VHSL Adopts Policy for Transgender Student Athletes

VHSL Adopts Policy for Transgender Student Athletes: With proper documentation, a high schooler can now play sports alongside the gender with which he or she identifies.

Gender 'Dreamin"

Certainly, I'm not the only one of you Cyrsti's Condo readers who has had regular dreams about cross dressing or even crossing the gender line and being a genetic girl.

Anymore, I don't have them so much anymore.  I'm far from a dream "expert" but it could be because of the chance I have had to finally transition. I do know back in my earlier years, I had quite a few dreams I didn't want to wake up from. I was a girl or woman and so bad to stay one.  I was grumpy for hours as I "adjusted" back into my male world.

The reason I'm writing this post here in the Condo is last night I had an interesting dream.  Can't quite remember all the details except I was out all night, looked very ragged and had to see my Mom.  I had all this dark black curly hair (about the length of my hair with more curl) and I was in a restroom desperately trying to "freshen up."  Of course, I couldn't find the needed necessary makeup in my purse.  So, finally I said to hell with it and off I went to meet Mom.  I never did meet her, as I don't encounter in my dreams many of the loved ones in my life who have passed on. I also don't know if there was a question in the dream of me being genetic or transgender.

What I do remember thinking was-after the night out I had, I couldn't be pregnant! Always the realist!

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl" of the Day

Today in "the Condo" we go south of the border (not Kentucky, sillies) and feature Keta Rubio the Mexican transgender beauty queen.

Most Boys Loved Playboy...

Back in the "dark ages" of gender confusion in my life, it was the thing to do to "break into" my Dad's stash of Playboy Magazines when my friends came over.

The problem was of course, I wasn't getting the same "charge" out of them as my friends were and I wasn't attracted sexually to them either. The closest I ever came to "attraction" was what I think now was a huge school girl crush I had on one of my friends. To make matters worse the extreme possibly of doing a stint in the Army was bearing down on me as the Vietnam "non war" continued to escalate. My problem was simple,  my gender and sexual "synapses" in my noggin were switched and very few people had any idea of how to deal with it except for just stop it.  It would have been easier to have known I was gay because I would have something concrete to have dealt with.

To this day, I rarely get any sort of a sexual charge of looking at a woman (and even less from men)  but I get a real charge of wanting to be like her. "Back in the day" of course,  photo examples of transvestites and/or female impersonators were extremely rare in my part of the world and mainly in what amounted to be seedy porn stores. When they did surface however, I was floored.  I thought how was it possible a guy could look that good dressed as a woman?

Looking back, if you asked me for a truthful answer of what I wanted to be when I grew up; it wasn't a doctor, lawyer of fireman, no I wanted to be a woman. If I could have ever understood what I was feeling. Oh well, better late than never, right?

Interestingly, a couple pictures got me started down this long neglected path of self discovery:


The first is a vintage picture of classic female impersonator Holly White...and the second picture is of female mimic Robin Roberts....

Nicki Araguz Fights On!

Seems like it has been decades since I saw a cross dressed beauty named Justin do battle with a couple of guys she met at a party on the Jerry Springer Show.  Wait! It has been decades.

Now according to the Courthouse News Service in Texas:

A transgender woman whose firefighter husband died in the line of duty may have a case for benefits, a Texas appeals court ruled Nikki Paige Araguz, (left) 38, who was born Justin Graham Purdue, sought judicial review in April 2012 of a finding that she is not the proper legal beneficiary of Thomas Araguz III, a Wharton County volunteer firefighter. Araquz was killed while fighting a fire in July 2010 at an egg plant. 

 Soon after his death, Arguz's mother, Simona Longoria, sued for a declaration that his marriage was void because it was a same-sex marriage, which is illegal in Texas. Araguz's ex-wife, Heather Delgado, later intervened in the case on behalf of her two children, agreeing the marriage was void. A Wharton County judge later voided the marriage on summary judgment but a three-judge panel with the 13th District Court of Appeals reversed Thursday. Ultimately there is "a genuine issue of material fact regarding Nikki's sex and whether the marriage was a same sex marriage," Chief Justice Rogelio Valdez wrote for the court.

Of course the contention is that Nikki's SRS still doesn't legally change her gender to female and as I remember, speculation was this case could go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Which would be huge. Let's hope she wins!

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl" of the Day

Our feature cover girl today in "the Condo" is Aubrey Frost.  If my memory serves me correct, which is rare, Aubrey showed up on the scene several years ago as she began college and was wondering how to express her cross dressing with friends and others.  I wonder if she ever got it figured out?

In the Passing Lane

"Back in the day", being able to navigate the public as a woman with no problems was called passing, then the transgender PC term became presenting and now Janet Mock cleared the air about both.

We have talked a little about Mock's new book called "Redefining Realness" here in Cyrsti's Condo but since I haven't read it yet, I'm restricted to what I can find on line about it.

Recently, I did find her YouTube video on "passing".  Cutting to the chase, what she says of course is so true. "I'm (Janet) am not passing as anything, I'm just me."  I already know what most of you are thinking. If the rest of us even came close to looking like she does, we wouldn't have to worry about passing any how!

The reason I believe those thoughts are wrong is, sure Janet Mock is gorgeous but regardless, she stepped up and out to speak for the rest of us and said a lot. All of the sudden,  transsexual, transgender or cross dresser,  you  had a person of substance (not going stealth) speaking for you.

On a much smaller level than Janet Mock, I can attest about how much my transgender world opened as soon as I owned up to who I am. Plus, we have had regular contributors to the "Condo" ( Pat)  attest to it too.

Now, let's take a look at Cyrsti's Condo big screen for what Janet Mock had to say on passing:

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl" of the Day

Our featured Cover Girl today in the "Condo" is Sheila Verissimo

Cyrsti's Condo "Book Nook"

I mentioned Bobbie Thompson's upcoming book "My Husband Looks Better in Lingerie Than I Do...Dammit" not so long ago here in the "Condo". Well, it's not upcoming any more! Here's a look:

Bobbie Thompson, the supportive spouse of a transgender male-to-female, tells her side of their story in "My HUSBAND Looks Better in Lingerie Than I Do ... DAMN IT," in this companion memoir to "Hung in the Middle: A Journey of Gender Discovery," (www.hunginthemiddle.com) written by her spouse, Alana Nicole Sholar. After knowing 'him' for nearly 25 years, and even sharing a three-year intimate relationship in the mid-1990's, upon seeing 'her' for the first time in 2006, Bobbie was freaked out and didn't want to have anything to do with 'her.' 

Two years later, December 31, 2008, they were married. But marriage was only the beginning of this wild and wonderful ride they share called life. Often when Bobbie shares with others that her spouse is transgender she is asked, "Why in the world would you choose to be married to someone like that." "My HUSBAND Looks Better in Lingerie Than I Do ... DAMN IT" answers that question and further explains theirs is a happy marriage, although they face the same pitfalls faced in any marriage, such as financial difficulties, in addition to many situations other marriages may never encounter, such as Alana being diagnosed as HIV positive. 

Bobbie's is a transition story ... not a story of physical transition as are most stories about transgender persons, but a story of transition of perspective ... from ignorance and misunderstanding to educated and informed. Bobbie and Alana still live in the same rural Kentucky town where they both grew up ... only Alana grew up there as a male. "My HUSBAND Looks Better in Lingerie Than I Do ... DAMN IT," not only shares true experiences and lessons learned from those experiences, but is a life transforming love story.

Go here to Amazon to order your copy!