Transphobic Brazil?

Ironically, just after I ran a feature on Brazilian transsexual model and star Roberta Close here in Cyrsti's Condo, up pops this story from the Toronto Star in Canada about a transgender woman fearing deportation to her native Brazil. "Silvani Marques, 37, an engineer, has been taking hormone treatments and dresses as a woman. He shows a photo shoot of himself wearing different women’s dresses as part of an online gallery. Marques claims Brazilians “do not tolerate transgender or homosexuals” and he faces a life of intimidation and discrimination on his return to Sao Paulo. “I am really worried about my personal safety and the discrimination I face,” Marques said on Thursday. “Transgender people are not widely accepted in Brazil.” He has been packing his goods and selling belongings since he’s only allowed to return with one suitcase. Marques claims a homosexual person is killed in Brazil every 26-hours"

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?

Roberta Close

Back in the day, (1980's) Brazilian Transsexual model Roberta Close's career started to take-off at the age of 17 and she increasingly became a media darling - appearing in magazines, periodicals and advertising. At age 18 she was called up for compulsory military service. She reported to the interview office wearing a white dress and looking as feminine as possible in appearance, she recalls that the affect was unintentionally but provocatively enhanced by the dress becoming wet from rain! Upon her arrival, a very confused guard asked her to tell her brother to report the next day.

She went on to win the Miss Gay Brazil contest and during a subsequent guest appearance at the Miss Brazil contest embarrassingly over shadowed many of the contestants in looks and beauty. She also became the first transsexual to appear nude in a Brazilian Playboy. In 1984 the periodical Weekly Word News had a front page headline declaring that "The world's most beautiful model is really a man" Good call!!!!