Monday, November 21, 2016

Cyrsti's Condo Monday Edition

Brrr! Welcome to another chilly special Monday edition. It's cold and windy here in Southwestern Ohio but at least we don't have all the snow not so far up North. Let's grab a hot cup o joe and get started.
Page One: The Week that Was-or Wasn't: The big event this week of course was the Transgender Day of Rembrance commemorating the untimely deaths of transgender women and trans men this year alone. As a commitee member, I was proud to see a very good turn out regardless of recent security fears. Speakers were transgender women of color representing the fact the vast majority of deaths were among women of color. Trans health care issues and homelessness were also discussed. More importantly, certain area groups in Greater Cincinnati who are working to help presented tables of information.

Page Two: Yesterdays Coffee-Opinion: Privilege was another topic of interest yesterday. Depending on how you view privilege, it's a very difficult topic to discuss. Very simply put, to some, being white presents privilege and it does. But on a deeper level, the amount of bullying ones goes through is privilege, and it goes on and on. In an indirect way, Connie approached the question in several of her blog comments. Here is her latest:

"I sometimes wonder if I am being selfish, as if it should be my duty to actively reach out to other transgender people, as well as the general population. The fact is, however, that by living my life completely as a person who is confident in herself, I am presenting myself in a positive light to all people. Whether it be my religious beliefs, my professional life, or my family life, I have always tried to lead by example (a good one, I hope). Why, then, should my trans status be any different? I had spent so many years hiding myself, always with the wish that I would be able some day to live as a woman, I deserve to finally enjoy that fruition. The thousands of hours I had spent removed from life was actually so much more selfish of me."

To be clear I have taken some of this comment out of context and I have always tried to be clear it's nobody's duty to do anything and I think this is a quality comment. (Read the rest following a former Transgender Awareness Week post.) It's just that my beliefs dictate I happen to possess just enough privilege to help another trans person and I can. 

Page Three: Making Up: Yesterday was also an interesting look into the different worlds of cross dressers and transgender women. The cross dressers for the most part wore sky high heels and perfect makeup (albeit) a little heavy. I have been fortunate in that I have hit a groove in the makeup department. A touch of foundation, eye makeup and mascara something like this from Connie: "I approach my makeup regimen with the thought of accentuating my assets first. 

Not to say that there are not many flaws in need of attention, but I learned long ago that taking extreme measures to cover them up only brings more attention to them. It is much better to draw attention to my assets (though few they may be), and the flaws are therefore less noticeable. 

Learning to simply "draw" attention rather than "draw on" attention is the tricky part. In my case, as it probably is for most of us, it is the eye makeup that does the trick. I've learned that it actually takes much more time and effort to use it sparingly than to go for a dramatic and overdone look. For me, the results are more satisfactory, and I feel like the attention is toward my eyes, and not the eye makeup itself." 

On the other hand I refer to Stana at Femulate as the true makeup wizardess!

Page Four: The Back Page: Once again it's time to wrap this up and get on with my day!!!
I luv you all and thanks for stopping by the Condo :)

Jessie 


Saturday, November 19, 2016

Transgender Awarness Week

Again I present another thoughtful post from Connie:

"Here I am, on Thursday, just becoming aware that this is Transgender Awareness Week. Could the reason for it be that I am constantly trying to forget my own transgender status, and that being aware of the "trans community" requires that I also be aware of myself? I think I have moved along in my own transition to the point where I look at transgender issues more from the outside than as one from within the community itself. 

Of course, I have empathy for people, especially the children, who are struggling with their own gender identities, and although I don't expect the general population to ever understand those struggles as I do, I wish that we could just be aware that we are all human beings. As Maya Angelou wrote, "We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike." Bullying is not acceptable human behavior for any reason. 

I was bullied as a child because my extreme efforts to hide my gender identity caused me to appear to be a weird kid to some people. Whether it was worse than the bullying a child must endure for coming out or not should not be the question; the awareness by either party is altered by individual perception. Maybe this should be Transgender Perception Week, then, yet are we more concerned with the perception of the transgender person or those perceptions of the rest of society?

 I have to believe the awareness is already established by now, and we should be dealing with the perceptions by moving on to a level of acceptance - at least tolerance. The awareness we need to spread is that we are more alike than unalike."

Just an idea Connie that sooner more than later one enters a state of stealth in their transition, if you seek it or not. Some of us stay in the "arena" to perhaps help others as some sort of activists. Some just go away which is OK too.

We will see what the future brings with the new administration and how closely we will all have to band together to effect more change.  For those having trans "passing privilege" going farther underground to be left alone would seem to be the natural way out. But fortunately, the younger generation isn't seeing it that way.

Friday, November 18, 2016

Good Karma Day

I am a real believer in Karma and today should be a good one for me. (I need so much!)

My first stop this afternoon will be a stop at the site of the Greater Cincinnati Transgender Day of Remberance. As I have written here, I am on the set up committee and my responsibilitees include gettting participarts from "Point A" to "Point B" etc. I figured it would be important if I knew first :).

Tonight I am going to a monthly "safe haven" meeting and donating a few supplies for the hardcore homeless in Cincinnati.

At least it will be a good day for it-70 and sunshine. Tomorrow windy and temperatures in the 30's with the possibility of snow. Never a boring moment!

Transgender Instincts

Image from Atich Bana  on Unspalsh.   First, I need to apologize for missing a post yesterday. I went to my primary provider at the local Ve...