Revenge?

Last night was our regular monthly social with the transgender - cross dresser group my partner Liz and I are part of. All of the usual suspects were there, including the Mike Pence (yes the fascist vice president) loving cross dresser.

I was enjoying myself. I thought I looked as good as possible with my loose fitting sleeveless top, along with my black leggings and black flats. The outfit gives me an inkling of how the hormones I have been on are finally shaping me a feminine body without the benefit of any shapers what so ever. The weather was not overwhelming hot and the air conditioner works well in the almost new car we just bought. Life was good.

I was even ignoring my less than fave cross dresser until Liz started a conversation with his daughter about why my brother and I don't speak anymore. The basic reason is he (my brother) won't accept me over the feelings of his Southern Baptist in laws. All of the sudden I sensed my opening was coming.

To set it up, a couple weeks ago over dinner, I was trying to get Mr. CD to bring up his buddy Pence (they are both from Indiana) and he did by calling him a "man from a good Christian family." Last night, his daughter wanted to know why my brother didn't accept me. I couldn't resist and looked her and Dad right in the eye and said because of a good Christian family.

All of a sudden, the dinner conversation was over. I felt I had arrived finally. Everyone was wondering why I was so quiet...no more. However, I warned them.

Speaking, or writing on religion, Connie did write in this comment to add in because it's never "enough said.":

"Well, I wasn't going to comment on this, since you ended your post with "enough said," but since others have spoken up...

The book of Deuteronomy is, basically, a list of rules that pertained to the society and culture of that time. It doesn't explain the reasons, really, and much is left to interpretation. I've read that 2:25 may have been in reference to men attempting to avoid military service, as well as women who wanted to fight. Of course, it could have been put on the list by a homophobic authority figure who found himself attracted to a trans woman. Your anonymous "commenter" appears to be of that ilk, especially considering the other Bible verse attached. 

Connie

After years of hiding myself from anyone, literally and otherwise, I had what was, at least, an epiphany - but I do believe that God spoke to me directly. As I sat alone, locked in a room, I heard a voice saying, simply, "It's OK; you are OK." For me, that overrides any Bible quotes anybody else tries to throw at me. 

Now, if I could just get one of those Bible Thumpers to explain why God created a man with nipples before He created a woman, I'd be a happy woman! :-)"

Enough said? This time?

Monday, Monday

Here it is, another brand new week and again I am starting it with no car. I think I told you Saturday, when I went to pick it up, the shop said it was fixed but they were kidding. Hopefully, it will get done today.

Sunday turned out to have it's interesting ups and downs. We ended up having our monthly Witches Ball meeting at a large well known fast food place since the park we go to was closed for construction. After Liz and I ordered, the cashier said "thanks ladies." which was nice.

Not to be out done though was this red neck jerk at the grocery store who couldn't/wouldn't stop staring at us. For once, I was in my little world (it's nice there) and missed it. He could have been staring too, because Liz and I were holding hands and he could have been homophobic not transphobic. Not that one is better than the other.

Other than those two incidences, the day was very mediocre and summer like. I was able to wear my new gauzy two layered top which I dearly love!

Maybe I can sneak in another wear tomorrow when I go to another of my support meetings at the VA.

The "Non Elite" Hate (oh) Eight

I already posted here in Cyrsti's Condo about  Barilla Pasta's recent homophobic stance and I assume transphobic stance too.


In the wake of Barilla's head honcho, Guido Barilla's homophobic and sexist remarks, a boycott followed, and we were once again forced to realize that some people just refuse to see everyone as equal. "I would never do [a commercial] with a homosexual family, not for lack of respect, but because we don't agree with them," the company chairman told Italian radio Wednesday evening. "Ours is a classic family where the woman plays a fundamental role.

 However, Barilla isn't the first company to express homophobic sentiments, and sadly, they probably won't be the last either. The United States Department of Labor may have ruled that all businesses in every state must provide benefit coverage for same-sex marriages, but that doesn't mean it's going to put an end to homophobia."

