Q-Tips for Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, not a present was bought
So what  can we do, the two trannies now thought
No stores will be open at this hour so late
Sad faces tomorrow is surly our fate

We could cook them some goodies but the pantry is bare
Yet we have to do something to show that we care
What do we have that will give them a smile
Something with class, something with style

The trannies thought hard and equally long
Thought "Give them some cash, would that be so wrong?"
 'Cause we don't know what color, and much less the size
Their favorite trends or what they may prize

A present of money can seem sort of brute
But folding the cash can make it look cute
Some one dollar bills to put smiles on their lips
They'll be smiling again when they leave them as tips

We've been leaving these tiny T shirts as tips for drinks or as part of a tip in restaurants for years. People love 'em. Wait staff and bartenders always remember us and greet us with grinning grills. They coo over our cute cash and must brag to their co-workers because they all come out of the kitchen to get a look at us. I know they really love us because once, a waitress took pictures of us! We inquired about the camera and she said she was just taking a picture of the plant hanging from the wall behind us. The exact same fake plant hung on the wall behind each table, most of which were unoccupied. We don't buy the story because we can't believe she would think we were that stupid! We know she wanted our picture because she loves our cute tips.


Here are some instructions for the T shirt, the bowtie and the heart.
Happy Holidays!

Tweets: Twits and Treasures

Tweet of the Day 08-22-10

Twit ~
sabeale
Just got hair advice and the phone number to a salon from a transgendered 'person' while volunteering. Oh Richmond...
(This one gets "Twit" because of the quotations around person.)

Treasure ~
schtimpy27
The DSM still classifies transgender a mental illness. Why is it so hard to understand that there is a spectrum of "gender"?


Tweet of the Day 08-23-10

Twit ~
PrettyAsUsual26  
why do we accept transgender people? they should be treated like they have a mental illness, and be put away that shit isnt normal!

Treasure ~
JaaLouisePepper  
Watching the transgender programme, and I've learned so much, totally accept it!

Funniest ~
mixenfrixen  
Moments of extreme awkwardness: When a student says "Yes sir" to your transgender professor, who snaps around and says, "Ma'am, it is!" 

Notable ~
amythebirdy  
my school of nursing background check asks for gender: male, female, transgender

Best Grammar ~
aruumy
kalo lady hee cowo xp RT @sofizu: Huuuh lady gaga,woman or man?or transgender?its big question in my life [Like it? http://bit.ly/9rQFSE ]

Tweets: Twits and Treasures

For several months, I've been watching the tweets regarding trans people. Today, August 20, 2010, I decided to record the best and worst of them here.


Tweet of the Day 08-20-10

Twit ~
"Why should transgendered people deserve healthcare?"
Posted by Donginger

Treasure ~
"So someone I know made some really insensitive remarks about transgendered folks. I kindly put her in check. I'm really disturbed. TGIF."
Posted by lilnerdette


Tweet of the Day 08-21-10

Twit ~
HOLY SHIT! I just saw a transgender man. Im sorry but it had to be one of the creepiest things Ive ever seen. EVER.
Posted by TheMrsJBieber

Treasure ~
Fhaid @AbrarAlbahar thanks for the clarification, I thought she was a transgender, which is way much cooler!

Funniest ~ 
iceCREAMYbish 
mii motha is in her lookin on youtube at a [transgender tucking tutorial] o.0 am i thee only one dat findd dat nasty???
 
Notable ~
LilKThomas 
This dude goin to say he saw a transexual for the first time lastnite. Do he live in a box or somethin lol...

Best Grammar ~
Deladiamond 
False lashes for d frst tym im nt sure dey ll fit me;d problem it skias me cus one girl hu looks like a TRANNY(TRANSEXUAL),wears dem #scared  
 
(Translation: [I'm trying] false lashes for the first time. I'm not sure they will fit me. The problem [is that] it scares me because one girl who looks like a transsexual wears them.)

A Time and a Place

Ok I damit it.
I have been in a hotel dressed as anyone's favorite corset laced, stiletto heeled tranny slut lookin' for a trick but that was for charity. Seriously!
Darcy and I were invited to participate as ushers for the local production of Rocky Horror. Really, I would have done it even if they didn't pay me. Yea, they didn't. It was a hoot.

And okay,
late at night, I used to come back from "Goth Night" at the club and swish through the lobby. Heels in one hand and a drink in the other, I'd give the cameras big a smile.

But I just don't have the balls to do what this dick did ... and is doing.

(click to see original article with picture)
Elegant Elliot Offen had the bustier, Holiday Inn gave him the boot 

Thursday, Jan 28 2010

Howard Stern sidekick and self-described "topnotch, prime-time, center-stage celebrity" Elegant Elliot Offen runs 14 miles a day in ladies' lingerie. In New York, he swears, people on the street cheer and salivate over his bodacious curves. "You won't see a sexy, sexy statuesque physique like mine on any real woman," he brags.

Bellboys in Miami Beach were not so enthusiastic. The 59-year-old, who tends to refer to himself in third person, was filming a TV show in town last year. He prepaid for a room at the Holiday Inn on Collins Avenue while wearing — what else? — a black bustier and thong with pantyhose as he checked in. He ended up in jail.
Now, a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court claims hotel management had him falsely arrested because of his passion for panties. He seeks $21 million for psychological damage.
"These people behaved like troglodytes and loup-garous," Elegant says, his voice growing louder with every word. "I'm talking about H-A-T-E!"
Miami Beach cops got the call just after 9 p.m. October 8, 2008. A customer was "causing other guests to feel uncomfortable," according to the police report. Hotel managers asked the man-in-thong to leave, but he "refused and became irate," so officers took him to county jail. (A judge dropped the case the following week.)
Elegant tells the story differently. His version: Bellboys threatened him physically and called him fag in Spanish. So he called cops for help.
The lawsuit, filed December 15, asserts the hotel and its parent company, InterContinental Hotels Group, is guilty of "ambushing, sandbagging, and jailing" Elegant. Employees harbor a "deep-seated, free-floating, gun-slinging hatred," the suit states.
Hotel manager Humberto Pellon declined to comment.
The whole ordeal has since ripped open Elegant's raging psychological wounds. For one, it has caused his obsessive-compulsive disorder to flare. "I wake up screaming in the middle of the night," he says, adding that $21 million in punitive damages is a reasonable request. "Do you know what a good psychologist costs in New York City?"

*****************************************

With morons like this making headlines, how can society take trans women seriously? Yes, based on the information in the story, I'm calling this guy a moron. This exhibitionist gold digger with a narcissistic fetish for lingerie and a ridiculous princess-and-the-pea attitude piled on top, moron kind of moron.

