Darling or Drag?

Cinema's best and worst cross dressers from the Hollywood News.
Don't expect any earth shattering relevations from the post.
If you are bored and want to take a look again at some of the best and worst cross dressing moments on the big screen- go here.

Jennifer Leitham

The award-winning documentary I Stand Corrected. is airing in a few areas of the country (such as South Florida) now. This story is from the

The South Florida Gay News

 "The film centers on the life of acclaimed jazz bassist Jennifer Leitham, a transgender woman who first established her musical career as John Leitham, and performed with Mel Tormé, Doc Severinsen, and many other jazz luminaries in the ’80s and ’90s. She also recorded several well-regarded CDs such as The Southpaw. But throughout those years, her gender identification as a female was kept hidden from the public. After Leitham’s sex reassignment surgery in the early 2000s, she came out as a woman. She has received support from many musicians, particularly Doc Severinsen, who appears in I Stand Corrected. She has also had to deal with intolerance. As she noted in an April 2009 interview with JazzTimes: “There are a lot of people who are uncomfortable being in a room with me… I just wish it were possible for the jazz community to be as creative about social issues as it is about music.”

As I said about the the rock musicians who have publicly outed themselves as their true gender - All of this is positively huge for the transgender transsexual community.
Truthfully, I have not been big jazz fan but now I will be listening for Jennifer's work!

Crunchyroll Forum

When I first encountered the Crunchyroll Forum site, of course I thought of a great candy bar.
Instead I found a discussion of Korean/Japanese stars who look like girls.

The woman to the right is actually Thai and is Nong Poy 
who we have pictured here before.
I have added another pic from the site which started a discussion about the true gender of the girl.

If you want a bite of Crunchyroll, go here!

Horror-Scope!

I am on a roll!

Venus Demars

You’re hot on the tail of insanity, so jam on the gas pedal and go! You work better with a fire under your ass and if you want to make your anxiety amount to anything, then work that muscle harder. Yes, stop blaming others and take responsibility. There are new tales to tell and they will only be apparent once you walk through this fire, so push it! Astro Guide 2012: Libra
From theFrisky!

Is the Horror Scope just another way of saying "when you are going through hell- you better run faster?"

Transsexual and Naked in Korea?

 From ChosunIlbo:   " Lady, the world's first manufactured transgender band, are releasing a nude photo album. Countless female stars have taken it off for the camera, but this is the first time in Korea that a band of transssexuals will be appearing in what are no longer their birthday suits." Here's the interesting part: "Starting with the provocative title -- "Women, reflect!" - the album throws down the gauntlet to born women, with the implication that all of these former men have worked so hard on their bodies that they can now stand comparison with internationally famous models. Indeed, one of Lady's members, Sahara, came fourth in an international transgender beauty contest, while Shinae has done commercials."

 I have posted another picture in Cyrsti's Condo Kitchen!

Note! The "manufactured transgender band" comment is a quote. Are the Koreans manufacturing transgender peeps in a "Kia" car plant? If they are, Car & Trans Driver should give them a 5 star rating!

Coming to a Stage Near You?

According to the Los Angeles Times Sony Pictures Entertainment has announced it has signed a five-year deal with Tony-winning Broadway producer Scott Sanders to adapt the studio's films for the stage. First up in the studio's extensive catalog? The 1982 comedy "Tootsie," which starred Dustin Hoffman in drag. Don't look for it soon though. No creative team has been announced but you can start practicing now!

Thai and Transgender

Baramee Phanich is looking forward to Thursday. That's when he, along with other Thammasat University graduates, will be attending the annual royally sponsored graduation ceremony. For Baramee or Denjan, as he's known to family and friends, the ceremony has special meaning, as he, along with four fellow transgender students, have been granted permission to dress as women.

It's all Fun until Someone Gets an Eye Put Out

Here you go, a very serious look at the behind the scenes workings of Cyrsti's Transgender Condo.
Well, maybe not so serious-this is not brain surgery. If it was we would all be in trouble.
In case you haven't noticed, my thought patterns are all over the place. Inspirations for me (well I had to come up with some sort of term) either are like an Oak Tree in the middle of a dessert (none) or a long Chessie freight train running through my head. (hundreds)
Currently, I have been writing down ideas by hand in a note book and checking them out when I get home. So what I have now is yet another pile of written thoughts. Being the progressive critter I am, I am looking at electronic devices to transfer all this stuff to.
As I was going over some of my older stuff, I just found this title. It's cool, it's fun, it's violent! BUT where was I going with this?
Maybe my long lost Vagina post? I have thought about going to the Rad Femme fun bunch for a vagina answer: How much is the relative value of a home grown vagina as compared to a constructed purchased one? Is there a commodity price on the stock market? Somehow I don't think they would see the sense of humor and it's more entertaining to watch the ones who bought one fight with them.
Chances are my eye would have been at the least verbally blackened so I don't think I was going the vagina direction.
As I shuffle through this mass of notes, I'm sure I'll figure out where I was headed-by next spring.

Getting HOT in the Condo

I've been in a "hormonal furnace" lately-positively burning up. Then I found this video and posted it to Cyrsti's Home Entertainment Center And REALLY had to kick in the air conditioning to cool this place off. It starts slow but then starts to pick up steam!

Hetero Sexual Male Video

Pure great entertainment!

