Hi Ho, Hi Ho It's off to Halloween We Go!

In the Cyrsti's Condo mail slot I found a couple neat Halloween stories including this one from Carol:

"Oh my god this takes me back. I remember the first Halloween I went out dressed. I just loved it! I have always had a joking way about me, so I was pretty sure I could pull it off without too much suspicion. I was looking quite nice, if I do say so myself and I had a couple of guys offer to buy me drinks.

I was in university so free drinks were a good thing haha... however some suspicion was raised when I went to a second party the next night and some of the girls there recognized I was in a different outfit... that was a bit harder to explain... Thanks for writing this Cyrsti, it really brought back some fun memories :)

My pleasure Carol!

I have a similar story which goes back 196 years ago to when I was training for a major restaurant company in Louisville, Ky. The situation was the company was putting me up in a hotel during training and my almost supportive wife wasn't there. I was left unattended and as luck would have it, I actually got Halloween party night off. So I decided what the hell, I would slut it up and hit some of the big straight club parties before I made my way to the big gay venue in town.

Unlike you Carol, no one offered to buy me drinks but I do believe I was felt up under my short skirt by more hands than I ever thought possible. Plus that year I had no worries about running into anyone I knew. I would have to say if I was to do it all over again I think I would have spent more time in the straight venues which turned out to be infinitely more interesting than the gay one. Plus, as you alluded to Carol, there is always the chance a number of people will not guess your true gender in a straight bar Halloween party. In a gay bar everyone knows you are a cross dresser, drag queen or transgender. If you are really creative though and chose a current very popular female star to dress as in a  gay bar, you can have great fun.  I myself have just have never been good enough to work with any of the strong female characters of the day and make a decent costume.  Amy Winehouse and Sarah Palin come to mind as recent examples.

But I do have a creative idea for you and a friend this year on Halloween:

One of you comes as "Honey Boo Boo" complete with tiara and beauty queen sash. Definitely a costume idea for a gay venue! The other can do the drag queen deal on the right and come as two queens or even as Boo Boo's Mom. Just give out samples of toilet paper all night long.

Vintage Revlon!

Most of us are still in the embryonic stage when it comes to makeup and lipstick but many of us "more mature" transgender or cross dressing girls certainly do remember a few of the women we admired from a distance. Just because we couldn't wear their lipstick, we certainly wanted to!

 It turns out that over the years, more and more genetic girls we admired are resenting the fact their fave brands have disappeared from the shelves never to be seen again...until now. Read on:

The Revlon company just announced that in spring 2014, they will relaunch five of their discontinued iconic vintage shades. Revlon customers were asked to vote for the shades that they would like to see come back, via a Facebook poll.

Here are the nominees and the year they were launched: -Daredevil Pink 1972 -Icy Violet 1946 -Revlon Red 1988 -Snow Peach 1956 -Sandstorm 1999 -Sphinx Pink 1962 -Baby Berry 1998 -Fifth Avenue Red 1958 -Persian Melon 1957 -Jungle Peach 1963 After several months of voting the results are in! Next spring, the following shades will be relaunched for a limited time only.

Just think, a chance to relive a dream!

In Step with Trans Vets

The Transgender Education Network of Texas is looking for trans veterans to serve on a panel at the 2013 Outserve -SLDN leadership conference. TENT needs those who can attend the Oct. 25–27 conference in San Antonio and are comfortable telling their stories but is also looking for people who are not comfortable speaking in public to privately share their stories to collect for a “public narrative.” Although “don’t ask, don’t tell” ended for gay and lesbian service members, trans personnel may still be thrown out of the military.

For more information go here.

Halloween Treats

Recently I was out running a few errands and decided to stop at one of my favorite thrift stores to check on warm fuzzy sweaters to go with my boots and leggings.  All of the sudden I noticed a man and a woman in the shoe section, then the dress section, then the purse section and I thought duh! I know who they are shopping for. The bewitching or bebitching Halloween weekend is coming quickly and the couple was shopping for him. How cool! I always have a romantic spot for couples having quality time together, especially when he is carrying a black sparkly dress.