He should have been thrown out. A cisgender woman would've been! Yea, or discretely escorted back to her room by some lust stunned bellboy.  I know the traditional lines of human dress code are ever blurring but don't dis the decorum! Dress that way in the bedroom. In a gay bar. On the street corner if you're a workin' girl, just have some respect. This guy has no right to sue the hotel.

Random:

Negative impressions linger in environments of ignorance. Peer pressure forces some accepting people to stay silent, contributing credence to misconceptions...bla bla bla

Freddy Krueger and Hannibal Lecter Don't Even Compare!

to the Scarry Trannies

(print copied for posterity here)

You've Been Warned, Pakistanis: Pay Your Taxes Or Scary Trannies Will Come For You!

What to do when the locals won't pay their taxes? Send transgender tax collectors to their homes and shame them into paying.
That's the strategy by officials in Clifton, a neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan, where tax officials are trying to crack down on an estimated 50 percent of 500,000 residents not paying taxes despite their affluence. Egads! But the tactic is actually an imported one; they borrowed it from India. Of course the method relies on the existing stigmatization of transgender people, and only helps it along.

“Neighbors will come out and say, ‘Oh, what’s happening?’ and the bad name the person will get, this will maybe convince them to pay taxes,” said Aziz Suharwardy, the board’s vice-president. “And that’s exactly what happens.”
The TGs have collected $100,000 in about nine months, 10 times the cost of the program. Still, the TG’s collection barely puts a dent in the board’s $5 million tax revenue shortfall.

Two years ago the Clifton board hired a consultant to employ a more automated system that prevents collectors from pocketing the money they receive. But the employees resisted the computerized system because “their discretion was removed, and discretion is all about money,” said Mr. Suharwardy. He said corruption continues to plague Clifton’s efforts to retrieve taxes.
In a sign of the power of Pakistan’s VIP culture, one collector told me that the TG team recently approached the house of an unknown defaulter. They quickly learned it was the home of the provincial minister of excise and taxation. The team promptly left without creating its usual spectacle to shame the delinquent taxpayer.

But just think about how many jobs are now available to trans Pakistanis as the town boogiemen!

Comments (1)

The proper name for these individuals are Hijras, and the majority don't view themselves as "transgender" in the sense of becoming female after being born male. They are, instead, viewed as "gender neutral"… and Pakistan is actually fairly liberal for a Muslim country given that they allow people to register as a "third sex" on offical documents like driver's licenses and I.D.s . The Hijras were traditionally respected in Moghul society before imperialization by the British who stigmatized the hijras as "perverts"… then when imperial courts stopped supporting them, they turned to prostitution. They are viewed with a sense of respect and remorse, as they traditionally were "blessed" people called to weddings and child births (a tradition that exists to this day) whilst being seen as loud, vulgur extortionist at markets and festivals… they have a very long and diverse history in South Asia… THANKS URBAN STUDIES CLASS :)

Tranny Got Bone

 And that's why so many people love us!

Sure it looks a little "out of place" but in such a unique juxtaposition, it is unsettlingly interesting if not indescribably beautiful. Yes, bones are beautiful, weather yours or your friend's. One can always appreciate the beauty in a bone's different attributes from the small but mighty to the "O.M.G. that is massive," they all have their good qualities!


This remodel job was cut to the bones, all the plaster and lath skin ripped from them to expose some crappy support for such a pretty house. With a little thought, some massive beams were installed and many of the homes bones were removed or rearranged. We disguised the bones that couldn't be changed.
 Quick Tip - The small but mighty: Shims - you can cut them "long grain" if you just need to position something, like a window jamb but cut them short grain (that is to have the grain standing up) to support weight. End grain is extremely strong in compression.

My old house desperately needs a remodel but even if I had many thousands of dollars to spend on the cosmetics, the bones of the structure will remain and ultimately cause the finish to be flawed. Still, a cut here and there, some filler and a few tricks of the trade could turn this misshapen carcase into a magical castle.

I may never be able to afford this expensive endeavour. The house may collapse before I'm able, so I will live in it with all its imperfections and gracefully ignore the rude comments made by those on the outside who cannot or will not see the inside. I will remember the kindness of those who have seen the inside and deem this domicile worthy and I will aspire to be as beautiful as those who have never seen it but are able to love this old shack anyway.

What I most love about this journey of transition and of age is what I've been taught, so far.

The main thing -
It is all about love and forgiveness. The best thing one can do here on Earth, is to forgive and love. I understand now.
I'll be hating my life, then remember to forgive, to try to understand, remember that everyone is hurting... Everybody needs some love and understanding and everyone deserves at least a little bit. To give that is such freedom. It is freeing to love and forgive.

Other stuff -
Ya could be wrong.
Me, you and everybody else have our particular ways of thinking and processing our perceptions. That limits our understanding on a large scale. Do you know anyone who thinks exactly the way you do? That makes the odds of completely understanding someone high and in some instances, impossible. Even so, we can learn to love them and sometimes love someone to the point of our own purgatory.

If you think along these lines, how society perpetuates its beliefs, it is a wonder that things are so miserable! Don't most of us want the same thing?
Sure we do, it's just a fucked up world. I guess that's the thing. I'm sure that every parent raises their child to be better than they were, so it must go wrong while we grow up among people outside our nurturing homes. Our ways of thinking are developed in a world filled with the oblivious thoughts and actions of our peers and our equally oblivious reactions. Only education and/or experience eventually bring change.

It isn't their fault or ours, these unwritten laws exist as a barrier which, before we were even born, were constructed by society. In Nature versus Nurture, I have to disagree with at least some of the Nurture part. If I were really a product of my nurturing, I would be a man...You know, because I was born with just the wrong amount of testosterone to give me some male characteristics and because of that, I was raised as a male.
Thicker skin is a good thing.
I've always had this problem with being assertive. Doormat material. Little things used to hurt more but now I'm used to the comments I've heard since Tranny Bootcamp so many years ago.



Random Phrases Recently Heard:

While putting suitcases in the truck: "Yea, but Look how strong she is!" (at least he said "she!"
Shouted from the porch I was driving past: " Look at that guy!"
And from the porch neighboring the job site: "You look gross!"
But the phrase I hear the most is "Look at those guns!" And they're not talking about my pubescent breasts, they're referring to my muscular arms.

I am not a guy. I'm not a woman in most people's eyes but I'm certainly not a guy. I am somewhere between male and female and I am both.
I'm not gross, either. Maybe unattractive but not gross.

