Pick A Label

From "Salon"  Comes a review of a new book  from Jon-Jon Goulian's memoir "The Man in the Gray Flannel Skirt,"
A couple of excerpts caught my eye, including a dazzling array of labels!  Choose one or two for yourself...or even three.  There are many left for your friends. Goulian writes:
"Whether I like it or not, they'll find just the right label for me -- homosexual, bisexual, transsexual, polysexual, metrosexual, metasexual; autosexual, cryptosexual, crypticsexual, protosexual, extraterrasexual, gender-bender, glam-boy, player, poseur, flaneur, slut, aesthete, dandy, lebenskunstler; lotus-eater; bohemian nymph; bourgeois nymph; bourgeois nymph masquerading as a bohemian nymph! -- and, whether they like it or not, they’re determined to make it stick."
The book is being released in the next couple of days and looks interesting in that Goulian seems to be yet another person who breaks the gender mold. He once worked for an Italian mobster who tagged him as a "half a fag". The mobster knew Goulian was a heterosexual but a very different one and in Goulian's own words... "And as it happens, I do not sleep with men. On the few occasions in my adult life when I have been in the near company of another man's erect penis, my impulse was to flee"
I of course, don't have the patience to read a whole book.  If I did. This could be one. I wonder if Goulian explains all those terms?

From Thailand to India

Look for her on NBC's Thursday Night sitcom "Outsourced". Episodes 121 and 122 to air in April and May 2011.
	Ms. Aneesh Sheth is a transgender actress and activist. Born in Pune, India.

And The Winner is!!!

 The final four contestants for the
Miss Thailand 
Beauty Pageant show us once again the most beautiful women in Thailand weren't born that way.!
You may have seen this already. I actually posted this Wednesday but problems with "Blogger" deleted it!
Cyrsti

The Hign Maintnenance Third Gender?

This morning as I got ready for work, I shaved my face and legs.
I would guess that makes me semi unique in society.
The razor is just the start. Last night I bought a new facial scrub and a "healthy glow" tan product for my legs.
Summer has finally arrived in my part of the world, so it's time to get my legs "skirt presentable".
The legs of course go hand in hand with making sure my toe nails look good and are painted and ready for open toed shoes.
Perhaps it is a good thing that my male maintenance is so simple. I can make the extra time for the girl stuff.
Interestingly enough, the "girl work" used to be an exciting labor of love.  Now it's a necessary part of my life.
I'm lucky in that my natural hormone replacement therapy (old age) has done a wonderful job of slowing down my hair growth. I can get away with shaving my legs every two or three days now.
I do enjoy the feel of my legs under my pants at work and the unique "tingle" that lingers from the shave. Sometimes I wonder if my co-workers can see between the gender lines. Probably not.
I do know I put more emphasis on being a girl than some of the females I work with who just happened to be born that way.
I guess what they don't know or are missing won't hurt them!

Back Again!!!

Hi friends, my on again off again Internet service is back on!
As always, life has continued to move at "warp" speed even if my Internet doesn't.
My "weekend" is over. Monday and Tuesday are basically my days off and I had two fun days. 
I've mentioned before my Tuesday trips to a huge 2 dollar pint night at a nearby sports pub. My Tuesday visit this week was unique in that I was able to find a good seat that allowed me to observe others and enjoy my evening (even watching my favorite baseball team win on one of the big screens). The crowd was young with more females than I have seen for awhile.  Most likely because many of the colleges are starting to finish for the summer.
I felt humbled by all the beautiful young women in the pub and happy I could co-exist without so much a glance.
Towards the end of the evening a glitzy beautiful blond grabbed one of the two rare open seats next to me.  From head to toe she had it all. Great makeup, clothes, jewelry and purse showed she put a lot into her style. I wondered how many of us noticed how she matched a necklace to a purse!
Very shortly, a big muscle bound guy showed up and took the seat between us. For the first ten minutes or so he showed interest in her but then began to get up and spend some time with some other male friends that arrived later. In addition, one of the male bartenders  showed just a little too much interest. She quickly became a little uneasy about the whole situation.
All the years of thinking a "girl's life" was soooo much easier.(I haven't thought that in years) was proven wrong last night. The woman had obviously put a lot of time effort and cash into looking her best. She obviously cared to make the evening a success with the look in her eyes as she looked at him.
Not so easy being a woman!
I "girl talked" the evening with my "BFF" later and told her the story. She was ready to give me the "you'll find out" talk when I turned the tables on her.
I told her I understand more and more her obsession with weight loss and hair and what ever.  If she loses the magic 20 pounds, the sky will open with men knocking at her door.  That of course is an exaggeration but my point is that the woman last night may have thought the same thing.  If her hair was different, if her makeup or clothes were different or if she had bigger boobs...would have the guy paid more attention?
It is no wonder women have the obsessions they do.  My very limited experience with men led me the same direction. Lose the weight, buy the clothes and perfect the makeup and I will be desired for ever!
I have known for years each gender has their own cross to bear. This female cross is huge!!!

