Two items of interest...

[mixxi.livejournal.com]

Last week, I happened to come across The Oprah Winfrey Show about Transgendered Twins. It was a rather interesting show. Did anyone else here see it?

It had features on 3 sets of identical twins. The first two pair were biologically female twins, where one of them had the inner identity of being male. The last pair was biologicaly male, but one had a female inner identity.

Although I found it to be a very interesting show, I was a bit annoyed with Oprah's handling of it. She seemed to be mostly in shock that something like this goes on in the world, and kept repeating to the audience, "This is very interesting, don't you find this interesting?" She also seemed to struggle a bit to understand how someone can feel so different on the inside.

I can't help but wonder if it was a calculated stance to take though... to take a lowest common (yet open minded) denominator view on camera so that the widest possible audience could be drawn into the episode. Or maybe her reactions were genuine, I really don't know.

I found the concept that twins can have very different experiences in the same womb to be rather intriguing.

And now, on a completely different note, has anyone ever tried Natureday for breast growth? It seems like a "too good to be true" product to me, yet the testimonials from both men and women are rather convincing. I was curious if anyone here has used the product.

The Trans Cycling Odyssey continues...

[radargrrl.livejournal.com]

Well, the Flyying Trannys have come and gone. For those of you in Kitchener/Waterloo, (thinks of lovecraftienne here), they left Ottawa at roughly 11:30, so chances are they're not going to make K/W by their sceduled 5pm...maybe 8 if they're lucky, and I suspect they're going to be dam tired when they get there! FYI, they're doing the 416/401 thing, the quickest and dirtiest way really. (FYI, Noah, if you happen to pick this up en route, pass on to Hugs to stay in the express lanes through Toronto...I hope you manage to clear TO rush hour OK...)

Anyway, the weekend...

The TCO crew arrived late Saturday evening, around 8, and we all had a huge welcoming party. I had to work Sunday morning, so I really have no real idea what happened during this time. All covered in another post.

Once I'd finished work, I swung past the house to shower and change after the hot morning's work, and get my butt downtown to meet abbyjanechick and head for the park. We got there to find everything all set up and a fairly large crowd of supporters waiting for the bike ride to get underway, including a couple from the Human Powered Vehicles of Ottawa, on a couple of funky bikes, that added to the festive atmosphere.

At about 3pm, we all set off...Elgin, Gladstone, through the gaybourhood with a photo op at Venus Envy and at the bible thumper place opposite, continuing on up Bank and onto Parliament hill. More pix at the Cat House, the Centennial Flame, where our Noah got told by one of the NCC dudes about to get out of the fountain. Then across the road to the Terry Fox memorial, in honour of another cross country voyager, thoughts of which were not lost on us all. Continuing on past the War Memorial, where I had been working that morning, (no, we didn't stop for pix there...), and down to the Human Rights Monument. Finally, a quick pass by the Women's Memorial in Minto Park, then back to Jack Purcell. I am sure that pix will be posted on the TCO website soon...

We arrived back at JP to find that we had not only missed local politico and gay mayoral candidate Alex Munter, but also missed an escort of five uniformed Ottawa Police constables on bikes! They would have proved useful, as the usual Ottawa red traffic light problem raised its ugly head at just about every intersection we passed through!

Anyway, the Neli, as well as everybody else, had finished setting up the picnic, so we were all able to eat and socialize. There were a couple of speeches and some interviews and everybody had a chance to view the silent auction, which still continues.

Picnic over, we packed up and went off to the workshop at Venus Envy. I am sure that Noah and Hugs will have their account of it handy, so watch for that; I'll not steal their thunder. What I will say is that it was a very powerful, very emotional presentation.

That over, we all had a final gathering on a local beer patio and Noah, Hugs, the Neli and myself all headed back to my mum's place for the night. I was such a basketcase from fatigue and lack 0of sleep that I was barely aware of my surroundings at this point...I'm actually surprised that I made it back from downtown without falling asleep at the wheel!

This morning saw our friends load up their van and head out. I've had tears in my eyes ever since. This has been one of the most emotionally powerful weekend I've had in a long long time!

I want to say, here, now, that I am so very proud of my community, my friends...my FAMILY...for the everything they did to pull together and make this the huge success that it was. Together we have managed to raise well over a thousand dollars to keep the Flying Trannys rolling on their way back home!

A Challenge to all T groups on the TCO Route!

[radargrrl.livejournal.com]

This weekend saw the Ottawa Trans community get together and raise well in excess of a thousand dollars to keep the Flying Trannys rolling. I haven't the exact figures, but I understand it's actually much more than that, and things haven't finished up yet...(thinks silent auction here)...

Anyway, now that they have left Ottawa, their next stops are Kitchener/Waterloo, back to Toronto, then westward to Thundar Bay, likely with stops along the way.

The combined Ottawa Trans community challenges any and all groups to match or exceed what Ottawa has done for Noah, Keenan and Hugs, and the help keep the wheels turning!

(I'm thinking immediately of lovecraftienne in K/W here...mobilize your troops, Cait!)