Jul

16

Exposure

Introspection / Modeling / Transgender Life  Posted by / 7 comments

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to hang out with a talented photographer; she wanted to take some pictures and hear my story.

The result was more than I could have expected.

Filtered through her keen eye, artistic sensibility and focused curiosity, she managed to coax out of me a collection of evocative pictures and words, and assembled them into a Photo Project she calls “A Day with Claire Black (Janie).”

To be honest, I was quite surprised when I first saw the photos – I had no idea of what she was seeing during our time together until that moment.  I think the whole collection is wonderful.

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Jul

15

Radioactive Drag Queens from the Year 3000

Politics and Opinion / Transgender Life  Posted by / 1 comments

I laughed; I cried.  It was entertaining; it was touching; but it was misguided. Such a drag!

We have an amateur festival of plays here aptly called the Fringe Festival – performances that are often off the wall, sometimes brilliant, sometimes awful, but always under and hour and cheap.

The title of this post is the title of the performance I took in tonight.  Apparently, by the year 3000, drag queens will be the most respected people in society.

There were plenty of laughs and some heartfelt performances in this story about an aging wanna-be drag queen waitress in a drag bar, whose performance of a lifetime ends up being a celebration of her drab self.

“It takes a lot of courage to put on a dress; it takes even more courage to be yourself.”

Hmmm…  there’s a mouthful…

…but so disappointing…

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Jul

13

Wardrobe Malfunction

Health and Beauty / Out in the World / Transgender Life  Posted by / 1 comments

So there I was, getting out of my car in my coolest and loveliest sundress.  I locked the car and put my keys in my purse.  Then, hoisting my purse onto my shoulder, I walked behind the car, preparing to cross the street.

I heard a metallic clank and looked down and back to see a sewer grate.  What could have made the noise, I wondered.  I knew my keys were in my purse.  So was my cellphone.  And, my sunglasses were on my head.

Oh well, could have been anything…  I had to pee, so I went on my way.

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total lack of consideration for the trans community
Jul

11

Mad Mad World – No Consideration for Others

Politics and Opinion / Transgender Life  Posted by / 2 comments

Has common sense gone out the window?  Have people no sense of decorum, or consideration for others?

I could do no better than to shake my head in disappointment and shame after reading a story published by SF Weekly (their blogs section @  /thesnitch/2011/06/crossdressing_man_us_airways.php) late last month.  It concerned the denial of boarding privileges to a black football player who was wearing sagging baggy pants that exposed his underwear, while, in a separate incident, allowing a white man in his 60s to board wearing only a bra and panties. (Click here for the original story. ed. note: link removed due to security concerns about originating site.)

This whole episode offends me on so many levels. 

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Jul

03

Just Be

Introspection / Transgender Life  Posted by / 18 comments

I have run a few posts questioning my sanity and wondering whether I should be doing this tgirl thing.

In response, a friend (possibly tiring of my incessant whining 😉 ) wrote in and advised me to stop overthinking my existence and just enjoy being who I am – “one pretty, feminine girl,” in her words.

My first thought in answer to her comment was, “I wish I were as sure as you are.”

But, a more interesting thought followed on its heels, as I wrote my response to her comment.

I said then, “Believe me, if the world around me laid down a path to happiness lined with pink flowers and lace, I’d not think twice about it.”

As the words escaped my keyboard, their truth rang out.

It seems that what is not among the many uncertainties with which I am grappling, is any doubt that I would be perfectly happy to live as a woman.

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