Cyrsti's Condo "OOOOPPS!"

Un-identified cross dresser 

Ok dear, I told you there wasn't "another woman"-but you didn't want to believe me and wanted to meet her. Now you have since you came home early!

It Only Takes One

Perhaps you have heard the story of a generic in Midland, Michigan raising un-holy hell about an individual she assumed to be a man in the woman's locker room:
Yvette Cormier encountered someone she described as a “man” in that Planet Fitness locker room. “I wanted to know why there was a man in the women’s locker room,” she told CNN. “He [sic] looked like a man, and that’s what stopped me in my tracks.” Cormier complained to the front desk and then the corporate office, but Planet Fitness stood by its policy of gender identity inclusion. Unsatisfied with that result, Cormier returned to the gym every day the following week, constantly approaching other women to warn them about who she saw in the locker room.

The "person" in question was actually Carlotta Sklodowska a local transgender woman.  Planet Fitness did the right thing and kicked Cormier out but the story But (according to this Think Progress link) Cormier’s story indicates just how backwards the situation is for transgender people.Studies have shown that when transgender people use the restroom, they are the ones who experience discrimination and harassment, not cisgender women and children. Cormier spent several days telling everyone at the gym to fear the clothed “man” she saw one time in the locker room; Sklodowska hung up her coat and purse. (No naked shower mind you!)

On a personal level, I have written about my paranoia of using the proper restroom which has lingered with me from problems encountered years ago.  In fact,  I still have a friend from my past cross dressing days who doesn't believe "I have gone this far." (with the restroom thing.) On the positive side though, I am finding too, more and more gender neutral bathrooms.  The Dayton Veteran's Administration Hospital was a good example yesterday as was the "Essex Studio's" art complex in Cincinnati Saturday night. But, I have another example from yesterday.

Before my blood was taken, I was in the waiting room for approximately a half hour before my number was called.  During the last five minutes or so, a 40 something woman with her daughter sat down right across from me.  I didn't notice her until I suddenly looked up from my cell phone and saw that tell tale "smirk" on her face which truly I haven't seen for awhile.  As it turns out, I figured the woman was going to be admitted for neck "whip lash" from jerking her head to follow me back to the admittance area and even when I came out.  My "red neck dar" was on and I figure she would be the one who would call security about a "man" in the woman's room.  She didn't have the chance since both restrooms were unisex. So all she has to worry about now is her neck injuries!

And, good for you Planet Fitness!!!! 

Don't Try This at Home?

Following yesterday's Cyrsti's Condo post concerning my endocrinologist increasing my estrogen patch strength, Jeni S. commented that after a certain point-it is wasted in your body. That it is, and most certainly if you try to overdose on it, you will not be sprouting the DD breasts of your dreams by next month.

What Jeni neglected to point out (along with me), estrogen can be extremely dangerous too.  I have met more than a couple of middle aged trans women who have damaged their body's from un- monitored HRT. In fact yesterday, the generic taking my blood, took the opportunity to "warn" me too.  I simply said, that exactly is why I am seeing the endocrinologist down the hall.

Let's be careful and patient out there girls-don't become a patient.

Flying Under the Radar?

Photo by Ryan Pfluger 

Connie passed this Amanda Simpson story along:  "The past few months have seen some big moments for transgender rights — from the State of the Union to the Emmys. But, outside the spotlight, there's a quieter progress being made. Hard-working, successful trans leaders are rising in the ranks of government and business — with less fanfare than their celebrity counterparts, but perhaps with even greater impact.
One such person is Amanda Simpson. In 2010, she made history as the first openly trans woman to be appointed by the Obama (or any) administration. Today, she’s the executive director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, where she works to build large-scale renewable energy projects to power Army installations.

It's an interesting place for a transgender woman to work: Simpson is a civilian appointee, but she works for the Army, which, like the entire Department of Defense, bans trans people from serving in uniform. Recently, there have been some inklings that this may change: Ashton Carter, the new Defense Secretary, said last week that he supports allowing transgender people to serve in the military, and the President’s Press Secretary said Obama had an “open mind” about it."