Spam, Spam, Spam

I just got really hammered on twitter with a spam trashing...even though I "supposedly" have a service that stops it.
A couple slipped through to the blog area which lists my "tweets". I removed that option totally.
I sincerely hope no one else saw it and pursued it as it wasn't me promoting a fantastic offer!
I wouldn't do such a thing.
Or knowingly pass along the porno trash I got spammed with.
Sorry!

Cyrsti

Thought of the Day-Cyrsti's Condo

"What if you don't know enough to not know enough to know how to fix it?"
Unknown
(Unknown has a huge amount of material out there!)

Correction!

From the Roberta Close post:The first photo does not show Robert Close. This is Patricia Araujo, Monika Thanks!!!

Portraits of Transgender Kids

In 2003, Susan Wong began documenting children in her native Netherlands> Her work led to “Inside Out: Portraits of Cross-Gender Children,” with text by the Dutch medical journalist Ellen de Visser. The book, which came out in the Netherlands in 2010, follows children who have changed or are in the process of changing their gender and includes multiple portraits of them over the course of seven years.

For the complete article -go here.



 Shown to the right, Jasmin at age 9 and 17.

Transphobic Brazil?

Ironically, just after I ran a feature on Brazilian transsexual model and star Roberta Close here in Cyrsti's Condo, up pops this story from the Toronto Star in Canada about a transgender woman fearing deportation to her native Brazil. "Silvani Marques, 37, an engineer, has been taking hormone treatments and dresses as a woman. He shows a photo shoot of himself wearing different women’s dresses as part of an online gallery. Marques claims Brazilians “do not tolerate transgender or homosexuals” and he faces a life of intimidation and discrimination on his return to Sao Paulo. “I am really worried about my personal safety and the discrimination I face,” Marques said on Thursday. “Transgender people are not widely accepted in Brazil.” He has been packing his goods and selling belongings since he’s only allowed to return with one suitcase. Marques claims a homosexual person is killed in Brazil every 26-hours"

I Ruined my Thermostat!

I was warned by my genetic female friends.
However, I did not see any warning on my Spiro and Estrogen bottles fine print: "Warning! These meds can ruin your thermostat!
You could argue that all of my sarcastic years of making fun of women being too cold on a warm summer day or too warm in the middle of winter were just a giant Karma mistake. Unfortunately I have been known to toss a rock or two in a glass house. It's just a defective gene I have among several.
My internal thermostat now is on the outs. A ten degree temperature swing can now take me from being in a furnace to jumping into an ice bath.
Now I wonder about my cherished idea of moving north for the winter into the balmy Lake Superior region. Not too long ago I told an acquaintance about the idea (another transgender girl on HRT). She said I may want to wait as she has become far less tolerant to the winter chill of the Chicago area.
Maybe she's right and I'm looking for the fine print again on those pill bottles.
Perhaps my thermostat is under warranty?

Roberta Close

Back in the day, (1980's) Brazilian Transsexual model Roberta Close's career started to take-off at the age of 17 and she increasingly became a media darling - appearing in magazines, periodicals and advertising. At age 18 she was called up for compulsory military service. She reported to the interview office wearing a white dress and looking as feminine as possible in appearance, she recalls that the affect was unintentionally but provocatively enhanced by the dress becoming wet from rain! Upon her arrival, a very confused guard asked her to tell her brother to report the next day.

She went on to win the Miss Gay Brazil contest and during a subsequent guest appearance at the Miss Brazil contest embarrassingly over shadowed many of the contestants in looks and beauty. She also became the first transsexual to appear nude in a Brazilian Playboy. In 1984 the periodical Weekly Word News had a front page headline declaring that "The world's most beautiful model is really a man" Good call!!!!

Walking into the Trans Zone

Here I was, innocently working diligently on my errands. Among other things, I was shopping around for some sort of a portable electronic device enabling me to write in other locations. As my daughter told me an I-pad or tablet or whatever. While I was there (in just another of the giant box stores) my phone rang and it was the Advocate handling my VA case. (Yes, the system is still plodding along.) Along the way here in the last month she has reassured me my approval for outside treatment is going to happen. BUT, the latest holdup is the paperwork was filed wrong and has to be refiled. Can't say that wasn't a total surprise in a government system. The problem with bureaucratic mistakes is now I'm running out of time with my supply of meds. She told me today at the worst my primary physician at the VA has been told to give me an extra month. So that's all good.
As I have said, patience is not one of my virtues!
So, on the way back from my 5 mile hike through the store, I just happened to stroll by the cosmetics section and just happened to price the same foundation purchased at a nearby box store the other day. Of course the price was about the same so I felt good about that.
Then, as I was cashing out, I started to notice my male cashier maybe wasn't going to be so male for much longer. What I noticed first was a rather effeminate voice (so?) and a pleasant personality (different!) but then I noticed a very definite set of breast buds coming through his shirt.
If it was true, I feel really good for the young trans woman who waited on me and wish her the best.
I'm only sorry I couldn't have said more.
I picked up my big one item purchase, headed out the doors and back into the other world.

Cajun Babes Womanless Pageant

A couple of you have requested a few more womanless pageant posts. Here is the second part of the You Tube video we posted a couple days ago. I enjoy it because a couple of these contestants are no doubters. Definitely not the first time in a dress for these Cajun girls!

Trans Oldie but Goodie

This is a promo picture from a show in Singapore this spring. The stunning transsexual Nong Poy  is on the right.
Always worth another look!

Thought of the Day

How many pursuits in life include the ultimate successful goal of becoming invisible?
Transgender Stealth is one indeed.
A noble one? Certainly for the person involved. Even me.
A constructive one. Not for the trans community.
Ironic isn't it when we work so hard to disappear.

