Cotton In The Breeze – A New Year’s Eve Special

I wiped another table, I paused for a moment, looked down and noticed. I stood up again and looked to double check. I was a waitress. It was the black skirt that gave it away. Short enough that I knew it was something that would be noticed by others, workers, customers, may be even a friend that might just come in for a latte. I wasn’t going to be able to hide this away. It was pretty obvious who I was presenting myself as and that’s how I would be working.


The day started with a dream, which Hannah describes in splendid detail, as only Hannah can do.  The post ends up with some of Hannah's resolutions for the New Year.  Another awesome post, from Hannah.

Happy New Year!

It's OK!

......there is plenty of room to differentiate cross dressers and transgender women.






Time for a visit to the Condo.  A short one, from Cyrsti.

Goodbye 2017

I’ll let you into a little secret…I blog in the bath! Have done for nearly 3 years 😄 It’s the only place I can feel sure to get an hour or so to blog undisturbed. Today is no exception – sorry about the mental image!




The first paragraph of Anna's post caught my eye and made me smile.  This one is a long-overdue post just telling us how it's going.

Catholic transphobia

Catholics are taught to hate and fear trans folk. US Catholic bishops have signed a letter seeing us not as individuals but as some nebulous threat: The movement today to enforce the false idea—that a man can be or become a woman or vice versa—is deeply troubling. It compels people to either go against reason—that is, to agree with something that is not true—or face ridicule, marginalization, and other forms of retaliation.



As someone born and raised Catholic, it pained me to feature this post from Clare, but it needed to be said....

My Triggers

.....all of my life CDing was an impulse, nothing joyful or happy.  It was never at all satisfying.  I hated it and I hated myself when I succumbed.  It was never, ever complete.  It could be simply wearing a bra.  It might have been getting completely dressed, covered with my then voluminous body hair, and dressed only from the neck down.  I looked ridiculous and felt the same.  Shame and guilt, always. 






Kandi discusses the triggers that have led to her crossdressing episodes over the years, the feelings afterwords, and her eventual acceptance.  I'm sure many will relate.

The Camera Never Lies

We trans people have a complex relationship with our own image, and a lot of us never manage to quite come to terms with it. 




Jenny is so right.  She's shares a lovely image of herself with us and has a few words to say about how the camera never lies.

A 10-Year-Old Boy’s Christmas List

Last week, for the second year in a row, C.J. walked up to Santa and said, “I don’t believe in you, but I want to tell you what I want for Christmas just in case.”



A holiday post, from Lori, one of the best mom's ever!

All I Want for Christmas is….Clothes. No Really.

It is a light box suspiciously similar to the ones the kids just tore into.  You set your glass down and start to open it carefully, then you see a hint of the box, a pink stripe.  You get a little excited and open the wrapping a little less carefully, yup pink stripes of alternating shades.



A creative holiday post, from Jess, that should make you smile.

Christmas Wishes

I had, perhaps somewhat pointlessly, been worrying about making the Chams Christmas Party just so. I don't know if it was because it was our last meeting of the year, or if I just wanted our lovely lot to get a good night as all of themselves.



And just how did the Cham's Christmas party go?  Lynn, one of my fav bloggers, tells us all about it.

A rare seasonal present.

I drove Santa’s sleigh! Yes, I know, like most worshiped characters this one is a madey up character and my Santa was a lecherous child hater who loved his Bunny Girl helpers. My job was to load the sleigh ride and run it for as long as I judged suitable to keep the customer flow going and grab the moving landscape side-screens if either jammed.




I'm thrilled to feature a rare post from one of our longest bloggers.  This is an interesting holiday post, with only the most subtle reference to Caroline's former life.

Christmas Time

I can’t tell you everything about that Christmas, I just know that the real gift was that they were there at 4am waiting for us to get up, to surprise us. I will never know that unconditional, selfless love from a group of people again, something you get as a child from your family. But I will always remember it, our gift at Christmas.


Beth has shared some childhood memories with us about Christmas Time.

Scared of my own self.

