Transgender Emmy

 

The ABC’s kids drama series First Day, starring transgender actress Evie Macdonald, has won an International Kids Emmy Award.

In the show, Evie (pictured  left) plays Hannah Bradford, a 12-year-old transgender girl, who is navigating starting at a new high school as her authentic self

First Day premiered on ABC ME in March 2020, and subsequently was a huge success overseas.

It screened around the world including in the US, UK, Canada, Japan, France, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Israel, New Zealand, Taiwan, Ireland, South Africa, and Brazil.

Now the show has won best live-action series at the 2021 International Kids Emmy Awards, announced online this week.

After the win, the show’s producer Kristy Stark thanked everyone involved with the show.

The Younger the Better!

Well, the semi formal banquet has come and gone. As is usually true, Liz was right about my outfit and I even got a couple compliments on my top. Along the way, I was happy I didn't trash myself or anyone else at the table with my food. I tried eating slower and more femininely but ended up being the last one eating. So I don't know if it worked or not.

The biggest surprise though was seeing a young transgender girl (approx 10 or 11) having the time of her life playing with other girls. She was wearing a nice dress, black tights and flats. She also had her ears pierced.

Just to see her energy and know a little how she felt did my heart good!

Plus it took my selfish emphasis on myself, off...in a hurry.

As it turned out, very few people paid me any attention anyhow. So much for my trans ego.

Let It Snow!

When it snows around here (Ohio) it is obviously not the same as it snowing throughout the deep South...Louisiana, Georgia, etc. I don't mind snow if I don't have to travel in it, and if I do, I have something to wear.

Somewhere in the dim recesses of my closet, I have a couple more pair of boots still to seek out. One pair resembles the classic "Ugh" boots and are tan in color with some sort of a faux wool interior. In other words, the ultimate snow boot. My old slouch boots have seen their better days, I have a pair of gray boots with two inch heels which are actually too big unless I wear heavy socks with them and finally I have a pair of heavy duty charcoal colored suede and fax fur boots too.

So I think I can make it through the winter! :)

Now sweaters are a different story. This transgender girl cannot have enough sweaters! Time permitting, I would still like to hit a couple of the pre-Christmas sales, use the remainder of my gift certificate and buy one or two more sharp sweaters.

I promise to try to remember to snap a selfie the next time I wear one for all of you.

In the meantime both Liz and I are using our resources to keeping our two aging cars on the street!

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Ker Plunk! Listen closely! Another Sunday Edition is hitting your virtual front porch. I hope this finds you safe from all the terrible weather and nastiness sweeping our country. The West Coast is on fire, Oklahoma is hosting blizzards, Texas and the South -tornadoes. Rachel in particular, I hope you are good. Around here in Southern Ohio, we are still very warm but very rainy. We will be getting cold though and more than likely, low lying floods are in the Ohio River's future here. Enough of that, lets get a Cup o Joe (coffee) and get started:

Eddie Redmayne (right)

Page One: The Week that Was - or Wasn't: Of course another week has come and gone along with Christmas. The whole season touches a tender chord with all the transgender and GLBQ community who have been separated from their families-by ignorance. Elsewhere, The Danish Girl has/is hitting the silver screens.

I have not seen the movie yet. But when I do, I am going to try to put away any bias I may have had on who was chosen to play the role, in fact, I wanted to see an actor attempt to capture the overwhelming emotions/uncertainties of changing genders.


Page Two: Yesterday's Coffee - Opinion:  A year or so ago,  17 year old transgender girl Leelah Alcorn stepped out in front of a semi truck and committed suicide. Not far from Cincinnati, Ohio where I live. In memory of,
Cincinnati, OH, December 22, 2015 — The Transgender Community of Greater Cincinnati is holding a Press Conference and Call to Action at 10 am Monday December 28, 2015 on the steps of City Hall 801 Plum St, Cincinnati OH, 45202. 

The Press Conference and Call to Action will share the love, affirmation, and acceptance given to all attending the vigils held earlier this year to remember Leelah Alcorn. It will also outline what the immediate needs are for members of the Trans community most at risk: Trans youth and Trans Women of Color.

"Last January we gathered at Kings High School and the Woodward Theater to honor Leelah's life" said Lindsey Deaton, one of the organizers of those vigils. "This Monday we will be meeting again to remember her Spirit, answer her call to fix society and name the Trans communities lack of access to emergency shelter or housing, the lack of access to medical care, to drug and alcohol treatment and to job training".

