Sometimes the Transgender Future is Bright

Every once in a while, I happen upon an extremely positive story which will impact the future of transgender women and men everywhere in this country.

Most of the time it's difficult to realize how much of what we face today comes from the hands of very old and white men in power. They are clinging for dear life (along with a certain base of people) to the archaic idea of making America White and Male Again is the only way to go.

At that point a story or post always comes along to give me hope. Here it is:

Samantha Boucher is on her way — both to Iowa for the 2020 U.S. Senate race there and to becoming the first openly transgender person to manage a U.S. senatorial campaign. Boucher, 24, will head Democratic candidate Kimberly Graham’s Senate campaign in the state against the Republican incumbent, Joni Ernst.

“Just the opportunity to do something so huge, to have a national impact, potentially, that really excites me, and I’m really looking forward to sinking my teeth in,” Boucher told NBC News.

Trans people are entering the political arena during an era when their rights are increasingly under attack — from a recent military ban on trans service members to myriad Republican-backed “bathroom bills.” At least 20 trans candidates have been elected to city and state offices across the country in recent elections. Prominent trans activist Sarah McBride recently launched her 2020 campaign to run for the Delaware senate. 

For more go here, to NBC News.

Success?

Somehow, someway, I have been able to line up a couple speakers of color for this year's Cincinnati "Transgender Day of Remembrance." Now, all I have to do is find a couple more before the November event on the 20th.

The whole situation has taught me how isolated I am from the transgender community as a whole and in particular, transgender people of color.

The event itself is turning out to be an evening to be proud of. We have a class venue which is donating it's space free. With plenty of room for the participating groups, such as HRC, GLSEN and Crossport to set up in. Crossport is the local transgender - cross dresser support group I am part of.

Photos of the deceased trans people who died in this country this year will be presented on  an endless loop during the event and even a showing of the short documentary film on Leelah Alcorn will be shown. You may (or may not) remember, Leelah was the transgender teen who committed suicide locally around here a couple years ago. Her parents were forcing her to go through a Christian form of gay conversion therapy.

Even the catering is being set up to satisfy the needs of Vegan and Kosher attendees.

So far, so good on the planning!

Surprise!

Yesterday was actually my 70th birthday. I thought I managed to keep it relatively undercover with just my partner Liz, daughter Andrea, and a few other friends knowing at all.

After choosing where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner out, we headed out. It was chilly enough for one of my lightweight sweaters and leggings.

As we went towards the restaurant I picked, even I figured out we were going the wrong way. I am still fairly new to driving around here and Liz knows all the short cuts, so I trusted her to get us there and I would soon be eating creole cooking soon,

No such luck. We seemingly drove forever before I figured out my birthday venue was going to be denied. I was more than a little upset as we entered this little off the beaten track brew pub. Then I realized I had been scammed. Sitting around a big table was my daughter, grand kids and son in law. I couldn't believe they were able to trick me so completely. At least it was for a good cause.

The beer and food was good. Then came the gifts.

I was given a necklace with my daughter and I's birthstone and the best present of them all...an T-shirt which said "Ohio State University Grandmother." OK, I couldn't help but cry. That simple shirt meant so much to me on so many levels.

Of course, my Granddaughter is a freshman at The Ohio State University (which I am a HUGE fan) and to have the word Grandmother attached was just too much to bear.

So all in all, I had a wonderful birthday. Even though it was a complete surprise!

Nicole Maines

Transgender activist and actor Nicole Maines knew she was a girl around the age of 3 or 4.

“My case is kind of unique because I have a twin brother (Jonas),” she told Ellen Degeneres during an appearance on “Ellen” in 2018. “So, growing up with him, he was identifying with all these male things and feeling very comfortable in his body, and I wasn’t.”

Maines, the subject of this month’s One Book One Valley community read “Becoming Nicole,” slowing began publicly transitioning in the first grade, and officially presented herself as female in the fifth grade, when she changed her name from Wyatt to Nicole.

Nicole Maines stars as Nia Nal/Dreamer, television's first transgender superhero, in The CW's "Supergirl." Season five premieres Sunday, Oct. 6. 

Fall has Fallen

FINALLY! A break from the record hot streak we have seen around here in late September and early October. Today is supposed to be over twenty two degrees cooler than yesterday. Fashion wise, it will help me decide what I am wearing to our latest paranormal ghost hunt tonight,  With the new chillier temperatures and with spending all night in a very old mansion, I have decided to wear a long sleeved t-shirt Liz bought me out in Colorado while we were on vacation. I will pair the t-shirt with my distressed black jeans. My goal is not to scare the spirits and blend in with what the other cis women in the group will be wearing.

As far as footwear is concerned, I am declaring this to be the last day for my walking boot. So, just in case I end up walking a long way tonight, I will have the boot to help me. I have not experienced any discomfort in a while and can't get anyone at the VA to give me an answer. So it's gone tomorrow unless I get a call today.

The ghost hunt tonight will preclude Liz and I going to the monthly cross dresser-transgender social tonight.

But I have been attending the planning meetings for this years' Transgender Day of Remembrance. It's tough on me because I am still so new to the Cincinnati metro area and have very little knowledge of the resources available. What I am trying to do is line-up several transgender speakers of color. So far I have been able to come up with a maybe from two. Overall it's going to be a quality somber event and we want to feature the fact the greatest percentage of tragic transgender murders take place against persons of color.

The event will take place this year on November 20th. To make a long story short, I am proud to provide whatever assistance I can.

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!