Whilst writing this blog entry, the very thought of being scared of my own actions is by itself, utterly ridiculous.  What am I?  Scared of somehow motivating myself to get everything from storage and begin wearing it again?  As if I would be unable to stop myself?   Irrationally – yes. 


Will Fiona fall off the wagon?  She discusses the prospect in a well written post titled, Scared of my own self.

I’m not a man, but am I a boy or boi?

Sometimes I have trouble inhabiting this body.  it has gotten waaaaaaay easier since top surgery and testosterone.  BUT!  Do you know what’s cool about this body?  The size of my body is exactly between “boy’s” sizes and “men’s” sizes, in every way.  I love that – it’s kind of perfect.




Interesting thoughts, from JQ.  You'll find the answer to the question in the post.

The Guy Wearing a Bra who got searched by the TSA

One of my commitments with the store is to help all people find the intimate apparel which suits their needs, preferences, and budgets, including men. Men wear bras for any number of personal and medical reasons, and I have been a strong advocate in not only helping men traverse their own unique fit problems but also in encouraging broader societal acceptance. Through these efforts, I came to meet Shay who has a medical condition known as gynecomastia which causes the benign growth of breasts in biological males.


This is a different kind of featured post.  It's really not trans-related, but I found this on the Sophisticated Pair blog site.  Erica is associated with this store and it's her thoughts, in italics, above.  In her blog, she features a guest post from a costumer, Shay.  Shay is not trans, but he has gynecomastia and needs the support of a bra.  Shay writes about his experiences with the TSA. 

You can find more about Shay here.

Oh, and since this is a trans-friendly shop, why not check it out.

Feminine Differential - Nails

.....the few extra minutes that "doing my nails" requires is part of the glorious process. Like the finishing touch - Part of the feminine differential.




Here's another blog post from Rhonda's Feminine Differential series.  Rhonda's nails, and yours, are the subject of this one.

Fashionable Sole Trader

There are exceptions, such as fetish fashions and cos-play, but the general rule of thumb is to pass you need to dress your age in a style that suits you.


Passing takes some fashion common sense.   Dawn is spot on with her post, Fashionable Sole Trader. 

Down the Toilet?

Dru Marland's blog is Upside Down in a Cloud. Although she rarely posts on trans issues these days, when she does, it is a voice of long experience and is well worth reading.


Proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act will result in a flood of male pervs dashing into women's toilets all across the land. Allegedly.

Whoah, though, where did this come from?

Where indeed? If you're worried about the prospect, though (and who wouldn't be?) then do consider;  when people talk about nasty men coming into the women's toilets to, I dunno, do nasty voyeuristic pervy things, they're actually talking about me.

In her latest post “Down the Toilet” she takes on the conservative agenda on two continents. 

No One Knows All of Me

I am parts male and female, a unique way of going through life.  But I have secrets.  I have lived my life putting forth defense mechanisms to manage my gender issues.  My biggest regret is that no one really knows me, the real, strip all the BS away, me.  No one, and maybe not even I know the real me.  Heck, I denied this part of me for almost 50 years.








Only two people know that Kandi exists, and that's sad.  Kandi tells you all about it in her post, No One Knows All of Me.

This is a new blog listing on T-Central.  For the 411 on Kandi, go to her About page.

Winter reflections

I freaked out and chose the path of self-destruction.  In the very long and cold early hours of a March night, I felt like I could go no further in this world and started to take steps to end everything.










2017 started out OK for Jacklyn, but now she could use a few hugs....   She shares her winter reflections with us.

Not A Life Choice – More on Medical

None of this is cheap. So, remind me again of how this would be someone’s life choice?






Emma says a lot in those two sentences, above.  In this post, she discusses, in detail, the many costs associated with a male-to-female transition.  The dollar amounts can be staggering, especially if insurance doesn't cover everything, which is often the case.  Nice post from Emma Morgaine Croft.
. 

New Technique For GCS

There is a new surgical procedure for Gender Confirming Surgery (GCS) that is all the rage in the trans community, trans women are demanding the surgery… but what is it? Is it for everyone?


The penile inversion method and the colon graft method are the two techniques I am familiar with.  What Diana discusses in this post should be of great interest as a stand-alone approach or perhaps as a hybrid method of vaginoplasty incorporating both the existing and the new technique discussed in her post.

