how good bills die unnatural deaths

Thank your Republican legislators for killing Connecticut's transgender rights bill.

Read the whole story here.

transgroomer

I heard an advertisement on Sirius OutQ Radio for an interesting product: Mangroomer, "a do-it-yourself electric back shaver."

I can only reach so far with a normal electric or manual shaver and I hate to ask someone to help me shave my back. As a result, I don't often wear tops or dresses that reveal much of my back... at least the parts of my back I cannot reach.

Mangroomer solves the problem with an extendable and adjustable handle that allow you to reach those unreachable places. It only costs $39.99 and I think I am going to order one.

dreams

I dream. We all do, but I seldom remember my dreams. When I awake, poof, they are gone!

All my dreams do not disappear into the ether, however, and I do remember one or two every month or so. And guess what? The dreams I do remember are trans-dreams, i.e., I am crossdressing or preparing to crossdress in the few dreams I remember. I wonder what that says about me?

I recorded two of my more vivid trans-dreams in my old blog and will recount them here for you who missed them. They occurred one week apart.

September 22, 2005 – Last night, I dreamed I was dressed to kill in an evening gown with all the trappings that go along with it. I was at a banquet hall attending a crossdressers' event. As I was fluttering around the room, I found myself near the entrance to the hall as two of my aunts come walking in. One aunt remarked, "Doesn't he make a beautiful woman!" They seemed happy and supportive. More of my relatives showed up soon after, but the details are blurry and I can't remember who else showed up and how they reacted.

September 29, 2005 – I'm crossdressed again and I am at a family gathering at one of my uncle's homes. One of my aunts (the same one who was in my previous dream) remarked that I would look much nicer if I shaved my legs. Soon, she produced a razor and insisted that I shave my legs, which I proceeded to do.

That's all I remember.

Two thoughts regarding these dreams:

1. I believe that this particular aunt always suspected that I crossdressed.

2. I never crossdress without shaving my legs.

a nonmigrating bird

The weather has been fluctuating on a daily basis in these parts lately. One day, it is hot like the summer in late July. Next day, it is cool like spring in early April. It was so cool a few days this week that I was considered turning on the furnace to take the chill out of the air.

I expect that as June progresses, it will become more like summer and less like spring, which means I will be hanging up my wig and heels until the cooler weather returns in September.

I do have two en femme outings planned later this month: the Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways on the 21st and another outreach at Southern Connecticut State University on the 25th, so I hope the weather is cooperative. I'd prefer cool, but hot is ok as long as it is not humid.

If I was a bird, I could migrate north to cooler climes during the summer and be able to dress en femme all year long. But, I am not a bird, so my annual summer hiatus from emulating a bird is upon me.

conference dedicated to families raising trans-kids

Gender Odyssey Presents Conference Dedicated to Families Raising Gender-Variant Kids

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 7, 2007 -- Families with gender variant and transgender children will find a wealth of information and support at Gender Odyssey's first national conference focused specifically on them. The ground-breaking conference will be held Aug. 31 -- Sept. 2, 2007 at the Washington State Trade and Convention Center in Seattle. At this event, families with kids who do not conform to society's traditional gender expectations can connect with each other, while having access to national experts in the field of gender variance.

Read the whole story here or download the press release here.

new Oprah book club pick has transgender protagonist

Go here to read about the 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winning story of a Greek American girl who becomes a teenage boy in 1970s Detroit .

so, who’s that ‘guy’ over there?

I so sympathize with the thoughts expressed in this posting on Donna's Wandering Aloud weblog.

Girlette TransFusion

Click here to see larger version.

what she wrote again

After reading the bad news about Connecticut's transgendered rights legislation, I immediately sent an e-mail to my state representative. I know it is late, but the fat person has not sung yet so there is still a chance to get this bill passed this year.

Here is what I wrote (the names have been changed to protect the crossdresser):

Hello Representative X,

I read in today's Hartford Courant that the transgendered rights legislation (SB-1044) is in trouble. It broke my heart when I read that news.

