Woman's Best Friend?

I have two dogs who are very close to me. As dogs do, they give unconditional love. I needed their love during some very difficult times in my life.
A friend of mine asked me several months ago if the two reacted different to the two me's.
Good question and the answer is yes.
Both are partial to the male me which is not surprising  He takes them for rides, feeds them and gives them more attention.
When she starts to get dressed they disappear.
It is very easy to give dogs too much credit. Sure they are keen observers of humans but I'm not so sure they are capable of reasoning why she's a bitch and won't treat them to the moments they enjoy.
What they don't understand their combined weight of over 160 pounds does not put them into the stylish "Pocket Pooch" status. They don't understand I cant risk them doing something crazy my girl self can't control. Yet.
So for the time being they will have to keep thinking I'm just the bitch who takes over quite a bit.
Then again, dogs can be bribed and maybe it's time for her to do it!
It will be their little moment of transition.

Donna Milo

You may remember Donna Milo. She is the conservative Republic transwoman who is running for congress from Florida. It seems Donna has some inconsistencies in her campaign according to Queerty
As you can imagine, some of us have watched her campaign with some interest.
Regardless of how you feel about her, you have to love this excerpt from Queerty:
"Milo married her sweetheart (a woman) at age 19 and had two kids. That means that Milo—who transitioned from male-to-female via surgery sometime after becoming a spouse and parent—considered herself a woman when she married her wife; that is, she got gay married, something she’s now against. Ironically, if Milo tried to remarry Florida courts wouldn’t allow her to marry a man because they only take into account your biological gender at birth. So if Ms. Milo wanted to remarry in Florida, she’d have to marry a woman—gay marriage, something she’s against.
It’s important to point out this hilarious contradiction because it highlights what makes Milo such a horrible candidate for Congress. She’s a teabaggy mix of Conservative contradictions who supports ENDA (because her trans-ass could be fired from Congress with no legal recourse otherwise) but is against giving LGBTs other marriage and parental rights. She’s benefited from the same sorts of entitlements she’s now against and that glaring oversight makes her not only a poor congressional candidate, but one who would work hard to make sure none of us ever get married or have kids. Even though she got to do both."
Of course, being a politician (trans or not) Milo is saying she is not against gay marriage... As such.
I believe it is totally feasible to be a conservative trans person. I am one myself in many areas.
In Milo's case, she certainly had to see this one coming which makes her just another slippery politician.
My disclaimer here is I am only presenting one side of the story and coming up with a conclusion dissenting opinions will be given equal space! lol

Legs and Hair

The look of the night last night was fun-fun -fun! As luck would have it, I enjoyed lavish attention from male bartenders all night long.
A close leg shave and tanning lotion gave me the wonderful soft feel I love on a hot day with a short skirt.
The evening never cooled down much as I made my way through it. Long hair brushing slightly on my bare shoulders and back was a constant sensory thrill.
I know I gave more than one show as an older guy nearly lost his baseball hat turning to look at me walking slowly across the parking lot. Sunglasses gave me the opportunity to really watch him watch me without really knowing it.
I'm told I have the legs to show, so why not?
I did mention the "slow" part of the walk. At that point in time I was celebrating my own start to the "Independence Day" weekend.

We all know "independence" is not a one day, week or year deal.  A person has to fight for it and nourish it to make it happen.
The nourishment of finding the perfect outfit and shoes or doing the perfect makeup and hair makes up for the extreme disappointment I felt last week.
As for all of you I hope you can experience your own independence day...wherever you may be in the world.
At the end of the day your freedom is actually all that matters!

Nothing never Happens

A great quote if I ever read one!
Last night when I thought nothing happened and everything went so smoothly. Did nothing never happen?
What about the three guys who I looked up and saw them looking at me.  Was that nothing. Don't know. Was the guy who kept walking by and barely touching my hair on my bare shoulders with his arm nothing? Three times? I believe it wasn't nothing and it happened.
Last night,  I encountered many women, nothing did happen. Nothing never happened I think.
Nothing really did happen with me personally though. I really enjoyed texting my friend and listening to the music I love. More importantly I loved being the real me. Nothing really never happens!

