Cyrsti's Transgender Condo

Transition Emotions

2013-06-19T20:30:00.000-04:00

This video on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen showcases the emotions of a young transgender woman before and during HRT. Check out Michelle:

Bond...Justin Vivian

2013-06-19T17:33:00.000-04:00

I love!!! this site title: Paper "On the front lines of cultural chaos since 1984" Wow! That says it all!

Just as fun was Paper's recent interview with Justin Vivian Bond (left)on being an arrogant feminist and the problem with NYC Pride here are a couple of my favorites and of course you can read the entire interview here.

Night of a Thousand Judys (of course they are)-- the charity variety show which celebrates all things Judy Garland -- is happening tonight (with tickets still available here) and they've got quite the line-up. Of the many performers who will grace the stage and give their best Judy, Mx. Justin Vivian Bond may just be having the biggest moment. And:

"Mx America is my show that came about from this quote, which is by my friend's father: "You can tell the depth of a person's tragedy by the amount of space between how they see themselves and how they're seen by others." I thought that as a trans person and as an American, that was an interesting notion. So I decided to address that in a cabaret form. It's just me. And the good thing about this Mx America is that there's no competition -- I'm already the winner! You
can enter with real confidence knowing you're going to win."

Nice!!!

A Blond Having More Fun

2013-06-19T12:11:00.000-04:00

This video on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen is a little different in that you have to wait deep into the vid to see any before HRT pictures of this transgender blond:

Falling off the Soapbox!

2013-06-19T11:24:00.001-04:00

I have started this post three times now and ended up standing on so many soapboxes, I thought was going to fall. So, I am going to let the magic of the Internet whisk you away to a Brynn Tannehill post called The Canary in the Coal Mine.

It's in the "Huffington Post Gay Voices" section and among other things, discusses LGBT findings from a recent Pew Report which of course set me off on one of my famous tangents- transgender stealth.

Follow the link above for many factoids and figures which probably won't surprise but definitely should concern!

A Self Made Man

2013-06-18T10:02:00.000-04:00

A Self-Made Man trailer from Lori Petchers on Vimeo.

Thanks!

2013-06-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

I loved all of your replies to my Dad's Day picture I swiped from Stana!

Truly it's nice his daughter does approve of "Dad". I am one who is fortunate to be in that category....BUT I guarantee you there isn't enough surgery to help me to look that good!

I do however keep thinking of all kinds of more possible comments from daughter and I will pass them along just as well as Dad passes..I hope!

Kind of like:

"Hey Dad, have you seen my Mani/Pedi gift certificate?"
"Now I know why my razor is so dull when I go to shave my legs"
"Christmas, will be easy this year"
"God I hope VH-1 or my friends don't see this!"
"Is that why he has picked Thailand for a vacation?"
"Was he kidding about what SRS really meant?"
"So that's why Dad only wanted the clothes in the divorce?"
"Now I see why he practiced a year with the boys for the womanless pageant."
"A great suggestion for Father/daughter day at the Spa!"
"So that's why there was never is any money in my college fund?"
"I refuse to call him Tiffany, then again he looks like her. Well never Buffy."

And finally:

"Dammit! How did this make it all the way to Cyrsti's Condo so even she could make fun of me?"

A "Gem" of an Evening

2013-06-18T04:00:00.000-04:00

If you have been following any of my "Pride" area event listings here in Cyrsti's Condo, perhaps you remember me mentioning the Yellow Springs, Ohio second annual event last weekend.

To give you a little background on Yellow Springs, it's located maybe 20 miles from Dayton, south of Springfield and is the original hippie village. It was no huge surprise then when the organizers put together a wonderful event topped off by a performance by the Rubi Girls. You have read me rave about them before and I was really excited to see the show.

As luck would have it, I met another friend at Peaches in Yellow Springs about an hour or so before the show and even then barely got a seat.

If you live in the Dayton, Ohio area-this is a must see drag show. In fact I hesitate to even call it a drag show. Not very many drag queen wannabes are covering "The a Morning After", a touch of the "Love Boat" and even "MacArthur Park". I was laughing so hard, I was glad there was a nearby bathroom-in case I had to pee.

By the way, Peaches gets props for a gender neutral bathroom up front. I'm not sure about the ones in the back. PLUS, please note Peaches is not a drag show bar.

