A Different View

Many of the YouTube videos I view and even present on our Cyrsti's Condo big screen give us all a wonderful finished transition. Speaking for me alone, I am amazed and happy for most of the transgender girls but have seen much of their process an impossible dream of sorts.  The video I'm presenting now though   is different in that the trans woman had not as of yet started any HRT:

Winning in Columbus

Columbus, Ohio is very close to me geographically and a couple years ago was ranked as one of the top ten Gay cities in the country. In many ways the outcome of  Savanna DeLong's (pictured right) story didn't surprise me as much as it happening at all. This story comes from the LGBTQ Nation:

"A municipal court judge in Columbus, Ohio, has ordered owners of a private dining and business networking club to pay a $1,000 fine in the city’s first-ever transgender discrimination case. Franklin County Municipal Court Judge H. William Pollitt Jr., on Monday levied the fine against Columbus Hospitality Management, owners of the Capital Club, for retaliating against Savanna DeLong and denying her work at the downtown club. Savanna DeLong Image via WBNS-TV It’s the first-ever case brought by city prosecutors against a Columbus business for discriminating against someone who’s transgender, since gender identity was added in 2008 to local anti-discrimination laws."

I wondered though if DeLong had retained her job after all of this and a 1000 dollars is very much a slap on the wrist. Read more:

" Chief Prosecutor Lara Baker-Morrish said DeLong’s status as a contractor prevented the city from fully pursuing a discrimination case against the company. Columbus Hospitality Management was fined for retaliating against DeLong by denying her work after she filed a federal equal-opportunity complaint. That complaint was dismissed because federal anti-discrimination laws don’t cover LGBT Americans. Without the 2008 addition of gender identity to Columbus’ anti-discrimination laws, though, DeLong would have had no standing to pursue her case, Baker-Morrish said. The $1,000 fine against Capital Club will be paid to the city, not to DeLong. But, she said, she has gained something from her involvement in Columbus’ first transgender discrimination case. “It gave me a lot more self-confidence. It made me realize Columbus is a pretty good place,” she said. “I feel like I contributed something to the community.”

That is a better ending!

R.I.P. Erica Andrews

Erica Andrews, a nationally known trans woman and drag diva who headlined the Dallas-filmed indie flick Ticked Off Trannies with Knives, died last night in Chicago from a lung infection, according to reports. Andrews was in her 40s.

For more go here.

Defining your Trans-ness

To be fair, I'm borrowing this line from Miss America's first autistic contestant when she said "I define my autism, it does not define me."

Defining our individual level of "trans-ness".is equally as important. From closet cross dressers to transsexual activists, defining ourselves is key to our personal lives. Even if it is just you and the mirror or you and the world- just thinking "Wow" this is really me defines you.

I thought initially writing this blog, or working on a book or doing a workshop defines me as a transgender woman. In truth though, all of those things are external.  What really defines me are my friends, my relationship and family.

Ironically, I think so many think I had some sort of easy past to get here. On the contrary we all know we have paid considerable dues on our gender journey. Plus a certain segment of the transgender culture even seem to think those dues put them on top of the food chain.

For me though, the difficult part is not forgetting the stages along the way.  Remembering those dark years so long ago when "the girl in the mirror" defined me keeps me real. I just hate when I catch myself climbing up on some slippery pedestal.

Now the most exciting aspect of defining my transgender womanhood  is the simple fact I'm still evolving. I'm still defining being a trans woman.

But no longer being a trans woman defines me.

Quote of the Day

"I prefer to think rationality is subjective on the outcome" Cyrsti Hart

Musically Yours

On the Cyrsti's Condo big screen, here is another transgender transition video from YouTube:

HRT and the Trans Girl

I came across this video on YouTube (of course) and found it to have some interesting information concerning black market hormones. Here it is on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:

Trans Feminism

This one of those topics which is certain to raise discussions to an emotional rather than a rational level. I'm sure the rad fem haters and their transgender opponents have been battling about this subject for years.  When you refuse to recognize a transgender or transsexual woman as any sort of a female, feminism is a mute point to many.
Fortunately there are a few younger generation people discussing this. Including this article from the Marshall University student publication:
 "Trans-feminism provides type of feminism specific to transgender individuals".

Here's an excerpt:

"Just like any feminists, trans-women connect with whichever branch of feminism coincides with their lifestyle and personal views. Feminists can be radical or conservative. They can identify as men, women, trans, or anything in between. They can be gay, lesbian, bisexual. A branch of feminism exists for everyone. Therefore, the concept of trans-feminism does not suggest that trans-women cannot be part of regular feminism. It all just depends on which equality ideal most closely reflects their goals, personalized views and lifestyle choices. From what I understand, it is a much more difficult transition from male to female, socially because of societal norms of acceptability. Men dressing, acting or identifying as feminine are often judged more harshly than women doing the opposite. This added difficulty of transition could be one reason behind the need for a different type of feminism. By the same logic, anyone could also identify as trans-feminist regardless of their own gender identity if their motives correspond with those of the trans-feminist community more closely than with any other type of feminism. Many people who do not struggle with gender identity concern themselves with transgender rights and issues because they feel their importance and urgency. Perhaps trans-feminism could be perceived the same way. You don’t have to be transgender to get involved in the fight for their rights as human beings. Trans-feminism defines a branch of feminism that has been much needed in society. Despite feminism’s push for total gender equality, a whole other set of issues entangled transgender individuals. In some cases, they need something more than mainstream feminism can offer."

I have a tendency to agree. In some places trans women are still struggling for voting rights because of ID issues and I shouldn't even have to mention the shameful employment discrimination we all face.  Genetic women may be fighting for equal pay but we are fighting to be hired at all.

This is an interesting look at our world from a concerned outsider. Read it all here.

"Dorkism" Part Two

My friend Shelle  lle" was kind enough to comment on my "Dork" post here in Cysti's Condo and to compliment me. So nice!
As always my overactive noggin began to think about the socialization of our inner selves...in our cases mostly girl selves.

To the uninitiated,  females are the warm and fuzzy side of humans.  In reality, their interactions with each other are much more complex than males and often as a group women do have a stronger internal toughness. I found out early on to always be on guard for a negative transphobic public interactions from  women.

What really surprised me though were the negative reactions on line from transsexual women who had gone through SRS.

I try so hard to use these negatives to socialize my inner dork. They are wonderful role models of who not to be.  One problem I do have is a genetic switch of sorts from my Mom to overcome.  Of course I love and respect her for what she was but "warm and fuzzy" does not come to mind. She was a great role model on how not to understand others.

As I throw all these life experiences in a blender (including male ones) hopefully the result will be healthy.
I am a believer in reincarnation and hopefully heading to a higher level after this life.  Hopefully, all this craziness will get me there!