"Drag Babes"

What was in that Beer?

I have told all you Cyrsti's Condo Ites, how bored I get and how cynical my sense of humor is.  I have "sort of/kind of" found a home for some of it on my Pinterest site.  If you are unfamiliar, Pinterest is a photo site where every interest under the sun can be displayed, from vintage collectibles to dumb stuff like this.  I call the board "Drag Babes" and add my own captions.  The pictures don't have any original information I can find, so I add my own. So, if they are of you...you look great!

Come on Guys, Why do I always have to be the girl?

In the "Eyes of the Beholder"

From the time we have our first intoxicating taste of sliding (or squeezing) into feminine clothes, most of us have to see how we look. Of course the only point of reference we have comes from how we have viewed other girls or women. Examples would be pretty Easter dresses or beautiful prom gowns.

Depending how we identify, some of us want to journey into the world to really learn what this "woman stuff" is all about. A big mistake I made when I opened my closet door was presenting to the wrong audience.  I was dressing for men, not women-as they say "a tough crowd". As a side comment, I believe I've read humans decide within two seconds if they are viewing a male or female. Wow! Two very intense seconds indeed, with  tons on the line for a cross dresser or a transgender woman stepping out into the light of day. Here's a look on how my "two seconds" have worked for me over the years:

1.- NO Perception.  Even though genetic women view the world in a more complex light than men, these women are wrapped up in theirs and don't notice me at all.  Cell phones alone have changed this dynamic greatly in recent years.  Women have family, work and spouses to deal with, so why would they bother with me.
2.- I'M Transparent.  I like this look, we briefly make eye contact. She stares right through me and moves on.  My assumption is she see's nothing worth noting in my gender presentation.
3.- Lingering Stare.  She is not certain of what she is seeing and is processing.  I have found it highly useful to return her stare.  Normally she is satisfied and moves on. I'm to the point, I don't really care what she comes up with. The look could simply stem from her thinking my hair is way too long for a woman my age.
4.-The Little Smile. I had to learn to be careful with this one.  Unlike men, women are known to smile at each other as they make their way through the world. The look does not have to have negative undertones. Plus, if it is, I'm finding these days if another woman does read me as transgender, the experience can be far from unpleasant.
5.-The Smirk. I don't see this look so much these days but we all know what it means...I know you are a guy and why are you dressed like that?
6.-Shock and Awe.  The woman looking at you is doing her best impression of a person who is about to scream..."Hey, that's a guy in a dress."  Soon she is scurrying around to point you out to anyone she can. She is the ultimate in bad dreams to all of us and a real ego crusher.  Haven't ran into one of these in years but certainly paid my dues with them in my "formative" years.

So there you  go, I'm sure most of you can expand on this highly simplified list. Plus, on the positive side, the world in my little corner of the world is changing.  The more of us who are out, the easier life becomes!

Why We Will Succeed!

This morning I came across a couple stories which counter balanced the ignorance, hate and even violence we sustain as transgender women and men.

The first comes from a top women's site in Australia called Daily Life called "Transitioning our son to a daughter."

The three on the left, Roland, Maddi and Maddi’s mother Beck were guests on SBS's One's Insight program which looked at the increase of young people presenting as transgender. Insight speaks with children and their families, asking how parents can be sure whether their child is transgender and how they chose to deal with it. As we know, in most cases it is not the other kids who provide problems for their transgender peers, it is the parents who cause the friction.  The more parents who have an understanding of trans kids, the better!

In the UK, a transgender city councilor turned down a spot on the British version of the TV "reality" show Big Brother, for all the right reasons:

From the The Cambridge News:

A Councillor has turned down the chance to appear on reality television show Big Brother – arguing it would not help her campaign for gender equality. Cllr Sarah Brown (left), who represents Petersfield on Cambridge City Council, is the UK’s only ‘out’ transgender politician and was approached by a casting agency to see if she wanted to appear on the Channel 5 game show. But the Liberal Democrat, the council’s executive member community wellbeing, said she didn’t think it would have been good for her, the transgender community or the people of Cambridge. She told the News: “I didn’t think it would be good way to address trans issues. 

