patient Advocate".
5.-Here's what she told me today. According to the VA Transgender Directive my center has to provide me HRT or foot the bill for an outside provider. BEFORE you go.
6.-Here's a fun fact. Since my center does not have a qualified provider, the bigger center about 75 miles away does. Last year it accepted four local transgender vets into it's program and then stopped and said no more. Even if it went against the National Directive.
7.-According the "Advocate" my center has to pay for my outside doc and will if it's pre-approved.
8.-I found that person today and made sure he accepts VA compensation. (Important).
9.-It's in the Advocate's hands. She sets up the pre approval and then I set the appointment.
10.-All sounds good doesn't it but I know "it ain't over till it's over"!

As I said, if you are a transgender veteran, your experiences with the VA could be as different as night and day to mine.
As I also said if you are thinking about embarking down this path, feel free to email me for ideas!

Cross Dressing Before and Afters

Obviously I have been fascinated, obsessed and part of the cross dressing culture for more than a couple of years.
No matter that I choose to identify these days as a transgender woman, I still appreciate a good "before and after" cross dresser transformation.
There are more than a few places which specialize in the process.
Here's one called Femme Fever.
And an example of their work:                          Before and After.
                                                                        At the least, I guess discretion is not an issue with these   crossdressers.

Thunder Thighs?

Perhaps you have heard a genetic female friend of yours use this highly derogatory term to describe their thighs.
It was my understanding the HRT would begin to effect my thigh and rear areas  approximately 12 months into the process.
The good news is that I'm starting to see the weight shift beginning to show now.
I knew my women's jeans were starting to fit much better and I'm making a shrine of sorts to the foam pads I used to wear.
So "thunder thighs"? No.
Filling out the right pair of jeans? Yes!

"Horror Scope"

I have to tell you a few of  my recent "Horror Scopes" have been pretty darn entertaining!
This latest one did not disappoint!

Libra (September 23- October 22)
If you can get down with the weird, then you’ll be able to have an interesting week of adventure and intrigue. Yes, opportunities that come your way will challenge your notion of fun, but let down your guard and go with it. The trip out of your comfort zone won’t just be eye-popping, but one for your sexy archives too.

I just wish I could live up to these lofty expectations!!!!
Go get your scope here!

Making It in a Man's World?

Quite the question right?
All that male "privilege" we so gladly gave up-how's that workin' for ya?
I can't speak for all of you but if I did, probably most of you would say it's a learning process but you are doing the best you can.
Some would argue it's not a man's world after all and how about you FtM trans men who are ready to enter it?
The best argument is that it's a gender world and becoming more and more so.
I have a grandson who tanked an important placement test basically because his older sister did so well on it.
Sure, if you are blessed with those model like good looks that most genetic women aren't blessed with; maybe you would have a sort of female privilege.
In the meantime making it in the gender world is a real effort. Almost everything comes at you from a different angle.
The biggest different angle is when you find how much of a women's world it is. Since you have decided to enter their world, you are fair game. The good part is most of the women I have encountered have been wonderful. The fact remains though some of the ugliest moments I can remember have come from female encounters and women are much meaner to each other than men are.
As you learn to make it in a man's world...don't forget the gender who runs the show. Women.

Trans Humor

Here are two or three comments I made in passing when I was talking to my VA therapist the other day which she found humorous.
I thought I would pass them along with the warning "Hey! The jokes don't get any better!"
Hormonal changes:
First major hot flash. I thought the stories I read as a kid about spontaneous combustion burning a human alive from within were true! Soon I thought I would be a pile of ash.
Skin changes. Need head to toe moisterizer. Recommendation? 10W 30 Quaker State.
Biggest surprise breast change? Under boob sweat.

I know if I was a stand up comic...you would want to throw your beer bottle at me by now...but that's why they make them plastic!!!!!

FYI, for those of you who follow my veteran's story, Friday I didn't go to the VA Advocate. A friend needed help and that took precedence. Going Monday- God willing and the creeks don't rise!

Courting Courtney

Mo, Mo Mo Courtney Act!

Transgender Model

From Yahoo News Philippines comes the story of Transgender model and actress Choi Han Bit’s  audition for On Style’s Top Model Korea and it  will air on television.
In the episode, Choi Han Bit will be seen receiving a physical test, walking test, swim suit test and a rigorous interview in her effort to become Korea’s next top super model.

Courtney Act!

