Formerly known as Tom Gabel, here's Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! in her first live performance since announcing her transition. (Previously blogged by Rami and others) I'm happy for her; she looks like she's having a great time! Good for her!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/29/against-me-transgen...

It appears as though the US Anti Doping Agency can't leave Lance Armstrong alone - they've written a fifteen page letter to him littered with yet more allegations dating as far back as 1996, claiming a "pervasive pattern of doping" over many years.

Unsurprisingly, Armstrong has hit back: "I have never doped ... These charges are baseless [and] motivated by spite ... These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation."

I am a Desert Shield/Storm Veteran. During the war I was a Field Artillery Surveyor in the 1st Infantry Division. As such, I directly participated in the liberation of Kuwait from Iraq. This also means that I actually witnessed the results of what happened on the "Road of Death". This is the main road between Kuwait City and the Iraq border. Needless to say, the sights were not very pretty (I actually stepped on brain matter). For years now, I have been having difficulties so, I finally forced myself to go to the V.A. Medical Center in Bedford MA.

If anybody would like to do a story in the CENTER Universe please send me a PM. I am not creative enough for writing a full story, but I think my idea could be a interesting story with one of our talented authors working thier magic with thier creative minds
HUGS EVERYBODY -- RICHIE2

I LOVE THIS SITE

Maybe some of you are like me, a good song can change my mood, so I share with you this beautiful video that fills me with joy. Enjoy it you too. I was not privileged with a beautiful voice to sing, but likely I can dance like the small pet in the video. Isn’t it lovely ? Hugs.

http://youtu.be/oUMwu_gXK7Q

One of my favorite cartoonists, Chris Baldwin, sometimes gets work at MAD. Here's a vaguely relevant cartoon he did from the MAD site:

I have been having a bad day, can't find the root cause and have spent most of the day retreating into sleep... oddly, the one bright spot today was watching The new Muppet movie... i'm not looking for anything...just observing the fact that the Muppets rock.
di

Hello Stanman,

Yep, my phone line went dead late Friday night or early Saturday morning. I had to wait until Monday to call ATT to place the repair order. I thought it was fixed while I did the call, but then it went dead again. Hopefully it will be resolved by Wednesday.

Here is a new pic of me. I hope this works:

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-ash2/371255_10000223...

After seeing that blog about misfile I thought I'd start one about other transgendered webcomics I know of. It's not many and please add to the list, because I like reading web-comics. Keep in mind I'm just putting the few I know that have updated somewhat recently.

The Princess: http://the-princess.funonthe.net/ (Her personal site)
http://www.drunkduck.com/The_Princess/ the Drunk Duck site

Okay, as many of you know, this is the time of year when I start posting stuff about Whedonfest, the three day charity festival that celebrates the works of Joss Whedon and raises money for Equality Now and Kids Need to Read. If you are interested in coming to Whedonfest, which is being held near Nashville at a campground just outside of Scottsville KY, then please follow this link and check it out: Whedonitesunited.

For those with an interest in things cycling, Bradley Wiggins has just won the Criterium du Dauphine for the second year running, and on current form could be a good bet for the TdF, for at least a podium place or possibly (dare I say it) an overall win. If so he'd be the first Brit to do so. This win also places him third in the UCI rankings, with Team Sky, the top ranked teams. Yep, cycling's full of rankers!

Well done, Brad.

Angharad.

OK, so, I've been "out" for a while. Just about everyone knows about me, lots of people who passed me with only a casual glance were already seeing a girl... So it was time to take the next step and drop the male facade completely.

Last night as I drove to work, I listened to a marriage therapist talk about the different needs men and women have in a relationship. According to him, Men need to feel successful, women need to feel safe.

If that's true, then I really am a woman, because safety was the quality that was really missing in my marriage. I dont blame my wife, a lot of it was my fault - I was the one with the massive secret called "Dorothy", after all.

But regardless of fault or blame, the fact is that I never felt safe in my relationship with my wife.

Or with most other people, in fact.

MY WISH

I wish you never look back
But you never forget
All the ones who loved you
And the place you left

I hope you always forgive
And you never regret
And you help somebody
Every chance you get

I would like to thank all the readers of my story "Leadership" and especially those that commented.

The comments left for my story inspired me to keep on keeping on when it comes to writing.

