TRUTH

 

AUTHENTICITY

Choosing to be authentic is not an easy task. One may have decided to end the struggle by doing away with themselves. Then suddenly a flicker of hope tells them to keep going. They do, and the life they want to live becomes reality. They may have lost people and things but now they are free to live the authentic life they truly crave. 

I'm so happy that many of you made the decision I did many years ago; to be my true self. I've never been happier. 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. 

~E.M. Forster, Novelist (1879-1970)

ANTI-TRANS BILL PASSES IN SOUTH DAKOTA

South Dakota House of Representatives passed anti-trans and bathroom bills, barring transgender girls and women and some nonbinary people from participating on girls teams.  They can only use the bathroom according to their birth sex. Governor Kristi Noem, a vocal anti-trans opponent is expected to sign the bills.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

A TRULY QUEER SPACE

 

This is the queer bookstore at my local LGBT center. I stopped by last week for the first time in over a year. During my visit I sensed a queer vibe as I browsed through a number of books. I felt like the place expected me here. I was very happy to be there; so much so that I didn't want to leave. I did purchase a book. 

As I left it showed me how important spaces like this are. Queer spaces are getting g harder to find but they are out there. Cherish them because we need them.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.

~Henry Adams, Historian (1838-1918)

WHAT IS HAPPENING

Right before our eyes Western Civilization is cracking at the edges. Ineffective leaders, an indifferent populace, and the thirst for money and power has trumped caring for those less fortunate. 

What is happening now has happened in past civilizations. Rome, Greece, Egypt, ancient Babylon are just a few places that fell by the wayside. I am an optimistic individual . I will do whatever I can to help others If the nation keeps going the way it is, America will be in the ash heap of history.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 The lesser of two evils is still evil.

A FIRST

A hearty congratulations to MJ Rodriguez on winning the Golden Globe Award for best actress in a TV drama. The star of the program 'Pose' is the first transgender woman to win the award.
 

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS FOOTBALL TEAM!

FCS FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

 

Congratulations to the Bisons!

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come to reality, it Take an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort.

~Jesse Owens, Athlete (1913-1980)

FOOTBALL CHAMPION SERIES TITLE GAME THIS SATURDAY

 

                                                                                 VS

INFLUENCERS

Last night, I was thinking about the people who influenced me who are no longer here. I miss them and wish that they were here. 

SETTING THE RECORD

Amy Schneider, a contestant on the game show 'Jeopardy,' has won over $900,000 dollars. Ms. Schneider, a trans woman, has set a new record for prize money won by a woman. She is nearing one million dollars. 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

 DIVISION II

                                                                   Ferris State Bulldogs

DIVISION III

University of Mary-Hardin-Baylor Crusaders

NAIA

A NEW BEGINNING

A new year has begun. A clean slate. What would you want to write? That the year will be filled with adventure? That you accepted new challenges? Have you come to the point that 2022 has to be better? The old has gone away. Now the door is open to a new you. Are you willing to walk through?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

DESMOND TUTU (1931-2021)

 

VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS (WOMEN)

 DIVISION I

DIVISION II

DIVISION III

NAIA

Missouri Baptist University

2021-SUMMARY

A few more days and 2021 will be history. While it had its  moments of confusion and angst it was far better than the previous year. 

Covid is still with us with the Omnicron variant but it isn't like the early days of Covid when there was so much uncertainty about what we were up against. The normalcy that was prior to the pandemic will be quite different, I believe.

I was pleased that we had the pride parade and  the queer March. People just needed to be together after being locked down for over a year. I picked up a few new skills along the way

As 2022 approaches, I go with an appreciation of things I may have taken for granted.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

I love 'O Holy Night' on Christmas Eve, there's a service at the church where I grew up, and at midnight, we would 'O Holy Night' with candles.

~Rachel Boston 

YOU ARE LOVED

 The holidays can be a joyous time for many. For others, it can be bittersweet. Loss of loved ones, estrangement, isolation. I think of those folks in nursing homes, hospitals, and prisons. When I was in the service I missed being with my family. 

I encourage you to bet in contact with someone who may be alone. Lift someone's spirits. If you can, invite someone over to your place. You are loved and someone loves you! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS (WOMEN)

DIVISION I

                                           North Carolina State University Wolfpack

DIVISION II

                                                       Adams State College Grizzlies

DIVISION III 

                                                                                                                                                                                                  Johns Hopkins University Bluejays

NAIA

                                                      Milligan University Buffaloes

                                                            CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL!

CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS (MEN)

 DIVISION I

                                               Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks

DIVISION II

                                                Grand Valley State University Lakers

DIVISION III

                                                  Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens

NAIA

Milligan University Buffaloes

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

JOY

The kind of happiness that doesn't depend on what happens.

SOCCER CHAMPIONS (WOMEN)

Division I

Division II

Division III

CONGRATULATIONS!

SOCCER CHAMPIONS

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS

MEN

Division I 

Division II

Division III

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.

~C.S. Lewis, Writer (1898-1963)

TRIP TO THE VA

 I went to the Veterans Administration the other day to get some prescriptions refilled and make a doctor's appointment. I took note of the numerous men and women who served the country. Some were in wheelchair, scooters, and walkers. Age has slowed many down.

 I'm part of this group of veterans, having served three years in the army. Being a transgender veteran gives added meaning. Though I was wasn't out during my time, I can say that I performed my job (pharmacy tech) with distinction. Many of my fellow vets did likewise. 

NCAA FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONS

 DIVISION I

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS

DIVISION II

SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY RAIDERS

DIVISION III

MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE PANTHERS

CONGRATULATIONS!

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.