A Femulate Warning

Go here to read it!!!!

Cyrsti's Condo Mail Box

It was a great day in the response department and my staff of 50 has been struggling to keep up! When I opened my email this morning I was greeted by a wonderful letter from Jessica in France. As I told her I was humbled and flattered following her opinion of this effort...Thanks Jessica!

Rest assured, praise is nice and this little ol eight grade educated Ohio transgender girl is happy when any of you stop by! Let's see now, we have a London, Ohio down the road. How far away can France really be? :)

Seriously, I am flattered too when other highly visible people in the trans community drop by as Brianna Austin did to leave a comment on my Mentally Ill post:
 "Normal is as normal does Forest Gump said, as did Sally Field when she appeared with Johnny Carson some years back, which was the thought behind my essay Defining Normal. Take a look and let me know what you think. Here."

The post brings up many compelling looks at the true lack of normality and is certainly worth your time.
For the moment I would like to add  Normal to me would have been waking up in the morning knowing what gender I was.. Since it never happened, being transgender became my norm once I accepted it.

And then one of my favorite contributors to this cosmic collection of gender flux is Jamiegottagun and brings it to many discussions!
In many ways she comments on subjects which I am too lazy or lose interest in to go deeper in my posts. You all have to remember I share attention spans with young kids!
At any rate Jamie commented on PMS . To paraphrase she said her male appearing body produces female hormones naturally so most months experiences a non menstrual period. (Which I knew does exist in genetic women too and the fact many men do have a monthly period.) I posted her full comment on the blog itself.
You see, many times you all are very helpful with information.
I also want to go out on a very thick limb here and state the full menstrual process is similar to the rest room card. If a genetic women is insecure about herself she may play them on you!

Finally! The fun comment- again from Jamie mentioning my  Monica Roberts and the Tea Baggers post.
Yes Jamie I do read some of Monica's "stuff" as well as some of the "stuff" from Rad Fems etc.
I'm a firm believer in the rants from the right and left perhaps we can find a middle point,
I have to tell you if I was a Black American in this country today, I would agree more in her criticism of the Republican Party.
Also, I do wonder what happened to all those fervent T Party rallies which used to frequent my conservative part of the country?
Then again, I was the one person in my unit in the military who would admit to voting for McGovern over Nixon.  When my tour was up I told them "Mark my words...Nixon's a crook."
As far as Monica being a bigot? Hell yes!
For all I know, she will stop in and blast me!!!!

Thanks All!!!!!

Moving to Japan?

You may want to after checking this video:

Tea Anyone?

I picked this up from the TransGriot Blog by Monica Roberts.

Being a trans woman of color (Monica not me) I can sense where's she is coming and it is sad we are heading into such a polarizing election.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed the extreme lack of minorities around Romney and his boy Ryan.

That in itself does not have to be a deciding factor. After all can't the Republican Party roll out Colin Powell again?

Seriously, aren't the Tea Party ideals something we can all live with? Less government, regulations and taxes to name a few?

The problems with the "T" peeps take me back more than just a decade to the 60's and early 70's when we were talking about the whole system being rigged.

However! I'm afraid all those self righteous T rally's went the way of the payoff.

If you want to see what's wrong with the system, start by checking how many high powered peeps recently have that Yale degree.

Romney is a big change though. He only has a Harvard Law Degree- but wait-so does Obama and where's that pesky birth certificate?

My only point is once again we have to vote for the better of two elitist Ivy League candidates. The truth is we all have to stay away from the veritable tone of political BS coming from both parties and do our own research and hope the rest of the electorate is intelligent to do it too.

The bottom line is the public political smokescreens are set up to divert all of us from what's good for our country and families.

Some of us are running out of time to pass down any sort of a stable country to our kids and grand kids.

I can't and won't try to tell you how to vote. I'm just saying please do it right!

Please don't send me specific political comments about candidates and positions. If you do you missed the point of this post. Thanks!

Zagria and the History of Trans

Filed away in the back of my closet with all those fashion mistakes I have made over the years is my college history degree.
To this day, I remain extremely interested in several historical periods and persons.
For this reason (among others) if you (like me) are interested in  trans culture history, here's one of a couple places you can go for wonderful information: A Gender Variance Who's Who by Zagria.
Follow my blog roll link to read her latest post about Herbert Beeson!

This Says It All

Navigating the world as a non-binary transgender awesome little person. Yet another VERY interesting view of the world...go here to see more

Mo-Models

It seems more and more transgender or androgynous models are being seen around the world. Check this video from....Japan....of course! And another picture of Choi Han-bit, a transsexual Korean model who will be appearing in season three of Korea's Top Model

"Horror-Scope"

Here we go friends! Yet another aggressive Horror-Scope... Libra..."By nature, you are a visual person. You care about aesthetics and anyone who is going to write it off as just being shallow doesn’t get you. We all have different quirks and yours is beauty—and your definition of it. Typically, you are a bit more fashion-forward than the masses, and anyone who doesn’t recognize that can go ahead and think themselves ugly."

Photo: Venus Demars, "Horror-Scope" from the Frisky

Ru Paul Hates Us

Here is more proof Ru Paul is out to trash the world.

Sharon Needles who one season four of Ru Paul's Drag Race. Shown left. And my favorite view of Paul.