Huggles All

Angel

Last night, I started to have a flashback, and I found a new way to ground myself. I started clicking the button on my safety knife (its the knife I use at work to open boxes). The sound of the clicks somehow kept me from spiraling out of control.

Interesting, no?

I'm sorry that the wrong story has been posted.
SamanthaK does all the posting for me, and she is visiting with a friend this week, and I think she was having a little bit to much fun when she made this mistake.
I've texted her and pointed out the problem, but I'm not sure when it will be fixed.
Please bear with us for the time being and I hope to have it fixed soon.

Hugs

SaraUK

I get a lot of comments about the faith morality of Odyssey. I obviously support Christianity, but I do not believe it is exclusive, the only way to God. It is man who tries to limit access to God, not God.

True Christianity is the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Everything else is clutter. Faith is belief in God, a one on one relationship. Faith is God reaching out to us. For me Christianity is a good fit. THe problem with Christianity is religion. Religion is MAN making rules to limit God. Religion is the work of Satan to corrupt faith.

I suppose it was bound to happen. Nay, it was destined to happen. In fact I've done it to myself on purpose. In a little over a month's time I am set to begin hormone therapy, if I decide to go through with things. I purposefully set a time in motion for HRT as sort of a way to "put up or shut up" and it looks like shut up is about to win out.

wow, i dont think i have ever seen as much as said about one story as angels leadership.
robert

Well, just got two big pieces of news. First, the federal government has passed a law extending anti-discrimination protection to trans people, meaning we no longer have to worry about things like losing a job or being denied housing because of who we are.

The second big announcement is one that effects me personally. The Alberta government has announced that they will once again cover SRS. This means that once I get my 2nd opinion in December, I will go on the list, and once they clear the backlog, I will be whole.

I actually cried with happiness when I heard this.

Spotted on Google+, shared by a prominent Googler (Kristoffer Sorensen):

The Danish Folketing has voted overwhelmingly in favour of a full ecclesiastical marriage service in the national Evangelical-Lutheran church for homosexual couples, to be instituted as a full, official marriage equal to that of heterosexual couples. After a lengthy and sometimes heated debate, which ran some three hours over its expected time, 85 members voted in favour of the law, 24 against and with two abstentions.

Source: Politiken.dk

Apparently, the reason the Folketing can rule in this way is that the Protestant Church in Denmark is a State Church.

It's been a while, I know. Unfortunately, that's how life has been for far too long now. I have about 6,000 words written of the next chapter and the rest planned out ages ago. So why is it not up yet?

There's an interesting comment piece in today's Indy. It mainly deals with gender roles in the workplace (so arguing from the WISE / MICE point of view¹), but could be applied more widely:

Instead of fighting for gender equality, let’s forget gender altogether

Ray Bradbury died last night at the age of 91, a unique voice whose writings will be treasured for centuries.

There saying on all the Net News spots thaT CALIFORNIA'S PROP 8 (SAME SEX MARRIAGE) IS HEADED TO THE FED SUPREME COURT IN WASH. DC. I just wonder if this will change the laws in both the states that voted for Same Sex Mar or voted against Same Sex Marriage like the voters just did in North Carolina reasonantly

Well tomorrow, my three-week stress fest commences as the biggest exam I will ever sit starts with English. Therefore, I won’t be on Big Closet (or the internet at all) until the 21st of June when I will be free for the rest of the summer. I cannot wait! The relief will be incredible! Anyway the first story I will be posting when I return will be Harry Potter and the Curse of the Emerald Witch — Part VI, the final and concluding chapter of the fan fiction novel along with the regular posting of a new Crossdressing Charlie episode! So, um, yep! That’s it!

My Plans

Well, maybe a few folks in these parts are wondering whether I'll ever finish the final story in my Ragnarok Rising trilogy and the answer is: YES! Hunger Pangs, my entry in the DRU universe is completed, but I decided to post it as a serial as a sort of test run for possible future serials and I'm rather pleased with the results. In particular I really enjoyed the more speculative comments. It's interest for me to see where people think the story might be headed.

This link is to the blog of an acquaintance of mine, Mark Evanier, who writes the Groo comic book and the Garfield television show among many other things. Mark is a whiz at words and here he does a marvelous job of expressing part of what I mean when I say, give everyone the benefit of the doubt.

http://www.newsfromme.com/2012/06/03/the-olaf-story/

Hugs to all,
Erin

I had a great day today, i went and visited one of my best friends, shes totally cool with me and treats me like nothing is different from me then her, though asks some awkward questions to learn which although awkward makes me very happy that she enjoys learning, about my transition.

