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.