Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Orange County Center Gala Dinner

Last Saturday I attended the Gala Dinner for Orange County's GLBT Center. It was held at the Hyatt in Irvine, CA. It was super and the food was good. I haven't attended one of the dinners since the 80s! There were about 400 or 500 people there. It was a chance for me to get all dressed up as a man and I looked pretty sharp too!

The highlight of the evening was talking to Cybill Shepard! Her daughter has finally come out as lesbian and Cybill was so proud to announce it. I remember the reckless rumors about Cybill back in the 70s and 80s. She was one wild chick, doing everyone around. Men mainly or she said in her book. But, she's as beautiful as ever and I was pleased to talk to her.

Because of this dinner and my T-man support group, I've decided to get more involved with our community again. I was very involved in the 80s when everyone was trying to cope with the devastating effects of AIDS. I even marched on Sacramento to protest the lack of funding.

Now, transgender people need recognition and acceptance so here I am. The facilitator of my T-man group has asked me to be a presenter at PFLAG and sit on the ECCO board and I accepted. I have no idea where these two organizations will take me but it'll be fun, I think!

Got to go to work!
Alex

Monday, April 27, 2009

I began using the T patch on 4/23/09. I'll tell you, I had the Rx for two days before I actually gave it to the pharmacist to fill, because there are many social and personal issues going on about my transitioning that I'm still mulling over. I was and am scared about it. I really don't know what to expect from my body - will I wake up tomorrow all hairy and bald? Jeeze that's not what I want! Okay calm down...Let me give you some background on where I live and who I am.

I live in South Orange County, California. This county is one of the more conservative in California even though there are a fair number of people of color in North County. There are finally enough minorities to override the solid, conservative Republican vote. There is still bias for anyone different or anyone who has a different idea. If you're white, male, and straight, you're okay.

If you've seen the movie, Milk, Orange County is mentioned several times because this is where the firing of gay teachers bill was written. When I moved here many years ago, the John Birch society was here. This society evolved into the right-wing Republican party with all of its rhetoric about abortion, gays, African-Americans, guns...well...you get the picture.

John Birch and his society are long gone, but the Republican party is still here and dumbfounded by the defeat of John McCain! That's because they're just dumb. They've been so focused on ignoring ethics and stuffing their pockets with money that they've forgotten why this nation is admired and was a great power before the Bush/Cheney thing.

We were a great power because we CARED about our people. We TOOK care of the less fortunate in our society. We PAID for research for AIDS, cancer, MS, heart disease, and all of the other illnesses that plague us. We USE to house and provide food for the homeless, most of whom were mentally disabled or sick, so that they didn't die in the streets or get raped or murdered. Good God, they're so preoccupied with keeping money from the rest of us and hoarding it for themselves, that they have just about killed this country! Thank you Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney.

Orange County is a little more liberal today, but a transgender person is still looked upon as a freak. Gays and lesbians are accepted more because they're more out than the transgendered population. Of course, once you've transitioned, no one can tell that you were once a woman so who would know, except you. It's time to talk about it - openly and honestly.

So back to the Rx. My pharmacist has known me for years as a woman. Albeit maybe he thought I was a lesbian but he was always friendly and willing to help. Well, when I handed him the Rx and he got finished reading it, he couldn't even look me in the eye! With his head down, staring at the Rx and in a very low, voice he says to me, "do you know what this is for?"

I wanted to laugh so much that I had tears in my eyes from forcing back the laughter. But I could see he was genuinely perplexed by this Rx that I just said yes I know what it's for. So I left the store and came back the next day to pick it up. Again, he just didn't know what to say about except, do you know what this is for. He smiled but wasn't friendly.

I was laughing all the way home about it. Poor man, I guess he never has READ anything about transgendered people or heard anything about us. How can this be? Information about us is everywhere. There was a landmark decision in the paper the other day about a trans woman who was murdered by some staight fuck and the jury found the murdered guilty! Does my pharmacist live in a vaccuum? It wouldn't surprise me!

Okay enough for today...