But what beautiful things are said to my face!
You're gorgeous. (from a friend)
You're very beautiful! (another friend)
You have gorgeous arms! (said in all seriousness by a man sitting at the bar, watching me play pool)
You have a beautiful body, better than mine! (said by an attractive young lady)


End of Aunt May's ramble.
Carry on and keep smiling through the rain; the sun does come out again!

One Tranny and a Truckload of Tools

 Someone gave this tranny a chance.


Even though people would talk, he hired me as a carpenter. I'm thankful for this job and especially grateful for the opportunity to prove myself in Savannah. Hopefully more work will come from of it, ideally in a cabinet shop.

This is very physically demanding work and I can't think of a place on my body that doesn't hurt. I work with another carpenter and the home owner - the nice guy that hired me.

Sam is a big, strong Teddy Bear with mad, badass carpentry skills. A Teddy Bear that burps with passion and talks some nasty trash yet still looks good doing it. I think he enjoys working with me a lot. I know I'm having fun! The whole project has been fun so far but my body is rebelling. The sore muscles aren't too bad but the daily bumps and scrapes along with the bruises are not making me very bikini-happy.

We're remodling a pretty two story house in downtown Savannah. So far, they've gutted the downstairs and added a porch and two beautiful decks. When I started working with them, the porch was just in framing but now we're close to having it finished. I took pictures of the gutted interior, thinking this is where they'd first have me working. Didn't take a single picture of the porch and still haven't. Ha! I'm too busy and too tired to pick up the camera.

I get along great with everyone despite the usual jokes and comments overheard. Cisgender people have to deal with their own emotions about trans people and that's the first way so many of them do it. It may be the only way they can start a dialogue to eventually begin to have some empathy and understanding. Or not! I know that to some, I am a freak and a ripe target for humiliation. I'm a nice freak, though.


I owe it to myself to finish writing about my last project, put out some more tips on technique, think about the number of toolboxes versus trannies and try to keep up with cyberlife.

But finally, Aunt May's skills are payin' some bills.
I am a very happy girl, tired and sore but very happy.

Transformation

Transformation is a beautiful thing. Fixing what was wrong, making things fit as they should and making improvements, these are a tranny's life. We two trannies are pretty proud of our transformations and would enjoy helping you with yours. Come on, work with us. It's exciting!

Let's say you're the unhappy owner of some monstrosity of a... a "kitchen." It's laid out wrong, the plumbing is definitely all wrong (completely backwards, Hot's on the right, Cold's on the left) and it is so ugly that you don't want anyone to even see it. Furthermore, it just makes you sad that you've had to live with it for so long. You can't really hide it though, can you. Of course not, everyone that comes by sees it and even if they don't say anything about it, you feel embarrassed sometimes.

Well, we know the feeling. We've been there and let me tell you, in all my years of professional experience, I've seen some very non-functional "kitchens" but as long as the "bones of the structure" are there, there is no reason that a complete transformation wouldn't be successful, satisfying and rewarding. And just wait till you see the looks on your friends' faces! You're sure to surprise everyone and stir up some gossip with your new look!

We're going to transform this barely useful, uberly unattractive piece of sh-torage into a very functional, fitted piece of furniture. Actually, we're not. We're going to junk this junk and build a new cabinet.

So if you've run out of storage space, you can create something yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Which ever you choose, the following steps should be taken before any wood gets cut. Sure, it is all common sense but this kind of planning always points out things that you didn't think about at first.





Need assessment -
What do you need to store, what sizes are they, how can they best be accessed?
 We like to cook, so we have plenty of spices and gadgets. That little shelf was enough at first but now there are spices scattered all over the kitchen and the gadgets are taking over the counter space. Darcy is pleasantly short but has a hard time reaching the second shelf and the cabinet is just too small for our stuff. So we need a place for the spices and gadgets, we need more general storage and we need better accessibility.

Conceptual drawing -
How do you want the project to look and perform related to its surroundings? What materials will it be made of? Armed with the general idea of the space and the things to be stored there, you'll have a better handle on what is possible.
 We wanted a contrast with the rest of the cabinets; something fitting the age of this old house. Materials would have to be anything I have left over at the shop. We wanted something different and the material did force some minor design changes.

Scale drawing -
See exactly what the project will look like as you use the measurements of the items you want to store. This may prove the concept has to be changed.
 And here is where I went wrong. My old boss used to say "If you don't have a plan, you can't f*** up!" He was referring to one-offs. Anyway, you can and I did but everything worked. If I'd done the drawing and figured out exactly how it would be put together, shop time could been cut in half.

This is my silly little plan and partial cut list. It was enough to get me started but a scale drawing with a complete list of parts would have made the job a lot easier.

I'll be describing and showing some pretty cool jigs, some custom made for this job, some old standard ones while laughing at my silly mistakes along the way.



Here's the way the cabinet looked when I brought it home. It just needs a few pieces of molding and a finish. Last night it received a dark walnut stain and is dry enough now for a sealer coat. Time for a trip to the store.

Be My Valentine?

It's Valentine's Day
and I have a great big heart on for you.


My Valentine 

Yes, it is plump and red
covered in lace
and as long as my head
Tied with ribbons and bows
waiting for you
knowing anything goes
It's Valentine's day and
time to have fun
Time for flowers and candy
maybe a slap on your bum
I don't know just don't be dumb
Get your mind out the gutter
out of the grind and out of the clutter ;-)


We hope your day is happy and special but mostly we hope that it's filled with love. Here's a big Thank You to all of our brave, silly, crazy, thoughtful and loving Sweethearts!

Music Within, Tilting at Windmills and the "Socially Disabled"

It isn't about how people feel about us, 
it is about how we make them feel about themselves.




Most people would argue that trans people are not disabled. 
True, most of us have no physical (or mental) impairment but consider this. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability as a physical or mental impairment that limits a major life activity. If trans people are unable to secure employment (I'd say that is a major life activity) because of the way we look, are we not disabled in that sense?


Have you ever heard of The Ugly Law?
Well, there were such laws in the US until the 1970's. The law prevented people from being in public places if their unsightly or disfiguring disabilities made other people uncomfortable.
What? 
There were laws that kept people "safe" from "ugly people" just so that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable?


There are no such laws these days but discrimination based on the way someone looks is still practised. There are no protections for "ugly" people *explicitly provided by law. Certainly, in some cases, discrimination based on appearance is justified, as in aesthetically based business like the film industry, modeling, publications like Playboy or even Hooter's restaurant. Companies cannot be faulted for choosing "pretty" people as salespeople or representatives.


