Just a Man being a Woman

Recently here in Cyrsti's Condo I have attempted to pass along YouTube videos which I thought covered everyone from transitioning transgender and transsexual women all the way to drag queens. All too often I have a tendency to leave out the cross dresser segment of our culture.  I feel bad about it because all too often I think some cross dressers feel somehow I don't relate to them or put myself up on some pedestal because of my HRT or lifestyle.  Let me tell you all-I'm terrible on pedestals and karma knocks me off every time!
To make amends check out this cross dressing video:

Over a Trans Man's Shoulder

Another comment on the "Over my Shoulder" trans security post here in Cyrsti's Condo:

 "Any "man" that feels it necessary to be menacing isn't truly a man. I understand the thinking that if you dress a certain way what do you expect. However, that thinking does not make the treatment correct. All women have a right to dress however they feel without having to fear being accosted. Even as a Trans male I still scope out an area before I go out. I think in this day and age ANY person needs to be on the lookout for their safety. Draco on Looking over my Shoulder"

 Thanks Draco for two huge reasons. Yes a real man doesn't and won't result to hostile behavior. As we all know though so many guys are so insecure in their manhood in so many ways it's tough to sort them out. Plus the great majority of trans women of course never approached a woman like that so we have to be careful that others do.

Two.- YES! Any person does have to be on their outlook for their safety!

Finally, not to embarrass Draco but I have known him for awhile and he just started on testosterone not long ago.  Of all the transgender people I have known over the years, his amazing happiness of finally realizing some of his gender dreams was contagious. Your views are always welcome my friend!

Anti Trans Womyn

Over the years, a tremendous line in the girls sandbox has always been drawn by the radical feminist "womym's" movement. The annual Michigan Womyn's Music Festival in many ways has been a bigoted, short sighted rallying point against the transgender woman community.
In 1991 a transgender woman was ejected from the festival.  Trans people began to organize multiple protests against the policy, including establishing Camp Trans outside the festival's gates. Over the years I have read with sadness the hate filled taunts which have gone back and forth from members of both sides.
Finally it seems movement is starting to happen. One of the popular musical acts "The Indigo Girls" released this statement coming out against transgender discrimination at the festival and more:

"To our community in regards to Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival We want you to know some of our thoughts about our participation in Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. Indigo Girls have a lot of respect for protest and dialogue in our feminist and queer movements, and we want to do our part to encourage growth and evolution in our community. We care about MWMF deeply, and in our years of playing the Festival, we have evolved and benefited from the experience. We have received many gifts from this unique and powerful gathering. Our hope for all the past years has been that the Festival would move towards an intention of Trans-Inclusion. We have continued to search our selves and look at both sides of this issue and truly respect the different points of view, but have always come back to our core belief that Trans Womyn should be included in the Festival, and their womynhood should be honored by the intentions of MWMF. The current intention for the Festival to be for “Womyn born Womyn” only grew out of an important necessity to honor the idea that womyn have a variety of self expression and appearance and they need a safe space where their womynhood is not in question as they stand in many different places on the spectrum from femininity to masculinity. This intention has a very important historic basis and has kept the space safe for many womyn over the years. But we strongly feel that the time is long overdue for a change of intention, to one that states very plainly the inclusion of Trans Womyn. To us, this change of intention is the only path to a truly “safe space” for womyn. We are in a time of struggle and rapid changes in our movement and we would be remiss to not recognize that many of the strides that have been made are a result of Trans Activism and the strength and perspective they have brought to the queer and feminist revolutions. We feel that if someone identifies as a womyn, they are a womyn and should be welcomed into our community with open arms. We will only be stronger for it. We will be playing the Festival this year in the spirit of change. We encourage the Founders and the community of MWMF to find the bravery and compassion that we are all endowed with to create a space that is Trans Inclusive. We know these changes are complex and take time and careful consideration. MWMF has a long and important history of being on the cutting edge of positive change- a torchbearer for the hard transitions within the feminist and queer movements. This is the time to fulfill MWMF’s most vital role in our community and help to honor the Trans Community out in the world, by honoring them within the world of Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival. We hope in the end that we can all find our “safe space” and comfort on the sacred land of MWMF. We understand that there are many folks who feel passionately about these issues, but we encourage people on both sides to act peacefully when they express themselves. There is nothing to be gained from hateful rhetoric or aggressive actions. All over the world queer, and specifically Trans folks are beaten and killed for being who they are. The community of MWMF has a responsibility to fight this hate and be a beacon of love and light for all womyn suffering under hate and oppression, and this includes our Trans Sisters. If you are against Trans Inclusion at MWMF, that is your prerogative, but that does not mean you have to be aggressive towards the Trans community. This kind of hate and aggression will rip our community apart and we all know who benefits from “divide and conquer” and it’s not womyn or queers. Although we are playing the festival, we honor the current protest against MWMF and hope that it will help move the community towards change. Any money that we make playing the Festival will go towards Trans Activism. We will make a statement from stage at the Festival in support of Trans Inclusion. We have made it clear that this will be our last time at the Festival until MWMF shows visible and concrete signs of changing their intention. We have no animosity towards anyone in this case but see the deep and fearless legacy that MWMF has had during its existence and we honor that. We also honor the prayerfulness that has been a part of this struggle on both sides. This is not an easy path, so we empathize with all who struggle to make their decisions. We love Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival and hope for it’s continued presence and power in our lives. Sincerely, Amy and Emily Indigo Girls."

