Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

KerPlunk and SMOOTCH!  Welcome to another Valentines Sunday Edition of the Condo which has hit your virtual front porch. We are between the bitter cold I wrote of yesterday and snowy weather today a great day to cuddle in my "jammies" with a hot cop o joe or cocoa! Let's get started.
Page One-The Week that Was or Wasn't: The week that was, revolved again around LGBT rights, especially transgender restroom rights in many areas of the country. Do the best you can to get out and support the trans youth in your communities. Here in Ohio, once again, legislators once again are trying to push a LGBT rights bill past a Republican controlled legislature. Not to mention a governor who happens to be a presidential candidate which means he is not above "blowing in the wind" and changing positions for votes. Now he is in South Carolina groveling to the Evangelical conservative right. 
Page Two- Yesterday's Coffee-Opinion: Perhaps you have heard by now U.S.  SupremeCourt Justice Antonin Scalia, the leading conservative voice on the high court, has died at the age of 79, a government source   and a family friend told CNN on Saturday. Perhaps, he was known recently for his "gobbly gook" opinions such as same sex marriage rather than sound conservative opinion. Like him or not, Scalia may have been an example of why Supreme Court justices should not have an automatic seat for life, once approved. Now of course the fight begins on who will replace him and many are saying the Obama administration should not have a choice. All in all, the process should be another increasingly interesting and important look into the American justice system.
Page Three- Rest Rooms and the Alamo? Both have incredible inconsistencies. The story (as told) is mostly fiction as you saw it on the big screen. To the uneducated, the easiest way for the radical right to prey on our rights is to mention imagined horrendous restroom activities by transgender women. The reason I bring it up again is, according to Mara KeislIng:

"The backlash against trans people that we’ve been expecting for years is here. As of today, we’re fighting against 29 pieces of anti-trans legislation in elevenstates. And more are coming. And if we lose even one, our opponents will only accelerate their efforts. We need your support to stop each and every one of these bills. Make no mistake, these anti-trans bills are not only attacking trans adults, but they’re attacking trans youth. Our children. They’d make it illegal for transgender students to use the restroom at school and even place a bounty on their heads—rewardingclassmates for turning them in. NCTE is taking a strong leadership role in these battles. We are helping coordinate messaging and strategy while finding trans people in target states to step up tell their stories. We have spent a year gearing up for this, but NCTE simply doesn’t have the resources to fight these. Please consider pitching in. We can’t combat these alone. Even if you don’t live in Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington or Wisconsin, where these bills are already up and running, they are threatening all of us and our kids all over the country." Page Four-The Back Page: Well kids, it's time to go. As always I love you and thanks for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo!

While my Blog Gently Weeps - Again.

This comes as no real surprise to we transgender women or men who have followed the "number" of transgender violence victims over the past year.

Then today, this story jumped out to me from my Yahoo news feed today:


Monday, Aug. 17, 2015 this photo provided by Randall Jenson, lead advocate of the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project, shows an altar made by the friends of Tamara Dominguez during a memorial service for her at her home. Dominguez was run over multiple times and left to die on a Kansas City street.

For a few transgender Americans, this has been a year of glamour and fame. For many others, 2015 has been fraught with danger, violence and mourning. (Randall Jenson/Kansas City Anti-Violence Project via AP)

Here is just part of the story: 

The toll compares with 12 last year and 13 in 2013, and is the highest since advocacy groups began such tallies a decade ago.

"Most Americans think it's been an amazing year for transgender rights," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. "But for the transgender community, it's been one of the most traumatic years on record."

Death by death, the details are horrific. Kiesha Jenkins was beaten and shot dead by a cluster of assailants in Philadelphia. Tamara Dominguez was run over multiple times and left to die on a Kansas City street. Police said the most recent victim, Zella Ziona, was fatally shot in Gaithersburg, Maryland, last month by a boyfriend embarrassed that Ziona showed up in the presence of some of his other friends.

For another look go here. because I could have chosen many different pictures but chose this one for a reason I will discuss in a later post.

Top Ten Transgender Positives from 2013

Two respected sources recently put together their 10 Important Transgender Moments of 2013 


The Advocate collaborated with Mara Keisling, (left) the executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, to discuss what 2013 meant for trans rights. She highlighted the many victories seen this year, concluding that 2013 was a true year of momentum and sharing that perspective in a similar feature that ran first on The Huffington Post.


Follow the link above for your own look!

Do Something Dammit!

Here's the Email I got in response for standing up in support for transgender homecoming queen Cassidy Campbell:

Cyrsti, Incredible.

" You are among over 2,500 people who have taken action to lift up the transgender homecoming queen, Cassidy Campbell, and stand against bullying. Because of you, we've smashed our goal of sending 2,500 messages of support to Cassidy. Will you forward the email below to five friends who'll stand with us and help reach our new goal of 3,400 messages to Cassidy Campbell?"

 The more of us who stand together now paves the way for more transgender people being voted homecoming queens and kings, student body presidents, and even national elected officials. That's the hope you've given Cassidy and other transgender young people--the hope to dream bigger and be themselves. Here are more messages of hope you've given Cassidy: "You won a great victory. Not only for yourself, but for all of us. You single handedly gave courage to those who needed it (myself included)."

Send the email below to five of your friends to help our effort generate 3,400 supporters. This challenge is minor compared to what Cassidy has faced and if we work together, we can help end bullying in our schools and communities."

Sincerely, Mara Keisling Executive Director National Center for Transgender Equality


http://www.transequality.org/take_action/standwithcassidy.html.

Personally, I can't believe how incredibly tough Cassidy's life has been. Deciding first to run for queen and then perhaps being a little naive of how bad the ignorant bigots tirades would be. NOW is the time to silence the haters!

Back when I was in high school (before electricity) I wonder if I would even have had the guts to enter a womanless beauty pageant?  (didn't have one)
AND 
This is you closeted peeps chance to make a statement!

Into the Main Stream

Any time I open my email account and the lead news story is 'M' or 'F'.-  Outdated ID's worry transgender people. I immediately paid more attention.

This story actually originated in San Francisco through the Associated Press:


"Most U.S. residents don't think twice about the gender printed on their government-issued documents. But those "M'' or "F'' markers — and the legal and administrative prerequisites for switching them on passports, birth certificates and other forms of identification — are a source of anxiety and, even, discrimination for transgender individuals.

The rules vary from state to state, agency to agency and even clerk to clerk. But a transgender applicant generally has been required to submit both a court order approving the gender change and a letter from a surgeon certifying that the person underwent irreversible sex reassignment surgery before obtaining a new document. Over the last few years, though, the emerging movement for transgender rights has been quietly pressing the issue, persuading state lawmakers and federal and state agencies to simplify the lengthy and often costly process.

Advocates recorded their latest victory Friday, when the Social Security Administration announced that it would no longer require proof of surgery to alter the gender identification of individuals in its computers and records."

One of the "Advocates" is Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality who was quoted as saying:

"Most people may not see this as a big deal, but transgender people know that this seemingly small technical change will protect their privacy and give them more control over their own lives,"  Since 9/11, it's become  incredibly important to have accurate and consistent identification. Without it, you can't open a bank account, you can't use a credit card, you can't apply for a loan, you can't get a job, you can't vote, you can't get insurance."

For more on this story and it's far reaching implications, go here.