Cyrsti's Condo

Nearly every time I post a picture or story here in Cyrsti's Condo I get a fairly terse and bitter response on how a Trans Activist such as say Janet Mock's ( beautiful example) public exposure has nothing to do with those of us still mocked and/or discriminated against because of our appearance. It's a good point and one I found addressed in a recent Huffington Post article.  Of course I have my own ideas like I'm sure you do.  First of all, what are your expectations of the feminine role you are transitioning into? This time, lets use Mtf transgender woman Carmen Carerra as an example (left).  Look, I know there is not enough surgery, HRT or wishing in the world I am ever going to look like Carmen. Then again too, I could say the same thing about most all of the generics I know.  As females growing up though, all of them managed to transition to womanhood becoming beauties in their own rights.  What Carmen Carerra did do for me (as well as Janet Mock, Laverne Cox

Recently, with all the extremely popular, literate and gorgeous transgender women role models who have made their way to popular media platforms, some are saying "they are not trans women, just women." In some sort of perfect world that is true but until we can all navigate society freely as transgender women and men, thank goodness , the recent women have been "out and proud"- finally adding a capital "T" to the LGBT group. How wonderful is it "S" has not been added again to our little letter of the alphabet.  The "S" which stands for "Stealth". Look, I'm selfish and any help I can obtain from positive transgender public relations, I will take. Plus, I'm sure there are many who deal in semantics who would say no matter how accomplished a Janet Mock is or how beautiful Jenna Talackov a (below)  is- they will always be labeled as trans by birth. The good thing is though, none of that matters.  As each one of us

       As awards go for these two women, our humble mention here in "the Condo" doesn't amount to much- except to us. I chose two from many possibilities.  These transgender women were chosen primarily because of their tremendous in impact on the world at large.  Both have proved to be so much more than just a pretty face and seem to have bright futures ahead of them! The first is Carmen Carrerra,   Carmen Carrera a transgender American reality television personality, model, and burlesque performer. The second is Jenna Talackova. (right)   Jenna is a Canadian model and television personality, who gained media attention in 2012 when she successfully waged a legal battle to be allowed to compete in the Miss Universe Canada after being initially disqualified for being a trans woman. As I said, with transgender women such as Carmen and Jenna in the public eye, the future is brighter for all of us in 2014 and beyond.                      

Canadian transgender Model Jenna Talackova continues to impress with an Elle Canada  spread. Her reality show called "Brave New Girl" (reportedly) is still in the works. Go here to Elle Canada for more.

No secret if you want to make news be transgender and do anything! First, this week there was the story of Jenna Talackova  and her upcoming reality show in Canada. Then we had the story from Columbia (below) about the crime person who went through several feminizing operations to hide from the authorities. Surely now we will have a flood of criminals following his action? Then tonight I ran across the story of Victoria Beltran a transsexual actress who starred in Sacha Baron Cohen’s film The Dictator. The vindictive vixon Victoria Beltran (below) phoned her husband's colleague Katarzyna Sakowicz  making death threats after deciding the pair were having an affair. She allegedly threatened Ms Sakowicz saying 'I will kill you and get you fired,' according to court papers. So much for Victoria acquiring any of the "passive aggressive" feminine spirit.                                                     None of all this transgender news action

From the Hollywood Reporter : " TORONTO – E! Canada has ordered a reality series about the Canadian transgender beauty queen Jenna Talackova. The Toronto-based model -- born as Walter before a sex change -- failed in her bid to compete in the Miss Universe Canada pageant.  But Talackova has secured from Canadian broadcaster Bell Media and producer Peacock Alley Entertainment an eight-episode order for a series, Brave New Girl, about her headline-grabbing effort to work as a model. Joining her for the journey are friends, including a documentary filmmaker, and an outspoken model and student." I will have to start checking for availability in the United States when it's completed!

Oh! Canada's Miss Universe transsexual pageant candidate Jenna Talackova, 24, has teamed up with Toronto’s Peacock Alley Entertainment to make a show about her life called Boy Meets Girl. The television production company is developing a pilot for Bell Media, according to Peacock Alley executive producer Carrie Mudd. Let's hope it happens!

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.

Jenna Talackova is proving once again she is so much more than a beautiful transsexual face: Canadian beauty Jenna Talackova knows firsthand the affects of prejudice toward transgender people. Most will recall her triumphant battle with the Miss Universe committee earlier this year, eventually being allowed to compete in the international beauty competition, after much debate about her eligibility given her status as a transgender woman. Now Talackova is tackling larger issues in this vein by asking the World Health Organization (WHO) to remove transsexualism from its list of mental disorders. Her petition, at Change.org, has gained over 40,000 signatures thus far, and joins an international initiative backed by celebrities including Vladimir Luxuria and Maxwell Zachs. Sign the petition at www.change.org/notsick , and after the jump check out the international video in support of the campaign. http://yout u.be/3qomHE9qkG4 Read more here at Passport Blogs

The past comes from Paris in the 60's from the Christer Stromholm collection: [Photo: < http://abcn.ws/IhkOwB > Suzannah and Sylvia, 1962] The second is from the present. An unbelievable picture of Jenna Talackova from the Miss Universe Pageant. As a side light, if you ever have a chance to see one of the "Hooter's" national bikini pageants. That's where Jenna belongs!

Big mistake. I mentioned Canadians, hockey and Tim Horton's but forgot Jenna! Bobbie, Janie and all you other Canadians! I'm sorry! "Jenna Talackova"