Straightup2’s Weblog

            The first time I watched the movie, I was interrupted about half way through but had seen enough of it that I had to go back and watch it again; this time with my notebook and taking notes as things unfolded and I was allowed a peek into the life of a transgendered person. Several contestants stood out to me and I found myself rooting for them to win.

            I thought the main idea of being a transgendered person was to be someone who wanted the rest of the world to accept you the way you are and the sex you choose to be acknowledged as; but one of the girls confused this thinking. I was impressed at how far from where she started that a girl named Tiara had come and things that had happened in her young life that some would have used as an excuse to wallow in the bad luck life had given.  It warmed my heart to see how far she had come and made something out of herself.

But, as the movie progressed I found myself with far more questions about her commitment; not only the to the community, but to herself and who she wanted to be. She made a comment about her death and stated when she died she didn’t want to be laid out in her casket as a woman. I had to rewind the movie and listen again and sure enough she said she wanted to be in her casket dressed as a man with only a picture of her as Tiara.

            Another girl who stood out to me was Maria Roman, a Puerto Rican born curvy beauty with a quiet, classy personality who while listening to her story, I learned had been in a not so good profession in her younger days but who now does a lot of charity work for the AIDS community in Los Angeles and who walks the streets among the “girls” of the night and passes out condoms and pamphlets and talks to them about protecting themselves. She is living out her life’s greatest dream with her husband of 10 years and seemed to grounded and down to earth. Someone who would be a treat to have in ones circle of friends and just hang out with and have coffee.

            Cassandra Cass made me laugh, she was witty and classy and commanded attention. She has done a calendar and hopes that it will not only speak to younger transsexuals but also it will be something that little Susie from Kansas can look at and say I want to be just like her. She spoke of how hard it was as a young boy to find good beautiful role models in the transgender community. My favorite thing she said was that hopefully when people looked at her they didn’t see male or female, they saw a human being.

            Dark and lovely South Carolina born, Dorae Saunders was open and outspoken and played football in her younger days as a boy named Jullian in Columbia. She took a huge step all in one day: she looked in her closet, reached in and threw out everything male and bought a brand new wardrobe. It was very touching when her grandmother talked about being proud of her and to see how supportive her family is, that is a blessing that not all transgenders can share. I laugh out loud when she told the story about going into church after a lengthy absence and stood up to give her testimony and when she got to the part about being a transsexual she said it was so quiet in that place you “could hear a rat piss on cotton”. Her talent blew me away when she performed as Tina Turner. You Go Girl! The only thing that bothered me about Dorae was that after the competition, she was a little less than gracious, but I chalked that up to disappointment; with her finish, something I agree, with she should have at the least been in the top 8 contestants.

            Someone who, to me, really represents the transgender community with style and grace and every-day girl on the street class is Erica Andrews. A gorgeous Mexican beauty from San Antonio, she has come a long way from her humble beginnings and from the little boy who used to visit his father at “work” at the prison. Out of the spotlight and glam of the pageant, Erica was just a down to earth, ponytail wearing, jeans and t-shirt kind of girl with minimal makeup and womanly style. I smiled and a tear came to eye when they showed a segment about her helping a young beginning transsexual named Rudy who she has been mentoring and helping to discover the beautiful woman within and guiding her to know what she needs to do to take the next step toward her rebirth as a woman. Major kudos Erica!

            One girl I wish they had focus a little more on was one named Marie. I would have liked to have heard more of her story and known where she came from. But the movie left me wanting more in this area. After the girls visited the Vegas strip and the publicity, she was extremely upset with some of the girl’s behavior and I wish they had interviewed her a bit more on that subject.

            There was only one girl that I found a little offensive. OK,  I found her greatly offensive. Her name is Delilah. I found myself hoping she didn’t win. She not only wasn’t very classy, she wouldn’t be a good role model for either young transsexuals but also young girls. She talked very crudely; she was flashing her breasts in public and letting people play with her nipples. She was always trying to make sexual innuendos and air kissing toward the interviewers and fluffing her hair. I think, a less than classy woman who just looked slutty and cheap.

The winner of the contest was a very classic beauty named Mimi Marks. From her understated make-up to her gorgeous golden tresses, she embodied all good things about womanhood that make up a truly classy person. I found pleasure in watching her interacting with her family and giggled at her picking up trash at the local dairy queen as the ending to the segment about her first job there. She made a comment that I think would go for any transgendered female trying hard to be accepted in the main stream world, Mimi says that, for transwomen in Chicago, the test of whether they can pass as women is to appear in public at Wrigley’s Field, home of the Cubs: “”If you could walk through Wrigley-ville, like, during a Cubs game and not get ’spooked,’ and not have anybody call you out, you were like the ‘girl-iest’ girl, you made it. I called [a friend] and said, ‘I am at a Cubs game on first base, eleventh row. I made it. I’m a girl!’” It made me a little sad when she said she worked at a club and didn’t really know how to do anything else and that she would have already had her surgery but the club requires that you be pre-op and if she had the surgery she would lose her job. I agreed with the judges decision on her being the winner.

            If you haven’t seen this movie you should check it out! On a very sad ending note, the hostess of the pageant, the beautiful talented, Jahna Steele recently passed away on January 24^th, 2008. She will be greatly missed.

            Until Next Week, Dear Ones, Love & Many Hugz! Leeza

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