Mentally Ill

Until very recently, I wasn't totally aware I was automatically labeled as mentally ill by the psychiatric community.
I knew that sometimes I viewed myself as slightly off kilter when compared to most of societies "norms".The deal was for the longest time, I did attach quite a bit of it to my gender dysphoria.
Much later in life, I finally figured out all my mental restlessness and my basic disregard for authority had absolutely nothing to do with what side of the gender fence I was on.
If there is a gene which triggered my "jender-jump" then is there another which triggered a "who the hell are you to tell me what to do?" gene?
When I can't sit through a conversation without thinking of two or three alternatives-does that make me nuts?
Certainly both of those traits carried through to my feminine life.
If you want to use the "N" words (normal or nuts) to describe an overall mental state, then go for it.
I truthfully found both be rather impossible.
Anyone who I tried to slap the normal word on proved to be a huge mistake. They weren't but what the hell is normal anyhow?
Now I have known a few folks over the years who were clinically unstable but nuts?
No, I find I migrate towards nuts as a positive.
What's better than a person who views society as a platform to live their life on as they desire?
Now I'm sure there are more than a few societal peeps who toss me in that nuts category because I'm living my life in the gender I chose.
So, since the mentally ill label for me has now been shifted to a kinder and gentler gender dysphoria, I feel better.
Now I can go on with my life with a quiet pride of being nuts...now if I can keep that damn squirrel out of the Condo....

Transsexual Korean Beauty

Season Three of Korea’s Next Top Model features among its cast of aspiring fashionistas Choi Han-bit, who is transgender.

Trans Girls and the Womanless Pageant

Over the years here in Cyrsti's Condo we have discussed Trans Girls and Womanless Pageants.
The overwhelming amount of particpants are obviously just in it for the fun or the charity benefits or whatever.
Others however just might let some of their cross dressing style come through and some of the others on occasion flaunt it.
I know over the years, I have discussed with a couple of transgender friends the "what if's" of a womanless pageant opportunity in our past. When I grew up, there just weren't any. If there would have been any, it would have been a good chance I could have been a little reticent in participating. I would have been afraid someone would have noticed I enjoyed the process a bit too much.
I recently discovered a video which shows the whole process and includes only six contestants.
As I started to watch it, I almost turned it off.
The first two participants were wasting my time. Two guys in beards and dresses. Then came number three.
The third contestant was a no doubter. The lack of body hair in the right places, the mannerisms and the way he negociated the heels showed this was likely not a first time experience.
Interestingly, number 4 was almost the same-prettier but not as accomplished. I did think perhaps he had some coaching. (and loved it)
Number 5 was a copy of one and two and then came number 6.
Six (I thought) was probably performing as a drag queen in a club later on that evening.
The video comes from Lake Arthur, Louisiana courtesy of the Cajun Traveler:

Eye of the Tiger

Just when you thought girls it was safe to come out of your closet- maybe you should be checking the dark recesses of yours for a pair of pants like these!

These are selling for 55 dollars in a shop on Etsy

As we all know, the cross dressing national holiday is approaching quickly. Halloween of course.
I'm passing along one of many corsets from Etsy and some even come in sizes girls up to 2x.
They are pricey but if you can afford it...you only live once!!!

Drag Queen Barbie

No this time it is not you or another transgender kid putting a dress on a Ken Doll.
This is a new Barbie which is just happening to be compared to model/designer Phillipe Blond. (shown above)

While it's uplifting and fun to think this represents a real change in the basic idea of gender specific toys for kids- remember Mattel is not (of course marketing the doll as Drag Queen Barbie) and this is a collectors doll and retails for 125.00 dollars.

Female Bonding

Every now and then I will run into a genetic female who wants to chat about my transgender status.
At some point in the conversation, she will want to know what I think are the biggest changes I have been through and what I have felt about them. Know she will. It's all good. Just bonding with the girls.
The answers are easy.  We go down the feminine checklists of skin, breasts, moods etc.
Then the fun starts. The next round of questions involves periods, bloating, and hot flashes. AND
it's all well and good to feminize your body BUT what about not experiencing monthly periods, bloating, PMS etc.
What can I say?
My simple answer is "only females bleed".
Never have had a menstrual period...never will. It is a deal breaker with them? Not usually if they are grounded human beings. This point is always a great spot to toss in-  gender is between the ears and sex is between the legs factoid and a female is not necessarily a woman.
Bottom line: Has it made my life easier or harder than theirs since I didn't bleed? Can't tell you.

Commercial Gender Quiz

Two friends asked me last night which of the two big home improvement stores- Lowes or Home Depot I liked best.
I said "Why? Is this a trick question?".
They said no...which did I prefer? I said Lowes- Why?
Both of them laughed and said it was a gender question.
Lowes is set up to appeal more to women with the store's emphasis on lighting, appliances etc. Home Depot is a more direct material buying center which appeals more to men.
I guess I passed?

Just a Chance to Feel the Joy!

Everyonce in a while I find a before and after transgender transsexual video on You Tube which really speaks to the joy of the person who went through it. This is one:

Defining Drag

From the Advocate.Com comes an unlikely story from San Francisco. "The new pastor of a church in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood is enforcing a policy barring drag queens from performing in the church. The Castro Country Club, a local gay recovery organization, has held two of its previous annual fundraising events at the Most Holy Redeemer Church, according to the Bay Area Reporter. However, when coordinating this year's Harvest Feast, Rev. Brian Costello said that he was following directives from the local Catholic diocese, which has a strict "no drag queen" rule." In San Francisco? Who would have "thunk" it? This next quote says it all though: "

Zachary Davenport, who performs as Laybelline, has done several performances to benefit sobriety-related events, many of which have been held at the church. "What constitutes drag?" he said. "If we want to get funny, let's talk about the priests. Hello." Another performer Heklina is pictured on the left.

