December 30th, 2007

As I look upon the last year, it's been full of surprises. I never thought I would have surgery twice in one year, once for a torn tendon in my arm, then facial surgery. The latter was optional, of course. I'm still marinating on when I will have the second procedure. I am thinking of sooner, rather than later.

Charlotte Gender Alliance has proved to be all we hoped. At this moment, we have 57 members on our Yahoo Group. Not that many will be able to attend a meeting, but if we provide the support and education only one person needs, it will have been worth the effort.

I had cordial contact with my ex wife for the first time in years. I sent her a Christmas Card with a small gift. She called to thank me and wished me well. It is impossible to spend years with a person and not have a concern for their welfare. I wish her the best and I think she knows that.

I have to admit a relationship is a missing piece of life's puzzle. I have some awesome friends and a good life. I also need someone special in my life. If it happens, that will be wonderful. If not, the journey will continue anyway.

I had no contact with my children again this year. I don't know if I have grown numb to that fact, or have learned to let go. Perhaps it's a combination of the two.

I mentioned an important outreach effort at the corporate level. That took place December 20th and went very well. In several online groups, the topic of education is a priority. The fact Barney Frank said more education is needed on behalf of the transgender community is a statement not lost on many of us.

However we may disagree with his actions regarding a non TG inclusive ENDA, the misconceptions of what it means to be transgender remain prevalent. I believe there will be some exciting outreach events taking place in 2008. I hope to be a part of a few of those. Let's get on with it.

Peace On Earth

I've been learning a bit of german recently. I found a german version of my favorite Christmas Carol: Stille Nacht It is very simple, but is a beautiful rendition.


There is a piece I posted on my website one year ago today. This was written long before Charlotte Gender Alliance came into being. In view of our world as it remains, I believe it is still appropriate:

12/23/06

The day before Christmas Eve is one of my favorites. The following two days are always busy. This day seems like a quieter time to enjoy the season, the music and the message.

I saw the bumper sticker today, "Let Peace Begin With Me". I began thinking of the Christmas songs we hear each year. We sing, "next year, all our troubles will be miles away". But we sang the same song last year and the years before that. Yet, our troubles remain as close as the next moment.

We sing of "Peace on Earth", but we know lasting peace will remain elusive until the final day of judgment.

Where then do we find the peace of which we sing, or the freedom from trouble which we desire?

As with all things in life that truly count, a peaceful heart will come from within.

Peace will come when we accept ourselves as unique individuals, each with our unique blessing.

Peace will come when we accept others without prejudice of any kind, not merely a tacit acceptance to which we pay lip service, but acceptance without reservation or condition.

Peace from within will often require making a stand for what we know to be right, knowing it may not be popular with coworkers or friends.

Peace may entail becoming an advocate for those unable to speak for themselves. The needs are many.

Peace will not come by self promotion, or allowing our deeds to give us an inflated sense of importance.

Ultimately, peace will come when we accept the true message of Christmas, "For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior, which is Christ The Lord".

Once we accept the real meaning of Christmas, our view of our world, and ourselves is forever changed. A changed heart will be the source of our peace. As the bumper sticker said, "Let peace begin with me".

December 17, 2007

I was thinking today how enjoyable this holiday season has been. Christmas is my favorite time of year, with all the little gatherings and the music in church.

Two weekends ago was a holiday social at Lisa's home. She's a very TG knowledgeable therapist I met several years ago. It was good meeting her clients and getting to know everyone.

Church is always nice during Christmas. Melanie and I lit the Advent Candles Sunday before last, which is something rather emotional.

This past Saturday night was the Kappa Beta Christmas party. I said last night I was happy I had the facial surgery. It's good I was able to time it when I did, especially with the chin implant which took more time to heal. The purpose was to make my face rounder and less angular. The recovery time let me be back to normal in time for the holidays. I did a few songs from ABBA Saturday evening, which let me show once again how little talent I have. It's all meant to be fun anyway, which it sure was.

Thanks also to my friend Swooz for the new hairstyle. This girl is beyond awesome. She came to the party and did a little number herself.

This coming Thursday, I have a major outreach opportunity with a large NC based corporation. Our dialogue has been going on almost a year and I'm very excited about how this has progressed. My hope is we can put a positive face on what it means to be transgender. I may share more about this in the weeks to come.

December 15, 2007

Now and then, I see someone I know on the talkshows. Last week, Kassandra was on Maury. We've met a couple times. I thought it was awesome that she had the courage to appear on a talk show and share her story.

