As Promised! Witches Ball Details!

To start with, the "Southgate House" in Newport, Kentucky (across the Ohio River from Cincinnati) was the ideal spot for the Witches Ball ,my Wiccan friend and I.
To start with, Southgate is a four story circa 1814 mansion (haunted).  Over the decades, the venue has been sliced and diced into a somewhat"long in the tooth" " frozen in time" music house.
As you enter the main front doors ( you see to the right) you go down a short hallway into a downstairs bar.  Behind it and down is a  ball room with a balcony 
The second floor has another bar and I presume the ghosts hang out on the third floor if they don't like the music.
OK, I certainly hope I haven't bored you too much! The fun part is coming!
Peeps wise, the Witches Ball basically is divided into age groups with different interests in music and costumes. Pirates and belly dancers are upstairs...the younger whatever crowd in the ballroom. 
My only problem with checking out all of the crowd was negotiating narrow flights of stairs in my 4" heels! But negotiate we did.
Increasingly it was clear the pirates and dancers were more to our tastes.
That my friends is the best part and I'm saving the details for the next post!

Transgender News Bits

Around the world we go!
From the "land down under:" come a story from Australia:
Another inmate is fighting for her right to live as her chosen gender behind bars.

"Krista Richards" (seen as Krista and Leslie to the right) is complaining of discrimination.
Reportedly, Krista has had a couple of "procedures" at the expense of our Australian taxpayers but has not gone through the complete sex change surgery.

The second story comes from England and a well known face "Andrej Pejic".

The news broke Pejic would be meeting Queen Elizabeth October 13th for a dinner party at Buckingham Palace.
This picture is one of the first of Pejic according to:
"StyleCaster"

All Dressed Up and No Where To Go!

Malaika, A Chennai girl will be India's  first contestant in the Thailand, Miss International Queen Pageant 2011.  Born male, Malaika, 28, has been through four major surgeries and a series of medical treatments to transform into the dancer-model pictured on the left..
However, Malaika still does not have a sponsor. She said:

“The contest requires me to wear seven different costumes including a grand evening gown, a traditional dress and a swimsuit. I also have to bear the expenses of the travel and accommodation for the special make-up artist I need for the talent round. Unless I get a sponsor, I cannot participate".
Hopefully she will be successful finding a sponsor and becoming a positive transgendered influence in India.

Playing the Transgender System?

This story from the "San Diego LGBT Weekly" caught my eye for it's delicious touch of irony.

"It seems Transgender Human Rights Campaign board member Megan Stabler (pictured above) has married another woman in Texas by legally declaring her gender as male, a development that could be considered controversial (and perhaps hypocritical) because of Stabler’s national prominence, and because of her position at HRC as the only known trans person sitting on the board.
The lesbian couple could not legally marry in Texas as such. But by declaring male gender-identity, presumably by way of a birth certificate that reflected her gender at birth, their union is recognized by that largely far-right leaning state."
Sure the whole marriage could be seen as hypocritical. Then again, why not turn a system around and use a "loop hole" as a positvie in your life?
My bottom line reaction is judging from Megan's picture, it's the men of Texas who lost out to a woman...again.

More After And Before!

Germany's "Marek Harloff"

Elections and Halloween. A Coincidence?

Coincidence? Not so much in my part of the world at least. I'm sure most of you would agree we have been "tricked"more than "treated" recently by our elected officials.
It is not my purpose to go on some sort of a political rant here. My purpose is to bring a transgender candidate from Florida back to the blog.
It's election time and the "SouthFloridaGayNews.Com  ran an article about "Donna Milo". Milo is a candidate who happens to be transgendered and a conservative republican of sorts. Much has been written concerning her stand on gay marriage and children.
Here in Ohio, I really don't have much concern over a politician in Florida unless someday she becomes the first transgender president. I do however wonder if running for office is the ultimate coming out expereince?
After a transgendered person runs the gauntlet when he or she comes out to family and friends, is running for public office any different?

I suppose my inherent distrust of poiliticians wont change my idea of transgendered candidates being a plus for our culture...but Halloween madness is sooo much more fun!

Bravery versus Resolve.

Every once in a while, I run into someone who thinks I'm brave to live my life the way I do.
Even the therapist made that comment.
They all mean well I know but bravery really is a secondary trait. Resolve is a much better description of my feelings.
It is the time in my life to live the way I feel is best for me and I have the resolve to do it.
Yesterday at work I saw a person who makes my resolve pale in comparison.
She is a very very big person with many male characteristics.  One of our female employee's called her sir a week or so ago (I wasn't there) and she corrected her.
I was impressed she came back at all. She looked very ill at ease and I couldn't get anywhere close to her to do or say anything but will be on the outlook for her in the future.
I am fortunate to be able to present female with a mostly good success rate. My resolve is strong but hers is tremendous!
I really need to chat with her and hopefully I will see her again soon!

Before and After!

Transgender Bathroom Rumors

From the "The Huffington Post" comes a post on a subject near and not so dear to me...restroom priviledges. As any accomplished transgender person knows , the whole affair of simply going to the bathroom can turn into a major event.
This perspective comes from a trans man:

"Believe it or not, I am a guy who likes to leave my house from time to time. Occasionally I'll be out, you know, people-watching in the local park, shopping downtown, or cruising around and making frequent stops at the tiny indie cafe in my gentrifying Brooklyn neighborhood, inhaling pints of coffee on the hour. Sometimes I'll even drink water. Eventually the time comes when my bladder has successfully been filled and I'll have to, you know, empty it. I'll find the nearest public restroom and use it. As long as there's a stall with a door, of course.
As a "transitioned" transsexual man, it's easy for me. Again, as long as there is a stall involved. I can't stress that enough. This man needs a stall. Because he sits to pee. Because he still has a vagina.
Now, as an adult, using public men's rooms has gone from a newfound glory to an inspiration for feelings of constant paranoia. It doesn't matter where I am -- it could be at the SoHo Bloomingdale's bathroom or at a truck stop in middle America -- there is still that sense of dread. I'm comfortable with the "plumbing" I was born with and don't want to change it, and I choose to not use a "stand-to-pee" contraption, but the flip side to that is I can't use a urinal and have to use a stall. Many times there is just one lone stall and the door has been ripped off, or it's out of order. Sometimes I have to visit three fast-food places just to find a bathroom with a working stall. Even then, when I'm halfway there, comfortable in the stall and ready to let the urine fly, I am convinced that the sound of the stream hitting the toilet bowl water sounds drastically different from the sound of pee exiting a penis and hitting the toilet water, and that the bathroom police await my exit so that they can tell me I'm in the wrong place and to tell me that they know my body is different from theirs, that they know my past and what's in my pants. And that it actually matters."

I've written several times of the trials of using the women's room and yes I've been told not too by one manager and even had the cops called on me once...for just going to the bathroom.
I know the situation is not going away. In fact the restroom is the only paranoia I'm feeling about my upcoming exciting "Witches Ball" evening.
I really feel out of place in the men's room (obviously) and just don't want to compromise my ideals.
I too worry about the sound of my pee hitting the bowl. Does the woman in the next stall over notice?
So I won't compromise my ideals and look like a total fool using the wrong restroom...the man's.
The feeling of relief I have each time I'm able to use the proper restroom is two fold. The first is obvious. I had to go! The second is less obvious. The bathroom police weren't summoned.