Well, I would like to say that I am considering starting Dahn Yoga. There are quite a few things said about this type of yoga, both good and bad, but I didn’t get any negative vibes about this from anyone I have spoken to about this yoga practice. But I have done a little bit of research about this and it looks like there are some pretty classic bouts of cult-like behaviour afoot and it would be wise to keep an open mind at all times, watch from a detached view point and ultimately, keep my head above water. Fortunately, it’s not like they can siphon much money out of me, as Dr. Pichet is going to be getting the majority of it and I will soon after be a student of Naropa University in Boulder. But I have checked out the Rick Ross website (they have a page on Dahn Yoga) and I have done a bit of research on my own about this type of thing. Continue reading ‘I Wonder if I Should Start Dahn Yoga’
Monthly Archive for August, 2008
Well, I think that my protests had an effect which is now quite bittersweet. My blog experienced quite a bit of traffic during the DNC but it’s starting to level off with the news posts starting to fall into the archives. I hear all sorts of things about myself, one of which is that like the Democratic Party, I am having an identity crisis. And you know what? Sometimes, they are absolutely right. I am having an identity crisis, but not of the kind people think. I have an identity crisis of being a transwoman in a largely male-oriented world. I am giving up the white male privilege that society affords people who don’t necessarily fall into a minority for a queer label and a community. I don’t really think of it as a privilege but considering that since I’ve transitioned, it’s been harder and harder to get a job with a fairly decent rate of pay, I can’t deny the fact that white straight male people have it much, much easier than females, someone in the LGBT community, someone in the communities of colour and other communities. But let’s talk about the identity crisis I am facing, eh? Continue reading ‘An Identity Crisis, eh?’
I doubt that many people completely and totally grasp the concept of transsexuality. Especially if someone is a lesbian transwoman or a gay transman. I keep getting the question “why can’t you just stay a dude?” or something to that effect. Sometimes, I get tired of answering this question over and over again but to sum it up, here’s the brass tacks: sexual orientation is different from gender identity. I could explain my situation, but if you really want to understand the general idea that sexual orientation is different than gender identity, then I would highly recommend reading a page that the Centre for Gender Sanity created on it called the Diagram of Sex and Gender. But some people might not get the idea from this page so I am going to explain it all in a different manner down here. Continue reading ‘Why I Just Can’t “Stay a Dude”’
I personally have to say that this is truly a “foot in the mouth moment” as I look back and say that the DNC was not the maelstorm that I initially thought it was going to be. I think that things went on very well, there was a minimal amount of violence and the police presence was nothing but helpful. This week, even though I was not planning on going to the actual convention, I expected the DNC to ruin my work week and make my life in the Mile High City a living nightmare. That was not even close to my experience at all! I have had lots of fun along 16th Street Mall protesting against many groups of people. While it is true that such bigotry and hate makes me ultimately saddened for these people, who cannot see the love and beauty of our relationships, I guess these protests and the counter-protests serve a very fundamental purpose of letting people know that these people are the very face of homophobia and bigotry, that the consequence for acting like these people is looking like these people. Continue reading ‘DNC Week Is Going Better Than I Initially Thought’
I knew where I was, just past the bus stop at Union Station on Wewatta Blvd. I was on the B bus heading towards Boulder, but when I looked into the rail yard at Union Station, the old railyard where all the assorted trains were (Union Pacific, Santa Fe, Amtrak and the Ski Train), I see a vast nothingness which compels and consumes me. An absence of life and activity in this place, and yet it becomes sacred because it is no longer touched by humanity. It’s depressing deep gray monotones remind me of my younger years when I was taking trips with my family down to the beach in Galveston. I am on the bus with living people and air conditioning, a respite from the intense heat that is currently pounding and imposing itself upon my fellow citizens of Denver, one that I have heard from my fellow citizens will finally cease once September or October rolls around and the temperature will drop back down to the cool autumn weather that I first experienced when I first got off the SkyRide and walked my first steps in Boulder. Continue reading ‘At One With the City’
Yes, in California, there has been a very large range of support for equal marriage and the most surprising of which came from a public utility company. Such support from such an unexpected source is always welcome and I should hope that this inspires other government agencies to take the right stand in the way for equal rights and equal marriage. The public utility in question is Pacific Gas and Electric and their support for equal marriage was announced by Darlene Chiu, their spokeswoman. And as it turns out, this kind of position is not at all odd for this public utility to make, as they have been fighting for equal rights and were one of the first companies to sponsor a LGBT association in the 80s. They have also fought actions to curtail affirmative action and crack down on illegal immigration. Now, is this a company that cares about it’s citizens or what? Continue reading ‘The Public Utility that Supports Marriage Equality!’
In about one month, I will have successfully saved up enough money to send Dr. Pichet in Thailand my deposit so I can secure my price and date for vaginoplasty (more commonly known as sex change surgery). This job is a full-time job at $11 per hour and with that, I think I can send a pretty sizable amount to Dr. Pichet in Thailand, get my date set, get an official letter declaring the date of surgery (a projected date for the purposes of getting a new passport) and secure the surgery in a reasonable amount of time. This would mean so much to me, including an increase in quality of life with the change of important and vital records such as Social Security records and my birth certificate. And of course, the issues that are more comfort of life oriented. But the surgery will not change a lot in regards to passing or being accepted as a woman. No, I expect that I will need FFS and possibly a move to get fully accepted as a woman in society (but considering that I plan to be out, maybe just FFS). Continue reading ‘Obtaining the Deposit for the Surgery’
I am tired of this! I have been looking for a new job for several weeks (months, in fact) and the biggest problem with obtaining employment which could possibly help me get closer to the surgery is my misdemeanor shoplifting conviction. While I am working on getting that record sealed, this is going to take like 6 months and there is probably no way I could possibly get gainful employment in time to have surgery by December. While TalentTree did start working on placing me at another employer (I had to go in to get forms to do a drug test today), I am still irritated that ultimately, I have to consider options for gainful employment. And yes, this means finding an employer who is a bit more willing to keep me on because of the fact that they see me as a woman from the get go and not a “man dressed as a woman”. So, in that spirit, I need to find a SRS grant as soon as possible. Continue reading ‘Looking for a SRS Grant’
When you think that the person running the “truth truck” might be feeling a little bit more shame for their actions and see how they look in the public eye, your eye catches a news article. An article that exclaims, once again, that the Christian morons are at it again! This time, their enemy hobby horse is on Abortion and it’s an addition that they hope to place during the DNC maelstrom. This city will be at maximum capacity with those of us who aren’t going to the convention trying to find ways to conduct our business without going into the downtown corridor. And these people are looking to irritate, misinform and confuse as many people as humanly possible. This would be a big audience for them, left leaning people by the thousands who care about human rights more than a church would be seeing their message of hate and poison. You have all sorts of people who are trying to stir up trouble during the Convention and I sincerely hope that Denver Police can help keep these people in check. Continue reading ‘When Will Those Fundies Get It?’
I am a very good democrat, I hope Obama wins and I am happy that the DNC is bringing so many people to the Mile High City. Having said that, I have to say that I am going to fucking hate next week unless Dr. Wilson can give me some Progesterone and even then, I am still going to fucking hate next week. Next week is going to prove to be the culmination of all the problems that the Democratic National Convention will bring with it. Yes, next week is going to prove how well this city can survive the DNC and this historic event, as well as the onslaught of bloggers that are going to be talking about the political parts of the DNC. But, since I can’t go, I will be talking about the effects that the DNC will have on the Mile High City and this will be influenced in my posts after the DNC opens. Continue reading ‘I Absolutely HATE the Effects of the DNC’