A photo of Autumn at the recent Congresssional hearing on “An Examination of Discrimination Against Transgender Americans in the Workplace”…

… which appeared on HRC Back Story blog (”A round-up of transgender reactions to the first congressional hearing on gender identity“) yesterday.

Autumn, at the the left in the picture, is seen chatting with HRC Business Council members Diego Sanchez and Meghan Stabler. Hearing witness Sabrina Marcus Taraboletti and NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling are in the background.

Egads.

My flight today to cover the U.S. House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions scheduled hearing on discrimination against transgender employees in the workplace was a no-go. And wow, what a craptacular story goes with that failure to take flight!

To begin with, I had two different itineraries from Travelocity for this trip. The first one had me leaving today — but apparently Travelocity changed my travel day, and sent a second itinerary I thought was a duplicate of the first one. So basically, I was actually scheduled to travel on the 25th (tomorrow) per the second itinerary, vice today as I thought.

Good thing too, as I lost my wallet this morning!

Here’s this story — I went to my local 7/11’s ATM this morning at a quarter of four to get some cash (again, thought I was flying today) for tips and such. Following that stop I drove directly to a long term airport parking lot in plenty of time to make it for the 6:30 AM flight. I got in the shuttle bus with my two pieces of luggage, and off the driver and I went to the appropriate terminal.

When I was checking my handbag for a tip for the shuttle driver, I found I had no wallet in my handbag — my wallet wasn’t on the floor of the shuttle either. We drove back to the lot: My wallet wasn’t in my car, and it wasn’t under my car. I started freaking out.

I took my luggage out of the shuttle, loaded the pieces back in my car, and then drove back to the 7/11. There I found out my wallet wasn’t at the 7/11 where the ATM was located either. Now I was really freaking out, and actually tearing.

At 7:00 AM, the manager was going to be in, and then could check the surveillance tapes to see if anyone grabbed my wallet — assuming I left it accidentally by the ATM. I left the clerk my cell phone number to call me with what they discovered when they reviewed the surveillance tapes.

So, I drove the block-and-a-half back to my apartment and called up Travelocity to explain my travel problem. After talking to them on the phone for a half-an-hour, I found out about that second itinerary — at least no $150.00 fee for changing my flight for a later flight.

I started destressing. I called up all of my credit card and banking card holders, and cancelled all my plastic. Then I crashed on my living room couch for three hours.

I checked my cell phone messages when I woke up. After a surveillance tape at the 7/11 clearly showed that I’d placed my wallet into my handbag after getting the cash, I got confused. So, I drove back to the parking lot, — my wallet wasn’t under the car in the space I’d parked in this morning, but it was well under the car that was parked next to where I’d parked in the long term lot that morning — it was far enough under that other car that I had to lay on the ground to reach my wallet.

* Whew. * The morning sucked sucktasticly, but it could have been much, much worse. The only lasting frustration is I’m traveling now without plastic. However, my credit union has branches in DC if I turn out not to have traveled with enough cash on hand — but it means I have to go to a branch in person during bank hours if I need to withdraw cash.