For the Non Humorist Peeps

From theFrisky: Wear Your Annoying Feminism Around Your Neck -- Sick of having the same-old-same-old convo with your misogynist friends and neighbors? Tired of always having to explain to your nearest and dearest how your annoying feminism is an inflexible, static part of your political worldview? Then maybe you need to cut to the chase and get one of these “Feminist Killjoy” necklaces. [$32, Etsy]

One is Company-Two is a Crowd

Probably by now you have heard the story about the transgender group who was asked not to come back to a bar they had been frequenting for years.
Ouch!
Of course I'm biased for the trans girls but I'm going to pass along some reservations and some paranoia's I have.
The reservations come from my past and stories which have been passed along by some friends.
When one goes out with a group of mixed trans girls, you could be grouped with anyone from cross dressers, transgender and the occasional transsexual. The problem? Occasionally you will have a joiner who doesn't chose to conform to a feminine lifestyle. Meaning he's the one who has the dress on and is still smoking a Cuban cigar in the corner. A bit of an exaggeration I know- but you get the point. If this begins to happen, then the group becomes more of a problem for the owner.
The reason I bring it up is that I saw it in my past and have a close friend who posted a similar story to me a year or so ago. She was reluctant to join a group in her town who met every Friday night.  Not only did some of the participants chose not to act feminine, they seemed to go out of their way not too.
Another huge problem I see could be the rest room.  Unless the establishment is one of the rare ones which has gender neutral rooms- it's a lose lose situation. Hetero-normal folks don't match well some of the time with trans folks in the rest room. Yes I have seen the occasional cross dresser at the urinal or standing up to pee in the woman's room.
These reservations lead me to my paranoia over the years of sharing my cherished non gay venues with other trans women.  Truthfully, I rarely encounter anyone who does but there is certainly a fear factor built in.
As we all know, looks are one thing but actions and the accountability for them are another.
I wonder if that is what happened to the trans women who were asked not to return?
If it wasn't, and someone who visits Cyrsti's Condo knows the indepth story-I will find out ( I'm sure!)  and comment from there!

Trans Politics

For all Americans, once again it's time for a presidential election.
Along the way, I have decided to stay sort of non political here in Cyrsti's Condo which is tough since I am a very political person.
With great interest, I have watched how this election is laying out.
I'm pretty jaded and don't think either political party is really interested in helping the average citizen much. If government just stayed out of the way, we would be a stronger country.

BUT
I can't help but think this year's Republican ticket has the real potential to set back our transgender rights for years. Specifically I just know (that somewhere down the line) a huge check was written in Chick Fil-A's name when the Republican VP candidate was announced.
So I know my vote isn't going to the chicken chain and their party.

Typically, there are many sub plots involved with any election. Here is an important one from a transgender vet publication Outserve.


The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law estimates that 25,000 transgender people could lose the right to vote due to voter ID laws. Many conservative states make obtaining a driver’s license with a trans person’s correct gender nearly impossible, or prohibitively expensive. As a result, up to 41 percent of trans people lack a correct driver’s license. While the map in the link above shows that this disenfranchisement is unlikely to affect the general election, or even statewide elections, it denies people the democratic voice we have fought for over the course of 226 years. Republicans don’t seem interested in trans people voting. When margins in elections get too narrow, though, democrats seem to prefer for military absentee ballots not be counted either. In closely contested Presidential races, the pattern has been for the democratic candidate to contest military absentee ballots (Bush v Gore), and for the republican to contest provisional ballots (Bush v Kerry). Voters with name discrepancies, like the transgender community, are typically forced to use provisional ballots. The math on why these two patterns happen is pretty simple; military people generally vote conservatively, and LGBT typically people vote for the more liberal candidate. There is an upside, I suppose. If the ban on trans people in the military ever ends, at least it will finally give both parties something they can agree on. They will finally have a demographic neither group wants voting.

In my case Brynn Tannehill who writes for Outserve and I both live in Ohio and she also goes into what she is facing voting on a local level.
Very soon I will be going down that same path!

The Cross Dresser as an Artist

One of the labels which seems to be lost in today's fast paced cyber world is female impersonator.
Over the weekend, a friend of mine sent me a couple of simply horrid cross dressing video's which have caused me nightmares.
Most of you know I love to connect the dots.
In this case, the difference in the closeted cross dressers who excel at the art form and those who don't are the dots.
First of all I know all of us are not created equal. All of us who played football in our past I'm sure now admire those guys with slim builds. (Yes I did play on the defensive line)
That's just the beginning. As one of the young transgender college students recently wrote "who teaches a 14 year old boy how to use makeup"? Take it a step farther "who teaches a 35 year old cross dresser"?
On YouTube...sometimes no one.
But other times you can see the sheer artistry some put into their obsession. You can read in their profiles they are closeted and are part time girls. They have decided "the street" wasn't for them. I have an example from a cross dresser I knew years ago. I recently found a Christmas card photo he sent me which was stunning. No possible way anyone would think the woman in the picture was nothing but a beautiful red head in heels, garters and heels. Of course I knew in person the woman in the picture probably couldn't present well in public- all 6'2 of her-without heels. There were other factors too.
(Today height is not the problem it was. Seemingly women have grown since then and tall girls in heels today are common. Ask Stana)
Regardless of any of that, she was the consummate female impersonator in those pictures. You can log into Flickr or other sites and find quite a few. I'm sure we all know their looks aren't just by accident. All of them work long and hard to perfect it-physical limitations or not.
What I can't wrap my pea brain around are those who don't. I desperately want to feel sorry in a sense for one of my cross dressing sisters who scorched my eyeballs prancing around in a Marilyn Monroe dress, blond wig and drink.  I just couldn't. I wondered if he had enough of that drink to think all was good?
I really don't begrudge him the right to do it. Insightful pictures and videos can be part of a great self education feminine program. I just don't understand  the need to go public with it?
I'm guessing he is a 60 something cross dresser and interestingly would transform into a rather realistic woman of his age.
Keep in mind, I also know there are many individuals who are only into fetish roles such as sissies or petty coats also.
By this time there are too many dots and too little time to connect them in our culture.
The good news is my eye balls are starting to recover and I have a sharp pencil.