Of course I have my own fond, fun stories of Halloween. Many I have shared here in Cyrsti's Condo and many I have meant too but simply ran out of time or memory.

If worked correctly Halloween can be the time when we directly come out to the world, or tentatively test the waters.  My first "coming out" experience was a complete result of a Halloween party.

Over the years I have put together my own set of Halloween parameters:

1.- The first time you "knock em dead" as a Halloween beauty can be passed off as a fun game. The second or third time? Folks are wondering.

2.-The biggest costume "give away" is when you shave your legs. Everyone in the room knows you may have gone a "little too far",

3.-If you do it, own it. The experience is a wonderful beginning look at how men and women will treat you. Unfortunately, I've seen those who hide in the corner and not have fun.

4.-Forget about "passing"!  Unless you are one of the rare minority of cross dressers who is a natural feminine type, everyone is looking for a costume and you are in one!

5.-Halloween is a great time to "sort of/kind of" come out of the closet. At the least many of us are hoping against hope someone we care about will ask the right questions and we can have the right answers. You are dying to tell the world all of this preparation to look feminine does go deeper than what they may think.

In my case, Halloween adventures were too much fun and ended way too early but set me back years in my thinking. At most of the parties I went to there were many people who knew me well as my male self. The biggest "good news/bad news comment was: "you make a good looking woman".  Good news? Of course my ego loved onto the comment! Bad news?   In reality I know now I wasn't making anything.  I was simply taking my first transgender public steps expressing who I am.

The actual  good news was I didn't try to over think any of the Halloween parties.  I somehow managed to create a good time! (Of course I did!)

I promise I will somehow try to remember more of the parties and pass the memories along!

Example. One of the best costumes I have seen was years ago. A guy was doing "Elvira" and he did her really well in the wrong venue.  He was in a gay venue, had he gone to a straight venue I'm sure he would have gotten a great amount of admiration from the men! The shame was he seemed to not be with any friends and not having the best of times. Who knows, maybe "he" wasn't a guy at all?

Cyrsti's Condo Musical Interlude

We Got Mail

Actually this goes back a bit and I have no excuse except I have been chasing my tail and never catching it!

Our "Transition by Definition" post brought in several thoughtful comments including this one from Shelle who included a "Coming Out Day" response:


"I consider that I am in transition and likely always will be to the end of my. I guess making great fanfare of it just isn't a part of me so I mostly let coming out day go by with not much interest really. But yesterday I saw this posted on facebook by the person who runs the transgender program at my local pride office,and it made me wonder if this really helps or hurts our cause in general,as for me I want no part of it.

Skye Ashton Brown For NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY:
I'm a loud and proud queer – of the transmasculine genderfluid variety. I'm pan and I'm butch, a survivor and a fighter. I'm an activist for respect and a public disturbance. I'm in love with humanity and determined to end all oppression. I'm white and I'm purple plaid, I'm a fabulous glitter-spraying unicorn coming to public demonstration near you. I'm a partner and a sibling, a dog parent and a hopeful romantic. I believe in supporting bodies and bending minds and I don't believe in social binaries.

I’m a Marxist and the only thing in this world I hate Is capitalism because capitalism hates people. I don't learn books, I learn life and my life is your life since your life is my life’s advocacy. I’m a second generation American And a first generation revolutionary. I’m bilingual and bad at both languages and I genderfuck our fucked up gender binaries. I’m a radical feminist and demand radical change. I believe in body positivity and positively love consensual sex. I’m privileged to be able to come out! I hope you can, too. Either way, know that I love you."

Drag Queens at a Pride March

I agree with you Shelle but for slightly different reasons.  I don't understand this person's need to mix all of this into a great big blender and come out with political declarations from all ends of the spectrum's including ignoring the fact that radical feminism has led to mega hate and discrimination against the transgender movement. I also wonder in a Marxist state if you can be a "fabulous glitter spraying unicorn"?" Also, personally I spend a lot of time at Pride events explaining to people I'm not a drag queen like the unicorns on the right.

