Can't You Pee Outside?

As soon as Indiana calms down, then of course the discriminatory bigots are busy tossing restroom bills at us as fast as spring training baseballs. Thanks to Bobbie for passing this along:

Not surprisingly the "excuse" of protecting women's restrooms from sexual predators is unfounded. In fact, there are zero reported cases of this happening. However, Arizona, Florida, Texas and Kentucky are considering "bathroom bills" which restrict transgender people from using the bathroom in line with their gender identity,But these bills are not protective. They're vehicles for instilling fear of trans and gender-nonconforming people.

Of course they are and again go way past the trans man we see on the left. Most certainly his passing privilege would make it easier for him to gain stealth bathroom privileges. Would you question his gender in a man's room? 

For the rest of us though, it's a simple matter of waiting  for more and more unisex bathrooms showing up and/or being a good citizen when we are forced to use the indoor bathroom.

For more, go here. (NO! not really!-I already cleaned up after the dog!!!)

Cyrsti's Condo OOOPPS!

Unidentified-Pinterest

Well honey, this is not the way it looks-oh hell-it is. Do you want a drink? And yes, I love your new jacket!

Do the Right Thing

Well, as it stands now, the dominoes have started to fall in the direction of the LGBT community, starting in Indiana. Having said all of that-I have not started my happy dance yet.

It was interesting to me all the different directions where supporting our discrimination came from this time. First and foremost of course the was the omni present religious right. Very simply, they love to make us a very scary example of society's moral decay. Oh, by the way-don't forget to throw whatever you can't afford in the alter plate to build another "super church" this Sunday.

Then-there were who thought simply extending American rights to the LGBT population represented extra government "interference" in society. That was true of course but is far from the first time Just take the Women's Suffrage Movement or the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as examples of our government doing the right thing. Come on now-did all those members of American society deserve equal rights? Generics gaining the right to vote was the beginning to the end of America as we know it?

That's all good but as we all know, perhaps the biggest factor in Indiana's reversal was money.

Many of you who don't know, the state is not just the bucolic, basketball rural state from the classic Hoosiers Gene Hackman movie. It does have it's rural parts of course (as does Ohio) but it also has big cities too, including one called Indianapolis which hosts such "small" events such as the Super Bowl and The NCAA Final Four Basketball Tournament. In case the people in the churches and the conservative legislative community haven't figured it out yet- JOBS are coming more and more from diverse based companies. PLUS, the competition for those companies in this part of the country is incredibly intense. The Cincinnati or Dayton Ohio mayors weren't playing when they said they would welcome Indiana's business.

So here we are, with a little breather. What does it mean on the grass roots level to the typical transgender woman and trans man looking for passing privilege? Very simply, not much and everything. I already know where I can and can't go for the most part. And I am not looking to go to redneck bars on the east side of Cincinnati when Liz and I can go down along the Ohio River and sip coffee or an adult beverage. To the owners there, Liz and I are simply green not lesbian or transgender.

For whatever reason, the right thing happened in Indiana-for the moment. Just have to relax, enjoy it and look for the next challenge. It's just part of the LGBT existence.

Cyrsti's Condo "OOOPPS!"

Unidentified (Pinterest)

Marsha!!! Is that your cell phone vibrating in your skirt-or are you just happy to see me?

Sitting in the Back of the Church

From Stana at Femulate:



"More so than the folks in the LGB crowd, a lot of folks in the trans crowd will get clocked by civilians who are scrutinizing people to determine whether or not we are discrimination-worthy. Size is often our giveaway (big transwomen and small transmen) and there is not much we can do about that.

And stop calling it a "religious freedom" law. It's a freedom to discriminate law, that is, you are free to discriminate according to your prejudices and then use religion as an excuse. How twisted is that?

Tell me, Mr. Christian, if a transwoman needed some carpentry work done, what would Jesus do?"

Stana is sooooo good at reducing a topic to a few basic well placed words!!!! Follow her link above to read more.

Cyrsti's Condo "Yesterday's Coffee"

Lots to get to from our Condo "mail slot!"

Mandy Sherman returned from yet another trip and checked back in and commented (on Alana's picture and the post "Going Commando"):
Have been out of town visiting our son (wish I could have been wearing a skirt) and just got back, so I can get caught up on prior posts. Gee, thanks so much for the mention, Cyrsti! I really appreciate it! And Alana, you look great! Keep up the good work!
Mandy

Then, of course Connie chimed in with her "ain't that special" brand of Pacific Northwest humor on my "kitchen based beauty help":  

Olive oil? So, you've gone past cross dressing and on to salad dressing? You already were full of vinegar, anyway.