The fact is, appearances matter in occupations that deal with the general public.But what about the millions of jobs that don't involve employees being in the public eye? It is still perfectly legal for an employer to reject a person's job application because they don't like the way the person looks. 


Click here to read the opinions of several human resources managers about this.


The movie Music Within is based on the true story of Richard Pimentel, an advocate for disability rights and jobs for veterans.
Pimentel, the key figure in developing our Americans with Disability Act, was inspired by Ben Padrow who said "not to focus on getting people to change their minds about people with disabilities, but to change their minds about themselves."


In the following ideas, one could easily substitute "transgender people" for "people with disabilities."


Pimentel:
"We asked “Why are employers reluctant to hire people with disabilities?” Overwhelmingly, we received the answer: “Employers lack confidence in the ability of people with disability to do the job” "Employers are not reluctant to hire people with disabilities because they have a lack of confidence in the ability of people with disabilities. In fact, it is because they have a lack of confidence in their own ability to work effectively with people with disabilities.


Once I realized that, we diverted Windmills away from teaching employers everything they ever wanted to know about being blind, deaf, etc. and we made it an exploration of how people make decisions, why people react in certain ways, why the good skills you already have in working with people are the same skills that will allow you to work effectively with people with disabilities – and why you are afraid to do it. As soon as we shifted away from “We want you to feel better about these people” to “We want you to feel better about yourself” we began building the confidence of employers in themselves. That resulted in interviews, that resulted in hires, and that resulted in retention."

************************

The ADA does not consider trans people disabled.
If we were considered disabled, we would have these protections: job application procedures, hiring, firing, training, pay, promotion, benefits, and leave. You also have a right to be free from harassment because of your disability, and an employer may not fire or discipline you for asserting your rights under the ADA. Most importantly, you have a right to request a reasonable accommodation for the hiring process and on the job. 


Consider this recent survey of trans people:
(source article by Gwendolyn Ann Smith of The Bay Area Reporter)


Out of 6,450 people surveyed, half experienced direct harassment at work due to their gender identity or orientation. Half had their confidentiality violated by their employer. A quarter were fired. A fifth were removed from direct client contact. Nearly half were asked inappropriate questions about their gender identity or orientation, and nearly half had to deal with inappropriate pronoun use.


As a result, transgender and gender nonconforming people are twice as likely to live in poverty compared to the rest of the U.S. population, and those who did lose a job over their transition found it hard to find another. Many also faced a reduction in wages


For those living in poverty who needed to use a homeless shelter, nearly a third were denied access, and a quarter were assaulted and harassed by shelter staff.


Things were no better in schools, either. Two-thirds of all transgender or gender nonconforming elementary school students endure harassment, with nearly a quarter of them facing that harassment not only from other students, but from school staff. In middle school and high school, harassment and assaults crept up to two-thirds, but dropped to one-third for college students.


One in five of those surveyed have some form of health care, and half of all surveyed had to educate their primary care provider about transgender issues.


One other grim statistic: four out of 10 transgender people have attempted suicide.

*************************

I would rather not be considered disabled. At the same time, I can't help seeing the common ground trans people share with disabled people.




*Santa Cruz, California is the only jurisdiction in the US that I am aware of that does have an ordinance against discrimination based on physical characteristics.




Random:

"If the opponents of gay rights seek to restrict the rights to hold a job, to secure housing, to obtain medical care, and to marry the person of their choice to heterosexuals alone, then it is they who are seeking "special rights."
Jim Flechtner

A Special Purpose Tool

I have a "man's tool"
and I know how to use it.


My friends know that's what I call my special tool because of the way it pumps. People want to know "isn't it kind of strange to have one of those and wear a dress?" Not at all. Guys, let me tell you - almost every woman has wanted one of these things for her very own at some point in their lives. Besides, I'm usually not wearing a dress when I'm using it.
I prefer to wear jeans when I'm ah, you know, working. I'm almost always forced to my knees in this line of work so wearing jeans keeps my knees from getting raw while I'm down on all fours.

As you may know, I haven't been working much lately so my "man tool" doesn't get used much any more. Actually it was hardly ever used anyway. I really would get rid of it since it never gets used but when I need it for that special purpose, nothing else will do. It is truly an amazing piece of equipment. Would you believe that I can get it up from zero to 2800 strokes per second?! Now that's fast, I know. Why would you go so fast, you ask?
No, I guess you wouldn't ask...

But anyway, the owners of these tools love them because they understand it's power. I can tell you that mine has gotten me both into and out of some impossible situations. When I was younger and didn't really understand how it worked, I was screwing everything up with it. It was the speed thing, I guess. I kept trying to start at full speed, all 2800 strokes per second at once. You can imagine the damage...I don't want to think about it.

Anyway, I learned to start slow and use a very light touch. Pretty soon, it just slides in the groove and when I finally get up to full speed, the piece is actually resonating. Oh but look out if it gets out of synch. It will grab your tool and shake you violently. You that have been there know what I'm talking about.


If you are a proud owner of a Sawzall or any sort of reciprocating saw, you know how valuable they can be. You also know that they can do some damage when trying to start a plunge cut.

Plunge cuts using a reciprocating saw:
There are really two ways to get this cut started. One method (the one I usually use) is to hold the saw "light in my hands" and apply pressure lightly and slowly until the blade starts to create the kerf. The other way is to plant the shoe of the saw firmly against a solid surface and hold the saw down with all your weight. With either method, concentrate on keeping the saw from moving forward in it's kerf because if it does, even slightly, the blade will knock itself out of the cut.

Lets say that you want to cut a piece of base board that is already attached to the wall. Mark your line of cut with a pencil or score a line with a knife. The knife cut will help guide the blade while it starts it's kerf, especially if you make a V cut.
I've never tried this but the thought occurred to me just now - A block of wood temporarily screwed to the piece you want to cut would guide the blade very well. As an added benefit, the block would protect the "good side" of the piece you're cutting.

Once the blade has made it all the way through the base board, adjust your speed so that the saw isn't "fighting" and trying to push and pull the work. There is almost always a "sweet spot" where the saw and the wood work together. Adjust your speed and pressure, you'll find it. Tip: Do not cut the caulking along the top of the baseboard until you've made the cut. The caulking helps hold the base board to the wall, thus reducing vibration and the possibility of the saw getting in a bind and shaking you up.

