More from the UK's Paris Lees

We have posted articles in the past about Paris Lees and her Meta publication.  If you haven't heard,   ‘META’ is available online and features news, features and entertainment from a

feminist and transgender perspective.

Over the past two years, Paris has embarked on a campaign to raise awareness about transgender people, appearing everywhere from BBC Breakfast to primetime Channel 4. She says her message is simple: “I just want people to stop bullying people like me. I understand that difference can seem strange, but really we’re just people and should be judged on our actions — not what was between our legs when we were born. After all, who gets a choice in that?” She adds: “I used to feel ashamed of who I was, but then I realised I had nothing to apologise for. Despite the discrimination we face, trans people help run councils and manage the NHS – the prime minister even takes advice from people who are transgender.”

Here's your link for more!

Transgender "Jocks"

At my advanced age, my interest in sports remains strong as a transgender woman but of course participation opportunities are for the most part out of the question.
However, as the door continues to open for transgender athletes a bit at a time information is coming out from different sources.
This guide comes from a FTM publication called Original Plumbing

1. Check the regulations of team you want to play with – even small recreational dodge ball leagues have by laws that regulate gender and gendered competition. Check to see how the league has written their by laws, and if there are any concerns, contact the head of the organization. If they are unfriendly to you or are not clear about their regulations, do not join that organization.
 2. Co-ed sports can be great options for folks who identify beyond the norms of the binary gender system, however, do not alleviate problems involving transphobia. You have a right to play and participate without hateful comments or actions no matter how you express your identity. However, there is a limitation in what sports may be available for multiple-gender participation.
 3. Private organizations do not have a right to information regarding your healthcare status and is protected by HIPAA law. The organization may be allowed to ask for documentation on your legal sex, but your health is your business.
 4. LGBT sports organizations and recreation leagues tend to be more progressive with their gender policies – even if you do not want to participate in their exact sport, they may have members who might have advice finding a team/organization that will be able to work with your needs.
 Regardless of which team or sport you have chosen, you have a right to play as anyone else. But sometimes as trans folks, we have to fight for our spots at the table. Find an athletic organization of your choice, make some contacts, do your research, and most importantly, know your rights.

"The "B" Word

No, not that "B" word- the bully word.
I can't say enough negative about bullying and in fact haven't written much about it's tragic effects here in Cyrsti's Condo much at all.
The reason (or excuse) is I really did not know where to start.
I do think we transgender individuals sometimes think we have the market cornered and certainly it seems that way in our world.
Ironically, one of the woman in the group I went out with last night told me the saddest story of her youth as a very obese kid.  Without going too deep into it, she said the torture such as bubble gum in the hair became so bad she nearly couldn't stand it...and ballooned to over 400 pounds as a young adult.
The good news is she survived the experience, had surgery and literally has lost hundreds of pounds.
Other's of course haven't- inside the transgender, gay or straight world.
Amanda Todd is one of those:
She was a Vancouver-area teenager who posted a story to YouTube last month about being cyber-bullied, then was found dead  in Coquitlam, Canada. Authorities believe she committed suicide.
 The sad part is that a petition has to be started on  Causes  to try to do something.

Then, there is the story of Denver Transsexual TV Host Eden Lane.

In high school, Lane wore androgynous clothing while trying to simply move through the world like any other kid. Until the day some boys were gathered in the back of the science lab talking about which girls they found attractive. The new boy at school named Eden. When the other boys told him she wasn't exactly a girl, the humiliated boy lit her hair on fire with a Bunsen burner.

Read more of her success story here

I was admittedly luckier than most. My physical stature and interest in sports kept me in a safer nondescript .middle point. I wasn't part of the popular crowd but I wasn't bullied nor thank god did I bully. Seemingly today, more and more folks in our society need to be haters and feed on the different or the weak. I (of course) have a few thoughts on why-but in reality who cares what I think. It's what I do that's important and that is exactly why I'm passing along the Causes link to you.
Look,  I know I could pass along sad story after sad story to you.
On the other hand, you survivors need to make sure the world knows more of your successes. Recently again I had someone try to hang the courageous tag on me.
In reality you bullying survivors deserve the credit for being courageous and brave more than I ever will!

