India Steps Up!

After undergoing rigorous training, India’s first trans police officer, Prithika Yashini has graduated from the academy and is ready to start her new job.

In 2015, Yashini won a landmark legal battle to become the country’s first trans police officer.

Earlier that year India officially recognized transgender people as a third gender. But the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB) did not have the option on its application.

She won a battle in the Madras High Court to have the include a third gender on its application process.

‘The social impact of such recruitment cannot be lost sight of, as it would give strength to the case of transgenders,’ the judges said in their ruling.

‘Yashini must reach the finish line, and not be stopped and disqualified in the middle.’

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To Pee or Not to Pee

On one of my email platforms, I receive at least 25-30 emails a day concerning various places around the US/world about transgender women or trans men and rest rooms.

Recently I have even began to see a bit of a "push back" from what I used to call "trans nazi's" . Their point is should any cross dresser, regardless of "sophistication" in their dressing be free to use the women's rest room?

At the risk of sounding too high and mighty, I say no. The simple act of throwing on a dress once or twice a week and then going out, should not punch your ticket to the women's room. Why? I have always considered it a privilege of sorts using the rest room I identify with and have not literally used a men's room in over five years.

I studied hard for the right. Some consider I the simple rest room test is to at the least sit to pee. In order to blend though, don't forget to wipe, flush the toilet, clean up after yourself, wash your hands and check your makeup before you leave. Plus, I am sure others of you can add to that partial list, like never sitting your purse on the floor and how you aim your urine stream into the bowl. I even used to carry a Tampon in case a woman in the next stall was testing me out. Now, I am way too old!

I supposed I am biased too, by the times I have seen cross dressers abuse the rest room privilege in primarily gay venues and get them placed off limits to the rest of us.

So, common sense should rule I suppose. But in today's world I know it is a rare commodity. If you have taken the time effort to present well as a cross dresser in the real world, there is no reason not to be able to use the women's room. But if you look like some sort of a drag queen on the loose, then it could be a different story.   

Transgender Day of Visibility

This years Transgender Day of Visibility  has come and gone and this year with sort of a special emphasis for me.

My visibility is with me at all times because to many "I yam what I yam"...a proud trans woman. I have often broken down the number of peeps percentage wise who just don't seem to care, notice or are curious from those who are truly curious, even impressed. But mythical figures are not what this post is all about. Plus the worse that happens to me is the occasional mis-gendering pronoun usage.

What the post is about are the two millennials I met this week where they worked. One a server at a restaurant and the other a bagger at a grocery store. One female (I assume) and one male. The young woman smiled and zeroed in on me when waiting on us and the very pretty young guy and I had a brief moment to interact as he bagged our groceries. The first thing he said was how much he liked my top and I almost said I would trade it for his looks and personality.

As the conversation went on, the poor kid almost got flustered around me! Perhaps (I thought) he was transgender or LGBT curious. But all too fast the encounter ended.

Connie made the comment to me on another platform visibility is nothing without viability and if we don't remember we all are ambassadors and/or teachers to the world, much is lost.

So, please take the time to remember, no matter if you are full time or part time, whatever you do in the public eye is so important as we celebrated another Transgender Day of Visibility.