When you're cutting down toward the floor, try not to cut all the way through the bottom plate (the 2x4 at the bottom of the wall to which the studs are nailed.) If you feel the blade bumping into it, back out just a little bit but remember that most recip saws have a one inch cutting stroke and most baseboard is 3/4" or less in thickness. This means that if you back out too far, the blade can exit the cut completely and that usually ends up in a nasty gouge in the work piece followed by a curse word or two.

So now you know how to plunge your "man tool" with finesse and with little to no collateral damage. It's good to stay in practice but then, I don't have to tell you guys that.

Until next time, this is Aunt May
reminding you to be good to your tools
and they'll be good to you.

Growing Up

Everybody does, one way or another.
Some grow up as little girls, some grow up as little boys.*

Cisgender kids grow in the relative comfort of "their own skins." That is, for the most part, they are mind/body congruent. They are Okay with their body's gender.

Transgender kids grow up stressed with their body/mind incongruence, the wrong teaching for their gender and the wrong responses to their needs. Transgender kids grow up twice. Once in their conflicted body, once in their "accepted" one.

The second growing is forced into a very small amount of time for "late blooming" trans people. I've noticed that I (and every late blooming trans woman I know) go through a little girl phase, adolescent phase, (sometimes an over the top phase) a young adult phase and finally for most of us, life catches up with life. Sometimes these things don't happen in that particular order and any one these phases could last indefinitely.
Getting stuck in a phase is no different for us than than it is for our gender-ungifted counterparts. You see people not acting their age all the time.

The little girl phase - everything is beautiful, everything is new and exciting with near sensory overload. Friendships are quick and many and the sharing of stories bring comfort and release.

The teenager phase - when we think we know it all, when we're gangly, flirtatious and foolish, when we put ourselves on display.

The young adult phase - when relationships are not fleeting, when responsibility leads, when we've unlearned most our masculine teachings.

We finally reach the congruent state (whether there have been body modifications or not) that almost everyone else has had from their beginning. This is when self acceptance is complete.

Of course, this is all my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

*There is talk about a third sex but this article is written in context with the almost universal idea of a Binary gender. Not that I agree with the idea. I believe in a spectrum of gender

Blogger

The Blogger tools don't do well when adding several copy/pastes. The formatting gets junked up and it is almost impossible to fix. My appologies to subscribers that get an email every time I try to tweak a post to make it look right.
Blogger's "preview" is a (expletive here) joke.

Name Change - Updated

The Two Trannies and a Toolbox moniker was fun while this page was just for fun.


We will be changing it and the photo soon because this isn't just for fun any more. When I write letters to influential people for the good of our community, I'd like to be taken seriously.


The innuendo will remain.


Onward!
May


Here are the responses received from various sources, in no particular order:


Name suggestions -


“From the Inside Out”
You know, as representative of the two of you, but also representative of all the kinds of work you do.)


"It's Not Just About the Tools"


I know it's more than shelves, but makes for good (or not) puns...
Shelf Expressions
Shelf Discovery
Shelf Esteem


"Pro Proponents Of Changing Your Components"


Board Stiff (um, no.)
Hammers and Nails (you know, manicured nails.)
Working With Wood (again, no.)
I'm stumped. Get it, stumped? Like a tree stump? I slay me.


Morty's & Tennan's Fine Woods
Rabbet Hill Woodworking
The Biscuit Sisters
Laps And Butts (okay, maybe not)


Girls With Tools?




Comments -


Why on Earth would you change it?

Makayla: I still think humor is the best ice breaker.
Thanks to every one of you open minded, fearless people for your help.

Anonymous: How about incremental changes? Just start with the photo. I'd love to see a photo of you at work... all goggled up and surrounded by drool-inspiring tools. Let the headline be your humor (you're right about humor).

what's wrong with TT&aTB?


can there be a comprimise on the image, like maybe a graphic or more of an artist rendering type of thing? (to tone that part down)????????
May- think your light years ahead of your time- and believe you've come across something that makes people think.... (that part is awesome!)


I don't know you but I think you do have a good sense of humor about it all...


So, I take it the problem is with the term "trannie". I can see how the word might not be PC but I don't have a problem with it and use it myself, but usually for humor. If I'm trying to be 'pc' I will say "T-girl". It's pretty hard to get offended by t-girl and it's an all inclusive term.
Honestly though I like the name. 


Well...I personally am not offended by the NAME of your "buisness", and you know I am not easily offended by much...nor am I of your page... your "fun, humor filled, positive message" IN MY OPINION is not doing you, or any person trying to live the life of a transsexual an[y] favors. You know me May, I am always the life of the party....but If I was to come across your page and I did not know you, I would not want to do buisness with you. I think from a buisness standpoint, the way you are engaging your readers i[s] gross ...unless of course the person knows you...and in which case, I hope you have enough friends to support your buisness.

Mama, go with your gut and let me just offer this: No one was ever adulated for playing things safe.

I am sure that appeals to some people but I do not that think appeals to many people. I know for a fact that if I was to show that to anyone I work with they would all think it was a bad idea. if you want people to treat transsexuals with equal rights and to take them and their differences seriously, I do not think that is the way to do it. I think people will see your site that have no idea what being a transsexual is about and they will think it is something sexual...which is the main misunderstanding already.
Your isea is not a bad one, and I think you are really well written/spoken, but I just do not that your talents doing that will justify or make most people take seriously what you are trying to accomplish.


Oddly enough this reminds me of the time the Gay Chorus I was singing with wanted to a Broadway review and my suggestion to title the show "Faggots Singing Showtunes" was shot down. I still say keep your name because it makes people talk and think and understand immediately what is going on here. If someone else wants to be more PC, they have their own life and they can go be PC all they want over there.


[I] think its a unique title, right to the point and fearless (despite your fear, apparently). If you think the T-Comm needs to lighten up, then you have to bring your own fire to the table. In other words, I think you are just fine the way you (in all aspects of that phrase) and you should continue to strive towards being the best You that you can manage. Frankly, I think you should try out with Logo and Here! and see if you can get a TV show! 


Ok how about you two tape a couple of YouTube shows, real fast "How To" segments that show some of the tips you have been talking about on your wall. I don't think you will have to worry about offending people because you are doing this in a very good spirit, and very tongue-in-cheek. Some people will always be offended, and there is not much anyone can do about it other than to decide not to attach much importance to the their uniformed opinions.