‘There have been many positive changes in the ecology for Trans adults and children in Cincinnati,’ said Deaton. ‘With the leadership of City Councilmember Chris Seelbach, Cincinnati is now the first city in the United States to ban the kind of reparative conversion therapy experienced by Leelah’.

Liz and I will be there.

Page Three: Oh No She  'Dint!'  I have passed along the story of when I was called a "Sir" when picking up a ham for Christmas dinner this week. I promptly emailed the company and getting a response back from the company the next day.

What I haven't passed along though, is how this morning I came out to one of the few long term friends I have left. (By email as she isn't that close.)I will give you more info and how it all worked out-if I hear back!

Page Four- The Back Page: By this time next week, we will be into 2016. Here's hoping your find the rest of 2015 a safe one! Thanks for stoping by Cyrsti's Condo - Love you all!

The Power/Problem of Trans Youth.

In a recent Cyrsti's  Condo post we wrote about the potential problems a very attractive young transgender girl would have dating and finding a relationship. When do you tell a potential lover you have not been the gender of your choice - your entire life?

I have always been a believer in "total disclosure" when it comes to a potential trans relationship-even if the person has gone through total SRS. Plus, it's easy for me to say, because I haven't and seemingly won't ever get into that situation. 

Not so much at all with Claire Green on the left who is being featured in a British (BBC 3) Documentary  “Young, Trans and Looking for Love” (Image via Barcroft TV/BBC 3).

I think too many of us also think "Wow! If I ever looked like Claire, how could I ever have any problems?" As I have always said, looks  are only the beginning. The  younger the trans person, the more the continuing culture of legal transgender discrimination and rest room hassles become all so much more compelling. 

Claire obviously has made it to stage one and doesn't need me to point out she is just getting started.

I have added a link to one of her YouTube videos here.

Cyrsti's Condo Cover Girl of the Day

Kim Petras

With all the recent publicity 14 year old transgender girl Jazz Jennings is getting these days, it's hard to believe it seems 20 something trans German singer/writer Kim Petras has been around forever!

If you recall, Petras was very adamant that her gender had always been female. In an interview about her surgery she stated "I was asked if I feel like a woman now - but the truth is I have always felt like a woman - I just ended up in the wrong body".

Transgender Learning on TLC?

I recoil for the most part anytime I think of "TLC" (The Learning Channel) being a source of any positive television programming at all. After all, one of their greatest programming debacles was"Nineteen and Counting"  -recently exposed for covering allegations of inner family child abuse. If you remember, TLC also featured "Honey Boo Boo."

However last night, I caught an episode?documentary called simply Transgender Kids on TLC and next Wednesday TLC will begin a series featuring transgender girl Jazz Jennings.

Here is a link to the promo-just ignore the rest of the side show. 

Growing Up Trans on PBS

I missed the first episode of "Growing Up Trans" yesterday on PBS. But I am sure I will have the chance to see it later. 

It's an all too familiar story: "

 It was kind of like a double life,” young transgender girl Ariel  told  FRONTLINE in Growing Up Trans, a new documentary which premiered Tuesday, June 30, at 10 p.m. EST on PBS 

She went on to say:  “I think a lot of people are completely just comfortable and fluid, but for me, I was really scared.”

'Ariel is one of eight kids, ranging in age from nine to 19, who share their stories in Growing Up Trans. With children transitioning at younger and younger ages, and with more medical options available to them and their parents than ever before, the 90-minute documentary explores the complicated struggles and choices facing families as they navigate the changing and complex world of gender and identity.

For Ariel, who began living publicly as a girl at age 11, the process has not always been easy.

“It’s harder, teasing and bullying-wise, when you’re a girlie boy, when you’re in that in-between stage, than when you’ve fully transitioned,” Ariel says.'

For more, follow the link above!

Photo Bombed with Santa

As promised, here in Cyrsti's Condo is a picture from the Ft. Ancient 25th Annual Celebration. Oregonia, Ohio. What would have made this picture soooo much more interesting was a short bearded guy with no shirt. He could have been described as a Santa with dozens of tatoo's. As we started to take pictures he jumped out from behind the tee-pee and yelled "Photo Bomb!"  - and disappeared just as quickly. Either he was a mirage in the heat or I missed a huge photo op!!!!

