Cyrsti's Condo "Really Dear?"

Come on honey, you really didn't know someone was "playing" in your clothes?

(Unidentified cross dresser)

Whats In A Name Change?

I can not describe the trauma involved with being seated in a Doctor's waiting room, knowing full well someone is going to scream out my very male name. My recent Cyrsti's Condo post on the sudden military's reversal on changing gender markers on a transgender veteran's DD 214. gives me hope I won't have to much longer. As most of you know, I am a trans vet and under VA health care and suddenly the news leaked out the military had changed genders on  a few discharge forms.  Truthfully, I don't know for sure the steps I need to take to apply to get my 214 changed to stop the madness but I now know the light at the end of the tunnel is not the train! There is a chance!

My only real problem is that I am lazy, I have a very androgynous picture on my drivers license, all my friends and the greatest majority of the world pronouns me correctly-so gender markers are on one of my burners-somewhere.  As I have said though, since I am retired on Social Security, I don't have to worry about finding a job as a transgender woman-a huge deal with the wrong gender markers.

Now, I also received this comment: 

Maria HardingFebruary 1, 2015 at 9:23 PM

I really hadn't really thought about it until I read your article then, as I read the first couple of paragraphs here, I was saying to myself, oh no, they can't do that. Then, I absolutely agree if someone has the civilian id then yes. Make it complete. Really good article Cyrsti. Thank you so much for opening my eyes

Thanks to you Maria!  Yes, gender markers are almost as big as deal as the physical transition itself.  It's a daunting task to go back and attempt to erase all vestiges of one's former gender life.  I have read stories of one trans woman who ran into problems (of all places) at her dog's veterinarian.  After all, one bigot in a system seeking to make some sort of statement is all you need to jam a wrench in your life.

But all is getting better-in some places.  My friend Racquel just celebrated her legal name change this week as did my friend Draco years ago.  Here in Ohio though-we are stuck with our birth gender on our birth certificates as I write this.  Getting a passport and a new social security card is not impossible either.  My problems come with playing with Social Security at all and risk my retirement check.

I am sure all of you who have journeyed down the gender marker route at all probably have different stories depending on where you live.  One fact remains-transitioning is not for sissies!

Super Pick

It's true, it seems hell will have to freeze over before another Super Bowl ever comes through Ohio again.  Old time misguided Cleveland Browns fans will feed you some sort of BS about some sort of pre historic championships they won before the first Super Bowl.  On the other hand (and the other end of the state) the Cincinnati Bengals have been twice only to sustain heartbreaking defeats.  Now we are stuck with an "almost" good enough coach and a not good enough "ginger QB".

However, none of my whining stops me from a Super Bowl prediction!

Remember, first of all, I have my biases and emotional attachments to consider.  First of all, forget about Brady playing with his balls or any of the other cheating the Patriots do.  I look at it this way-if Bellicheat was really playing with Tom's balls-of all teams-the Ravens would have screamed like little girls.  (Patriots beat the Ravens before playing the Colts).  Why emotionally I would love to see Seattle dismantle Brady is that he played for Michigan.  I am not alone.  Last season when the Patriots and Bengals played here in Cincinnati, the game was close into the fourth quarter when Brady had the ball and the heavens opened and literally doused him with rain.  What's that tell you?

I'm going to blame my pick on HRT- I think New England will win, although I don't want them to. (Sorry Connie)