Equal Time

Since I took the time to cheap shot North Carolina in my last post, I thought it was only fair to give equal time to two transgender activists from Charlotte (North Carolina) who  were featured in a British TV segment on HB2. who

The two were featured recently on a broadcast a news segment on North Carolina’s anti-LGBT legislation HB2, as well as the Obama administration’s directive to allow trans students to use the bathrooms consistent with their gender identity and the states suing the federal government as a result.

Charlotte transgender activists Lara Americo and Che Busiek spoke with a reporter who traveled to the city to cover life here in the post-HB2 world.

“Transgender people have been around since humans have been around, we’ve just been hiding,” Americo says. “And people still hide today, because it’s scary to be open like this when there’s so many people against you.”

She continues, “I don’t think it’s a culture war, I think it’s an emergence of people being free and being more open and authentic.”

For more, go here.

Transgender Bucket List (2012 Archive Post)

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Transgender and your Bucket

Is your bucket list half empty or half full? Certainly before we all know it and we are fortunate enough to make it- it's time to start looking ahead to the force calling your number. Poof! "You be Gone!"
I started my transgender Bucket List approximately five years ago. I began to see how much living I could do as a woman or maybe I should say- a trans woman.
I found I could live and more importantly wanted to live as my chosen gender. Ironically I got hammered from within the trans community for waiting so long. Even being called just "another old guy on hormones". The big bad outside world on occasion was more accepting.
To make a long story short, my bucket became very full.
Here's my point: I could have made the move to a full time feminine existence two very specific times in my life-basically at the age of 30 and 40 and didn't. If you are younger (I'm 62 now) and considering the move, I can say time will slip by before you know it.
I can't and won't tell anyone to transition but I do recommend checking the waters if you can. It just confuses me when someone writes me or I read somewhere a person is going to try to go through SRS without living the life! It's a problem created by places like Thailand who really don't care about much more than the cash.
Sure it takes quite a bit of courage and a whole lot of trial and error to experience the feminine socialization process.
Don't think you have to be old to have a bucket list. Do think you don't want to be living a regret later in your life when the bucket has a huge hole in it.
I've known fully changed transsexuals and cross dressers justifying life in the closet who have gotten really bitter over the experience.
Certainly, we all have only one life to live and we all have responsibilities to others.
Just as certainly we all have the responsibility to be true to ourselves.  You may consider starting a transgender bucket list to discover what your truth might be.

The Bitch

I have been telling you all about my mini visit to the Dayton VA today for the Patriot Days picnic.

I "butched" it up today, pulled back my hair into a pony tail and ran it through the back of a hat I had never worn before...the unit hat signifying where and how I served in Thailand during the first part of my three years in the Army.

When I got there I checked out all the food booths before deciding on a pulled pork sand-which. As far as I could see though, there were no prices so naturally I asked which gave the woman the chance to glare at me and say six dollars SIR! 

I did good. I simply glared back at her and bought a sandwich from the food stand next to her who was real nice to me. (and making sure she saw it.)

Who knows, maybe she is from North Carolina?

JJ's Sunday Edition

Ker Plunk! A JJ's Memorial Day Sunday edition is hitting your virtual front porch. Let's get's started with the weather.
As predicted around here, it was Spring one day and Summer the next with the hot sticky temps so much a part of Ohio weather. So this morning, it's time for a cup of iced "Joe" (coffee) before I take off to the VA for the Patriot Days picnic. Let's get started:

Page One: The Week that Was - or Wasn't: Much of my week was deciding if I was going to the Picnic today and taking on two doctors appointments. I also got the thrilling news on the scheduling of my colonoscopy. Actually the day before (clean out) has been worse for me than the procedure itself. My problem this time is my highly androgynous body. But any of it is better than a possible case of colon cancer. Now, off that shitty topic :) and on to Tia Goward.

Tia is a transgender athlete in Alaska. From the Alaska Dispatch News: 
In what is believed to be a first for Alaska, a transgender athlete competed in an individual event at a high school championship Friday at the state track and field meet at Dimond Alumni Field in Anchorage.