Courtney Act is the stage name of Shane Jenek, an Australian drag celebrity, pop singer and entertainer.

Are You Ready for Transfeminism?

Transfeminism : What does it have to do with Feminism? Or anything?
If you follow and can understand the war of words which rages around all of us- you are a better person than I am.
Tonight, I was going to give you an example of more abbreviations, buzz words and labels in one paragraph than I have seen ever in a trans war post. I admit I'm fascinated by the virulent verbage which revolves around those with a native born vagina, those with a manufactured one and those with none at all. (It's like a sneaky love of the worst reality show ever!)
However,  I didn't pass it along because taking it out of context would have been grossly wrong because of it's overall tragic subject matter.
Trans feminism is actually a fairly simple concept to me. As I have gained more self confidence, I am less likely to sit quietly when I have a chance to "educate" someone.
Example? A couple weeks ago I had a chance to explain to a gay man how myself and the trans woman I was talking to were NOT in drag.
I'm not kidding myself that during the relative short time I have left in this existence I will see the need for terms such as transfeminism, rad fems and others to just go away.
On the other hand I continue to uncover examples of why they just might!
I would be remiss if I didn't pass along another:

The Trans Youth Equality Foundation provides education, advocacy and support for transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families.

Our mission is to share information about the unique needs of this community, partnering with families, educators and service providers to help foster a healthy, caring, and safe environment for all transgender children."

I'm passing along a link to their Trans 101 from where you can check their whole site. 

This says it all "Helping adults understand...what the kids already know."

Maybe this is the place to quote John Lennon :

Imagine all the people Living life in peace
You, you may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you will join us And the world will be as one."

No matter where your sexual organs originated.

Trans Positives!!

TransActive is an internationally recognized non-profit focused on serving the diverse needs of transgender (TG) and gender nonconforming (GNC) children, youth, their families and allies.

Check it out here.

Jumping Transgender Fences

Perhaps you have heard the term "hitting the wall".
SPLAT! Sometimes you see the wall, sometimes you don't.
Some of you transsexuals can speak to a different level of the wall meaning surgery and all the ramifications.
All of the rest of us, transgender or cross dresser of course have a different set of walls.
Is your wall a closet?  Perhaps you are taking tentative steps into the public's eye.
Then again, you could be making your way through hormonal effects to your body such as I.
Once of the most rewarding parts of the cyber world is establishing contact with individuals of like experiences. I recently cyber met a person of the same age and transition who was working on moving partially to a warmer climate. I replied the way the very hot summer has effected me this summer on hormones, I'm looking north to the Yukon! Her reply was the cold has effected her more on the hormones.
Hmmm-interesting!
So, here I am looking dead ahead another of my walls.  I'm heading out today to my VA clinic to actually set down and state my case for further coverage. (I have written in depth and won't bore you.) I'm not going to put a lot of extra drama into this visit. This whole journey is an trip through an obstacle course and usually there are ways around walls that are too high to scale.
Let's see, it is Friday the 13th and I own a black cat who is happy to see me when I feed her- it's a great day for a trip to the VA!

Correction!

"A quick correction to your post: The lovely mother's blog linked above (Transparenthood) is cited incorrectly. "The Boy Suit" and other stories about Alice can be found at Laurustina.com. That bit aside, thank you for sharing this bit of Alice's story with your readers."

- Alice's Mom (aka Laurustina)

Sorry!
OK, I can't resist the chance to write again of how special Laurustina is. First of all of course is her acceptance of her daughter. The second is developing the platform to educate others!

Quote of the Day

You can't get addicted to adrenalin if there isn't any.
Cyrsti

Transgender Model

Lauren Foster was born in South Africa and is one of the world's most recognized transsexual women, having been one of the first to pose for Vogue Mexico in the 1980's. She began transitioning in her teens and by 17 she was undergoing hormone therapy and living full-time as a female. At the age of 18 she underwent sex reassignment surgery, which was performed by world renowned surgeon Derk Crichton.

The Transgender Number

One of our regular readers and a very good friend of mine followed up my "Transgender Number" post with a couple well thought out comments.
Here is one:

"In some twisted way I find humor in this. If science doesn't understand something it becomes a disorder. I think the only disorder about things is that we can't realize that somethings just are. There doesn't have to be a reason. I don't think it was a mistake of nature or anything like that. I think it is merely a path that we have to take in our existence in order to grow our spirit.

