In the System

It's ironic I have spent my entire life fighting the system (or believing 'it/they' had their collective heads up their arse's.) Now though I am doing my happy dance (look out) waiting for the system to work in my favor.

Yesterday, the giant bureaucracy known as the US government, did a fairly decent job and sent me my new Social Security card. As I see it, the card is the last of my gender marker major changes followed by a myriad of small ones. In fact, some I haven't even thought of yet.

Out of the way is my Ohio Identification/drivers license, Veterans Administration gender and name change, my legal name change in the courts and now Social Security Card. Plus, the one I always forget is the most important, my therapist's approval to do all of this. I'm very fortunate in that she is a free service given to me for my service to our country (Army) and she is qualified to do it. She has made her business to understand not just mine in the LGBTQ community, but others.

What angers me is some think my so called "condition" is not as important as others in the LGBTQ family. Of course it's no secret many think we shouldn't need the "screening" anyhow. It's expensive and repetitive. I agree.

Looking ahead, I have to keep pulling out the eraser to my old self and file name/gender paper work to important places like my bank, insurance and even the dog's vet.

It's quite the process, and as we have discussed here, where you are makes a huge difference. Even the order you decide to do it. I went for the legal name change first but that was me and the VA process was extremely important and one you probably won't have to go through unless of course you are a transgender veteran.

It only took me over 60 years to figure out the system didn't have to be that bad. Then again, there were all those bosses I had...

A Beacon in a Dark LGBTQ Night

More encouraging news from "The Nati" (Cincinnati,Ohio). 

Perhaps it is true! Some are more concerned about the welfare of our LGBTQ youth more than what panty hose they have on!  This comes from the WKRC Channel 12 story:

"CINCINNATI (Angela Ingram) - A high-tech tool for your smartphone is aimed at helping homeless teens who often do not have much support.

The UPZ app helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth stay safe by getting them off the streets. It's one of the fastest ways to get a teen's attention an app on a smartphone. This app helps lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender teens who are homeless. Melissa Meyer is the Safe & Supported director at Lighthouse Youth Services. She helped create the app.

"It's important to know that the primary reason that LGBT youth become homeless is because of family rejection," Meyer said."

Also, the Cincinnati Police Department has a LGBTQ Liaison Officer, Angela Vance and she sees a need for the app: 

"Officer Vance said, "Once they come out to their parents, a lot of them, the 40% of them, become homeless. With that comes no money, no food, under bridges. They end up coach surfing. They end up homeless. Like I said, we find them in the in the woods."

Leelah Alcorn

Vance also says there is a high rate of suicide for LGBT youth. Officer Vance spoke at a vigil honoring Leelah Alcorn. The transgender teen killed herself in 2014.

 The UPZ app has features to help prevent another tragedy. The app will also connect them to emergency hotlines by phone or text, such as suicide hotlines, self-harm hotlines, and other community services.

People who work with LGBT youth know there is still a lot of work to be done, but but this is a high-tech step in the direction of helping teens who often face a lot of struggles. It may seem that homeless teens would not have access to cell phones, but people who work with them say often times they do have a way to stay connected.

Right now, the app is available at the Android store. Lighthouse is trying to get a grant to get the app on iOS systems as well."

Follow the link for more!

Pictures of Connie!

Kidding! Bobbie passed along a link to a site which posted 54 "rare historical drag photos."

I got to thinking this couldn't be Connie, no one has ever insulted her by calling her a lady!

Are You A Veteran?

Yesterday as I was having my fluid levels checked at my local Veterans Administration hospital, another woman in the waiting room came up to me and asked "You're a Vet, Right?" I said yes I was and she said she was passing out invites to the annual Memorial Day Picnic for women veterans and would I like to come?

I thought for the briefest second and said sure! I would love to come and then managed a little extra spring to my step-or was that from missing the extra pint of blood they just took?

Just Bouncing Down the Transgender Highway

If you recall, a couple posts ago, I "bounced" from T Central into another blog in which the subject (and I paraphrase) was why so many women are seemingly attracted to a cross dresser or transgender woman. 

I wondered this too during my early days of being out of the closet as I had way more attention from women than men when I became a widow. I came up with a couple different conclusions such as: a cis woman wonders just what you are doing in their world, some admire our blatant honesty for being who we are born to be and on another level the natural sexual tensions between the genders are lessened. 

Plus, I know too, how cis women are natural "re-builders." In many ways a man in a dress could be the ultimate challenge. My example comes from years ago. A very accomplished, attractive cross dresser who attended our transvestite "mixers" back in the day. During one meeting he announced he was done with cross dressing, getting engaged and never coming back. I have always wondered if he purged and did put away his frocks and makeup for any length of time.

You all know as well as I do, what a slippery slope we are on. Indeed our first foray into Mom's or Sis's clothes could be just that-curiosity. Or, we could be beginning a life long journey into a gender discovery. Unfortunately, the highway often is a very lonely journey and one the greatest majority of cis women don't want to make.

I love to flirt as much as the next woman, it just has been more natural for me to flirt with another women. So I found the post to be great fun.

Cyrsti's Condo "Sunday Edition"

Ker Plunk! Get ready! Another wondrous edition of the "Condo" is hitting your virtual front porch. "Momma Nature" here in Cincinnati is teasing us with one of her early spring weekends before winter returns-for awhile. At any rate grab a "cup-o-joe" and let's get started!

Page One- The Week that Was - or Wasn't: As on the national scene, in South Dakota, HB 1008 one of several anti-LGBT bills conservative groups have been advancing in South Dakota, requires that every restroom, locker room, and shower room in any public school be “designated for and used only by students of the same biological sex.” The language leaves no room for transgender students, defining biological sex as “the physical condition of being male or female as determined by a person’s chromosomes and anatomy as identified at birth.”  The last I read was, the bill was within the governor's veto of passing into infamy. 

