My Spot

I don't think anyone give anything the read in the National Enquirer much credibility.  But a current front-page article says that Chaz Bono will die within 4 years because of liver damage associated with HRT.  He's not amused and is threatening to sue (story here).

The thing is that there is a microscopic bit of truth to these kinds of stories.  Additional stress on the liver is a by-product of extended hormone use and although there is no timetable nor any degree of certainty of adverse physical reactions it's certainly something to keep an eye on.  Every year when I do my blood work careful monitoring of liver function is simply something to be vigilant about.

In my last post I mentioned that I was getting ready to hike up Squaw Peak.  It was a beautiful day, and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to go from base to summit in 30 minutes.  That's a pretty brisk pace on a pretty steep climb, and I very much enjoyed sitting in my "spot" near the top that overlooks the entire north Valley.  It's a place to close my eyes, to clear my mind, and to re-energize my spirit.  The other thing I do that feels similarly re-energizing is to stand in the ocean.  Anyway - it was a wonderful hike.

My feet dangling from my "spot" on Squaw Peak

I also started wrestling again this past week.  Well, a more accurate statement is that I went TO wrestle but there wasn't anyone my age to wrestle with so I ended up doing drills and endurance work.  I could write a book on the challenges I've faced simply to find someplace to train and I suppose I've come to perceive it as a test of my creativity and desire as much as anything.  But the fact is that the facilities here are among the best in the country so if there's any way to make this happen - the time is now.

My coach is a past World Champion and 2 time US Olympian.  He was wonderful to work with as I trained for my events in 2010.  We had an honest, frank conversation yesterday to determine if it's worth working together to make the US Olympic Team trials.  We discussed the dedication it will take on both our parts and ultimately both made the commitment to do this.  We agreed that it'll take a minimum of 4 training sessions per week so it's going to be a significant focus for me for the next few months.

That said, I'm headed back to Charleston this week for a few days for work.  Then the following week I've got some work to do in DC.  I expect the next few weeks to be interesting for a number of reasons.  We'll see how they unfold.

There are a couple of interesting stories to share...

One is titled "Americans increasingly supportive of transgender people, surveys show".  We may or may not agree on who is a "good" role-model or who "should" be out there as a public face but those things aren't determined based on any vote or contest.  The bottom line, however, is that more and more people are aware of trans "stuff" and I don't perceive that as a bad thing.  Whether it be popular culture, athletics, the workplace, places of worship, schools, or any other avenue more and more trans people are being active and breaking down barriers for those who follow.  More often than not we're not doing what we do simply to BE visible transpeople.  But then again none of us is hiding it either.

How does this continuing recognition help in visible ways?  One is news this past week that the IRS is finally agreeing that trans medical expenses are medically necessary and, as a result, are deductible (see story here).  This has been dragging on for years and it's nice to see that it is finally over.  But I don't know if anyone truly recognizes the many things ultimately affected by these precedents.

Here in Phoenix, the "Reparative Therapy" group is holding their annual conference this week (schedule of events here).

NARTH: Gays Can Get Therapy to Become Straight: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

Oy.  Anyway, it's making local news (see a story here).

Lastly - as I type this I've been watching my Buffalo Bills play the Jets.  It looks like a beautiful day in upstate NY.  I can't remember the last time the Bills played an important game in Buffalo in November but they're not looking good.  They're fortunate to go into halftime only down by a field goal.  If they plan on doing anything they're going to have to wake up for the second half...