You Never Even Called Me by My Name!

Growing into a transgendered adult has taken many crazy turns. One of the craziest transgender experience has to be the name game.
My first female name was Karen.  She was a girl in Jr. High. I sat next to her in many classes. She never really knew how much I wanted to be her!
As my female self became more focused, Roxie was the name for me! The name represented an over the top girl and it didn't hurt that my last name was Hart. So it followed that I took the first name of one of the stars from  "Chicago" the musical. Nearly three years ago, major life altering changes came my way. I had an unprecedented opportunity to really check life as a girl. In needed a new name.Finally I chose Cyrsti-a kinder, gentler more complete girl. No it's not a derivative of my male name. I felt the name had a middle of the road female bounce to it! Feminine, but not overdone.
Names, however are only one part of the transgendered experience.  Take pronouns for example. Never in my life did I think "he" and "she" would play such a huge influence in my life. There is no better feeling than being in public and have a salesperson or others call me "she" with no hesitation. There is no worse feeling than being called "he" .Surely all transgendered people are acutely aware of how important two little words are to our culture!
Consider the "female/woman" or "male/man".nouns. Not as powerful as their "pronoun" relatives-but just as important. I try never to use "female" when describing myself unless I'm given no choice. No matter how many hormones or how much surgery someone goes through, they will never be a biological female. Having said that, I know many transgendered girls who are more woman than most of the females I know. That is a very long subject in itself.
The most difficult words of all to a transgender person revolve around the "trans" word. I have read thesis long ramblings about this subject! If a person is labeled a "transvestite" or a "transsexual" or anything in between, the fur will fly if the term is used wrong. If I'm in a bitchy mood, the easiest way to get the girls stirred up is to say "we all are crossdressers'.
Think about it in the most literal way. If you started life as a male, no matter what you do to yourself-you are still crossdressing. An idea that is certain to cause a major disagreement!
The bottom line to all of this is your feelings as a person. Ask a couple of the high school students who have been nominated or elected to home coming or prom courts as their chosen gender. No labels, they are just being themselves.
Consider the most positive word of all-the future.Maybe today's youth won't get to the place where they want to slap a label on every back.
Certainly the "he" and "she" words will always be important. Society needs them to function.
Just think though. How impressive would it be to allow the "you" word to rise to the top?

I Feel Pretty?

Former "Mash" star "Jamie Farr" is appearing in our area on a speaking tour.
One of our local TV stations ran a promo of Farr as "Klinger". The station even skipped the well worn "Aerosmith" song "Dude Looks Like a Lady"  and used "I'm So Pretty" as background music.
A great choice in that "Farr's" character was never really transgendered.
Of course I thought-how many times do I feel "pretty"? Or do I feel sexy more than pretty?
I guess sexy would be the answer. Not so much "stop a guy in his tracks sexy" but a deep inside feeling.
I'm sure your mind has a "greatest" hits memory of your life as a girl. It's very possible your best memories come from times when you wore a pretty dress and heels and felt wonderful! Deep down inside-under the pretty frills was the lingerie and hose. That was sexy!
My greatest hits are nearly all sexy more than pretty. I love the feel of my curves and hair. Even the curse of summertime heat and humidity is forgotten with the feel of a short skirt, freshly shaven legs, panties and painted toe's!
I'm sure a real girl feels much of the work to look good-is just that-work. On the other hand you see women who project sexy. They just carry themselves different.  Sexy doesn't have to be clothes and makeup. It's a mental feel.
I've written about my belief in "aura" which is an internal projection of self. I do my best to project female of course. My goal is to project a secure image of a sexually secure and comfortable person.
My guess is it's another example of how I never really wanted to be the "nice" girl I brought home to Mom.
It was much more fun to bring the other girl home! I so much wanted to be like her!

It's A Wonderful World?

Unless you live in a cave, or with me in a box under a bridge-you probably haven't missed the transgender news in several areas.

Transgender youth are making headlines as homecoming queens or kings in their chosen gender. The latest story comes out of Texas where transgender student "Andy Moreno" (shown above) was nominated for homecoming queen by friends.

When the school principal said no-Moreno protested. Rightfully so!
Transgender political candidates are stepping onto the political stage. One of the races in Oklahoma, pitts transgender  candidate "Brittany Novotny" against an ultra conservative opponent.
Being a resident of the Midwest, all of this has not been lost on me. This activity is NOT taking place in NYC or San Fransisco. All of this news represents a true "Gender Quake" in middle America-in society.
As a public transgender person the "Quake" helps me tremendously. Finally transgender folk have better public roles models other than "Jerry Springer" and slasher movies. People have an easier time seeing me as a real person.
Of course, in the midst of all of this you have in fighting in our own transgender group. A genetic female friend of my mine sent me to Calpernia Adams (shown below) website and was confused by the lengthy negative discussion of our own.
http://www.calpernia.com/ 

Basically the argument boils down to a cat fight between girls who have lived more life as girls to those who haven't and should any of us "cuddle up" to the male gay movement. Unfortunately, I was involved in nearly the same discussion in an on-line transgender site. It was prolonged and ugly as me without.makeup.
It seems the more life improves for us in the public-the worse it gets with our own? Shame on us!
Some of this proves again "You can put the girl in a man-but you can't take the man out of the girl." I'm sure Andy Moreno could speak to the fact that being a girl is so much more than looking like one.  Sure you can spend thousands to change your body to beautiful, but you can't spend any money to improve your soul!
Or all we bringing out the worst in women as former men?