I am hopefully going to pride but dont really know what to wear despite doing some research. I know the basics about being comfortable and dont get sunburnt and stay hydrated but feel nervous about passing or people knowing my pronouns. Unfortunately i dont have pins or a flag making this harder, Is there any way to signal with body langauge or jewelry? Also is there any unspoken rule to follow so i know what not to do? I am planning cargo but think it will be too hot and online it mostly says bright or rainbow colors.     

I'll just do the commando thing sometimes.  I prefer longer skirts/dresses anyway.  Feels better in hot weather, and there's less laundry.

Most of my interaction with other trans folks is online, specifically here.  There are a few in my area (largely rural NC county) but the ones I'm aware of are mostly younger and in families.  I might see them occasionally at a monthly Pride meeting.   I do have a support group at the VA hospital (where I get my HRT) but it is an hour and a half drive up the mountain, and only twice a month.  That is in Asheville and there are more trans people up there.  In the last couple of months, some of the people in the group have invited me to stay up there after the meetings and go out to eat together.  That has really been nice.  There is something wonderful in being in the physical presence of other trans people closer to my own age.  And HUGS ! One time I asked one of them if I was likely to get in trouble using the bathroom in a restaurant where we were and they just told me, "This is Asheville."  (they know where I live) I've toyed with the idea of moving up there, but I couldn't afford it.

I have often wondered about my dreams.  I have never dreamt I was a girl but I have had lots of dreams about being dressed as a girl.  I'm not sure this was telling me anything profound.  Generally the situations I was in my dreams were stressful.  I haven't had dreams about dressing as a girl in a very long time, so perhaps since the anxiety that was associated with dressing female in real life is now mostly gone, so are the anxious dreams.

I was looking for the short piece I had written very long ago by now that I shared at the beginning of this topic.  Yesterday afternoon I was at a Garden Party at the home of my Bishop who is the head of the Episcopal Diocese Of Los Angeles.  The party was to mark the beginning of Pride Month for  LGBTQ people and our families here in the L.A. area and as usual was a lot of good fun and companionship for the people from our 100+ Churches in the Diocese.  There was only one brief sermonette that included reference to one of our basics of belief, and that is that we respect the DIGNITY of EVERY human being.  Yes, Trans too deserve respect for our dignity.  Happy Pride month.

I think it's disgusting that the Tories are using this as a last panicked attempt to gain power. They know there's alot of hate for trans people and it's seems they are using this to gain popularity and not let labour win. They are playing with people's lives and they don't care who they crush on their way to power. It makes me so mad. I really dislike rishi sunak and his values. Labour aren't perfect either, I understand they too are trying to stop trans women from being in single sex spaces. I'm ashamed of my country right now.

A blue/green/white floral popover, a light blue skirt and slip-ons. Picture is in my album in the gallery!

LOVE IT!! 💯💯💯

I'm 53yo as I write this.  I have been on a M->F transition journey for several years.  My last two female partners died in 2017 and in 2019 and I've been single since then living alone in my medium small sized house until 5 months ago.   For various reasons, mostly financial, I opened my house up to roommates even though my house is technically a one bedroom house.  Since then, I've had 3 Gen Z transwomen live with me off and on.  They have brought their transwomen friends over.  Last week I had a new transwoman friend over who is just a couple years younger than me and we had a good cuddle together.  I dated an older transwoman last year for 3 months.  I had another Gen Z transwoman over a couple weeks ago.  And there is a transman who has become a friend and has been over several times and might be by today.   You can go back to my first posts on this site and read about how concerned I was that transitioning would make me even more isolated than I had been.  And I have been very, very isolated for several decades.  But obviously quite the opposite has happened.  I don't know how representative of the larger world what I see in my house is.  I've played music with almost all of the people that have come through my house.  Most of them are excellent musicians and playing a style on acoustic instruments that is a new sound for me to listen to.   It certainly hasn't been perfect either.  For various reasons, the living arrangement here has been a struggle.  Finances have been a problem for all of us.  I think every last one of us has lived in cars for extended periods of time.  Anyway.  I'm in reflection mode closing this scene down.  Last week was frantic with packing, inventory and cleaning.  I'm mostly in relaxation mode now.  It's 11:07am.  I just finished lunch and I'm a little sleepy.  I've only been sleeping 4 hours a night for the last 3 months because of a crazy unpaid work situation I've been in, so perhaps I'll treat myself to a nap and try to get back to a healthier sleep schedule.  It's been a whirlwind of activity this year and much of that is going to continue on for me.   I feel blessed to have the virtual community on TGP and this physical community in my home.  I wasn't quite expecting this aspect of transition.  I think the first thing my last GT said to me was "you should find some transgender community online."  The first 2 GT I had didn't work well for me and I dumped them pretty quickly, but my last one did great with me.  She always pointed out that I was pretty well adjusted.  It's not like this transgender experience needs to be some mental crisis or medical problem.  I haven't seen my GT in probably 7 months now mostly because of financial problems, but I'm doing fine with it all.  She did a really good job guiding me through this journey.   Just so you know, I tend to not ask questions much unless someone is saying something that I am interested in and have an idea for clarification.  I tend to just spill my guts about things and think that others do that as well without being asked questions.  So....   What has your experience been like meeting other transgender people?  What does the community feel like in your environment?  Is this just crazy liberal Portland stuff or are there pockets of this all over the place?   Hugs, Lydia

I think I do live in the moment - perhaps too much sometimes.     As for the demons…

Yup.

It certainly can be.  But it doesn't have to be.   The sports always come up, it's kinda the gateway.  And yeah, it's not simple.  I think there is no blanket solution for that one.   I also think there is no blanket solution for HRT.  As such it should be left up to the individuals involved.  I don't think puberty blockers, and hormones should be given out like candy - especially to kids.  However, with counseling, and the involvement of the parents and doctors, the state should stay out of it.  For a trans person there is an advantage to starting fairly young.  I wish I could have.   The idea that the human race will die out if we let people transition is ludicrous.  Cis people have no desire to transition and I expect there will still be plenty of people with the urge to [procreate] to keep things going.    Trans people may be more visible these days, but trans people have always existed.  And the last I looked, there are still enough people around to screw things up.

Good afternoon everyone,    While I’m here late today, my morning was filled with tasks. I hope your Monday is going well and you have a wonderful week.    Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🏳️‍⚧️🦋

Grievous, illogical, counterproductive, and shameful. If ciswomen truly require protection via government policy, then by the same token so do trans people. Both the feminist and trans communities essentially want the same things - access to healthcare; autonomy over one's own body to benefit from that healthcare; freedom from violence and discrimination; and the right to be as they are regardless of status quo societal expectations, stereotypes, myths, and biases. These so-called protections do nothing but enforce patriarchal domination while further splintering communities who, logically speaking, SHOULD be allied as not only do they fundamentally have the same goals, but a wealth of knowledge and experience of how to organize and achieve.