I may have discovered what Santa does in his spare time but where was his gift for a transgender girl in the heat? How about a large icy Sassafras Tea Santa?

Carnival Barkers?

Yesterday, when I visited my daughter, one her her comments was: "My friends want to know what you (me) think about Bruce Jenner."

I just said "A clown show waiting to happen."  Nothing against him, but I will continue to pronoun "him" until he happens to come out, but I just expect the worse.  Sort of like Zoey Tur's comment last night that Jenner's HRT transition meds could have contributed to his tragic wreck. Really???  I guess I better be extra careful since I am on HRT and depression medicine too. Nice job putting the idea in everyone's noggin that we transgender women and men maybe "danger's" on the road.

The only lesson to be learned is no one is an expert and who the hell dug up Zoey Tur anyhow? Surely there maybe someone like Eden Lane (left)  out there, who is truly qualified? But I digress:

Back to my rant - Cognoscenti says it best:

Leelah Alcorn might still be with us had her painful gender odyssey attracted the empathetic national attention Diane Sawyer is reportedly about to shower on Bruce Jenner. But the struggles of a 17-year-old transgender girl from rural Ohio could never compete with the call of the carnival barker.

Few knew her name until Leelah, née Joshua, stepped in front of a tractor-trailer on Interstate 71 20 miles outside Cincinnati a few days after Christmas, one of the 41 percent of transgender people who attempt suicide, according to a 2010 report by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Figures about those, like Leelah, who die by suicide are harder to come by in a society that acknowledges transgender people only when they turn up on a hit Netflix or Amazon series, claim Sonny & Cher as parents or grace the front of a Wheaties cereal box.

Follow the link above for more!

Flying High with "Skyler"!

From Georgia and the Transadvocate comes this story about a young transgender girl by the name of Skyler. (left)

Unfortunately she doesn't represent the majority of transgender youth but she does symbolize what can happen in a loving understanding family with the resources to help. Here's a little background:

Skylar, is a twelve-year-old transgender girl in Georgia, who earlier had been denied use of the girls’ restroom at her school. (of course) But sometime later,  the administration had listened to reason and reversed the school’s decision. A few days ago, Skylar returned now is back to school and is being treated the same as the other girls in her classes.

From the article and the pictures, it seems Skylar is doing well and has gotten out ahead of the "puberty curve" with blockers which keep her from developing male characteristics. Which I understand are not permanent if later she decides the male to female transition process was not the right move.

In the meantime her story brings to mind a comment a person sent along to me recently about the feminine imprint genetic girls naturally receive early in life. The picture to the right of Skyler (center) her younger sister Sylvie and Jazz (another trans girl) seems to show a strong imprint.


Interestingly, the idea of the permanency of gender imprinting has come up in other discussions I have seen and been in concerning SRS transsexuals later in life. Do they indeed revert back to their male past on occasions? Is it bad and does the imprinting slowly fade like a bad tattoo?

Who knows? Depends upon the person.  The only certainty is having the freedom of gender choice and the resources to pursue the journey with care and guidance is special.  Unfortunately the door is closed so tightly to so many.

Growing up Fast

Coming out as a transgender girl at the age of six means you have to hit the road running.

First of all, the mere fact you are doing it at all is front page news and then the real fun begins. In this case I'm referring to Coy Mathis who was diagnosed as being transgender at the age of four in Colorado. Predictably when she started school, Coy was banned from using the girls bathroom.

Her parents promptly fought back and filed a formal discrimination lawsuit against the school system and they won!  In a landmark decision, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission ruled Coy must be permitted to use the girl's bathroom!

There simply are no words to adequately express admiration for Coy's family (and others)  who are carrying the transgender rights fight to the public and the courts!

Invisible Again

I have written about being invisible on a number of occasions here in Cyrsti's Condo but this one hits close to home.
Recently I was invited by a transgender girl friend to go to an equality event in my town.  The event was significant primarily because I didn't even think such an activity could happen in my medium sized town. It's  not necessarily known as the most liberal place in the world.

At any rate, the presentation revolved around a film which used Bible interpretations and major real and imagined theologians.  I use the word "imagined" for the right wing bigots who hate the LGBT community. During the movie I counted the times the transgender word was used and came up with a maximum of five times in two hours. Wasn't surprised. Been part of the silent "T" in and out of my own closet. The icing on the cake though was no mention of the transgender word before or after the event by the presenters.

