Gender Reassignment Surgery

As I continue to "catch up" on all the back comments here in Cyrsti's Condo, I thought this one from Paula in the UK was highly significant, especially in the midst of the health care battle going on now in the U.S.

"Here in the UK our treatment is part of the NHS, certainly GRS is available, with top surgery also available for many MtoFs as well. Our medication is funded, yet electrolysis and other "cosmetic" treatments can be hard to get or not available depending on just where you live. 

Nobody will get NHS treatment before everybody is happy that they are ready, and that means socially and physically, after all this is major surgery and your need to be fit and healthy to get through it; there is also the "real life experience" which mean that we are expected to have lived in our true gender identity for some time (usually a couple of years) before being referred for surgery. It is worth noting that although the surgery is funded not all us will opt for it, taking the financial burden away makes it easier to focus on exactly what it is that is really needed."

Thanks Paula! 

I also know some individuals who don't think Medicare should cover Gender Reassignment Surgery at all in this country and they have their valid points too.

As far as the person goes who started this discussion, I won't see her until again until the latter part of July to garner any more information. In the meantime, I did ask my therapist and all she could say was she thought the person started with a doctor in the Indianapolis, Indiana area who did the surgery and took Medicare...then worked her way backwards from there.

I will try to find out more (as I said) from our next  LGBT transgender veteran meeting.

Cincinnati LGBT Pride and Mo'

First of all, I would like to pass along thanks to all of you who sent along condolences to Liz and I following her father's death. It meant a lot!
Second of all, it occurred to me I hadn't written a post concerning my day at this year's Cincinnati LGBT Pride celebration. The weather turned out to be flat out glorious for the day and the turn out was enormous. If you have never been to a big Pride event, people watching is a must!

I was in my element attempting to "peddle" our Ohio Valley Witches Ball T-Shirts, Cookbooks and Candy Bars. Plus, I could pass out brochures about the event. Something to the effect of if you get me talking, I can't shut up.

After being called "Ozzie Osbourne" once, I had a great day of acceptance and saw a wide range of folks from several other transgender woman friends, to some drag queens from Rude Paul's Drag Race. What sort of disappointed me was I had to wear a thick men's style T-Shirt from the Witches Ball to be like everyone else in the tent. But I survived.

Because of the weather, many lesbians just wore "pasties" over their nipples, so I suppose there was plenty of sun block used or plentiful sunburn the next day.

A little less harder to survive were the women's rest room facilities. Cincinnati has built a multi stall permanent restroom building in the park where the event was held along the Ohio River, complete with stainless steel prison style toilets. As I have mentioned on numerous occasions, don't assume women keep a rest room much better than men. It was hot, damp and littered with paper, bottles and cans. Needless to say, I did my best to squat and not sit on the toilet itself. As Liz told me, welcome to her world and at least it wasn't a "porta potty" of some sort. For those of you who don't know, a "porta potty" is a portable toilet not known to be anything thing other than gross.

All in all though, Pride was a wonderful time and I even got a little flirt from a couple "Bear" gay guys carrying their flag. Of course Liz noticed and offered to introduce me! I was "Skeerted", but they could have changed my outlook on life again I suppose.

So I can't wait for next year's Pride parade and festival!!!

In Passing

Mercifully, my father in law has passed on. It wasn't pretty, but it's finally over, except a viewing, funeral, etc.

The only words of wisdom I can bring to the whole affair is that I never thought I would ever have to put together an appropriate outfit for a funeral/viewing. When I look back at all my cross dressing years when passing meant everything, little did I realize that someday it would mean nothing.

Fortunately, I do have a somber outfit I can come up for the occasion, I think. Liz of course has the final say.

It is with a heavy heart, I leave you today with a tribute to a 91 year old man who really didn't have to welcome me into his family, but he did.

Pass in Peace Jim!