Trans Ohio

Not much time for a post today. Trying to put together the three outfits I will need for the "Trans Ohio Symposium" this coming weekend in Columbus, Ohio which is about an hour and a half from Cincinnati the way Liz drives.

The long term forecast for next weekend is calling for almost summer time weather with high's in the 80's, so I am digging deep into my wardrobe for appropriate clothing.

I need to cover a fairly wide range of events in a short period of time including a transgender mixer on Friday night and a dinner date at one of Columbus's premier burger joints which perhaps you have seen on the Big Ten channels' food show for the best burgers.

Then on Saturday is workshop day (with 85 workshops) over a three day period, so I need to come up with an outfit which is fashionable yet comfortable. For me, that means no jeans for a couple days and my trusted tennis shoes will be cast temporarily aside for my black flats.

Plus we still are working on a time when we can go get our nails done before we go. I think I am going to get my first set of acrylics! And, an Ohio Valley Witches Ball meeting this afternoon today.

So it continues to be a busy week, and I know I am behind in answering all my mail here in Cyrsti's Condo.

Thanks for your patience.

Transitioning 401

I am an out and proud trans woman and I spend time on occasion trying to figure out a logical reasoning system to get to how I got here. This time I decided to place it in an educational format and I am placing myself now at a 401 senior level course in my Mtf transition and working backwards. Sometimes I think I have reached levels high enough to be considered in a Masters Degree program and then again I am not.

It is tough to list all the other levels/courses I think I have been through, but one of the easier ways to see a few is to go back to some of my earliest posts here in Cyrsti's Condo. If you read them, you will see I spent what I feel now was an inordinate amount of time on what went into my cross dressing experience. Rather than the experience itself. Which leads me to the mirror phase.  

I know when I went through the mirror phase, when I couldn't get enough of my image and looked for a mirror no matter where I was. I flat out wore mirrors out! It took awhile to pass the course but when I did finally grow out of that phase, I moved into my 301 level approval courses.

During the approval period of my education, I found many people (women) wold be quick to compliment my appearance. What I didn't factor in was the unspoken "I looked good-for a man in a dress," Once I had it figured out, I wondered how long I wanted to be just a "man in a dress" and went into my transgender phase and set out to live my life as often as I could as a trans woman. I found quickly, there was a huge difference between looking good as a cross dressed man and a transgender woman seeking a level playing field in the world.

As far as time went, my trans phase lasted the least of the other levels but was by far (as you can guess) the most intense. It seemed that every waking moment of my life not tied in with work had to do with the exploration of the world as a trans woman. Or, if I made the move to transition, could I?

Part of my transgender level courses included labs. Or, the time I actually spent on going to the doctors and starting on hormone replacement therapy. I really wanted to push along my MtF gender transition.  It was about this time I made the Dean's List and completely began to feel comfortable in my new life   and decided to take it a step further, by updating  my gender markers and changing my name. Or as I call it, Transgender 401. (Living full time)

The next level if I ever decided to take it would be SRS surgery and I  would consider it a gender transition  Master's or even a Doctorate. As compelling as the "final step" may be, it's just something I don't think I need at this point of my life.

So, there you go, my own attempt to compress 50 plus years of transitioning into an educational format. I am sure some of you will have much more to add from your journey.

Damn I'm Evil!

It turns out that Frump's seemingly endless stream of bigoted nominees has hit my former employer, the U.S. Army. Here is part of the story which was uncovered by the Huffington Post and reported here by the "San Diego Gay and Lesbian News.Com":

"Today, the American Military Partner Association (AMPA), the nation's largest organization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military spouses and their families, strongly condemned remarks by President Trump's nominee for Secretary of the Army, Mark Green. In a radio interview last year, Green said he opposes transgender equality because he must "crush evil." 

"Mark Green's comments are outrageous and beyond the pale," said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. "Our transgender soldiers serve our nation proudly, with integrity and honor. Green clearly has no business leading the men and women of the United States Army, and his appalling attacks against LGBT people are in direct conflict with the core values of the Army. President Trump should immediately withdraw his nomination of Mark Green as Secretary of the Army."

Green's dangerous remarks were uncovered by Amanda Terkel of the Huffington Post, who reported Green "believes that part of his mission as a public official is to “crush evil” ― and that opposing transgender equality policies is key to that effort."

Really?????? Where do they find these guys?????