Cyrsti's Condo "Quote of the Day"

From the Archives 

"When you feel that rope getting a little tighter around your neck...make sure it matches the rest of your outfit!"

A "blast" from my past!

Not True!

It turns out, Trans Big Brother star Rebekah Shelton is NOT dead, and was the victim of hacking

Rebekah Shelton implies she was hacked by someone she knew who 'cannot accept the fact I'm happy'

12 January 2018 by Joe Morgan and David Hudson


Trans Big Brother star Rebekah Shelton is not dead, as she confirms in a video she was a victim of hacking.

The fake news was announced on her Twitter yesterday evening.

‘Please stop spreading this news that I am dead because I am obviously not,’ she said in her hotel room.

Thanks to Stana from Femulate also for pointing this out!

Rebekah Shelton

This sad news was just released:

Transgender UK Big Brother star Rebekah Shelton has died at the young age of 32.

Rebekah, who shot to fame on the 2009 series of the reality TV show pre-transition, passed away on Wednesday.

The sad news was announced on her Twitter page in the early hours of Friday morning.

"We’re sorry to inform everyone of the sad news that our wonderful and lovely Rebekah died unexpectedly on Wednesday night," the tweet read.

Rest in Power!

Astrology Fashion Sense

A site I haven't featured in awhile here in Cyrsti's Condo is Deborah Boland's Fabulous AFTER 40.

Of course I was initially attracted to it because I may just be a tad over 40!

This week, several features attracted my attention, including:

Zodiac Styles for Aquarius and Capricorn signs, Chic on the Cheap with tips on building a "Wow" wardrobe on a budget and ways to "Dump the Frump"and jump start your style.

As Stana from Femulate always points out, fashion sense for most doesn't come naturally and whatever you can do to discover and establish a personal style, will help you so much in the world of women.

Plus it's common knowledge we transgender women have to work harder to look presentable. Preferably while not looking like we are trying that hard!

Fabulous AFTER 40, offers a news letter plus more than a few "help books" you can purchase. Which can help you turn that "Oh No!" moment in the mirror into an "Oh Yeah!"

Elvis in Drag?

Not in the classic sense to be sure that I have ever seen or heard of, but Connie indirectly brings it up during an interesting point in a reference to a recent Cyrsti's Condo post:

" FABULOUSCONNIEDEEJanuary 10, 2018 at 4:10 PM

I have to admit that I find myself torn, often, between the art portrayed by nude photos and drag performance, and the objectification and parody I see in them. I won't go so far as to compare drag to black face, but I do see the playing into stereotypes and parody that can exist in drag shows. Of course, I'm not impressed by Elvis impersonators, either, and art is a matter of taste. Elvis, by the way, took black R&B music and introduced it to a white audience. I applaud him for that, because the music was better than what the white kids were used to. He didn't wear black face to do it, but he did end up being a parody and caricature of himself. So much of drag, to me, ends up being about the same. I'd rather not see either, really, but I'd definitely not want to see a nude Elvis impersonator!

A Drag Look (NOT Elvis)

Comparing drag to black face is an interesting point which I have seen bantered around a time or two. How it relates at all to cross dressers or transgender women is the topic for another blog post!

Estrogen Overdose

Well, yet another mammogram appointment has come and gone.

Seemingly, the toughest part for me, is threading the needle so to speak, and finding the place. It's in a three story building surrounded by the giant University of Cincinnati Health Center. Today, however the weather was warm (60 degrees F) and just a little wet. I only had to ask a couple of places before I found it.

If you are not familiar, a mammogram itself has just a little discomfort built in, depending upon how good your technician is. Either way though, expect to have your breasts squeezed rather sharply.

I consider the whole process a sort of "rite of passage" in my Mtf transgender transition.

Plus, of course, I have yet to see a man involved in the process in anyway. Just a bunch of mostly dour cis women sitting around. The only person who may have judged my trans status was a young aide who took the time to help me find the building I was supposed to be in. She was very pleasant.

As I left, I naturally hoped the doctors wouldn't find anything amiss in my X-rays, and took a moment to remember the pre -HRT  days before I needed a mammogram at all. Then, as I pulled up my big girl panties and tried to retrace my steps out of there and home, I wondered if I had gained any estrogen from the air today.

Transgender Playboy

From Germany, the editor of Playboy magazine says it will feature a transgender model on its cover for the first time.

Editor-in-chief Florian Boitin said Tuesday that putting Giuliana Farfalla  (left) on the cover - topless, as is customary for such magazines in Germany - was in line with Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's tradition of being "resolutely opposed to all forms of exclusion and intolerance."

Boitin says the 21-year-old Farfalla is a "wonderful example of how important the fight for the right to self-determination is."

And, staying in Europe, Trans  broadcaster India Willoughby has been slammed by Celebrity Big Brother viewers for comparing drag to blackface.

She attacked the art of drag after housemate Shane Jenek, who is better known for performing as Courtney Act, helped a fellow contestant, Apprentice star Andrew Brady, to transform into a drag queen. 

Trans Support Group Meeting

Last night's transgender - cross dresser meeting was interesting from a couple of different views.

I finally figured the participants who for the most part are giddy with excitement and do most all of the talking, have no one to talk to at home, so that is all good.

And, speaking of good, I have grown used to not feeling guilty about not having anything really negative to say about myself.

My only negative last night was having to sit beside the token transgender t-Rump supporter in the room. She just bugs me negatively on so many levels.

I also had a chance to meet another trans vet, and now there are at least three in the group. She was/is having severe problems with her hormone levels. She literally came up showing she was pregnant on her last blood labs and has been lactating through her shirts. It turns out she is a walking study of losing her family and lives in a camper she has to move from location to location. Mainly in state parks I guess.

My only contributions last night were mentioning my meeting with my partner Liz and long time therapist together (for the first time) and the Trans Ohio Symposium workshop submission which I actually sent in yesterday.

Another good thing that happened was one attendee who has continually threatened suicide in the past, was able to come out successfully to his two teen sons. To seemingly counter that was another trans woman who told her story of trying to commit suicide on Christmas Day.

So as you can tell, the meeting fell way short of having no drama at all and was far from boring.

Transgender Health Care

In response to the Cyrsti's Condo post "Are You", which concerned my conversation on the phone with the VA receptionist who was scheduling my mammogram. She asked if I was male or female, to which I replied "transgender."

Connie wrote about her experience at the doctor:

FABULOUSCONNIEDEEJanuary 7, 2018 at 4:12 PM

"When it comes to health care, nothing short of full disclosure should be deemed acceptable - even at the expense of hurt feelings or embarrassment. Still, discreteness should not be sacrificed for the sake of disclosure.

When I first saw my current GP, he had never had a transgender patient. He obviously had received some training on how to talk to a trans woman, but he was very awkward about it. The second time I had an appointment, he had either done some research or asked some questions, which made him even more careful in how he talked to me - worried more about offending me than in dealing with my health issue, it seemed to me. 

Interestingly, I was suffering from a urinary tract infection at the time, and he hadn't known the source of it until all of the lab results had come in. UTIs are more common with women than with men, but the source of mine was my prostate gland - something he neglected to check on my first visit. The antibiotic he prescribed, therefore, was ineffective. I told him that I was totally aware that my biological makeup was male, and that he could not offend me in the least by treating it as such. Although he never admitted it, I believe he avoided doing a prostate exam for fear of offending me.

My very first physical exam, early in my transition, was done by a doctor who is very popular with trans women in my area. I had not yet changed my name or gender marker, but I arrived for my appointment appearing to be all the woman I could muster. As I sat waiting in the exam room, the nurse wheeled in a tray that was covered by a white towel. The doctor, after a discussion with me concerning my general health and trans issues, lifted the towel to reveal a complete set of instruments for a gynecological exam! She held up the speculum and said, "I don't think we need this...yet." We both got a good laugh out of it, and she proceeded with a digital exam of my prostate (talk about killing a laugh...). 

Even if I ever get to experience the need for a gynecological exam one day, I hope to still have to suffer through the prostate exam. The alternative would be to be permanently connected to a colostomy bag, which is not the image of femininity I have for myself."

Thanks for your experience!