But hey! Tomorrow, my friends, is a brand new day! Tomorrow, I fly!

~~~~~
Related:
* Permanent Guest Barista Autumn On The Road This Week

I haven’t publicly talked about my weight loss much since I announced I was having gastric bypass surgery in mid-February. At some point I’ve needed to revisit the subject, if for no other reason that so many readers wished me so well in surgery. Frankly, I can’t tell you how much I appreciated the warm thoughts then — and still do appreciate those thoughts now.

But I’m reaching a couple of weight loss milestones, and one of these is related to the month of May, so I do need to revisit the surgery at this point.

So let’s begin with last May — 2007 — I weighed in at the Veterans Administration Primary Care Clinic at my peak weight: 296 pounds. To me, it was retching that I saw myself only four pounds away from crossing the 300 pound mark — a mark I never ended up crossing.

Today, my digital bathroom scale had me at 196 pounds. Granted, that was a clothes-less weigh in, and my May 2007 weigh in was one where I was fully clothed, but let’s say in a close enough for government work kind of way that I’m 100 pounds lighter than I was this time last year. And, of the 100 pounds lost, 40 of the pounds were lost before the surgery, and 60 have been lost since surgery day.

Beyond that, 197 pounds was my previous low weight since transitioning to Autumn in February of 2003 (I reached that low weight late in 2003). I’m in new territory — I’m actually not sure what my dress size will be when I (hopefully) stabilize somewhere around 165 pounds.

By the way, I’m 5′10″, and really am “big boned.” At some point relatively soon I’ll reach a point where, because of my breadth of my rib cage, further weight loss won’t impact the my under-bust measurement; I guarantee you that it will be a quite a ways from the Hollywood standard of “Size 0″ (which we all know is an “important” standard here in Southern California!).

Where does this leave me? Well, for me the most important reason for having the gastric bypass was for my health, but in taking my daily walks I’m finding I’m getting stared at. Being transgender, my first internal reaction always seems to be “I’m being read as trans,” but apparently what’s actually happening is when people comment to me at what they’re looking at, they’re focusing on features they find attractive. Mostly, I’ve received a number of comments from women positively commenting on my curly hair, and about as many from men commenting about my legs. No one was commenting when I was significantly heavier.

It’s unnerving. I’m middle-aged, and in my mind I’m supposed to be past the point where anyone looks at me as anything but an aging boomer. Besides, I play a mean game of Scrabble — aren’t I supposed to be appreciated for my mind?

So, not wanting to make my weight loss a regular topic of Blend conversation, as PHB is more about public issues than personal issues, this may be the last time I bring up the weight loss or my gastric bypass as the subject of an entire diary. I just wanted to let everyone know that the surgery has been doing its job as planned, my recovery has been without any physical complications whatsoever, and I’m thankful for everything about the surgery — including the warm thoughts from folks here at PHB.

~~~~~
Related:
* Surgery Set For February
* Under The (Hopefully) Tiny Knife Tuesday
* I’m Back! Well, Sort Of.
* Video: Autumn In The VA Hospital, Post Gastric Bypass
* Video: Autumn Gets A Stuffed Toy In The Hospital

Well, it’s a coffee story with San Diego conservative Christian batsh*ttery in it — NOT involving San Diego’s usual source of coffee-related conservative Christian batsh*ttery — how do we not mention this story?

San Diego’s own The Resistance — not to be confused with MassResistance — has a character in the organization’s lead that’s balking at the new Starbucks logo. From Mark Dice, in The Resistance’s press release:

(San Diego, CA) Starbucks has recently introduced a new version of their logo which features a topless mermaid with her legs spread, which has caused outrage from a nation wide Christian media watchdog organization. The Resistance, with has over 3000 members nationwide, is boycotting Starbucks across the country saying their new logo is inappropriate.

“The Starbucks logo has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute,” explains Mark Dice, founder of the group. “Need I say more? It’s extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves…

[The actual word Mike Dice/The Resistance uses without any asterisks — probably not a workplace friendly word.]

Read the rest of this entry »

Many of you know about San Diego’s Third District City Council race because James Hartline is running for the seat. It’s obvious that I wouldn’t vote for Mr. Hartline, but it hasn’t been obvious who I’m for in the race.

So, who I’m for is Stephen Whitburn.

I became aware of Mr. Whitburn a long time ago specifically because of his support of transgender civil rights issues. Mr. Whitburn, as a member of the San Diego Democratic Club, was there supporting the adding of gender identity protections to San Diego’s Human Dignity Ordinance in 2003.

Since the passage of the HDO amendment, I’m aware he’s attended every major transgender event members have put on at The Center. Let me tell you, it’s not because my community has a lot of resources to dole out to his campaign, or have a large population of volunteers that will rush to his electoral assistance, but just because he genuinely embraces civil rights and human equality as values.

His stands on issues — and his priorities related to those issues — pretty much matches my own. Top among his and my concerns are open government — in line with the spirit of California’s Brown Act — and honest budgeting:

Excerpt:

…My name is Stephen Whitburn. I live in North Park, in council district three, and participate in several community groups.

I’m here to ask you to vote in favor of this item.

We — the citizens — have a right to know about plans to change the city services we receive. We also have a right to participate in the decision-making process.

The right to know is at the core of our state’s Brown Act. It requires that deliberations and actions be conducted openly.

Our city is in financial trouble partly because of discussions and decisions that we – the citizens – weren’t aware of. Now, more than ever, our city leaders should embrace our right to know what’s going on…

He’s also taken a pretty stong stand for marriage equality:

His commitment to equality in general, and marriage equality in specific, isn’t just mere words. He and I both worked on the same shift a few Saturdays ago in the Decline To Sign campaign, which was an attempt to keep the marriage initiative off California’s November ballot.

