Well…  I hope everything goes well.  I guess she's familiar with the process by now.

Being a drag performer is THAT lucrative a job opportunity? In Idaho?  $926k is equivalent to 18 years' pay for an average worker in that state.   I understand that attorney fees can run pretty high, though.  

@NoEli6, I completely understand where you're coming from, and I sympathize with you.  Yes, I believe it is true that trans men get shortchanged when it comes to recognition of your numbers in the world, the attention paid by the MSM, as well as the trans community and academia.  I also think that is changing, based on the number of articles I see in my news feed.  There are also many more articles on research papers concerning HRT and other issues facing trans men.   So it is understandable that many in our community downplay the struggles trans men go through.  I do think that trans women face a more dangerous world than trans men, and for the same reasons that cis women face more dangers than cis men.  All one needs to do is look at the statistics on the murder and assaults of trans women.  That said, trans men do also face dangers out there in the world, and I don't discount that at all.  There was a much loved trans man on this site years ago whose own father shot him when he was about your age.  So yeah, I do understand your fears.  They are real and justified.   As @Charlizesaid, your time will come and things will get better for you.  We see you, we cherish you, and we respect your feelings.  You are welcome here.   HUGS   Carolyn Marie

I asked myself this very thing many times through the years.  Ultimately, I realized these feelings were being heavily influenced by the concept of gender needing to be singular.  I guess the strong influence makes sense, since it has been so ingrained into our society.  I found the will to reject the concept, though, because it wasn't right for me.  Doing so, allowed me to be at peace with my bi-gender nature.     

@KathyLauren This is how the jurors broke down the award:     Being labeled as a molester and sexual pervert can and has done that much actual damage in terms of repair of the damage through a wide variety of means including legal fees and loss of livelihood in any job or profession.  As this said the idea of "reckless disregard for the truth" means that the performer was able to show a level of damage that will affect him now and in the future.  The $900K+ figure was a matter of real evidence of the damage. 

Well, it has been an interesting morning.  I stayed home from service to take care of a partner.  She's the youngest of us, and I'm usually not her first choice for affection.  But this morning she curled up in my lap right before breakfast, and told me she was feeling ill.  And then threw up on me about 30 seconds later....   I guess the smell of the food is what did it, poor thing.  On a hunch, she took a pregnancy test and.... yep.    She's been married to our husband for 10 years, and this will be her 6th, so I'm happy for her.  We took a shower and she got back in our nest to sleep some more, which is probably the best medicine of all.  Maybe she'll feel better this afternoon. 

Article said $250,000 of it was "punitive."  To me, seems like the whole thing was punitive...which I don't think is appropriate at all. 

Biden himself is driving that "divisive wedge."  Could have done without the anti-gun garbage in his statement....it makes it seem like all LGBTQ+ folks agree with their agenda.  Which simply isn't true, and makes life difficult (and unsafe) for those of us who prefer to live in rural (and non-Democrat) areas.  Pride month would be happier for many (and more socially accepted) if it could somehow be separated from ancillary political issues. 

I haven't seen the ruling, but it is unlikely that the entire amount was for actual damages.  The majority was likely punitive, as it should be.

Unless somehow this caused a million dollars worth of damage to somebody's livelihood or life, the amount of this judgement seems excessive.  Not something I would call "uplifting" or anything to be pleased about. 

Thanks so much, @Ivy Good to hear good sense about this. —Davie

You do have what are called Receptor Cells in your body, that take the T or E and actually put them to work structuring your body.  I learned about this from a genetics study being done through the University Of California that I took part in through a Transgender Conference I attended.  Turned out  that my actual T receptor cells had some extra bits of protein in their make-up that they knew inhibited certain (unknown specifically) functions of the hormones.  My Endocrinologist even commented that he was not as concerned about what my blood levels were because the level in my blood stream was not doing anything, it was what the receptor cells did with it that mattered.    That said though, to me it seems like your T actually has done a pretty good job on you from what you say.  Just like my direction of MtF, males come in so many different editions, shapes, and sizes that to me you would fit in there just fine, maybe not in your personal ideal of masculinity, but you seem to fit in the box pretty well from what you are saying.  I  would get back with your Gender Therapist for a bit to get help on self acceptance of where you are.

Good morning everyone,    It’s another rainy cool morning here in central Indiana so in spite of getting up at 06:30 to quickly get Parker outside to do his business, then scoop him up some kibble and fill his water bowl. We’ve been cat napping with the Smithsonian Channel streaming Arial America.    Well said @Willow about being Trans Enough.    Hugs,   Mindy🌈🐛🐛🦋    

Thanks you for posting.  Is Eli your chosen name?  I'm not surprised that you have heard the complaints of MTF folks and their struggles.  We all see our own struggles as being the worst.  That being said i've known quite few trans men who have gone through a great struggle.  While our social difficulties are real i have found finding peace with myself has been every bit as hard if not harder in the long run.  That has little or nothing to do with passing.       I definitely am privileged as an educated white person in an accepting area.  I have to accept that as well.       As to HRT, the time will come if that is the path you change.  Facial hair, as well as body hair, a deep voice and slight but powerful physical changes will eventually allow you to pass.  As i waited to start hormones i found it was a time when i could start the long path towards self acceptance.  I will never be a cis woman and finding peace with that can still be a challenge for any trans person.   Hugs,   Charlize  

Surprise of the day - syncronicity - nice find of a band I'd never heard of ...    

Feeling happy, blessed and content today.

Are you able to live in the moment or does your inner demon generally control you?

Still have anxious moments meeting some.

Emotional trauma, also known as psychological trauma, is an emotional response to a distressing event that's outside the normal range of human experiences. It can be caused by a single event or a series of events that make someone feel unsafe or helpless, and can have a mental impact that's just as harmful as physical injuries.