Of course their are many more companies which fall into the same category and you can go here to see them.   Some would be a surprise, some not.

By the way, here was my comment:

"Since transgender women and men were not mentioned here, should we assume these companies are transphobic too or are we just as invisible to them as we are to the gay and lesbian community?"

Hint**Even if you are in the closet, nothing is stopping you from steering any of your company catering away from  Chick-fil-A.

Whose Kicking Who?

This letter is making the rounds. It's from a father to his homophobic daughter after she kicked her gay son out of her home:

 Dear Christine,

 I’m disappointed in you as a daughter. You’re correct that we have a “shame in the family”, but mistaken about what it is. Kicking Chad out of your home simply because he told you he was gay is the real “abomination” here. A parent disowning her child is what goes “against nature.”

The only intelligent thing I heard you saying in all this was that “you didn’t raise your son to be gay." Of course you didn’t. He was born this way and didn’t choose it any more than he being left-handed. You however, have made a choice of being hurtful, narrow-minded and backward. So, while we are in the business of disowning our children, I think I’ll take this moment to say goodbye to you. I now have a fabulous (as the gays put it) grandson to raise, and I don’t have time for heart-less B-word of a daughter. If you find your heart, give us a call. – Dad. "

 For the life of me I can't understand a Mother doing this at all, even though you all know I'm not a huge proponent of hoisting genetic women up on pedestal. She is still a Mom! I guess we can widen the definition of what a woman is versus just a female. Women are Mothers, females are baby makers.

 How great was it for Grand Dad to step up to the plate!

We Got Mail!

It seems my comment about the "immoral right" in our country stirred some emotion.

As always, my thoughts do not carry to my written word well at times.

First of all, I feel politics and issues now can be compared with sex and gender- each are so different. To me, issues are what effects my life as a citizen and politics have become way for special interest groups to bully the true issues.

Look, I'm old. I have seen a comedy of errors from both political parties. I'm ashamed to explain to my grand kids how my generation did and still does contribute to such a mess. All in all though, what does any of that have to do with the immoral right, left or center? Everything, then again nothing.

The immoral right I was referring to resides in the pulpits of local preachers spouting an endless stream of homo or transphobic hate,  or behind the microphones of Rush Limbaugh or the camera's of Fox News. One could argue the immoral right has simply utilized the polarizing voices of politics and religion to be the most vocal bully on the block. Misinformation and fear have always been powerful tools in any hands.

So there you go.  I never wanted to talk politics here in Cyrsti's Condo but I did and do. It's important to to take a stand and it's important for all of you to do the same. The problem is, the complex issues facing us have no easy answer and no dynamic leadership to offer us clear cut hope.

The true tragedy occurs when we can't talk about it!

Please go here to see the comments!

A Long Way in a Short Time

Any card carrying American (draft card) back in the day, learned to dislike Cuba and Fidel Castro if for nothing else sending us to the brink of nuclear destruction or making it impossible to import a quality cigar.

Times have changed in Cuba. Read more from the NewYork Times:


 JOSÉ AGUSTÍN HERNÁNDEZ may not be precisely the kind of New Man whom Che Guevara pictured shaping Cuban socialism.
 Ms. Hernández, (above left)  48, who identifies as a woman and goes by Adela, would sooner cut a lazy bureaucrat to size with her sharp tongue than chop sugar cane with a machete. And you would more likely catch her hauling water to her house in platform heels than trudging the streets in fatigues and work boots. So Ms. Hernández was more than a little tickled when she became the first transgender person to be elected to public office in Cuba, a country whose government once viewed homosexuality as a dangerous aberration and, in the 1960s, packed gay men off to labor camps. “It’s a huge achievement,” said Ms. Hernández, referring to her election in November to the municipal council in this coastal town where she represents the 2,000 or so residents of her destitute neighborhood. She raised her painted eyebrows, saying, “For a country that has been so homophobic to change so dramatically — it’s unheard of.”