Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day."

This pretty much says it all.

Cyrsti's Condo "Female Impersonation Classics."

Some of us "of a certain age" may remember "sneaking a peek" at these female impersonators in magazines. One thing is for sure, drag artists have never been short on great legs!

The first (right) is Lee Shaw.

The second is Vicki (below)

In the Company of Women

Sunday afternoon, we had a big, yellow, bright UFO in the sky-the sun and we took advantage of it.

After a short drive along the Ohio River, we stopped at one of the riverside parks near downtown Cincy and then headed for serious business-shopping.  Along the way back there is a shop called Spirit Wind and I understand the best description for it is an eclectic metaphysical shop.  I am aware many of you (like me in Cyrsti's Condo) didn't know what the hell that means.

Here's as close to an explanation that I can pass along.  The shop specializes in earth based spirituality items of which is an interest of mine.  Today, I'm actually brave enough to show you the rings I bought and my crummy looking nails which again were abused this week.

The fun part of shopping there was the acceptance from a group of very organic workers.  I was asked all sorts of questions on what stones I'm attracted to as well as what animals occupy the top of my totem.  The best one of all was when my girlfriend told one of the workers, "she (me) is new to most of this." The worker said "Does she (me) feel the power?"

Well, I do feel the power from very unique ways, particularly gender  and  I am interested in exploring them more.  Of course,  Two-Spirit transgender society members were very special to many of the ancient people.  So perhaps I might feel more power than anyone (including me) knows. But!!  It's important to me to explain my concept of "power" . I do not define it in my old male sense but more from a feminine nurturing "insightful" place.

In the meantime, it's fulfilling to me to express my insights through the different elements into my style , starting with jewelry.The rings above are not expensive in any way but do reflect different expressions of my personality and soul.

In so many ways, all of this feels so right and I'm excited about exploring the facets of a feminine earth based spirituality.  Plus, nearly all the individuals I have met have been women. I'm sure they will wonder as much as I do about how my highly unique dual gender life energy will fit it.

Fly the Colors!

If you have ever wondered about the history of the transgender pride flag. It was created in August 1999 by Monica Helms and has five horizontal stripes. Two stripes are blue ones, two stripes are pink ones and a white center stripe.


As with any other flags, there is a meaning to every colored stripe. To read all about them- go here.

As we get closer to all the TGLBQ Pride events in your part of the world, I feel it is a crucial time to separate true pride in our trans status from the usual, drag queens and fetish cross dressers. Every color in the rainbow should be there and I'm sure we will hear the usual Stonewall drag queen history lessons but in reality, it's time to move on and show the rest of the world we belong - not decked out in 4 inch heels and garish dresses.  Transgender is a lifestyle for us, not a weekend.   I may have to come up with a T-shirt!

Cyrsti's Condo "Cover Girl" of the Day

Our Sunday feature cover  is the beautiful Sheila Verissimo.

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Morning" Edition

"Ker Plunk!" Good morning all and welcome to yet another weekend edition.

Page 1.- The Week in Review.  The week produced no major over riding transgender national stories.  Unfortunately national and international tragedies captured the headlines and attentions of the world. My heart goes out to all of the families.
Around the Condo, we were locally focused.  Our Location, Location, Location post focused on the transphobic problems our transgender sisters have in rural America.I saw a rural transgender woman speak at a TransOhio community meeting a week or so ago and came away with the feeling I was so fortunate to be in the situation I am.  I was taking it for granted I even had the resources to attend the TransOhio Meetings I do.  Many rural trans women live in isolated transphobic pockets and for the most part are forgotten in blogs such as mine.  If you have a experiences pass them along and I promise to share them.

Page 2.- Jan Hamilton's Story.  I noted the documentary detailing the life of the transgender elite British parachute regiment soldier Jan Hamilton. When the "ultra" macho guys come out and explain their stories to the world, so many ordinary peeps are exposed to what our lives are like and the torment we suffer.  All of the sudden, extremely high suicide rates in the trans community don't seem so "far fetched".

