Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Are We Having Any Fun Yet?

It seems to me every blog post I have done since the ones when I went through changing my legal gender markers have been really serious. 

But then again, don't they have to be? Take the restroom issues for example. For once we "T's" in the LGBT family jumped the line from last to first mainly on the back of using the restroom of our chosen gender. All of the sudden discrimination became very real in this country to more than racial minorities.

I believe what disturbs me (more than I already am) are in a couple Facebook groups I look at from time to time, the members are cluelessly going off on using the women's room at will. That's cool of course, but I wonder some day if they are not careful traveling in let's say North Carolina and they get busted.

You see, I can only get some sort of attachment to my Ohio birth certificate saying my gender has been changed, The only other fool proof way around the rest room problem is to pass-well, which some of us struggle to do.

Fortunately, some of the rightest rednecks are bitchin' about the "leftest corporate" bullies. It's about time and it's true. 

But like the Facebook cuties who think unlimited rights (or even limited) are forever, all of this has a long way to go. Much farther than Jenner's Black Party Bus or blogs like mine. The governors in recent "battle ground states" have different stories which could set us back or forward. In Georgia, Governor Deal made the right call and shot down the LGBT discrimination bill in his state, but he is outgoing. In North Carolina though, Governor McCrory is in a more difficult spot, trying to frame the new North Carolina law in his favor while his Democratic general election opponent, state Attorney General Roy Cooper, does the same. Both rivals must placate their party bases — gay-rights supporting liberals for Cooper, social conservatives for McCrory — while appealing to the independents who hold sway in the closely divided state.

So, as you look for that run in your hose or reflection in the mirror, you may want to really consider what it means to be transgender, and is it more than just lactating?

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Kristin Beck Part II

We received several comments concerning Kristin Beck's run for office in Maryland. One is from our resident Cyrsti's  Condo MODERATE Republican Pat who wrote: "Regardless of your reason for supporting Kristin Beck keep in mind that her positions of the major issues are rock solid and supportable. Also keep in mind that Steny Hoyer has had a strangle hold on that seat for over 3 decades and all he has done is spend and push a socialist agenda. Lets support Kristin and lets hope she can beat Hoyer and finally bring some sense of freedom to the long suffering people of that district.
Pat

And: (from Mandy Sherman) : Unfortunately I can't vote for her because I don't live in her Congressional District. But I certainly wish her all the best and hope that she succeeds beyond her wildest dreams! We need some good Congressional representation...

Go Kristin!
Hugs,
Mandy








Kristin Beck

Thanks to both of you and obviously I don't live close enough to Kristin's district to help (except sending a few shekels her way.) Hopefully you can too!  https://www.gofundme.com/beck4congress

Pat, you will be happy to know that for once we agree! Politicians (all of them) should have term limits. For all the blather we hear out of Washington, none of them can seem to work together to get anything done.

Finally, I have two thoughts. I know you are thinking only two??

Who would you rather have speaking at all for the rest of the transgender world, goof ball Jenner or Kristin? (Rumors are already swirling of a possible cancellation of "I am Cait," 

And at what point does Kristin get tired (probably already is) of having the trans and Navy Seal tags slapped on her? 

Of course I can't say. I only know it's comforting to have her (Kristin) as an example rather than you know who.

Monday, March 28, 2016

Kristin Beck

Kristin Beck
As many of you probably already, transgender woman and former Navy Seal Kristin Beck is running for Congress in Maryland. She dropped me a thank you note recently about the five dollars I donated some time ago then lost track of where her election stood.



"Hey!  Even $5 makes a difference.  Thank you.  It's been a while since I last heard from you.  When I get to congress you are going to come up and have lunch or give me a call so we can talk.  I will pulling the volunteers together in the next few days. I hope everything is going well for you. Right now I am very much in my "happy place".  I am very, very tired, but I am happy.  I know that I have done just about everything I can to win this election.  I just need to push past the finish line by putting one foot in front of the other. I need you to send out the word again.  I need a lot of very small donations to go to my "GoFundMe" crowd sourcing website.  I have to raise some money for the final signs to be posted along the roads to the voting polls. (I donated ten more dollars)   

It's nearing the end of the Primary race and we are all exhausted and feeling a little beaten down.  Mike and I are going through all the nice emails we received over the past year."
Needless to say, being a transgender veteran myself (regardless of being another trans woman), we need all the individuals we can running against these ignorant bigots we face in state and national legislatures. 
For more on Kristin, go here.

Busted in North Carolina?