The Rubi Girls are much more than just a drag show plus they have donated over a million dollars over the years to fight AIDS. Talk about good karma!

For more information follow the links to The Rubi Girls and Peaches above!

Get in Your Holes!

2013-06-17T20:37:00.002-04:00

All you round peeps, get into those round holes! All you square peeps, you know where you are supposed to be...Now get there.

Do you really think I should have to work harder as a parent and explain what you are? Can't you come here when no one else is here. Have some respect!

Then there is that pesky gender binary deal. Doesn't everyone belong to one or the other?

OK, I see now- you are lifting your leg to pee. Are you even allowed to pee here?

What's wrong with you. Don't you know life would be so much easier for us if you weren't wearing that pink collar?

"HorrorScope"

2013-06-17T17:00:00.000-04:00

All right kids! It's time for another "HorrorScope" here in Cyrsti's Condo and all you "oranges" just get the hell out of my way!!!

Libra September 23-October 22): "Seeing is believing, so get ready to open your eyes wider as you look ahead. Otherwise, trying to peer back or to the side is only going to distract you and make you want to measure yourself against others. Realize that would be the worst thing to do now, as your life is apples and the rest are oranges. Understand this is your time to take a road less traveled."

The only part of this "scope" which has me concerned is the "road less traveled". If I'm on any roads less traveled than the ones I'm usually on, there will be no pavement, no gravel and hopefully some dirt!

Please remember girls and boys "HorrorScope" is my term BUT you can get your own special "scope" from theFrisky here.

This Dad "Nailed" Father's Day

2013-06-17T14:41:00.001-04:00

I saw this picture yesterday as I was making my usual stop at Stana's Femulate site. Stana couldn't remember when she found it or who it was except the picture was a "Father/Daughter" combo. Well of course "dear old Dad" was absolutely stunning but I wondered just what the daughter was thinking.

Being me of course , I do have a couple ideas of what might have been going through daughter's mind. Behind the smile:

1.- Dammit! Who would have thought at this time in my life, I would have to compete with Dad for attention?
2.-Does anyone really think this was the first time he has dressed this way for a womanless beauty pageant.
3.-Where the hell is Mom and is she the smart one for not being in this picture.
4.-When Dad is not looking, I'm going to see if those shoes fit me.
5.- Just where the hell did he learn to pose like that for a picture?
6.- Wow! I hope I inherited his gene's and not the ones he wears!
7.- Got cha! She is not my Dad at all, she's my boyfriend!
8.- Wait a minute, is that MY new bag?

Here's your link over to Femulate for more.

"Warshin' Off the Makeup"

2013-06-16T18:53:00.000-04:00

Yes kids they do have drag queens up in the Pacific Northwest and here is a documentary about one on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen. Doesn't cover any new ground but covers the old ground well:

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My Mirror and Pastries

2013-06-16T12:44:00.000-04:00

Of course over the years from a closeted cross dresser into the transgender life I lead now, I have fought epic battles with my mirror. But I'm not alone, I see genetic women who have fought and lost the same game daily.

It's a tough battle. Both Genders pay attention to us. It's the age old question of "do women dress for women - or men?" Easy answer, women overwhelmingly dress for ourselves. Sure I want to look nice for guys too but if I'm not getting a passing grade from the women in the crowd, I need to keep trying until I do.

None of this was an easy process to work my way through.

First of all my mirror is a Stone Cold Bitch. By law she deals in one dimension (hers) which just happens to be a much different one than the public. My first conversation of the day is "Bring it Bitch!" But we both know I need her as a tool to help me. As long as she stays away from that dishonest feedback deal. I have finally come to the conclusion I don't look as good as she says I do but not as bad as I think I do.

Second, I was stuck right in the middle of several dominant forces. I was a guy attempting to appear as a woman in public but I was going about it in all the wrong ways.

I was dressing for men from my perspective of what a man wanted to see. Cool, except I was leaving out a huge majority of the population who could make my journey easier-women. If I was going over the top with the such forgettable "Rodeo Clown Drag Queen" look, then I was missing everyone.

And finally, I knew very few of the "tricks" of the style game such as fashion, sizes and shopping.

