All Ready?

Proving once again, time flies when you are having fun, or sleeping, I received my presenter application for the 2014 Trans Ohio Conference.

Last year my presentation was based on "Gender Transitioning Later in Life."  Assuming I didn't embarrass myself too badly last year,  I will be accepted to give it another go this year.  The only problem I had was time, of course I'm so much of a "ham", I could have spoken a few more minutes. Before everyone just got up and left!

Seriously, this year I'm thinking of adding more of a "gender fluid" piece to the presentation and removing the transgender veteran part.  It seemed there was little to no reaction to the trans vet section which was fine of course.  Lately though, I have been wondering if we "old peeps" are missing a valuable lesson which seems to be filtering through the younger parts of our community.

Recently here in Cyrsti's Condo, I passed along a post from a west coast college.  In it, the comment was made that fewer individuals were resorting to surgery to present their gender needs. I'm wondering if people in my age category who were presented with black and white gender choices all their lives, may be missing out on the gender fluid idea totally?  First, we were isolated and in the dark about what was going on with our gender identifications. Then, we went into the era of SRS being the answer to your gender problems and without the knife you were a pretender.  It's not such a radical thought if gender is between your ears, do all of us need SRS?

All of you know, I am biased and I don't really believe a store bought vagina makes me any more or less of a feminine person but I do respect those that do. Just not the ones who don't respect me.  One way or another, the subject certainly could result in a few lively discussions over adult beverages after the seminars.

Ohio Proud

I'm from Ohio and know many who are happy to say they are from Ohio and not here now. It's a totally frustrating place which features the best (and worst) of rust belt urban settings all the way to a strong agricultural base.

This is the state which for some reason banned casino gambling for so many years while Indiana and Michigan made money from Ohioians crossing the border to gamble.  Ohio also is the state which stubbornly refuses to grant sweeping protections to all the TGLB community but at the same time it's capital city of Columbus is one of the top gay areas of the country.

You can compare Ohio to the warm and cold fronts which cause big storms when they collide. From the most liberal at places such as Antioch College to people speaking in tongues at the church down the street. It's all here.

Recently Columbus' 10TV ran a story of an Ohio mother who stood up and said "enough is enough" stop the bullying of her young transgender daughter:

You can comment on the video 10TV's Facebook page too.

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl of the Day"

Mexican androgynous model Nanis Alejandre.

Cyrsti's Condo "Horror Scope!"

I know you were all hinging on your "scope" this week and it was late!
It seems all my partying on Saturday was too much and I was down sick for a couple of days.  So, better late than never, here is our scope: (for Libra's)


(September 23-October 22): Everybody will be talking at once, in different conversations, paying no mind to each other and thinking they alone are right. This week, vow to listen. If you take in the info first, you’ll be able to think up a brilliant solution that could work for everyone. Yes, answers are the only thing that will make anyone stop in motion now. So, know your facts.

Wow, another challenge in that "listening" department, plus now I have to stay in the present to do it?  A challenge to be sure!

For your "scope" go here

to theFrisky.

No "Mo" Rose?

Paula Gee sent along a short comment about Rose Venkatesan, India's first transgender talk show host:

"OK first in India, how about anywhere else?"

Speaking for the United States, Paula, I don't know of any transgender talk show hosts yet on a major network, unless the person is living under unbelieveable stealth.

There was a short lived moment not long ago to consider Eden Lane, as a replacement on The View.  As of 2012, she was the first (and as of 2012 the only) openly transgender person in mainstream television broadcasting in the United States.

As I see the situation, until the transgender nation clearly crosses the line into mainstream acceptance, at least in this country, very little movement will be made.

Take the View and it's producers for an example. No matter how qualified Eden Lane is, to bring her on board as a regular on the show, is a risk. Complaints from bigoted transphobic viewers do have a tendency to make sponsors a little unedgy. In the same way the transculture can bring pressure to bigoted companies such as Barilla Pasta and Chick fil a...the reverse is true also.

In this country also, Paula, over the last couple of decades, the media has been monopolized by big business. Broadcasting giants such as "Clear Channel" have realized conservative rantings are the way to profits...So finding a place to even start as a transgender talk show host (and get experience) is very difficult. Notice, Eden works for Colorado Public Television.

Finally, the whole idea is a huge "Catch 22". If a transgender talk show host finally becomes accepted as just a woman or a man, then the novelty wears off and the job with it.

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl of the Day"

Samantha Taylor,  24 year old transgender hairstylist in the city of Portland, Oregon.

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl of the Day"

Rose Venkatesan is a TV talk show host in Vijay TV in Tamil Nadu, India. She is the first transgender individual ever to host a TV talk show in India.

Cassidy Lynn Campbell

If you recall, Cassidy was the young transgender woman who won the homecoming queen title at her high school recently.  I thought you might be interested in following along with her feminization on HRT.  Here's a look on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:

Lessons in the Sandbox

I'm fond of referring to transition as "playing in the girl's sandbox." The process is the time of your life when appearing as a woman takes a back seat to living as one.  All sorts of sand is being kicked in your direction and it is hard to keep up!

I've written here in Cyrsti's Condo many times of my "sandbox experiences" which by the way are far from over. Ironically, as I do transition, I look back and remember experiences which were more important than I gave them credit for initially.

Here's an example:  Years ago, my second wife accompanied me to a Tri-Ess meeting before we were actually married.  We drove quite a distance but still arrived plenty early before the nightly meeting/mixer. Instead of hanging out in our hotel room, we decided to get out and explore a little bit as two girls. We found that not too far away was a sort of a neighborhood tavern that advertised a mixed crowd and even drag shows on occasion. We sought it out and went in for a drink.

Not long after we sat down, a guy literally rolled up to the door on his Harley motorcycle and sat down a couple seats down from my future wife and began to flirt with her. My first thought was a feeling of being powerless in the situation, I had no control as a man or a woman.. I had the sinking suspicion she was going to prove to me I was a mirror "Princess" and knew nothing about being a real woman.. I was right.

Before long she was returning the flirt ever so slightly and the first time he looked past her to me I could see the change in her eyes. I ceased to be her guy in a dress and became a feminine competitor for the attention of this guy and stay the hell out of it. Believe me, I was in way over my head and she could have rode off with him - I was powerless anyhow but in no uncertain terms I knew what she meant. Then almost as fast, she snapped back and he took off,  leaving me with a rather scary first experience with feminine competition in the sandbox.

The problem became, I was way too early into my transition to understand what had just happened.  I never experienced a similar situation with her again.