Please don't let the bill die. There are thousands of transgendered individuals in Connecticut that need the protection afforded by this bill and I urge you to do what you can to rekindle the fire and get this critical civil rights legislation passed in this session.

Thank you for your time.

Staci Hunter

transgender rights bill loses momentum

By Colin Poitras, Hartford Courant

HARTFORD, CT – An effort to give transgender individuals equal protection under the state's anti-discrimination laws got bogged down in debate Monday, leaving the bill's future in doubt with the legislative session scheduled to end at midnight Wednesday.

The proposal had made its way through several legislative committees earlier this year and was approved by the state Senate May 23. But after nearly three hours of House debate Monday afternoon, the bill was set aside, a sign that the legislation is in trouble.

Read the whole sad story here.

most interesting bunny of the human variety

When you search flickr, the search results in two categories: Most Recent and Most Interesting. For example, if you search on "xylophones," you can view the photos of xylophones in the order that they were added to flickr with the newest photos first (Most Recent) or in the order that flickr deems "most interesting."

I have no idea what their criteria is for "most interesting," but I discovered today that one of my photos is now at the top of the list for "most interesting" (in the "playboy bunny" category). That is quite an achievement considering that there are 406 "playboy bunny" photos on flickr and the vast majority are real females.

anti-discrimination law applies to New Jersey transgendered

By Andrea Gurwitt, Herald News

It comes too late to help Carol Barlow, but she certainly could have used it.

Could have invoked it when she got fired.

Could have pointed to it when the job interviewer laughed in her face.

Could have sued after, she says, her boss said, "When you become Carol or whatever the hell you're doing, you're out of there."

Because Carol Barlow used to be Bruce Barlow. And first Bruce, and then Carol, suffered harassment, indignities and discrimination at one job and then another, and still more on innumerable job interviews.

Well, that won't cut it anymore.

Starting June 17, it will be illegal under state law for businesses to discriminate against Carol Barlow and any other transgender person. New Jersey's anti-discrimination law, already one of the most far-reaching in the country, will add "gender identity and expression" to its list of protected categories for employment, housing, public accommodation, credit and business contracts

Read the rest of the story here.

getting unstuck

I take my wife shopping nearly every weekend. Sometimes she shops at Fashion Bug, where I have done some shopping myself in the past en femme. However, when I go in boy mode with my wife, I help my wife find things, but never look for anything for myself.

Today, my wife wanted to go to Fashion Bug to buy jeans, so I drove her to the nearest store. There was a big sale in the store. I have never seen it so busy. Mostly females with a handful of male significant others.

I helped my wife find jeans in her size and while she was trying them on, I began perused the jewelry racks searching for those rare pairs of clip-on earrings. I found four pairs!

Next, I perused the clearance racks of dresses and found a nice dress and sweater set in my size. I continued shopping, but did not find anything else, although I did seriously consider a pair of brown suede high heel pumps.

Anyway, for some reason, I got unstuck today and instead of just hanging around Fashion Bug waiting for my wife to finish shopping, I was completely uninhibited and shopped in boy mode for female wear without a care.

avon calling

I have been an Avon product representative for over ten years. As a result, I see lots of products and purchase some for myself (mostly jewelry and makeup).

Although, I have sold a lot of the miracle skin care products that are supposed to remove wrinkles, I never paid them much mind. However, about a year ago, I received a free sample of a product that was supposed to deal with wrinkles around the eyes. Looking in the mirror at the wrinkles developing around my 55-year-old eyes, I decided to try the free sample.

After a week or so, I noticed that the wrinkles were less noticeable. After a few weeks, I had to examine my eyes closely to find the wrinkles. As a result, I was sold on miracle skin care products.