As the years passed painfully by, even I began to realize the path I was taking was going all wrong and I was lost. Of course life is better now as I became honest with myself. Even the mirror and I get along now. No matter what she says I know my limitations and similar to any woman I try to do the best to work around them. In fact, just last night she was whispering sweet nothings into my ear as I finished dressing, brushing my hair and touching up my makeup. Finally I was ready to head out to a mainly straight bar/restaurant last night hosting the fabulous Rubi Girls. I knew I was far from the sexy "thang" she said I was but I did feel I wasn't over or under dressed for the night which is exactly what I tried to do.

Of course all of this progression has been something I have tried to over think for years. Actually, I came to a fairly simple conclusion. As I do with many things in my life, again I was trying to shortcut the femininity process in me. For years I thought simply the best clothes, wigs and makeup could take me where I wanted to go. As it turned out the process was similar to eating your favorite donut. Tastes great eating it but the sugar buzz and empty calories don't last long.

If you are a novice in our world as a cross dresser or a transgender person, just take a second and look around. There is nothing wrong with eating a tasty pastry but if you are losing your buzz in a big hurry-it may be time to look in your mirror and think about a new diet.

Into the Main Stream

2013-06-16T04:00:00.000-04:00

Any time I open my email account and the lead news story is 'M' or 'F'.- Outdated ID's worry transgender people. I immediately paid more attention.

This story actually originated in San Francisco through the Associated Press:

"Most U.S. residents don't think twice about the gender printed on their government-issued documents. But those "M'' or "F'' markers — and the legal and administrative prerequisites for switching them on passports, birth certificates and other forms of identification — are a source of anxiety and, even, discrimination for transgender individuals.

The rules vary from state to state, agency to agency and even clerk to clerk. But a transgender applicant generally has been required to submit both a court order approving the gender change and a letter from a surgeon certifying that the person underwent irreversible sex reassignment surgery before obtaining a new document. Over the last few years, though, the emerging movement for transgender rights has been quietly pressing the issue, persuading state lawmakers and federal and state agencies to simplify the lengthy and often costly process.

Advocates recorded their latest victory Friday, when the Social Security Administration announced that it would no longer require proof of surgery to alter the gender identification of individuals in its computers and records."

One of the "Advocates" is Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality who was quoted as saying:

"Most people may not see this as a big deal, but transgender people know that this seemingly small technical change will protect their privacy and give them more control over their own lives," Since 9/11, it's become incredibly important to have accurate and consistent identification. Without it, you can't open a bank account, you can't use a credit card, you can't apply for a loan, you can't get a job, you can't vote, you can't get insurance."

For more on this story and it's far reaching implications, go here.

Hot Fun? In the Summertime?

2013-06-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

Here we are. Approaching the middle of my second summer on HRT. How's it working for me? I can easily say "better" if for no other reason than I have an idea of what's coming as we really make our way into the hot steamy "dog days of summer" here in Ohio.

This summer I plan on embracing the heat, not whining about it. So far so good mainly because we have had a fairly mild summer. Around here, most of us have been raised to learn to appreciate the good weather because the hammer is always around the corner.

I'm also a better "prepper" I was able to avoid the sunburn issues of early last year with my own concoctions of lotions and oils. I remembered very quickly sun and I had seen very little of each other over the years. While I certainly didn't want the skin texture of an old saddle, I did prefer not to do my impression of "Ghost Girl".

This year also, a stable flow of meds at least until the fall makes life easier. Last summer I was tossed back on to a minimum HRT dosage while I waited for the VA to come through for me. I learned all too quickly how fast my body can fall back to it's accustomed testosterone. The sleeveless tops I was beginning to finally get used to wearing were becoming even more "iffy" with any sort of returning muscle definition. I certainly will never have thin arms but I prefer not to have the biceps of a baseball player.

One thing is for certain, at my age I should not be wishing anytime away and begin yearning for the cool crisp days of fall. Plus after I absolutely froze in a relatively mild winter around here last year, the idea of summer doesn't seem so bad!

Classic CrossDressing

2013-06-15T15:00:00.000-04:00

This video on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen is a rather lengthy look at a classic cross dresser episode on the old television show "Boy Meet's World". The nice thing about this show was it had a real meaning:

Style, Creativity and More!