I personally think (not that i have any valid opinion) the use of the word "Tranny" by Christian Siriano kind of coined it as a semi popular buzz word that took a lot of the negative "stigma" off that some people might have thought of in terms of the phrase .... by making it comical it might be more accepted? If nothing else, he helped a lot of people introduce it into their vocabulary - which might not be a good thing to those who view the word in a derrogatory manner.... just my thoughts. LOL I say if soemone doesn't like your blog, Title included, they don't have to read it! You can't be PC for everyone - there will always be some sort of hater but your friends and supporters are all that matter ;)  


Are all those images of cabinets, desks, and wine racks all your work? If it is, your work should speak for itself.
 (Yes, all of it is my work)


I think that TTAT, made up of real people, leading real lives -the real lives that we want to be granted rights, so let them see who you really are. An opinionated, well-spoken, kind, cool lingerie-clad artisan who happens to be a trannie and a VOTER. 

Makayla: At this point, I want a job. Partly just because of the principal of it. I want someone to take a chance, hire a tranny and end up grateful that they did just to prove a point.

Anonymous: Another option: go public.Try to get your story picked up by Huffpost or Oprah or something. It's a good story, I like your story, especially how you said it here.

Personally May, I think you should be just who you are.

for activism use, DYNAMITE
for having a shop or offering a service- may not be..bottom line- you need work, and are a very creative talented person. I admire you for all this energy and work and making people think.

[I] really don't get the stigma. I'm sorry that anyone has to even take such a thing into consideration! It's good to be reminded that people face that kind of discrimination. And I do see it in the face of some of my Christian Conservative friends... they look queasy if I mention gay people... I should start talking about trans folk and watch them pass out.

Being who you are is the best message of all.

As much as it stings to be forced to 'hide your light under a bushel', I think you're right about dialing back the name to something less controversial. Sadly, there are still many people who feel threatened. It doesn't make a bit of sense but sometimes we have to deal with reality, right?

Go forth with courage.

dont change itttt!

No!

  

  

 

Strokin'

Clarence Carter made it famous.
Two Trannies make it sultry yet seductively silly.


If you know you're gonna be strokin' hard and long, you have to prepare yourself like a prize fighter. Professionals like Two Trannies can stroke all night long because we've trained for years and we have developed our own unique ways of staying hard at work.

Safety first, protect yourself!
Two Trannies wrap our units with masking tape. Although duct tape is a tranny's best friend, we don't use it when we're strokin' because the friction makes it become a hot, sticky mess. Imagine having to use lacquer thinner or a pumice stone to clean up your members. We'd rather not.

Using masking tape to prepare yourself for hours of strokin' may sound sort of stupid but trust me, it lasts a lot longer than your typical Trojan. It's less expensive, too.
Yes, after continuous use, the tape will wear through. Just stop for a second and patch the hole with more tape. Keep checking for holes because just like Trojans, the tape can break and you wouldn't know it until it is too late. This situation leaves your flesh totally unprotected and if you continue vigorously strokin' with your meat exposed, you will rub it raw and possibly even suffer burns from the friction. Be careful not to stroke too fast (see Mr Carter's note about this below) because that can cause burns, too.

We could fill many pages writing about strokin' but we don't want to bore you. Well, not in that particular way...

Here are a few tips (other than wrapping your fingers with masking tape when sanding by hand) to make your sanding job easier.

Sanding works to smooth a surface by scratching it. Sounds kinda silly but that's how it works. Scratches are removed with finer and finer scratches. Eventually all the scratches are removed and the surface becomes polished and/or burnished. That's fine for metal or for wood that will receive a clear finish but wood that has been polished will resist pigmented stains. Fortunately there are dye stains which do not need fine scratches and open pores to gather in as a pigment does.

Sanding takes as long as it takes. You can't really rush it but understanding how sandpaper works will help you avoid wasting time. Sandpaper loses it's aggressive cutting action quickly then cuts moderately well for a long time. The only problem with over using it is that a few sharp grains remain to cut ugly swirls when using an orbital sander.

Loading up - when sandpaper gets wood fibers, dust and pitch stuck between it's grains, even if they are still sharp, they cannot cut effectively. Rather, the combination acts more like a polisher, except that there are always those rogue grains that stick out past the buildup and cut swirls. Tap out or blow off the buildup with compressed air to reveal more cutting grains which will yield a more uniform scratch pattern.

When switching from a coarse grit to a finer one (never skip more than two grit grades) make sure you clean both your work area and the piece you're sanding. Left over grit dulls your fresh sandpaper and may cause an uneven scratch pattern.


Aunt May invented a strokin' machine several years ago but as it is not patented yet, it will have to remain her trade secret. We can tell you that the machine works even better than expected. It is a delight to use and it never gets tired. The machine was used to sand the 'piercings' of this 2" thick mahogany panel.

Clarence Carter - Strokin'

When I start makin' love I don't just make love... I be strokin'
That's what I be doin', huh
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best
I be strokin'
Let me ask you somethin'...
What time of the day do you like to make love
Have you ever made love just before breakfast
Have you ever made love while you watched the late, late show
Well, let me ask you this
Have you ever made love on a couch
Well, let me ask you this
Have you ever made love on the back seat of a car
I remember one time I made love on the back seat of a car
And the police came and shined his light on me, and I said:
I'm strokin', that's what I'm doin', I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best
I be strokin'
Let me ask you something...
How long has it been since you made love, huh?
Did you make love yesterday
Did you make love last week
Did you make love last year
Or maybe it might be that you plannin' on makin' love tonight
But just remember, when you start making love
You make it hard, long, soft, short
And be strokin'
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best, huh
I be strokin'
Now when I start making love to my woman
I don't stop until I know she's sas-ified
And I can always tell when she gets sas-ified
'Cause when she gets sas-fied she start calling my name
She'd say: 'Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter, Clarence Carter
Clarence Carter, ooooh shit, Clarence Carter'
The other night I was strokin' my woman
And it got so good to her, you know what she told me
Let me tell you what she told me, she said:
'Stroke it Clarence Carter, but don't stroke so fast
If my stuff ain't tight enough, you can stick it up my...' WOO!
I be strokin' Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the east
And I stroke it to the west
And I stroke it to the woman that I love the best, huh
I be strokin'
I be strokin' Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
I be strokin', Yeah!
I be strokin'
I stroke it to the north
I stroke it to the south
I stroke it everywhere
I even stroke it with my... Woo!
I be strokin'
I be strokin' Ha! Ha!
I be strokin'

Transgendered and on Facebook UPDATED 01-31-10

We usually enjoy that back and forth motion
but this isn't getting us anywhere near a climax.

Here's my scientific wild ass guess as to what's going on with Dominic Scaia.
Someone, probably just one person, keeps reporting his photo as offensive. I think Facebook should consider the source on this one.