Trans women are no threat

Where a woman has been attacked or violated recently, she may feel particularly vulnerable. She may feel a woman’s changing room should be a safe space, and be disturbed to see someone she reads as a man there. I sympathize with that. I try to be sensitive. I am not demonstrative in women’s space, but make myself small so as not to be noticed.



Trans women are no threat.  We all know that.  Clare agrees and has a few comments of her own on the subject.

George Who?

It was six years ago today that my wild, hysterically funny, often impossible to deal with mermaid, Barbie doll and wig-loving little boy tearfully told me, “my whole life I’ve wanted to be a girl.”  And, boom, everything changed.


I love this post, from Julie, the very accepting and loving mother of Jess. 

I believe this is the first time this blog has been featured on T-Central.  Julie's blog dates back to her first post, in January, 2012, titled Jessie.

Being out. Being me.

I had a couple of what I'd call just regular chats with people in shops. I say regular because they felt no different to how I'd talk to them in Richard mode. I think you can gauge when people want to talk, and when you're just intruding on their day or time. I had a long-ish talk about make-up routines with a specialist in a department store. Much as she's paid for her patter, she seemed genuinely complimentary about my make-up. Good to know I don't look a complete mess then! :-D

It was just a lovely, lovely day for Lynn.  Going shopping, being out and being Lynn.

Blonde Bombshell

Honestly, a part of me felt prettier than I had ever felt in my life. In the past five years I've gotten so much better at makeup, two years of HRT has helped to sculpt my face, and I've been working my way to a healthier weight.
 

Faith prefers the brunette look but oh does she rock the look as a Blonde Bombshell.  You'll love this post.  It's about fashion, shopping and hair.....with lots of pictures of this absolutely gorgeous girl. 

Hair, hormones and Transliving

Lucy has been growing her natural hair for nearly a year now. It is longer than shoulder length and VERY curly! So curly in fact that it is growing out sidewards rather than down. This is mainly because she has not had it cut at all so it has no shape or style. 


I love progress reports from supportive partners.....like Avril.  It's all good news in, Hair, hormones and Transliving.  Did Lucy do anything about all of that lovely hair?  Read the post to find out! 

feeling sexy

Here are the results of a recent survey of genetic women:
“A new hairdo, walking in heels and a glowing tan are among the things that make a woman feel sexy. Freshly applied lipstick, newly-shaved legs and a little black dress also have a positive effect on the psyche”


And just what makes a trans-woman feel sexy?  Well, Joanna, tells you just in case you don't already know.  As is always the case, Joanna says a lot, with relatively few words.  It's a quick read.

Breasts: One Transwoman's Perspective

My breasts grew steadily.  One night in May 2013, I went to Angela's Laptop Lounge.  I was still wearing breast forms at that time.  A friend of mine said that my breasts looked comically large.  I slipped under the table where we sat, and removed my forms.  I haven't worn them since, and sold both of my sets of breast forms on ebay some years ago.  I still have the famous "prosthetic" in storage.





Sophie writes about living with and growing breasts and does a pretty classy job of it.

Ask Hannah!

due to my surrounding people and my image I can’t able to complete my desire. Please suggest something that helps me to full fill my desire to become a girl without knowing anyone.








I was that 19 year old boy once too.  Problem is, that was prime-time for transitioning and I didn't.  Assuming this guy has nothing in his mind beyond crossdressing fun, Hannah's answer make a lot of sense.

The scariest word is Permanent

That said there is a word that has a specific meaning and is perhaps the most terrifying one in the English language to crossdressers, permanent.  But we should not fear this word, perhaps even embrace it.


Since this blog is authored by a crossdresser, the word, "permanent", does not infer transition.  So just what is Jess referring to?   Read, The scariest word is Permanent, to find out.

Hit by “Trans-Friendly” Fire

When they interviewed me and my young trans daughter, both reporters seemed sympathetic to us and claimed to be trans-friendly.  So why did they turn around and write such transphobic articles?  


