Tuesday, December 8, 2015

A Tribute to Leelah Alcorn?

Most certainly one of the main ideas Leelah Alcorn wanted to pass along before the young transgender teen girl committed suicide almost exactly a year ago close to Cincinnati, Ohio was- to have her death mean something.

If you don't remember, Leelah's parents were devout conservative Christians and subjected their daughter to conversion therapy. Now it seems, Leelah's message is coming through-here in Cincinnati at least:



"The Nati" again stands to become a national leader in LGBT rights as debate isscheduled Monday on a measure that would ban preoperative or conversion therapy for LGBT youth

City Council Member Chris Seelbach said Thursday that at Monday’s meeting of the council’s law and public safety committee, he will propose an ordinance that would impose a $200-a-day fine on a therapist or counselor practicing the therapy that aims to “change” lesbians, gay men, bisexuals or transgender people from their sexual orientation or gender identity.


Passage apparently would make Cincinnati the first major U.S. city to ban reparative or conversion therapy. The Movement Advancement Project, an LGBT organization in Denver that tracks legislation nationwide on reparative therapy, has no record of a city passing an ordinance that would ban the practice.

Cincinnati has pioneered other official moves to embrace LGBT citizens, including offering health benefits to transgender city employees and setting aside a City Hall bathroom as gender-neutral.


As promising as it this all is, the problem of Evangelical Christians doing their own "therapy." Still under the radar and in the same room with the snakes.

Plus, in Leelah's case, her church I believe was across the Ohio River-out of reach from those "pesky" regulations forbidding brainwashing your LGBTQ child. 

But the resolution is a great start!!!!

Monday, December 7, 2015

R.I.P. Holly Woodlawn

At my age one of the moments of knowing I wasn't alone in the closet with my gender dysphoria was when Lou Reed crooned "Take a Walk on the Wild Side." It started like this:
Holly came from Miami F-L-A,
Hitchhiked her way across the U.S.A.,
Plucked her eyebrows on the way,
Shaved her legs and then he was a she.
Very soon, Ms. Woodlawn took her place in the Warhol pantheon alongside two other freshly minted stars, the transgender actresses Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling. Together, they brought a daffy, deadpan style to Mr. Morrissey’s next film, “Women in Revolt,” also produced by Warhol, a satire on the women’s liberation movement, with Ms. Woodlawn playing a nymphomaniac fashion model who detests men and joins the militant organization P.I.G. (Politically Involved Girls).
Thanks Holly! Rest in Peace.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Ker Plunk! Another Sunday Edition is hitting your virtual front porch! We are having computer malfunctions around here and it is 5 AM - the only time I could get some time to write a quick post. Liz works from home and uses this computer too and is on call this week end. So let's get started!

Page One-The Week that Was or Wasn't: Time marched onward and now we are in the most difficult time of the year for many in the TGLBQ community. It's the time we keenly miss our former families who for whatever reason refuse to accept us. Many just don't ever seem to understand our lives are not just something we do because we want to - we live them because we have to. It's the time of year we all need to use social media or local LGBTQ centers to reach out and help each other!

Page Two- Busy-Busy-Busy: This week will be run, run, run. Monday essentially is an off day but then Tuesday kicks back in with Doctor's appointments, blood tests and hopefully the go ahead to begin my estrogen again. Plus Tuesday night is Liz's office Christmas Party. Even though the party is very casual,it brings back memories of parties of Christmas past when dressing up was a must! (Another blog post!)
Wednesday is another regular meeting with Love Must Win Inc.. The group's goal is to provide safe haven for any in the LGBTQ community who need it. Crucial for this time of year. Then on Thursday Liz and I will be going to their "Quarter Auction" which is actually the groups first fund raiser:





Page Three-Social Butterfly? As I said, Liz had to work Saturday so I was left unattended to go a breakfast meetup of a eclectic group here in Cincinnati called "Creatives." From writers to artists to any number of fascinating people, I always plan on meeting someone with ideas or a background I had very little knowledge about before I went. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to find a seat beside Jen who is working on a project I will pass along later. In the meantime, thanks Jen!

Page Four-the Back Page: Before I get kicked off of here. Best wishes to Shelle in her time of need. And let me leave the rest of you with this: (Thanks Ryan&Jonathan!)


Staying in your Own Gender Lane

Image from Earnest Tarasov on UnSplash. Staying in my own gender lane may have been more difficult than I had ever imagined. Of course, it a...