The Yin and the Yang?

Two stories on the web this morning caught my eye offering up the differing directions the transgender community is going-both with positive results.

The first comes from Barnard College:

Barnard today announced that celebrated writer and activist Jennifer Finney Boylan (left) will join the College’s English faculty as the inaugural Anna Quindlen Writer-in-Residence. In this newly created position honoring one of Barnard’s most esteemed and dedicated alumnae, Boylan will teach two creative writing courses each year, while also engaging with Barnard students and faculty in various capacities that will support and enhance the College’s legacy of cultivating talented young writers. 

 “Jenny’s writing addresses some of the most pressing issues of our time, and working with her will be an extraordinary opportunity for our students and faculty,” said Barnard President Debora Spar. “Welcoming her to Barnard, while simultaneously honoring Anna Quindlen’s invaluable contributions to the craft of writing, marks a truly exciting moment for the College.”

The other is from New Zealand as Transgender modelling hopeful Amy Brosnahan will compete in the national final of the Battle of the Babes in Auckland. The 18-year-old made it into the final after competing in a heat last month. Organisers at one stage told her she couldn’t take part because she was transgender, but quickly changed their minds after some thought. They said they hadn’t known how to handle the situation, but Brosnahan says ultimately everyone was welcoming at her heat. If she wins, the next stop will be competitions in Hong Kong.

Being Played for Idiots

Thanks to Bobbie for passing this along.  Once again the Pentagon is playing all of us for a bunch of idiots. From Slate.com:

The ban on transgender service, which survived the 2011 repeal of DADT, is not mandated by statute. So it’s harder for the Pentagon to blame anyone other than itself for wasting talent and making a mockery of its professed commitment to diversity and the dignity of its force. That commitment was trotted out most recently in a Pentagon ceremony this week in which a revised Department of Defense Human Goals Charter integrated gays and lesbians into its language on diversity and inclusion. 

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel went out of his way to tout the progress. “I’m proud that the language of the charter has been updated to reflect the contributions of gay and lesbian military personnel who now serve openly and proudly across America’s armed forces,” he said at the signing. “We will continue striving to make military service a model of equal opportunity for all regardless of race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin.” And here I must pause to say that I, too, am proud of this progress and very glad that the military and the nation have done the right thing at long last. 

But Hagel made a point of holding up the military as a “model of equal opportunity for all,” which makes the continued ban on transgender service, the rationale for which is quickly crumbling, increasingly untenable.

Really? Let's not forget, Chuck, all the recent sexual abuse problems the military has had and more than a couple high ranking generals forced out of their command (and into high paid civilian jobs) for extra marital affairs. I know Hagel is no youngster, but even he must wonder about the lapses in his reasonable thought processes. Or how he sleeps at night after out and out lies.

Cyrsti's Condo "What If?"

Well Jim, it's going to cost you for me to NOT  tell your golfing  buddies you wore this last week downtown to the drag show...