Good point! This week some have thought I was full of a "little too much vinegar" concerning my comments about Indiana hiding behind religious freedom to LGBT discriminate.
From my responses I was even called a hater. You can follow all the comments back and forth in the archived posts. Be forewarned though, I do get passionate and I could have pulled out my old musty history degree but didn't to make myriad points. But-understand-until you have walked a mile in my shoes, experienced what I have experienced (including military service)- only then you can comment on my passion.

I will get to all of that in my next post!

Less IS More!

Among all glitz and glam of cross dressers and trans girls on the internet, every once in a while - I do find a story and picture of what I call a real transition. I featured Alana not long ago here in Cyrsti's Condo in a post called "Going Commando". She replied with more background I thought you all may be interested in!

Wow. Thanks for featuring my photo, There's quite a background story to this picture, taken at 3am. I'd had a 2hr session of electrolysis just before my salon visit. I highly recommend splurging on a good hair salon, even if the visits aren't as frequent, the results speak for themselves. I've been practicing the "natural" look, which doesn't mean not using makeup. In fact I've got foundation, a touch of blush, mascara, three color eyes shadow, thin line MAC eye liner on the upper eyelid, and powder applied to my forehead, nose, and chin, Finally, I'm using a ballerina pink Sephora lip stick, which is very subtle and nearly matches my natural lip color. 

After my salon visit, I went to a transgender support group, had a great time hanging out with our tribe. Finally, I have to admit that I'm weeks away from beginning HRT. I guess my body was already primed to be female, in spite of the pipes. 

Love your blog.
Hugs,
-Alana

Thanks Alana! I think sometimes the point is lost on most - buying the most expensive cosmetics does not necessarily equate to being more attractive. Example? My sister in law last night was bugging me about not having "puffy" eyes like she has. I suggested genetics but then went on to tell her about using a touch of Olive Oil mixed in with my moisturizer/wrinkle cream. Thanks Liz!!!! 

Inner Transtioning

Most certainly, I give myself many "talking to's", in fact, once here in Cyrsti's Condo, I wrote a post about when I began to make the effort to quit mis-pronouning myself. 

It was tough. Here I was doing my male drag in the world while I was desperately trying to "sync" up my gender dysphoria. Those of you who have been through it-"nuff said". If you haven't-I compare it with a case of mental "shingles." Also, this was occurring during a time when people in public would "slip up" and call me mam.

Essentially, I was throwing my own mental road block into my transgender transition path. Finally, I re programmed yet another part of my wiring to function better! I need all the wiring I can get!

Indiana Jones and the Legislation of Doom

Connie commented about Indiana:" Indiana, where it's OK to have a Basketball Jones, but not so much if I'm Basketball Joan. Basketball is the major religion for the state, is it not? I'm wondering, though, why it's still legal to run a man to man defense." Almost Connie. Basketball IS the religion in nearby Kentucky!

Then, this comment from Pat really got me going this morning:   It seems that this is a recent case of the left using a flawed premise to bash a Republican. The language of the new legislation is taken from the federal freedom of religion law signed by Bill Clinton. It is also in line with the legislation of about half the states including the legislation voted for by Obama when he was an Illinois legislator. 

As I understand the legislation it is a preclusion against government action against a person with clear and estanblished religious beliefs it is not a blanket right to discriminate as is being presented by those whose politics are not in line with the current governor or legislature in that state.
Pat

Number 1.- How dare you play politics with my life??? I don't give a rats behind less if this came from the left or the right?  I guess the bottom line is Pat, you can feel good about yourself that you are carrying the banner of knowledge when you dress as a woman and go out and then turn around and say denying human rights is OK?
Number 2.- I am certain you have read or heard by now, Indiana's law is NOT the same as the others.  (Read on below.)  
Number 3.- Pat, riddle me this...why does every challenge to me living my life as I please with the access to basic American freedoms come from the so called right?
Number 4.- Walk a mile in any LGBT person's shoes and then you will understand why there is a 41% suicide rate. And, don't be crazy and tell me this is an "apples and oranges" issue. 

A  Washington Post article largely mirrors the argument advanced by Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Appearing on ABC’s This Week, Pence claimed “Then state-Sen. Barack Obama voted for [the Religious Freedom Restoration Act]. The very same language.”

The same argument is parroted on Fox News and elsewhere.

It’s not true.

The Indiana law differs substantially from the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, signed by President Clinton in 1993, and all other state RFRAs.
Go here for another look.
(Disclaimer, this is one of those evil leftist sites-kind of like the CBS Morning Show legal analyst Tuesday morning.) She very succinctly outlined the differences and then went on to say why big diverse companies can locate to states who have protections on the books for LGBT persons and not to states like Indiana and others who don't. 

Then again, Rush Limbaugh sent a letter to Liz's Dad yet asking for money and telling him Obama is going to run for president-for life.  He will be coming after me next!