Beautiful for a Cause

A point that is lost on me quite a bit when I come across an especially convincing womanless beauty pageant contestant or winner is the reason behind their participation. Many times the contestants are donning drag for really good causes such as Mitchell Ashford  on the right.
The womanless beauty pageant was raising much needed funds for a cancer victim-well worth the effort on those nails Mitchell!

Then there are the others for the ages who have donned drag for laughs and money or personal career advancement.

Back in the day during my youth and in the the prime of black & white television it wasn't uncommon to see any of the major comics in drag for a laugh. Perhaps the best known was Milton Berle.

Uncle Miltie just could have been just a little over the top in the picture on the right.

Of course as time went on we saw the likes of Geraldine courtesy of Flip Wilson.
Below.

Then again, this post didn't start out to be a history lesson and I really wanted to finish it with a giant cheap shot to Rude Paul.  But it is getting close to the serious holiday season - so I better act like it!
I want to be good for Santa!!!!

Yikes! There is a Man in the Rest Room!

Last night was girls football night out.  All of us drink the big glasses of draft beer and as all of us beer drinkers know, any consumption to speak of - off to the bathroom you go.
Of course last night was no different and I had to go. When I went into the rest room, it was empty except for one woman on her phone by the sinks. As I went into the stall to pee, I heard another woman come in and then intermittent comments from a very male voice. Of course two or three things went through my mind including wow is there another trans person in here or did indeed I have too much beer?
I left the stall and came around the corner to see two very sheepish women looking at me.  They quickly reassured me the man was actually on a speaker phone and they were having a water problem at their house. We laughed as I washed my hands.
I was so glad my privacy wasn't violated (ha!) and I got a chance to pass along a cute restroom story for a change in Cyrsti's Condo.

Womanless Pageant Photo's

Here in Cyrsti's Condo and seemingly everywhere in our community there is a strong interest in womanless beauty pageants.
I always mention Stana's Femulate site as the gold standard.
For some reason I came across this site with an incredible number of pictures on Yahoo.
Most of course aren't the best quality and many you probably have seen before but the trick to many of us is to find the "winners" who seem to be enjoying the process just a little too much.  Of course there is nothing wrong with that!

Lauren Foster

Lauren Foster grew up in colonial South Africa during the 1960s. With the love and support of her family, Lauren came to grips with her transgender life, underwent a very experimental procedure at the time and went on to become a successful international photographic and runway model.
She moved to New York City in 2002 and landed up on the cover of Next Magazine. Here is a link to her Facebook
page.

I'm Still Here!

Well I woke up this morning and found I did NOT win the 16 zillion dollar Power Ball Lottery. The odds of winning were something close to getting hit by lightning 175 times- in the same month!!! Ouch! That would hurt.
Sadder yet is no television reporter stopped me where I bought the ticket and asked me what I would do with the money. Hmmmm....something good and decent for humanity? Like a boob job and some facial feminizing surgery? Or how about research on controlling lightening hitting me?

Transgender Vietnamese Talent

Lam Chi Khanh was a fairly well-known male singer from the southwestern part of Vietnam.  Recently she decided that she was more comfortable being a woman. Also Khanh told  the public that the change was not a public relations stunt  but a reflection of her real identity.

Perhaps Vietnam's most popular transsexual entertainer is singer, song writer Cindy Thai Tai shown below.

Looking Back and Forward

Following the weekend's intense activity, I finally have had an opportunity to reflect on life as I know it now.
Recapping just a bit, Saturday's burial of my outward male and emergence of my female self was intense to say the least. Sunday I sort of curled into a ball, Monday I worked diligently on all the projects I do and last night I went out for a drink to the place where much of my public coming out process happened.
I'm going to stop and quote a loving and giving quote from my Mom now: " Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes". As "non frilly" as that quote may seem-it's true.

Last night, I thought back on all the times I went to this very busy upscale sports bar in various "experimental" outfits and wigs. I've told whomever will listen (and some who won't) I was very much a trial and error transition person. (mostly error) I was fairly certain this feminine direction I was heading was the correct one but I had to find out for sure. One of the those moments occurred where I was last night. Years ago I was sitting there and this incredibly warm sense of well being came over me.  No, it wasn't the beer and I didn't have to run out and buy a store bought vagina- I just knew I found my true self.

At any rate, the last five years have been one hell of a trip. I went back to the dusty archives to pass along an ancient post from Cyrsti's Condo, called Weekend Update.  I was interested to see how completely I was into the psychical aspect of the moment...shaving legs, clothes etc. I won't pretend to say I'm not into the psychical aspect of being a woman now but it ceases to be the all encompassing factor. I guess it's important to me to look as good as I can but it's not the defining factor of my femininity. Again, I have been so lucky to have learned from a close group of genetic female friends currently and in the past on what a woman is and isn't.

As I look forward to the time I have left on this world, I'm incredibly excited what is around the next corner for me on this journey.  I'm never so sure what dose of positive karma brought me to this point. I compare my life as a human and a transgender person to an old school pin ball machine. Don't we all play this game?   Five silver balls and we are done- game over-see ya!  As hard as we try, we try to aim the silver balls and hope for big points. Skill is one thing though but what about luck and destiny? If you know those answers-please can I talk to you!!!!!

So looking forward, I'm hoping to have at least one or two balls left to play...and have as much fun as karma will let me!

I've Been A Girl My Whole Life

This is a portion of a quote I'm passing along called :"Super Progressive Mom Conquers Intimate Apparel" by Laurastina.  The rest of the quote is "and nobody noticed" and came from her transgender daughter.
This is a good read! Go here!

Transgender Music

Ever heard of Angelica Ross? Quite by accident I came across a site called trans-genre which spot lights transgender artists. Here is a part of Angelica's story:

"Angelica’s journey began when she graduated high school at the age of 17, to avoid 1 more year of spiritual torture. Angelica traveled, from Racine to Rochester, NY where she was recruited by the U.S. Navy. They knew this black blonde-haired boy didn’t belong when she showed up to the physical with her toenails painted, but they enrolled her anyway. Angelica spent 6 months in the military stationed in Yokusko, Japan which ended abruptly after she was almost killed by a few of her shipmates who hung her out of a 3rd story window to force her to admit she was gay. That was the catapult that gave Angelica the drive to begin to live her life for herself. When she got back on American soil, she began the transformation process at the age of 19 while living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Angelica then began a long career of modeling & acting under the radar. Her agency had no clue for years, until she confided in a gay booking agent at the agency, who became a friend and ally, in getting Angelica work in music videos, runway, and print & commercial, which took away some of the stress by having someone on the “inside” who knew and was looking out for her. But, Angelica would turn down work, after assessing certain jobs would be too stressful for her if anyone were to find out."

