GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

DAD'S DAY

 

CELEBRATING OUR CONTRIBUTIONS

I read a few days ago that some folks believe that June should be veterans month instead of pride month. There are plenty of times that veterans are honored. Memorial Day. Military Appreciation Day. Veterans Day. As a veteran, I attend activities in support of veterans. 

Pride is important for many folks. Some want to take pride month away because it offends their sensibilities about sex and gender. Pride is about celebrating who we are. We have no need to be ashamed of ourselves. Just like our veterans, we honor those who sacrificed much so we can enjoy the freedoms we have now.

PARADES! PARADES!

There were a lot of pride parades this past weekend. Despite all the anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric being spewed, we are out and proud of who we are. We are aren't going anywhere!

HAPPY PRIDE! 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

NEW WORD

 

BE YOU

 

BEING MYSELF

 

WORLD PRIDE

World Pride is in Washington D. C. this year. It's ironic that it's taking place during Donald Trump's reign. This is the same man along with his minions who want to sweep LGBTQ people to the trash hap. Trans and m onconforminb people, in particular, are being singled out. I hope D C will have the biggest parade they ever had. We are not afraid. We are not going away.

JUNE IS HERE

 

COMMENTARY

The past week has been a roller coaster of emotions. Memorial Day as one of conflcted feelings. Later in the week I read about the House of Representaives in Washington voted to deny trans people any kind of medical care. 

I felt anger and conflict, two emotions I rarely show. The country is so divided. A leader should bring the nation together. From what I'm seeing now, It's anything but.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

MIXED FEELINGS

 

This is the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Plaza in the financial district 8n New York City. I visit here a few times during the year. When I reading the quotes of people carved on the wall, I come away with conflicted feelings. Yesterday, those feelings were stronger than ever. 

I was in the military (army) during the Vietnam conflict. I was state side during the time (1971-1974). The war was unpopular, and some folks took out their wrath against the men and women serving. I sat on the bench nearby struggling g with my own feelings. These soldiers were my contemporaries. Some of them never made it home.

Why do I have these feelings of conflict? I don't know, and I wasn't there. I will continue to visit the memorial. It's my own personal homage to the men and women who served during that time. I suppose I will always have this conflict. However, I will always remember their service and those who lost their lives.

MEMORIAL DAY MEMORIES

MEMORIAL REMEMBRANCE

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

BOOKS

 A few books I'm interested in reading/purchasing.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

TRANSGENDER SOLDIERS BEING DISCHARGED

The military will be discharging all transgender personnel. Trans people will not be allowed to join the service either. As a veteran I am appalled by this order. To say that we are incapable of performing our duties is a lie. 

The military will need to replace these spots. I'm m sure that some were in high security positions. The services have to maintain a particular quota. When gay and lesbian personnel were discharged, they needed to be replaced. Some of the replacements weren't the best or the brightest. 

As a veteran who is transgender, I served with honor and distinction. So have many others. This order sends a chilling message to the trans men and women who want to serve our country.

HONORING MOTHERS

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 Things will only improve when the people-all of us- say to authorities, 'I will hold you responsible.' We shall all be showing up at city council meetings, lighting up every community with activism and mobilization.

~Erin Brockovich

RELUCTANT ACTIVIST

 Earlier this evening I shared my life story at a community rally and press conference at Fort Washington Collegiate Church. The church is slated to close on June 30th. However the worshippers and the community are fighting against this.

Fort Washington is the poorest of the four collegiate churches. Despite obstacles we have been able to raise funds and get tenants to share our  space. The will be a protest on May 20th to challenge the Collegiate board to change their mind. 

FWCC has been a pillar in the community. Many folks have been helped. Lives have been saved. There is a community fridge, activities for young people, and a community garden. There have been concerts, a community Thanksgiving dinner annually, weddings and other activities. FWC. is an open AND affirming church. 

I am attending May 20th protest. This is very important to me and the community. This reluctant activist not going to go down without a fight.

COMMUNITY RALLY

 

COMMENTARY

The past week has been one of mixed blessings. Confusion over the need to bash transgender folks. The powers that be blame us for the ills of society. Inam also feeling blessed about who I am and where I'm heading to. In spite of all the naysayers, I'm still marching on.