By this time, I was relatively steamed by all of the missing "T" but I knew being upset meant nothing if I didn't do a thing.  So afterward I took up the offer to sign up for the mailing list and asked if I was welcome at all.  Of course then I got the blank "well sure but then again what does that mean look" from the gay and lesbian organizers. Hey, I'm used to that and formulated a plan.

I'm heading to the next meeting which I assume will not include the "it's cool to be around gay folks" peeps who were there last night.  I plan on discussing the silent "T" and how ironic it is that there aren't any transgender people in my town of 75,000-according to them.  The highlight of the evening was when a woman stood up and said she would love it if her daughter was a lesbian. I thought, "how about a trans man?"

My true goal though are the youth who this group wants to help.  Pity the poor transgender boy or girl who is exposed to this group and is invisible. At the least, I should be able to light a fire under the gay and lesbian leaders of the group and maybe help a lonely kid. I overheard the gay leader tell my friend that he had once met a transgender person in Columbus. Wow!

Bottom line:  None of them  have to know me as much as they have to know about me.  I'm not invisible and I do live here.

Only the Beginning

You may recall Coy as the 6 year old transgender girl who was one of the guests on the Katie Couric Show  this week. (here).

Coy

As it turns out at the tender age of six, Coy's struggles are just beginning.
In a move- which could be on a show called "are you smarter than a first grader" (I know the real show is a 5th grader), Coy's school officials at Fountain-Fort Carson School District told her parents that their child could no longer use the girls’ bathroom at Eagleside Elementary.

That shocked her parents, said her mother, Kathryn Mathis. identified  The child had gotten through kindergarten with no problems and no complaints from anyone at the school. (of course)

Fortunately, this whole story is far  from over as a prominent transgender rights group announced  that it  filed a discrimination complaint in Colorado on behalf of Coy. It seems in this case Coy is being used as an example. If her restroom usage is determined now any future problems with unhappy parents could be headed off- if there are any.

The good news is anti-discrimination laws are finally being applied to the transgender community and this shy child has been forced into the spotlight to challenge blatant discrimination. Read more of the story here.

Drag Queen and the Transgender Girl

We got mail! I love this response from Dianne on doing drag as a transgender woman:

 "I( Dianne) love it! Recently I went with friends to a Burlesque Show that one friend's daughter was in. Yes, seriously, in Boise Idaho... By nature I try hard to be the invisible gal. I am tall and imposing so I wear flats and soft colors and try to disappear. That night? I started with the breast forms that don't fit any more because hormones are doing their magic. I made sure I was spilling over the top! Gold flecked leopard print blouse with a plunge, tight jeans with pocket bling, 2 1/2 inch heeled boots, teased hair, too much makeup. The whole deal. Well since we were friends of the show we ended up center stage, second row. I was terrified. I felt like part of the show. EVERYONE COULD SEE ME!!! Oh shit! Finally I just jumped in. I went to get drinks and I stood up tall, pushed back my hair and strolled my self up the aisle like Mae West on the prowl. I did my best catwalk sashay and prayed I didn't trip on a chair leg or crash to the floor. Oh yah, I got read 100%. I figured I was on Drag Queen and the Transgender Girl"

Thanks Dianne! I can feel the fun from here !
I might add, if any of you ever have a chance to see a real Burlesque Show do it!
A couple of years ago I was very fortunate to see a touring burlesque group from NYC a couple years ago with a friend. Certainly you can really learn "exotic and erotic feminine lessons" from them! My second recommendation would be watching belly dancing  moves! Obviously most all of us have a difficult time with the moves but any of the basics help!

The Blood, the Mud and the Beads!

We arrived in time to check in and walk the 4 blocks or so to Bourbon Street and the Lundi Gras party.
The night turned out to be a combination of a "bucket list"/learning experience.  We started down Bourbon Street fairly comfortably and fairly early with street side drinks in hand. Certainly the crowds were large but nothing unmanageable. We paused several places to lean on a wall and people watch. Here I was as my real self partying in New Orleans! Life was good then BOOM! We moved another 4 blocks or so up the street and then I found out what life in a "mosh pit" must be like. No one moved, beads were flying from as high as two stories up and of course were under your feet. I found out quickly this part of Mardi Gras was ideal for a 20 something person but girlfriend and I went, experienced and bailed! Remember too that the actual "Fat Tuesday" celebration was the next night.

