Putting Your Money Where Your Beliefs Are?

This story actually is from last summer but is still very current of course and maybe more so as time goes by.

There is one thing about being transgender, another thing about being wealthy and yet another to use your wealth to attempt to effect real  change. (Caitlin Jenner?)

One of the wealthy heirs of the Pritzker hotel fortune — a former lieutenant colonel in the Illinois Army National Guard — came out as transgender recently.

Jennifer Natalya Pritzker — formerly known as James Pritzker — is part of the prominent Chicago Pritzker family that founded the Marmon Group and owns the Hyatt hotel chain, the TransUnion credit agency and other businesses.

She (Jennifer) enlisted in the Army in 1974 and earned a commission as an infantry officer in 1979, serving with the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions before moving to the Illinois Army National Guard. She retired from military service in 2001.

According to Buzz Feed :  in July  Pritzker’s Tawani Foundation — a charitable organization promoting citizen service through the support of ROTC programs and other grants — had funded a $1.35 million “launch grant” to the Palm Center, a research organization studying sexuality in the military.

Of course I am a transgender veteran myself and believe the active discrimination against military members is the height of hypocrisy. So, there is a special place for those in the transgender community out and trying to make a true change.  Thanks Jennifer!

And, thanks Bobbie for passing this along.

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Ker Plunk!  Listen closely - another weekend edition is hitting your virtual front porch. The front porch here at is chilly, but all the snow went North and West of us. So, lets grab a hot "cup o joe" (coffee) and get started!

Page One-the Week that Was or Wasn't: November 20th marked the 16th "Transgender Day of Remembrance." A somber day to be sure and a chance to inform the world the trans culture is more than pretty heels, dresses and  makeup-it's depressing and dangerous. The stats lean heavily towards transgender women being the targets of violence and even more being of color.

Please take a moment to remember and consider what you can do to help this dire, tragic statistic in the future. 

Every little bit helps. Around here in the Cincinnati, Ohio area it's time for us to celebrate the very short misunderstood life of Leelah Alcorn who took her life about this time last year. As a point of reference, she (Lelia) was never understood by her parents-to the point of suicide.

Page Two-Eat, Drink and be Mary? I felt using this transphobic phrase was an excellent way to "usher" in the holiday season in the United States. On page one, we already addressed the dire need to address the violence against us. None of that though addressed the 41% suicide attempt rate within the transgender community-and have been rejected by their families They will face a very lonely holiday period. Fortunately, many LGBTQ communities step up this time of year to fill the void. Unfortunately, it's too little too late for many, especially in secluded areas.

Page Three- The Back Page: Somehow I need to apologize to all of you about writing such a negative post. But it is the time of year to look out of your closets and away from the mirror to make whatever effort you can to help-no matter how small!
In the meantime, as always thanks for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo and just know I love you all!

Style?

I get many questions asking my opinion on how to pursue a mystical MtF gender transition. You regulars around here in Cyrsti's Condo know, I disagree with some and place appearance as the second or even third most important transition factor for a transgender person. Learning the lifestyle of one's non birth gender-better be a bigger priority. 

To get to appearance though, one has to wade through the complex and murky world of style. 

My definition of style is "understanding the direction you want to take at any certain occasion. Once you do, factor in budget and buying constraints to present the most consistent, attractive self  you can- without acting as if you are trying.


So, there you go, I'm sure when you look at the number of different styles the cis women of all ages in the world are consumed with-you can find your niche!

Good Luck!

The Worst Person

Last night I was turned loose to go a small party at one of our friends house - without Liz. It was a small group of about a dozen couples-mostly straight. 

One of the newer couples is positively fascinated with me. (So am I on a  good day.) She wants to know more about my upcoming legal name change, etc-but positively loves my choice of hair color. (Power Violet.) (See box to left.)

Even though my hair seriously looks as ratty as it has forever, the woman loves my hair color to the point of wanting me to recommend what color would look good on her.

Perhaps some of her "trust" in me comes from the fact I am transgender and may have "inherited" some of my style sense from my gay LGBT "brethren". Perhaps you have heard the comment "too much style for one gender?"

I'm certainly flattered, and it's true I arm wrestled Liz at the hair color store aisle for the chance to "go violet", I am the WORST person to ask about what color to die your hair and would it match your skin color. 

I'm lucky to have enough almost hard earned  style for myself!

We Got Mail

Well, maybe not mail-but comments on one of our fave transgender women, Caitlin Jenner. She continues (it seems) to be a lightening rod of opinion within the trans community. Perhaps more than the so called outside world. 

I agree with this comment from "Shelli Anne Mulka":

"I feel rather sad looking at those such as Caitlin who literally spends ten of thousands of dollars on cosmetic surgeries BEFORE starting HRT to create a "Barbie Doll" image of what they perceived being feminine is all about. Those of us who go the slower route of HRT naturally changing our bodies over many months are so very much more in tune with natal females maturation. 

I feel the Caitlins of the world are missing out on a large amount of the total female experience, never knowing the experience of a second adolescence and all it entails."Real" women are grown, not manufactured ."

In many ways too, this idea of "feminization" (over a space of time) is the only way to experience a gender transition. And yes, Caitlin just jumped from closet to closet.


Plus, Connie added::  Well, if being named a "Woman if the Year" by Glamour Magazine is on your wish list, you'll have to wait until next year. If you think that Caitlyn Jenner being chosen this year is of help in dispelling the evil thoughts of others, check out what Rose McGowan has said, and then read some of the comments made by trolls on the numerous sites that are reporting the story. I have to admit that I'm a bit pissed, myself. Not because Caitlyn is starting to live her "authentic life", but that the media is playing off of it. Without even having been out for a whole year yet, she's been awarded as many times as Bruce was in two Olympic games four decades ago. That doesn't keep her from being like you, though, because she tends to open her mouth and jabber something crazy, too. Crazy is not necessarily bad, but Caitlyn tends to also say stupid things. She needs a good sit-down with someone like Kate Bornstein (who often says some crazy things, herself).

Thanks Ladies! The only thing I can add is- as (I have written i the past) am I missing the Caitlin Jenner Foundation for troubled transgender kids-or we will have too wait for season two of her Kartrashian show to hear of it?