Page Two: Yesterdays Coffee - Opinion: On/during the Memorial Day Weekend, I think I made my opinion very clear in yesterday's post and many before. Number One: we should be honoring our veterans who served and/or gave up the ultimate sacrifice for our country and Number Two: We shouldn't forget our transgender active duty members who are serving in the closet. Supposedly change is coming soon-we will see.

Page Three: The Back Page: Scholarships! Applications are now being accepted for Fantasia Fair 2016 scholarships. Deadlines for application is are no later than July 15. For more information please visit here 
http://www.fantasiafair.org

In the meantime,thanks for taking your time and stopping by JJ's. Enjoy your weekend!

Stealth?

Recently I have wrote a couple "whiney" posts about the number of hits to JJ's and the resultant lack of "shekels" I make.

As a result I have went back in the archives and primarily found posts from 2013 which contained what I considered more "exciting" content.

I was starting HRT etc.  and going 24/7 was still a little edgy. Now (if this makes any sense) the world went stealth before I did. The same guy I see once a month with the booming voice always manages to call me "sir"but a real close friend just invited me to an "girl's only" cookout.

Plus, I do think the world is a kinder,gentler world for us in some places as the younger generation could care less. Which brings us to Connie's comment: If you'e getting fewer hits, maybe it's because there are fewer "Misses" (or Mrs.) who are interested in reading what we "Transaurus Rexes" have to say anymore. As I said earlier, we may be but "fossil fools" to the younger generation. There's still some need for it all, though, so keep up the good work!

Thanks!!! Right you are.

Memorial Day

Sure, it's a three day weekend for some and a picnic for others, but primarily Memorial Day is time to remember those who served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice. 

I am not going to spend more time mentioning the lag of rights for active duty military members.

Kristin Beck, Transgender Navy Seal

I am not going to do anything but deeply thank all of you active closeted transgender military members who read the blog and the transgender veterans who read it also.

Thanks for your service! Through good or bad times, people can't forget all of you who gave your time and sometimes your life to serve your country.

Thanks again!!!!!

JJ's Guest Quote of the Day

On turning 65:  Finally old enough to know better. Too Old to do anything about it! 

Connie Malone

Memorial Day Invite

If your memory is better than mine, perhaps you will remember the post I wrote about a woman coming up to me in the Hall at the VA and alerting/inviting me to a Memorial Day event, they call "Patriot Days." She also gave me her phone number to call for questions. (The Dayton, Ohio VA.)

About a week or so again, I called the number and got an answering machine. I left all my pertinent info and didn't expect much else.

Then, all of the sudden, yesterday she called me back and asked if I was coming. I thought sure, how could I back out now?

My only real problems are I can't find anyone to go with me since Liz has to work, because I need to be there. Even for the ones who have called me a "fu-king queer- in fact especially for them. 

Check out these numbers:

 15,500

Transgender individuals who are currently on active duty or in the Guard or Reserve forces

150,000
Transgender individuals who have served, or currently serve, in the U.S. armed forces

1.6
Times more likely that transgender women will serve than all adult men

3
Times more likely that transgender men will serve than all adult women

*Figures per a 2014 Williams Institute report on transgender military service in the U.S.

So Sunday it will be!!!

Transgender Israel Co-existence Contest

From Tel Aviv and the "Times of Israel" 12 finalists are aiming to become Israel’s first “Miss Trans Israel.” They have spent long hours this week practicing their routines, strutting in stiletto heels and modeling evening gowns and swim wear.

The competition is more than a show of beauty and pride.

It also is a display of coexistence and tolerance, bringing together contestants from Israel’s Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities. The contestants describe themselves as a family of sorts, saying they find strength in one another.

“I’m happy that the competition is bringing together all of the ethnic groups, and together they are a model of coexistence,” said Israela Stephanie Lev, the pageant’s organizer. “I hope this model can be an example for our society, for the Middle East and the world.