A Special Camp for Transgender Kids!

 How great is this!
Camp Aranu'tiq is a weeklong, overnight summer camp for transgender and gender-variant youth ages 8 through 15.
It's a place where life experiences are shared and lifelong friendships are made.

Camp Aranu'tiq (a-ra-NOO-tick) is based on a traditional model of summer camps.
Activities for our New England location include: arts & crafts, drama, canoeing, swimming, creative writing, music, teamwork-building "challenge" activities, and a host of land sports such as soccer, kickball, basketball, volleyball, and more. For our California location, activities include: arts & crafts, drama, canoeing, swimming, creative writing, teamwork-building "challenge" activities, "gaga" (a type of dodgeball), volleyball, rock climbing, and archery. The week also includes campfires (with s'mores!), a talent show, and other special activities. There will be a few professional therapists at camp for campers who may want to talk, but the main focus of the week is on having fun.
Campers will go to different activities on a rotating basis with assigned age-appropriate groups. Groups will always be accompanied by adult volunteers. Campers will sleep in bunks divided by age group. All bunks will be under the direct care of adult volunteers at all times. For more information on living quarters, please contact us.
We also believe that parent/guardian peer support is very important. We will make every effort to provide parents with an opportunity to meet one another and keep in contact.

Of course there is more info here.

More Derrick!

Derrick Barry.
If you read Angel's comments here in Cyrsti's Condo about her chance encounter with female impersonator extrordinare Derrick Barry-she had no idea she wasn't looking at a real woman.
No real surprise I guess after seeing a few pix!

Round Peg in a Square Hole and a Transsexual Life

Perseverance and success. Take a look at a 12 year journey!

It's NOT Dressing Up!

I'm not a "gurl" or a "girrl" and I'm NOT dressing up...DAMMIT!

I feel better now, thanks for letting me vent.
Actually this is a "warm and fuzzy" post.
My life is truthfully is in a nice little holding pattern.
I can describe it as climbing a mountain . You work and work to make it to a certain level. Hope you maintain it and move upward.
Or maybe life now is similar to being in the eye of a hurricane.
For the briefest moment I am satisfied to watch the world swirl around me-not unlike a merry go round.
As I watch, I see all the components of the world which have some sort of bearing on me.
The so called straight world and the gay one. The transsexuals and the cross dressers  all ride by on their carnival horses and let's not forget the demands of everyday life. It all becomes a blur. Right now though, I don't care.
I know this little respite won't last long but it's a welcome mental vacation.
Maybe it's like a little mental "stealth". If I can get away from the world for just a second, I would never tell and be a better person for it!

Derrick Barry

Famous female impersonator Derrick Barry (on left :) )

Living Trans Between the Ears

I follow the "Ask Matt" blog quite a bit. Matt is a FtM transsexual. He gives me a wonderful prospective into how the "other half" lives plus provides information to you trans men here in Cyrsti's Condo.
Many times our experiences are the same except of course- the approach.
I am so fortunate to have two trans men who I call close friends. Both share experiences with me.
One is going through the coming out to work and family and the other passed along a mens' restroom excursion...just in the past two or three days or so. It's a rare look into the reality of a transgender man's world without the high tech, polished web look.
Here's the work experience:

" Today was a big day.  I had a meeting with my dept manager and my team leader.  They both have known me for over 7 years.  I felt it was going to be an interesting meeting.  I had told them that I had something personal that I needed to discuss with the.  Now my manager is probably 15 years or so younger than I am (probably more) and my team leader is probably 10 years or so order than I am.

Their reactions were much like everyone else's that I have told.  They were happy and enthusiastic.  My team leader even said "cool".  They both like the new name.  Tonight my manager even sent me a text message with quote that made her think of me and the journey that I am on.  The quote was, "It's impossible to consistently live inconsistently to what you really believe."  She then proceeded to tell me how happy she was for me and that she was proud of me.  It felt kind of funny since she is so much younger than I am but the support is great."

I feel so good for him! He has been through some hard times and it's about time karma shines a little light his way.
On we go to Matt and a reader question from a person's whose partner is a transgender man. He dressers in a masculine fashion and binds. He is considering top surgery but is not really considering "T". "He feels isolated by a community of people who call him fake or a 'cis' woman trying to feel special because he doesn't want to transition".

Matt's answer and more here.

Overall, the reoccurring ideas and thoughts I take from these posts are: Is it easier to for a trans man to use the men's room or a trans woman to use the women's room?

Finally, is the 20 to 30 something generation more accepting of the transgender/transsexual culture than older folks?

Transgender Veteran News

This is the latest episode of my life with the Veteran's Administration.
Keep in mind I have found out that even though the VA has a overall policy, that does not mean it applies to where you may live. For those of you who follow Cyrsti's Condo on a semi regular basis, you know basically where I live which doesn't mean much except for this post.
If you need geographical info about Ohio just email me and I will help as much as I can.
Today was very successful for me. You other transgender vets may have other stories which vary but this is what I learned the hard way.
1.- It was easy for me to get the approval for HRT from my VA center BUT:
2.- My center had no one who was qualified to prescribe. Important: Your primary VA Doc may approve the outside scripts to be filled by the VA pharmacy but chances are he is not really qualified to prescribe (Endocrinologist). The drugs themselves are not the potential major cost to you. The outside Doc is.
3.- Following advice from the center I went to an outside qualified doc thinking the VA would pick up the tab.
4.-The VA didn't and I took my case to a person called a "Patient Advocate".
5.-Here's what she told me today. According to the VA Transgender Directive my center has to provide me HRT or foot the bill for an outside provider. BEFORE you go.
6.-Here's a fun fact. Since my center does not have a qualified provider, the bigger center about 75 miles away does. Last year it accepted four local transgender vets into it's program and then stopped and said no more. Even if it went against the National Directive.
7.-According the "Advocate" my center has to pay for my outside doc and will if it's pre-approved.
8.-I found that person today and made sure he accepts VA compensation. (Important).
9.-It's in the Advocate's hands. She sets up the pre approval and then I set the appointment.
10.-All sounds good doesn't it but I know "it ain't over till it's over"!

As I said, if you are a transgender veteran, your experiences with the VA could be as different as night and day to mine.
As I also said if you are thinking about embarking down this path, feel free to email me for ideas!

Cross Dressing Before and Afters

Obviously I have been fascinated, obsessed and part of the cross dressing culture for more than a couple of years.
No matter that I choose to identify these days as a transgender woman, I still appreciate a good "before and after" cross dresser transformation.
There are more than a few places which specialize in the process.
Here's one called Femme Fever.
And an example of their work:                          Before and After.
                                                                        At the least, I guess discretion is not an issue with these   crossdressers.

Thunder Thighs?

Perhaps you have heard a genetic female friend of yours use this highly derogatory term to describe their thighs.
It was my understanding the HRT would begin to effect my thigh and rear areas  approximately 12 months into the process.
The good news is that I'm starting to see the weight shift beginning to show now.
I knew my women's jeans were starting to fit much better and I'm making a shrine of sorts to the foam pads I used to wear.
So "thunder thighs"? No.
Filling out the right pair of jeans? Yes!