For more go here.

I don't want to state the obvious here but isn't this a total waste of time on the festival's part?  Then again on occasion I have not been a welcome addition to the girls sandbox, especially if they were just peeing in it!

Married in Malta

The government of Malta has decided to amend the Marriage Act. Now transsexuals may marry partners of their choice according to their 'acquired' gender. The decision was brought on largely due to the efforts of Joanne Cassar a post op transsexual woman (right).

From Maltatoday: 

"Details on the legal amendment will reflect the principle that, by officially recognising a person's reassigned gender identity through documentation (eg, ID card or driver's licence), the State also de facto commits itself to acknowledging and protecting all the rights and privileges associated with that particular gender identity. These rights include that of marrying a person of the opposite sex: something hitherto denied for persons in this (admittedly uncommon) predicament. Once the legal amendments are in place, the case filed against Malta by Cassar will be withdrawn, and her legal expenses refunded by the State. The right of transgender persons to marry was firmly established in a preceding case dating back to 2002 - Christine Goodwin vs. the United Kingdom - where the ECtHR held that it found no justification for barring transsexuals from enjoying the right to marry under any circumstances."


"Cassar's reaction on Facebook was: "kemmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm jiena ferhanaaaaaaaaaaaaa grazzi il maltin ghax vera malta taghna il koll :) kemm jien ecitataaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." [sic] No direct translation can quite do justice to such a spontaneous expression of "happiness", "excitement" and "gratitude". Suffice it to say that her keyboard evidently shared in her enthusiasm."

Cute!!!

Mommy! There's A Drag Queen on the Plane!

Check out this "cutesy" Facebook Ad on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:


 

Horror Scope

Well kids, another week has flown by like the crows on the trees around Cyrsti's Condo and it's time for another "Horror Scope"... for  Libra's:

(September 23-October 22): This week will be blissful and beautiful in a most loving way. Seems you and your baby will find a simpatico that has you both accomplishing a long sought after goal that you never thought would happen. Not to say you didn’t have faith in it, but you didn’t know if you would have the stamina. Well, it seems success is here!

Not to be selfish... You can get your own "Horror Scope" (my term) from theFrisky!

My "scope" this week was very much on the money. I had a "look whose coming to dinner" Sunday afternoon with my gf and family. We "broke bread" (ate dinner) with her Dad, brother and son. All three knew she had a girlfriend but Dad and brother didn't know about the transgender girlfriend part. Happy to say all went well!