I began using other skin care products, too. A year later, the wrinkles around my eyes are still there, but they are not as deep as they once were and as a result,they are less noticeable, which is the goal for using this stuff. My skin is also smoother, more supple, and healthier-looking. My makeup goes on easier and looks better.

Here is my daily skin care regime:

• In the morning after shaving, I cleanse my face with an exfoliant (Avon's Sweet Finish).

• After using the exfoliant, I apply an eye cream around my eyes (Avon's Anew Ultimate transforming lift eye cream).

• Next, I apply a moisturizer to the rest of my face and to my neck (Avon's Healthy Boost Skintrition Moisture Lotion).

• Before I go to bed, I cleanse my face with the exfoliant, then I apply a night cream to my whole face and neck (Avon's Ultimate Night transforming lift cream).

I am not pushing Avon products. There may be other products out there that are just as good and maybe better. I am just telling you what I use and the reason I use Avon products is that as an Avon rep, I am very familiar with their product line, can obtain samples easily, and can buy the stuff at a discount.

The proof is in the pudding. Look at my photos. Do I look 56 years old?

Last month, when I was doing outreach at a local university, a woman in the class remarked how good I looked for my age. Immediately, another woman jumped in and said how well I was put together. After that comment, nearly all the women started talking at once, commenting about how nice I looked.

I think that all my hard work has paid off.

can' stand the heat, get out of the wig

Overnight, the humidity rose dramatically. Yesterday, it was around 50%; this morning, it is around 80%.

About 30 minutes ago, I walked the dogs for about one mile along a shaded path and by the end of the walk, the dogs were panting and my T-shirt was soaked.

In my case, this is not good weather for going out en femme. I perspire easily, which is a nice way of saying that "I sweat a lot." Add a wig, foundation makeup, foundation garments, and pantyhose and I will be swimming.

My wig pusher loves me in short wigs and back in February, she convinced me to buy a very short wig . (That's it in the photo above; same style, same color.) I have not worn it out yet, but I hope that since it is shorter than the wigs I normally wear, that it will be more comfortable in the warm, humid weather.

We will see.

bloggapedia

"Congratulations! Your link has been approved on Bloggapedia.com." This news arrived in the morning's e-mail.

FYI, Bloggapedia.com is a directory of weblogs and now, this blog is listed along with 54 other transgendered blogs in their directory. Look in the "Society Blogs" sub-directory for the Transgendered blogs directory or just go directly here.

first transgender officer on KC’s police

By Christine Vendel, The Kansas City Star

KANSAS CITY — One sign of her new life: Jessica tweezes her eyebrows. And every day she takes a handful of hormones as her body adjusts to living as a woman. Her co-workers are slowly getting used to working with a transgender police officer.

Jessica, a Kansas City police officer, is 6 feet tall with a chin dimple, pink manicured fingernails and a birth certificate that says “male.”

But in her mind, Jessica believes she has always been a female.

You can read the rest of the story and view a video here.

By the way, I have one problem with this article, a quotation that reads, "The most generally accepted estimate is that one in 12,000 persons in the United States is transgender..." Isn't that a very low estimate? It seems to me that five percent of the population is the figure usually associated with transgendered estimates.

crossdresser has coming-out party at town meeting

By Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger

RANDOLPH, MA — You could call it Stephanie Edwards' first town meeting, even though she has attended the sessions for more than two decades.

Under a different name and persona.

“What better place to come out for the first time in the general public than at town meeting?” Edwards asked.

The decision to appear in her female persona at town meeting wasn't difficult.

Edwards, 53, has been attending events and going to social occasions as a woman for more than a decade.

“I go to the bank and the supermarket. Why should town meeting be any different? I dress (as a woman) as much as I can when I can. This is the other half of my identity,” she said.

Edwards has gone to government meetings as a woman, testifying before the Boston City Council on legislation that would prohibit discrimination based on gender identification.

She is also working on behalf of similar legislation at the state level. About the only place she dresses as a man is to work. Her male persona, Stuart Glass, works for the state, but does not want to identify the agency or position.

