Some Didn't Have it HOT?

I urge you to read all the comments up close and personal concerning the heatwave which has been gripping much of this country. I liked Mandy's about Mercury and expected Connie's about the Pacific Northwest where her and Mick reside.

Perhaps Jeni down in Australia could be the best look into another climate. Be sure to check all three.

Here our "velcro weather" is beginning to break - for awhile. I call it velcro because you stick to everything. (clothes etc.)

As far as Ohio weather goes, normally what one season gives another taketh away, so we may have a mild winter!

Some Don't Like it HOT

This is ridiculous. Another heat index figure day of over 100.  This separates the trans woman from the climate sissies somehow...although I haven't quite figured out just what that is yet.

To make matters worse, we don't have any air conditioning. To make things better, the weather is supposed to "break" in a couple days.

My reason for this post is just that...a reason of why I have been missing in action lately.

Stay cool!

Alana McLaughlin

In a story all too familiar with many of us...Another ex-special forces U.S. soldier reveals her inner battle to accept her true identity,
Alana McLaughlin served her military time hiding the fact she was living the ultimate lie-gender.
As you can see, she has transitioned well.

For more, go here.

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

Perhaps you have heard the National Basketball Association (NBA) has decided to move the 2017 All Star Game out of Charlotte, North Carolina. The state still persists in holding on to it's LGBTQ law overall and it's anti transgender restroom bill in particular.

The best part is North Carolina's pain over this bigotry isn't close to being over as the AAC Sports Conference is considering the same move.

Salutes to the NBA and may the ACC follow in their footsteps until this craziness is over.

And, speaking of crazy, "The Donald"struggled mightily to work some kind words about the LGBT community into his Republican Presidential acceptance speech last night. At the same time I am sure he knew of his party's completely anti LGBT platform.

I wonder how Caitlin Jenner would spin that-oh I did see her head spinning 360 degrees on her shoulders a couple times.

What Is Transgender - Guest Post

From Connie:

"I think we can all call ourselves whatever we want. The term "transgender" is what others will still use for us, however. I like the shortening of the word to "trans", only because, for me, it is actually short for "transcended". My current state-of-being is not the result of a "crossing over" of gender, rather it has come from an awareness that defies any explanation. Learning to accept that awareness has been the most difficult part, but once I began accepting myself as the person I really always was, other people began to see me the same way. 

A few years ago I landed a role in a community musical production, in which I played a female. I asked the director why I had been chosen over other cis females, and she told me, simply, "I only see you as Connie; there is no reason to think anything more about it." She didn't want me for the part because I could act like a woman, but because a could act AS a woman. The fact that my character was a sort of "washed-up lounge singer" who was running from her past may have been type casting, however. :-) 

My big number, which closed the first act, was entitled, "The Girl I Am", wherein my character revealed her true identity without reservation. This is all coincidence, mind you, as the part and the song had been written long before I had been considered for the part. The director had not even given thought to what was an obvious parallel to me. So, I transcended through that experience from the realization that I am seen to be who I am by, at least, some other people, and that the more I forget the "transgender" nonsense, the more I am accepted (by others and myself)."

Bravo!!!

Keeping A Breast of the Situation

Not surprisingly,  I received quite a few comments concerning my post on hormone replacement therapy and breast development. First Shelle:

" I researched for at least 100 hours before beginning the self administration of Hormones,I felt I was having really great results,but then turned my treatment over to the VA while I was able to keep some of my regime,much of it was eliminated because they follow Wpath,which isn't necessarily the best method for us but all they are willing to put in place no matter the results or world standards.The standards should be updated based on results of worldwide records and research,just my thoughts.When I began my own my research indicated that mimicking then hormones in a pubescent teenage girl would provide the best results,That's my story it worked for me and I'm sticking to it!"

Good point Shelle there is no right answer here but again I have to point out you just can't buy a bunch of mail order estrogen and starting popping the pills like candy!

Robin said:" Funny you talk about breasts, I'm pre everything, and I'm bigger then most women. I measured myself for a bra. Band 50, cup D ??. I see myself more a B. Yes I'm a big person."

Robin if you are familiar with Stana and the Femulate blog, I believe according to her, she has also been well endowed since puberty.

I have always thought we have a couple things we can work through as we transition. Weight is one (I managed to take off and keep off close to 45 pounds) and skin condition. The rest can be done through feminine smoke and mirrors. Simply look around closely and you can see many cis women do it too. The best ones just don't seem to show they are trying.

Plus it is important to keep trying and just know the great majority of us are not blessed with natural beauty. You will have more errors than successes as you transition. Going back to the drawing board time and time again is a very real possibility for trans women. Learning to draw is just not that easy with no teacher most of the time!

So, as you can see, keeping a breast of the situation is such a small part of the whole woman you want to be.

A Transgender Super Hero?

From NBC News: The comic book world is about to get its first transgender leading character. The central protagonist in the upcoming superhero series "Alters" is Chalice, a trans "hero for the new age."

"The 'Alters' series focuses on characters that have different forms of disadvantage, whether they are marginalized by society or struggling with their gender identity," said Paul Jenkins, the comic book's author.

I wonder how many cross dressers or transgender women will be lined up to play her at "Comic Con?"

Go here for more.

A Shot to the Girls

One of the misconceptions I have always written about is the amount of pressure put on the development of breasts when one starts hormone replacement therapy. I know too, I shouldn't be real surprised when you look around society and see so many women transgender or not define their femininity by the size of their breasts.

However, HRT brings so much more to your life as I have written so many times. There are several ways estrogen can be administered, pill, patch or shot are the three I know of. Ironically, at my VA transgender support meeting yesterday most of us talked about the success or failure of using patches (mainly getting them to stay on-which I haven't had a problem.)

We also talked about a mutual acquaintance who for the longest time went over board in the unsupervised hormone world, which is a great way to hurt yourself.

For many of us though if can quote Shelle from her blog (who takes the shot), the estrogen brings life itself to her.

So you see, HRT is much more than "growing breasts". The process involves a whole mental and physical process that as Shelle alluded to becomes life itself for us.

Excuse me now, it's time to change out my patches.

What is Transgender Part Two

Two comments: "One from Robin. Excuse my ignorance, but do you have to call yourself transgender?? if you dress, act, over all look like a women, are you not a women?? If you are a women shouldn't you use the women's toilet too?? This is all new to me. Thank you for your time."

Robin, I think transgender is just a binary gender term anyhow and most certainly one does not have to call her or his self trans. Personally, I just happen to prefer presenting as a woman to the public but internally I am just good old me. (Good Old me is feminine.) And, as an aside, I haven't used a men's room for years unless it was in a gay venue and the women's room was standing room only.

I suppose you could say if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck and talk likes a duck, one might have to be real careful these days where she goes like a duck too.

Or, as Pat said:I am not sure what is harder to explain being transgender or being a cross dresser. You may have to flip a coin although you have walked both paths.

Finally, if you take it (transgender) literally- you are between genders and Robin, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!