Security and The Trans Girl

Never have I posted any experiences or reflections which generated so much positive response as my recent "Looking Over my Shoulder" post here in Cyrsti's Condo.
I am going to provide you all with a few of the comments and try to tie them all together:

Sarah wrote: "Never discount your sixth sense especially when it comes to your safety. Before I started transitioning I used to always have these odd feelings when alone at night. It was something I didn't quite understand since I really wasn't "supposed" to feel this way. I wondered where this male privilege was everyone talks about? Since I have been full time and have happily traded in male privilege for passing privilege, those feelings I had in the past are still with me but now make sense. It's not so much a feeling of being vulnerable as it is being cautious and aware of things. I agree that how we present ourselves has everything to do with how we're received. As time has elapsed, the "less is more" philosophy has borne wonderful fruit. The only makeup I put on regularly is eye makeup, usually mascara. Sometimes it's nice to be noticed, but only if it's in a good way. Otherwise it's much nicer to be ignored."

 On the other end of the spectrum was Billie's comment:

" I can identify with being cornered by a man and I don't always like it! I willingly present as a female tramp and I've been told plenty of times I'm asking for it. This from both GGs and T-girls alike. I've also been told I have low (questionable) morals and they often tell me I have little self-respect. Maybe they're right! I've since bought a TASER and carry it in my purse!"


 And Lucy wrapped it all up with some good old common sense:

" This could happen to any woman, trans or not, regardless of how she is dressed, if she gets fixated on by a man who feels he can do what he likes. The only half-certain remedy is not to go to places where such men might be. But is that completely reasonable? It's a risk to be managed and lived with. A risk surely halved if one is in company, and not walking alone. They say, and it's backed up with statistics, that a teen or twenty-something male is the most likely to be attacked in the street, but there can't be many ordinary women who haven't at some time been frightened by being watched or followed or crowded into a corner, indoors or out."

So I guess for once I am just happy to have you ladies take the floor because you did such an incredible job!
Including you Calie at T-Central! Thanks!!!!

Triple Echo

In 1972 a curious surprising film called The Triple Echo was released. Of interest to me was the basic premise of the story. In WWII England, a soldier goes AWOL, cross dressed as a woman and ends up actually going to a dance with a British Army Sergeant (Oliver Reed) who has taken a liking to him. The whole movie is on YouTube and I will only tell you it's not a light hearted comedy.

Transgender Military Service?

Recently Allyson Robinson (below) the director of OutServe took a look at former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's legacy. Of course her comments concerning transgender military personnel caught my attention as a trans vet. Here's are a couple of excerpts:

" History will remember Panetta's tenure at the Defense Department favorably for these decisions to change policies that no longer reflected the reality of our wars or, just as importantly, the values of our nation. As a woman veteran, I was elated with these changes. As the wife of a woman veteran (my wife Danyelle was a West Point classmate of mine and served as an Army officer with honor and distinction), I felt encouraged by them. But as a transgender veteran, and an advocate for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) service members, veterans and their families, the changes that Secretary Panetta brought about in his last days in office have left me emboldened. Here's why: As the combat exclusion for women comes to an end and open service for gay, lesbian and bisexual Americans edges closer to truly equal service, it becomes more and more obvious that there is no longer any rational basis on which to bar qualified transgender people from serving in our armed forces. Transgender people (people whose inherent sense of their gender is out of sync with the sex they were declared to be when they were born) have served in America's armed forces from the start."

"Today thousands wear our nation's uniform and fight our nation's wars, despite the fact that, like gay and lesbian service members under DADT, they must hide who they are to serve the country they love. However, what makes their situation different from that faced until recently by gays and lesbians is that no law bars their way. Instead, military medical regulations written decades before most of them were born, when being transgender was poorly understood and prejudice ran deep even among medical and mental health professionals, pronounce them unfit to serve. Over the last 50 years our understanding of the transgender experience has grown significantly. Today thousands of Americans every year receive treatment for gender dysphoria, as the condition is now known. They go on to live full, fulfilling lives and to contribute to their communities and society, often in exemplary ways. They are famous inventors, engineers and well-known authors, fire fighters and police officers, teachers and pastors, parents and spouses -- and soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen. In fact, studies show that transgender people are more likely than their fellow citizens to serve in the military -- perhaps twice as likely."

To read more go here to the Huffington Post.