Well, I’ve even donated money to Stephen Whitburn’s campaign too — I’d only donated to the campaigns of transgender candidates prior to Mr. Whitburn’s run for City Council. And, now that I’m pretty much recovered from my gastric bypass, I’m sure I’ll be volunteering some time to his campaign as well.

Thanks Stephen, for giving me a candidate besides James Hartline to focus on in San Diego’s 3rd City Council District.

Hills in the hometown, a Guy on dresses and … whatever …

We have hills in Asheville.

I was out running today. Most days I run. I’m no spring chicken anymore though. Weather’s getting warmer, I got out later in the day today, pushed the mileage. The motor’s still working. I’m not complaining. But …

We have Hills in Asheville …

I have enough years on the odometer that, as I commented here not long ago, I’m not particularly keen on any of the Presidential candidates remaining in this contest. But, Hills was here the other day, wooing and maybe wowing some folks in what has been a generally conservative CD (and first-term Democrat, Rep. Heath Shuler is a Republican in Dem drag, for what it’s worth) …

Sen. Hillary Clinton told a raucous and inspired Asheville crowd Thursday that as commander in chief she would end the war in Iraq while enacting universal health care and reviving a faltering economy.

This is not a comment about isolationism, global disengagement or any of that serious stuff, but, apropos of the setting (Thomas Wolfe Auditorium), America needs an Angel (whatever gender) to Look Homeward now.

Not leaving Hillary entirely behind as you’ll see, but off to the subject of fashion (There used to be, some years back, by the way, a group of local women from Asheville performing musically as “Crimes of Fashion.”) … where I’ll leave it to you, dear readers, to make your own political and fashion sense out of this …

Borrowing from the male wardrobe is hardly new …

the prevalence of mannish jackets represents a real shift from the girly dresses dominating runways in recent seasons - and may be a sartorial signal of something more. Judging from fashion history, masculine styles often signal a moment when women are looking for clothes that assert authority.

Designer Peter Som says he was thinking of Hillary Clinton …

The ‘boyfriend jacket’ comes on strong

… and …

Just look, Hil. All those pants.

It’s not exactly a state secret — the U.S. senator and presidential hopeful is pro-trouser. And why not? She looks good in them. (Better than those drab dresses …

Who’s wearing the pants here?

… and from a Guy’s perspective …

“The eye is looking for something new, and so is the psyche,” Anne Slowey, the fashion news director of Elle magazine, said last week from the set of “Fashionista,” a new fashion reality show in which she will play herself, a fashion editor, only meaner. “The dress has been done to death,” Ms. Slowey added, “not to sound really cliché.”

…

This prediction will come as a surprise, perhaps, to retail analysts like the folks at NPD Group, who not long ago termed 2007 the year of the dress, pointing to sales of more than $5 billion in the 12 months that ended last April, and a rate of growth in dress sales fully 30 percent higher than the year before.

“The first hint of chill in the air, and the full-legged, pleated high- and low-waisted legions will be out in the urban jungle,” said Ms. Slowey, already so adapted to her new television role that she speaks in thought bubbles. The expiration date for the dress, she claimed, “is end of August.”

This prediction will come as a surprise, perhaps, to retail analysts like the folks at NPD Group, who not long ago termed 2007 the year of the dress, pointing to sales of more than $5 billion in the 12 months that ended last April, and a rate of growth in dress sales fully 30 percent higher than the year before.

It may also come as unwelcome news to the female members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose wildly anachronistic Laura Ingalls Wilder frocks, Skechers and wave-pool hairdos have become as much an obsession in certain Manhattan circles as their polygamist habits and 416 children.

It is also, for what it’s worth, unwelcome news to me.

That is because, unlike Ms. Slowey, I am not eager for women to become “a little more hard-core, a little more androgynous, a little more butch.” Yes, gender play is fun, and trousers are a useful wardrobe default for the woman in business. But unless you are Thomas McGuane and find nothing sexier than a woman with crow’s feet, tight Wranglers and suede chaps, you will have to concede that, for flattering a woman’s body, nothing is quite like a dress.

