Amanda Lepore

On the Cyrsti's Condo big screen, we are featuring a documentary video featuring the much photographed Amanda Lepore transgender model from NYC:

Genetic Girl to Transgender Woman?

This is a fascinating study I found during one of my endless surfing trips on the web. From the Huffington Post:

Stunning photos from a 2008 project by artist Charlie White pair teen girls with their transgender adult female doppelgängers. Titled the "Teen and Transgender Comparative Study," White's project is a "a correlation of two stages of transformation, pairing teen girls with like adult male-to-female" transgender women. "I was working on a larger, ongoing project titled 'Girl Studies' at the time," White, who is based on Los Angeles, told HuffPost Gay Voices in an email. "Within that broader idea, the intersection between girls transforming through the biological patterns, and transgender through chemical and surgical processes became very important to me."

For more go here.

Winning Womanless Pageants

Hunter Edwards was named Junior Mr. Miss Ernest Ward Middle School in a womanless beauty pageant Friday night. First runner-up was Jacob Weaver, and second runner-up was Luke Ward. Edwards also received the audience vote People’s Choice Award. For more go here.

Sweet Sarah

From the magic of world wide YouTube comes the story of Sarah on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:


 

Cyrsti in Wonderland.

Very few humans have a chance to reinvent themselves-legally of course.
Now it seems for whatever reason, I may have that chance.
I'm not taking any credit. In fact if it wasn't for more than a couple very understanding friends and a family member like my daughter (and another who I consider family) there is no way I would have made it here.

I am a believer in being at the right place at the right time but not in blind luck. Luck is putting yourself in a position to take advantage of a situation.
But, on the other hand as you probably know by now I'm also a huge believer in Karma. Sooner more than later life has giveth and taketh away for me. I went through the dark years of no transgender information at all to tons of it now. Plus, when I was growing up it's possible I could have been arrested for even dressing as a girl in public. Now I pretty much have my own regular mainstream spots I'm accepted in. I could go on and on with examples.

Now the sky is the limit. I still have to get my ears pierced before the summer but past that I'm thinking of picking up yoga and even belly dancing. In other words, I'm really starting to embrace this reinvention idea.

I think the biggest problem with doing all of this later in life is the subconscious idea I can't do it somehow. Of course we all know the first sign of failure is thinking you can't do something. Anyway you cut it, living 50 years fighting my gender issues with every fiber of my being is tough to change. We've talked about the practice of muscle memory here in Cyrsti's Condo. My challenge now is to embrace every challenge coming and think yes I can do that!

So this reinvention thing I think an invention in itself (give that some thought) The end result is I'm just being me. On the other hand this whole idea just fires up my imagination.

Maybe I should start a short story called "Cyrsti in Wonderland"? Nah! I have nothing to wear!

Sweet Candy

Several years ago Columbus and The Ohio State University hosted a huge Andy Warhol exhibit which even encouraged guests to come in drag one of the days! I was fairly certain I would never see a public invitation like that in my life.
Of course I thought I knew quite a bit about Warhol's story and work but came away from the exhibit thinking I knew very little.

Many photographers have documented the Warhol 1970's era in New York City but not with the stark black and white quality of a man we have mentioned here in Cyrsti's Condo before- Peter Hujar 
He was an openly gay man who lived during the AIDS crisis.  Hujar photographed transsexuals, drag queens and icons of gay community.  The portraits have been compiled into an exhibit at the Pace/MacGill Gallery in NYC. Hujar died at the age of 53 in November 1987 of complications from AIDS.

To our left is the classic "death bed" picture of transsexual icon Candy Darling by Hujar.

For more of Hujar's other work go here.

Inspirational Story

Some transgender video's need no introduction this You Tube presentation is simply inspirational:

Transsexual Journey

As you know, recently I have tried to pass along relevant videos here in Cyrsti's Condo. Here is "Jessica's Story:"




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Take the Long Way Home

Perhaps some of you remember the old Super Tramp song "Take the Long Way Home" released in October of 1979.

I had to drop off an item in Northern Ohio today so I had time to listen to some classic rock and remember the "good old days" - some of which weren't so good. As I zoned out and listed to the Super Tramp song, I remembered the confusion I was suffering.
Here's a portion of the lyrics explaining why this song resonated with me:

"So you think you're a Romeo playing a part in a picture-show Take the long way home Take the long way home Cos you're the joke of the neighborhood Why should you care if you're feeling good Take the long way home Take the long way home But there are times that you feel you're part of the scenery all the greenery is comin' down, boy
And then your wife seems to think you're part of the furniture oh, it's peculiar, she used to be so nice. When lonely days turn to lonely nights you take a trip to the city lights And take the long way home Take the long way home You never see what you want to see Forever playing to the gallery You take the long way home Take the long way home "

I certainly felt if my deep dark gender secret was to come out, I would be the joke of the neighborhood. I was playing to the gallery and I did my best to be part of the male scenery. All the time I knew how close the greenery was to coming down. Much of my answer to all of this was alcohol and I don't hesitate to say I was lucky to make it through that time in my life. More than likely one of the only reasons I did was my second wife who I was with for 27 years who saw some sort of positive light inside me that I couldn't even see.

If you have been a regular visitor to Cyrsti's Condo you know she passed away over five years ago and I credit her with being the transgender person I am today.  So many times, I read the pain and suffering from other transgender folks and feel totally helpless. Obviously words can only go so far. I just hope all of you can successfully take the long way home.