High Maintenance?

This quote came to me from one of the many places I subscribe to. I don't remember which one and it doesn't really matter. We have heard it before.
She wrote: "A look that has comes to us via porn, ladyboys, transsexuals, queer
culture and high fashion is a look I now see on the bus. This excess
of femininity may compensate for endless anxiety about appearances.
There is nothing natural going on here, and some women are not hiding
that fact. To become a woman is to become a female impersonator. How,
in such a world, can we say to any young girl: "You are fine just as
you are"?
All so true. Every young girl should feel she is fine as she is. BUT it's unfair to blame the female beauty ideal on us!
Men are visual creatures and women provide the vision. Isn't that how it works?
Since the first cave woman put berry juice on her lips to attract a caveman, what was that?
There are many women with fine natural beauty. There are as many if not more without it. Does that mean the rest of us can't take advantage of all the resources to look better?
As role models go in today's society shouldn't women mentor the young girls? Feed their self esteem? Makeup, fashion and clothes do not make the woman. That is all inside.
All of this reminds me of the early rhetoric of the feminist movement. Burn your bra...unless you look terrible without it.
How is it so terrible to take pride in our outside appearance?
Human nature has made us the high maintenance gender. Work with it!

Trans Athlete Comes Out?

It has to happen!
When will a  pro athlete come out as transgendered? Let's take "Kimberly Reed" for example She was a.star quarterback in high school. Paul wasn't a "NFL" caliber QB but a good enough one to attract college attention. What if Paul was good enough to play in the NFL? What then?
 By the way, if you haven't seen or heard of her movie "Prodigal Sons" check it out!

You have to know percentage wise, there has to a a major athlete or two who are transgendered. 
Take the recent "Miquel Cabrera" story. Cabrera is a very good baseball player for the "Detroit Tigers".
If you haven't heard the story, Carbrera was found drunk behind the wheel of his car on the night before he was supposed to report for spring training. This wasn't his first run in with the bottle but as he told the cops "you don't know what I'm facing".
I used to try to drink away my transgendered feelings so I just thought for a moment...what if that is his problem? In no way am I saying it is or ever was, but I'm betting there are those out there that are!
Think about it.  What's the best way to overcompensate for your "girlish" desires? Athletics of course.
But can you imagine the pain of that closet? If you have the ten zillion, five year contract on the table, that's a lot of pressure.
Being the sports fan that I am and the mind I attempt to function with, I just thought of all of this and decided to pass it along!

"We Are the Third World Transgendered Country!

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness has been proven time and again to not be so true for transgendered citizens of the US. From the recent report on transgendered poverty and violence to transgendered rights being systematically ignored (Ohio), we seem to be winning on the runways (transgendered supermodels) but losing our civil rights. If we had many to start with.
In the meantime, our neighbor to the North, Canada is trying to pass a bill guaranteeing basic transgendered rights.
In India "Project Kalki" is trying to empower poor transgendered women as community journalists.
Maybe our country will stand up and do the right thing! Hopefully I will live to see it!
You know, I really don't care what most people think of me as as transgendered person. Liking me or not liking me should not be a factor in taking away my rights as an American!

Thanks!

Every now and then I try to take time out from my rants, news and personal things to tell all of you "THANK YOU"! for being a part of my blogging experience.
If you ever want to get a hold of me feel free to email cyrstih@yahoo.com.
No question is too crazy or off the wall. I've been in that closet with the rest of you so if you just need a shoulder to lean on that's OK too.


Cyrsti

Some Good...Some Bad.

The good. "Singapore" is hosting an on line contest transgendered beauty pageant.  The small island is prosperous but very conservative and this pageant is the first of it's kind.  "Tru Me" is the contest's name. Follow the link to yet another wonderful example of Asian beauty!
The good. "Oprah Winfrey's" interview with trans super model "Lea T."  Oprah usually always does it right but can't stay away from the "where do the male parts go?" questions. I also felt that "Lea's" true beauty really came through on the show.
The not so good. "Adam Sandler" who is currently filming his latest movie "Jack and Jill" also took time to cheap shot his transgendered housekeeper On "David Letterman". 

He should be getting makeup and fashion tips from his housekeeper.
Is this is the best the "Hollywood" makeup guru's can do with Sandler? Really? What a disappointment with his mouth and looks.