This journey is taking me to new places. Questions about gender, sexuality, and protest have give new meaning as to what it is to be different. I welcome these questions and know, down the line, they will be answered. Once I make a decision to do something, nothing will stop me from proceeding ahead. This is where I am right now.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 I derive great joy from seeing others succeed.

~Genevieve

ACTION, NOT WORDS

I generally don't talk much about myself. Being out as a transperson is how I choose to speak. There may be someone who is watching me who may be struggling. I pray that they know they aren't alone. 

LIFE IS CONSTANTLY MOVING

We are constantly evolving. We are different now than we were a year ago. Age doesn't diminish the feelings we may have. It could be an attraction to another person much younger than we. It could be moving to another state or country. It could mean starting a new path. 

I am a seeker. Whatever feeling I have at the present moment, I go with it, see where it will lead. Life is constantly moving forward. I cherish those moments that I'm in. New goals and challenges is what makes life worth living.

TRANSGENDER AND WRITING

I write prose and poetry about several subjects: nature, life, spirituality, sexual feelings, love, and living. I have touched on my life as a transgender person. My life experiences have shaped me in becoming the person I am now. 

Writing was the way I could express my feelings about transitioning. Now that I am a septugenarian, I understand how writing and transition are intertwined in my life. In my early years, writing kept me sane. Age has allowed me to reflect on my life as a trans person. I have no regrets about my transition or writing on subjects I never could fathom. I am breaking down new barriers in my own life.

Transgender people are now being targeted by the powerful. That will not stop me from writing and being authentic. Writing allows me to speak truth to power.    

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

EASTER AND TRANSFORMATION

On Easter Sunday, Christians celebrate Christ' resurrection from the tomb. It symbolizes the death of the flesh and the life of the spirit. 

I was thinking today about my own transformation. There was a battle going inside me. The old me was fighting to stay; the new life seeking the light of day. When I let the new life take over, it was a rebirth. Genevieve was out to the world. There would be a new way of living, of being.

This is what Jesus was telling people during his three years of ministry. There was another way. Many did not understand what he really was about. Many people today do not understand what being transgender is about. 

I certainly am not comparing my gender transformation to that of Jesus' resurrection. What he did changed the course of human history. Perhaps my life can help someone who is struggling. It's a small sacrifice but worth it if a life is changed- or saved.

COMMENTARY

This Lent season has been one of trial, renewal, and recharge. Many folks wonder where our world is headed. The world in Jesus' time faced some of the same issues we do. Homelessness, poverty, corruption, alienation,  a sense that our concerns don't matter to the powers that be.

It is up to us, the citizens to not only voice our concerns but also seek solutions. Jesus demonstrated that there is another way of living, of moving forward. We need to move differently. Christ spoke up to power, and we need to do the same. 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else's survival guide. 

~Brene Brown

A NEW YOU

 

SB164 DEFEATED IN MONTANA

Republicans joined with Democrats in defeating SB164, 58-40, which would have charged adults who knowingly provide gender affirming care to trans people. If the bill had passed, adults faced fines up to $10,000 dollars and imprisonment up to five years. 

Congratulations to the people who helped to defeat this terrible bill.                        

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

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COLLEGE OF IDAHO

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

This quote spoke to me regarding the current situation with my transgender sisters and brothers.

BE AUTHENTIC-OTHERS ARE WATCHING

 

BE VISIBLE

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

The power of visibility can never be underestimated.

~Margaret Cho, Comedian

I'M BACK!

I had some trouble logging onto my account and retrieving my password. I have a lot of catching up to do. I missed posting to you all. It's a passion of mine to share information and positive vibes.   

IOWA FIRST

Iowa becomes the first state to remove civil rights protections for transgender people.

FIGHTING BACK

 California, Maine, and Minnesota are defying Donald Trump's executive order of not allowing transgender women on women's sports teams.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

ADJUSTMENT

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

SELF CARE

Someone I correspond with is having more surgical procedures in her transition. I fully support her and anyone who is doing what is best for them.