Girl Stuff

Jillian Page writes a blog for the Montreal Gazette
and she presents great perspective on the transgender experience.
This is a great post concerning the female socialization process we go through:

"I was chatting with two women last night — one born-female, the other a transitioned woman — about my concerns with the way some women give me the evil eye when I wear certain clothes. I got two very different sets of responses from them. The born-female woman, who is my partner in life now and someone I love very much, says some women are just naturally jealous of each other, and that I just need to learn to live with it. I shouldn’t be so sensitive, and should just shrug it off. In other words, c’est la vie. I should add that my partner would be the first one to let me know if something I am wearing is not appropriate (she hates my long wigs, for example). The transitioned friend first asked me what sort of clothes are drawing the evil eye, then suggested I need to dress in clothing that would “better match my age.” Grrrr . . . them’s fighting words to me . . . First, I don’t wear mini-skirts to work. Occasionally, I wear a dress that falls, say, 2 or 3 inches above the knees. But mostly, I wear dresses or skirts that fall to the midway point of my calves. I don’t show any copious amounts of cleavage because, sadly, I don’t have a heck of a lot of cleavage to be showing. Other women in my office reveal more than I can ever hope to have. So, objectively speaking, at the very most, I might show a bit more leg that others do . . . but then again, I’ve seen other female colleagues show the same amount if not more. As for my choice of clothing, some of it is a little more youthful, but most of what I wear in public is fine for a woman of any age."

Follow her link above for more.

Will the Circle be Unbroken?

Recently, I re encountered one of my protagonists in a place I go to quite a bit for a drink.
He is middle aged and is one of those guys who comes off as just too smooth. Worse yet, when you see beneath the veneer there is structural damage.
Over the year or so that he has been coming there when I have, he has always made the point of seeking me out and always manages to come up with some sort of snide comment concerning my gender presentation. About the time I get mad enough to really rock his world, he seems to sense it and scurries away.
The visit was quite the eye opener for me anyhow because no one seemed to know who I was with my new hair. The significance of the experience was not lost on me since once again I had gone full circle. I actually have been going there for approximately 6 years. My wife and I actually went several times before she passed away and I continued to go back as a girl until the present. For most of the crew and all of the regulars not to know me was huge.
Back to my buddy.  He circled me a couple times on his way to the bar's lottery machine. Finally he slithered up and said "I finally recognized you over here-looking all normal and that." Well, I guess that's a compliment?
Often I have thought about saying "pull up a seat, let's talk." If I thought it would do any good I would try to explain I never was just a guy getting dressed up as a girl to come out and socialize. Did he understand what female hormones are and that I have been on them for most of the year now and OH Gee- I neglected to mention I have been growing my hair for a year and that is what he is seeing. The bottom line is I don't like or respect him enough to waste my time.
Finally, I know the normal he saw is finally the real me and it's only the beginning.

Transgender Cinema

I can only describe this cinema trailer for the Carl(a) movie is a view into transgender, transsexual reality:

Allie in Stuttgart

Stuttgart, Arkansas-not Germany to be exact. Allie is one of two transgender teens profiled in a new film project:

"She’s a regular teenager in many ways — worried about what other kids in school think of her and excited about college. But she’s also transgender, and that’s made her life more difficult and challenging than most of us could imagine. Allie realized she was meant to be a girl when she was  three years old, she explained, but had to keep her identity hidden to avoid bullying and abuse. The project called a "friend film" still needs funding, and if you’re inclined you can support it through Indie-Go-Go.

I have never thought words such as courage and bravery were appropriate for me so I hesitate to use them for Allie either.  In reality she is just like the rest of us-just trying to be ourselves. Don't we all deserve a chance?

Check out the video:

Sophia Abella

Sophia Abella, transgender model

Playing by the Numbers.

Without getting too political, one of the presidential candidates recently referred to a certain 47% of the population he wasn't concerned about. Unfortunately, I fall into his "47". I'm on Social Security and I receive Veterans Administration health benefits.
Then I read this huge Gallop Poll tossing me into the three percent or so of Americans who are LGBT. I really don't know what all of that means to me or that I should care.
I was curious about the 3 percenters this morning when I stopped by a thrift store on the way back from my daughter's.
The reason I was curious is this store is huge but was almost empty. I estimate there were only ten or so shoppers in the whole place and three of them were men shopping exclusively in the women's clothes. Hmmmm- Now I will give you the fact that a guy could be shopping for an outfit in one of the large women's retail stores but not so much in a thrift store. Here honey "happy birthday" -check out this deep discount used sweater! Now there are great clothes and values to be found in these stores and I shop them a lot. I do not think a man just happened in to shop for women's clothes there.
Also this morning, one guy was going through the dress rack in earnest and even stopped a clerk to inquire about a size. The other guy had a whole arm load of clothing-was wearing shorts with hairless legs. I know it's just Halloween?
My only point is from my own personal survey this morning, maybe Gallop missed a large segment of the population who identify as cross dressers and normally are very deeply closeted.
If they added a "C" to the LGBT count, maybe all my numbers would total up to over 50 percent!
Oh wow! I'm finally validated!!!! Yay!