"On the Go to Noho Pride!!!"

It's Friday and I stayed home from work since Tuesday. I was attacked by some bug that made me sleep, sleep, sleep. I went to my Doc yesterday and she suggested a blood test for Mono. Hmmm, who have I been kissing lately???

Tomorrow is Northampton, MA Pride. This is the first pride of the year in my area and although it's small it remains one of my favorites. Northampton is a college town, Smith College to be precise and Smith is a women's college with a very open Lesbian population. When you visit Northampton (Noho) you will sense this. It's a wonderful place for nouveau Trannies to practice their new gender skills and ways. Noho is very accepting and I've never had troubles there. I learned a lot by "practicing " up there and I consider Noho to be kind of my "home town". This makes the Pride even more special.

My first Noho Pride was 5 years ago in 2004. It was exciting and wonderful and I was in my glory dancing to the lively music and giving out candy to the crowd as I marched in the Pride parade. After the parade I worked in the UniTy (Transgender) booth and explained to people what Transgenders were. We've come a long way in 5 years but we still have a long way to go. I feel blessed that I am in the wave of Transgender growth as we assimilate more and more into society. It's really a historical movement of a misunderstood group of people who span all nationalities and cultures.

I am an open Transgender. By that I mean that I freely admit that I am Transgender and I go about my business and people see me going to work, going to the grocery store, shopping at the malls, going to concerts, going to the doctor's, everywhere! as Transgender. I feel that this is important that people like myself do this because it puts a face on the word "Transgender" in society. In the "old days' Transgenders (Trans) were taught to never admit that they were Trans. They had to constantly keep the facade up that they were not Trans.

It was deemed critical to their "success" as their new gender that their "old" gender was never to be found out. It's like they never lived before their transition. How can one erase their life up to now? As you can imagine, this carried a lot of baggage and problems with the "old school" Transgenders.

But today is a different world. People are more open and accepting. Oh there are people who don't like us because we cross gender lines and break some kind of imaginary rules or whatever but for the most part, I find that people are ok with Transgenders.

So Saturday I will be celebrating with other Transgenders and Lesbians, and Gays and whoevers as we partake in the Pride. Yes! Be proud of yourself! Do not be ashamed or afraid of who you are! You are you! This is how you were made!