Go here for more!

Horror Scope!

It's time for another Cyrsti's Condo Horror Scope for all of us Libra's:

" Being gracious isn’t always the best way to deflect bullies. If you get a vicious one on your back, they will keep going until you crack. Of course, you won’t do that, at least in front of anyone, but do know what you are up against and know you will have to be at least five moves ahead to get any peace of mind over the next few weeks. Yes, you’ll be busy, to say the least." 

Needless to say I didn't enjoy the "bully" part of this!
As always, the "Horror Scope" term is my own and you can get your own from theFrisky

Anti Stealth Trans Woman

Seemingly, I'm starting to find several transgender video's of note to pass along to you.
Laverne Cox is certainly no stranger to the public eye and in this video she explains the process of owning her transgender status:

Culture Chic

Of course I walked away from last night's trip with daughter and friends to the HIV Aid's Benefit Show with more than a couple new impressions.
First of all if you ever have a chance to see a drag group called the Rubi Girls in the Dayton, Ohio area- do it!!! The group has been doing the particular show in Dayton for the past 17 years or so and has raised over a million dollars for Aid's research...Wow!
As I have said, I was invited by my 30 something daughter and we were joined by six or seven of her rather upscale suburban girl friends.
Ironically, I felt slightly out of place and ill at ease not because of my "trans-ness" but because of being totally out of touch with women raising pre teen kids. I was introduced as just another of the friends my daughter knew. One though had met me before and was told my story.  So more than likely in a couple days all of them will know I'm really a parent. The only real result could be the impact of other kids finding out my grand kids have a transgender grand parent.
The most amazing part to the whole evening was the turnout from the elementary school where a couple of my grand kids go to school. They turned out to see a fourth grade teacher from the school who is also a "Rubi Girl". Call me crazy (some do) but when I was in the fourth grade, a teacher doing a drag act would have not been too popular.
Dare I say last night the concept was cool and even chic. I also should mention he mentioned the school and the visiting group two or three times during the show.
At one point he even stopped the show to introduce a sexual/gender diversity professor from the University of Dayton.
So all in all I walked away from the evening with the feeling things are changing for the better from the kids up. Perhaps those who noticed I was transgender also noticed I was much different than the drag queens. But in the meantime I was more than happy to watch a dyamite show, see a glimpse of the future and be chic in the meantime!

Beautiful Sounds

One of Mexico's well known opera singers made the journey this year to Thailand to participate in the "Miss International Queen Pageant" and returned as her true self.
Her name is Morgana and she was trying to win the transgender beauty pageant to complete her SRS in Thailand. But of course she lost out in the competition but won out on the surgery. It turns out she was being followed by a documentary crew who was sucessful in getting much of the surgery fees waived.
Here's the video of the story:

A Free Man in Paris

Way back in the mid 70's Canadian folk rock singer Joni Mitchell wrote and sang a song called Free Man in Paris on an album (yes vinyl!) called Court and Spark.
The song to me always seemed to be an anthem to escaping life's pressures-if only for a second and if only in your mind. Here's an excerpt:

"I was a free man in Paris I felt unfettered and alive Nobody was calling me up for favors No one's future to decide."
and a little more:

"I deal in dreamers and telephone screamers Lately I wonder what I do it for If I had my way I'd just walk through those doors And wander down the Champs-Élysées Going café to cabaret Thinking how I'd feel when I find That very good friend of mine"

I know you are wondering where the heck I'm going with this.

In my head today, I'm walking down my version of the Champs-Elysees because yesterday was so incredibly mentally intense. In fact I did take a brisk morning walk in thirty degree temps with my dog around a few personal landmarks in my home town such as the church I was brought up in and the neighboring building which housed the draft board where I was sent off to South East Asia. (not for SRS but it was free!)
The buildings were obviously so far from the Champs-Elysees (I've been once) but not so far from the point.

It probably was the strong cold wind which was making my eyes tear up and not the hormones as I thought of the events of the day before. You regulars here in Cyrsti's Condo know I'm a huge sports fan.  Yesterday was the 109th rematch of the great The Ohio State/Michigan football rivalry game. Easily I have watched at least 45 of them with my brother and 27 with my spouse who passed almost five years ago. (She was a huge OSU fan too.) Sure I was happy Ohio State won but of course I was a bit saddened of the male past I was beginning to leave behind in increasingly huge chunks.

Why? Because in about three hours I was meeting my daughter, son in law and his brother as Cyrsti for the first time and being told the three grand kids know and heading out to an Aid's Benefit Show with six of her soccer mom friends. (more on that in another post). Incredibly, the day ended with a bang as a car on my busy street went out of control and hit a parked vehicle. BOOM! (True story and a fitting close to the day.)

So today I'm in my own "Free Man in Paris" mode, pretty much emotionally shot but internally charged. I can only describe my mental and psychical state to one of those incredibly busy 12 hour restaurant shifts I used to work-emotionally spent but adrenalin sparked.

By tomorrow I certainly will have time to filter all of yesterday through and get back to my own version of normal! Finally. I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jessica from France who reads the blog and can wander up and down the streets of Paris.

Quote of the Day

The latest Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day" comes from the world of sports:

"Ohio State's defense is turning Michigan over like a bakery shop!"- Paul Keels comment during The Ohio State/Michigan rivalry game yesterday which Ohio State went on to win...again.
Paul Keels is the announcer for The Ohio State radio network.

Final Transition Edit

A young transgender woman's journey into the world:

Chasing and Living the Dream

From YouTube of course, a transgender person's success story:

The Feminine Mystique

Over the years here in Cyrsti's Condo, I have taken various looks at a man's misconception of certain feminine myths such as rest rooms and purses.
No pun intended, but any verbal journey into the world of women's restrooms is guaranteed to generate feedback. Purses are much more of a fun topic. Just what the heck happens in that bag and just why does it weigh 40 pounds?

Here's yet another "girl myth". What exactly does it mean when a woman says she has nothing to wear? No matter how many times you look into her jam packed closet, she has nothing to wear...Really?
I understand the problem now and have for awhile. Finally though I can put it into words.
Here's why I might not have anything to wear tonight for my daughter's girls night out even though I do have a fair amount of clothes.
Considerations:
1.- Do the clothes fit? I have gained weight with the hormones.
2.- Are the clothes good fashion choices? (Some weren't to begin with.)
3.- What is the occasion and what are the other women wearing?
4.- How can I "mix and match" the best possible choices from the closet?
5.-I won't even mention, accessories, make up and hair!

