Trans Women Find Jobs Are Hard to Find

Unemployed transgendered model from India.

Transgender Miss England?

By now you have probably heard about "Jackie Green."
At the age of ten, "Jack" started wearing girls uniforms to school and at the age of sixteen became Jackie officially after completing SRS. (Sex Reassignment Surgery)
At the age of 18, she is now a contestant for the "Miss England" beauty pageant!
"You Go Girl!"

Transgendered Model Claudia Charriez

Handmade Fashion For You!

A friend of mine designs her own line of bracelets, bags and jewelry.  I was looking over her web site and came across at least a couple of pieces that may be of interest to some of you.
Particuarly if you are into the "Goth" culture or are looking for a special addition to your exotic Halloween costume check out this hand made bracelet!

Fishnet hose, a short lacy black dress, boots and a head full of out of control dark hair and the evening is yours with this bracelet completing your outfit!
Check out more at Liz's website.
Cyrsti

Curves Ahead!

I was planning what I was going to wear as I made my way home from work. The weather has started to ever so slightly make it's way to a cooler fall so I could wear a soft clingy top I almost forgot I owned. It sort of screamed "Hey you! Don't forget about me!"
I call the top "breast orientated" it definitely highlights the shape and size of my breasts and requires just the right bra. I wear a very soft bra with very little shape.  My breast forms fill out the bra and in turn the top very dramatically. (even giving the slightest hint of nipples). All of this is very exciting of course but the top has a couple other benefits. The sleeves are long enough to comfortably cover my wrists which will always be thick.  It is also long enough to fall to the curve of my hips created with a couple small hip pads. Add a pair of my favorite religious jeans (wholly) with big flair bottoms, flip flops and a long strapped bag and the outfit was complete and dee-licicious!!!!
The overall proportion was correct. The hips and breasts took away the span of my shoulders which is always a goal. For some reason it was so much easier to throw the shoulders back and sway the hips last night. How much fun was that!
I slid up to an open seat at the bar and leaned back to watch a preseason NFL game.  Beer and pizza appeared quickly as I  pulled my phone out to check my messages. Here I was, legs crossed looking down over my breasts to my phone feeling certain life was good! It was indeed. The only attention I created was welcome.  Another female patron I see quite a bit there came over to say Hi and we exchanged girl talk for a brief time before she headed back over to her friend.
All too soon, it was time to go and I noticed an older man was beginning to show some interest.  I decided to take my time as I got up played with my hair and slid my purse over my shoulder. Rather than take an indirect route to the door I walked straight past him to see if he would follow my movements.  As with so many men who play the eye games so well (thinking I'm not noticing) he never looked up as I passed by.
At these times it's nice to find a reflection in the area from a mirror or window to see if he is following my back side. No such luck last night.
Didn't really need it!

A Night In A Transgender Girl's Life

Last night proved to be a fun and interesting evening.
The hot weather is continuing in my part of the world and I was able to wear a very lightweight dress I have had in the closet for a while. The slight breeze on my legs did provide some relief from the heat!
My first stop was a reunion of sorts. I met a delightful couple I hadn't seen for awhile.  In the past I even took them up on an invite for pizza at their apartment.  We caught up on some girl talk while the husband hung out with another guy.  The only negative was when she used the wrong pronoun (he) with me. She was more embarassed than I was.
Later in the evening by accident I ran into a going away party. I knew several in the group and was able to talk to some women I hadn't seen for awhile.
More girl talk about family, life and clothes.
The evening can be summed up like the dress I wore. Lite, airy and suggestive at times!

Enjoy!

ARIANDA SODI from Chile.  No hormones or surgery. Then again Barry Bonds never took steroids!