2013-06-15T11:00:00.000-04:00

If you read the background on this video, the YouTube presenter doesn't have any info where it came from or who it was. Too bad because it is incredibly creative, well done and more than a little sexy! Check it out on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen:

Bag Lady

2013-06-15T09:00:00.001-04:00

We have covered more than our share of "heavy" topics here in Cyrsti's Condo over the past several days. I figured today may be a fun one to "lighten up" a bit.

To begin with, the all powerful NFL decided to lighten women everywhere by issuing new rules and regulations on the size of "bags" being allowed inside the stadia'. Now, if we are so inclined to do so, the stylish themed purse we overpaid for in the team store can't be brought in if it is bigger than a clutch. So much for style points!

This mandate doesn't really effect me anyhow. I make no secret I was and am a huge trans woman sports fan and the one NFL game I went to as me- I carried no bag at all.

No problem,. During my formative years, nearly all the female sports fans near and dear to me wouldn't be caught dead carrying a purse into a game anyhow. Unless they were helping to sneak adult beverages in before the step up in security. So, I was trained by the best. Carry an ID, cash in your jeans pocket and get down to fun at the game.

As with most of the girls though, I have a fairly decent lineup of purses ready willing and able to accessorize my daily life. The whole subject is fun to discuss and we will one of these days.

By the way, it didn't surprise me much but my searches for that one special "football jock in drag" picture was hard to find. A reminder of those pesky running backs "back in the day" when I played the game. I wasn't allowed to bring my purse then either!

Social Security Steps Up

2013-06-14T23:30:00.000-04:00

From ThinkProgress Victory for the Transgender Community!:

"Today marks an important victory for the transgender community, even though it may appear to be a small paperwork technicality. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced that it is now much easier for trans people to change their gender identity on their Social Security records. All that will now be required, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality, is for individuals to submit government-issued documentation reflecting a gender change, or a certification from a physician confirming they have undergone appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition.

This is a significant departure from the previous policy, which required documentation of complete sex reassignment surgery. Many trans people never undergo such procedures, either because they are too expensive, because they do not want to lose their procreative ability, or because it simply isn’t an important change for them to make to find authenticity in their identities. The SSA change eliminates this high standard for trans people to obtain the appropriate documentation for the gender that reflects how they live their daily lives. Though Social Security cards do not display gender, the SSA does maintain that information as data, and it can impact other governmental programs. For example, individuals seeking coverage under Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income, or other public benefits could face complications if their gender markers do not match from form to form and identification to identification. In addition to an invasion of their privacy, the discordance could even lead to a denial of benefits.

The new change will eliminate the obstacles trans people can face to access protections they often need because of other forms of discrimination they otherwise experience in society."

This is positively HUGE for people like me!

Autumn Sandeen On Transgender Vets and More

2013-06-14T15:00:00.000-04:00

All you regular peeps here in Cyrsti's Condo know I am a transgender vet and follow Autumn Sandeen's (left) views on the subject with great respect.
Following transgender Navy Seal Kristin Beck's coming out party and book, I was anxious to read Autumn's take on the whole situation. To fill you in, Autumn is truly a ground breaking trans vet fighting what often I'm sure looked like a very lonely fight.

Here's an excerpt of what she said:

"I’d like to comment on instead is the implications of her story on the broader movement toward open service for trans people. One of the many arguments that were made by the LGBT public policy organizations, such the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), was that we wouldn’t want to discharge hardcore fighting corps, such as SEALS and Army Rangers, just because they were gay. America would be removing tough, smart, well-trained soldiers out of America’s special forces for a reason that had nothing to do with whether or not they were effective at doing their jobs.

That’s an effective narrative, but the LGBT community never had any former SEALS or Army Rangers it could point to and say, “And this is the kind of special forces soldier you’ll kick out of the military if they said they were gay on active duty.” In the trans community, we do have such a soldier now. We can now point to Kristin Beck and say, “If Senior Chief Beck came out as transgender while she was in the Navy SEALS, she would have been kicked out for a reason that had nothing to do with whether or not she were effective at doing her job. Is that what America really wants?” And is it?"

