Ivory Tower and the Transgender Princess

It's very easy not to stay grounded these days and climb up my transgender ivory tower.
Very simply put "Hey, I got out of the closet-why can't you?"
I was recently corresponding with a new friend who is deeply in the closet and I realized that every once in a while I slide towards some high and mighty self serving stance on my trans status.
I want to think "Hey, I've gotten to this point of my transgender life (which I consider a success), why can't they?"
The only real props I can give myself is I told both of my wives of my gender disposition before the relationship. They had some sort of an idea of the struggle as murky as it was to all of us. Of all the totally mistaken ideas I have had about all of this, at least not telling a person I was getting into a serious relationship with wasn't one of them. That alone does not qualify me for sainthood.
In the end, the deciding factor in jumping into the transgender river and swimming up stream was death to a loved one, age and chance.
Due to not so pleasant circumstances, the sun, moon and stars aligned. Again, no ivory tower.
 I just grabbed the ring and I have to remember it's that- no more no less.
There are too many others in the trans community who build or buy their own lovely towers for me to want to move into mine.
If you catch me in my tower-you are doing the best you can.
I didn't mean to be an unfeeling bitch!

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Kelly Van Der Veer

Kelly van der Veer (born May 6, 1980) is Dutch television personality, singer and actress. She is regarded the most prominent transsexual person in the Netherlands.

"3 Step Program"

You all know I relish over simplifying things and people that can do it!
I am not saying I can- but here's an attempt.
Step #1,- The person moves from a fetish attraction to the clothes of the opposite sex and becomes a cross dresser.
Step #2.- The person moves from the mirror to an inner feeling of identifying with the opposite gender and becomes transgender.
Step #3.- The person moves to align inner feelings with physical body modifications and becomes a transsexual.
Step #4.-A whole bunch of peeps want to trash me for this over simplification!
 

Harisu Comeback

The transsexual pop star Harisu will return to K-Pop after five years! A representative of her agency stated on July 4, “Harisu will release a new single on July 9. For this comeback she has been preparing for a long time.”

And...from China:

Wang Maoli says she doesn't regret the sex reassignment surgery she underwent 21 years ago.
But that doesn't mean life has been easy, she says.
She has spent the past two decades in the media spotlight as the first person known to have undergone the surgery in Chongqing municipality and the second in the country. She's also perhaps the country's first person to change the gender on her ID card.
"I might not have survived if I hadn't done the surgery," she says.
While hardships have persisted, the Sichuan Opera performer says the procedure lifted her life's greatest burden.
"I'm living a pure and moral life," she says. "My status is legally recognized by authorities. I make people happy with my shows. I don't see why I should be ashamed."

"Passing" This Along

From Matt Kailey (ftm trans man) comes a moving look at his 30 year high school reunion:
I'll simply say it's worth the effort to go here to check it out!

"Gender Blender"

"The bravest thing to do is to be yourself

Let us explore an extraordinary journey of self. A self that has been suppressed for many, and by many, for ages. Together, we can experience the rare beauty of being Third Gender.
GENDER BLENDER  is a documentary featuring a human who never fit any mold. The film intimately explores the world of Lauren, a transgender female transitioning to become her ultimate expression: gender neutral."
Check out the trailer: In many ways over the years I have felt a certain attraction to the "third gender" idea. Like tonight when I had an invasion by two young raccoons in my house. I shifted to male mode quickly! Here's the movie's web site link.

Pejic in Paris

More Andrej Pejic from a recent Paris show!

Transgender Prom Queen Out and Up!

The night of her high school prom, Connor Ferguson anxiously pulled on a floor-length leopard print dress and slipped her feet inside six-inch high heels covered in glitter.

Connor Ferguson, 18.

Despite loving the outfit she’d chosen, the 18-year-old transwoman from Trenton, Ont., considered not going to the prom at all, worried her peers might say something nasty or rude. She never expected they would name her prom queen.
“It was absolutely unreal. I’ll definitely remember that moment forever,” said Ferguson, who was crowned queen at Trenton High School on June 22.

From the National Post!

More "OutServe" Transgender Advice

Recently I ran a post featuring "OutServe" Magazine. I am certainly interested in the publication since I am a transgender vet. If you are a vet or not "Brynn Tannehill" writes about transition planning and begins with this:

"Like everyone in the military, at some point I had to leave. Transitioning from military life to civilian is hard enough. Transitioning genders at the same time adds a degree of difficulty that even Greg Louganis would cringe at. I left active duty in 2008 after 10 years in the service. I left the reserves in 2010 as Lt. Cmdr. Bryan Tannehill. Less than two years later I was Brynn Tannehill, civilian defense contractor.  Somehow, despite all the horror stories within the trans community, I managed to stay continuously employed, stay married, and maintain most of the relationships that mattered most to me."

Read it all here!