A Decade Ago

I am not one to remember dates well. For some reason, I remembered this one. 

In 2010, on the Fourth of July weekend, I officially closed what was left of my restaurant and prepared for an uncertain future. Bush's recession had gutted and ravaged the small to medium sized Rust Belt town I lived in. 

Through the haze and uncertainty of losing my wife and three close friends to death a couple years before, I was lost. Ironically (or not so ironically) the only part of my life which was not a mess was the feminine portion. It wasn't so far before all of this I had made a decision to pursue hormone replacement therapy through the Veterans Administration. I was already under their healthcare and for the VA to provide me HRT would be a relatively simple process. 

The only part of my future I knew for sure was I wanted to be a transgender woman. I knew too, I only had a fairly short couple of years to work before I could take my early Social Security and retire without coming out on a job. 

So, the 4th of July ten years ago was truly the beginning of a new Independence Day for me! 

Pride Month is Over

It has been a very quiet month this year concerning Pride activities. In an usual year there are at least six "celebrations" in the Cincinnati-Dayton Ohio metro area. Due to the virus concerns this year, all were cancelled. Then of course, there are the continuing Black Lives Matter marches to consider.

Regardless of the lack of parades and parties, it should be time to stop and consider what Pride stands for anyhow. Many forget the original "Stonewall" riots a half century ago which started the whole LGBTQ movement and typically many of the gay and lesbian members of the community forget it was transgender women of color who were out front spearheading the movement. Once again, the transgender members were moved to the back of the line. 

Ironically, many trans people don't seem to care. My theory is it is because many gay men and garish drag queens have essentially "hi-jacked" the experience. I felt if I saw one more drag queen leading a Pride parade, I was going to run and hide. After all, what did it mean to me.

Then things began to change (around here at least). Slowly but surely, I began to see more and more transgender people at Pride and even a trans woman as a parade leader a couple years ago. All of a sudden the whole process meant more to me. I even think my new board membership on a primarily gay and lesbian board was because they were seeking more transgender input.

The recent supreme court decision backing trans health care is yet another reason to be proud of who we are and proud of the legal organizations who support us.

Even if you are still in the closet, it is time for you to join the rest of us and feel good about who we are. 

Pride month is over but the feelings don't have to be. 

  

Cyrsti's Condo "Thought of the Day"