Here's the story

The Truth Will Set You Free

I've been saying that education is the key, the answer to the question "why are trans or gay people (who are just trying to live their lives and have equality)  so despised?"

Lack of education, *false beliefs and peer pressure keep us in the dark from earliest childhood.

So, education has to start early, as in kindergarten or earlier with parents taking charge but most are already "brainwashed."
You certainly couldn't have gender variance taught in public elementary school or preschool, where it would really make a difference (or is it being done somewhere besides this private school) because of Christian fundamentalists and others that are just afraid of change.

Some will say "God doesn't make mistakes," and that "we are born either male or female." I agree that the Almighty doesn't make mistakes but He does make everything in nature different. Why is that so hard for people to understand? Nature is gloriously and infinitely diverse.

Can people not see the beauty in the diversity of nature? Unfortunately, most cannot because our minds are clouded from infancy. Our parents did the best they could based on their pasts, as did their parents and so on. Old ideas are ingrained and our environments tend to keep things as they've always been. We perpetuate old ideas by participating in rituals. We keep ourselves "brainwashed." Because of this, I cannot fault anyone for the way they think. I can, however, fault them for not trying to think.

What does it say for Christians, or for that matter, anyone so against this truth of nature, that they feel hatred? Do not most faith based religions believe that love is the ultimate goal? And along with love, acceptance?

What does it take to break through minds that are consumed with the idea that theirs is the "only right answer?"

All I can do as one person, is live the life I was given in the most loving and forgiving way I can.
 




*Not implying any religion.

She Becomes Another Sad Statistic

And to add insult to
injury, death in this case...

Trans Woman Killed, Media Calls Her Male

 By Advocate.com Editors 

The half-naked body of a 51-year-old trans woman was found last week in a vacant lot in the Montrose area of Houston, Texas. But reports of Myra Ical’s death have been salacious at best, with mainstream media referring to Myra as a man, saying the area where her body was found was known by police to be frequented by prostitutes and drug users.

The Houston Chronicle reported that Ruben Dario Ical “also went by the name of Myra Chanel Ical” and that “he had numerous bruises and defensive wounds, as if he had struggled against his attacker.”

Police told The Chronicle the area is “well-known spot where homeless people camp and is frequented by prostitutes and drug users.”

Human Rights Campaign board member and Pride Houston president Meghan Stabler submitted a strongly worded letter on behalf of the two organizations to media covering Ical’s murder, urging reporters to “use fair, accurate and inclusive reporting” when covering LGBT issues.

Reads the letter: “On Monday January 18 the brutal murder of Myra Ical occurred in Houston. She is a transgender woman but the media continue to use male pronouns along with colorful statements about being found in an area known for drugs and prostitution. This lazy and irresponsible journalism shows the amount of ignorance about transgender issues that is rampant among far too many reporters despite the existence of resources to help them report accurately.”

The letter then links to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s Media Reference Guide.

A candlelight vigil in memory of Ical will be held in the lot where her body was found. Click here for more information. 

*****************************

When will the media have some respect? When they are educated. 

When will we as trans people have some understanding and empathy? 

When the public is educated.

A Sucking Problem

Has this ever happened to you?
You're doing a job, one you perform tirelessly and faithfully...


You're sucking along, rhythmically like you always do and by now the job should be finished but no. You've tried different techniques, going faster, slower, pushing and pulling but nothing seems to work and you're baffled, right?

Well, here's what's wrong. It is a fairly rare occurrence but that hose, or pipe or whatever pet name you have for it can actually become clogged. Here are some tips to get the clog out:

Hold that hose straight up and slap it silly, up and down it's entire length.

Wire coat hangers are one of our favorite gadgets to use but in this situation, you may have to twist several of them together to reach really deep.

Electricians and some DIY'ers will have some Romex on hand. Try shoving that down the tube.

If you have an air compressor, you could blow out the clog but that may be a bit messy. Just take your air compressor hose and push it through to avoid a possible blow-back in the face.

If that doesn't work, you could drop a heavy ball bearing, screwdriver, etc to dislodge the nasty clog. We're not joking about it being nasty, either. You can expect to find everything from hairballs to cigarette butts in there.

Aside all that,
the design of many vacuum cleaners allow you to detatch the hose from it's normal sucking position and place it on the exhaust side so that it blows.This may be the easiest way to rid yourself of the clog and finish that job!

Stage Play in El Paso Texas

Thoughts like this confirm that we are socially programmed. and not in a good way. "There are so many kids on the verge of suicide. They're sure their family and friends will never speak to them again. They're sure they are horrible people" There is a stage a play for National Coming Out Day in El Paso Texas called "Out of the Closet and Into the Fire." It uses real life stories from our community to send the message that no matter if you are gay, straight, trans or anything in between, all of us have our share of human struggle. I hope they get the movie deal because it sounds like something that a lot of straight people would go to see. It could erase some of that programming.

'Out of the Closet:' Coming-out play draws on universal fears and struggles

Let's Go to the Beach!

We didn't intend this blog to be a rehash of the news but we just can't help ourselves when we get excited! We like the term (they use here) "Human Rights Law" rather than "Equal Rights." While both are accurate, we believe that when the homophobic side of our society hears "Equal Rights" they immediately turn the deaf ear.

Commission passes new Human Rights law

Jan, 21, 2010 01:15 AM - Miami Herald (FL)

Jan. 21--Miami Beach, long considered a petri dish for progressive legislation, once again may be at the forefront of Florida's civil rights debate after city leaders passed a new Human Rights law, activists and attorneys say.

The City Commission last week voted to update and rename its 1992 Human Relations ordinance, agreeing to a new process for dealing with discrimination complaints, language protecting the city's transgender population and stiff penalties, including up to $15,000 in fines, for those found by the city to be guilty of discrimination.

The new law also creates a city Human Rights Commission, similar to those that already exist at the state and county level.

"I believe it is probably the first in the state that goes this far," City Attorney Jose Smith said of the ordinance.

The legislation, sponsored by former Commissioner Victor Diaz Jr., grew out of concern that the 2008 passage of Amendment 2, a statewide voter referendum that limited marriage to a union between a man and a woman, would weaken Miami Beach's laws regarding domestic partnerships.

Diaz, who is openly gay, said the result is one of the strongest human rights measures in the country and a reaffirmation that Miami Beach is committed to equal rights.

"This is about being again at the forefront, at the cutting edge of these issues," Diaz said. "So when people say 'Gee, where should I live? Where do I feel safest? Where do I feel I can express myself and raise children and love my partner and contribute to my community without any fear of discrimination?' they say Miami Beach."