Allow me to paraphrase and get you to her actual statement but Autumn points out there are questions for an open trans military service AND the the preliminary work has been set in motion for a national discussion. Such as (from her previous column) the narratives of trans Department of Defense (DOD) contractors and civilian employees who’ve recently served in Middle Eastern combat zones – narratives such as those of Nicole Shounder, Rachel Bolyard and Erika Stetson.

Then there’s (Autumn's) narrative about her historic fight to have her recorded gender changed in the DOD databases. Huge, in that it showed that the DOD acknowledged that trans servicemembers and veterans even did exist. Fortunately, this seems to be just the tip of the iceberg and hopefully the hypocritical transgender ways of the Pentagon have first class seats on the Titanic!

As you can read much is happening on this front. For more on the story go here

The Sandbox or the Sorority?

2013-06-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

As I started to think over the Sand Bully post I did yesterday, I decided to expand a bit- or quite a bit!

Over the years I have happened across more than a couple rather misguided souls who still believe women are the kinder and gentler gender. There are definite reasons nature has picked the female to have children and raise families while holding a job or 14 other things. Women simply have to be tough and have better handle on the overall dynamics of the world. They have to. No real compliment girls, just reality. It's no joke entering the gender world of less pay and respect just to name a few.

Those who think different are usually new or closeted cross dressers who don't have much experience in the girl's "sandbox". That's all good. No value judgement-just opinion. Plus, if it makes you feel better, you may find the term "sorority" more to your liking- but the end result is still the same.

In order to play of course, you have to be admitted. For the sake of simplicity (like my mind) I have broken the membership committee into three sets of genetic women.

1.- "The cool girls". OK, get ready for my big stereotype- cheerleaders. If you have an "A" game to submit to this group, make sure your makeup is perfect and look for "mean girls" lurking behind big shiny smiles. Before you think I'm being a total bitch, I have seen a form of the "cool girls" in one of my old cross dressing groups years ago. If your "looks" were to a certain standard-you too could be welcomed into the sorority. Really? Oh well, so much for not being a total bitch.

2.- "The real girls". This group's admittance policy is fairly easy. Be a real person, with a sense of humor, a need to learn and no sexual agenda. Well, maybe not so easy but doable. As we all know women possess advanced B.S. detectors. While you may never be totally accepted as a genetic female you very definitely can be accepted as a transgender woman. Your bit of difference can add a little spice to their world because normally your approach to femininity is just off a tad from theirs. With the right sense of humor, this becomes a very fun part of acceptance. If I had a dollar for every time I was told "welcome to our world" I would be down at the corner plastic surgeon guy getting a boob job to show off in a very low cut top! Plus at the same time, if you just sit back and observe- this group will teach you most everything you need to know on how to socialize yourself as a woman. Not the easiest group to casually find your way into but once you do, a very easy group to stay and grow with! Even as their token trans girl!

Finally, I shouldn't have to mention this but if you are thinking about going into to any of this with a sexual agenda...DON'T. Nothing says "Wolfe in sheep's clothing" quicker to women and you will be perceived as just a guy in a dress trying to intrude.

3.- "The Do Not Enter Girls". Simple deal with this group. For social, religious or whatever reasons they in no way support your transgender existence. I call them "The who the hell needs them group". They could just be "haters", been kicked out of groups one and two or just can't wrap their minds mentally around a transgender person. One thing is for certain, you don't want to run into this group in a restroom situation.

Well, there you go. I really don't want to get into the finer points of getting ambushed by passive aggressive female behavior or a a few of he nuances of communication in this post.

Just be careful when you jump into the sandbox when the claws come out. Then again survival lessons are valuable when you are dealing with the "kinder and gentler" gender on their turf-or sand.

A "Loss" in Chile

2013-06-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Valentina Verbal campaigned to make history as Chile’s first transgender congresswoman. Had she won, Chile’s LGBT community would have representation in the national Congress before most other countries around the world. Verbal learned that she would have to run under her legal male name or pull out of the race. Verbal decided to step down. From the Global Voices site.

"The transgender woman ran for office having applied for — but without having secured — a legal name change. Verbal – who was born a man, but said she always felt like a woman — prefers to keep her birth name a secret. She said that the name not only misidentifies her, but has tangled her identity since childhood. “I thought, perhaps naively, that given the vacuum of electoral laws, and filling in that space with the anti-discrimination law, there wouldn’t be trouble getting what I asked,” she said. Verbal explained that voters wouldn’t recognize her birth name on the ballot. The campaign would be a wash with her having been in politics for years as Valentina Verbal. She belongs to Chile’s center-right National Renewal Party (RN) and spent the past years fighting for an anti-discrimination law."