VA Update

"The National Center for Transgender Equality" recently released a policy brief updating recent Veterans Administration changes regarding transgendered veterans.
As you all know this is all near and dear to me. The VA is my primary health care provider and I have considered approaching them with my transgendered status during the past several years.
I researched and learned there was no real uniform transgendered policy in the VA.
Now there is but what does the policy really mean. 
Here is a portion of what the "NCTE" thinks:
"This victory is only a start, however. Much work remains before
transgender veterans are fully able to live equally to non-transgender
veterans. Below are some of the policy areas still on NCTE’s veterans
health agenda.

   * NCTE and allies will soon release a comprehensive model policy
for VA facilities for the appropriate treatment of transgender
veterans. This policy will be offered to VA facilities nationwide for
their adoption.

    * Now that the VHA explicitly requires proper treatment of
transgender veterans, it is clearly necessary for frontline providers
to receive training on what that means. The VHA immediately should
undertake a cultural and medical competency program.

    * Unfortunately, VHA regulations still prohibit the agency from
providing or paying for sex reassignment surgeries. TRICARE and
CHAMPVA regulations also prohibit these health plans from covering
some transition-related care. These agencies should begin immediately
the process of reevaluating the regulatory prohibitions regarding
transition-related care based on contemporary medical evidence and
accepted clinical guidelines."

Most certainly I'm excited about this turn of events and waiting for more information.
Discharge papers (DD-214), are a huge part of all of this too.
Work is being done to change the "gender marker" on the all important 214. 
In essence I could be not automatically outed if I went through transition and presented female at the VA if my 214  was changed.
These are all huge steps within the VA but certainly not the last!

Ouch! Part Deux!

Janie (who I respect so much) commented on my "Ouch" post.
Her comment started my thought processes. Where have I taken myself since?
The easiest answer is looks. I did go back to my dark look as suggested by more than one of you. (Thanks)
A much deeper change took place too.  I rededicated myself to my chosen gender.
No matter how I feel between the ears, my physical presence will always be a work in process. "Walking the talk" so to speak.  We all know how many factors are involved regardless of looks.
Posture, voice mannerisms all play a part.
I believe I had become too complacent. Too much of my male came through.
I entered a work cycle which by necessity is male. I didn't flip the gender switch completely.  I was lazy and over confident.
I learned again to take nothing for granted!

This Picture IS Worth A Thousand Words!

Bond...Justin Bond

This "Bond" is no "007". This "Bond" is Vivian"
Note the key terms from the home page.
prefix: mx
pronoun: V
gender: trans or T
full name: Mx Justin Vivian Bond
Then read the very interesting bio!

"Many years ago while I was sitting at Cafe Flore in San Francisco, one of my favorite places on earth. I was approached by a transexual woman who engaged me in conversation and during our chat she said to me, “Justin, sooner or later you’re going to have to come down off the fence.”  I was quite taken aback by this statement as I hadn’t really thought of myself as being on a fence. But after some thought I realized what she was saying.  By saying I would have to come down “off the fence” she was saying that sooner or later I would have to make a choice and conform my identity to embrace the gender binary and validate her choice to climb over the fence to the “other side”.  Personally, for me, I have never believed there was another side for me to cross over to.  Sometimes I wish I did.  If I felt there was a clearly defined place for me to go, where I would be welcomed and at peace, I would surely have gone there many years ago.  At times I’ve almost been able to convince myself there was, but for me to claim to be “a woman” would feel just as false as the charade I’ve been asked to play for so much of my life of being “a man”.  Having said that, I will affirm that I do believe there is another side for others; for transexual men and women who fully embrace and are comfortable subscribing to the gender binary -to a polarized notion of gender. But please don’t assume that aspiring to pass is “realness”, because as far as I can see “realness” too is a construct built on shifting sand.  If you insist on serving “realness” don’t be surprised if it is declared to hard too swallow and sent back to the kitchen.  This applies to “real men”, “real women” and all of their enablers.  I’m not interested in the expression of “realness”.  I would like to be afforded the luxury of being free to be as honest as possible and to have my truth be respected."
Mx. Bond goes on to talk about hormones and transgender labels and such. The really wonderful part of Bond is the invention of a personal pronoun! From the homepage: "Since my name is Justin Vivian Bond and since Vivian begins with a V and visually a V is two even sides which meet in the middle I would like v to be my pronoun."

Follow the "Vivian" link above for more on this fascinating person who is also a "cabaret" performer.
One of the more interesting insights I had while writing this was trying not use  male or female pronouns. Try it!

Latina Pride

An attractive "parade" girl from "San Salvador"