Irwin Shaw covered all this is in his classic story “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses,” the tale that secured him a permanent place in anthologies if not exactly a perch on literary Olympus. And for all the creakiness of this warhorse about the fragile dynamics of love and desire, there remains in Shaw’s descriptions of the women on the streets of Manhattan, in their ripe young multitudes, something unexpectedly fresh and also recognizable.

Shaw wrote the story decades ago, in the era that directly preceded the feminist one that first killed off the dress, a time when women wore them all the time and not with irony …

Long Live the Dress (for Now)

… and then this comment on Guy’s piece …

Might as well throw some heterosexism in there too. And women wearing pants is “gender play”? I didn’t realize trousers were still a “man’s” piece of clothing.

…

The sad thing about this piece is that it won’t do anything but discourage women from wearing dresses this summer, despite some women’s love to wear them. (Ahem.) I guess they didn’t get the message that women wear their clothes for comfort and fashion, not someone else’s fancy.

NYT makes me never want to wear a dress again

(Before Vanessa’s time this. And though we probably should Goethe off this subject, there’s more … )

… and …

In today’s “Styles” section, Guy Trebay devotes a whole article to proving why Elle’s fashion-news director, Anne Slowey, could be wrong about the dress going out of style come September. Wishful thinking, he says, gathering quotes from trend forecasters, the fashion director of Barneys, and random dress-clad women on the street to make his case for the dress. And we must say he did so as compellingly as one can when covering such a topic, though it was kind of unfair he didn’t quote anyone who agreed with Slowey. Anyway, it felt like the perfect opportunity for the Cut’s first-ever point-counterpoint debate!

…

Is Anne Slowey Right About the Fate of Dresses?

And, not to neglect the guys, there’s this …

A few weeks ago, we told you about “Booty Pop Panties,” the padded underwear that makes your ass look bigger. Well, Kelly Ripa went nuts over them on Live With Regis and Kelly the other day so, not to be out-assed, Regis found a version of the undergarment for men called “Bottoms Up” and bandied them about on air today. Unlike the Booty Pop Panties, these appear to come with a padded back and a padded front. Here’s a product description:

• A defining centre back seam separates our butt pads creating an anatomically correct bottom for a more natural look.
• Our contoured front pouch, allows for comfort, style and support from the double layer of fabric…
• For first time optimum effect we suggest you put your jeans or pants on BEFORE you look in the mirror.
• The weight and fit of your pants compresses the pads — the most natural look is achieved with you pants on.

You can even purchase extra pads in “Quarterback,” “Halfback,” and “Fullback” sizes. Is this supposed to appeal to women? Because we think a nice cologne is a better route than sub-pant bulges.

Men Can Pad Their Nether Regions, Too

Moving on … from the Washington Blade today …

Equality Maryland is intensifying its efforts to protect a transgender rights law that may be in jeopardy.

Dan Furmansky, the organization’s executive director, said a review of signatures collected to overturn the Montgomery County law has been hastened so it can be completed by month’s end.

…

Legal battle over trans law intensifies in Montgomery Co.

… and, finally, from the Southern Voice …

On Friday, students at 6,000 schools around the country, including 130 here in Georgia, took part in the National Day of Silence — keeping quiet for all or part of the school day to protest the silence forced on gay people every day. One of those schools was my alma mater, Columbus High School.

Not too long ago, whenever someone asked me where my hometown of Columbus, Ga., is located, I would answer that it is “about 100 miles and 100 years south of Atlanta.”

It’s exciting to know that through the efforts of brave young people like those who joined in the Day of Silence, even towns like Columbus are changing for the better. And it’s amazing to think that some of the Columbus High students participating in the protest today were not even born in 1991, the year I graduated.

…

Would you have joined the Day of Silence?

Well, the last show of LA Ink’s season is apparently on Thursday night, and I can’t get a hold of the show to verify whether I’m in tomorrow night’s episode or not. I haven’t been on as yet, so I may be on this Thursday night’s show…who knows.