I'm almost completely healed from my facial surgery. If you had asked me about a week post op, I would have said I wish I hadn't done it. Now that it's over, I'm glad I did this. It has made life so much easier. There is one minor surgery I may have early next year. I will decide within the next couple months. I thought for a fleeting moment about posting photos after the surgery. It was not a pretty sight.

This year is the 30th anniversary of one and only ABBA tour of Australia. There is a show this evening in Sydney in the theater where the ABBA movie premiered 30 years ago yesterday.

How is this important you ask? I guess it's not really, but I think it's pretty cool. Sometimes I think I'm stuck in the seventies. I'm not sure I even want to leave.

The furor over ENDA has mostly died down. The reality has set in that the TG community was thrown to the curb. What happened to the premise that people have a right to be who they are, no matter who they are? It is the old politics of expediency.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

As I thought today of the lives that ended all too soon, I thought of so many others, some of whom I have known personally, whose lives never reached full potential.

The rate of suicide, depression and suicidal ideation in the transgender community is astronomical. Especially, I think each day of a close friend of mine. She made her first suicide attempt in 1996. There were three subsequent suicide attempts, leaving her confined to a wheelchair to this day. The last time I saw her, she showed me the scars on her wrists.

I have thought a thousand times of how I should have picked up the warning signs; was there something I could have done and did not? Most probably, yes. She was such a brilliant woman, yet she never found the happiness she craved.

When any life is not given a chance to bloom, it is a loss for each of us. As has been said, we light candles this evening for our transgendered brothers and sisters. In reality, the candles are lit for anyone who is persecuted because of who they are.

My candle is also lit for this dear friend. I think of you often, I miss you and wish I had been there for you!

Day of Remembrance

Our Day of Remembrance

Tuesday, November 20 is The Transgender Day Of Remembrance. It is a day set aside to commemorate those transgender men and women who have been victims of the ultimate act of violence.

This event began in 1998 to commemorate the murder of Rita Hester in Boston, MA from multiple stab wounds. Her murder remains unsolved. Unfortunately, she was not the last. It is fitting and proper those of us in the transgender community would pause and remember those among us who's life journey was all too short.

As we pause tomorrow, let us remember that when anyone, anywhere is persecuted because of who they are, it must forever remain unacceptable.

We have had much discussion on ENDA, we engage in outreach at the social level and we speak of pride in ourselves at the personal level. At the core of all forms of outreach is the fundamental issue of human dignity.

May we develop a renewed respect for the dignity of others who are different from ourselves. May we also develop a renewed sense of self respect. In doing so, we are able to offer compassion to those around us who are hurting and in need. It's the very least we can do for our fellow human beings......and ourselves.

This link to a short video by Rev. Erin Swinson sums the day far more eloquently than I could.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzDGzbZICA0

For anyone incined, this link is to Gwen Smith's moving site, "Remembering Our Dead".
http://www.gender.org/remember/index.html#

Halloween and ENDA the month

This blog could have become like a radio station, 'all ENDA, all the time'. For several weeks, our Charlotte Gender Alliance online group was mostly ENDA related. The subject warranted the time spent. As I have seen so often, much of the problem is the fact the gay community does not fully understand the issues faced by Transgender people. Congressman Frank made that clear when he said there still needs to be education on the behalf of the T- community.

The final debate will take place at a later date. I think many were surprised by the outpouring of support from many non TG groups. I also believe time will heal the misunderstanding between HRC and the TG leaders who have worked for inclusivity. Perhaps both sides will have learned from the experience.

I would have been ready for any trick or treaters tonight. I'm home recovering from facial surgery on 10/23. I did not have FFS in the sense it is practiced by Drs. Osterhout and Alter. Essentially I had a face/neck lift. As of this evening, I look like a still shot from Rocky I, but I'm healing. The staples were removed from my head this past Monday. I go back next week for removal of the remaining sutures.

I only told a few close friends what I had done. I have wondered how many people actually read this blog. I suspect not many, but perhaps I will soon find out.

ENDA the line

The last week has been tumultuous regarding the Employment Non Discrimination Act. There was hope the HRC would change it's stance and continue to support a transgender inclusive bill. That hope did not come to pass.

Certain friends of mine here in North Carolina have worked long and hard with HRC for this effort, and others. For them to tender their resignation to HRC was a heart wrenching decision. They had the courage they always have and did the right thing.

A number of people from NC, along with others, protested outside the HRC dinner this past Saturday evening while Nancy Pelosi made her keynote address. To her credit, she acknowledged the protestors and stated her support for a trans inclusive ENDA. She did this irrespective of the fact she and Congressman Frank rewrote the bill from it's original form to a separate bill for transgender rights.

