Cross Port

Cross Port is an organization in Cincinnati, Ohio made up of transgender/crossdresser type peeps. When I can, I go to the bi-monthly meetings for the camaraderie or even entertainment. If you remember a month or so ago, a wife of a cross dresser dressed to the nines made her unhappy visit well known and hasn't been back since. (To my knowledge.) The meeting is pretty much a no frills event as there are other socials, etc.

As you Cyrsti Condo regulars know, I am pretty much a no frills girl, so, as dressed up as I will get will be this weekend at the Trans Ohio Symposium.  So Monday I was wearing what I call a lacy smock top of sorts, jeans and tennis shoes. I blend right in at the meetings as almost all the trans women wear similar outfits, although this meeting some new sandals and colorful toes made their appearance.

Speaking of colorful nails, thanks to Jeni and Connie for their continuing input on rather to get acrylic nails, mine polished or even the stick on variety I had forgotten from my past. It all looks like a mute point now anyhow as time restraints have stepped in, plus the work of putting in a garden.

Back to the meeting. There is one guy who shows up quite a bit loudly proclaiming he is a closeted cross dresser and always will be. I have no problem with any of that until he lapses into a comment about why would any of us being wearing jeans. Might as well come dressed as a man. I wasn't too shocked because I used to hear it years ago when I wore slacks to transvestite mixers.

The answer of course is very simple, the great majority of the transgender women in the room weren't wearing jeans to feel like men any more than cis women do. We do it to blend, for utilitarian reasons or for comfort. I suppose I could wear some sort of a dress to work in the garden but it would be tough.

I suppose too, the ability to wear pants is something which comes with the trans territory, the longer we are out.

Maybe it's earned? Just like cis women have the ability to judge where they are going and dress accordingly.

Take the Initiative

In a recent post, I wrote about the problems with current or proposed transgender bathroom initiatives around my part of the U.S. and received these comments:

1. From Connie:
2. "Even here in liberal Washington state, there is a petition out for yet another "bathroom" initiative for the November ballot. I've been hoping to have one of the paid petitioners approach me on the sidewalk or in front of the grocery store. I've decided that, if it happens, I will spend the rest of my day shadowing the petitioner, just to stand there and smile along side of him or her. I may have to leave, occasionally, when nature calls, but I will loudly proclaim that I am going to the ladies room! How could that be worse than the homeless guy who freely pees on the sidewalk?"

1. 
   Paula GoodwinApril 20, 2017 at 8:25 AM

   "As I may have mentioned before, I am so glad I live in Europe in the 21st Century! I regularly holiday in Malta, although predominantly Roman Catholic this is a very accepting Country and I have never had anything less than full acceptance. They may have some old fashioned ideas about birds, but they are right on the button on LGBT issues."

As I have said a number of times, Cincinnati is a very liberal place but if we journey very far into the rural areas around town, I have to be careful of what I am doing. Although, as time passes, life is becoming easier for me (knock on wood.) Maybe it's a paraphrase of Connie's statement, when the heart and mind passes, the body follows.

Rookie Acrylic Nail Insight

I have mentioned a couple times how I am looking ahead to getting my nails done before the Trans Ohio Symposium this coming weekend. There are two choices, acrylic and having my own nails polished, shaped and colored. I have been pestering Liz about what the differences really are and if you don't know, here is Connie's take on the matter:

"Speaking of patience....so you're going for the acrylics, huh? Be prepared for a long sit-down, as your nails will be filed, glued, ground by power tools, filled with toxic chemicals, and given two coats of paint and a clear-coat. If it sounds more like sending your car to the body shop, you're right. Then, of course, you'll have to sit for what seems like forever while you wait for your nails to dry - and they never really will for the next 24 hours. You'll have to be extra-dainty with them. But, for the following two weeks they will look fabulous! Then, it's time to start thinking about booking a two-hour appointment for a fill the next week - if you want to keep them looking so good, that is. Otherwise, you can remove them (not so easily done), and you'll see that your own nails are, at least, worse for the wear.

I love having acrylic nails! I can't grow my own out because they are all ridged and misshapen by years of working with my hands (I think I've smashed every one of them, at one time or another, over the years). Acrylics can take the abuse, and the polish does not chip off of them. If I can find the time and money to maintain them, I don't too much mind the salon visit every three weeks. The Vietnamese lady who does them for me speaks little English, so it's not so much the social spa experience I would prefer. I do, however, feel so much better about myself when I leave (careful not to smudge the polish as I open the car door and put the key in the ignition, of course:-)

Actually, the time needed for the acrylics maybe the deciding matter as we may be down to not have a chance to go at all to the salon before we head to Columbus. Plus, I actually have enough of my actual nails available for them to do a pretty good job (I hear)."

It will be a game time decision.