From the "EdgeMediaNetwork" in Boston: "It didn't take long for the folks at Funny or Die to skewer North Carolina's new anti-LGBT law. On Thursday, less than 24 hours after Republican Governor Pat McCrory signed the sweeping homophobic legislation into law, the comedy website published a faux commercial from North Carolina's tourism board that reminds potential travelers of "all the fun straight things you can do in their beautiful, intolerant state."


"Now you can experience the beautiful outdoors, cityscapes and incredible ignorance by hang-gliding backwards in time, racing to the wrong side of history in a kayak, teaching your children to judge others while frolicking in the waves and enjoying our waterfalls without fear of gay people falling on you," says a voice over the requisite video montage of the Tar Heel state's natural landscapes.

The video is on You Tube only. It's  been interesting to Liz and I since we WERE considering a possible trip to North Carolina this summer. I won't go where I am not wanted.

The North Carolina peeps should close their borders before Caitlyn Jenner's Black Bus gets there.

Sunday, March 27, 2016

Cyrsti's Condo Easter Sunday Edition

Ker Plunk! Another Sunday Edition is hitting your virtual front porch. Here in Southwestern Ohio it's a bright shining Easter Sunday morning. Let's grab a "cup o joe" and get started!

Page One: Easter: Most of you know my views on religion and I am sick and tired of the religious right trying to usurp my rights under the guise of religion. Paula(who is from the UK) sent in this comment which says it all:

"As a Christian I would be profoundly saddened if any of my Church family felt that faith was something they only did on Sunday mornings and that they could leave it in the Church. We need to be outside the church displaying the love of God, ministering to the hurt, the sick, and the sad. There is no discrimination in Christianity, "There is no Greek, and no Jew, no master and no slave, no man and no woman." we are all equal in God's love and as God's children we should show that love to all.

As a European as well as a Christian I totally fail to understand what so many people in the USA as frightened of, and why they are so keen to go back into the sectarian politics of the last two centuries"

Thanks Paula and I think all of this religious paranoia is tied in with in the "Donald Trump" phenomena, gun violence "NRA" etc...as LGBTQ folk we have just been caught in the crossfire (no pun intended). For the first time ever, we are developing a real voice at the same time others consider us a real menace. To make a long story short Paula, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself and we have a ton of it!

Page Two: Yesterdays'  Coffee- Down Under:  Perth musician Jaime Page, who recently came out as transgender. Picture: Don Benson Photography.]

"PERTH rock guitarist Jaime Page is Perth’s answer to Caitlyn Jenner.

The married father-of-four, formerly Jamie, has shocked friends by recently announcing he is transgender.


Ms Page, who works at music store Kosmic Sound in Osborne Park by day, said she told her colleagues just before revealing her lifelong secret on Facebook last month.

“That was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she said."

Let's hope Jaime does not have the same ideas about being transgender as Caitlyn Jenner!






Page Three: History : From the  Toronto Star, Canada


"The woman who was trans before her time

Dianna Boileau was one of the first Canadians to have gender-confirming surgery, in 1970. She caused a sensation, then married and retreated from public life.

By: Katie Daubs, Feature Writer, Published on Sun Mar 27 2016


[Photo: Dianna Boileau, in an image from her book Behold, I Am a Woman, published in 1972. Born in Winnipeg, she later moved to Toronto, where she led a quiet life until a car accident on the 401 thrust her into the spotlight. She was tormented by the press and lost her job.]"


I would imagine Bobbie who is from that neck of the woods remembers this story!

Page Four: The Back Page: I guess we pretty much followed a good portion of the British Empire in this edition. Stopping in Australia, Canada, the U.S. and Great Britain itself. 
It's time for us to go and take advantage of a beautiful day and thanks as always for stopping by Cyrsti's Condo.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Stop and Smell...What???

Last night a friend and I went to another "Love Must Win Inc" get together across the river in Covington, Kentucky. The group consists of anyone seeking safe haven even for an evening , from LGBTQ peeps to kids being bullied to "cutters". 

Then last night the group presented Mitzi who in her small way is trying to make a huge difference in the world. Nearly single handily every week, her and her family pass out "gift" (survival) bags to as many homeless as they can here in Cincinnati. This is their motto.

It just so happens the location provided to the group is up on one of the most beautiful views of the Cincinnati skyline. As my friend last night and I were leaving (Liz had to work) we paused to say Wow!; and to think the presenter we just heard was speaking on passing out water, socks and warm clothing to people living under bridges.