The last three years, Donna Rose has been the one transgender face on the HRC board of directors at the national level. She has done a lot for our community. You can read her statement on the HRC decision.

As things evolve, the concensus is growing that HRC was forced to compromise to get any bill at all through congress. The reality is the bill has little to no chance of passage during the next year. As with most legislation involving human rights, the wheels turn slowly. Foundations must be laid before the final structure goes up. It would seem this is taking place as we watch.


My friend Nancy Wichmann redesigned our CGA website. Nancy is very good at this and I appreciate what she did for us. Charlotte Gender Alliance continues to grow. We knew we were filling a need at the right time.

ENDA

I realized the day I worked the NC TG UNITY table at Pride Charlotte, I have as many gay friends as I do TG. With that in mind, the following piece does not apply to my dear friends. I am speaking in the sense of 'community'. They will understand what I'm saying. Many of us have discussed the following issues.

Several decades ago, there was endless discussion as to whether the already ostracized transgender community had made a tactical error in aligning with the gay and lesbian movement. It was said we share the same problems, including discrimination, violence, employment issues etc.

It has been ironic to me that, in many ways, the gay community doesn't really get us. We are charged with educating the very community of which we are supposedly a part.

In 2007, it is clear the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Employment Non Discrimination Act, ENDA is coming to a congressional vote, probably next Friday.

ENDA has had the support of the Human Rights Campaign, along with other lobbying groups. HRC director Joe Solmonese made a speech at Southern Comfort earlier this month, pledging HRC's unwavering support.

As it became clear the bill was in trouble, Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Barney Frank rewrote the bill to exclude gender identity. This move has been now supported by HRC, contrary to what was said in front of the largest gathering of TG people in the country. Barney Frank wrote a rambling statement as to his motives. HRC has issued a statement attempting to explain their throwing the transgender community to the curb.

A number of TG people, including someone in NC whom I greatly respect are visiting the HRC dinner in Washington next week. Inasmuch as we were thrown on the curb, they will meet at the curb and picket this dinner.

It seems to me we were thrown under the bus. The right of any human being to earn a living is where the rubber meets the road. Many good people, some I know personally and some I only know of, worked hard for this bill. Let us hope they planted seeds that will eventually take root. I hope we are around to see it happen.

Jenny Boylan once said the only thing we have in common with the gays and lesbians is "we get beaten up by the same people". When it was expedient to include the transgender community for fundraising and support issues, they were happy to have us. When it became expedient to dump us to achieve their own agenda, there was no hesitation.

As a friend said, there comes a time when compromise is no longer an option.

September 18, 2007

There have been lots of things taking place recently, all of which are good.

Last week was the Southern Comfort Conference in Atlanta. This past Friday was an event unique to the conference and our community, a Transgender Career Expo day. There were representatives from a number of Fortune 500 companies. I had planned to drive down from Charlotte for the day, but a sprained foot changed my mind. This expo is one more sign of the progress that continues to be made in public awareness of who we are as individuals. The Charlotte Observer published a story on the event yesterday.

Saturday, August 25th was Pride Charlotte. I was able to work the NCTGUNITY booth for the entire day. Even in the 99 degree heat, it was a totally remarkable day . I don't recall a time when I have seen so many old friends from the past, or had more hugs. A few photos are posted in my online webshots. One saving grace was our table was less than 20 feet from the back door of Starbucks. When I saw that door, I knew I woud survive the heat.

Naturally, we had the usual protestors. It's ironic that not only are we charged with educating the GLB segment of the community, we also deal with the same protestors which bedevil them. Many disagree, but I don't think they are bad people. A GG friend and I followed two protestors into Starbucks and engaged them in dialogue. I won't go into the verbage, but it was mutually respectful. Both of us had goosebumps when we left them. We did the right thing.

My hairdresser visited Kappa Beta in August for presentation on facial shapes and a styling demonstration. I think everyone enjoyed it. I know she enjoyed it so much, she's coming to our Christmas party.

Our Charlotte Gender Alliance is growing more rapidly than I would have dreamed. Our September meeting was well attended and the discussion intense. This is precisely what we were hoping for.

Things are not perfect, but life is great with much more to take place in the near future. More on that later.

August 15, 2007

My son's birthday was August 13. He is 27 years old. I called to wish him Happy Birthday, but got his voice mail and left a message to let him know I love him. I've gotten no response. I have to admit it leaves a rather empty feeling.