So ideally, I do have something to wear tonight-then again I don't because I'm not so sure as of this moment what it is. I have to say if all of this sounds totally over the top feminine- it is and once again Karma Lady is laughing away! First I went through the payback of never being able to find my keys in my purse and now the closet? Another myth shattered!

Transsexual Surfing the Silver Screen?

From the Northern Star: "THE story of Gold Coast surfing legend Peter Drouyn who announced he planned to undergo a sex change in Thailand in 2009, has hit the limelight again. American film production company Westward Productions recently announced it planned to make a documentary about Peter and his alter-ego, Westerly Windina and film the operation Peter was about to undergo to become a "full woman." My Daily News surfing columnist, surfing legend and Peter's childhood friend, Andy Mackinnon, said he was really upset about the news and felt that Peter was selling himself short. "Everyone who really knows Peter is really concerned," he said. "It all goes back to around the year 2000 when Peter thought he might want to change his gender. "At first he just dressed up as a woman, then slowly changed his character and became Westerly. "He grew up a macho guy and was a real ladies man, but now is the complete opposite." Although Mr Drouyn planned the sex change operation for years, he never actually made it to Thailand due to financial problems. The planned documentary may finally fulfil Mr Drouyn's longstanding wish. But those close to him are uncertain this is the best thing for him." For more on the story, go here.

And...A New Era Begins

This post is the continuation of the family Thanksgiving story I recently passed along.

As you may know or remember, my daughter has been a huge proponent of my transgender transition and my son in law has followed.

Before she and the grand kids took off last night my daughter took me off guard by insisting I join her and her girlfriends at a special show they attend every year by the "Ruby Girls" drag act where we live. Let me point out while I'm out to her and she has seen pictures of me we have never been together one on one.

After my brief panic attack subsided, I decided it was time again to "hitch up my big girl panties" and do it. Hell yes my daughter and I at a drag show and her friends? Scratch the panic and get on with the fun.

Let the new Era begin with a flourish!

Busy Work

As a quick "Cyrsti's Condo" maintenance comment, I would like to point out you may be seeing some of my older pictures and playing with them with a newer photo toy Google Chrome is offering. Just can't resist playing with something I can actually understand!

End of an Era

As you might expect, I really had to work to butch it up for my family's Thanksgiving feast.
I knew full well how my physical transition was going to work.  With just a little extra effort I was able to pick two of my remaining ex-large guy shirts which were loose enough to disguise my breast area.  Tying my hair back and shoving it up under a hat was a little more of an effort.

So off I went, knowing full well this will be my last Thanksgiving dinner with the family as my old self. (The patriarch)  A fact which was not lost on my Son-in Law.  We were able to slide off into a deserted corner for a quick discussion. He is a man of a few words and said "well this is about it" right? Of course I replied this is it and proceeded to move on in the conversation. Next he remarked how much he was behind me in my transition and we quickly speculated how other family members would react on both sides. Probably, the ones we project as possible "problems" won't be and others lurking in the shadows will be. But I told him they won't have a choice anyhow so who cares?

Sure I'm confident about the situation because I already have the most important people in my life behind me already. On the other hand, leaving yesterday as a male (as I can still be) was a chance to reflect on what I was walking away from and into.  The final chapter will be written on Christmas Day when I go to my final family get together.

The best part of an era ending is the opportunity to begin a new one- which I will discuss in my next post!

Quote of the Day

Cyrsti's Condo Quote of the Day:

"We haven't located us yet!"

From the movie  The Darjeeling Express 2007.

Shopping with the Stars

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.
Hopefully you have friends and family you can share thanks with. Please take it from me - never take it for granted. Of course there are the usual football games on Thanksgiving Day but the real competition begins the next day. Black Friday!
It's the biggest shopping day of the year and is primarily associated with the feminine part of the population. To many women, it's a rite of passage and a prime opportunity to bond with their "sisters" without male intervention.

While I haven't (yet) experienced the group estrogen shopping binge, I have explored the waters of Black Friday on my own. Like anything else in the transgender culture it wasn't easy.

I worked my way up to the super shopping day in my formative cross dressing years. Quickly, shopping became a wonderful combination of discovery and interaction for me with the world. I learned most sales clerks were mostly interested in selling me something, giving me tips and some were even intrigued by meeting "a person like me." As time passed I learned to "pass" to and couldn't wait to add Black Friday to my list of achievements. As luck would have it, my work schedule made that very difficult but finally the big day came.

"Reasonably" early, I put on my best jeans, softest sweater and flats to conquer the masses of the shopping world. With my 'toned down' makeup and hair I was fairly sure I wouldn't have many problems. What I didn't understand was not many other shoppers would have noticed anyhow! The malls and stores I went to were so full of women doing their version of competitive shopping, they probably wouldn't have cared if a Martian was shopping with them. As long the Martian woman didn't beat them to a deal.

Didn't buy much that day. Just walked, watched and enjoyed being a girl in the world.
Looking into the future, I'm not so sure I will ever experience (or desire) the estrogen shopping bond with any of my genetic women friends. They aren't really into the shopping binges and I really have an aversion to pushy crowds. But if you have never been to Black Friday as a girl, be sure to put it on your trans bucket list**!

**Bucket List is a list of things you want to do be you "kick the bucket" (die).

The Cult of Narcissus

For the record Narcissus was a product of Greek mythology
Essentially, here is how the story went:

He was exceptionally proud, in that he disdained those who loved him. Nemesis saw this and attracted Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection in the water and fell in love with it, not realizing it was merely an image. Unable to leave the beauty of his reflection, Narcissus died. Narcissus is the origin of the term narcissism, a fixation with oneself.

Certainly it's not a reach to tie Narcissus to many in the cross dressing community and even farther up the transgender ladder. I just felt I have reached a point where I should stop and examine my relationship with our buddy Narcissus. Or just why I don't go to great lengths here in Cyrsti's Condo describing in detail my style and make up regimens to name a few.


Well, at times I indeed have felt guilty about not going into detailed dissertations of my style, clothes fashion etc.
I have not done it for basically two reasons: Style is highly personal and I don't feel qualified to pass along hints. My friends know my style, expect it and it has simply become a part of me.  It's not that it's not hugely important and I don't give my style consideration-I just don't have the time anymore to live in the mirror, plus I simply am not much of a girly girl.

At one point of time I was. . But all of the sudden  I have reached the point genetic women told me I would get to eventually-day to day girl. (And who would she be?)
Well,  as early as six months ago I would have told you the end of my mirror worship and style obsession would come at the hands of the HRT.  But they didn't.  The head of hair I was genetically blessed with marked the end. E.-N.-D.

