Kathy's journey

[Jayne01]

Thanks, Jayne and Donna.  The obituary won't be changed.  Through family connections, my wife learned that it was written by his mother, who has always been non-accepting of his transition.  The misgendering was deliberate.  So sad.

OMG! That is so sad. I am having trouble comprehending such a deliberate act of cruelty.

[KathyLauren]

OMG! That is so sad. I am having trouble comprehending such a deliberate act of cruelty.

Yeah, me too.  One final twist of the knife.  That actually made me sadder than his passing.  And angry.

[steph2.0]

Thanks, Jayne and Donna.  The obituary won't be changed.  Through family connections, my wife learned that it was written by his mother, who has always been non-accepting of his transition.  The misgendering was deliberate.  So sad.

That is one of the saddest things I've heard. He died after being forced to choose between being true to himself, and his mother's love. It's just terrible!


- Stephanie

[KathyLauren]

Yesterday evening, my wife and I went to the town's ceremony of raising the rainbow flag for IDAHoTB.  I like the fact that a little place in what is considered a very rural area can make a public display of supporting queer communities.  Attendance was decent: perhaps 100 or 150 people.  Several trans people, mostly LGB people, and quite a few apparently straight people.  Anything that normalizes our existence is a good thing.  The mayor comes across as smarmy, but his support seems genuine.

[edit] Pics or it didn't happen...  That's me in the red jacket, centre-left, with my wife to my right.

(Still from NSLive TV video report by Brian Cottam)

[Jayne01]

Yesterday evening, my wife and I went to the town's ceremony of raising the rainbow flag for IDAHoTB.  I like the fact that a little place in what is considered a very rural area can make a public display of supporting queer communities.  Attendance was decent: perhaps 100 or 150 people.  Several trans people, mostly LGB people, and quite a few apparently straight people.  Anything that normalizes our existence is a good thing.  The mayor comes across as smarmy, but his support seems genuine.

[edit] Pics or it didn't happen...  That's me in the red jacket, centre-left, with my wife to my right.

(Still from NSLive TV video report by Brian Cottam)

Kathy, it is very cool that your small community displays such support. Silly question, what is IDAHoTB?

Jayne

[KathyLauren]

IDAHoTB = International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.  Originally called IDAHo because it made a cute acronym, they later added the T and B.

Yes, that particular town is a pretty civilized place.  The fact that university students almost outnumber permanent residents keeps it interesting.  It's about a half-hour drive from our tiny village.

[steph2.0]

Kathy, it is very cool that your small community displays such support. Silly question, what is IDAHoTB?

Jayne

Thank you, Jayne. I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't get it. I had to look it up. International Day Against Homophobia Transphobia, and Biphobia.

Stephanie

[Jayne01]

Thank you Kathy and Steph for the definition. My little brain is being overloaded with acronyms.

[steph2.0]

Thank you Kathy and Steph for the definition. My little brain is being overloaded with acronyms.

I know! Too many TLAs, FLAs, and now SLAs!

Stephanie

[Jayne01]

I know! Too many TLAs, FLAs, and now SLAs!

Stephanie

TLA = Thrust Lever Angle
FLA = Flap Lever Angle
SLA = ?

I can list hundreds more. And then it depends who came up with the acronym, the same letters can mean different things.

FCU (Boeing) = Fuel Control Unit
FCU (Airbus) = Flight Control Unit

Sorry Kathy, I got carried away with plane talk again.


Jayne

[KathyLauren]

I know! Too many TLAs, FLAs, and now SLAs!

Stephanie

Ha!  I thought you had to attend DECUS to know what a TLA is.  (DECUS was the annual convention for users of Digital Equipment Corporation computers, now defunct.)  DECcies know about them.

OK, I'll take pity on poor Jayne...

TLA = Three Letter Acronym.
FLA = Four Letter Acronym.
etc.

[steph2.0]

Ha!  I thought you had to attend DECUS to know what a TLA is.  (DECUS was the annual convention for users of Digital Equipment Corporation computers, now defunct.)  DECcies know about them.

OK, I'll take pity on poor Jayne...

TLA = Three Letter Acronym.
FLA = Four Letter Acronym.
etc.

One of my favorites, especially applicable to movie and TV producers in the 70s who showed computers, was FLI.

Flash Lights Impressively

Stephanie

[Jayne01]

TLA = Three Letter Acronym.
FLA = Four Letter Acronym.
etc.

No, no, no!!!! They are aviation acronyms!!! They are, they really, really are!!!

I suppose I can accept your version as well. [emoji16]

Jayne

[KathyLauren]

I took our car to the dealer this morning to get serviced.  They have my proper name on file, and call me Kathy or Miss Walker when I go there.

It occurred to me how much visibility I get there.  The counter staff in the service department know me.  The sales staff in the showroom don't know who I am, but they know that I have killed time in there, and that I drive an older model, so will be a potential customer in a few years.  From them, management will know that they have a regular customer who is transgender.  So, if the mechanics on the shop floor start talking trash about trans people, they are going to hear about it from management: "We have a trans customer, so don't be talking like that." 

That is not a bad way to normalize our presence in society at large, just by going out and being myself.  I like that.

[christinej78]

Hi Kathy,                18 May 2018

How's the 800 foot driveway coming along? You do know you could have it paved for a couple hundred.... thousand dollars.

Best Always,
Christine

[Jayne01]

That is not a bad way to normalize our presence in society at large, just by going out and being myself.  I like that.

That is a great way to look at things. Just be yourself. We are normal people, living normal lives. Only thing that makes us different is that many of us get the opportunity to experience life in two genders.

Jayne

[KathyLauren]

Hi Kathy,                18 May 2018

How's the 800 foot driveway coming along? You do know you could have it paved for a couple hundred.... thousand dollars.

Best Always,
Christine

It's pretty much done for this season.  The worst of the bumps are smoothed out.  It's still not quite as smooth as I'd like it, but it will smooth itself out when it softens up in next year's thaw.

[Donna]

I don't know what my sister paid but there drive is 1/2 a mile from the highway to the house. That would suck if the plow quit in the winter.

[LizK]

Yesterday evening, my wife and I went to the town's ceremony of raising the rainbow flag for IDAHoTB.  I like the fact that a little place in what is considered a very rural area can make a public display of supporting queer communities.  Attendance was decent: perhaps 100 or 150 people.  Several trans people, mostly LGB people, and quite a few apparently straight people.  Anything that normalizes our existence is a good thing.  The mayor comes across as smarmy, but his support seems genuine.

Its always great to receive that kind of public affirmation. It also gives you a gauge on how others are reacting to our community. Sounds to me that your community is a very forgiving and open one. I agree with you...anything that does normalise us is a good thing...we just need more of them!!

Take care

Liz

[christinej78]

It's pretty much done for this season.  The worst of the bumps are smoothed out.  It's still not quite as smooth as I'd like it, but it will smooth itself out when it softens up in next year's thaw.

Hi Kathy,                 18 May 2018

Are you saying it hasn't thawed out yet? It was over 100° f here today; nothing frozen in sight.

Best Always, Love,
Christine