I'm sure that those of you who visit Cyrsti's Condo and have been to New Orleans will vouch for the fact you need to wear comfortable shoes and clothes be ready for a lot of physical contact and be ever alert for flying beads!
The main lesson though was you can party and enjoy the whole experience more if you chose your battles on the fringes of Bourbon Street. Which we did on Tuesday night which is the actual Mardi Gras.

My girlfriend is a Wicca so she had an active interest in some of the shops in the area one of which was down near the cluster of gay venues and a block or so off the main street. Also, we had a chance to find a place where we could sit in an outdoor back patio area. Order drinks and food, enjoy each other's company and have restroom access. At my age taking the meds I am and drinking Louisiana's own Abita Beer I need to plan for potty breaks. As we all know, not the easiest deal for a transgender person. Where we were sitting though, I could watch the traffic to the women's room and make my break while the going was good (no pun intended). As it turned out, that particular restroom  was a story unto itself. It was small and I have no idea of what the woman ahead of me had to eat before she used that restroom...but the place was positively radioactive. Other amenities included the wooden board over the back of the toilet tank and the obligatory water and TP on the floor. Outside of the smell, I found the overall condition of the restroom was about normal for the ones I visited in the Bourbon Street war zone. My biggest problem was not coming out of the room and facing the women waiting to get in (to see if they were going to make a stink about me using the restroom) it was the embarrassment of them thinking I made that stink to start with!

The key to the evening was the weather. The intermittent rain stayed away for the most part and the weather stayed around 70 degrees so I could wear my off the shoulder top and feel a little exotic. But the evening was far from over and I will tell you more in an upcoming post!

My disclaimer here is that New Orleans is a positively wonderful and fascinating place and Mardi Gras is just a part of it!

All that Jazz

Perhaps you remember Jazz the young transgender girl who was spotlighted several years ago. She's back with an update interview with Barbra Walters:


Here's the promo from ABC:

Watch More News Videos at ABC | 2012 Presidential Election | Entertainment & Celebrity News

" Barbara Walters will sit down with 12-year-old Jazz on 20/20 tomorrow, a young girl whose life seems like every other kid her age, only Jazz was born a boy but identifies as a girl. What’s more, Jazz has been living as a girl from an early age. From the brief preview of the interview, which you can watch above, Jazz seems to be one of the most well-adjusted kids we have ever seen, forget the fact that she is transgender. Jazz has the support of both of her parents, who have identified her as a girl on her birth certificate and even had Jazz record a video explaining that she thinks like a girl and is a girl, but with boy parts, that she is encouraged to share as soon as she makes new male friends. The segment will also deal with the concerns now that Jazz is entering puberty. You can catch what is sure to be an incredibly interesting and informative edition of 20/20 tomorrow at 8 PM."

All That Trans Jazz

Recently Barbra Walters and ABC revisited Jazz a young 12 year old transgender girl (below) who decided  to transition when she was seven. (above)

Among other things, Jazz talked about dating and that she is attracted to boys. When asked if she was worried about finding a boyfriend, she replied: 'I am a little bit. But if any of the boys decline me because of my situation then I just know they’re not right for me at all.'

For more on Jazz's update, go here.

I Ruined my Thermostat!

I was warned by my genetic female friends.
However, I did not see any warning on my Spiro and Estrogen bottles fine print: "Warning! These meds can ruin your thermostat!
You could argue that all of my sarcastic years of making fun of women being too cold on a warm summer day or too warm in the middle of winter were just a giant Karma mistake. Unfortunately I have been known to toss a rock or two in a glass house. It's just a defective gene I have among several.
My internal thermostat now is on the outs. A ten degree temperature swing can now take me from being in a furnace to jumping into an ice bath.
Now I wonder about my cherished idea of moving north for the winter into the balmy Lake Superior region. Not too long ago I told an acquaintance about the idea (another transgender girl on HRT). She said I may want to wait as she has become far less tolerant to the winter chill of the Chicago area.
Maybe she's right and I'm looking for the fine print again on those pill bottles.
Perhaps my thermostat is under warranty?

A 14 Month HRT Journey

From The Rocket News:
A pictorial journey of a young transgender woman.
Day one:
Notice the dosage.

 Ten Months:

Fourteen Months:

Go here for more! (Ignore the tomato)