"Horror-Scope"

Another week has flown bye boys and girls and it's time for another scintillating "Horror-Scope"!

Libra (September 23- October 22) Inappropriate affections may start to grow between you and someone off limits. While you might understand the need to cool your lust, that other will likely not have gotten the memo, and an uncomfortable situation is going to begin. Plus, to add to this chaos, it seems that if you do make a fuss, no one will back you up the way you deserve. Yes, a quagmire indeed.

Easy girl!!!Easy!!! Of course the term "Horror-Scope" is mine...you can find yours here

Mryna-An Original Dramedy Series

I wanted to pass this along to all of you:

"Mryna" is a groundbreaking, original dramedy television series!
 Synopsis: After a successful career in front of the camera and on the stage, an actor is willing to sacrifice everything when she finally confronts her true gender identity and transitions from male-to-female. We follow Myrna as she struggles to find work as an actress, wrestles with a manager who still wants to send her out as her former-famous self, Michael and deals with the drama of her friends' reactions as they make an effort to come to terms with Myrna and her life-altering transition.

Marlo Bernier brings 50 plus years of living to the table, as well as over two decades of solid work on both stage and screen. On stage (Mark) Bernier repeatedly delivered award-winning performances in roles such as, Roy Cohn in Angels in America; Parts I and II, the twins John/James in Love! Valour! Compassion!, and Berg in God's Country."

 If you have heard of Kick Starter ,there is a fund raising campaign going on for this project. To check it out, go here.

I also am posting the video promo in Cyrsti's Condo "Home Entertainment Center"

BB Gandanghari

From the Philippines:
BB Gandanghari (shown right)  the transgender transsexual star has landed a highly unique role.

She will be an fantasy drama series called the Enchanted Garden. 
In an ironic twist, she will be playing herself as a man in part of the production to air on TV5.

Been There-Doing It

Alex Meadows from Lexington, Kentucky has a so familiar sad story: growing up transgender in the system.
Of course the shark aspect of human nature brought out the bullying and meaness in her school situation.
The good news is she made it through the rough waters of middle and high school- the bad news is  in her second year at Northern Kentucky University she is too much woman for the guys but still has to stay in the men's dorm and not enough woman for the girls and can't stay in their's.
The 19 year old is stepping up and out to help with a Project Speak Out anti bullying campaign in the Lexington area in the hopes she can help others with her story. Here's the link from kentucky.com

Not surprisingly the same life story was/is being lived by Riah Roe in Fargo, North Dakota.
Riah says she is getting used to the funny looks and the occasional raised eyebrow while others stare or whisper.
We all know the spotlight is on after the dark closet.
Riah was known as Zack when she started down the path of therapy and diagnosed with gender identity disorder which explained the years of self questioning we all go through.
There is a great indepth article concerning Riah on the
In Forum Fargo/Moorhead site!

Back to School

It's tough enough to send your child off to the first day of school.
Can you imagine the emotions you would feel if your child was transgender?
What a statement the parents and the transgender kids make when they do it.
I don't understand though how anyone could doubt how deep gender dysphoria (or what ever you want to label it) runs inside us.
Taking the courage a step further, when these parents and trans kids make such a courageous statement- it's such a tremendous move for all of us.
To compare it to the gay or lesbian community, you have people such as Anderson Cooper or the female Olympic athletes who are getting married...publically.
The most common move in the transgender or transsexual community is switching closets and going stealth.

Trans Dating

The Canadian National News recently published 7 tips on transgender on line dating.
The tips are pretty simple stuff (no they aren't). In the so called hetero normal dating world. it's not a cake walk either and we trans folk are just a wee bit different.
One of the harder facts to accept for a few of us more mature women and men is the fact on line dating is as popular and productive as it is.  I can't quote the number but an amazing amount of people these days are successful on line.
The first suggestion I rejected immediately: "Why not try a transgender dating site?"

Candis Cayne probably  NOT the best example of transgender dating used  by  article.