Thanks Connie!!!!

What's Up Doc?

Today was my four week hormone blood test with my new endocrinologist.  I was dazzled I went into the mass blood letting lab the Dayton, Ohio VA hospital operates for everyone at approximately 11 this morning. By three o clock, he was calling telling me my estrogen level was actually about as high as it could go safely and did I want to add another patch?

I said absolutely Doc! After all, I was slowly losing air on my diet and needed another patch to stop the leakage! I was happy to find out for a doctor, he had a little sense of humor.

She's Baaaack!

I am back again on my PC and all is well again in my web world.  Recapping a couple of  items from the Sunday Edition this week, the military was in the transgender news with Chelsea Manning and beyond. Chelsea won the approval to be called "she/woman" and  the U.S. Army has taken a step that makes it more difficult to discharge transgender troops, but other branches of the armed forces have yet to follow.

The Army announced Friday that it was elevating authority to discharge transgender service members from local to the assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, the highest level to which that authority has ever been assigned.  “In essence, the announcement places a moratorium on dismissals by requiring officers to explain their decision to discharge a transgender soldier to a high-ranking civilian leader, a move many would view as potentially damaging to their careers,” reports USA Today.

We also spotlighted a story on transgender model Andreja Pejic. (above left)  She told Gay Star News about the ten years it has taken her to get to this point in her life. In the article Andreja spoke of knowing the possibility of a MtF gender transition was possible as early as 13, but was hesitant for career reasons and now says there are other trans models in the closet for the same reason.She also mentioned the Leelah Alcorn tragedy. Follow the link above for more.

Finally, a couple of you commented on the addition of a direct link to "Frock Magazine" on the top right hand side of the blog:

1. Sally BendMarch 6, 2015 at 1:39 PM

   Very cool idea putting Frock directly on the front page, hon. What I did was create a page for it within my blog, and then just update the cover image/link on my front page for each issue
2. Pat ScalesMarch 6, 2015 at 2:52 PM

   It was an excellent article in Frock. I am proud of you for your contributions to the T community. We are a diverse bunch in terms of age, interest, proclivities and needs and you surely fill a spot in the T world.
   Pat
3. Thanks to both of you ladies!  In fact Sally, Katie Glover, the editor of Frock mentioned the same idea to me!  And, Pat, Katie and I had actually been "chatting" back and forth for over a year before we could come up with an idea which would possibly work.  Thanks so much for the compliments!!!

Sorry!

For those of you who thought you saw the Sunday Edition and it went away. You did. I pulled it down when I found something on my lap top I didn't put there-so I pulled it down. Until I can work on it or find someone better...and hope I didn't spread it to any of you!

A Small Victory

My thanks to one of our intrepid Cyrsti's Condo "reporters" Bobbie for alerting me to the small story about the military/prison Chelsea Manning is in:
Manning challenged the military's ongoing refusal to refer to her as a woman, and won. A court order from the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals instructs the military to refer to the soldier in all future official correspondence either using the gender neutral "Private First Class Manning" or employing the feminine pronoun.
As a result, the military is henceforth forbidden from referring to Manning as a man and if you recall, Chelsea has been allowed to begin HRT.

Cha-Changes In the Condo

This morning I got brave and did a little more in depth "shuffling" of rooms here in Cyrsti's Condo.

The biggest change is you all can access "Frock Magazine" anytime you want by going to the upper right hand of the blog.  When you move the small tool bar to the right at the bottom, you will get access to a full screen view of Frock.

Then, you can go to page 48 (of course) and see my article! YAY!

I also have tried to remove some links I believed to be underused...especially with a few of the blogs I was linked to.  Similar to so many other things and people in the transgender/cross dresser community-things come and go!!!

I guess you could say, I'm trying to put the blog on a Spring cleaning diet.