:)

Still around

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still around! It's been a hectic, crazy year so far, but I am hoping that things can get back to normal soon.

Tips for being a transgender ally

Found an interesting article on InfoBarrel giving tips on how to be an ally for transgender people. There are some excellent tips in this article. One of the ones that I would share with my non-transgender is:

Defend them: If you are witnessing discrimination or harassment in the form of transphobia then speak up; don’t just stand there and let it happen. The more people ignore the issue, the more people are going to think that harassing transgender people is an acceptable behavior and therefore keep doing it!

Related articles

• Teen accused of threatening to shoot East Millinocket transgender student
• We don't buy transphobia
• From school to society, the intolerance transgender people face | Jill Filipovic

The right to be who I want to be...

I have talked quite a few times about already about getting dressed and leaving the house.  It is something that I've wanted to do many times. I jump started myself earlier this year. I got myself dressed up - in what I think isn't a bad way - and made an excursion to my third place, the Gender Identity Center here in Denver. This is where the monthly cross-dressers meetings are held. I've been enough times that I feel very comfortable there. Comfortable enough that I've gone there dressed outside normal meeting times on a number of different occasions.

This pic shows the first time that I went to the GIC during a "normal" day. I know you can't really tell because of the pixelization, but I have a great big smile on my face! Being out, in the middle of the day, going about my business like there was nothing different from me than anyone else. Do you wanna talk about a sense of freedom? A sense of belonging? A sense that whatever others might believe, I have the right to be me!!! It was fantastic, absolutely incredible. Might even say life-changing.

Related articles

• Thursday April 11 Discussion - GLBT labels
• 10 Historical Cross-Dressers
• Transcendent Transexuality
• Gender identity laws vs. religious freedom

Out of my comfort zone, into the wilderness

Enjoying a bright, sunny day here in Denver. This was my first time out of the house and the safety of the local gender identity center.

Another post about going out dressed

Cross dresser going for a coffee run by David Shankbone (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In a previous post, I linked an article giving suggestions for a cross-dresser to go out while dressed. I found another article over basically that same thing. This was also posted in 2009, which makes me think that is when I should've started going out myself. :)

Anyway, the article is from Crossdresser Heaven. Vanessa describes her first experience going out while dressed. It's quite funny. And it has police officers in it!

As it turns out, the police officer wasn’t outside my apartment waiting for crossdressers and he didn’t pay me much mind. I got into my car without any problems, and was off to my first Tri-Ess meeting.

Over exaggerated fear of what will likely never happen. That’s what I experienced the first time I went out crossdressed, and I have a hunch that I’m not alone.

Read the full story here.

One of these days, I'll post some of my excursion stories.  They range from pathetic (running out in the rain in a sports bra, shorts and pantyhose) to the awesome (taking nature pictures on a walking trail).

Related articles

• Benefits of getting out
• Another Cross-dressing meeting (June 4, 2012)
• September 8, 1999

Benefits of getting out

Not me! [grin] (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Found an older post on +Jessica Who? titled 15 Steps To Better Crossdressing. One of the tips was about going outside, getting out of the house for closed cross-dressers. This hit pretty close to home since I've only been out and about a couple times in the last few years. All of those times were recently, so it's a topic that is close to mind.

For those who can step out, it is a liberating experience often difficult to put into words. There are many obstacles that we face along the way and just being ourselves out in the world can help us overcome a lot of negative issues.

I've gotta tell you, Jessica hits right on the nose with that one. Having to stay closeted adds into that feeling of being an outsider, being abnormal. My subconscious tells me "you have to stay inside because you are a freak, and can't be seen by anyone else!!!" (Yes, I tend to have a bit of a self-degrading side.)

Being out there, though. It's liberating, but not just in a "I don't have to hide away in my cave" way. The stronger part of being liberated, though, is it allows one to shed some of that "I am a freak and have to be invisible" feeling. When one is out - even if it is only for a drive, going to a park, going through a Starbucks drive-through - one feels normal. One feels like they are not isolated, not an outcast.

For anyone who hasn't, try to find a safe place, or a safe time, and go for a drive dressed! Just that little bit of freedom can make you feel incredible!

- N