Not Funny!

Yesterday Liz and I went back to a rural Walmart to help with our groups bake sale. I have written about it before. It is not my fave place to be, spending a sunny pleasant (for a change) summer afternoon.

As we were sitting there, this goofy S.O.B walks up wearing a confederate T-shirt and a ball hat literally with two bills. He immediately stares at me, uses his hand and says "bang-bang." Of course I just glared waiting for his next move, when he said "I just like to make people laugh." I said, "Well, I'm not laughing." Finally, after an unpleasant pause, he mumbled something and went on his way.

Probably the worse part was, I wasn't sure if he was all there and had no real reason to single me out...or if he did.

One way or another, it was a situation I never need to face again, if I can. Plus, I suppose I had it coming sooner or later because our LGBT Pride event was so much fun. Momma Karma seems to be a realist and balances out the situation. Also, the whole damn place is not one I would be caught dead in (no pun intended) if I had a choice.

I also wonder if the the other people in my group who were there caught the true meaning of what he was doing, or not. Liz didn't happen to be there and was in the store. Or if I was on my own, per norm.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I did of course, have the casual Walmart employee follower into the women's rest room with me. But, I am fairly used to that and find it slightly amusing because the store should put more effort into providing a clean rest room than following a transgender woman around.

The best part is, I think we are done going to that store at all! I am tired of Confederate flags.

Playing the LGBT Hits!

Here in Cincinnati we have a radio station which only plays hit music from the 50's and 60's.

When I get the chance to just sit back and listen, I just can't help think about the distance I have come over the years in reference to my gender dysporia.

I can only think wow as I have breakfast with my very accepting daughter and my youngest grandson. Plus of course, breakfast is only one example of how far I have come in solving the gender questions I had.

The Army and college were mixed in to the mix for good measure, as was a lengthy stint in a very dark closet.

Why did I get out? I wish I could say it was because of a series of very shrewd moves on my part, but rather destiny giving me a break after life went into a dark spin for me and I tried to end it. At that point I found there was so much more to live for, if I could just get there.

After more error than success, I found that even I could navigate the world as a transgender woman.

I wish I could answer in a more concise way, how I came to be at this point in my life. The only thing I can say is follow your soul and be a little patient and change will come.

And the hits just keep on coming!

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.