Example? Now before I go out, I still feel a huge part of my getting ready process is missing. Now I put on my makeup and try my best to brush out and comb my hair. I'm done and the final part of my getting ready regimen has been suddenly taken away. No more do I have a choice between a couple wigs.
Even more interesting is when I come home and I'm still trying to take a wig off.

Look, I know a great majority of us live in the closet, the mirror or even the camera. So the last thing I want to do is throw rocks at your mirror or put myself up on some Greek pedestal. I'm really good on trying to climb up on pedestals and falling off.

Very simply my goal is to write at least three posts reflection. Exactly how do I feel at this point of my life. New Years Eve will mark a very exciting and wonderful year and good Karma willing just the beginning.
Bringing up Narcissus seemed like a good place to start.

Walk a Mile in her Shoes

Or at least a short distance as Jared Leto recently did. Jared is one of Hollywood's hottest heartthrobs and   was completely transformed as he stepped out on set dressed as a woman for his role in the Dallas Buyers Club. The 30 Seconds to Mars singer looked in pensive mood as he strolled down the pavement with his co-star Jennifer Garner in New Orleans on Monday.
I'm not so sure "pensive" is the right term to use. If indeed this Jared's first time out in "heels and hose", he is somewhere between nervous and terror stricken!
He plays a HIV positive transgender woman.

Cyrsti's Condo Quote of the Day

"You know you have arrived-when you are dead."
Overheard in an empty cemetery.

Transition Time Line

Every once in a while here in Cyrsti's Condo I love to pass along a You Tube video detailing a transgender person's gender journey. More than a couple of the videos are just short of amazing. In fact the people who do the vids are just as amazing to be willing to share their life with the world!

True Transgender Survivor

The true transgender survivor just happens to be Justine Ferrer from the Philippines. She has been called the “Beauty Queen from Caloocan City” Of course her trans background has made her a no stranger to controversies. As a natural-born male, Justine is the first ever transgender castaway of Survivor Philippines: Palau (and probably among the very few from the entire franchise around the world).

Japanese Transsexual Star

Ai Haruna possibly, is the most famous transsexual singer and one of the most popular TV personalities in Japan. Haruna was born as a boy named Kenji Ōnishi in Osaka on July ,1972. She underwent a sex reassignment surgery when she was 19 years old. Following SRS, Haruna started her entertainment work by imitating pop Japanese singer Aya Matsuura which made her widely known. In October 2009, she won the Miss International Queen (a beauty contest for transgender
people held in Thailand), becoming the first Japanese contestant to win the title.

"Horror-Scope"

Time again kids for another exciting "Libra-taritan" Horror-Scope here in Cyrsti's Condo:


Libra Sept 23-Oct 22
Someone is going slather a lot of charm all over you, making you melt. Go ahead, go for it. There is no reason to short-change yourself of some fun now, but know that boundaries have to be set prior to jumping in, if only in your head. Yes, be warned, the longer you expose yourself to this obvious diversion, the higher the risk for painful psychological twists that can trap you.

But hows that "slathering" working for me!

"Horror-Scope" is my term and the scopes themselves come from theFrisky. Go here for yours!

What Would Mao Say?

At the height of the hippie culture many of my revolutionary friends carried copies of China's revolutionary leader Mao Tse -Tung's "Little Red Book". (Mostly for shock value I think.).
Referring back to my "You've come a long way Baby" post, I wonder what Mao would think of this story:

"Considered as the "Legend" of Eastern Media Group, Regine Wu, or Li Jing in Chinese, was born on October 25, 1962 in Taiwan. Born as a boy named Wu Zhongming, she underwent surgery and became a girl when she was 22 years old. Differing with other transsexual entertainers, Wu has always denied she had a sex change operation, claiming that she was born as a hermaphrodite with organs of both sexes and the ability to give birth. After working at the Shopping Channel (part of Eastern Media Group) Wu showed her sales talent and broke several sales records, including selling more than 700 laptops in 85 minutes, 250 motor homes within an hour, and 380 one-carat diamonds in 80 minutes. Since 2004, she has hosted TV programs such as the Diamond Club, Super Idol and Gossip Queen. In 2002, Wu married her boyfriend, a man 14 years younger than her."

Somehow I don't think Regine would have been recognized during Mao's reign!  This story came from China.org.cn

You Little Devil...

South Korea's transsexual Lee Si-yeon, born on July 24, 1979, was once widely known as a male model named Lee Dae-hak. With his feminine appearance and slim figure, Lee was the first male model in South Korea to perform for a famous woman's clothing brand. After suffering various pressures in show business, Lee decided to undergo SRS in 2007. In 2002, Lee appeared in the South Korean comedy film "Sex Is Zero", acting an effeminate man. In 2007 after her sex change, she returned to participate in the sequel "Sex Is Zero 2".

Transsexual German Star

Just a couple pictures of how Germany's transsexual singer  Kim Petras has been able to follow her heart in more ways than one!

"Kim as Tim growing up"

You've Come a Long Way Baby!

Some of you "more mature" visitors to Cyrsti's Condo may remember the old Virginia Slims women's cigarette commercials. The brand was introduced in 1968 and marketed to young professional women using the slogan "You've come a long way, baby." Some media watch groups considered this campaign to be responsible for a rapid increase in smoking among teenage girls. Later campaigns have used the slogans, "It's a woman thing," in the 1990s, and "Find your voice."

I only bring it up for the reason the only time I really tried smoking cigarettes in my life was in my early cross dresser years.

Later of course you may remember it was somewhat fashionable for a woman to lite up a cigar. That I never did do. Locked in my memory is a very ugly image of a room full of men in make up and dresses doing their best to still be masculine by smoking cigars. Why?

Well, one way or another I guess I have come a long way baby. As a matter of fact when I noticed the top of the ad above- I tried the housewife gig for awhile too.  Surely if I did all the household chores I would validate myself as a woman? Right? Wrong because all I really validated how much I hated doing housework. It took me years to learn true validation came from inside.

More than a little of my thought pattern began with the trans brides post and feedback. I don't mean actual trans brides but fantasy cross dresser brides (and I am not being negative). My point is at times I'm fascinated by all the feminine fixations we develop as trans persons in our lives. Another example of those in the community who just love to be pregnant.

Maybe all of us have the chance to come a long way baby!

