Hormones and the Transgender Jock

Many of you who are regular guests to Cyrsti's Condo know I'm a sports fanatic and of course I'm happy my The Ohio State Buckeyes are going back to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA basketball tournament

Hillary Thompson

Recently though, so much more is happening in sports.  Transgender and  transsexual women are increasingly trying compete with their own gender.  Kick boxer Fallon Fox comes to mind, along with trans golfer Bobbi Lancaster and skate border Hillary Thompson.

Of course I am for equal transgender rights at every turn but I'm not so sure of the inherent fairness of sports competition with genetic females.

I can only go with my own personal observations of how HRT has sapped my male strength but still think my basic body crafted from years of testosterone would give me an unfair physical advantage. IF skill levels and mental attitudes were comparable, changes are I would win.

I also considered the deep seated ideas of athletic competition between men and women which go back to our earliest days of getting beat by a girl.
That theory goes out the window though when you consider transgender roller derby skater Kayley Whalen? I'm thinking most of her fellow female skaters could care less and said so and vice versa as Kayley went on to fight with the bigoted transphobic Michigan Womyn's Music Festival. (Which has barred transgender participation).

Kayley Whalen, right.

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Bobbie Lancaster

I guess the bottom line is I'm trying to do the infamous "pound the round peg into a square hole game". To each their own and let the best person win...transgender or not.

Happy Birthday "Y'All"

I guess I'm fortunate enough- no let me say I am fortunate enough to be invited along on uniquely feminine activities. The latest was a birthday celebration with four other women.
Birthday's for guys and for kids are different for women.  Just to sit down over dinner or whatever and exchange a card or even a cupcake among friends just had a different feel.

Women form different friendship bonds which are so much more complex than men.  Of course family and relationships are the major topics of conversation but there is more. Last night for example, one of the women's daughter was experiencing early labor pains.  During dinner she was in constant contact with Mom (the birthday girl) about the process.  Even I know most all women experience them and it's usually a false sign the baby is arriving.   The call started a conversation around the table about child birth experiences.  Three out of five of the women could contribute and two of us couldn't. I have obvious reasons and I'm not exactly sure about my other friend.

The whole tribal evening was primeval in it's scope I believe. Without being too melodramatic, I'm just using cavemen and women as an example.  Women of course were tied in to the home front much more than the men.  Over the centuries a female may really dislike the woman in the next cave over but for the most part may not go and try to harm her. Instead the process carries over into the clique I was part of last night. The gender dynamics of gossip and passive aggressiveness were fascinating.

Over the years, I have written on the benefits of learning the dynamics of feminine communication. Last night, I had to keep rebooting my male trained mind to understand what the girls were really saying. When was a bitch a real bitch and when she wasn't. Or when was a compliment genuine or just nice "how you doing girl" warm and fuzzy?

My solution was and is to be an interested observer and learner-which is impossible for most of this group.  As an accepted part of the circle, I do participate and learn at the same time.

Of course the whole evening was just another stop on this long transgender journey. I know I should never take any of this for granted so it's time to learn and move on to the next party.  Hope I make it!

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.