Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

"Ker Plunk!" Another Condo weekly wrap up has hit your virtual front porch!  Curl up with your Cup o Joe and lets get started!


Page 1.- The Week That was-or Wasn't.  Such a week it was! I really don't where to even start. I'm thinking an important place though, is my moving story.  My plan to get moved in with my partner Liz within 6 months or so and my old house on the market and sold-took a giant step forward. Briefly,  that is not an move across town-but one involving a two hour drive.
Moving was not the only thing weighing on my mind this week.  It seems the Veteran's Administration "powers to be" at the Dayton (Ohio) hospital center have gone back to where I fought them years ago and denied payment to an outside provider for my endocrinologist needs. Which (by the way) is illegal for them to do.  So here we go again.

Page 2.- A Star Arrives!   Last week marked the appearance of Laverne Cox in our area of Ohio and Northern Kentucky.  I was fortunate to see her Tuesday and was inspired and impressed. It turns out, I met a couple of young transgender men and women in Cincinnati who were impressed too.  Liz was doing a craft show here and put out many of her hand beaded items.  To the left you can see an example of a transgender logo beret she made me for my hair last Spring.  The picture is taken of me from my best angle!  At any rate, an obviously gender non forming young couple wondered by and were drawn to the beret.  Finally, the trans guy said quietly-they knew the transgender symbol and were trans! I was sitting to the rear of the table, for once being quiet and out of the way so I just raised my hand.  Liz said, "So is she" and pointed my direction.  From that point on, we had quite the chat, oblivious to the "civilians" around us. I wondered later, what they thought about phrases and words about testosterone shots, top surgery, HRT and transitioning.  How wonderful it was we could do it!!!! It turns out, they too had seen Laverne Cox at Northern Kentucky University recently. 

By the way, the trans guy is ordering one of Liz's beaded handmade beret's for his Mom as a Christmas gift-with a rainbow where the Yin-Yang symbol is centered on mine.  Just contact me if you have an idea and want her to make one for you.  Please remember they are hand crafted and I will give you a price.

Page 3.- Stealth, Football and Mo!  Our back page today is going to be brief (maybe). In the typical New York elitist media style- on the CBS News show "Face the Nation" one of the experts quoted the old "Texas" football coach who said when you pass the football-three things can happen-all bad. The coach was Woody Hayes, decidedly NOT from Texas, but Ohio State.  Then again, when I lived in the NYC area for a couple years, the only part of the country the New Yorkers acknowledged was Texas.  To them, my native Ohio didn't register.  Even though I do pay attention to the "East Coast" media bias-I hold it all at arm's length out here in the frontier!

However, here in the frontier, we do play football, and yes our Ohio State Buckeyes tore up some Wisconsin Badger last night.  Liz and I watched the game in a sports bar here in Cincinnati which is not exactly the strongest Buckeye stronghold in the state-but OK none the less. 

Being self centered, sure the victory was great but the local circumstances around it at the tavern were even better. More later.

You all are the best!!!! Thanks as always for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo!!! Have a great week!!!

Cyrsti's Condo "OOOOPS"

Dammit! I just knew this wasn't going to work well when my little sister came home early-with her new camera!!!! And, I'm in Mom's clothes!

Steppin Up and Out

Many of you Cyrsti's Condo readers know of my belief I am largely successful in my mtf transgender transition efforts because of Momma Karma.  What I pay forward into the community comes back three fold to help me.


If this latest outreach from the Dayton, Ohio LGBTQ organization works, I will have a chance to take another nice dose of positive karma.


Recently, the group has noticed the "T" in their name was silent and they knew very little about us and more importantly, wanted to reach out to their perception of a growing, largely invisible community of transgender women and men.  Wow!  (The Dayton LGBT group was partially responsible for bringing Laverne Cox to the area.)


So, where the deal stands now is, the group is trying to put together an initial brainstorming session with three of us. The final goal is to provide support locally to trans individuals.


Now all I have to do is find a brain that fits!

Just a Thought

Perhaps you have heard of generic women who carry their phone in their bra...Min and Liz are two examples.

Lately, my phone has been re dialing people I txt- you know, it has to be the phone's fault.  At any rate, chances are if I redial my partner Liz, she would ask me if I "boob called her."

Then, last week I got a txt from my transgender woman friend Racquel.  After I txted her of course she got a call-back.  She asked me if I had "butt called her?'

Well, obviously, Racquel needs to make the jump towards generic status by carrying her phone in her bra.

I need to also- I need all the help with the girls I can get!

Wedding Surprise "Gifts?"

Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any to announce to all of you-I have a little surprise for the groom!!!

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!!!!