Transgender Bridal Shower

I've really never liked the comment set up in this particular blog platform. I never know if your comments receive the proper coverage they deserve such as this one on Transgender Brides from Eric:

Cyrsti's High Tech Mail Box

"As far as getting married is concerned, there are so few men who have made an honest effort to become educated on transsexuals and transsexualism in order to prepare themselves for the possibility that the woman of his dreams was born a boy. I have read everything I can get my hands on to prepare myself for the possibility that my dream girl would tell me she had been through transition and surgery to become the woman she is now. As a result of my efforts, I've been able to gain some dating experience with mainly pre-op male-to-female transsexuals, but I've also dated a post-op TS. New wedding gowns can start at under U$200, but some of the most elaborate ones can run into thousands of dollars. Many transgender women have made use of the Web, thrift stores and even large bridal chains (such as David's Bridal) to find a low price on a bridal gown. Bridal photo shoots for T-Girls also requires some travel; some of the places that offer such shoots include Fairplay Imaging in New York on Transgender Brides"

4 Trans Brides

Thanks Eric, always nice to hear from any man who has an "educated" idea of trans women!

Also, there is more from Jamiegottagun who always "spices" things up:

"Wedding dresses can actually be found quite inexpensively - Goodwill or the like. There's usually several there, for less than 100 bucks, especially older, out of fashion ones like the one in the video, which with the Sweetheart neckline and puffy sleeves is obviously from the late 1980's or early 90's. Women tend to only keep them for a few years, especially if they get too fat to fit into them anymore, and almost always get rid of them when they get divorced."

Just think Jamie, if the women were larger before they got rid of their wedding dresses, bigger sizes would be easier to find at thrift and consignment shops.

As always, thanks for commenting and reading! Just make sure we all don't forget the "bridesmaids" in the crowd!

I picked up this story and movie trailer from the Advocate.com: The film is called Turning with Antony and the Johnsons and centers around Antony Hegarty and other transgender and androgynous artists:
" It started as part of the 2004 Whitney biennial, when Hegarty joined forces with Charles Atlas, the filmmaker behind The Legend of Leigh Bowery, to make Turning, a stage show that featured Hegarty singing, while various women, many androgynous and transgender, like Hegarty himself, climbed on stage. The women stood on moving platforms as video cameras, guided by Atlas, captured close-ups of their faces and projected them on giant screens. Hegarty describes it as a “hypnotic journey through this panorama of different meditations on feminine presence.” After bringing Turning around Europe and Hegarty’s homebase of New York in 2004 and 2006, a film version debuts Friday night at Manhattan’s IFC Center for a week long run."




 

"In the film, many of the women describe feeling connected through their associations with the nightclub world or other facets of city life that introduced them to like-minded people who allow them to be the women they’ve always desired to be. One transgender woman speaks eloquently of shedding her skin and bravely entering into a new identity. “It’s being asked of us as a species to undergo a radical transformation in the way we see ourselves and our relationship to the world,” Hegarty says. “The stakes have never been higher, we’ve never been more alienated in terms of having a sense of our impact on the natural world.” Both Turning’s director and star believe now couldn’t be a better time to bring Turning to a larger audience. “Charlie was reminding me that Turning was done in 2004 and 2006 which was in the depth of the Bush years. There was a strong sense we were swimming against the tide at the time and there didn’t seem an end in sight,” Hegarty says, pointing out that the stage show opens with a booming speech from Martin Luther King, Jr. Says Atlas,“I’m thrilled we’re releasing it when there’s a glimmer of hope coming back to our society." For more information on Turning, click here.

Uniquely German Gender

In 1972 Liza Minnelli headlined Caberet, a Bob Fosse directed movie about a female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin who romanced two men while the Nazi Party rose to power around them. One of the other main characters was actor Joel Gray who entertained in partial or total drag.  Not drag as we know it in America but a German form of the era.

Recently, Bettina Rheims "Gender Studies" which essentially again presented a German look at androgyny and gender..not drag this time but still unique. Compare the pictures.

Take a look at one of the examples to your left.

For more go here.

Do you know "Art"

The "Art" I'm talking about is the "Art of Purging".
As I write on my book projects (I'm a hoarder of words), I discover aspects of my past that I have totally forgotten. What's that saying "I have forgotten more than most people know?"  In my case I'm pretty sure I've forgotten more because of my age!
For whatever reason all of the sudden I began to think about "purging". If you don't know, the term refers to the disposal of your feminine articles.

Looking back on the process, I came up with about three possibilities of how purging worked:
1.- Private. You took it upon yourself to throw your stuff away.
2.- Semi Private. You tossed a portion of your things out for someone else to see and kept the good.
3.-Total Dispersal. You took all of your feminine belongings and heaved them out of your world for someone else to see.

Regardless of the method one overriding memory came through to me-euphoria! I truthfully never purged much and never totally but the mere act of stuffing some of my girl stuff into trash bags and sending them to the trash was symbolically wonderful. I had finally faced the monster, beat her like a drum and was ready to resume a total masculine existence...Yeah right!

My fondest memory of a purge was when a friend of mine cleared out his storage unit of feminine contraband and gave me the pick of what I wanted which included my first real set of breast forms.

Of course the "tragedy" of purging is it doesn't work in the vast majority of cases. The euphoria and the great resolve to to separate one's self from the gender confusion departs quickly.

Estrogen Intensive Therapy

Today was visit number two to the hair salon to get my hair color "freshened".
A nice way to say-out with the gray roots.
This visit was yet another "first" in that I was totally feminine when I went today.
When I made the appointment last week, the receptionist changed my name from the male version my daughter originally gave them.  As you might remember I was told to come with about three days worth of beard growth to be evaluated for hair removal for my first visit.

This morning I had a relatively early appointment and really didn't know or care how many others I would encounter in what serves as a lobby in this salon. As it turned out, when I opened the door and walked in there were about five or six young women around the front desk.
Now it's been awhile since time has stopped in front of me.  What I mean is during various points in my transition, certain situations seemed to stop all of the life around me. I was moving in slow motion and the world was stopped or looking at me. This morning though,  I again added a couple extra seconds to the day as all the women just stopped at stared at me. I almost said "I come in peace earthling women. May I come in?"

In reality I just smiled and said "Good Morning" and all was fine. For many of them I may have been the only transgender person they ever knew for sure they encountered. They indeed let me in and even got me a cup of coffee.

As I sat and waited for the stylist, I felt I shouldn't have taken my estrogen today. I could have overdosed with all of it in the air in the salon and I loved it.
Overall,  the pampering and the overall effects today were about the same as visit number one. The big exception was I noticed the three or four other women also getting their hair done were more or less resigned to the process. I wondered how many visits will it take before I join that club too?

Finally I wonder how long it will take for the novelty of having a transgender customer to wear off?  Especially one who is like a kid in a candy store?

Just Couldn't Resist It!

Normally I try to pass along new pictures and new people here in Cyrsti's Condo. 
However I had to break that rule this time!