I guess it follows if "super churches" are supporting gay/trans conversion therapy along with doing Easter Egg drops out of helicopters-there is no reason to use that money to really need it!

Friday, March 25, 2016

The Devil Stopped in North Carolina on His Way to Georgia

LEXIE CANNES STATE OF TRANS — I (Lexie) put together this list of major NC businesses and organizations for everyone to contact and voice your concern about yesterday’s sneak attack by the North Carolina legislature and governor banning trans people from using bathrooms. Urge them to press the NC state Republicans legislators into repealing their unjust law.
Some companies make it harder to contact them than others.
American Airlines (large presence in NC) 1-877-390-3077 Email: https://www.aa.com/contact/forms?topic=CR
Bank of America —  1-800-432-1000, 1-888-550-6433 Email:https://www.bankofamerica.com/contactus/contactus.go
Carolina Panthers (NFL team) — 704-358-7000 Email:  feedback@panthers.nfl.com
Carolina Hornets (NBA team owned by Michael Jordan) 1-704-688-8600 FAX: 1-704-973-9411 Email:info@hornets.com
Charlotte Chamber of Commerce — 1-704-378-1300, Email: Staff directory (click on staff name to email)http://charlottechamber.com/about-the-chamber/staff-listing/
Disney (large presence in NC) — 1-818-560-1000, 1-855-553-4763
Dow Chemical (large presence in NC) —  1-989-636-1000, 1-800-636-331-6451 Fax: 1-989-832-1456 Email:http://www.dow.com/en-us/contact-us
ESPN — (large presence in NC) 1-860-766-2000, Email: (for press media, but may still work)espnpr@espn.com
Food Lion — 1-800-210-9569 Email: https://www.foodlion.com/customer-service/contact-us/
Krispy Kreme — 1-800-457-4779 Email: KKGuest@krispykreme.com  orhttp://krispykreme.com/about/Contact-Us
Lowes — 1-800-445-6937 Email: customercare@lowes.com
NBA (All Star game may be held in Charlotte) — 1-212-407-8000 Fax: 1-212-832-3861 Email:http://contact.nba.com/contact-nba/
NCAA — (College basketball tournaments in NC) — 1-317-917-6222, Fax: 1-317-917-6888 Email:memmert@ncaa.org
PayPal (plans hiring blitz) 1-888-221-1161
Sealy Corp (Mattresses) — 1-800-697-3259 Email: ConsumerSupport@sealy.com
——
This is a working document. Please post suggestions in the comments section below so I can update this page.
This method will work in North Carolina: Trans men should invade the ladies room at the capitol building and the governor’s office: http://lexiecannes.com/2015/11/04/call-for-trans-men-to-invade-public-womens-bathrooms-in-houston/
——
North Carolina hate trans
Read Lexie Cannes in The Huffington Post:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-odonnell/


Categories: Discrimination, Equality, Civil RightsEverything elseLegislative
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Thursday, March 24, 2016

The Devil Went Down to Georgia

Perhaps you have heard of the latest so called "religious freedom bills" which are sweeping America. The same one that was shot down in South Dakota and Indiana but was rushed through a legislature in North Carolina. The latest bill is in Georgia and is due to be signed (or not) by it's governor this week.

Essentially, these bills discriminate the LGBTQ community by claiming our rights infringe upon a person's religious freedom. At this point, don't we have to pause and ask whatever happened to the separation between church and state? But that is another story. I know one thing, I am not infringing on anyone's right to worship. 

What is really happening is, the big companies in Georgia, Coca Cola the NFL etc, are saying whoa rednecks, let's rethink this. Especially the NFL. Atlanta is building a new stadium to get ready for a future Super Bowl, and the NFL is saying No boys, we may pick up our marbles and play elsewhere unless you pick yours up and put them back into your noggin (much like Indianapolis)

It also just happens quite a few television shows and movies are being filmed in Georgia and those companies (of course) are coming out against this bill.

It will be interesting to see who will be around to pick up the extra business if the Georgia Governor signs this highly discriminatory bill. Here in Ohio, both Dayton and Cincinnati gladly offered to open their doors to Indiana businesses who wanted to relocate.

Some day (maybe) religion will stay in the church and commerce will stay out of it!  

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

The Ultimate Purge

From the Cyrsti's Condo archives:

I promise honey-I will never wear your clothes again! (At least not these!)

A Spectator in my Own Life

  Image from Author JJ Hart There were many times in my life when I felt as if I was a spectator in my own life. From the first glimpse in a...