Chick fill A

I received this comment from Gracie concerning one of my fave topics...Chick fill A:

"I agree wholeheartedly (wholehartedly?) about the positive impact of exposure of various non-LBGTQ influenced groups to positive LBGTQ people (such as yourself). I know that you have a strong distaste for Chic-fil-A, and I certainly understand why. I am a crossdresser, and often, while dressed (in your home town), I will eat my lunch at Chic-fil-A. (Bear with me here.) Primarily, because they often, for no apparent reason, send a free sandwich coupon to their app. So for the cost of a small drink, I get lunch (I am frugal). I have only been met with acceptance and kindness by the employees, and anyone paying attention can see that I have been cursed with a Y chromosome. I had one server keep stealing glances at me (probably trying to figure me out). I just smiled back, and she offered to refill my drink, and gave me the perfunctory "My pleasure ma'am". Another time the young man taking my order kept saying referring to me as "sir". I think he was confused and didn't know what to do. I smiled and continued my order as if all was well. At as he handed me my receipt, he said' "Have a nice day ma'am", with a sincere smile on his face (I detected no hint of irony in his voice). My hope is that I gave these two people, and others working there, something to think about to balance their contrary preconceived notions of the TG population. In my opinion, this is a better way to gain acceptance than trying to force it."

The problem I have is when I discuss issues such as Chick, is I have a tendency to become a little too emotional. I have a deep passion (of course) in trying to hurt anti LGBTQ companies finances. After all, it is one of the few recourses we have and yes I do believe in meeting force with force. 

I do have to make the distinction though over be accepted by a Chick employee over fattening the checkbooks of their stockholders. I seriously doubt the greatest majority of their employees have an anti LGBTQ stance. 

So when you go there the employee may have noticed there was something wrong with the picture. But in the long term, you just helped to make the company's financial picture  a little brighter. Unless you have a free coupon!

Different Strokes

Sometimes I wonder why I continue to be a regular at the one transgender - cross dresser (Cincinnati) group I go to. The easy answers are I enjoy it and think I have something to add.

The reason I think I have something to add is very simple...I have just survived longer than anyone else in the group. I get many "aha" moments when the occasional cross dresser will deny any advanced feelings about becoming a woman and then, in the next breath say she can't wait to go somewhere and have men hit on her. I smile knowingly, remembering when I felt the same way. I thought when and if a man hit on me, it was a validation of my feminine self.

It's a small example of what I hear and feel at the meetings. I am also fascinated by the cross section of socio-economic types who attend. In other words, how such a different cross section of people can come together for a couple hours to hopefully help each other.

My big input at the meeting last night was what I wrote about in Cyrsti's Condo yesterday. I mentioned the benefit of getting into group situations outside of the LGBTQ community. It is a chance for you to be accepted as a person for a change...not a transgender person. An example is the one person who came to the meeting last night who is a member of two belly dancing groups. I know at least three readers who do the same thing. Paula over in the UK with her music groups, Mandy in all her travels and of course Connie who works a whole job as a woman. (And I know I missed many of you!)

The fact remains not everyone's goal is to live full time as a woman, however , one should never say never. I am proof of that.

Sometimes I think I am a glutton for punishment. Last night I volunteered to run for the board of the group. However, someone else is too, so maybe they will be chosen instead of me. I am qualified from running years of board meetings with several civic organizations. So we will see.

In the meantime, I will continue to add in my comments and observations when I see fit and hope I don't bore too many people!

All Nighter

As expected, Saturday was a long day. Liz sold her canning items successfully during the small festival we went to.  Best of all, it was a picture perfect almost early fall like day. Since I am still in my "fashion" medical boot, mobility was at a minimum. Acceptance of me as a transgender woman was not as a minimum though. Many of the people there I already knew, so in ways they probably didn't understand, they paved the way for others to accept me too.

The day passed fairly quickly and it was time to go a ghost hunt. We (Liz and I) are now members in good standing of the local "Cincinnati Ghost Hunters" group. Since we completed our second paranormal adventure. This one was quite a bit more tame intensity wise than the first one was but still interesting. I did have a fairly intense encounter with a spirit on a old church pew upstairs in the opera house. I was watching the reactions on a meter as I asked questions and was told later I should have taped the whole encounter. It  was a spur of the moment thing though, so I didn't have a recorder as my cell phone was almost out of charge.

The whole evening was finished off with an impromptu classic rock music presentation by one of the event organizers. At that point I was able to try to shake off the effects of the mocha espresso drink I had been sipping and try to lay down in the car and sleep for a couple hours.  I do believe I did manage to get an hour and a half of sleep.

I do know at this point of my life, it is tough to shake off the affects of having very little sleep and I spent most of Sunday dozing off.

Regardless of how it happens, I can't empathize the possible positive impact of joining various groups who are not particularly LGBTQ influenced. Along the way, I have been able to be accepted for the transgender person I am and at the same time show another group of people how easy it is to know a trans person.

It's great to show people we are not really so much different than they are after all. Tonight I return to reality though and attend another transgender - crossdresser support group meeting.