Her appearance in a long purple dress on the opening night of town meeting on May 15 created a buzz of conversation among other elected town meeting members and spectators.

Most smaller towns in Massachusetts have an open town meeting, with any registered voter allowed to take part in decision-making. But Randolph is among the communities run by a representative town meeting, with 200 members elected to conduct the town's business at annual and special town meetings.

A town meeting member since 1985, Glass rarely spoke on town meeting floor. Edwards did not go to the microphone once during the four nights of town meeting, which concluded Tuesday night.

Town Moderator Kevin Reilly, who presides over the sessions, said he didn't get any complaints about Edwards.

"Other than it was pointed out to me the first evening, I didn't hear about it," Reilly said. "It didn't become an issue."

Town Clerk Brian Howard said there were a couple of minor procedural questions. Edwards checked in as Glass, whose name appeared on the ballot and voters' list.

"Is it unique? Yes, it's unique," Howard said. "We're a tolerant community."

The town's population is racially, ethnically and religiously diverse. Its School Committee includes an openly gay member.

Edwards said the comments she's heard have been positive.

"It's been good so far. People have been polite," Edwards said. "People have complimented me on my appearance, mainly women."

Fashions at town meeting can vary widely, from town officials in jacket and tie to backbenchers in shorts and Red Sox T-shirts.

Edwards performs a couple of times a month at the Randolph Country Club, which caters to gay people. She's also starting a "drag queen entertainment" business, performing everything from Barbara Streisand songs to country music and current hits.

"I got loads of wigs, loads of outfits and loads of CDs," she said.

Glass has an image consulting business for transgendered people, men who identify themselves as women and women who identify themselves as men. Edwards has not undergone the treatments and surgery to change her gender, saying she has problems with the medical process.

Married for many years, Glass' divorce is about to become final.

Edwards believes her action has helped raise awareness of transgender individuals in the community.

"You don't become transgender; you're born that way," said Edwards. "I was just born the wrong sex. I feel better about myself as a woman."

This story appeared here in the online edition of The Patriot Ledger on June 31, 2007. This link is correct, but it looks like somebody hacked it. I contacted The Patriot Ledger about the problem and they are working on it. They did e-mail the whole story to me and I have posted it above.

a pride trans-formation

D.C.'s trans community organizes its first dedicated Capital Pride event

Washington, DC — With new protections for transgender people going into effect in October 2006, Washington has the distinction of leading the country in protecting the transgender community from discrimination, according to the D.C. Trans Coalition.

Among the protections offered by the city, transgender people cannot be prevented from using gender-specific facilities, such as restrooms; employers must treat transgender medical needs as they would any other legitimate medical need; and neither businesses nor city agencies can require a person to disclose information about gender transition.

But on June 3, D.C.'s trans community will achieve another milestone, this time outside of the legal realm. On that Sunday, the community will celebrate the first Trans Pride.

"It's very, very, very important," says SaVanna Wanzer, chair of Capital Pride's transgender committee, a board member at the Whitman-Walker Clinic, and a self-identified trans woman. "It's been a terrible fight just getting this event together, with budget issues. The transgender community needs its own event, rather than just using us as entertainment. That's all we've been allowed to do."

Read the rest of the story here.

comments

Yesterday, I received an e-mail from a reader of this blog. She wrote that she liked my blog, but added that my blog does not get a lot of comments.

This is true. Reader comments here are scarce.

It is not the nature of the beast. I read a lot of other trans-oriented blogs regularly and some have few, if any, comments, while other trans-blogs that have lots of comments.

I can surmise that my blog readers agree with what I write 100% and have nothing to add or they so disagree with me that they don't know where to begin and just don't bother. Another thought is that what I write here is just so much fluff and readers don't think it is worth their time to comment on the fluff.

In reality, I just don't know. Nevertheless, comments or not, I plan to keep on blogging for the foreseeable future.