Page 3.- Potpourri.- This week, I didn't feel well all week and I'm sure it showed here in the Condo.  We talked briefly about subjects such as reincarnation,   Regular contributor Pat commented on the Hindu religious belief in reincarnation among others.  As I said, it's a concept I don't believe in-or not believe in. Removing all the facts and fictions which surround the concept of reincarnation,  I used to wonder how much past lives had to do with me being a transgender person today.  Unfortunately, I went from there to the "I was crazy" misconception accepted by the psychiatric community.

Page 4.- The Back Page.-After an exceptionally wet and windy day yesterday, I considered the "beating" my hair was going through but this time- from a different angle-the rear.  "Oh no! What did the back of my head look like?" Then, I began to compare the back of my head to the dark side of the moon. You assume it's there but you never see it.  The problem  now is, I have to see it and take care of it. Yet another milestone in my trans journey. For better or worse now, I can't see all of my hair in one place in front of me and style it!

Well kids, that's it for this week! As always I take this moment to send a bit of positive energy your way and thank you all for stopping by the Condo!

Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day"

"If you can't see it-you aren't there."

Cyrsti Hart

The Power of an Umbrella

I should have waited a couple of days and tied this Cyrsti's Condo post into "April Showers" but I always have had a hard time waiting. Plus who knows what the world be like in a a couple days?

Today was one of those rainy windy "Spring" days in my part of Ohio-not a good "hair" day.  We had errands to run and as we rushed from car to store, I understood yet again the power of an umbrella to a woman. But, did I carry one ?  Do I even own one? No!

I may soon.

It's bad enough when I think I have my hair seemingly looking it's best until five minutes later in the wind-all is lost. All is even more lost though when moisture is involved.  My hair takes on a life of it's own and of course the wetter it gets-the worse it gets.

I know. No one is twisting my arm to have all this hair but all those years, someone did twist my arm to cut it.  So, we are more than even.  In the meantime, I am learning the nuances of simply not taking your hair off and being able to see and style it from all angles.  The problem is I'm an uncoordinated dork and even a simple process of holding a mirror so I can see the back of my head (and brush it) in another mirror becomes quite the process. The back of my head is like the dark side of the moon.  You know it just has to be there but what's it looking like these days?  Truly, the whole process is just another of the tons of transition minutia which I tie into "muscle memory" Larger examples include posture and walk which are essential to a feminine deportment.

My problem is my brain is similar to a low power overloaded computer and any memory is called into use could be a problem. My goal  now is to just stretch the system a little more and remember to buy an umbrella.

Some Hide Better than Others

It's no secret transgender veterans occupy a much larger percentage of world wide military's than anyone has been able to measure.

After all, for the MtF trans person, the military is one of the great places to prove how macho you really aren't.  Finally, as in other segments of society, transgender veterans from the most macho areas of the military are coming forward-and out. The primary example from this country is former Navy Seal Kristin Beck.

Now, there is a documentary being shown in Australia called Sex Change Soldier.  It's the story of  Ian - now Jan - Hamilton.(left)  Hamilton was an officer in the British elite parachute regiment, serving in Northern Ireland, the first Gulf war, Bosnia, the Iraq war and Afghanistan. After suffering near fatal injuries in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, he decided that he wanted to live the rest of his life as a woman. “The only emotion I was able to show in the army was aggression, and I became quite good at that,” she says. “I hated myself, hated the world, and I hated being in the world ... I was volunteering to go back in operations simply because I thought I would die.”

Jan Hamilton makes several key points which hopefully educate the general population.  One was willingness to commit a form of suicide rather than accept her transgender leanings.

Another addressed the fading idea that any of us had a choice in any of this. Hamilton said:

"No sane person would do this,” she says of her upcoming facial reconstruction surgery in Thailand. “I would rather walk out of Basra palace with an unloaded rifle into the middle of a hostile crowd than put myself through this."

Go here for more.