I'm not the only one who deals with these issues. However, as everyone knows, it is small comfort to know there are others in your situation.

Lots of people are talking about the Larry King interview with transgender guests this past Friday evening. The guests did a wonderful job of presenting themselves and representing the community.

But you would think Larry would have done enough of these interviews that he would know more about the subject by now. Someone said towards the end, if you didn't know better, you would think he was doing a comedy routine. He asked former Largo, FL City Manager, Susan Stanton if she was a crossdresser since she's not had surgery. Next, he asked if she stood up or sat down to use the rest room. I could almost hear groans going up from all over. He even coined a new word, "transgenderite", as if we didn't have enough labels already.

I suppose exposure such as this is better than none at all, especially considering the calbire of the guests. You just do get tired of the same irrelevant questions from a supposedly intelligent host. I must say, I did like his suspenders.

The following quotation is from Equality NC:

"House Bill 1366, the School Violence Prevention Act, is on the calendar for Tuesday, July 24, in the Senate Judiciary II Committee.

This bipartisan bill would require schools systems to adopt strong policies against bullying and harassment, including harassment against students based on their sexual orientation and gender identity."

End quote.

No child should endure the bullying that we know goes on in the school systems in our nation. It remains incredible to me that a person in the 21st century, youth or adult, would endure harrassment because of who they are.

It rather ties in with the below video someone shared with me the other day. As I have often said, everything we do is about human dignity. In the grand scheme of things, nothing else matters. This segment is worth viewing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJdS0rTt2ps

I began phsyical therapy last week to regain mobility in my right arm. I never thought holding my hand straight and turning my wrist would bring beads of sweat, but it surely did. If something as minimal as this can be so hard, it's difficult to even comprehend what some people have to endure in rehab. It makes me realize how lucky I've been, and am.

Last night was our Charlotte Gender Alliance meeting (http://charlottegender.tripod.com/)
I am very enthused about this effort and our format. So many gender variant men and women must endure stress and hardship. One of the most stressful can be the feeling of isolation. We have all known the feeling to one degree or another.

A discussion group with this format ensures participation by everyone present. Each person becomes a coequal sum of all the parts, no matter where their place on the gender path may be. This is something whose time has come. This is the time and we are the people.

I wasn't my usual self physically, but I felt better when I got to our meeting. It's beyond cool.

July 1, 2007

If it's true that bad things tend to come in threes, I should be in great shape now. The Friday before Memorial Day, my home was flooded by a burst pipe while I was at work. The carpet had to be replaced and I spent the weekend in a hotel with Girl (my cat). That's another story in itself.

A situation at work has made it clear it's time to begin looking for new employment, not an easy thing since life changes never come easily and I've made very few changes during my work years. Even so, once we accept change, it becomes easier to pursue.

I had surgery June 22nd to repair a torn tendon in my right arm. The splint was taken off and the sitches removed this past Friday. It's a matter now of regaining mobility and reducing pain. I begin physical therapy this coming Thursday. My right arm will be in a sling a few more weeks, although I can rest my arm on a pillow and type. Being offline for a week was a major bother.

The surgery forced me to miss our Kappa Beta meting last weekend. This meeting was a special tribute to one of our senior members. A friend read my piece for me. I know I missed a rather emotional gathering.

This coming weekend is our Charlotte Gender Alliance meeting. I'm excited about the contribution we will be able to make to both the TG community in the Charlotte area and our community as a whole. A lot of input has made this possible. This is going to be a worthwhile effort.

I was hoping to hear from my children on Fathers' Day, but it didn't happen. This is not a unique situation to many of us, but still brings a certain sadness. As I have said, no matter what the future holds, I will always be proud to be their father. I shall remain open to them.

Even with the not so good things coming threes, I realize more than ever how much my friends and family mean. Many others are not nearly as well off as I am. Life is still good.

June 3, 2007

I've been listening to a lot of ABBA recently. I like music from that genre and ABBA has always been a favorite. "I Have A Dream" never made top of the charts, but when I listened the other day, I found it carried a poignant message for me personally. There are a number of versions, but this one is my favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R3JAruiWm0


We visited our regular class at the university last week. The students are always a lot of fun. The Q&A is the part we look forward to. This time, we were asked a question that had not been discussed to the degree we did this week. A lady asked what God must think of what we do. The discussion became rather involved. Needless to say I told her God loved me so much He made me this way. I hope we at least let her leave with a more open mind.