Want's Versus Need's

We haven't really covered much of the Transsexual vs Transgender discussion.
I am very sure I don't fall into the transsexual category for one major reason. I want to live as a girl. I don't have to.
Nothing told me when I was seven that I was a girl. Something did tell me at 10 I was very different. Life went on and signposts slowly were pointing me towards my female side.
Comments such as "you look better as a girl"  made me want more.  The trial and error learning process of living female in the public's eye left me wanting still more.
So what came first. The want or the need?
I can tell you the want has allowed me to feel deeply satisfied in the female role.  Do I need to?  I'm sure if you took the opportunity to live female away tomorrow; I'm certain I would need to.
Does it matter? No, not really in the scope of life. I do wonder sometimes how the transsexual tag fits me.
Then again, I'm probably the only one. My circle of friends don't seem to care.
So if no one cares... just forget I brought this up! lol

Catching Up

Hi friends, just wanted to catch up on the week.  The weather is been very hot and humid in my part of the world.
So bad as a matter of fact that some of my faves closed early last night from lack of business.
The challenge of course is to be able to dress for the heat and not melt.
I'm not exactly sure, but this summer I seem to melt less and my makeup stays put. I have finally found a foundation I use which covers well with less.
The fun part of the summer is I have been able to put together several new outfits. Always a major problem.
I believe I have told you I can not shave my arms so covering them is a problem. The solution has been several several very light weight tops that I wear over bras and halter tops or even nothing at all. I have been able to finally highlight a woman's best fashion accessory in the summer...skin.
Flip flops, bare legs and a short flared skirt are fun to wear and help to cool a warm evening. My diet has served me well in that I can open my top to the air with a flat tummy.
I don't tan well and the thought of tanning beds sends me into shock so  I use a "skin glow" product which is a lotion that softens and gives the skin a warm glow.
So the hottest week of the year around here has been quite the learning experience!
Will I miss it when it goes? No! Will I remember the fun? Yes!

Quote of The Week!

"He's a man who is fundamentally a woman." I heard the quote in a movie called Kinky Boots
The movie is an independent film from 2005.  A man inherits a failing conservative shoe factory from his Dad in England.
By accident he ends up helping a drag queen getting beat up out side of a club.  The two form sort of a bond and the idea of manufacturing a line of boots and shoes for performers etc comes to fruitiion.
Slowly, the factory workers come to accept the idea and the person behind it.
The link above will direct you to a YouTube trailer on the movie.
Worth a check if you haven't seen it!
Cyrsti

One Year Ago!

It is very hard for me to believe I can go back on the blog now and see what I was up to a year ago.  Have I learned anything or not?
Here is one of those posts I would like to share:

"Becoming transgenderized takes a lot of work!
In my little corner of the world the heat and humidity has returned- along with the need for cool summer fashion.
The transgenderized process becomes a bigger challenge. Obviously  body hair is a priority along with foot and toe nail maintenance. No winter jeans, sweaters and boots to cover imperfections.
Fortunately, I've been able to put together some outfits that have presented well.
No matter how you present and how complete the transgenderized process becomes, you still have to exude the confidence to enjoy the process. There is nothing wrong with me!
One very good way to build your confidence is with the "sun glass" game.(Or destroy it)
Put on your best outfit and your sharpest sun glasses and head for people.  My choice was Friday about 6:30 at an outdoor upscale mall.
No big secret to the process. I could observe everyones reaction to me young and old, male and female.
Would all or none recognize I was a transgenderized person?
Friday, I'm happy to say was a huge success.  I got nothing from the public. Window shopped the mall and made my two pub stops.
The only contacts who knew my background were my regular bartenders.  Seemingly, the better I present, the more fun they have with our "secret".
When this happens to you it is the time to push your boundaries and build your confidence!
Work on your voice and interact more with others. Reach out to them!  Regular contacts will view you more as a person!
If by chance you didn't present so well go back to the drawing board! Unfortunately, trial and error has been my drawing board.
So many problems with so many looks starting with the hair. I really don't want to tell you the number of different wigs  I have accumulated!
I have one I call the "suicide" blond. I dearly love it! Streaked highlights and great volume. It's fun hair.  BUT:
If I wear it I'm way more likely to be read. I learned the hard way!
I fight a constant battle with my transgenderized self. She needs to stay within herself.
When she does the world is a much better place!"

The first thought that stands out to me was that I was looking for reaction to me.  These days I don't. Of course I'm always searching for that perfect outfit to look my best! What woman shouldn't? Overall though, I have made huge strides feeling comfortable who I am in my chosen gender.
Throw out my blond debacle a couple months ago and I have followed much of my own advice. Certainly the year has made a huge difference...mostly mental.
As my interior female has enjoyed her chance to grow, life has become incredibly more enjoyable.
I can only guess what next years post will say!