Diaz stressed that the legislation was a win for all people, but acknowledged that the new, updated measure has great significance for Miami Beach's gay community, considering state and federal laws do not offer the same protections covered under the city's new law.

Miami-Dade County has legislation banning discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, but Robert Rosenwald, director of the LGBT advocacy project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, said Miami Beach's law goes further in protecting all people, particularly those who are gay or transgender. And Rosenwald, like others, hopes Miami Beach's updated legislation will begin a move by the state and county toward a tougher stance against discrimination.

"Miami Beach is the starting point for all progressive legislation in the state, bar none," said Rosenwald, who helped in crafting the new measure. "Where Miami Beach goes first, we hope the state will follow. So it is absolutely essential that Miami Beach's ordinance be clear, and that it have terminology that is currently appropriate and that it have teeth. This ordinance accomplishes all of those things."

CJ Ortuno, executive director of SAVE Dade, a gay rights organization, also hopes the new measure will make a splash with state legislators. He said his organization often lobbies Miami-Dade representatives, pushing them to support amendments to the state's current civil rights statute to extend more protection to gays and lesbians.

But one of Miami Beach's own state representatives is skeptical that the new law will have any impact.

"The state of Florida has a very conservative Legislature," said Luis Garcia, Jr., D-Miami Beach. "To be honest with you, I don't think that type of legislation will be passed in this day and time. Maybe years from now."

And Miami Beach must first prove that its own measure is actually making a difference inside its own boundaries, said Matthew Dietz, a Miami civil rights attorney.

Funding is a priority, Dietz said, considering that the city must pay for investigations into complaints and, potentially, prosecution, should mediation break down.

Dietz points to the county's Commission on Human Rights where, according to the county's website, five staff members handle a county of 2.4 million people.

"They're extremely overworked and overburdened," he said.

City Manager Jorge Gonzalez said no funding is currently alloted for investigating complaints but there are options, such as applying for grants, should costs become an issue.

Dietz also said the city -- which, according to a memo, has received just one discrimination complaint in 18 years -- must effectively promote the new legislation and the ability to file complaints.

"If Miami Beach follows through, is adequately staffed and enforces it and gets word out," Dietz said, "then I think it can make a huge difference."

Miami Beach

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Copyright (c) 2010, The Miami Herald

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Knee Jerk Offs

We are guilty of jerking, too. Everyone does now and then, especially when the mood is already hot. We believe that it is far better to take things nice and easy. Slow down and don't get overly excited and shoot off mindlessly and prematurely. It just makes one look stupid.

Secretary of State candidate Paul Scott campaigns against changes on ID for transgender individuals

"I will make it a priority to ensure transgender individuals will not be allowed to change the sex on their driver's license in any circumstance."

****************************

Slow down, Cowboy! Under any circumstances? Even after surgery? Well, that's what the idiot said. I am thoroughly disgusted with people, especially our elected or appointed leaders, who spend zero time trying to understand an issue before making a judgement. Now pardon me while I go scream in the street.

Good News, Bad News

First, the bad news: "A forthcoming national study of 6,450 transgender people by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Center for Transgender Equality finds that transgender workers face rampant discrimination. A whopping 97 percent say they been mistreated, harassed or discriminated against at work, while 47 percent have lost a job, been denied a promotion or been rejected in the hiring process as a direct result of being transgender. The study also finds that transgender people have twice the unemployment rate of the general population." But the good news is: "...on Jan. 1, the Obama administration updated the Equal Opportunity Statement on the federal jobs Web site to explicitly include gender identity. No longer should anyone looking for a job with the federal government be discriminated against because of the job seeker’s gender identity." The full story is here.

If Cuba Can, Why not US

Cuba performing state-sponsored sex change surgery

By ANDREA RODRIGUEZ Associated Press Writer

Posted: 01/19/2010 01:44:26 PM MST

HAVANA—Cuba has begun performing state-sponsored sex-change operations after the government lifted a longtime ban on the procedure in 2007, President Raul Castro's daughter said Tuesday.

A sexologist and gay-rights advocate, Mariela Castro runs the Center for Sex Education, which prepares transsexuals for sex-change operations and identifies Cubans it deems ready for the procedure.

Speaking to reporters during the fifth Cuban Conference on Sexual Education, Orientation and Therapy, Castro said surgeries began in 2008 but would not specify exactly how many have been performed or how much they cost.

She said only that Cuban doctors working with Belgian counterparts have gotten to "less than half" of the 30 islanders approved to undergo the procedure.

Cuba identified 122 people who wanted to have sex changes in 1979 and performed the first successful operation nine years later, but subsequent sex-change procedures were prohibited, Castro added.

The operations are covered by Cuba's universal health care system, even though some have protested the decision to allow them—either because of general opposition to the procedure or due to its high costs for a developing country with economic problems.

"We schedule a certain number per year based on economic circumstances," Castro said, adding that, because of budget constraints, sex changes are not offered to foreigners who travel to Cuba for medical care.

Castro said Tuesday that she plans to prepare a letter to the leadership of Cuba's Communist Party urging authorities to draft a measure directing that homosexuals not be barred from joining the party.

Such a decree would be similar to one approved in the 1990s expressly allowing Cubans of all religious affiliations to join.

Gays are not technically banned from the Communist Party, but Castro said such a measure would help better cement their role in politics.

Castro also said her center will continue to push the single-party government to rewrite civil codes and recognize same-sex unions, though not full gay marriage.

However, she said the group has stopped pushing for same-sex couples to be allowed to adopt children, saying Cuba's legal code provides no means for such a move.

In The News Today

Flo McGarrell:

transgender artist dies in Haiti earthquake

(please click the NECN.com link for the video report) Flo McGarrell, a 35-year-old artist from Vermont who lived in Haiti, is among the Americans confirmed dead as a result of the catastrophic earthquake that occurred there on January 12. According to NECN.com, McGarrell and a friend started to leave a hotel where they were having a drink when the quake began, but McGarrell went back for his computer and was lost in the collapse of the building. McGarrell moved to Haiti to pursue his art. He began a transition from female to male five years ago. “That is Flo’s wish — to be remembered as a man,” McGarrell’s mother said in an NECN video. Although McGarrell’s parents still use a female pronoun when referring to him, NECN uses male pronouns in its report. The news report is very respectful of McGarrell's identity. At the time of NECN’s report, McGarrell’s body had not been found. McGarrell’s Web site, which features his art, can be found here. Thanks to LGBT POV for additional information.

*****************************

Rest in piece, Mr McGarrell. Thank you NECN for being understanding and respectful.