There is the mistaken notion that every trans person want gender confirming surgery. This is not always the case. I opted not to take hormones. Surgery was never on my mind. 

Self care is important in that I find balance in my life. It's good to take pause and assess where I want to be. Each person has to do what is best for them. 👌 If others don't understand then it is not my concern.

FROM HIDDEN TO HAPPY

It's interesting how life experiences have brought me to this point. Many places I've been, the people I've met, and the activities I've participated in have lead up to what my life is now. And it was done, unaware that I was transgender.

It was hidden from me and that was a good thing it was. I could only move forward. The doors of my past life were closing. My transition was subtle; nudges by an unseen hand gently pushing me forward. It was frustrating not knowing what I was contending with but I was compelled to keep going.

I have been out nearly twenty years now and it has been a strange yet wonderful journey. As a senior citizen I love sharing my story to younger generations and people who know little or nothing about transgender  folks. Despite those forces who wish to silence me, I will keep going and live life.

TELLING TRUTH TO POWER

When people stand up to power with truth, there will be pushback from the opposition. The right have pushed their "truth" onto the general populace and have succeeded. One thing about the right is that they will make the changes that are needed and go from there. The left needs to do the same.

When one has a different point of view about an issue, It's vital to share why you believe what you believe. This goes to the core of one's belief. Fear should not stop us from telling the truth. This is something that Jesus did; spoke truth to power. This is what all of us must do. 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

FIGHTING BACK

Now the NCAA is barring transgender athletes from participating in sports. Black History Month, women's month, and pride month are no longer recognized by the current administration. Some hospitals are banning gender affirming care for trans youth. Seems that many places are falling in line with Trump's edict to erase us from the public's mind. 

I am encouraged that people are resisting and fighting back. Many lawsuits have been filed. Black, women's, and pride are going to be celebrated no matter what the government says. 

To deny trans people gender affirming care is criminal, in my view. Whoever supports this should be ashamed. Those places who knuckle under these laws will regret it one day. You are putting lives in jeopardy.

BETTER THAN NEVER

 

I AM

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

FREEZE ON FEDERAL FUNDING

Donald Trump put a halt on all federal funding. It is being done under the pretense of saving taxpayers  money on "wasteful spending." This will affect non profits, services for senior citizens, etc.  In my view all the money he wants to save

He also will not allow transgender people to join the armed forces. Trans people will be discharged from the service. This stings because I'm a veteran who served in the 1970s (long before I came out as transgender.

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

WE MUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Now that Donald Trump is doing whatever to shut trans people out from the public arena. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg says we are "mentally ill" and "freaks." We, like other marginalized people in the past are being targeted, blaming us for the country's ills.

In my view this is being used to divert the public's attention from what Zuckerberg, Elon Musk and their billionaire cronies are doing to take over running the country. I'm reading between the lines.

Some of my friends are fearful of what will happen. I'm concerned about what will happen to us if we cannot access the services that we need. I am mindful of folks in rural areas who may not have access to services or are not out to family or friends.

This is the time we must stand strong. If it's not safe where you are, I understand. Your safety is important.  I will do what I can to be visible. I want to find some place trans issues are being addressed. This is a critical time for the LGBTQ community as a whole, and trans people in particular. 

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THE FIGHT BEGINS

 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 

LOOKING AHEAD

It's going to be an interesting four years. The attacks against trans people have ramped up, if today's hearings are an indication.

I'm looking for someplace I can be involved in standing up for trans people. I'm also a senior citizen and a veteran. There's much at stake as the new administration comes in. I will do whatever I can to be involved. I can't  sit idly while we are being threatened and trashed.

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CALIFORNIA

Watching the wildfires devastate many Los Angeles communities, there are t people who are doing everything to help their neighbors. Food. Lodging. Medical care. Counseling (will need plenty of this in the coming weeks).

I correspond with a few people in the LA area. Thankfully, they are far away from the fires. Sadly, at 24 people have lost their lives. Many pets have died also. 

I pray for Los Angeles and the people who are affected. Do whatever you can to help. 

GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

By you living your authentic life, you may be be encouraging someone who is struggling.

~Genevieve

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GENEVIEVE'S GEMS

 Let us live our lives freely and without fear. 

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