So, the episode where I get my tattoo may be on this Thursday night’s show — or maybe not. I know I’ll be watching to see.

~~~~~
Related:

* An LA Ink Tattoo For Blender Autumn?
* Dates Are Set, So Full Speed Ahead
* My Freya Tattoo Has Been Inked, Filmed

Steve Weinstein reviewed this biography by Richard Docter (who also wrote one on Virginia Prince, and who was mentioned by Zagria today in reference to Vern Bullough’s preface to that book) yesterday in EDGE Boston.

In 1952, the front page of the Daily News blazed with a headline that “Ex-G.I. Becomes Blonde Beauty.” With that, George Jorgensen, a quiet, shy young man from the Bronx, burst into the public eye like a blazing comet.

Over 50 years later, it’s impossible to imagine the impact that Christine Jorgensen had on the United States, indeed on the whole world. She wasn’t the world’s first male-to-female transsexual, but, in one of those perfect historical storms, she became a touchstone for every compass point on the 1950s roadmap: the changing nature of human identity; science as a determinant of identity; the encroachment of medicine on human behavior.

At least as important, she came along just as Dr. Alfred Kinsey was publishing his explosive results of his extensive studies into human sexuality. Sex roles, he found, were a good deal more fluid than Ozzie and Harriett or Donna Reed on the tube could ever envision. And then there was the power of the media, which had always been great, but with TV adding to radio, newspapers and film reels, was reaching into every aspect of Americans’ lives.

…

Becoming a Woman: The Christine Jorgensen Story

I got my start in life right around the time that Christine began her new life, and, like her, grew up in the Bronx (watching O&H and Donna Reed on the B&W TV) and later lived quite near her old neighborhood in Throgs Neck (when the bridge toll was not $4.50, but $.25, and, how time flies, everything was groovy).

What’s just utterly amazing to me is Christine’s focus and determination …

George was, however, unhappy and restless as a man. What makes his so extraordinary is that he set about trying to figure it out. He relentlessly pursued any kind of expert of whom he had heard a whisper. He tracked down every available book on the subject. There wasn’t much there, but if there was anything at all, he discovered it.

He finally trekked to Denmark, where he went from George to Christine, thanks to the good offices of a research doctor, who cheerfully admitted that he took Jorgensen on as a patient for his value as an investigatory subject. But the doctor wasn’t some mad scientist. He was caring and kind, as was his family.

Jorgensen spent a long time in Denmark. He had apparently tried to keep his new identity under wraps, but, in a process that is still the subject of dispute, the press somehow got wind of his transformation.

There’s absolutely no comparing now (the information, resources, etc.) to what I found then (despite a — “we’re not in Kansas … ” backgound — going to college, socializing and working in “The Village” in the Stonewall Era), nevermind to what Christine had back when.

I just got home from the VA Hospital today, after my gastric bypass. I’m still recovering, but I’ve healed up well so far. Basically, what it means is I feel a tired (and gassy from the laproscopic surgery), but it’s an “I’m feeling better by the day” kind of tired.

I noticed many of you have signed a group card, and I’m really, really touched. And, although I haven’t read all the entries as yet, my eyes welled just reading the little I did. Thank you all for your kind, warm thoughts.

Anywho, I’ll start posting more as I recover more. I see that while I was in the hospital, a ten year old transkid died from suicide, and The Peter LaBarbera slammed on transkids and parents of transgender kids. * sigh * There’s always something to post about.

I’ve been reporting for a few months on the Democratic presidential candidates LGBT statements and positions — and especially relating to transgender inclusion in civil rights legislation like ENDA.

There are clear statements now on the record for Senators Clinton and Obama on gender identity inclusive ENDA and hate crime legislation, written under their own bylines:

Sen. Barack Obama:

I will also place the weight of my administration behind the enactment of the Matthew Shepard Act to outlaw hate crimes and a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act to outlaw workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sen. Hillary Clinton:

We’re going to expand our federal hate crimes legislation and pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and assure that they are both fully inclusive of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

My transgender peers, my transgender allies, and I are putting the candidates on notice: Lip service to transgender inclusion in ENDA and hate crimes legislation will not be sufficient past January 20th of 2009. It will not acceptable to just sign any ENDA that passes their desks. I expect whichever of these two becomes president to put the full weight of the Oval Office — including the pressuring reluctant Congresspeople — to pass a fully inclusive ENDA.

My peers, my allies, and I will accept no less from them than a vigorous push by them for fully inclusive, LGBT equality under the law. We will not accept the excuse “I’m signing the non-inclusive ENDA bill because that’s what Congress sent to my desk to sign.”

No lip service. No weaseling out of his or her statement once he or she takes office. In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., we demand equality under the law:

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.

If no where else but here at PHB and Stephanie Stevens’ and my pee-wee blog The View From (Ab)Normal Heights, I will personnaly hold our current candidates accountable for ensuring gender identity or expression is in all federal LGBT civil rights and hate crime legislation. Nothing less than a Democratic President’s signature on fully inclusive versions of ENDA and hate crimes legislation will be acceptable.