Another question was totally unique. A young female student wanted to know if we could give her advice on how to become a judge in drag queen contests. That has been one of her dreams. I've known drag queens who are friends, but not being one myself, I and the others were not a lot of help. I thought of a t-shirt that might read, "I earned a four year degree and all I got to do was judge this lousy drag queen contest".


I don't normally talk a lot about my personal life in this blog. However, I think I have a hint of what it may have been like on The Titanic. I came home from work Friday before Memorial Day and water was outside the door. I opened the door to find a flooded apartment. A pipe had burst during the day and it was a disaster. The resident manager put me up in a hotel while they dried things out. They laid new carpet last week. Fortunately, I had minimal personal damage.

That evening, he came by to check on how things were. He's only been on this site a few weeks, but began talking to me about his partner and how they had been looking for domestic partner benefits, and found them here.

I shared with him some of the things I do with the 'T' part of the GLBT community. It was an interesting conversation. Something occurred to me. As a gay person, he is able to be out to the point he can apply for career positions and be open about very core of who he is. Domestic partner benefits is an obvious example. Things are not perfect, but their level of acceptance has taken major leap forward in recent years.

On the other hand, as transgender people, we have not reached that level of acceptance. Susan Stanton and a host of others are examples of that fact.

I believe the transgender community is at a singular point in time. Virtually every week the last few months, we have had positive press, a major talk show, the transgender character on All My Children, Susan Stanton and her dignified way of handling her situation, the recent article in Newsweek on the subject of gender and others.

It is my belief that one does not need to be an activist, as we normally define the term, to make a contribution. Each person has something to offer. I hope history will show this was our time to make that quantum leap forward.

May 3, 2007

I have spoken often of my fond memories of The Washington-Baltimore Alliance, formerly The National Alliance. I received the email last week that I was afraid would soon come.

The WBA has officially disbanded as of the end of April. In one sense, it's the end of an era. Logically, we know all things change and evolve. The area is well served by TGEA and other groups. Of course, logic does not always determine how the heart feels.

I have a file cabinet full of letters and newsletters from that era of community development. They just became a lot more valuable to me personally. The former leaders of WBA will leave the website active with occasional postings of community events. I'm glad I was able to maintain contact with them as my own journey continued.
http://www.transgender.org/wba/

The Zoe character has not been on All My Children the past week. I heard the actor's contract ran out, although Zoe is still shown in the promos. I continue to DVR the program to watch in the evening. I'm only watching to see when Krystal finds her baby. It's not like I'm hooked on it, or anything. heh heh

Last weekend was one of the more interesting I've had in some time. I took part in an all day Saturday workshop presented by the leading manufacturer of laser technology. I am familiar with the principles of electrolysis, but much of laser theory is new to me.

The series of lectures were extremely interesting, and presented from the standpoint of those already in the field. Thus, it was an opportunity for education from a different perspective than I may normally be afforded.

Late in the day, we participated in hands on demonstrations. Laser is much more than hair removal, although it is naturally the focus of interest for most in the TG community. Certain machines serve different purposes. I was extremely impressed with the treatment of spider veins, as well as a skin tightening technique that is on a par with Thermage. Neither is equal to a surgical facelift, but for someone with no advanced signs of aging, it could be economically and aesthetically beneficial.

Insofar as hair removal, I remain with the opinion that electrolysis is more effective for the long term. As many know, the debate is sometimes heated. It has become clear that laser is here to stay. I found myself wondering how the technology will evolve during the next decade.

April 15, 2007

Former City Manager of Largo, FL, Susan Stanton was interviewed by Larry King Friday evening. The promos had said she had a significant announcement.

She said exactly what I was hoping she would, that she would NOT file suit against the city of Largo, FL for unlawful termination, even though her case was strong. She said "this is about education, not litigation". I thought to myself, "she gets it!".

With that statement, she demonstrated this is not about self promotion, money or fame. Like so many in our world, she came to the realization that to go on pretending to be something you are not will eventually take an ultimate toll. She also realized she cannot continue pretending to not be something she is.

Due to the unasked for visibility of her situation, Susan Stanton is in a unique position to educate the public not only about what it means to be transgendered, but to also demonstrate the message of forgiveness.

She has come to that point in life at which it is necessary to let go of certain situations and even people. She will no doubt find an infinitely broad array of situations to latch onto that will bring her the happiness she deserves.

I hope the day will come when I have the opportunity to shake her hand.

Easter Sunday

The last week has been filled with sadness in Charlotte, NC. Last Saturday evening, two Charlotte police officers were slain in the line of duty. There was a funeral Thursday and Good Friday.

