I found myself at Cherry Bomb on Saturday evening. My friend S. canceled at the last second, but I had been waiting months for a Saturday off to synch up with Toronto’s hottest queer woman’s monthly, so I went alone.
I had an amazing time!
Cherry Bomb’s tagline is “dance. sweat. cruise,” and though I’ve been to [...]

I was up at my family’s place in the country over the weekend. Intent on making sure my son had a fantastic time, I invited three of his friends, and some of their parents.
There was only one man present: A., a Master’s candidate in fine arts, of Colombian extraction. Someone who should be keenly aware [...]

Two years ago at the CAMH Gender Clinic
“I have the perfect name. What do you think about Dawn?”
“It’s a very nice name, but it’s not clearly gendered.”
“What do you mean?”
“If someone hears it, over the phone, for example, the name doesn’t tell them your gender. Based on my experience, it’s easier if your name clearly [...]

I seem to have crossed the passing point. People who I encounter in everyday life assume I was born a woman, almost without exception. Even my voice, which is still enough to get me called ’sir’ over the phone, seems to pass muster when backed up by my appearance.
Everyone used to stare, or double-take, or [...]

I’ve been a bit reticent to mention my recent trip to Hawaii in light of the global economic meltdown. No one wants to hear about frolicking in the tropical Pacific when the chips are down.
But it’s true–I just got back from Hawaii, where my family spent two weeks celebrating my parents 40th wedding anniversary. It [...]

It’s not surprising, given that I’m on estrogen, but it’s still amazing.
Until recently, I had something I called proto-breasts: sensitive nipples topping slightly meaty man-boobs. But they have graduated into full breasthood. They are still the smallest breasts one could possibly imagine, but they are indeed breasts.
I wonder if I’ll draw a lot of hits [...]

I remember when Christmas was something to look forward to. Now, Christmas is the penultimate stage in December’s anxiety-inducing social gauntlet AND the litmus test for how well the family unit’s functioning under the weight of all the personalities in the family tugging at each other.
It feels more like 2008 is a conveyor belt I’ve [...]

I’m in the final stages of my coming out process. Last week, I emailed my PDF to a pile of ex-colleagues. There may be a few people who haven’t received it yet, but I’m pretty much done.
I got lots of great feedback from people, and that was really gratifying. It’s funny–being known as being trans [...]

My liver is almost back to normal as of a week ago. My Endo returned from his summer vacation just in time to agree to prescribe me hormone therapy contingent on a new blood test, to be conducted next Wednesday, on my 35th birthday.
I’m settling into full-time life as a woman quite comfortably. People clock [...]

I mailed my name change paperwork off today. For some ridiculous reason, they still take six to eight weeks to process these things, so the leaves will be turning by the time my name change is done.
In Ontario, I can get my gender changed on my driver’s license with a letter from my doctor, so [...]