Down Under Drag

Divanna Lorrette

I found this site by sheer accident "A Pictorial History of Melbourne Drag" by Jamie Lee Skye. Just for kicks and giggles I also threw in a classic picture of Barry Kay.

Barry Kay

Follow the link above for more classic female impersonation pictures!

Pieces of the Puzzle

Every once in  while here in Cyrsti's Condo I get excited and do a little housekeeping. I was going through a few of the old posts which described my first visit to a hair stylist and the resulting benefits.
As I said at the time, being able to go natural with my own hair was huge!
The whole experience was similar to finding a huge piece of my transgender puzzle. I was to discover quickly the benefits and drawbacks of finally being able to wear my own hair. Of course there was the sensuality. Whether or not women know the effect a simple twist of their hair has on some men is up for speculation but at the least the simple twist has an effect on them.
The other end of the spectrum is the time and effort hair requires. A part of me didn't believe I would have to schedule monthly salon visits to hide my gray, cut the split ends and trim my bangs. All of the sudden, I'm shopping for different shampoos, combs, brushes and hair dryers.
As all my genetic female friends say "welcome to our world"!
I can only say, thanks for the welcome and I love it here!
Ironically, the funniest part of all of this is when I try to take my hair off!

Transgender Stars

"Laura Calvo, a transgender activist from Portland, Ore.has become the first transgender woman elected to the Democratic National Committee, according to the Statesman Journal. Laura Calvo, the twice-elected treasurer of the Democratic Party of Oregon, has worked closely with Basic Rights Oregon in helping to pass Oregon’s Equality Act and Family Fairness Act. She's held a number of positions on local, state, and national levels. She was a regional director on the board of National Stonewall Democrats, served as treasurer of the party's LGBT caucus, served on the Hillary Clinton National LGBT Steering Committee and then went directly to work as a member of the Obama National Policy and Finance Committee once Obama won the nomination. Just Out named her as one of the top 25 LGBT community leaders of the past quarter century."

Many times I think all of us get too involved with the "glitzier" members of the transgender - transsexual community who are very public. We have a tendency to forget trans women such as Laura who are making a huge grass roots difference! She is an impressive role model for us all!
For more, go here!

Transgender Basics

All too often I read of beginning cross dressers all the way to transsexuals who dwell on the smallest points of fashion, shoes and makeup- there is nothing wrong with that! On the other hand, if you are not practicing the beauty basics in essence you could be wasting a lot of time before you slide into those heels!

My first example is weight. Similar to most of us, I have a thick torso so any weight I gain still goes to my upper body. (I think the hormones are finally shifting some "padding" to my hips, thighs and butt.) Excluding my breasts, the last thing I want to do is gain weight. My thought is, if you want to enter the feminine world, you may want to get obsessive about your weight like most genetic women. Be forewarned such as I was. Hormones will not help your weight issue! Pounds are as easy to put on but much harder to take off!

My second example is skin care.  Of course your skin is a canvas. The better the base-the better the finished product. One area of my appearance I do get a lot of compliments on is in the age category. Most don't even come close to thinking I'm 63. Genetics of course do have big impact but I believe nearly 20 years of moisturizers and skin creams have helped too.  "Back in the day" it was always easy for me to "stash" away some sort of skin care product to apply everyday after I shaved. There are hundreds to chose from. They include cleansers, defoliants, wrinkle cream at all different price ranges. Today it is even easier to use a skin care product because they are on the market for men. So, in reality you should have no excuse to not take care of your skin!

Finally, I believe so many in our community spend so much time jumping in and out of the culture they lose sight of tomorrow. Purging today for a week, month or year (of all your female belongings) usually doesn't mean you won't be back.  Following the two common sense basics above will certainly help you in which ever gender you ultimately chose to live.

Enigma?

If enigma sounds like a mysterious word, it is supposed to!
By definition an enigma is an inscrutable or mysterious person. Just think about it this way. If the average male can not decipher the average female,  just what do they think about us?
Plus, let me take this a step further and ask what the average genetic female thinks about a transgender woman?
The easy answer is most of the public doesn't know what to think.  The best part is most know we are here to stay.  It's part of our allure to stay an enigma!

Transgender Changes

From YouTube (of course) A little transgender history:

 

Hold Still-Here Comes Your Label!

I certainly do my best to stay away from the insane world of labels. I recently read a column concerning the "correctness" of using transgender rather than transsexual. I don't remember which.
Personally, I identify with the transgender term myself...I think! The word seems to separate me from the transsexuals in that the word sex was used.  I followed through the fact that sex is between the legs and gender is between the ears and I don't have the overriding urge to have a total sex change. Of course what I feel about those two labels doesn't matter. I am who I know I am not who I say I am - just to please society.
Also, my ideas don't stop me from writing about those who use labels to hate and bigot...Such as these two.

"A Twitter message about spitting led Towson lawyer and lesbian advocate Cathy Brennan to file for a peace order against a transgender advocate. Phylicia Sampson, a 28-year-old Baltimore resident, and Brennan, 42, were engaged in a heated debate on the social media site when Sampson wrote that she wanted to spit in Brennan's face. Brennan, a former member of the Boards of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Baltimore, said she has been a gay activist since 1995, but is of the opinion that transgendered women are male and should not have access to "female spaces." "The balancing interest and concern between lesbians and transwomen is an issue," she said. "This is an issue in [the LGBT] community, but I don't think this has bubbled into the main stream yet."

Really?

I have read more than a couple of Brennan's ideas and have felt she is a Rad-Femme hater/bigot. On the other hand the endless back and forth which resulted in the lawsuit is just counter productive. I suppose people just have to have something to do, even if it is just hate. That is one of the reasons why I don't dwell on labels. The wrong label with the wrong person only can lead to trouble.  Maybe I can say I'm into "label stealth"?

Top Gay Cities in America

The current issue of the Advocate features their choice of the "gayest" cities in America.
I have had an interest in this ranking for several years when nearby Columbus, Ohio made the list.
I know though that being the "gayest" city often has nothing to do with being transgender friendly of course. Still, it has been interesting to me from a public relations viewpoint of Ohio. More than once I have been asked by a former Ohioian who has not been back for awhile, how I stand to live here?
Well, times do change of course and certainly there are pockets of transphobia and homophobia as virulent as any place else in the country here. But do not slap the stereotypical conservative "bible belt" tag on us all.
Of particular interest in this selection of cities was the inclusion of Cincinnati. "The Nati" (also close by) in my lifetime has always been known for a very conservative stance on almost all issues. Obviously, I was surprised and happy to see the city made the list. Especially, since I'm considering moving there this year.
As with any ranking system in any publication the Advocate has a very subjective ranking system. But does include a transgender point:
"Transgender protections 1 point for every jurisdiction with laws prohibiting discrimination, according to National Gay and Lesbian Task Force"

To check it out and see if your city (or one close) made the list, go here.

Black-Out?

Like so many larger women, black is the basis of my wardrobe.  Sure black makes you look thinner but there are options. Check this fashion advice from Fabulous after 40.
I'm a real believer in keeping up with all of the feminine fashion and make up tips I can find and passing them along to you on occasion here in Cyrsti's Condo.