Smell and the Trans Girl

Recently, I seemed to have rediscovered a long lost sense of smell. "Back in the day" before the EPA started to regulate certain industries, I worked a summer job in a plating plant.
Very simply, I cadium and chrome plated electric fan parts in various open hot acid baths.  No masks...just there doing it. For years I believed the whole process hurt my sense of smell, until now.
Quite possibly you have heard of the sense of smell as part of human sexual attraction - specifically the female.
Now I'm not saying I have any heightened sexual attraction when I'm close to certain men but I can say I have been noticing odors such as tobacco and other smells as they walk by. For example I can smell a guy who works as a car mechanic.
The only way I can explain this new set of senses I have are the hormones I'm taking and the transgender transition process.
I actually have been quite socially dense most of my life so all of this has been quite the surprise.
It's no wonder I've seen women recoil and run when a guy walks by who just took a bath in aftershave lotion.

Cross Dressing in the Old West

Being the "historical" not "hysterical" (most of the time) I am, I've heard of this book but never really read a review.
It's called Re-Dressing America's Frontier Past by Peter Boag.
Here's a bit of the review from Terri Schlichenmeyer:

 "For women, the frontier was a man's world. There was adventure and prosperity there, and becoming a man as much as possible was a way to seize opportunity. Safety was another reason for appearing masculine, cross-dressing could be scandalous fun, and it could help escape punishment for criminal behavior. There were also women who believed themselves to be boys from birth. For smooth-faced men, it was common to dress as women for dances and parties because biological women were scarce. Men impersonated women to entertain others. In some Native American communities, "berdaches" were encouraged to embrace femininity. Like some women, males took on girlish appearances to escape crime, and then there were the men who simply wanted to "be" women. But for those men, and their female counterparts, life wasn't easy. Being arrested for the "crime" of wearing clothes for the opposite sex was common and cross-dressers were often shunned. Interestingly, however, their partners (usually same-sex) were generally socially accepted. Re-Dressing America's Frontier Past is good, but long. Boag offers lots of excellent examples to back up his reasoning behind why these stories are largely hidden from history, and what he found will set western fans (not to mention screenwriters) on their ears. This is fascinating stuff, on many levels. And yet, the book has its distractions. It's very scholarly and often reads like a dissertation, which occasionally makes it hard to read if you're just looking for a peek at hidden history and not a lecture. That aside, because it uncovers a wealth of stories that are overdue for telling, I liked "Re-Dressing America's Frontier Past" and I think you will, too. If you're a Western History buff especially, you need to outfit yourself with this book soon."

It's a little pricey in today's world of E-books. Read more of the review here.

Transgender Brides

Very few trans women or men actually make it to the alter...publicly at least for the world to see and even fewer can afford a dress such as this!

Shinata Sangha

Transgender Beauty Queens...Only the Gateway?

We all know beauty is more than skin deep. A zest for life transcends looks for all the people who truly matter in our world.

The Philippines recently landed square in the world transgender spotlight with pageant winner Kevin Balot but Filipina trans rights activist Naomi Fontanos recently told the Gay Star News  there is more to the transgender life than looking beautiful:


"Transgender women are nearly as visible in the Philippines as they are in Thailand, but does that mean the have a full bill of rights? Far from it, says Naomi Fontanos, founder of transgender rights group GANDA (Gender and Development Advocates) Filipinas. She talks to Gay Star News about health and legal advocacy, using contraceptives as hormones, the Catholic church and beauty pageants."

Read the rest of the interview here.

YOHIO is South of Cleveland?

This is very much an old story but then again, so am I.

His name is YOHIO, a 16-year-old boy from Sweden who is now the lead guitarist and songwriter of the visual kei band Seremedy. For those unfamiliar with the Japanese subculture, visual kei refers to a type of heavy metal-esque rock music marked by the musician’s flamboyant and often androgynous use of make-up, hairstyles and costumes while on stage.

I'm fairly sure "Yo-HIO" is what you hear when Ohio State or Ohio U. wins.

Trans Vice

I am going to pass along a link to Vice.com.
It's written by Paris Lees (below) who I have mentioned here in Cyrsti's Condo numerous times.

This article is an incredibly lengthy and sometimes raw  look at the do's and don'ts of being transgender aimed at the gay community.
Here's an example:

E.- "Everything Is So Fucking Hard, Even Buying Milk and Snickers Bars and Chewing Gum Let’s face it, life is tough. And everything’s worse when you’re trans. EVERYTHING. If you don't believe me, fellas, try cross-dressing and heading out to work. On the subway. Followed by dinner. If you're lucky, you'll just get laughed at all day. If you're unlucky, maybe you'll get raped or beaten or murdered. Maybe all three, as is way, WAY too common for those of us who don't "pass." Statistically, trans-folk are way likelier to be homeless, sex workers, mentally ill, and to commit suicide, too. Which is a pretty big bummer."

U.-"Unbelievable Stupidity, Everywhere As most people get most of their information about trans people from the media, and the media mostly knows jack shit about trans people, most people mostly know jack shit about trans people. Including those you’d really expect better from, like doctors and nurses. My nurse, for example, asked me what the difference between a transvestite and a transsexual is (and if you don’t know that, you’re stupid, too). People have died because medical staff refused to treat them after discovering they were trans. Because, really, apart from trans women, who cares?"


D - "Drag Drag is a gateway drug, kids. So be careful when you’re planning your next hilarious shenanigans. One minute you’re having the time of your life, dancing around in a cheap party wig; the next you're snorting estrogen off the back of a toilet seat. Seriously, it happened to me."

By now I'm sure you get the point and go here to read the rest!

"Horror-Scope"

Here we go again kids...yet another "Horror-Scope" and another fun one from Cyrsti's Condo...

" (September 23-October 22): You’re going to have to fight for your right to party this week. Between the emotional issues people will be having around you, which will somehow seep into your psyche, and the delays in money dealings, you will feel completely uncentered. To keep balance, focus your sights on one day at a time. If you try to see anything bigger than that, it’ll only result in moving backwards. I'm adding more this week."

 If you share the Libra sign with me, here are the ways we should live: 


Libra's: "Your genuine kindness, optimism, and creativity make this world a warmer and fairer place to live. You bring light and harmony wherever you go, and more often than not you also throw in a bouquet of fresh flowers. Truly, it’s tough not to love a Libra. Here are 10 ways we can all bring a little Libra magic into our lives… 1. Make everything around you beautiful, from the creative, colorful ways you adorn yourself to the lovely, inviting way you decorate your home. 2. Create harmony and balance in the world. 3. Always be understanding and accepting of people, just as they are. 4. Maintain an optimistic outlook on life–you can see the light in any situation, no matter how dark it may seem. 5. Prioritize your relationships and never pass up the chance to spend time with the people you love. 6. Be the friendliest, nicest person ever, and bring positive vibes to any situation. 7. Help people open their minds by gently reminding them that there are always two sides to any issue. 8. Make ample time in your life to relax and be as comfy cozy as possible. 9. Always be enthusiastic for other people’s good fortune–you’re the one others can count on to share in their happiness. 10. Be aware of the natural harmony, peace, and calmness you carry within yourself, and help share that with everyone around you."


