Dear editor,

The bad news

I was/ am disappointed that you did not print the article I offered you.

It was not until I saw your feature article that I understood why you would not publish an article on transgender suicide.

Should a male to female decide they need an unwind ale or two, your inch high headline "Real men wear frocks" is going to have some distinctly interesting effects.

The good news

I can now, honestly and accurately, hold you Mr. A____ S______, editor of ______ (my local gay publication), personally and publicially, responsible for any transgender suicide attempt.

Furiously yours

(mod edit)

I wrote the following, intending to get it published, for a gay publication in early september.
They have said they refuse to do so.
Fine when teh monthly comes out if this topic is not covered they will get the following email

Thanks for not doing anything about the topic. I can not honestly and accurately hold you Mr. ______ _______ (two words) personally and publicly responsible for any transgender sucidide attempts.

I think it might be somewhere in the forums, but, as usual Ican not be bothered looking for it

It is of course copyright to me.

For your information between 35 and 40 percent of male to female transgender people commit suicide..... and recently I have been considering it.

Clayton’s support

Having no knowledge of the transgender gabfest in Cairns apart from what I read in this magazine and in the ______ I would like to make a few comments.
Apparently the transgender system is moving to a system of informed consent. An extension of the entire society’s move away from group responsibility to place responsibility upon the individual.
Earlier this year I was asked to get an informed consent form completed and was warned doing so might prove difficult.
Initially I thought not a difficult task. I could get a doctor to fill out one section of the form, then I’d get a solicitor to do likewise. I was most distinctly wrong. Neither a doctor or a legal eagle would sign the form independent of the other’s presence. Both groups (and I did approach several in both professions) wanted the other present in the same room before either would autograph the form. Which is what was required because I had already been informed of what I needed to know.
Why is my getting a script filled no longer look upon a chance to get a second informed opinion? And why is my consuming the medicine no longer considered consent?
Anyhow this technicality most distinctly increased my stress levels for a while, which is not something the transgender person really needs. We have enough stress.
More than enough stress, if the suicide rate is any indication.
And as the conference expressed concern over the suicide rate. With your indulgence I would like to address this at some length.
In my opinion, the suicide rate is not something the medical profession can do much about. However the media and, more importantly, the individual, can.
Alas I see no signs of any effort being made.
None whatsoever.
Earlier this year I was, socially, introduced to a group of support workers by a peer, then promptly collectively ignored.
They had not left their work at work. Fair enough. I’ve been known to vent about work outside the work place.
What was not fair, one of the males decided, the next time he saw me, to try to chat me up.
When I reacted badly, as usual, to the approach he was told I was simply throwing a fit and should be left alone.
Frighteningly none of these, apparently trained, people had any notion what they were doing was/is not supportive. Indeed this gay boy, apparently, believes he might be able to seduce me.
Excluding the recent lesbian day, I have yet to spend an afternoon in my local gay pub where an average of a half dozen boys try an pick me up. And judging by it’s regularity a majority of the men believe they are entitled to grope as a way to induce seduction.
The ladies should not get smug. Earlier this year a young lesbian did a snap poll. She asked when did the people (including myself) around the table start menstruating?
Another young lady apparently believes I was trying to chat her up. Thought my doing so would offend her husband, moved away. She no longer communicates with me.
Looking through the October issue of your magazine there are two notices advertising a gay and lesbian counselling service. Neither advertisement mentions transgender.
I was thinking about volunteering there a while ago so sent them an email. It took them several weeks to answer two questions.
I have an email from my local gay pub stating, “ ........ ...

[ Continued ]

Yesterday I got a pm from someone here and I realised that i have not taken my own medicine and made a list of what I survived ....... at least not publically (unless it is part of my earlier blog here and I'm too lazy to look) ....... she correctly accused me of being a private person (but I learnt to not, usually, need people

Anyhow here's part of my list....

I survived .... (being)

beaten until my mother could see the bruises developing which she was inflicting for asking for help learning the alphabet..... she got away with it because apparently no body else could.... even my resident father.

the weapon, battleground and trophy of my parents failed marriage.

pimped by my parents.

punished for being sweaty after chopping the wood for a wood stove on humbug..... I was ordered to chop the wood......

micro managed (including mother dearest's attempt to include the workplace) into my earll 20's.

held responsible for the slings, slurs and arrows, real or imagined, suffered by mother dearest and my siblings from my 8th humbug..... by mother dearest's father.

punished for seeking any help -- even with the lethal funnel web (spider) found in my room.

put on stage, annually, without warning because my older sibling could sing to maintain Grandmother's reputation.

for acheiving on the sportsfield ...... or at school.

spending about 75 % of my childhood in a room 10x9x8.6 feet

not being allowed friends.

being ignored by the authorities who could have done something to fix these problems.

Enuff? There is plenty more, but

The power pack to me computer failed the other day , so I'm using a public domain computer. Which of course means that until LATE november I won't have real control over my internet access. And I do have other things I must attend to. and I'm not proof reading this either.

By the way I'm setting the permissions to stop people commenting on this blog, so don't bother trying

A readers of this blog will know for weeks now I have been wondering how i'm going to get someone to arrive to collect me after release.
Well last week got a call from the surgoen's receptionist telling me the hospital stay is usually between8 to 10 nights. However I don't need to have someone collect me.
She was ringing to confirm my postal adress so I could get the documentation I require (a.k.a. my pre hospital instructions)
She even rang back about a half hour later to confirm that I didn't need someone to collect me post surgery.
Not at all .......
It was too good to be true. Of course there is a catch......
The hospital requires the name AND number of someone who will not only collect me upon release, but will be responsible for me..........
Responsible for me ? What's wrong with me being responsible for me?
Isn't the mere fact that I'll be 1800 miles away from home, enough ?
Apparently not.
The doctor wants to see me a week post release.
So now I've gotta find someone to care for me, interstate ...... for a week, or get someone to make a return trip and go back meself a week later. Or just stay down there in someone's care.......
That's gonna be bloody real easy! ROFL

This week I have learnt the FULL meaning of payback is a bitch......
I have a well deserved reputation for pushing people away. It started when I was a child. Trying to keep mother dearest out of my life. Trying to become independant and never successing because mother dearest simply would not listen to my screams.
Well, as readers of this blog will well know, the habit expanded to the point where I keep everyone at at least arms length.
Alas as I wrote earlier, I've painted myself into a corner. I need someone to travel interstate to collect my baggage post operation. But everyone I've asked has come up with a flat refusal -even at my cost.
It is fair enuff, really. They shouldn't haveta come running ONLY when I, seriously, need help. I'm getting payback. Fully.
I wouldn't might finding someone who might travel interstate. Don't reckon it is possible.
And before any of you suggest you'd do it, please be practical. None of you know who, or specifically where, I am. And I'm inclined to argue that asking immigration (or anybody else for that matter) for directions to whybother's place might result in whom you asked to scratch their head! .......
therefore don't try telling me you'd do it, but......... I've already gotten enuff of that.