Thoughts On Transitioning In Contemporary America

Trans America

While putting on my foundation this morning somethings came to my mind that are perhaps something to consider how transitioning in our time offers opportunities that even in contemporary history trans people have not had.

First my mind drifted to both when I got my ears pierced and my first trip to Ulta. Both will remain in my memory as happy thoughts. To begin with I was as giddy as a school girl to get my ears pierced. I simply could not wait and I railroaded Lori into leaving right way to go down to Walmart and get them done immediately. I chose them because at that time of day there were no real alternatives. But much like a kid at Christmas I could not wait. I had to have it now.

That being done I took a couple of weeks at the beginning of my counseling to experiment with several different things. These being foundation, eyeliner, etc. I started with various types but all were of the drugstore type products. I had a very blue beard at the time. Being an artist I did not have too much of a hard time with color but it took me a bit to figure out that I needed some color correction and that damn it was not going to be an apply once a day process. I was going to have to shave more than once aday. Argh....

A dear friend of mine, for whom I was grateful sat down with me and started to help me with refining my make up. He name is Levi a beautiful wonderful gay man and awesome drag queen who had the compassion to take me under his wings. What we discovered was several important things. One fundamental factor is that Mom going to the store make up is very different than drag make up. At the store you are not going to be under lights and do not need anywhere near as much contrast. Of which he called the portion on my forehead a shit rainbow. To which we laughed a long time. We got foundation and a few basic things in place when we both realized that I had a handle on a lot of it on the basics so he switched to some advice for what to use to color correction for my beard and other little tricks. After which he promptly threw out my foundation and told me to go to Ulta.

So needing new foundation and something better for eyeliner I made my way to Ulta on a quest. My quest was that first trans level up. It was to get me some great core tools. So I was at the financial mercy of the make up consultants and I soon found myself sitting for my very first facial.

The whole process felt amazing. My head in the clouds and 150 bucks later I left for the next leg in my journey. But this morning the though struck me, how would that have gone down in perhaps the 50's?

I tend to think that these wonderful memories would not have played out anything like that. I can imagine going to see a make up person or getting my ears pierced to be a somewhat more less in the light of the day activity and much more like a back alley abortion. Associated with shame and risk.

We have so much more liberty to be who we are with much less fear than any other time. Though it is clear that this is still not a path for those who are faint of heart. Further it comes to mind that the challenges are far from over and the current trends coming out of both our government and society are becoming more ominous. I am conscious of just how lucky I am to have those experiences. They are happy memories of days given to liberty and not shame. Our brothers and sisters of the past faced so much suffering for me to able to have those happy thoughts. I feel a responsibility to recognize them and try to do something to make it better for future brothers and sisters who are on the path to being who they are on the inside.

I work to advocate in homage to those who were so bold to go before me and with a heart to help those who will come after me.