This is my life as my transformation continues.
I haven't posted in a little while because everything has been going pretty good, just normal workdays and evening relaxing and watching some tv...until this week. To start with my ex-wife (kinda) finally decided to file for divorce. Which is no big deal as we have been separated for almost 4 years. But as it turns out, she wants almost $900. a month child support for our son, I only get 48 hours every 2 weeks with him, and she wants me to pay for it. So a quick $1000 for a lawyer and I guess we will see what happens.
Terry & I went and got a set of gel nails. They turned great. We went to a European beauty/spa school. They said it would take them a bit longer than normal since they are learning but they are monitored by an instructor so they will be done right. We figured well maybe 2 hours or so.....4 hours later! Then after that I got my eyebrows waxed. But they did a good job and my nails and waxing cost just under $45. Its a great idea if you have the time for some cheap beauty treatments. This place could also do massages, pedicures, all kinds of spa treatments.
Today my mom phoned me for the first time since I transitioned. She had told me before that she never wanted to see me again after I start dressing like a female. She did try to understand but just couldn't deal with it. She wants to get together for my birthday and see me. Wow, I never thought I would see that day. We ended up chatting for almost 45 minutes on the phone.
We bought a tent trailer late this summer so 2 weeks ago we took it out for the weekend. Everything worked great, the heater kept it warm during the 5 degrees celcius nights. All the electrical works when plugged in. We have to replace the battery for power without a plug in, but we can do that next year. One side pulls out to a double bed, the couch pulls out to a single bed, the table folds down for another small bed and the other side pulls out into a queen size bed. It has a sink and a stove top that can be used inside or attached on the outside. Terry's crossover pulls it like it doesn't even exist and barely affects the braking. The campground we went to sucked. It was basically a field with electricity and water hookups. But there was a small beach and swimming area for the kids and it was close to home in case there were some bad problems...good enough for a test run.
That's about all that's new here. I will keep you all posted with the future events. I am sure there will be some.
Breaking Urgent News!!
July 9Th, 2008- Today the "Trans" Community Delivers Historical Petition to the American Psychiatric Association
[Note: "Trans" is used here as short form to describe a range of communities of identities and conditions that have in common discord with the sex or gender assumed at birth, and are labeled mentally disordered for that reason alone, (though it is actually a physiological, medical and physical condition) , such as Transsexual, Transgender, Gender Variant and some Intersex people.]
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The petition was initiated by Dr. Kimberly Hyatt-Wallace, a Transwoman herself and Consulting Psychologist, states:
"I was outraged to see that the worst enemies of the trans community had been selected to oversee and guide the standards of diagnostic criteria for the DSM-V. To me it was like putting the KKK in charge of Affirmative Action, a denial of essential human rights and a gross betrayal of medical ethics, starting with 'do no harm'"
The APA currently lists "Gender Identity Disorder" immediately next to "pedophilia" in the aforementioned manual of mental disorders. This has great similarities to the way the APA classified homosexuality as a mental disorder as well, until homosexual people organized to have it removed in 1973.
The Trans communities are alarmed that such transphobic therapists are influencing the fate of thousands of human beings, most of who do not support these therapists, or their beliefs. But what has rallied the Trans community even more so, are the lack of feedback as to why the APA has appointed these obviously unacceptable individuals to the DSM-V Review Board, and that they do not accept that the Trans community has a right to have a say in health care and human rights. The APA is apparently doing everything possible, including trying to have this petition process canceled, to stop the people who they’ve classified as disordered. Yet these same people are considered by many other learned bodies to have natural and harmless variations of gender, which are not disordered at all.
The World Gender Coalition (WGC) which was created in the face of this significant outrage has promoted this petition, and encourages the Trans communities and their allies to take action. The WGC is a determined coalition of Trans and Non Trans scientists, professionals, activists, allies and organizations organized to end stigmatization and promote human rights in health care and society.
The American Psychological Association was attached to the petition because many of the same individuals were earlier appointed to their 'Task Force on Gender Identity, Gender Variance, and Intersex Conditions' and it has similarly blocked protests.
Sources for further information:
http://www.gidreform.org/dsm5.html
http://www.genderpsychology.org/psychology/dsm_v_workgroup.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-V
Media Contact
: Media Advocates Giving National Equality to Trans (MAGNET)-Media Liaison: Ashley Love
Email:
magnet_right_now@yahoo.comContact: World Gender Coalition (WGC
)-WGC Founder Arianna Davis
Email: ariand2001@yahoo.com (Phone) (619)913-9569
Well today a notice went out to all my co-workers that after the long weekend I will be returning to work as Michelle. I expected to be nervous as hell all day, but all I felt was relief! Don't get me wrong I was nervous, but my relief far outweighed it. I got lots of supporting emails and people wishing me well and even some from people I don't know. But there were some that wouldn't even look at me, they would look at the ground as they walked past. I fully expect that it going to take some of them a little while to get used to it and some may never, but life goes on and I have others that I can rely upon to treat me with respect. In the end it was a great day. I even got some work done...lol. Now Tuesday may be a whole other story. It will be when everyone sees me for the first time as Michelle. I am going to be nervous that day for sure.
Tonight I went and got my hair cut, styled and streaked. Before I had just grown it out long and had done nothing with it, so it was very rewarding to have it styled into something more feminine. I am so ecstatic! We put 2 different colors of blond streaks in. The hairdresser (also named Michelle) started taking the foil off and suddenly all the hairdressers in the salon came over to look at it. Not one of them would ever imagine that the darker blond streak would come out copper. But I think it looks better with the blond and copper. Everyone loved the colors together.