As always, my astrology comes from theFrisky and "Horror Scope" is my term. Follow the link for yours!

Trans Daughter's of Anarchy?

Walton Goggins and "Girls"

A friend of mine just sent me this wonderful interview with Walton Goggins who is playing a transgender sex worker on the hyper masculine Son's of Anarchy. If you are not familiar "Son's" is centered around an outlaw motorcycle gang. The episode is titled " Orca Shrugged".
The link to an interview with Goggins comes from TVLine and goes in depth into the transition process from male to female and the on set interaction:


"About a year-and-a-half ago Kurt (Kurt Sutter writer) did an interview about Shield (another TV show) actors appearing on Sons of Anarchy. He said he could never have Michael Chiklis or Walton Goggins on the show because they’re too closely identified with their characters on The Shield. And I read this interview and I sent it to him and I said, “This is bulls–t.” [Laughs] I said, “What if I played a transgendered character?” And literally a year and a half later, Kurt texted me, “Remember that conversation we had about you playing a transgender character? Well, I’ve written something — and I’m not going to do it unless you do it.” So he sent me the script pages and I fell in love with her. And this happened while I was in the middle of filming [the upcoming Quentin Tarantino western] Django Unchained and I was in the [depth] of my masculinity. I had a full beard, and a f–king gun and my cowboy gear on; I was kicking ass. I went to work every day on Quentin’s movie ready to kick some ass. So initially didn’t know how to respond to it because I was so not there physically. But Kurt knocked it out of the park [with the script]. She was all the things I wanted her to be. So I said yes… I’ve always wanted to play a woman. I’ve always wanted to have that experience as an actor, and do it in a way that is very respectful and empowering to the [transgender] community. "

I think this episode has already aired. All I know it isn't scheduled for my FX channel this Tuesday night.
All the links you need for more information are above including an insight into a very impromptu kiss between Goggins and another male character on the set.

A True Transgender Winner?

The "label babble" normally always hits a fever pitch when a highly visible trans person does something really public.

"Jenna"

Take Jenna Talackova for instance. I believe if you are going to get "nit-picky" about a label, you have to call her a transsexual.
Now along comes the beautiful "Miss International" winner Kevin Balot from the Philippines. Reportedly Kevin prefers to be called "she" while keeping her male name.
Transgender-right? Does it matter? No.
Truth is labels are just something humans need to get by and Kevin's goal is a very realistic hope that father accepts the changes in his only "son".
I would think pictures are worth a thousand words in this case!
At least the one of Kevin below.

She was a He?

Did he know those little blue pills were really estrogen????
I know...have to heal!
Here's the real point I was getting to:


"Kayo Sato is a famous model in Japan who confessed that “she” was a “he” on a TV show in 2010. She has been pretty popular since then among not only men but also girls due to her femininity and cuteness. Ms. Sato revealed her unbelievably pinched-in small waist as a cosplay character recently and the picture knocked out her fans. She posted pictures to her blog of herself dressed up as “Crimson Viper”, a character from the famous video game series “Street Fighter.” She poses in a costume that looks like a formal dress suit and the vest emphasizes her bust and waist. Her flat belly and curvy waist indeed make her look much more ’2D’ than ’3D.’ The picture KO’d fans, who raved over her beautiful face and sexy body."

From Rocket24

Japan's Cross Dressing Double?

This story comes from Rocket News24. 
These days, even "more mature" girls such as myself have some knowledge of the world of anime and  it's resultant attraction to cosplayers which translates to crossplayers in English.
Ironically in Japan many cosplay regulations at many conventions include no cross dressers? Really?

It's true:

Male to Female Cosplayer Komo

The Rocket News article says female to male cosplay is incredibly popular in Japan and questions the double standard:

"Presumably, this is because organizers fear the event hall will be flooded with middle-aged men in schoolgirl uniforms and other oddities most people don’t want to see, but Naoko argues that this concern is misplaced and
that these days, male-to-female crossplayers are a visual force to be reckoned with."

Mio Ogura

I'm far from an expert on Japanese culture but with the cross dressing television shows and the like I have seen from there I'm relatively surprised.
Follow this link for more!

Merry Vet's Day

I have beat you all over the head with the fact that I'm a transgender veteran.
I totally believe the military is still a vast wasteland of transgender rights but at least now groups are forming to fight it.
My veteran service (like most everything else in my life) has turned out to be quite different from the norm.
I didn't join the military to reinforce my struggling masculinity- I was drafted into the second of two non-wars  Korea and Vietnam.
I'm not sure about Korea but there was no hero's welcome in my non war.  I wasn't one-but there were those that were.
But you know, I'm glad things have changed. War is war and serving is serving and it's great returning vets are getting some of their due.
I know there are many other trans-vets who stop by here in Cyrsti's Condo.  I just want to thank all of you!

Quote of the Day

Cyrsti's Condo quote of the day:

"Sex is between the legs, Gender is between the ears, Normal is neither."

A Little Too Late

I always think of these wonderful comments after the fact.
When the pharmacist asked me if I knew the prescription I was picking up was for Estrogen, I should looked at her and say WAIT you mean my little blue pills weren't Viagra? No wonder I was having trouble with my sex drive!

Did I know I was Taking Estrogen?

My question of the day came from a pharmacist in what I call my "back up pharmacy".
The majority of my prescriptions I get filled through the mail from the VA.  I pay a co-pay with the VA and my generic estrogen is the same price either place but I get bonus points at my back up place I can use for discounted gas.
This is not the first time I had a prescription for Estro filled at this place so I was surprised when the pharmacist went out of her way to tell me I was ordering estrogen. She quickly added that was OK they had women who come in and order testosterone. (Nothing about transgender.)
By this time I really didn't care about the extra info and I understood a pharmacist's obligation to follow up on what they are prescribing. I did wonder about her having some sort of discretion of bringing it up to me. Fortunately there was no one around me at all except the girl who was ringing me out...but there could have been.
Seemingly, nothing is ever easy and yes I could lodge a complaint with the company but I get so tired of complaining every step of the way.
From the endocrinologist questioning the VA paying for my treatment at all to the pharmacist asking me if I knew I was taking estrogen; I'm fairly certain this is a look at how my life just will be at times. Better hitch up my big girl panties and get used to it.