There is Always One!

The fun part about "womanless beauty pageants" is picking the possible "pro" in the crowd. The one contestant who seems to look better and is more comfortable in his "new" clothes.
Check out this recent picture from a "Suffolk, Virginia" pageant.
It's not real hard to pick out that person!  What a wonderful way for a closeted person to show off!

Dressing Your Age!

One of our pet "peeves" on the blog is our problem with "dressing our age"
As you've probably noticed, I have subscribed too and become a fan of "Fabulous after 40".
One of the women who writes the blog came up with these sets of rules after a fashion failure on a night out:

• I will do my “homework” before going out. (That means googling the place)
• I will wear high heels.
• I will make sure my outfit is youthful, but not like I’m trying too hard.
• I will stop comparing myself to younger women! (I am going to be happy to be me!)
• I will post a photo for you all to see.

When you are going somewhere new, the internet is a wonderful tool.  I should have just googled Nic’s Martini Bar before I got dressed and then pushed “Images”. Usually up pops what the inside of the place looks like, and sometimes it will even show images of people there.
We Glam Gals are firm believers that what you wear will and can give you more confidence, energy and possibly even help you have more fun.
There you go girls. You can be gorgeous at any age. Someone will be looking!

"Social Female"

The "chat" in the last post continued with my friend to the point of "cis women" as a whole and their reaction to us.
Her opinion turned out to be a lot more negative than mine. She thinks women have an "entitlement" issue with admitting a trans female into the circle. We haven't "paid the dues" so to speak and are we just a wolf in sheep's clothing? She feels her exclusion after "SRS" (by female friends) was an entitlement issue. Regardless of the change in genitalia, she was excluded from the female circle. My situation was (and is) different from hers and I would be excluded from my little network of friends if I went full time and had the change.
I  disagreed and pointed out I felt I had been admitted to a couple of circles and these are the reasons why.
First of all, let me give you my definition of friends in this situation. I see most of them once a week and text others on a regular basis. We know about each others lives to an extent and we seem to like each other. The group covers all of the female spectrum from straight to ftm. Here are some observations about the group.
My cis girlfriend doesn't like my male self. She prefers not to see me as a guy and never refers to me as one. 
Only one out of five has ever seen me as a guy and that was nearly two years ago. There has never been a secret that I am not a cis female but then again I'm treated as a "social" female. We talk make up, clothes, diets hair and family. I've been invited to couple "girls night out" and of course an NFL game.
I don't know where this all leads me except to feel wonderful about them.
No one has ever asked me about my gender plans for the future. My assumption is if I left for the SRS surgery and returned, I would still be me (with certain improvements of course).
In their eyes I still would be a social female anyhow, so I don't know why anything else would change.
So now I went and did it. I coined another term, "social female". It feels good though. As good as interacting with my friends. I know and they know I will never have experience of their lives.  On the other hand, "cis" or "social" can be bridged by a pleasant friendship.

Cyrsti

"Steath Girls"

I chat with a very interesting, educated and intelligent woman at least once a week.  I would have had no way of knowing she was not born female from her pictures until she told me. I really respected her for that.
In her part of the world, she is going to interact with a government agency about discrimination. I immediately thought "transgendered" and she told me not necessarily.  Unless "outed" she was going to protest as a "bi female". I thought wow, our group and her group just got left out again.
I started to think about it and here is part of my response:.
I read "stealth" into much of your ideas.
I used to feel that the trans people who finished their journey just went away and vanished into thin air somehow hurt our group as a whole.
Our true role models disappear and we are left with Jerry Springer.
More and more, my ideas are changing. Realistically, if I was taking the path that you and many others have taken to evolve into your mental gender...I would go stealth too. Maybe.
One could even argue the term "stealth" could be changed to "arrive".
In addition, I try to be as stealth as the next trans girl in public. I am what I am and have very few problems any more in my chosen gender. So am I stealth or have I arrived?
I satisfy my need to "pay forward" and help others with my blog. That's enough right now.
The end result is I have so much respect for the "radicals" amoung us who are anti-stealth and showing the world who we really are. 
"Radical Queer" or whatever the "Anti Stealth" would be labeled is a fork in the road I will face later!