"Sort of Settled?"

From the Washington Blade: Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has invoked the ire an LGBT think-tank for saying the implementation of openly transgender military service is “complicated.” The Pentagon chief made the remarks last week at the Air Force Academy in Colorado when questioned by a cadet on the best way to help people adjust to the idea of transgender people in the armed forces. “This is a complicated issue, and I think it has a lot of ramifications that are very practical ones,” Carter said. Months after a launching a review of the ban prohibiting trans people from serving in the armed forces, Carter said the principle of enabling trans military service is “sort of settled.”

“What matters is people’s ability to contribute to our military,” Carter said. “That’s what matters. The only barriers we should ever erect to the principle are ones in which there are practical issues that we can’t work through.”

Expressing confidence the issues would be resolved, Carter concluded, “It’s the quality and readiness of the force that matters. That’s the goal. We keep that in front of us.”

The repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” enabled openly lesbian, gay and bisexual people to serve in the U.S. armed forces, but transgender people are still barred from open service as a result of medical regulation instituted in the 1980s.

- See more here.

As predicted, none of this was unexpected from the Pentagon. Washington after all is known for it's incompetent bureaucrats (Carter) who collect a paycheck and move on. 

I have screamed it before and I will again the greatest hypocrisy in this country is with  holding basic freedoms from the transgender military members who are on the front lines fighting for them. 

JJ's Quote of the Day

Comparisons should not be with made with who you were, it's who you are going to become.

Hamburger Mary's

Last night, one of CBS's "Undercover Boss" shows featured a place called

 "Hamburger Mary's".  In the show owners and executives go undercover to see

how their companies are really running and if they need

 to make improvements. During last night's show, one of the owners even went undercover 

as a drag queen at one of their LGBT friendly eateries/bar. From the companies web site:

Ashley Wright (Co Owner) on Left

Hamburger Mary’s offers a flamboyant dining experience,

 along with nightly entertainment from our "Dining with the Diva's" drag shows

 and charity “HamBingo Mary’s” to MaryOke-Karaoke and trivia nights.

As fun as all of that sounds, my whole reason for writing this post has to do with the

 way the two twin brothers Ashley and Brandon Wright who own the company are trying

to rebuild it.

In last nights show, the owners went undercover with a whole rainbow of employees.

They started with a fairly obvious straight server trainer, went to a gorgeous drag 

performer/trainer who was transgender, a lesbian bar manager and finally a gay server.

The gay server in particular was singing the praises of Hamburger Mary's as a safe

place to work...which is huge as we know.

Remember too, if you live close to one of Hamburger Mary's venues, Support them

Because the Wright Brothers are doing the Wright thing for the LGBT  community!!!!!

 (Couldn't resist it!)

JJ's Sunday Edition

Ker Plunk! Listen closely, another Sunday Edition is hitting your virtual front porch! First, the weather. It's sunny and chilly here in Southwestern Ohio with highs barely getting into the 60's today. Excellent day for a hot cup o joe (coffee) or Chai Tea. Let's get started.

Page One: the Week that Was or Wasn't: On the entertainment scene, transgender woman Laverne Cox just made trans history again with her new series Doubt.  Cox will play a series regular character in the upcoming CBS legal drama Doubt, making her the first transgender actor to portray a transgender main character on a broadcast series.
Of course on the national scene, the sweeping revisions and backing by the Federal Government has led to a firestorm of protest-and support. There are lawyers everywhere sharpening their pencils waiting to make a great paycheck on upcoming litigation-thanks to the morons in North Carolina and Mississippi. Although approximately 28 other states have similar bills proposed by legislators opposed to tackling real problems.
Page Two: Yesterday's Coffee - Opinion. Perhaps you have noticed several "archived" posts from 2013. I personally think they had more interest than my current efforts for a couple of reasons. First of all, the world was "bright,shiny and new" as I was basically really feeling the results of HRT for the first time. Plus, I was just beginning to feel the warmth from a new circle of friends Liz and I were part of. As I found out later, a couple of them have transgender family. Being around them has made life so much richer and I have become so much closer to stealth than anytime in my life. In fact, I believe my next mini series of posts will be about stealth and the misconceptions surrounding it, from my angle.
 Page Three: Oh No She Did-unt!: As it turned out, the stories of Caillyn Jenner de-transitioning were fake according to her friend Jennifer Finney Boylan: "There it was, big as hell, CBS News reporting that Caitlyn Jenner was de-transtioning.  And there was I, as I often am while poised at my computer, clutching at my forehead muttering, “Jesus H. Christ in a chicken basket.” And: "The source for the story, 

interestingly, was a fellow writing an unauthorized biography of the Kardashians. He had not spoken to Jenner personally.  And yet CBS — the House of Murrow! — figured, what the hey.  No one from the network called Jenner for a comment.  By mid day, after a statement from her publicist, CBS changed its online headline to “Caitlyn Jenner’s Rep Responds to De-Transitioning Report.”  The whole sad baloney sandwich was tossed on the internet compost heap by day’s end, and with it, I suppose, my interest should have waned.
You can go here to the "Advocate"for more.
Page Four: The Back Page: Time to head out and walk the dogs kids! You and yours have a wonderful week!
Luv ya!!!!
JJ

Transgender Politician!

From the TransGriot Blog:  "I've (Monica Roberts) has been saying that we need to have trans people writing the laws instead of begging to be included in them or working to kill unjust ones, and looks like in this election cycle people are stepping up to do precisely that.

.One of those people is Kim Coco Iwamoto, a commissioner on the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission.  She's been even since her appointment by Gov. Neil Abercrombie in 2012 serving her term due to expire this year.