Plus Innis Annity commented on our "Beyond Transition" post:


"These examples you use never made it across the gender divide. They got stuck in "trans-land". This is why they are so committed to the "fluidity" of gender. They are neither male nor female, neither goose nor gander. They are 'forever trans*' on"

Thanks Innis! If we go back to the post and take a look, most of the terms came from the original author however I do feel you made a very good point and the term which comes to mind which became stuck was "transvestite"!

As always, thanks to all of you for reading and commenting! You are the best!!!

Transgender Interests

Read a post of sorts on one of the sites I'm on when a person asked about "sneaking" some of his wife's excess estrogen pills she had been prescribed and never taken.

The person was wondering on possible results from unsupervised HRT such as the obvious bodily changes. Of course, I'm not a proponent of black market HRT meds,  plus changes are difficult to predict but of course several peeps threw their opinions in. No one mentioned results can vary wildly from conditions such as age, dosage etc..or the danger. . But then a certain one went on to say Estrogen changes your interests, which of course I took exception to.  I have written here in Cyrsti's Condo of how I made very definite decisions on what I could pack up from my male life and bring along to my feminine one.

Andy before

Kristy today.

Let's see, I had to pack up a huge suitcase for the trip and packed sports, music, antiquing from my male past just to name a few. To be certain, the hormonal effects have changed how I react to my interests but have not removed them from my psyche.

So HRT has not changed my interests and I am always mildly surprised when others think it should. My interests don't make me any less of a transgender woman, they make me...me.

Of course I wasn't surprised when I read this morning a story on the subject  (with a twist of course)  from where else? The UK's Daily Mail headline

"Football mad father who once attempted a DIY sex change now living happily as a woman. The difference is she is now mad over a certain player more than the game."

Now, I understand the "Mail"s quest for a great headline and story and agree because I too have acquired a few sports figures who I would gladly birth their kids. Imagine how that would have gone over in the old cigar smoking, holding your beer cup in your teeth while you pee days?

At any rate it's getting routine to rely on the good old not so trust worthy "Mail" to stir up activity here in Cyrsti's Condo and then throw in the guaranteed  to shock  "Do it Yourself" castration. It worked for me! I cringed and remembered my pain and suffering when I got my ears pierced!

Those responsible said "don't worry, it won't hurt!" They were right. It didn't hurt them!

If you are like I am and sneak a peek at the National Enquirer while I'm standing in line at the grocery store, you can follow the link above for more.

Cyrsti's Condo "Horror Scope"

We Libra's still have a bit of time left on top of the astrological charts and here's the latest from theFrisky:

"Libra: (September 23-October 22): Confront your loathing for the details this week, as it’ll be in the smaller moments where you’ll find happiness. Yes, the pace of your power is going to come to a slow drag, but take it as a gift, as reassessing where and how you want to use your time and efforts will be important. However, don’t miss any celebrations worrying about it all. This week, it’s an eye for an eye."

OK, have to ask, is "slow drag" an old drag queen doing a love ballad?

For your "scope" follow the link above..

Transgender Web Comic Topics

 The farther we transgender women and transgender men find ourselves mentioned in a positive nature in all sectors of the community, the better we are. This post came from Sarah in a Googles Plus group I'm in called "Exclusively Transgender"


"Okay, I don't know how many of you read webcomics, but I am an avid reader. I read several hundred. Including a few that are focused on the transgender experience. Unfortunately, most of those not very well known, or popular. But recently, two very popular webcomics added transgender characters to their casts. Supporting cast in one case, yes, but this is still wonderful news. Thousands and thousands of people read these comics. We are getting our stories told by wonderful, sensitive allies. People are learning, becoming more informed, and hopefully becoming more accepting. If you read comics at all, you should check these out."

As I said Sarah, I agree with you! Thanks! Follow the excerpt below for the links.

"A year ago, in this strip: http://www.questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=2324 , Claire of QC was revealed to be transgender. She's been on HRT since she began college. And in today's shocker on Dumbing of Age: http://www.dumbingofage.com/2013/comic/book-3/04-just-hangin-out-with-my-family/writer/ , Joyce's "brother" "Joshua", is revealed to be Jocelyne, a transwoman totally in the closet, thanks to being the favorite 'son' of a fundamentalist Christian family."