Most that I have seen don't appear to be very reputable if you are really trying to break the transgender/cross dresser stereotype of sex first-relationship later.
Then the problems start. The article mentions honesty. If you go to most of the mainstream dating sites it's nearly impossible to find one who even has a transgender option...yet.
Then what do you do? What I did in a couple places I visited was I never took the male option (said I was female) but I mentioned in the first sentence of my profile my transgender status. Others I took the male route with my picture and let the chips fall where they may. I sort of made value judgements depending on the site.
Through out the process you have to factor in your sexual preference. Are you a trans lesbian for example?
I was surprised how seemingly unconcerned the article was about honesty. It's just me but I would hate to live any of my life with another person without disclosing my gender past.
Regardless, it's worth a visit here to read more ideas on a very complex subject.
Finally, make sure you check out the cost factor. Nothing is free! Once you sign up-that is what you get for free. Anything else is extra. Also watch for the hidden "automatic" renewal option.
Good luck  be patient and careful and you can win. A date in my book is not a guy showing up at my house who isn't willing to be seen in public with me.
You have to be wary (as any genetic women knows) of where you are and who you are with to the best of your ability.
The chance to learn about a potential date without exposing yourself to harm is never fool proof but you can use chat systems like Yahoo without even giving out your cell number.
There are quality people out there but you must be prepared to sort out a lot of trash to find them.

Trans VA

It looks as if my long line of activity with the Veterans Administration  is about to take another turn- for the better.
I will explain  later after I pass along another trans veterans experience - not too far away from me. (Northeastern Ohio)
This story is much different, comes from a fiancee of a transgender vet and is brutal:

"The VA hospital and Community Outpatient Clinics here are some of the worst offenders when it comes to harassment towards the LGBT community. I cannot recall one time that we have had a peaceful experience at the VA. Sometimes I wonder how veterans can be so hateful towards their own just because they are exercising the FREEDOM to b who they are. The LGBT Veterans served their country just like the heterosexual veterans did.  WHATS THE DIFFERENCE? Many VA employees are rude towards the LGBT veterans. It's sad, very sad."

She goes on to document employees going out of their way to laugh at, embarrass and just make life miserable for her fiancee.
Fortunately, my experience has been almost totally opposite so far.
I have heard the VA operates (right or wrong) as very separate entities, which seems to be the case here.
The bottom line though is that the NE Ohio VA for the most part HAS to perform the same functions for a trans vet as mine in SW Ohio  The problem is how they do it.
My center has had educational and sensitivity training concerning trans vets-and it shows. If it has happened in NE Ohio at all then someone needs to be held responsible. Easy for me to say but at the least the article I read was a great starting point.

Back to me, only a final signature stands between me and the VA approving payment for my HRT treatment which they finally decided they could not provide.
That's all good. I understand the bureaucratic time frames and along the way I have been treated with respect.
Now, having said that-I take nothing for granted. It's not over till its over.
At the least the light at the end of the tunnel doesn't seem to be the train. That's all I can ask for.

David Michaels

If you remember David Michaels had more than a couple appearances on older television series such as "Night Court" back in the day (1984-1992) and even made it onto the "Designing Women" series.(1986)

It "Ain't" All Bad!

I don't know a transgender, cross dresser or transsexual person whose life has been a totally joyous experience. Of course elevated rates of suicide in the trans community are well documented.
Every once in a while, I come across a very positive site which involves our culture.

Kim and Kris Schroeder

Kris Schroeder authors a very positive blog which includes transgender and trans families.
An example is a link to a blog called the the transgentle wife.
Kris's blog is full of examples such as this and you can go here to read more.
Plus I will be adding her to my blog roll!

The Girls of Summer

I have written in length here in Cyrsti's Condo on my summer experiences on hormones.

Just happened to come across someone who describes the same process so much better than I and decided to pass along her ideas.
Her name is Paris Lee and she writes for the UK GayTimes. Read it here.

Life as a "Girly- Girl"

One of the most volatile issues of life in the trans lane has to resolve around one of the most basic functions of them all-the rest room.
We have had our discussions here in Cyrsti's Condo leading mainly to unresolvable disputes and hurt feelings. Comments have ranged from who the hell cares to stay the hell out of there.  Some think the room should stay the revered sanctuary for the genetic gender one was born with- or paid to be part of.
Don't want to re hash all of that again.
What I do want to bring up are the girly girls who slyly want to comment how proud they are of their rest room permit by praising the pristine condition of all the women's rooms they frequent.
You probably have read my posts in the past just saying I'm not much of a girly girl. In fact, early in my life when I was coming out of the cross dressing closet, I was roundly chided for wearing slacks or women's jeans at all.  Where were my frilly dresses?
So I figured my rest room ideas once again placed me in transgender minority. (Surprise, Surprise!)
On top of that, I worked in the commercial food industry for years and I saw my share of trashed women's rooms. Or the concerts, sporting events and other public venues I have been to when women invaded the men's facilities.  You know, I just didn't feel that violated and did not call the cops.
So, I never buy into the pristine female concepts.
Of course I do accept the biological fact that men have to aim and don't clean up but don't tell me it is an inclusive male trait.
I mean were you ever subjected to a Tyra Banks toilet seat rant? "Me thinks" she wasn't talking about the men's room.
"Me also thinks" the trans peeps who view the women's room as yet another pristine perk of their transition just don't get out enough.

Classic Female Impersonators

From YouTube, a montage of a few of the classic female impersonators of the past. Yet a different layer of entertainment from the Drag Queens of today.

Chinese Cosplay

Chinese male model Hao Ge

Horror Scope!

It's here again friends. Another "Horror Scope"

Libra (September 23- October 22)
If you want to be on top, you just have to think it and assume the position. There is no time to wait for the world to get into place, because you know it doesn’t work like that. If anything, know you will need a broader perspective now, widening your point of view. So, get in the know, and hop aboard.

As always, from theFrisky.

**It is always important to note "Horror Scope" is my definition !

Quote of the Day

"Just the right amount of wrong!"
?
Just don't remember where I heard it!