Robyn and Andrew

On the local scene, my new social security card should be arriving sometime this week as I was able to hurdle that wall with relative ease. I may have picked the right Social Security office at the right time with the right clerk (young) who seemingly understood my desire to get the process done.

Page Two- The Small Screen: Actually there is more happening on television these days than the upcoming season two of "I am Cait" with Caitlin Jenner plugging away at her life and (just maybe) her new cosmetic line. There is a show on the Discovery Life Channel if you can pick it up called "New Girls on the Block."
So far the show, as I have seen it, has done a decent job of cutting across transgender lines such as the pain of a transitioning husband and wife, two transgender lesbians in love, and more, including Robyn and Andrew who met when Robyn was Andrew's male co worker. Their friendship continued through Robyn's transition.

Page Three-Yesterday's Coffee-Opinion Jenner's Politics: (From the Advocate)

"Republicans, meet your teammate: Caitlyn Jenner. 

The transgender former Olympian turned reality star is holding firmly onto her GOP card, and from what she told reporters at the Television Critics Association tour in Pasadena, Calif., that’s not likely to change. 

Jenner

Jenner was asked why she doesn't just "support the party that supports women and women's rights?”

"Well, I really don’t want to heavily get into politics because, certainly, we have enough politics going on in the United States right now. But as I tell the girls, it’s kind of good. If the Republicans haven’t been very good on this issue — which I agree, they haven’t been.”

Well, it does look like "The Donald" (Trump) is going to need a running mate.

Page Four- The Back Page: Well kids, got to get going, we all have another busy day around here and it's time to fix some breakfast "nummers" and get to it! You are the best for coming by!

"Wanna Hook Up?" Was Unhooked!

The last couple of days I have been trying to realign the blogs I am linked to here in Cyrsti's Condo. Most had not had a new post in over three months but I am afraid by mistake I deleted some I shouldn't have. (Imagine that!) If that is you , or you want a link here, please ask!

Miss Twist

However, through the magic of Al Gore's internet today I'm going to do a little blog bouncing. First we are going to stop off at Callie's Blog T-Central and take a look at a post called Girl Meets Boy Dressed as Girl. (By the way if you haven't been there, Callie calls her blog: "Just a mondo but not complete listing of Trans-Related Bloggers and News Sites" It's amazing, but now the bounce. The actual post comes from a blog called "Miss Twist Speaks her brains."
Here's an excerpt from her recent Valentines post: "I’ve already talked about how a number of guys have responded to Twist; what about women? I’m a heterosexual guy in a skirt who happens to be engaged. But as ‘Twist’, I’m both more outgoing and rather more coy; I suppose I’d have to say Twist is flertarosexual – nothing more than a flirt.*

I also asked a number of my female friends for their thoughts and opinions; I’ve been swamped with so many nuggets, gems and useful insights I can probably generate three or four posts out of it all. (My thanks to all of them!)"

I too, have many of "Miss Twist's" experiences with women of which revolve around the concept of gender vs sexuality as it plays out between the binary genders. Probably over the years, I'm like her and did write ,many posts on the subject, because the magic sexuality switch still hasn't been thrown with me and although I dislike binary titles, I still prefer women...mostly. 

With that tease, I promise to pass along a couple stories I found from the archives around the Condo I'm collecting for the book!

Here We Don't Go Again?

If you have been following any or all of the "rest room battles" around the country, the latest move to restrict use of restrooms on a strict genetic (cis) basis is laying on the desk of the South Dakota governor Dennis Daugaard for his approval or veto.

Admit-tingly for any number of reasons. I'm a little late to this story number of weak reasons, but there is a petition circulating on Change.Org about  Thomas Lewis. I’m a transgender student at a public high school in South Dakota. Last night, South Dakota passed what will be our nation’s first anti-trans law, if the Governor signs it. I need your help to make sure that does not happen.This law – H.B. 1008 – prevents public school students from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity. If made into law, transgender students like me across the state could be forced to use a separate bathroom from everyone else. Worse, we will be forced into bathrooms that don’t correspond to our gender 
identities.

Needless to say,with the passing away of super conservative Supreme Court Justice Scalia, it's time to circle our wagons and help protect the rights of all transgender citizens. It certainly doesn't seem like the barrage of attacks against us is lessening and Indiana just might be the model for the future as corporate interests there bitterly complained against a bigoted law being proposed for the state. It was pulled back when the neighboring LGBT friendly cities of Dayton and Cincinnati, Ohio invited all business to relocate here. At latest total, Indiana has lost a purported 60 million dollars. 

Plus, at least now I can do my share at the ballot box, because Ohio is still one of the states denying complete rights to all of it's transgender citizens.

Another One Bites the Dust

Today I packed up my three forms of formal identification and headed to my closest Social Security office.

I needed one form of picture identification (my driver's license). The original filed probate approval form and original Social Security Card. For once in my life I have been organized enough to keep a folder of all the official forms I have filled out and yet to be filled out on my gender marker odyssey. So compiling all of it was easy.

What wasn't so easy was waiting to be called. As I had said in a previous Cyrsti's Condo post, because of need for "original documentation" I didn't see anyway around NOT going in and sitting for two hours. 

Amazingly, I didn't and was out of there within an hour and should have my new Social Security Card within 10 days.

Maybe I am getting jaded to this gender marker process but maybe the biggest thrill today was when I got home and found my new registration to vote in the mail!