Mo Pee?

As Connie points out, "common sense" isn't often so "common" when it comes to rest room use:

"Restroom etiquette is not always practiced by cis women either, although I have to guess that few, if any, of them stand facing the toilet in the stall when they pee. Many do, as do I, squat and hover to avoid having to sit on the seat. Following the rules of etiquette is important for the trans woman, in that it reduces the red flags (go ahead and make that into a tasteless pun, if you'd like). As you say, it's just common sense. Common sense, though, is not necessarily common to ones gender. Maybe, then, a third restroom should be made available to the slobs of any gender(?)

When I first ventured out, it was with a cross dressing social group. They have a long "Rules of Conduct" contract one must agree to prior to joining in outside-the-meeting activities. To me, it was all common sense, and I imagined that there must have been many incidents that led to the writing of this list. I know of one person who was banished from the group many years ago for masturbating in the stall! Again, I'm sure that there have been cis women who have engaged in that activity, as well, but with not such egregious results.

For a trans woman (or cross dresser, for those who would want to make a differentiation), using the ladies room for the first time is often considered to be a rite of passage. It's not necessarily a right of passing, however. For most of us, our outings would be severely limited if we had to pass completely before using the ladies room. 

Since the first time I went out in public "en femme", I have used the ladies room without incident. Until all of these "bathroom bills" began, I never really had reservations to do so. A few months ago, though, I had a little scare as I stood in line in the ladies room. A woman left one of the stalls and, while washing her hands, declared that there had been a man in the room. She turned from the sink and looked directly at me, and it was all I could do to make eye contact in return. "Did you see him?," she asked me. Trying to hold my composure and not let on my relief, I just shook my head "no." I wanted to ask her if she meant that it was a man in a dress, but I really needed to pee, so why press the issue (so to speak). "

I too learned the hard way not to automatically think a toilet I was about to sit on was even close to being in "pristine" condition. Although I did know from my days in the restaurant/bar business cis women were as capable as men when it came to trashing a restroom. 

My "worst of story" comes from when a group of cross dressers invaded a mixed gay/lesbian bar in Columbus, Ohio years ago. Several of them seemingly took pride in peeing all over the seats, except the two who kept going in to make out. 

If it wasn't for low class, some people wouldn't have any class at all!

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.’

For more, go here:

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.