Greetings everyone;

Welcome to transsiterr8to (said like transistor radio )- tumblr style. I’m your host Josie and I am coming at you live from the Pink Room studios located on the East Coast of Canada. We aren’t like other stations out there with fancy call letters, catchy jingles, and radio broadcasting frequency as approved by the CRTC. We are much more economical here, so much so there is no we….only me. :)

So to start the show I should get to some facts about your host. First I am tall; second, I am feisty; third; I rant like I invented the term, forth; I used to be a guy…but I am feeling much better now. (hence the Trans part of the station name)

Now that we know each other a bit better, I want to be the first to point out a big repeat in your no repeat workday. And that’s the phrase some of you trans enthusiasts thought:  “Great another Blonde Caucasian, middle class, passing, straight, transwoman ranting how terrible her privileged trans life is while neglecting the really troubled parts of our community!!”  (I know you thought that some of you, you know who you are, but please read the next paragraph before you hit the back button)

So to sway you listeners back here let me first say this, I couldn’t help being born white, nor being born trans. Second I totally agree my life was privileged. Why? because my transition cost me my wife of 8 years, my entire family, most every one of my friends, my marital home, a resurgence of childhood like bulling, my respect in the community, $50,000 in losses from divorce, and the entirely real possibility I will never find a mate within 3 hours of my hometown. Yup my transition was a walk in the park because I kept my job, its the only thing that was left when the taking was done. And please understand I am not being sarcastic with the above statement. I truly am lucky and I freaking well know it. If you are a new listener to the transitional process and trans-life experience, please be advised that this is one of the better outcomes you will find. As shocking as that might seem

So what to do with all this privilege then I had to ask myself? The world of today after all states that privilege should be used for personal gain so that we can someday aspire to a 1 percent supremacy.  But as my first 30 years on this planet taught me, FRIG I hate wearing a suit and tie…and with good cause!! So here’s what I really did.

1) Created and still moderate a Transgender Peer Support group for all trans people and their supporters in my area. And became to many of them a transitional coach on how to navigate the SOC system here and find the help they need/can afford.

2) Began a campaign with my provincial government to have Gender Markers on trans peoples Drivers Licenses switched to the lived gender. (and / or removed from the License) Still a work in progress though. :(

3) Organized and held the first ever Trans Day of Celebration camping trip on my personal property and made it a free event for all that could make it to the site.

4) Ran at the media with trans guns blazing!! I began doing public speaking at Universities, Public Forums, LGBT groups, National and local radio, National and local Newspapers, online forums, youtube channel, facebook group page and much more.

5) Was elected to my local Pride Organization’s Executive board and took the role as Education and Community Outreach chair.

6) Co founded a multi-provincial Trans alliance Organization with a goal to spread education about trans issues to everywhere we could across Atlantic Canada.

7) Doing educational work for PFLAG Canada as well as soon to be helping CPATH with some communications and media work.

8) Showing pictures of the old me at my speeches and at parties in hopes to educate cis people to on how much change can happen for a person.

And I am sure there are a few others to note but that is the overall picture. I play an active role on three executive boards in LGBT orgs and do it all as volunteer. And the reason I do all this is because even though my transition had its share of downfalls, IT DIDN’T MAKE IT GOOD!!; ONLY GOOD COMPARATIVELY!!  And being treated this way in society is not right nor just and I feel a duty to my fellow humans to make it STOP!!! So much so that a personal depression will start the second I feel I am not trying to change the world to be a better place for trans people. And I don’t need to stop to check if what I do is helping; it is; and I don’t need to stop to see more needs to be done; it does!

So here is my new venture, a Tumblr account. I hope I do the site justice, I hope to bring good vibes and unique insight into the world by being here.  I feel that although I can’t give the in depth views on the trans sex trade workers for example, (the entire sex for pay trade here might have 5 people in total), I think the unique issues that surround my community are still worth noting.  For example, being more rural than the majority of the country, services are VERY slim to find and VERY sparse indeed. My Endo is 3 and 1/2 hours drive west and my Gender Therapist is 3 hours east!!

Now if I have not won some of you over into tuning into the station from time to time, I hope that you will find the resources you seek somewhere on this great big web. If you think you might stick around and “set a spell” well I am more than happy to have you. I’ll put on a fresh pot of java! And for those that are wondering what the station name is I’ll break it down for ya.

1) trans -because I am’s what I am’s

2) sister - because I am a friendly female

3) R8TO - Because like a radio I be broadcasting this stuff EVERYWHERE!!

We’ll be back after the break, With the new Beegee’s / Lady Gaga hit called “Staying Alive in the Love Game”

Hugs

Josie