And finally, out and out COURAGE: Marsha Bast (below) the Russian transgender attorney who has announced her bid for the Russian presidency in 2018.

Somehow all of this makes the day so much brighter!

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl of the Day"

Our feature cover today is transsexual model Vanessa Lima

Cyrsti's Condo "Power Scope"

I guess the stars have been "sand bagging" me the past couple of weeks? Who knows maybe they are stuck in the "polar vortex" too? This week though, the "power scope" has some power!

Libra  September 23-October 22): There’ll be love in numbers, so book a date for every night this week, whether you have to drag your baby out or go at it Tinder-style. Chance happenings can strike-up luck in several areas of your life now. Yes, opportunity and revelations will be your thing this week, so live it up and make everyone want to be you.

Wait a minute? Doesn't everyone already want to be me???? Just kidding! I better book a certain person who I know reads this blog, before she comes "booking" for me!!!

Check out your scope here at theFrisky!

Cyrsti's Condo "Out" at the Oscars

A better title may have been "OUT Of" the Oscars.  I'm afraid the biggest positive impact the Oscar's have on me is the past month when Turner Classic Movies shows simply the greatest motion pictures of all time.  To name a few this weekend were Casablanca, The Graduate, Guess Whose Coming to Dinner and Lawrence of Arabia.  HRT or not, I was sobbing uncontrollably in the final scene of "Dinner" when they showed Katherine Hepburn tearing up because she knew full well Spencer Tracy was done with acting and life. (He passed 17 days after the picture was filmed.)

What also began to bring me to tears was the incessant babbling I heard and read about Jared Leto and the Dallas Buyer's Club.  My tears this time were from anger.  Of course the righteous anger raised by those in the transgender community who said the part should have been played by a trans woman were right.  Once again though, so many hairs were split by so many people that the true reasons for the casting were lost.  If you follow the money and the publicity for a film, you find the real reasons decisions were made.  In the case of Dallas Buyer's Club, I'm fairly sure the lure of having a so called "hetero" guy play a transgender woman meant something.  Was the choice of Leto any worse than Felecity Huffman in TransAmerica? Very simply, we as a transgender nation are developing a small core of actors/actresses who can perform mainstream roles and will most likely be cast in them.

In the meantime, I hope we can move on from Jared Leto. Haven't met but he seems like a decent enough guy, who is so pretty anyway he probably was bullied for his looks. He would be a beautiful woman anyway with just a little effort.  I just don't know why he couldn't have been a bit more understanding about the culture he was portraying. My thought is he just may have more than a couple insecurities about himself.

So far though, I haven't ruined his career. I'm just sick and tired of hearing about it!

The Proof is in the Eyes of other Women!

I have seen several video's by Emma on YouTube and according to her, identifies as a cross dresser or transvestite.  Emma always has done a wonderful job of presenting herself and not trying too hard even though she is fortunate enough to have what I call a "female ready" body.  This recent video I'm presenting on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen was sent along by Lynne.  Watch how accepted Emma is by the public by the passers by who don't turn around and look. Specifically the women.

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl of the Day"

Our feature cover today is Thailand's Kamolrose Thunphirom - transsexual model.

Endangered Species?

In some circles, trans lesbians are held in the same view as trans women male admirers.  For some reason, people can't make the separation between gender and sexuality and think a transgender woman who identifies with lesbians is just a cross dresser trying to invade the "hen house".Or worse yet, you are labeled a total transgender "pretender" if you don't need the validation of your femininity through a man. (I have here)

Of course though I'm biased. As most of you know my partner is a genetic female and yes, a lesbian. But you know, I'm totally fine with what you do, along as it doesn't hurt me-or others.

If you are wondering, I the trans woman on the left is Andrea Scott who I believe is also a transgender vet.