 Kim Coco Iwamoto has announced she is going to run for public office again in her native Hawaii."

Follow the link above for more and I couldn't agree more!!!!

It's Mine-I Bought It!

I have been bringing back old archived posts from 2013 when my Mtf transition was really taking shape. This one has to do with hair:

As recently as my last post here in Cyrsti's Condo, I am never shy about mentioning my hair.  I am a believer in nature giving and taking away. In my case, nature was in a giving mood with my big bones and torso but just happened to slip in potentially wild big hair. The take away though is the idea of older women not looking stylish in longer hair. Among other things it's called the 16/60 and is used to describe a woman who looks 16 from behind and 60 from in front.  Yikes!!!! I don't look a day over 59!

As luck would have it though, as in everything there are exceptions to every rule. In my case I read the exception in the Fabulous after 40 site:


"If you have thick hair with a natural looking color, and you are not too thin in the face, then you can wear your hair pretty long. How long? The best hairstyles for long hair over 40 are ones that fall no further than mid-back, or your hair will look unkempt. (but I think this is true no matter what your age.) The reason I think you need a little fullness to your face to pull off this look successfully is because long hair will draw the eye down, making your face look longer and thinner.

Although you might think that looking thinner is more desirable, as we age it really isn’t. A long and thin aging face will just look tired and haggard, and length will also draw attention to fine lines and wrinkles. My advice to women over 40 with long hair and a thin face is to a) switch to short hair or b) try a shoulder length style with layers and softness around your face. These two styles will be much more flattering. And remember, showing a little bit of your ear will draw the eye up, lifting everything up and showing off great cheekbones. It’s kind of like having a face lift."

It turns out, I can say yes to all three plus it would break my heart to say "no" after all these years. I guess karma cut me a break for sentencing me to the wait for my own hair. (Have to blame someone)

Plus certainly this information is also good for flattering wig styles we all can wear."

If we all do this right, we can look as good as Courtney Cox in this picture?

You're Such a Boob!

Since summer time is almost here, it's time to take a look at my bra situation again and judge what HRT has or hasn't done. To explain it, I thought I would pass along an old archive post:

"Finally it's becoming evident the hormones are beginning to gain more and more ground in my quest for bigger breasts.
Over the years my bras have been more of a "hit and miss" effort. much was determined by the size "d" breast forms I've owned for years.  Anyway you cut it, I'm a big girl and bigger breasts should come with the package to fill out my figure.
Now though it is time to actually measure my body and find what cup size I have developed to over the last 16 months or so on HRT. Here's a chart I used:

After I used a cloth tape measure and measured around my chest below my breasts and then around the fullest part of them and took the difference, it turned out to be just under 2 inches.

On the chart, the difference in My Standard Cup Size was:


AA.- 0" to 1/2" (1.3cm)
A.- 1/2"- 1" (2.6 cm)
B.- 2" (5.1 cm)
C.- 3"  (7.6 cm)
D.-  4" (10.2 cm)

Naturally (no pun intended) I was happy with the results. I felt I was filling out a full "A" cup but never a "B" yet. As I have mentioned, supposedly my mother's genetics have a lot to do with this process. She was well endowed so I hope I can eventually develop to a full "C" on the hormones alone."

Ironically, I hate to wear a bra, but have to now since I am passing the "perky" stage. It's also becoming evident I am becoming more and more in tune with my hormones. For example last night I began to feel the beginnings of a fairly rare hot flash coming on-on one of the days I change out my estrogen patches. Plus, I am beginning to predict how I will feel afterwards.

I still have a dream of affording a breast job some day, but the way life is going, I may have a much better use for 4,500 dollars!

Can You Spare a Buck?

Would you donate a dolla to this guy? Looks like he needs it, right?
Actually he doesn't. He is Phil Robertson, one of the "stars?" of the reality? television show "Duck Dynasty".

Of course by now you know what side of the ledger good ol' Phil weighed in on in the transgender rest room debate-along with his buddy Ted Cruz.

The problem with  their little noggins is where to place transgender women and men in their neat little system. We are not men in the women's room.

Times change guys and you dinosaurs should wake up to the fact the asteroid has already hit. The new world includes equal rights for ALL of the LGBT community,

By the way, slip Phil a dalla from me-looks like he needs it.

Spousal Consent?

With all the wonderful backing we (as a transgender group)received from the Federal Government yesterday, I picked up this blinding face of reality from one of my social sites almost at the same time.

The problem this person was having was, she was nearly and figuratively at the end of her rope with her gender issues. She really didn't know how to identify as a cross dresser or a transgender woman and worse yet had a very reticent wife (although I know every story has two sides.) In fact there are blogs dedicated by wives hating on former hubbies who took the 401 and ran to Thailand...and not for a vacation. So I understand to an extent.

When a person though, is reaching out to end it all, I just can't stand it. After all, in the transgender community we know almost half of us will try to commit suicide as I did.

It's tough, of course I recommended therapy for both of them. After all, how reticent is the wife? Many women withstand the so called shock of hubby wanting his own feminine finery-if it is just that. Or, if wifey has a picture of Ted Cruz on the mantle, then there is a real problem.

I have always thought too that how you present (or presented) the fact you were/are a crossdresser has more to do with acceptance than the act itself. You can be the most attractive male acting cross dresser in the world and blow it at home if you come storming in the door some night with a beautiful dress which happens to be yours.

I also believe one of the biggest and overlooked point about cis women is they have ego's too. They married you for a purpose, and it's up to them to decide if they want to explain to their Mom's and girlfriends what foundation looks best on you.

My point here? Save your self the turmoil by covering up what nearly never goes away. If you can get Ted Cruz's picture tossed in the trash-maybe you can open some spousal consent channels.