Party Down?

One of few remaining cis-female long term friends I have has been pushing me to meet with her.  "I need to talk to you!" is the quote.
I like her a lot...she is one of the few women I know who shares much of the same life experience (non gender related). In addition, she is very quick intellectually and we share the same off the wall sense of humor.
I almost got out of guy drag and let her meet my real self nearly a year ago and didn't.
I'm considering meeting her as me in a pub I've gone to in guy drag for at least 25+ years.
I just don't know if all are ready for the "coming out party"!

This Will Be Good!

This article says it all.
From the "China Post" news about one the best transgendered beauty pageants in the world!

Well Said!

Check this ad from a Christian dating site...
You have to read the fine print which says "The Lord looks at the heart. Not the outward appearance."
No, I haven't joined to see if they mean it!!!!!

Following Stana

Perhaps you do too! She writes a fabulous blog called "Femulate" If you follow the link here to "Transition Wisely" you will read about her reaction to an e-mail that showed up on her doorstep.
As luck would have it, I received an equally intriguing one today,. Mine was called "Girls Skin Care in a Boy's World." from "The Frisky" site I subsribe to!

Serious Violence

How sad is it we have to read again and again the story of a transgendered person being beat up or worse yet killed.
"But by the grace of God go I", I have only been personally close to a couple dangerous situations.
Two factors play into my success (knock on wood).  I learned (almost the hard way) not to be in a late, dark and isolated place by myself one night. A lesson a cis-woman learned from page two or three of her "girl guide".
Out of an alley two guys approached me and asked for money. I actually got out of the situation because I was trans and a 5 dollar "tip". Haven't been back since. Lesson learned.
The second factor does play into the violence aspect of the recent victims. Each of them...all of them decided at some point to not go back to a certain point of their gender existence.  Be it school, work or restroom, they all decided to live their life the way they needed to live it. The decision ultimately hurt them. The fortunate ones got away with only a beating.
Can you imagine the humiliation of the trans girl in the McDonald's restaurant who was beaten by other girls? She probably was raised not to raise a hand to a female. She began her life as a female and was beaten by them? Classic injustice.
I have reached the point in my life where I refuse to go back. I don't think I ask for much. I attempt to be a good citizen and mind my own business. I do ask for a touch of respect, the right to go where I want and use the restroom I want to use.
I know I have very fortunate to have lived the life I have so far.  I thank the God I worship everyday and ask her for guidance and karma.
In the meantime, my heart goes out to my sisters who have not been so fortunate.

Guy Drag!

The saddest part of my day  is when I unhook my bra and get into my guy drag.
Over my experiments on the dating sites many ask me... do I live as a guy too?
I used to say yes.
Now I quote a line from one our readers here.
No, I live as a female and get dressed in guy drag to work.
How profound and worth sharing again!

Female Bigots "Part Deux".

As soon as my decimated "DSL" service was restored (could be the serious rain and storms) I read the two comments to the "Female Bigot" post. Thanks!
I guess I just wanted to add my thoughts on transgendered people and their spouses or partners. Obviously I can only speak to the mtf side.
During the 25 years of marriage I experienced before my wife passed away, she slowly saw the man she married start to fade away. She knew from day one. I liked to dress in women's clothing. People told me I look good as a woman. Indirectly, she is the one who taught me that was only the beginning.
She indeed loved me and made me more of a decent human being than I could have ever achieved on my own. In the process, she even enabled me to develop my female side.
The trip was mostly hell with a bit of heaven mixed in. I always tried to imagine if the shoe was on the other foot? How would I feel like living with a guy? Wow! some kind of question!!!!
The answer of course was no. I wouldn't like it. If a poll was taken, I am sure a huge percentage of men would say the same. Just look at the number of men whose wife left them for another woman? How does that play on life's stage. Not well. Think about taking it up a notch and his wife is leaving him to become a man? The guy would have to leave the state.
My point is the "estrogen" wiring allows some women to allow their men to start down the female path. (Yes, I did say allow different topic). Sure dear it's OK to wear some of my undies. Stop sign. OK dear you can dress up fully around the house. Stop sign. OK dear, (if you must) it's OK to go to some of those meetings. You get the point.
What a tremendous amount of trust or love it must take to let your husband start down the road he knows he must take. I can't imagine the pain a woman goes through when husband begins to run stop signs and all of the sudden becomes more of a sister.
One of the stop signs I ran through happened a lifetime ago at a Columbus predominately gay/lesbian club. I went around the floor to get us a drink and when I returned she said "I couldn't believe you were my husband".
I'm just guessing, but I do believe the moderator of the group I was kicked out of had his license suspended for running too many stop signs.
She was a "back seat" driver in the group and became a "bigot" in the process.
You know? I can't blame her.

Phil Donahue Eyes.

Remember good old "Phil Donahue"? Phil actually helped the transgendered cause greatly. For the first time ever, he approached the topic with a sense of realism not sensationalism.
In addition to my obvious interest in the subject, I always enjoyed the audience reaction. From indignant refusal to accept to starry eyed stares, Phil's cameras caught them all.
Entering a room full of mixed individuals at a drag show is not unlike being on the Donahue stage.  Many sets of eyes are on you. You are connected with the stage performers if you want to or not.. At many shows, the best looking women in the room aren't women at all.
In my younger days, I used to say "I could run with the queens". High heels and a skirt up to you know where was great fun.  In my "cougar" years my attempt at displaying female sexuality is much more subdued.
At the show I found all was not lost. As I surveyed the room looking for my friend, I did notice a couple sets of "Donahue" eyes staring back at me.
The eyes seem to have a mix of wonder and admiration? I will never really know. All I do know the eyes are good for the ego!

Now I Understand

I really loved the drag show I was invited to recently by a close friend and reader of the blog. Inadvertently my friend showed me what all the fuss has been about all these years. I always wondered why the women I was with became agitated when I looked at another woman.Impossible for a guy.
One of the performers really was impressive in a short denim mini and boots and a tight top. So impressive my friend was intently enjoying the show and I felt at first a little left out. Then I started to think "I have that outfit...those boots" would I get the same attention? A quick no! I don't look as good.
Then I started to think this was just another initiation into the sorority of women.
Thanks my friend! If it matters she did look great in the skirt and boots!