Church was lovely this morning, as I knew it would be. While listening to the sermon and then partaking in communion, I thought back to the professor's words two weeks ago, "from ignorance comes fear, and from fear comes hatred.

This will remain one of the realities in a fallen world. From where then, do we find love? The answer lies in the message of Christ's resurrection. As with the Christmas message, once we accept our redemption, our view of ourselves and our world is forever changed.

The title of our pastor's sermon this morning was, 'Life Begins From Death'. Alleluia!

March 31, 2007

This past Tuesday evening, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel spoke in Charlotte, NC. His topic: 'Against Indifference'.

At that hour, our small group was giving our semester presentation at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his opening remarks, the professor made reference to the fact that ignorance breeds fear, which breeds hate.

Largo city manager Steve/Susan Stanton was officially fired last week by the town council. Her years of exemplary service meant nothing once her true self became manifest.

Within the past two weeks, a transgender woman was murdered in San Francisco. Syndicated talk show host, Michael Savage called this woman a freak. He went on to say the students who commited the Columbine shootings, wearing black trench coats were influenced by Dr. Stanley Biber's medical practice in Trinidad, CO., which had become the 'sex change capitol of the United States'. As most know, Dr. Biber has passed away and Dr. Marci Bowers is now practicing in Trinidad, CO.

I read what Mr. Savage had said, but would not believe it until I heard it myself. I listened to the clip this evening. He said all that, and even worse. To link to his audio would give credence to a man who does not deserve credence.

It is being charitable to simply say this is a man whose ignorance has led to hate. It's unfortunate for him and for anyone who may take him seriously.

There is so much darkness in our world. What is to be done? Each of us can stand up for what we believe and perhaps most importantly, accept each other in the way we desire to be accepted.

3/18/07

Following up on the transgendered character introduced on All My Children, ABC has posted a look behind the scenes. A clip of an interview with Jenny Boylan is included. You must let the 30 second commercial play before getting to the heart of it. This is show biz, after all.

http://abc.go.com/fsp/index.html?channel=AMCPodcast

The WBA

No, the WBA does not stand for 'World Boxing Association'. In the body of my website, there is a link to The Washington-Baltimore Alliance. This is where I got my frst measure of support all those many years ago. The name may have changed a couple times and the people are different, but the purpose remains. I receive their monthly newsletter and am able to continue to keep up with what's taking place in the group.

There is an interesting article in today's issue of The Baltimore City Paper with certain members of the WBA interviewed. We may have a long ways to go, but the closet doors have definitely opened, or more accurately, been forced open by courageous people. Below is the link.

http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=13393

March 11, 2007

I suppose I was destined to begin watching a soap opera. The transgendered character recently introduced on All My Children has begun her transition in earnest. I set my DVR to record all the programs. Thank goodness for the fast forward button to zip past the commercials.

The TG character, Zoe attended her first support group meeting this past Friday. Aside from the actor playing Zoe, the support group members are all transgendered men and women. The group is facilitated by Jenny Boylan, author of 'She's Not There'. When I learned Jenny Boylan would be a regular, I knew it would be well done. It's good to see a program presenting the community in a positive way. As I watched, it reminded me of some groups I've been part of. Incidentally, the one transman in the group had a small part in the movie 'Transamerica'.

I did think Zoe was a bit overly dramatic when the endocrinologist explained possible side effects of hormones. Then I reminded myself, it's a soap opera; it's supposed to be overly dramatic. So I suppose a certain allowance must be made.


Everyone in the TG community has heard about the events of the last couple weeks in Largo, FL. For those reading this who are are not aware, Steve Stanton, city manager of the city came out as transsexual and announced his plans to transition. After a tumultuous meeting, the city council voted to fire him.

Events like this one drive home the point that much work remains to be done in gaining the acceptance each individual deserves. Someone described this situation as a lightning rod for transgender rights. That is well stated.

The irony is Susan Stanton has been well respected for her competency. Only when she allowed her true self to become manifest, was she ostracized. Many activists are converging on this city. There could be both pros and cons to that, but suffice it to say, this will have lasting repercussions.

What really makes some of us crazy is the fact a local Baptist minister made the statement that, "if Jesus was here, I guarantee, He would want him terminated". That is so asinine as to deserve neither comment nor attention. I mention it because his statement was carried by the media. Perhaps that is a good thing, in that it shows the ignorance and prejudice that continues to exist in this world.

For the latest on this, visit http://www.savestanton.com/home