~~~~~
Related:
* Q Of The Day - What’s Your “Deal Breaker” Issue?
* Do They Mean What They Say? Do They Say What They Mean?
* With Regards To LGBT’s T, Trying To Define “Change” This Election Year
* Donna Rose Comments On The LGBT Americans For Hillary Steering Committee
* Sen. Clinton Today Wrote The Words “Fully Inclusive” With Regards To ENDA

I wrote this post to educate LGB people about transgender people going into surgery over at PHB, but am crossposting here to a more transgender audience as I wrote it for the broader LGBT community.
~~Autumn~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday is the day I go in for my gastric bypass surgery. I needed to be at or below 262 pounds to be eligible for the surgery (that’s an arbitrary weight set by my surgeon, based on me losing ten pounds between my last appointment and the surgery date). On my friend’s electronic scale yesterday, I weighed 260 pounds. I’m guessing by the way I feel and the way I look, and my continued liquid diet and continued rigorous exercise plan, I’ll be adequately below the 262 pound mark.

The reason one has to lose 10 pounds right before surgery has to do with shrinking the liver. The plan is to do this surgery laparoscopicly, so a shrunken liver facilitates easier access to the stomach and intestines. There is a chance I may need to be opened up fully for the bypass, but it’s not the norm.

The gravity of this surgery is really hitting me. This past two weeks while I’ve been on a full liquid diet, I’ve been craving KFC and In and Out Double-Doubles (double cheeseburgers), the reality is that these foods won’t be part of my diet for a long time to come, and even then only in very infrequent doses — my reduced stomach and my long term health plans aren’t going to stomach junk food. My life is forever changing, pretty much as my life changed when I began transitioning to Autumn on February 6, 2003.

These days, I don’t usually talk about the shape of my genitalia or about my secondary sex characteristics because, frankly, my gender isn’t determined by these. I know I’m female just because I just know — as actually how most people know what their gender is. But, per my birth state’s laws, my legal sex is determined pretty much by the shape of my genitalia. There are some commenters here at PHB, as well as a lot of the religious right community, that are genitalia essentialists — they see me as a man because of the current shape of my genitalia (in the case of commenters here at PHB) now, or see me always as a man because of the shape of my genitalia at birth/because they believe my genetics will indicate I’m male.

[More about going into surgery as a pre-operative transsexual after the fold]

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a disabled, Persian Gulf War Veteran, with a Veterans Administration disability rating of 100%. My disabilities are service connected. I served 20-years in the U.S. Navy, from 1980-2000, and received an honorable discharge.

I’m also transgender.

I’m on the planning committee for the California’s Third Annual Transgender Leadership Conference, that this year will be at University Of California At Berkley. I was on the committee that worked to get our keynote speakers for the conference, who include Donna Rose, Jamison Greene, and Shannon Garcia of TransYouth Family Advocates.

Watch the video below, and you’ll understand why I’m so very, very offended by the comments of Laura Ingram of Fox News.

To Laura Ingram I say:

Did I not serve in the military for 20-years? Would you not shake my hand and thank me for my 20-years of service to yours and my country? Would you welcome me as a veteran in your home town, even if I came as the transgender veteran I am to your town?

Frankly Laura Ingram, do you really believe that transgender Americans — especially transgender veterans — don’t love their country as much or more than you?

Laura Ingram owes transgender people in general an apology for her implied presumption that we hate the military, and we hate our country. And, transgender veterans in specific a public apology for assuming we would never serve our country — I know I’m not the only transgender veteran who would want to meet Laura Ingram in person and ask her if our past service in the U.S. Military services is less valuable now because we are out as transgender vets.

And Laura, you owe me, a disabled, transgender veteran who is on the planning committee for that transgender conference in Berkley, a personal apology for implying in your interview that I’m not patriotic. I served for 20-years in the U.S. Navy — Exactly how many years of military service did you put in, Laura?

I know this — I wouldn’t welcome Laura Ingram to my hometown of San Diego. It’s because I find her bigoted and incredibly small-minded.

