How Bad is This???

Just after I see a very positive uplifting story from Vietnam's Top Idol here comes the tragic story of transsexual woman Fernanda Milan who is seeking asylum in Denmark from her native Guatemala- literally to save her life.

Vietnam Transgender Idol

"Huong Giang"

Thursday night, a jury in Vietnam's Top Idol Contest spoke highly to a 25-year-old girl from Hanoi, due to her effort during the competition.
 “The thing that surprises me is not your voice, it’s your effort. Your singing is not absolutely excellent, but your effort makes us want to see how you can improve,” judge My Tam commented. After that, the second judge, film director Nguyen Quang Dung went straight to the point by questioning if Giang had auditioned for Vietnam Idol before. After a few tentative seconds, the contestant admitted that she previously took part in the competition under a male name, Nguyen Ngoc Hieu. “I really appreciate young people who dare to be true to themselves and other people. Whatever you do, you take responsibility for it,” the film director said."


Read the whole story from Touitrenews.

To Be or Not to Be

I have discussed the issue of going stealth as a transgender or transsexual person a number of times with you here in Cyrsti's Condo. I am the first to admit I can see the pros and cons of the issue.
We are one of the few groups who achieves a goal of blending into society and then disappears. We win and help no one else in the process.
I'm the first to say how wrong that it is until I'm out and about with nary a side look from society.
I'm passing along this article from Deja Nicole Greenlaw (right) called "The Importance of Transgenders Coming Out.
Check it out here.

Transgender Student Stepping Out

From Stock & Land (Australia) which seems to be a rather agrarian publication comes the story of 15 year transgender student Riley:

"Riley"

"Riley, 15, from Sydney's north shore, is biologically male – but says being born a boy simply never made any sense. The high school student is one of an increasing number of teenagers who identify as transsexuals – those who feel they are trapped in the wrong body. Some are so sure that nature got it wrong that they are taking the bold step of "transitioning" – presenting themselves outwardly as the sex that they feel they are – during their teenage years or even earlier. For Riley, 2012 has been a watershed year. After going to school with bras secreted under her school shirt and with minimal make-up, she started wearing the girls’ school uniform. She is also doing some schooling of her own, teaching the teachers in the correct use of transgender pronouns. "They were having a lot of trouble with calling me 'she', but they are getting better," she says. When I meet Riley at her suburban home on a Sunday morning, she's dressed in jeans, knee-high boots, a cropped leather jacket and a T-shirt that boasts she's an "Angel by Day, Devil by Night". Her hair is styled perfectly, framing her prettily made-up face – as befitting for someone who is studying hairdressing part-time at TAFE along with her school subjects. We sit in the living room, where the table is scattered with photos of her as a young child. She seems to be constantly in fancy dress: vibrant-coloured outfits, make-up, glittery headbands. In one photo she's dressed in a cowboy suit but still manages to look feminine".

I can't say it enough, the courage of these trans teens to live their lives on their terms is simply wonderful!

Trans Man Before and After

This before and after is an equal time post of sorts: Dana Pardee in her graduation picture and as he is now: "When Dana Pardee looks at his 2007 high school graduation picture, he sees a beautiful young woman smiling back at him. “A-w-w,” he says. “She's pretty, but she's not me. She's just a shell of the person who I used to be.” Dana, 23, is a year into the process of changing his gender identity from female to male. With family and friends, Dana corrects pronoun usage from “she” to “he” and “hers” to “his” when he is the topic of the conversation." For more of Dana's story go here.

Sean Penn and Transgender?

Maybe so, at least in his newest motion picture project. As you will read in this press release, a transgender life for his character is not out of the question:

" Sean Penn, who has a legion of gay fans from his role as the eponymous leader in Milk, is gending bending in his newest film, This Must be the Place. In the video we learn Penn's character, Cheyenne, is an aging rock star with long hair, makeup, and a sweet and softspoken demeaner. All the press materials calls Cheyenne "he," but you'd be hard pressed not to see some nods to transgender life in the role, too. Upon learning his father is dead, Cheyenne decides to hunt down the Nazi war criminal (in hiding in the U.S.) who humiliated papa during the war — going on a journey of self-discovery along the way. Frances McDormand (always a scene stealer) plays Jane, someone who loves Cheyenne, though it's not clear if she's the wife or girlfriend or some other intimate partner."


