JJ's Sunday Edition

Welcome! Ker Plunk! The Sunday Edition is hitting your virtual front porch!
Weather: Ohio summer heat, humid with a chance of monsoons, let's grab a cup of cold "joe" or iced tea and get started.

The Week that Was or Wasn't: With the appearance of a real live transgender woman speaking at the Democratic National Convention, the Dems drew a definite line in the sand with the "Lets Make America White/Straight Again" Republican minions. Also the week saw the the NBA moving it's All Star game and approx 100 million dollars out of North Carolina. The bigoted governor there still refuses to cave in to pressure to protect transgender rights.

Yesterday's Coffee: Opinion: Friday night I had the pleasure of attending a monthly all inclusive safe haven event with a very young friend of mine who is exploring his gender (ftm). Of course at my age I have a difficult time even remembering even when I began to come out. On the bright side, he asked me tons of questions which began to get my mind moving again. We were both fortunate to listen to a wonderful transgender woman speaker- as the speakers can be on most any topic.

The Back Page: Thanks for taking your precious time to stop by JJ;s House! Be safe and remember I luv you all!

Progress

  PHILADELPHIA, July 28 (UPI) -- Sarah McBride on Thursday became the first transgender person to address a major American political party's convention, where she told fellow Democrats that Hillary Clinton will work to ensure greater protections for the LGBTQ community.
Plus, Sarah was not the only transgender representative at this years Democratic National Convention. 

The future is bright if the trans community stands together and is vigilant.

To Go or Not to Go

Tuesday I took a trip out to a nearby lake to cool off, relax and meditate. All of that came off as planned with no problems until I was half way home. My Rolls decided it was time to blow a thermostat in the cooling system (or so I was told) by the fix it guys and I had to partake in one of my fave pastimes-getting it towed.

Unfortunately over the years I have made riding in the cab of tow trucks somewhat of a norm. Depending where I am and how close I am to someone I know, I just have to hitch up my big girl panties and go for it.

Normally, the whole process is a look at where I am or am not in my Mtf gender transition.

When the driver pulled up in his big, bad truck he called me dear, which calmed my nerves somewhat. (One night, I had a guy who didn't want to tow me at all.)

As normally happens though, during the half hour ride, his illusion of me as a damsel in distress began to blur. Not to say he was nasty at all, if anything he didn't seem to care anyhow. He was off to haul his next car.

I was back in to my mechanics who unfortunately know my Rolls all too well and the transgender woman who brings it it.

Hate

The Democratic Convention is underway and immediately went to the toilets-the transgender ones. Some great quotes are coming from a site called "Politico" Here's one:

It’s clear there’s one thing you don’t understand about business,” said Jesse Lipson, an executive at Raleigh-based Citrix, told Trump from the podium in Philadelphia. “Nothing scares away investment like hate.”

Or:

Pointing to businesses and events, including the NBA All-Star Game, that are boycotting North Carolina over the law, Lipson said, “Republicans may think they’re telling people which bathroom to go into, but they’re actually telling people which market to stay out of.”

Trump had initially mocked North Carolina’s law, known as HB2, by inviting Caitlyn Jenner to use her bathroom of choice at Trump Tower, but he later said the matter should be left to the states.

Read more here,

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!!!