Back in Iraq

That’s great that he took the time to say hello. You truly are a pioneer, Cal. We are so fortunate to have someone like you out there. I cannot stress how admirable it is of you to have embraced all the attention (rather than shun it) and literally open your life up to the world to show that we, too, are successful, productive members of society.

I know the work can be overwhelming (maintaining your site, sharing your advice/thoughts/etc, and still have your own career and personal life). I hope that our words of encouragement and expressions of gratitude help you to realize that your work does not go unnoticed. You mean a lot to so many of us, and please don’t ever forget that!

As I mentioned previously, I’m virtually stealth and have a pretty stereotypical college lifestyle. I have an active social/love life like that of any young coed. In my search for love, I’ve dated a number of military men who were actually ok with my past after getting to know me better (often times they don’t believe me when I tell them my story). And while our relationships have been quite normal and loving, the constant fear of “what if” is never far away. I believe that SG, your efforts, and having so many successful TS/TG women be visible today, can only help reshape society’s perception of us. I look forward to the day when the constant fear and parnoia will no longer be an issue.

Who really knows how long the journey towards that realization will take? In the meanwhile, though, keep up the good work and continue being the truly awesome big sister that you are to all of us. We luv ya lots!

Hehe… I won’t speak for any of the others but I will say that it’s the very least any one of us can do (show our thanks through a kind word here and there). Isn’t that cool, though, that Christy felt compelled to post a comment? Christy, I am positive that there are many more people like you who are able to connect with the story and are moved enough to come seek out Calpernia and see what a cool, REAL, and impacting person she is! For those of you who stop by here and begin to see us in a different light and don’t bother to post a comment for all to see, I hope you use this as a spring-board or stepping-stone to open your minds up more about people like us. Another really cool site, I believe, is Dr. Lynn Conway’s page of TS/TG success stories. There, you can see so many more of us from all walks of life, and realize that we are all quite normal, everyday people. http://www.lynnconway.com — I encourage more people to support our friend Cal (if not by posting a friendly/heartfelt comment then by possibly supporting her many projects to help her to continue the great service she does for our community — not only our transgendered community, but society as a whole, after all, aren’t we all just one big family?).