Hopefully in the future Valentina will get the name problem straightened out and push Chile ahead in TGLB reform. Follow the link above for more!

Gay Boys and Drag

2013-06-14T04:00:00.000-04:00

Entertainment on the Cyrsti's Condo big screen from the "other side":

Life Lessons for Women

2013-06-13T21:16:00.000-04:00

The more you go playing around in the girls sandbox as a transgender woman, the more you will learn how different the process is- outside of the evident examples.

Here is another look called "Life Lessons for Women, 9 Things it Took me Way Too Long To Learn" from the Huffington Post.

Here is #.8: "If You Think, "I Really Shouldn't Do This, But… ," Stop Immediately At "But." Everything I have done after "but" has been a huge glaring mistake. Shooting off an angry response to a friend after she sent me a thoughtless email. Jumping off a stool while pregnant. Eating the whole weird shriveled-up black pepper in the take-out Chinese Magic 7 Vegetables dish. Pouring water on my husband's head even after knowing better (as articulated in rule 1). "But…" is the car alarm designed by the human mind to stop you at the point of stupidity. Ignore it at your peril."

If you want to look at the other eight, go here. Thanks also to Julia Bravo!

More Than Meets the Eye

2013-06-13T20:18:00.003-04:00

I just posted a book of mine for sale on Ebay called "Drag Diaries". It was actually published in 1995 and presents a fascinating look into how the culture around us has changed since then. If you would care to take a look simply go to the Ebay.Com site and my seller ID is CyHart2012.
This book of course is primarily what it says it is- drag and drag queen driven but a history section is included. Pictures and mentions of Native American "3rd gender" individuals are included among others.

I vividly remember when I found this book in an out of the way bookstore in Columbus way back then, my thoughts on the basic drag queen premise of all of this being an act to them. My problem I somehow knew none of this my so called transvestite activity was an act or an hobby as it was called.

It has only been recently I have been able to step back and take a look at the process and am reasonably sure most people around me view me as a real live transgender person. My hair stylist (the Magician) is a recent example. Both of the owners of the salon she works at and I go to are founding entertainers in a drag group called The Rubi Girls. On a recent visit she was chatting about how much work the entertainers put into a rare show. (They only perform an estimated 3 or 4 times a year for charity.)

I said I understood of course and mentioned the magic of stage makeup, padding and big hair on an audience. But both of us knew I was a different species and really have always been. I also talked of being able to do drag again on my terms.

Someone whom I will not quote directly said something to the effect we are all are born naked and any clothing we wear is drag. True but- the problem with with transgender or transsexual women or men, is we just don't deal with a gender mismatch on the outside. No amount of makeup, wigs or padding is going to make everything right.

The "Drag Dairies" book was fun as it took me back through my transition liberation process plus gave me a chance to thank the forces above I have made it this far!

Government Apology?

2013-06-13T14:51:00.001-04:00

In the United States a "government apology" is nearly as rare as a Polar Bear taking a stroll through my backyard in the middle of a hot Ohio summer.

Everyonce in a while though a surprising apology or two sneaks through in other countries- such as Malta which is located around the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Sicily and east of Tunis. Perhaps you remember Malta making news recently as Joanne Cassar (right) continued a fight which began in 2006 and continued five years to 2011. At that time Cassar sued Malta in the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled in 2011 that her fundamental rights to marriage and family life had been violated by Maltese law.

The apology came from
Partit Nazzjonalista deputy leader for Parliamentary Affairs Mario de Marco has said in a recent speech that the party has let the transgender community down by refusing to recognize our rights. In his own speech he said the previous PN government "might have let transgender persons down" Later he even went back and corrected the "might" word and deleted it.

No matter how seemingly tiny, in whatever country- stories such as this should give us all in the transgender community just a little more drive to push on. Plus the sacrifice of individuals such as Joanne Cassar to push on when she could have hid in the stealth closet which so many of us run to in fear is truly inspiring!

For more on this story, please go here
.