Bullying the Trans Girl

I wrote the other day about my long elevator ride with two rather sketchy men standing behind me on a tiny elevator. Fortunately, nothing happened...but it could have. Read on to a couple of Connie's experiences:

"I  can relate to your trepidation in the elevator. The fact that we are, as you said in your earlier post, low hanging fruit, there are those would find much delight in exercising power over us. This is true for both cis and transgender women, but more probable for us. I have been accosted a few times, but I was also assaulted once. It was in the form of a one-two slap to each side of my head from behind, and although the slaps weren't hard enough to really hurt me physically, I can still feel the pain of them just thinking about it now. Your description of being on the elevator brought it all back. 

My incident was that of a bully who hit me more as a provocation, to which I wisely decided to avoid retaliation. There were no witnesses to the assault, but I did make noise so as to draw enough attention to have a small crowd gather. Having had that experience, I would rather brave the elements than get on a parking garage elevator if I saw a sketchy looking character on it when the door opened. We need to be aware of the dangers, and not be lulled into a false sense of security because we've found a place of acceptance - whether that be one segment of society or in general. There are still bad people out there. In fact, I'm going straight to Groupon now to see if that nifty purse-size taser/flashlight/ alarm is still available."

You are so right! Maybe I should have added though, I thought they were getting off the elevator on the same floor I was getting on. I was not careful enough though.

Just "Ranting" Away

I'm sure most of you noticed I had my "panties in a bunch" when I wrote about Evangelicals, politicians and the Radical Right last week.

While I still stand behind the post, the fact still remains I was coming off of four plus days of two different sicknesses and I am the worst baby. And of course I received comments...

Firstly, I received a comment I won't repeat verbatim (because I couldn't verify it's source) viciously slamming American women as a whole. While most certainly I have met my share of the insecure, vicious women the writer described, I have also met my great majority of the most giving persons I have ever met are/were women. I shall defer again to my erstwhile "co blogger" Connie who commented a true transgender transition is never done. I agree because of the very few MtF transgender women I have ever met who truly carry a feminine inner soul-no matter how much money they spend to look the part.

Now, having said all of that, I have always written of my early lessons with other women in a feminine world. I learned early to beware of where the knives were hidden and to watch my back.

As far as Evangelicals go Paula, I think the definition has been distorted over here (Paula is from the UK.) Everyone needs a label and it is sad the Evangelical label has been slapped on so many radical right causes. Yes, it is sad too that somewhere along the line so many fine Christian teachings have been tossed aside in this latest barrage.

So, I am sorry if I ranted too much!

Giddy With Excitement?

Today I looked back on approximately a half century or so.  When I took my first tentative steps down a long hallway in girls clothes towards a mirror in my parents house. How giddy with excitement I was! Being a girl seemed to be all fun and games and it was in my own little world. Little did I know what the years would bring.

Then fast forward to yesterday in a parking garage. I needed to take the fastest route (elevator on a ten degree day) to the third floor of the garage. As the door slowly opened, I found myself face to face with two very sketchy characters staring back at me. Probably the worst part was they were standing behind me at the very back of the car so I was expecting almost anything as they were headed towards the third floor too. Finally, one of the longer elevator rides I have ever taken ended without incident as the three of us went our separate ways.

Little did I know then (like Connie's comments on a former blog post) how utterly strange it would feel to dance with or even kiss a man. Unlike Connie though, I didn't have to attempt to dance in heels as I was wearing flats and men went out of my "pre Liz" life almost as fast as they came in. As I was fortunate to happen upon a small group of lesbian cis-women friends who I blame for making me the person I am today :).

The experience of hanging with them was new and exciting as I could for the most part sit back and watch the genders interact without much of the normal sexual tension. I quickly gained so much respect from my friends I was invited to join them on lesbian get together's (although my presence wasn't universally accepted on occasion.) I even was picked as one of my friends fave "wing persons" when we went out since I was such a social critter.

Such is life, and we all know it is but a circle if we can live long enough. As I look back on the early days of the exciting strange feel of girls clothes and have known where the crazy journey would take me, would I have done it?

If I had truly had a choice - no.  But seeing as I didn't really have one (to turn a phrase) if life gives you nylons, wear them.

Finally, I have no idea why I was chosen to walk this transgender path I have tripped and fallen down so many years. I suppose when I end this existence and head to the other side, someone will explain-or slap me up the side of the head- for being so stubborn and dense most of my life. How could I  not realize who I really was?

Duh! It was right in front of me all of the time.