 

Test Tube Transsexual

I spend a lot of time here in Cyrsti's Condo dwelling in the past. After all I'm an historian by degree and believe in what happened yesterday may help us to understand today.
Recently, I ran across an article called the Subtle Process of Transformation by Eva Hayward.
She goes through an in depth look at the physical changes which occur when you start changing such a basic human trait such as gender:


"Like the change from summer to autumn, changing sex is more than a conscious choice or an act of will. It may be that change comes on a scalpel of desire or along a hormonal riptide, such that the body is legibly sexed, but this describes only a fraction of what is at play. Hormones, for instance, have ranging impacts. Taking estrogen can cause fat deposits to uproot and travel to new sights of colonization so that hips widen, breasts grow and lactate, and musculature softens. Estrogen can also alter the eye's structure, affecting vision. It can modify the body's heating and cooling and olfactory systems. I remember sitting on a subway train, feeling so disoriented by smelling layers of place, saturated funk and perfume that I got off the train and walked six blocks to my stop. Estrogen has health consequences. Annual mammograms and regular breast exams are recommended for transsexual women. If, like me, you started hormone therapy with Premarin (complemented with progesterone), derived (wickedly) from horse urine, how much of that early transition was about becoming horse-like? And later still, with soy- and yam-based estrogens, vegetal? Hormones are a complicated business, and they're just one plot line in the relentless narrative of sex. Transsexuality not only is more nuanced than it is typically described, it breaches the defended territories of sexual reproduction. Thomas Beatie became a national sensation as "the first married man to give birth." Although other men gave birth before Beatie, he was able to capitalize on curiosity and voyeurism, an irresistible tipple, and start a public conversation about the limits of sex: "How can a man have a baby?"

Of course, most of us have heard all of this before or even are feeling it all for the first time. Eva though, took all of the process a step further:

"And now, with the first successful uterine transplant, in Turkey, and Britain and Sweden following suit, it's only a matter of time before other wombless bodies have wombs. But surgical interventions are not alone in transforming our assumptions about sex. Infants are being breast-fed by all kinds of lactating men and women. And last week, a friend sent me a photo of her "false pregnancy," in which the endocrine system produces hormones that physically express as pregnancy. She is a woman "with a transsexual past," as she would say, and still her body is compelled to reach beyond her history. Sex changes; remarkably and unavoidably. Sex is an unending process, not yet finished with any of us."

This is a fascinating look into what transsexualism is and isn't. Read it all here.

Added Link to Cyrsti's Condo

I have added a new link to our blog roll here in the Condo.
The site deals with info for cross dressers wives. A very important resource for many in the community.
Follow the link or go here for more.

Dear Abby Advice

In another sign of better times for the transgender community comes this advice from a recent "Dear Abby"  column:


"Dear Abby: Last night at a restaurant, my husband and I were surprised to see a male server wearing a blond wig and full makeup. I was, to say the least, shocked and very glad we hadn’t brought the children, ages 11 and 14, with us. How do you explain something like that to an 11-year-old? The 14-year-old would be able to “get it.” What kind of policies are in place for restaurants in cases like this? What if customers are offended? Could I request a different server or just leave? Your comments would be appreciated. — Taken Aback In California Dear Taken Aback:

In California, people have the legal right to dress in a style not typical of their gender without fear of discrimination or retaliation. That right is protected by state law. If customers find it offensive, they can either request a different server or take their business elsewhere. Presumably, the customer would pay for food that had already been prepared. Because children today grow up quickly and are less sheltered than in past decades, I recommend you explain to your 11-year-old that not all people are alike, and the importance of treating others with respect. It’s called reality."

I really like the last couple of sentences!!!


Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.