From GenderMom's blog post, regarding the picture on the right:

One of these little girls is trans. The other one gets to claim her gender without journalists constantly second-guessing her ability to do so. Can you guess which is which?

This is an article about transphobia, but not THAT kind of transphobia that you and I might experience.  This is about the "emerging" acceptance of parents that their child may, indeed, have gender identity issues and the lack of acceptance by the general public that a child, at 5 years old or whatever, can be trusted when claiming he or she is living within the wrong gender.  

Extremely well written and a must-read, from GenderMom.  

we might be getting somewhere

Lo and behold there was a sign that very much caught my attention and I just had to take a picture. It was an indication that we might be advancing as a species.



A short one, from Joanna.  I like the sign!

Transgender Transition's Slippery Slope

Back in those days, I had three friends who ended up supporting me and they indirectly pushed me along. I did feel as if I was sliding down a slippery gender slope to a transgender life.



So, we all know she did go sliding down the slope.  How is she doing now?   Read, Transgender Transition's Slippery Slope, to find out.  

Our girl's blog has a new look, by the way.  Looks good, Cyrsti!

Femininity or Female

What was the cut off point? I mean when you think about it where was the border where I am a male with more feminine traits than most or so much so that I am, when it comes to gender, female with a male body.





This is a wonderful blog post, as is the case with all of Hannah's.  I wish I could meet this girl.  We seem to think alike.  

In the wide-open spaces of the American West, we can think nothing of driving 6 hours to see a friend.  I read what Hannah wrote in this post and it immediately made me think of the thoughts Clare, who lives north of Hannah in Scotland, has shared in her blog.  Clare has transitioned and has felt that she could have lived as a feminine male.  Hanah is still pursuing her options.... Femininity or Female.... Now if those two could get together and talk.....

Asking for it

Jen: How did you first sit down and have a serious conversation with your wife about your dressing?

Pandora: How long did it take you to find and/or settle into your style?

And did you go through the awkward "dressing much to young for your age" phase?



Lynn answers the questions, above, in the last half of this post.  Great answers, too!  

The first half deals with a bit of ME-TOO stuff....it does happen within our community. 

Some more thoughts about transgenders and society

Late middle age transition has another problem - most of us have been brought up that gender was binary, and not a fluid spectrum.  So if we want romance, it's much harder to find, as people of this generation often see transgenders as something that's neither fish nor fowl.  We're not completely women, and we're certainly not men.  Since we can't be defined well in their eyes due to how others in our generation view gender, we have a much harder time finding romantic partners, much less compatible romantic partners for us.


A few thoughts, from Marian.

TDOR, Uncle Frank, And Cousin Steve’

This will be only my second TDOR.  I never knew of this event until last year though I have been transsexual my entire life. 





Her first TDOR was last year, yet she began hormone replacement therapy in 1979.  There's a lot more to this post, however, and it concerns her Uncle Frank and Cousin Steve.  It's a sad story and worth reading. 

Four More Years!

I remember the very first MN T-Girl meeting at Cafe Southside in Minneapolis.  I arrived a little early and wondered if anyone would show up.  But a few people did, and now, 4 years and a whole lot of eyeliner later, the group is still going strong with close to 200 members.




Those who follow T-Central know how I value the importance of local transgender groups.  It looks like the Minneapolis T-Girls are going strong.  If you live in the area and are not a member, I can guarantee you that joining a group such as the MN T-Girls will provide lots of friendship and support.  Here's to many more years and many more members!  Four More Years!

Pressure to Transition

I had known some butch lesbians around my age when I was growing up but I didn’t start meeting many older butch women until after I detransitioned. Meeting them has been healing beyond words. 


This is an excellent from-the-heart and brutally honest post from a woman who transitioned to male and then detransitioned.  Take the time to read this one.  It's a very different point-of-view from an other detransition posts that have been featured on T-Central.

My Outfit - Making It Work

That was certainly not the look that I would ever
go for!  I mean seriously, it is not like it didn't fit a little bit, it didn't fit a lot!  It was so bad, that I wondered why I even purchased it! 



Nadine did purchase it and she did make it work.  She's shared several pictures to prove it.  I think she looks great.  Love the top!  Love the skirt!  Love the look!