Fave Trans Pix

Every once in a while I love to go through a few of the archive pictures here in Cyrsti's Condo.
Here are a couple classics!

"Sial"

My Fave Before and After

Pretty in Pink

Singing in the Shower

Well, I'm not really singing here or in the shower and yes you are lucky!
Tonight I had a chance to consider the difference between the basic shower process in my transition.
Of course the male shower process is akin to a dog. In- out some soap and shampoo- shake dry and get moving. Obviously I'm way past that.
I had a busy day today so I decided I would jump in the shower before I cooked dinner. "Jumping" now "ain't what it used to be." To start with, I'm fortunate to not really worry much about my declining body hair. Tonight I wasn't going out anyway, so no worry about shaving at all. On the other hand, I needed to shampoo my hair.
The moment I got it colored, a whole new world of shampoos became a reality. I began with a conditioner and a shampoo before the saloon appointment and walked out with instructions to buy a special shampoo for treated hair as well as a conditioner. Fortunately, my stylist realized I was a beginner in the process.
I also had to learn how to wash my longer fuller hair. It's naturally a longer process and a pleasant one I was to discover.
Finally, once you wash your hair, you have to figure out what to do with it. I have to tell you I'm still very clueless about the bewildering array of different brushes and their uses. But I'm told my hair is relatively thick and wavy so I can get by until I learn more "girl stuff".
Again I had an easy night and wasn't going anywhere so I simply brushed my hair out thoroughly.
Finally,  colder dryer weather is setting in and my hormone levels are on the rise again.  Again, a  good coating of cocoa butter body oil is more than fun-it's necessary.
So by the time tonight's showering was complete, I was so hungry and thin I had to run around in the shower to get wet.
I know this is just another part of the reality process of crossing gender lines.  There was a time I thought this process would be flat out wonderful. At this point , "wonder" has left the building and has been replaced as a very satisfying part of my transgender transition process.
Time to eat!

Oh-Canada?

From Canada's Xtra:


"A Riverside, California, woman says Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers pulled her aside and ultimately denied her entry Oct 22 because she is transgender. Domaine Javier says the first officer at Vancouver International Airport gave her a “weirded look” after checking her passport. “The picture in my passport is me, but it doesn’t look like me anymore,” Javier explains, noting that the passport still describes her as male. But, she says, the officer didn’t overtly ask any questions about her gender identity. Javier told the officer that she was taking a break from work and had come to Vancouver on vacation after a friend bought her a plane ticket and that she would do casting calls for a show while here. Javier says the officer wrote a number on a card and told her to “go ahead.” Another officer checked the card and directed her to a room where people were having their luggage checked. A third officer then asked to see her passport and boarding pass."

Of course there is more and you can see it here.

Trans Layers

Even though I have been heavily involved in research of the transgender community, I'm always amazed how much more I'm missing.
This morning a link to B.O.I.S Will Be Blogging Bois. appeared in my email.
Of course many aspects of the transgender man and masculine identified women culture are familiar to me.
But many aren't, so my interest is always heightened when I have a chance to read more:

"One year ago, Latania McKenzie sat down at her computer and with a few clicks started putting into action a dream she’d had for years — a blog that caters to masculine-identified women as well as to transgender men. Named Queer B.O.I.S., the blog espouses the values McKenzie, 30, and her partner and blog co-founder, Taliba, aspire to in their professional and personal lives. While B.O.I.S. is meant to quickly identify its target audience, the letters also have meaning: Business, Opulence, Investment and Style. McKenzie, 30, moved to Atlanta 12 years ago from Belgium. She likes to shop in the men’s department and has a deep affection for pocket squares and bow ties. She said the blog is meant to bring visibility to a community that is often overlooked in the media. And while her first name is Latania, she prefers to just be called McKenzie. “When I walk down streets I see a lot of people look who look like me that are masculine presented. We shop in the men’s department or mix our clothing with women’s clothes. But there is not really a focus on us in media,” she says. “We make money, too. And the media should advertise to us and notice us. What I want people to know is we are not average. Don’t dismiss us,” she says. And that’s why B.O.I.S. and what the letters stand for is more than an identity, McKenzie says. It’s a way of life."

As always, I'm giving you a glimpse here.  Follow this link for more!

Fun Stuff

I think I have mentioned this site at least once here in Cyrsti's Condo if you want to further your feminine development by reading up on bunches of different aspects of being women-by women.
To coin an older term, this site lets it ALL hang out about women and sex, clothes, beauty and soooo much more.
It's called xoJane jump here to check it out!

Quote of the Day

"If you don't dream big...you are just having a nightmare."
 Paraphrased from the movie "Diner" and actor Mickey Rourke.

Transgender and Political

Following the election a few stories of transgender success at the polls have come to the surface.
However, we have seen enough stories to give us hope for the future. The unthinkable "too good be true" for many of us may not be.  We can indeed make a difference as an active transgender public servant.
Obviously though, the journey is just beginning.
The future of course is with our trans youth. In that spirit I am reposting the story of Sarah McBride from this spring,

Until last week, American University students knew their student government president Sarah McBride as Tim McBride. But on the night of April 30, McBride stepped down from office, and into a largely welcoming university community that embraced her decision to come out as a transgender woman after struggling with her gender identity for 21 years.

At the time, Sarah stepped down as the student president citing conflicts between her identity and being president.

Hopefully, the future will not make being transgender an issue!

So Much for Predictions

I am really glad the election is over and my home state of Ohio didn't screw it up for the country. For what ever reason, Florida wants to keep that title. I could be cynical and say they still could be voting there  for all I know. More realistically they at the least are still counting!  Doesn't matter,  we still have an official winner-on time.

Also on time is my body shifting back to a little higher feminizing mode. I have been back on the summer dosage of hormones  for the last week  As I wrote before I had to cut back to a smaller dosage as I waited for the VA to work their magic. Now my breasts are getting a little sorer again so life is good.

In the life goes on department in Cyrsti's Condo...Let's see, playing with my big hair over the top "drag" look was fun.
My heart is still going out to all those poor folks on the East Coast who are still powerless and now are getting yet another storm.
Finally I still recoil and get physically ill at the sight of Rude Paul.

It doesn't seem possible the holiday season is almost here too.  It's a time of fun with family and friends but at the same time the loneliest time of the year for some in the transgender community rejected by those close to them.

Plus, let's not forget the Mayans predicted this was it anyhow. So I need to get ready.

Kevin Part 2

Just another picture of Kevin Balot from the Philippine's who recently won the "Miss International" pageant in Thailand.