Janet Jackson to produce transgender documentary

June 4, 2012, 8:39 PM EST

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Janet Jackson has signed on as an executive producer of a documentary on the lives of transgender people living around the world.

New York-based Brainchild Films announced Monday that Jackson was working on "Truth" and would do some of the on-camera interviews. The documentary begins production this summer and will focus on the lives and struggles of transgender persons.

Bing: Miss USA supports transgender contestants

Sorry folks, real life has intervened to prevent me having time to scribble tonight. Hope to do one tomorrow. Yesterday I drove up to see my daughter, today and tomorrow I have a visitor so have been busy. We did manage a nice twenty mile leg-stretch this afternoon on the bikes - rain forecast for tomorrow means we won't have that option again.

I'm really down on my mileage this year, only four hundred odd, a hundred of which I've done in the past fortnight.

Sorry about tonight, but I'm off to bed with two squabbling cats.

Erin provides a wonderful feature that lets readers post comments (virtually anonymously) on stories they've read, without having a login to the site.

I felt like sharing a little bit before I go away. Lately I've been having a lot of dreams and remembering them, which really isn't that odd for me but I know some people would be envious. A week ago I had a dream that my Aunt was back living and approved that I bought a house. I was more worried that since she was officially dead and I spent the inheritance, she didn't have anything to live on monetarily (though she would always be allowed to stay with me). Anyway, that's not the dream I wanted to talk about.

First off, real life back story or the dream won't make sense.

Well, the last couple of days I've been in the domestic department, but when the regular staffer came back from her weekend you would have thought I turned the whole department upside down. She actually swore at me, about me, and it was not a fun experience. My trouble with such stuff is that faced with something like that, I tend to turtle and often internalize whatever is being said to me.

This leads me to a point I've been thinking about for the last while.

I'm broken.

I'm a bit confused right now about how to handle this news.

This past week I went to the doctor about my high blood pressure and mentioned the soreness around my right nipple. After examining me, he said I have gynecomastia. I guess I'm not really surprised as I am 55 yrs old, 5'8" and 245 lbs. I'm confused because I have feelings of both "not another problem" and "WOW".

Well, yesterday I came out to my daughter's teacher, basically to get her to watch out for any signs that Sam is getting bullied because of my transition. Coming out wasnt that big a deal - to either of us, based on her reaction, but I felt better for taking a step to help deal with the anxiety I was having over Sam. Hmmm. Actually DOING something proactive? Could be a good idea for other stuff too...

So after reading the last episode of bike ( was bonkers as usual :)) I went on to read the comments.

3 out of the 4 comments where about men being just an extension of there genitalia or the likes ( and to make it clear it was far more racy then that). Now I want to ask you , how can a bunch of people who suffer from the wrong doings of society gender classification can be so sexist , so misandric and down right ignorant and offensive toward one gender?
This post will refer to "you" as those who wrote that comments or those who share the same mind state as them on this subject.

I am slowly walking down the path, fearfully, afraid, but moving forward.

The depression has receded, but it still lurks. Having accepted that I will probably transition, just not today, seems to have taken a load off. My boy says he thinks I am becoming much happier. I think he is right.

In the latest update the new girl wakes up - a nice, silly episode - enjoy.

As requested here is a link to Wishful Thinking ( which is what this blog is about)

http://wishful-thinking2.smackjeeves.com/comics/1473118/1/

There have been a number of news articles lately about supposed Christians acting hatefully towards gay, lesbians, or trans people.

But fortunately, not all Christians are like that, even ones who think its a sin.

A couple of people I can point to as examples of that is my brother and sister-in-law.

No matter how much they may think I'm making a mistake in transitioning, they continue to show love and support to me even when I was acting in a way that made me less than loveable.

Just wanted to give them some props for this.

I met a girl today; one of us, and she seemed quite happy and adjusted working the counter at Safeway, a local grocery store. I told her how thrilled to see one of use being treated decently and with respect. Some of us get none.

It made my day. As I finish this, I will return to my sick bed, wishing that she and all of us of the sisterhood will finally be given the lives we so long for.

She says we will meet later. I wonder

Gwendolyn