Legs and Hair

The look of the night last night was fun-fun -fun! As luck would have it, I enjoyed lavish attention from male bartenders all night long.
A close leg shave and tanning lotion gave me the wonderful soft feel I love on a hot day with a short skirt.
The evening never cooled down much as I made my way through it. Long hair brushing slightly on my bare shoulders and back was a constant sensory thrill.
I know I gave more than one show as an older guy nearly lost his baseball hat turning to look at me walking slowly across the parking lot. Sunglasses gave me the opportunity to really watch him watch me without really knowing it.
I'm told I have the legs to show, so why not?
I did mention the "slow" part of the walk. At that point in time I was celebrating my own start to the "Independence Day" weekend.

We all know "independence" is not a one day, week or year deal.  A person has to fight for it and nourish it to make it happen.
The nourishment of finding the perfect outfit and shoes or doing the perfect makeup and hair makes up for the extreme disappointment I felt last week.
As for all of you I hope you can experience your own independence day...wherever you may be in the world.
At the end of the day your freedom is actually all that matters!

Ouch! Part Deux!

Janie (who I respect so much) commented on my "Ouch" post.
Her comment started my thought processes. Where have I taken myself since?
The easiest answer is looks. I did go back to my dark look as suggested by more than one of you. (Thanks)
A much deeper change took place too.  I rededicated myself to my chosen gender.
No matter how I feel between the ears, my physical presence will always be a work in process. "Walking the talk" so to speak.  We all know how many factors are involved regardless of looks.
Posture, voice mannerisms all play a part.
I believe I had become too complacent. Too much of my male came through.
I entered a work cycle which by necessity is male. I didn't flip the gender switch completely.  I was lazy and over confident.
I learned again to take nothing for granted!

OUCH!

Well it finally happened, a terrible nite out. Deep down inside I knew it was going to happen and maybe even I subconsciously willed it.
Well, I wish I hadn't and  I don't know why it did.
First of all I pushed my luck and went to a place where I had never been totally welcomed by the staff. I stayed away for nearly six months and decided to try it again. Wrong idea. I made a quick bathroom trip and 15 minutes later was paid a visit by a female cop. She was nice enough as she told me there was a complaint lodged against me. Use the men's room...right.
I said I was leaving anyway and no problem. Should have known better. The whole area is a "redneck" suburb and not normally where I go. Guess where I won't be going in the future!
By this time I was a little off kilter and made a decision to head to one of my "semi safe places" Went in,sat down and was nearly laughed away by these two guys sitting close to me.
What the hell? I had gone literally months of trouble free existence.  Either I was not comfortable with my girlself yesterday or I had a bad run with several individuals who happened to notice I was trans and cared.
Obviously this run of bad luck is not my first. Ironically similar situations arose when I was a blond before.
Life was good until somehow, someway I crashed it.
Decisions, decisions.  Do I stay blond or go dark again?
I work in guy drag this week ( a lot) so I will have sometime to consider which direction I may go.
One of my major concerns is that I'm missing something all of the sudden.Of course I know the gender transition without hormones or surgery is a combination of three parts. You have to be as skillful as you can be with your style, makeup etc. You have to network yourself as trans most of the time and try to put yourself in the right places. Most importantly, you have to have the confidence to be who you are.
As I look back on the debacle, the only difference in number one was my hair color. I was wearing flats, jeans and a black jacket. Nothing outlandish. Number two I trashed by trying to expand my network where I shouldn't. Number two certainly could have affected three.
I'll be playing the numbers later this week!

Navajo Dine'

NPR is running a story on "Michelle Enfield" a transgendered woman from Los Angeles.
Michelle is part of the Navajo nation. She has been on hormone replacement therapy since 1997 and recounts the story of her family accepting her. Here is an excerpt:
My family had already been accepting of me through all the different stages of my life because as a Dine' (Navajo), our people see LGBT individuals as having many healing energies.
I have been discriminated against; I've been sexually and physically abused; I've loved and have been loved. Learning to take care of myself emotionally requires me to be happy with all of me. I must accept and learn from all of my experiences because they make me who I am today.

Michelle Enfield

I have said before how fascinated I am with the Dine' and their culture.