It doesn't matter what your religious following is, we all believe in a higher power regardless of what name you use for it. If that power encompasses all of us then it only makes sense that we would have to take this path at sometime. I think we are meant to grow to better understanding. Let's just follow this path and see where your heels and my wingtips take us." (Draco is FtM)

Thanks Draco for your thoughts and I sooooo agree!
Without getting too deep into religion, if you do believe in an inner spirit or soul of any kind it is not a huge reach to attach a basic gender to it.
If indeed that spirit does not match the body, then the problems appear with society trying to pound us into our "proper" gender roles.
You my friend are far overdue in setting your inner spirit free!

The Power of Hormones!

I especially love the choice of music!

Happiness Is!

My appointment yesterday with my VA psychologist went extremely well. (I'm a transgender veteran.)
My hours with her have been incredibly pleasant and to give a few of you new visitors (Thanks!!!) a quick history: This process was the required start to my hormone journey (HRT) through the Veteran's Administration which started last October.
The particular "warm and fuzzies" came when she commented several times how far she could see the hormones have taken me and she could see how happy I was.
No matter how much fun vanity is on occasion, my real reason for the visit was to connect more dots within the VA to not have to go to an outside provider.  If I do have to go outside again, I feel the system should support me since no service is available in my center.
The good news was the center is expected to add an endoctrinist who can prescribe and monitor hormone therapy. I also learned of the in house "Advocate" who I'm going to contact today. She is the specific person I can explain my problems to and see if she comes up with a resolution.
My therapist also told me the whole center is undergoing transgender training.  In part it explains why the last time I called, the person I talked to knew immediately which direction to send me. No transfers-no holding...wow!
So today it's back on the offensive with the Advocate.  Sounds like a TV show? (no pun attended)
I'll let you know!

Quote of the Day

This comes from TG Forum.
 
Starlitjessi wrote:
The only person you're guaranteed to spend the rest of your life with is yourself.  Shouldn't that person be the one you spend the most time in your life trying to make happy?

By the way, TG Forum has been one of the longest transgender sites in existence (1994).

Entertainment!

I'm going to pass along a video a friend passed along to me. The video shows how a successful and imaginative transgender woman goes about some of her business. Sure it's a little contrived but fun!

And then another picture of Harisu

Growing Up in a Boy Suit

"My daughter Alice was not always called Alice. Until the age of fifteen, she was mostly Jory. On paper, she was Jordan. Often and alternately, she was called He or Him, both Son and Brother. On the hospital nursery wristband, tucked away now in the drawer of treasures beside my bed, she was likewise mislabeled.
Alice spent the first fifteen years of her life hidden away inside a Boy Suit, not unlike an inescapable pair of footie pajamas, which seem perfectly fine and comfortable at first, but grows less so over time. At the age of ten, a single toe poked through. By eleven, the armpits had gotten too tight. When she was twelve the broken zipper's twisted teeth scraped her here and there, a constant rash of  irritations. At thirteen it had grown so uncomfortable and restrictive that Alice secretly set out to shred the whole damn thing."

"Mom's" work is not the usual million word backstabbing babble we see in the trans community. It is a rare positive blueprint for other parents to follow.  Parents such as her should provide the future trans community with fewer negatives and more positives.
Wasted words of hate and endless theory  provide no help to the astounding percentage of youth considering and attempting to end their lives before they ever begin.

"Mom" is Laurustina and she has an amazing parents blog called Transparenthood here's a link!

Leah True

"Horror Scope"

Is time really going by this fast? Is it time already for a new "Horror Scope"? You bet ya!

Libra (September 23- October 22)
Enough talk. Instead, forget everything you’ve said and dive into your latest scheme with full abandon. Thinking is procrastinating. Don’t get hung up on being “smart,” as your brain isn’t going to operate in that kind of way. Just take cues from a more internal and primitive place and you’ll be fine. Understand hesitation is weakness now, and don’t give in.

Hmmmmm- interesting. Does this one coincide with my VA appointment tomorrow?

Get your "scope" here!