Half & Half Drag

From the Huffington Post:
In his Half Drag series, New York photographer Leland Bobbe' captured the the two sides of some of the city's drag queens.
For a larger sample go here!

New Picture

God I hate pictures BUT here it is...no Glamour Shot, no Photo Shop wizardry.
Just me.
Actually it isn't here...it's at the top of the blog and represents the most current look I have...like today.

Quote of the Day

"Today is history...tomorrow!
?
Cyrsti's Condo.

Transgender Martians

Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.
Just got to thinking if NASA did discover the first intelligent life anywhere.
Remember the movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"?
If you saw it, could you tell what gender the space critters were?
If intelligent life ever evolves on earth, what will that mean to gender?

Classic Female Impersonation

"Back in the day" Finocchio's opened in 1936 as a mecca of classic female impersonation in San Francisco.
I can't even pretend to say the 30's were a simpler time for anyone in the transgender culture. The word hadn't even been invented yet.
In the midst of all of this Finocchio's managed to stay in existence until 1999.

Pictured on the right is performer Bobby Jonson circa 1943.

For more history on the club, go here.

M.I.A.

Some of you know I'm semi retired.
The main benefit of working more hours than I was when I had a regular job is that I pretty much have a 24 hour day.  Sometimes 3 AM is as productive as 3 PM.
The problem is when my life all of the sudden just starts to blend together. At that point, I'm looking for a place to hide.
Oddly enough, the best time for me to "run and hide" is approximately 3 in the afternoon...or go visit friends who moved to very remote areas of Eastern Ky.
The drive is about 5 or so hours from me and without stressful navigation of major metro areas.
A wonderful time to think
I planned on being able to post to the blog from my Android but didn't plan on being an hour out of any service.
I could say my service was fuzzy but my thoughts at the least had some clarity.
My gender progression is very clear but quite of few of other my life issues just aren't.  I have this huge problem of a foggy crystal ball and a need to cover financial issues.
Sounds familiar, right?
In the recent past, I admit a long term plan for me lasted about 3 months and I am proud to admit now I have increased the time period to at least 6 months.
Why? Because I have increased my knowledge of formulas!
Yes! All those years I trying to figure out why A+B+C=D. Really? Prove it.
I was wondering if that was true, why was I feeling like a girl?
OK, I know this is a strech but my point is I did figure out the gender formula only works for the Radical Right, Rad Femmes and certain chicken joints.
I also came up with my own life formulas for other issues.
Get your pencils ready:
A+B=C and if it doesn't, it will equal D and if it doesn't maybe it will equal F.
For me, life has been a shell game many times.
The clarity of the day slowed the shells down enough that I think I know what's under them and I can move forward.
If not, plans B and C might work instead.

Lee Pace

Actor Lee Pace went through some very drastic changes several years ago to portray Calpernia Addams.


From the "Soldier's Girl" movie:

Pace and Calpernia

Pace as Calpernia

Man Boobs and Beyond

The way I have approached my hormonal journey is a chosen slower, monitored approach.
Over the past 7 months, I believe I have tried to keep you abreast (couldn't help it) of the changes.
Recently. I think I have been the last to know.
Lately when I have gone braless as a guy, all of the sudden I'm getting a tell tale quick look to the chest area.
This is happening in my loosest T-shirts so I'm getting excited about the results...maybe too excited. (In the nipple area.)
In my part of the world there are more and more obese guys with man boobs so what's the difference between them and me? Very simply, shape and sensitive nipples.
Now I know and have seen man boobs with a decent set of nipples but I wonder about their sensitivity.
In the meantime, time marches on in my transgender journey and around every turn there seems to be another surprise!

Testing

Testing post from Android. I should be really afraid! Lol

I am Her, She is Me

Several times recently I have seen a person at a grocery store I go to all the time who I can not read the gender. As true of an androgynous person as I have seen for awhile.
No big deal of course but of course I started to think about how I view the public.
I used to constantly be on the outlook for another cross dresser. Have to tell you, without a lot of luck. Either the girls were very good in public, there weren't very many of them or I wasn't so good. Trans-dar?
How have things changed?
Well, really I don't care as much.
Let me see if I can explain it.
I have an old friend who I have mentioned a couple times who was one of the initial cross dressers I met back in the day when I was opening the closet door. He stayed in the cross dressing closet and of course I didn't.
We were discussing the "validation" part of presenting female. Then as now, having a guy on your arm as a "prop" is a very desirable goal. That's the easy part-in principle.
The "what ifs" come quickly.
What if you present as a reasonably desirable female and the man you are out with turns out to be just a little more than just a prop?  That little good night kiss becomes more than just validation.
At this point, my friend really had no idea of what that would be like and that's fine. He called the experience a morph of sorts and attempted to attach more of a sexual importance to it.
I compared the experience of morphing from a cross dresser to a transgender person with him to falling in love. If it happens-you know it.
I can almost tell you exactly where it happened and I can't remember what happened yesterday.
Finally, let me take it a step farther.
Using this process, I can work through the transsexual morph in my mind.  At whatever point in their life a true transsexual comes to a true realization of who they really are sexually. The transsexual's life becomes so much more complex than mine. TS's need to match the sexual and the mental  in their bodies- the ultimate morph.
By this time you are thinking "Cyrsti" this is all well and good but just where the hell are you going with this?
My point is of course I would notice an occasional cross dresser as would most folks.
It's just now, I feel so at home in the world...maybe I wouldn't?

Calpernia Addams

Transgender vet Calpernia Addams served as a Hospital Corpsman with the US Navy and Marine Corps.