I have me some tickets to see Kelly of YouTube fame on March 22nd. I am sooooo excited about this!

Well, time to dig out the lighter side of life for weekend discussion around the coffee house’s couches. If you’re ordering coffee for me at the counter, I’d love a hammerhead.

Last Monday (January 21, 2008), Hannah inked my tattoo. It’s big (taking up the right side quarter of my back), it’s incredibly colorful and beautiful. To me, it speaks to powerful womanhood, being a parent, and my personal history. I want to show Freya off like crazy because she’s just incredible.

But, because had the tattoo of Freya inked on camera for the show LA Ink, I can’t show y’all what it looks like until after my episode airs on The Learning Channel (TLC). * sigh * If I could of had this beautiful body art done by Hannah without going on TV, I probably would have — then I’d get to show it to you now. My friends who have seen the tattoo have used the terms “Awesome” and “BadAss” to describe it — to say I’m very, very pleased with the final result is a huge understatement.

While on camera, I plugged transgender people, transgender civil rights, LGBT civil rights, gender identity, and Pam’s House Blend when I was getting inked. How much of what I talked about on camera ends up on the cutting room floor is another thing altogether — but hey, I tried to be the activist.

For the rest of my life, I see this tattoo of Freya as not only a beautiful piece of body artwork that documents some important aspects of my life, but also as a tool to talk to folk about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights issues.

As soon as I have info on the episode air date, I’ll send it out to y’all — and after the episode airs, I’ll post a picture of the tattoo on (Ab)Normal Heights.

~~~~~
Related:
* Dates Are Set, So Full Speed Ahead
* An LA Ink Tattoo For Blender Autumn?

Well, as I mentioned last week, my gastric bypass surgery date is set. Now, so is my tattoo’s inking date. The L.A. Ink casting director called me early this past week and gave me a date of January 24th. Then, she called me again on Thursday, and we rescheduled the tattoo for the 21st of January — something about a “scheduling conflict” on their end. So, that means my inking date is only eight days away!

The casting director confirmed that my tattoo artist will be Hannah Aitchison, who was my first choice.

I laid down a few ground rules for my participation on the show. Among them: I specifically said that there will be n discussion my surgical status on air (as in no discussion about the current shape of my genitalia), no one is going to ask on air what my former male name was, and when they refer to me in their edited footage for the show, there will be no male pronouns used to describe me. There were a couple of other rules I mentioned that I forget at the moment, but basically they agreed to my ground rules. We all understand that part of what makes my narrative compelling for the show is that I identify as female, transgender, and transsexual, that I’m open to discussing most of my life’s history in front of the camera.

Some interesting things about my appearance on the show that they emailed in the FAQ email:

Here is a list of wardrobe requirements:

_NO Logos
_NO white, black or striped shirts
_Please dress according to where you will be getting inked.
­_NO Logos
_ Sunglasses cannot be worn in the shop.
_NO Logos
_Please bring a zip up hoodie or a sweater. We may ask you to put it on during your interview.
_You cannot wear a hat.
_NO Logos
-Please bring an extra shirt or outfit. We may need you to change your shirt.

Remember you are going to be on TV. Please look presentable.

And…

When will my episode air?

Which episode you will air in is undetermined as of right now. If you’re tattoo is chosen to air, our post department will call you and let you know.

And…

Do I need to bring my own lunch?

The production will be keeping you busy all day, therefore you will be not be able to leave and get your own lunch. We will provide lunch for you. If you are asked to bring someone, they will not be provided lunch. Your friend will be able to come and go freely; therefore they will be able to get their own lunch. There is a variety of eating locations walking distance from the shop.

So do you think I it would be okay if I wore a shirt with a logo on it? And, for someone who’s going in for gastric bypass surgery in mid-February, lunch would be a pretty important consideration! Heck, I’ll be starting a full liquid diet on the 23rd of January in preparation for surgery in February, so lunch better be excellent!

Seriously, I guess it’s an understatement to say I’m excited about this tattoo. It’s both my first and likely my last tattoo — I don’t think I could dream up another tattoo that would have as much meaning to me as I’ve packed into this one.

I’ll be sure to get a photo taken of the tattoo after I get it, so y’all can see the final product. And of course, after I get the call telling me when my episode will air, I’ll be sure to let y’all know when that is.