Mimi Marks Classic

Mimi Marks 2005

Are You Transgender? Call This Number

Every once in a while you see the "D.E.S" subject come to light.
If you aren't familiar, several published studies in the medical literature on psycho-neuro-endocrinology have examined the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to estrogens (including Diethylstilbestrol) may cause significant developmental impact on sexual differentiation of the brain, and on subsequent behavioural and gender identity development in exposed males and females. There is significant evidence linking prenatal hormonal influences on gender identity and transsexual development. 
From my understanding of the subject, the chances are good my mother was given the drug. Of course I will never know but the whole topic just makes me a little bitter.
All of the gender ripping and tearing, all the pain and suffering was all out of my reach. None of it was anyone's fault. It was just a drug dispensed without the knowledge of long term effects. No control.
I half way expect to see one of those legal commercials that says "If your mother took DES and you are transgendered or transsexual-call this number".
 

Kelly Vander Veer II

Transgender Stealth

Every once in a while here in "Cyrsti's Condo", I head to the library and dust off a volume of the "Trans Stealth Diary's"
None of the entries are mine. I have ran the entire spectrum of thoughts on the subject. From envy to disgust, I have thought them. How could my transsexual sisters run off and disappear? Then again, if I had the chance wouldn't I?
Here's the easy answer. No I wouldn't. In fact I'm thinking of jumping off the deep end and getting my first tattoo ever-with a trans logo-in a visible place.
Then again, I will be truthful and say this is a relatively new thought pattern with me.
As I so love to do, here's a little stealth history and perspective from another source: The Women Born Transsexual" Blog.
As always, I'm going to throw you some teasers and give you a link for more from Susan.

"Some folks have claimed the Doctors expected transsexuals to go absolutely stealth after they had SRS.
That absolute stealth represented the best possible adjustment  for post-op women in particular.
Dr Benjamin wrote some awfully Pollyanna sort of bullshit during the 1950s.
Actually it might have sort of been possible for a few people in those days to absolutely disappear because records were kept on paper and it was easier for people to build real identification out of some pretty sketchy bits and pieces of paper.
I know because this was still sort of possible in the late 1960s early 1970s.
After 2001 those of us in the US had the Department of Homeland Security, TIA and so many private information gathering agencies that Big Brother knew when you went out partying and how many drinks you had.
There are a whole lot of sisters I really look up to, mostly public figures like Andrea James, Jennifer Boylan, Julia Serano.  Not to forget lesser know sisters from the blogosphere like Mercedes Allen.
Most are more or less out, even if they don’t walk down the street wearing a t-shirt.
You kind of have to be if you want to do anything, including speak your mind on issues of public interest."

Susan is just warming up to the subject. Read on:

" I’m forced to wonder why so many of the trolls who hide behind aliases to spew hate while touting their own superiority due to their being stealth with perfect lives come off as so mentally ill and maladjusted.
As far as I can tell too many sisters have allowed themselves to be sucked into believing that they are somehow failures if they don’t manage to attain this ideal of absolute stealth.
I’ve known too many sisters who withdraw from life rather than accepting that which they can not change about themselves and moving on from there.
A friend of mine died a couple of years back.  She was incredibly flamboyant and knew antiques with Road Show Appraiser astuteness.  But she unhappily withdrew from the world nearly 20 years before she passed away.
Stealth doesn’t seem like a mentally healthy way to go about dealing with transsexualism.  It comes off as being ashamed of something one was born.
Not being ashamed doesn’t mean wearing a t-shirt, more just treating it like any other thing one could be born with that makes someone different from the majority of people."

Bravo Susan! Go here to read the whole post!

Ivory Tower and the Transgender Princess

It's very easy not to stay grounded these days and climb up my transgender ivory tower.
Very simply put "Hey, I got out of the closet-why can't you?"
I was recently corresponding with a new friend who is deeply in the closet and I realized that every once in a while I slide towards some high and mighty self serving stance on my trans status.
I want to think "Hey, I've gotten to this point of my transgender life (which I consider a success), why can't they?"
The only real props I can give myself is I told both of my wives of my gender disposition before the relationship. They had some sort of an idea of the struggle as murky as it was to all of us. Of all the totally mistaken ideas I have had about all of this, at least not telling a person I was getting into a serious relationship with wasn't one of them. That alone does not qualify me for sainthood.
In the end, the deciding factor in jumping into the transgender river and swimming up stream was death to a loved one, age and chance.
Due to not so pleasant circumstances, the sun, moon and stars aligned. Again, no ivory tower.
 I just grabbed the ring and I have to remember it's that- no more no less.
There are too many others in the trans community who build or buy their own lovely towers for me to want to move into mine.
If you catch me in my tower-you are doing the best you can.
I didn't mean to be an unfeeling bitch!

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