Trans Vets Win!

From the Advocate:

A pair of transgender military veterans recently won an important recognition victory that advocates say could have wide-reaching effects on how the U.S. armed forces treats its transgender members and veterans. 

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey announced Tuesday that the U.S. Army will allow two trans veterans — Jennifer,(left) a former Sergeant Major in the U.S. Army and Nicolas, a former National Guardsman — to update the names on their discharge papers to reflect their current legal names, granting them access to their earned veteran's benefits at home and at work.

Allowing the two veterans to update "DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty," a key identifying document for veterans has potentially far-reaching implications for trans veterans across the U.S., notes ACLU-NJ. Currently, trans service members largely remain silent about their gender identities due to the Department of Defense's instruction 6130.03, which lists any gender-affirming treatment, surgery, or behavior as evidence of a "mental illness" that makes a candidate not fit for duty. 

Go here for more!

Movin' Along!!!!

Fortunately, I was able to move my computer and other bloggin "Stuff" to a new home without incident-so far!!! What's going on is I am moving from my old house into another in route to my partner Liz's house in Cincinnati.  But, I still have to sell my original house in the spring.

At any rate-more than a couple very positive happenings took place.

The first is a landmark protection case concerning transgender school students.  Here is an excerpt from Outword:

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education released a long-awaited, much-needed guidance document for elementary and secondary schools that offer or want to offer single-sex classes.

Included within the document was an important protection for transgender students that should not be overlooked. The guidance states clearly that transgender students must be allowed to participate in single-sex classes consistent with their gender identity. (In other words, consistent with who they are.) This latest positive breakthrough builds on guidance released earlier this year that made it explicitly clear, for the first time, that Title IX extends to claims of discrimination based on gender identity.

Nicole Maines (from left), 14, her mother Kelly Maines and her twin brother Jonas listen to Wayne Maines (right) as he delivers a stirring speech about their experience in helping Nicole seek justice and acceptance as a transgender youth

Plus, a Maine Transgender student’s (above)  lawsuit ended with a $75K award, a final order telling Orono schools to allow bathroom access  to the girl’s bathroom in grade school and middle school.  The need for this clarifying direction to schools across the country could not have been clearer. For more on the story go here.

As soon as I get caught up, I will connect a few dots to the Laverne Cox presentation I went to plus further positive news concerning active transgender military members and vets.

Drag Me Home Country Roads!

Lynne, who is also very familiar with much of the "Southern Ohio" culture sent us this.  I hate to be snarky and bitchy-BUT- Gleneda looks just like GSB (Gender Slur Bitch) who blasted me a the lesbian dance!!!!

Laverne Cox Lectures in Dayton!

Last night was my much anticipated visit to Laverne Cox's speaking engagement at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She did not disappoint!!!!

She began with a short bio of growing up as a poor black boy in Alabama, and slowly bringing her life along to where it is today.

Several of her basic messages hit home to me, including her belief a woman in not born-she is created over her life. (They happened to be born female and grew into women.) Laverne said the first time she read that from powerful , well known women thinkers-she knew she would be a woman-on her own terms.

Obviously along the way, she wove in the influence and plight of trans women of color and why seemingly they have the most difficult times within their own races.

Then, she positively drove a knife in my heart when she related her stories of people screaming "Hey that's a Man!"

What I learned and walked away from her presentation was; a new found respect of who I was.  How difficult it was to get here, yet how far I still had to go.

Thanks Laverne! Today I'm just a little more secure and happy with who I am.  In many ways, I'm still the 14 old kid feeling there has to be something wrong with me and I am so alone. After last night- I don't feel so alone again!!! (Wow, such a famous, successful and yes beautiful transgender woman as had some of the same life experiences as I?)

If you ever have a chance to see her-do it!!!!

Finally!

Mtf Transgender Writer Lady J

I know it is a fairly radical idea to have a transgender person write or portray a trans person in a movie, television show or play-but it recently happened on Transparent!


According to Outward: Back in October, things got a bit testy between Jill Soloway, the creator of Amazon’s wonderful series Transparent, and Jenji Kohan of Orange Is the New Black during a New Yorker Festival panel on the state and future of LGBTQ TV. At issue was the question of whether one’s identity necessarily had any connection with one’s skill at producing art related to that identity—a rather ancient bugaboo in art criticism, but one made newly relevant by the sudden (and greatly welcome) advent of transgender characters in the media. Soloway insisted that she could not imagine continuing to make a show about a trans woman (Maura, played by Jeffrey Tambor) without having a trans woman on the writing staff, arguing that “it’s absolutely necessary, and it’s gonna change the show.” Kohan, while valuing diversity in the writers room, bristled at the idea of hiring a writer because of her identity rather than her skillset: “What you are in life shouldn’t automatically make you what you do in your art. It doesn’t necessarily translate,” Kohan said.

Let's be careful out there folks...we trans peeps just might have a little more insight into our lives than you think!!!

Thanksgiving Day?

Really Jim?  I thought you were kidding when you said you were going to bring a girl friend to the family Thanksgiving dinner...did she have to be you?

Cyrsti's Condo "Star Gazing"

For some reason now my life is like a huge pin ball machine and I am the silver ball. Some how I think my scope follows that theme!

Libra (September 23-October 22): You’ll be making headway now, which means keep up the momentum. If you take your hands off the wheel for even a second, it’ll result in setback. There is only one way to go now and that is full speed absurd. Paint your world in different colors and embrace a multi-dimensional tomorrow. Yes, there is so much to learn and you’ll want to understand it all.

Some days, I just hope I can keep this crazy ride on the road!!!  I think I will spotlight you Acquarians this week for HELP!!!

(January 20-February 19): Whoever ignores you now is a fool. Knowledge will be running about your brain and you will be on point with all you say. Sure, your thoughts are wilder than the general consensus, but if someone craves greatness, they need to be brave enough to jump into it. Free will is yours. Free will is a power. Own yours in spades, like the universe will ask of you now.

Yeppers! Finding your astrological sign is simple! Go here to theFrisky!

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

KerPlunk! Another issue of our Sunday Edition has just hit your virtual front porch, stay in those fuzzy "jammies" grab a "Cup O Joe" and let's get started!

Page 1-The Week that Was-or Wasn't!  Looking back, my week was one of success's including an early week semi annual trip to my Veteran's Administration "Doc" and then of course Thanksgiving.  As I have mentioned, putting my positive exam aside, he has a transgender niece in Chicago, which gives him a bit more interest in my transition.  In fact this entire week, I ran into more peeps who seemingly wanted to learn more about me.  More on all of that later.

Page 2.- Girl's Night OUT!  The Rubi Girls (left) are a Dayton, Ohio based drag troupe  who have raised over a million dollars over the years for local Aid's Research.  Their shows are rare and more "productions" than drag show.
Plus, last night was the third time I went with my daughter and her friends. Again, more on that experience later.



Page 3.- The Back Page.  Actually, this could have been our lead story.  MTF transgender star Laverne Cox is coming to Wright State University (Dayton/Fairborn, Ohio) this Tuesday night.  Most certainly, I will be there and get back with you!!!!

So it looks as if I will have a lot of "catching up" to do with all of you!  Thanks for stopping by "the Condo!" Luv ya!!!!

Cyrsti's Condo Trans Woman of the Day

Our feature Mtf Transgender woman today is Josephine Jochman from Germany: