Jazz Jennings

Transgender teenager Jazz Jennings has announced that she will be taking a gap year before attending Harvard in order to 'focus on self-care' after a busy year that has seen her undergoing gender confirmation surgery - while documenting it on her reality TV show. 

The South Florida native, 18, took to the platform to share her personal decision. The TV and YouTube personality said that deciding to take a break wasn't an easy call to make, but ultimately she thought it right to 'refocus and recenter' in order to be the 'strongest version' of herself. 

The I Am Jazz star graduated valedictorian from her high school this summer and was due to start at the Ivy League university this Fall. While she has previously expressed the desire to pursue a career in advocacy, she has not yet revealed what major she is taking. 

It's hard to believe Jazz is only 18! 

Billie Lee

Billie Lee is a transgender woman, activist, and blogger currently living in Los Angeles. You may also recognize Billie from the hit reality show Vanderpump Rules on BravoTV. She continues to work with Buzzfeed and others in the trans community to create videos that aim to educate on trans issues. For more on Billie, go here.

Cyrsti's Condo Thought of the Day

In Response

In response to the Cyrsti's Condo post concerning class reunions and similar events  (I suppose anything requiring you to see people who knew you before your transition.) I received this comment from Connie:

"My high school 50th reunion is taking place as I write this...at home. I only attended the school my senior year, and I didn't really get to know many of my classmates. If I had attended a reunion, it would have been for the school I had gone to before - in another town that I grew up in. Compared to the school I graduated from, with a class of over 600, the other had only 220. I knew almost everybody there, and a coming out, I thought, surely would have had more impact. Their reunion was last week, and, as it turned out, I would have been only one of seven who were in attendance.

Since I didn't waste time and money traveling back to my old school last week, it doesn't make me feel that I'm missing anything tonight, either. In fact, the best reason for not going is that the one high school friend with whom I had kept in touch (and who knows of my transition) sent a text to me a couple of weeks ago that read: "Hey (dead name), lookin' forward to seeing you at the reunion." I can't imagine subjecting myself to the possibility of something like that 600 times over.

But you wanted an enjoyable story. Well, instead of going out tonight, I stayed home to baby sit my 21-month-old granddaughter. She'll always love me for who I am, because she'll only ever know me as that. This is so much more enjoyable!"

What a great way to get a new generation started right!

Reunited?

Going back to the Cyrsti's Condo post concerning levels of acceptance about how much you tell to who concerning your transition, Marcia had this comment:

"My fraternity brothers, all of whom made the trip with me through transition, are now my "college friends." :)"

Wow! Congratulations ! I would be interested to know how it happened Marcia. I can only guess you may have gone to some sort of reunion? As Connie pointed out, it certainly was not a Greek tragedy :).

Reunions are quite the topic. 

To go or not to go usually results in extensive angst. 

I'm old and I just passed my 50th high school reunion two years ago. Actually I didn't pass the reunion, because I  didn't go. I just didn't feel comfortable going because in high school I wasn't close to many people anyhow. I felt I would just be a distraction and had nothing to prove anyway. One of the reasons I admire those who do step out and go to reunions. 

If you have an enjoyable reunion story, I am sure all of us would love to hear it.

Arisce Wanzer

Transgender model Arisce Wanzer:

Ohio Takes Another Baby Step Forward

Finally, Ohio has taken another step to join the rest of the country and allow genders on birth certificates to be changed. By the way, I live in Ohio and my birth certificate is my only remaining form of identification which doesn't state I am female.

Here is the story from the "Associated Press":

 "Four transgender people challenging an Ohio rule preventing people from changing the gender listings on their birth certificates have won their day in court.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Watson denied the state’s request that the lawsuit filed by the ACLU, Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Ohio be dismissed.

The lawsuit contends the birth certificate rule imposed by the state Department of Health and the Office of Vital Statistics is unconstitutional."

Ohio and Tennessee are the two remaining states not allowing any sort of birth certificate changes.

However to my knowledge many different versions of these changes exist.  For example, I don't know that when and if Ohio's changes take place, will a person have to go through genital realignment surgery to  be able to change their birth certificate or offer proof they are living as their chosen gender.   

That point is of importance to me because I have not had, nor do I plan on having any surgery. 

A federal lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s rule was filed in April. Kansas ended a federal lawsuit there in June, when Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly struck a deal by agreeing to allow gender identity changes on Kansas birth certificates.

Tiers of Acceptance

I received a couple of thought provoking comments concerning my Cyrsti's Condo post about outing myself when I talk about my military past.

The first came from Paula:

"Yes, it's very easy to out ourselves by accident, I have had to be careful how I refer to much of my past, I now make sure that I was a "child" and a "Chorister" I played "Sport" and yes my wife often become my "partner" or my "ex", I have to make sure that I am a "tradesperson" and a "parent"; sometimes it can get quite tiring."

Connie also added:

"Even mentioning to someone, " After all, I met my wife in Germany and she became the Mother of my only daughter" pretty much outs you.

Although I have no actual war stories to tell, there is so much from my past life that I have to think twice about before discussing any of it with others. My wife has been changed to "my partner," and then I must be careful when I mention that we're still together, married now for 47 years. That's something for which I take great pride (though most of the credit goes to her), but I have often had to bite my tongue to keep from sharing that information. Still, I am surprised by the number of people who just assume that I am married to a man, and that I am a mother to my daughters and a grandmother to my grandchildren. I never correct anyone for those assumptions right away, but the further I might go into our past, the more apt I am to have to explain things.

Can I tell you the story of how I won the football game on the last play by ripping the ball from the quarterback's hands and running it back for a touchdown? No, I guess not; that story has not been in my repertoire for years. Oh, welll"

Thanks to both of you for the comments! 

As I wrote I judge how much I tell a person on how they are reacting to me. Plus I rarely have the chance to interact with total strangers. At that time, I only mention now I have a partner of eight years and a daughter with three kids.
I don't think it is any of their business that I did meet my first wife in Germany when she was in the Army too and she was the mother of my child. 

Then, if I leave out the twenty five year relationship with my second wife, I am caught up with my life. If I am chronically doing it relationship wise. 

Again, it goes back to who I am talking to and placing them on a tiered "need to know" basis. 

Ironically, if I mention which war I was part of (Vietnam), it does more to out my age than anything else.

Emmy News

For once, thanks to Laverne Cox and Indya Moore, transgender women received quite a bit of positive  publicity at this years Emmy awards.

Check out Laverne's clutch she carried on the purple carpet!

Cox was nominated for the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series category for the final season of Orange is the New Black. After receiving three nominations for her performance on the Netflix series, Cox has said she is more than ready to become the first transgender actress to take home an Emmy. But on the purple carpet she decided to say something else.

Cox wore a tiered Monsoori gown, complete with a shoulder ruffle, as well as a full, lilac skirt. But what was more powerful was what she brought with her: an acrylic clutch as well as her guest, lawyer and activist Chase Strangio.

Transgender actress Indya Moore also sizzled on the runway.

Moore stars as Angel on FX’s Pose, which boasts television’s largest cast of trans actors in series regular roles and the largest LGBTQ+ cast for such scripted shows. The series was a contender for six awards , including Outstanding Drama Series, in addition to Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Billy Porter.