Saint Francis de Sales, Cleveland (1567-1622)

THANKSGIVING THOUGHTS

     Thanksgiving Day is about a week after Transgender Day of Remembrance.  I never saw the significance of this occasion until now. We celebrate the lives of transgender people lost to violence. We also are thankful for the impact they may have made on our lives. 

     I can imagine that it must be bittersweet when we realize that a member of the family will not be there to celebrate Thanksgiving dinner. The sting of our trans sibling being lost to senseless violence is strong. I temper that with the gratitude that they were a part of my journey. 

     Regardless of the feeling you may have about this holiday, reflect on the people who may no longer be here but will forever be in your heart. That is something to be thankful for.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.

~Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman (106BC-43BC)

BE THANKFUL

 

TRANS DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Equality and separation cannot exist in the same space. 

~Jason Mraz

GRATITUDE

 

THOUGHTS FROM A TRANSGNDER VETERAN

I attend the Veterans Day parade religiously every year. Each year I trek downtown to pay homage to my fellow veterans. As I watched the contingent of Korean veterans march by, it reminded me of how they encouraged me to participate and share my story.

I served in the U.S. Army at Fort Riley, Kansas in the First Meddac Division (1971-1974). I was a pharmacy tech. I never went overseas but the experience of being a part of something greater than myself was life-changing. I didn't know that I was transgender until 2005 but maybe it was better that I didn't. 

Men and women of all sexualities and identities have served in the armed forces with dignity. The ban on transgender people serving was wrong-headed and stupid. I am proud to have served my country. I am proud to be a transgender veteran.  

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, chaos to clarity.  It can turn a meal into a feast, 

It can turn into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.

~Melody Beattie, Writer (b.1948)

TRANGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

We are making preparations for Transgender Day of Remembrance.  We will be having it on Friday, November 19th, at my senior center, both virtual and in person. I saw the list of the women and men murdered this year and it's really sad. 

THANKFUL PEOPLE ARE HAPPY

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.

~Nido Qubein 

THANKFUL PEOPLE

 

BEING THANKFUL

This month I will post much about Thanksgiving and thankfulness. It is a 365 day thing. I'm thinking that, maybe, Thanksgiving Day is overlooked. However one feels about that special day we should always be thankful for everything.

GRATITUDE

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Life is a journey that must be traveled no matter how bad the roads and accommodations.

~Oliver Goldsmith, Poet (1730-1774)

STANDING UP

 A decade ago I said that transgender people needed to share their own stories. Now trans people are not only sharing their stories. We are taking to task those who will try to silence us or making our existence irrelevant. 

When I came out years ago I made up my mind to live openly. I will tell anybody that we transpeople were the ones who began the liberation movement for LGBTQ+ people. No one can deny this or take away that fact.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

All human beings deserve equal treatment, no matter their gender identity or sexuality.  

~Andreja Pejic

JOURNEYS ARE VARIED

 Each trans person's journey s uniquely their own.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Love who you are, embrace who you are. Love yourself. When you love yourself, people can kind of pick up on that: they can see confidence, they can see self-esteem, and naturally, people gravitate towards you. 

~Lilly Singh  

OCTOBER 11TH

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

What people call impartiality may simply mean indifference, and what people call partiality may simply mean mental activity.

~Gilbert K. Chesterton, Writer (1874-1936)

I AM WHAT I SAY I AM

 

TIME FOR PAUSE

 I am curious to see how all the anti-trans bills will proceed. While some have passed, others have not. Others, legislators and administrators are taking pause. I pray they realize that these bills will cause more problems. For the people who are targeted. For the community. For the cost to the taxpayer. Above all, for the needless suffering trans people will endure. 

What concerns me is the people who use God and the Bible to justify their biases. I have been a Christian for over half my life. Nowhere does Jesus condemn or trash others because they are different. NOWHERE! 

I pray that the people will see these bills as evil and wrong. More parents are standing and accepting their trans children. BRAVO! I trust that those in power will see us as loving human beings who want to live happy and productive lives. 

STANDING ON SHOULDERS

This year was a year for transgender people. We are more visible now than ever. There has more folks learning about transgender and non conforming people. When I came out sixteen years ago there was hardly any resources for parents of transgender children. Now there's plenty of resources.

I'm thankful for the people who paved the way for what we have today. Future generations will stand on our shoulders. Much has been accomplished, however there's more that needs to be addressed. 

BE YOURSELF

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.

~Isaac Newton

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

I didn't get to experience proper autumn until I was eighteen and heading off to college on the East Coast.

~Alexandra Bracken

QUEER POETS OF COLOR

 

I stumbled upon this book. I'm very interested in it.

SOMETHING TO PONDER

If the far left or far right were to take over the country queer and trans people would still lose out.

NEVER FORGET

 

GENEVIEVE`S GEMS

The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.

~Brian Tracy, Author (b. 1944)

COMFORT ZONE

This symbol is posted on my blog. I view myself as not completely male and not completely male. I never hated being male but prefer to live as a female. Every person has his/her comfort zone. I'm happy where I am and live life openly.

HOW TO RESPOND

Watching some news clips I see people who are angry, confused, depressed, stressed out. There are also people who are looking ahead and are ready to take on what challenges lie ahead. We may not control all the situations but we do choose how we respond to those challenges. 

LABOR DAY HONOR

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds.

~Marcus Garvey, Publisher (1887-1940)

WE ARE AMERICAN HISTORY

Like America, transgender history is varied. Different experiences from different folks is woven into the landscape of our country. 

SHOULDERS

We stand on the shoulders of those who started the liberation of LGBTQ+ people. Future generations will stand on the shoulders of what we have accomplished.