Indiana Hates Me???

Bigots are nothing-if not persistent. This time it's an Indiana  Indiana state Sen. Jim Tomes (R) who proposed a bill that would make it a crime for transgender people to use public sex-specific restrooms that don’t conform to their gender at birth.

Under the legislation, which the Chicago Tribune reports was proposed last week, doing so would hit transgender individuals with a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

“If you were born a man, then you are obliged to use the males’ restroom,” Tomes told the Tribune on Christmas Eve.

The misdemeanor charge wouldn’t apply to students, juveniles, or facilities in private residences.

Or to Tomes when he crossdresses and goes out on Saturday nights.

This important to me because I live just across the border from Indiana in Cincinnati. I will need to plan to never drink anything before I go. Thanks 'Jimbo"!!!

The good news is, Similar bills aimed at restricting transgender peoples’ access to public restrooms failed to pass in Kentucky, Florida, Nevada and Texas this year. Kentucky is even closer to me than Indiana.

Don't I HAVE to Have Lists?

Well, sure I do!  The problem I have is remembering 2014 because it was a blur and it is easy to get stuck on tons of individual events.

Easily though the #1 Worst happening of the year was when I was gender slurred at the LOKI Group dance near Cincinnati. My partner Liz identifies as lesbian and she wanted to go so I did and for all intents and purposes got bounced. Later I got this message:  "An Organizer removed you from this Meetup Group. Check out other LGBT Meetups near you." As I said at the time, I ran into an obvious radical feminist protecting her pile of sand in the girls sandbox.  It just brought to me the reality of bigots in the world.

Easily, the #1 Best happening of 2014 came on the night Liz and I went to a big sports bar/tavern close to her to watch our "The Ohio State Buckeyes" play Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game. Sure, the Buckeyes won big (an incredibly tough task coming up against Alabama this week) but even bigger was the fact absolutely no one gave me a second look.  Groups of guys playing darts, families, other women-no one. 

(Don't ask me to speculate WHY the most likely transgender bigots come from within the LGBTQ community?)

The biggest surprise of the year actually came recently in the month of December. For some reason, my HRT hormones went into hyper-drive. I became moody, my breasts were sore and other minor changes happened.  Often I am not the sharpest tack in the box and after I was whining for probably the thousandth time to Liz, she said relax, you just had a period.  You couldn't bleed of course, but the rest of you had a period.  It's taken a while and normal is difficult for me to relate to; I'm getting back there now.

Looking back at 2014 though, I have to toss you a cop out.  Without question, the year was the most exciting, scary and satisfying one of my life.  I am sure I will think of other "additions" to this post later. Maybe 2015?