any takers?

apparently, deacon keith a fournier thinks me and my ilk are bullies simply for the want of moving through the world without harassment. i suppose he’d rather retain the right to shoot us on sight. perhaps that’s his idea of god’s plan.

in yet another example of insight and articulation, little light treats us to her musings on voices. this strikes a chord very close to home for me, having once considered myself a musician, singer, and songwriter (i now consider myself merely an instrument owner). i can’t count the hours i’ve spent playing music and singing, both by myself and in front of an audience, and even getting paid for it at times.

i pretty much stopped making music after i got married for the first time, back in 1986. when i moved into her apartment, there was no room for the hordes of equipment, and after my son was born, most of it had been sold off or disposed of. i felt that i had lost the compulsion to make music during those times. and i can remember after several years, feeling that something had been broken inside of me.

these days, i can play the guitar for about 90 seconds, and then the imprint of the strings on my fingertips become so deep, that i can no longer effectively hold the strings down against the frets. and the pain becomes too great.

and then, as little light so poignantly pronounces, there’s my singing voice. when i was a child, i was a true tenor. i have a distinct memory of second grade, when each member of the class got to go to the front of the class to sing their favorite song from oliver (the link goes to the specific album - vinyl in those days - we sang to). my favorite was “where is love”, and our teacher pointed out how much my singing voice was like that of keith hamshere. i believe that moment is one of my fondest memories.

of course, puberty changed all that as my voice settled into an upper baritone.

transition, especially for many older m2f’s, poses an especially difficult challenge when it comes to one’s voice. at first, i developed a breathy, higher pitched version of myself, which was moderately passible as a woman’s voice. working quite a bit on the phone in my job, helped me to refine it. but in the past few years, i grew tired of the effort, and for the most part, i simply used the voice that the goddess gave me. and virtually everyone i encounter in daily life doesn’t give it a second thought. over the phone, i get clocked maybe 50% of the time. though when i had a co-worker sitting with me doing call-listening, she commented on how much like a woman i sound on the phone, and wondered why half the people i spoke to thought i was a man.

i never sing though, at least where others can hear me. except for my husband. i can pull off a rather competent singing voice on specific tunes, but again, i just don’t feel like i want to put in the effort.

if you’re interested in hearing what my singing voice sounds like (or at least, what it sounded like in 1980 or there abouts), click here, here, here, or here.

according to glaad, not too many people, at least last year.

haters last year include celebrities, corporations, newspapers, and government officials including isaiah washington, snickers®, tim hardaway, ann coulter, general peter pace, bill o’reilly, rush limbaugh, and the new york post.

this year is starting off on the wrong foot as well - it seems seton medical center is refusing to perform breast augmentation on a trans woman simply because she’s trans. apparently, enlarging breasts on non-trans women is ok, as that is a “medically necessary service” which isn’t “contrary to catholic teaching”. or something.

thanks to sara for the link to susan stanton’s apology in which she states:

Contrary to the St. Petersburg Times article, I do not see members of the transgender community as “men wearing dresses.” However, I do feel there is a fundamental misunderstanding by the general public that being transgender is simply a matter of men wanting to “dress up as women.” Most people do not understand the medical nature of being a transgender and therefore cannot understand the need or justification for non-discrimination protection in employment and housing. During the extensive discussions associated with my termination, many reasonable people felt it was irresponsible conduct for a government official to be “dressing up in women’s clothes” let alone expect to someday “come to work in drag.” In my extensive discussion with the national media, transgender people are still perceived to be living unhealthy lifestyles inconsistent with family values. It is my belief that until the general public is properly educated on the diversity of gender identification and expression, attempts at passing comprehensive federal legislation prohibiting discrimination will not have the necessary support in Congress.

so let me get this straight. because most people don’t understand trans people, they have a congressional right to discriminate against those who they judge to be living an “unhealthy lifestyles inconsistent with family values”.

ok, so when i see a parent ridiculing their child because the child behaved in a non-gender conforming way, which i perceive to be an “unhealthy lifestyles inconsistent with family values”, i can fire them from their job, deny them housing, prevent them from using a public bathroom, and withhold medical care.

perhaps i’m a bit queer (pun intended), but i don’t see susan stanton as a person i’d want running any city i am living in. or even living near. since phoenix is next to tempe, a town that didn’t hire ms. stanton, i’m rather happy that tempe made the right choice.

Unfortunately, anyone reading this article would think I am a conceited, arrogant, depressed, suicidal victim in need of immediate medical intervention.

um, no, i don’t think you are in need of immediate medical intervention, susan. i do think, however, that perhaps largo made the right choice too.

…Susan has said all along that she’s not like other transgender people. She feels uncomfortable even looking at some, “like I’m seeing a bunch of men in dresses.”

Eventually, she decided it was too early for transgender people to be federally protected. People need more time, more education, she says. “The transgender groups boo me, now, when I speak. Isn’t that ironic?“

But I don’t blame the human rights groups from separating the transgender people from the protected groups. Most Americans aren’t ready for us yet,” Susan says. Transgender people need to be able to prove they’re still viable workers — especially in the mainstream.

the best is this comment from miss understood:

Wow, what an idiot. I hope Susan gets hauled out a womens room when she’s really gotta go and ahe hershey squirts in her granny panties.

umm, boo.

h/t autumn

the advocate turns 40, and highlights 40 years of gay history.