My First Wedding Party!

I found myself on the inside looking in last night when at least fifteen or so "20 somethings" gathered around me ordering drinks after a wedding. I started to feel a little uneasy about my situation and almost decided to leave. I was texting a friend and getting to know him a little better so I thought I would just stay for awhile.
As it turned out, no one seemed to notice or care about me.
I had one girl talk briefly to me. She said I looked beautiful (a true giveaway she knew I was trans) and a couple more who made small talk. One of them was a truly big attractive girl. I always love it when I'm not the biggest woman in the room! We actually met eye to eye in the bathroom as I was coming out of a stall and I had a chance to check out her outfit and style by the bar.
I finished my conversation with my friend on the phone and shortly went on my way.
On the way home I thought how wonderful is it that the younger the population gets, the more it seems to accept us!
The influence of courageous trans teens such as "Katie" is enormous. When someone gets to know us as a human, we aren't so bad!
Certainly this cup is half empty or half full. The young trans girl who was humiliated and beaten up at a McDonald's was certainly ugly and hopefully will fuel public indignation.
My own cup was certainly half full last night as I had barely a glance in crowded situations. I knew and they knew I was female in their eyes. Better yet were the ones who weren't sure and didn't care.

Is "Katie" the Future?

This is "Katie" on the left trying on a bracelet with her mother. As you probably guessed since I'm blogging about her, Katie used to be "Luke".From the "Tulsa World" comes Katie's story..
Katie grew up with three other brothers and a Marine officer Dad.
Here's an excerpt from the story that just blew me away! Just in time for Mother's Day.
Mom..."I was expecting (Luke) to sit me down and say, 'Mom, I'm gay,' "
Jazzlyn recalled.
Instead, at age 15, Luke told her: "I'm not gay, Mom. I'm transgender."
Her reaction: "A trans-what? I had prepared myself for 13, 14 years
that my son was gay. And now I'm thinking, 'Rocky Horror Picture
Show'?"

They cried.

Jazzlyn's heart ached for her child. She knew this would be a
difficult path in life. But she was worried that Luke might kill
himself otherwise.
So she did what moms do when they see that the child they love is
hurting: They fix it.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked her son.
I want to go shopping. I want to buy a bra. I want to get my ears
pierced and grow my hair out. I'm not a boy. I'm a girl in a boy's
body, he told her.
"If that's what you honestly feel like, I'll stand behind you,"
Jazzlyn said. "You've just got to give me time."

If I would have said anything similar to that to my Mom...her recommendation would have been the same as when I did try to "come out" to her.  Get a shrink and get rid of it!
So as Mother's Day approaches, I hope Katie's Mom is the future. If not, then she at the least is a great example of a loving caring Mother on their day!

Classic "Candy"

Could not resist passing along another  "Candy Darling" pix.
 For those of you who remember "Kim Novak", she was one of Candy Darling's idols and for good reason! She was another of the "blond bombshells"of the 50's.

"Normal" Ohio.

I'm sure you all have been to your "Normal". If you live there long enough, you begin to feel very comfortable.
 The sun rises and sets exactly the same on your " Normal" as others.
My "Normal" is gaining population. For whatever reason some people want in. I am very comfortable here and learning more about living here. Many are curious. Many just want to see what all the fuss is about.
On occasion, I wonder if I am too comfortable. Will I be too complacent and open myself for some unexpected problem?  Outsiders passing through and looking into "normal" may not appreciate it's population.
It takes us all a lifetime to build our "Normal". On occasion, the "Normal" you see is a mirage. The "All American" church going neighbors are really swingers? Really?
Maybe that is part of the reason my "Normal" looks good to a few outsiders. It has become very ironic that a lifestyle that started as a gender masquerade, has become such an exercise in reality.
Agree or not agreeing  with my life is fine. Agreeing with my right to do it and having the courage to do it makes the "Welcome to Normal" sign look really good to some. The rest? Time will tell.