Hero's and Role Models

[KimberlyS]

I was going to PM this to Bill, but I think it deserves a post with some more names added by others.

Bill, Just the other day on a different site chat, I had to stand up for you. The comment was something like:

bigmouth - "at least they are not like that xxxxxx Butterfly Bill looking like a guy in a dress".

me - hey Butterfly Bill is one of my hero's.

bigmouth - well you fit right in with him.

me - BB is a hero of mine because he has the guts to be out and be who he is and how he wants to dress. I do not see very many CDers and general TG's that have the guts to be out dressed as they want to. Just a few CD's and TG's and the TS's.

bigmouth - (no comment, changed the subject)

otherposter - you can not disagree with that.


Butterfly Bill is one of my heroes. Even if I am not much of a dress person. I like skirts better. LOL


Who are some of your CDing Heroes and Role Models??


KimberlyS-CD

[Kimberly Kael]

It's not something I've given a lot of thought to, but it's definitely interesting to think about. Offhand I'd have to nominate four ...

Tim Curry for embracing a role in the Rocky Horror Picture Show that I'm sure many actors would have avoided like the plague. It may not be the most dignified portrayal, but neither was it weak or apologetic. More importantly, it certainly provided an outlet for cross-dressers everywhere to go out on a night other than Halloween and indulge.

John Cameron Mitchell for taking a very personal portrayal of gender ambiguity and making it an underground hit musical and movie in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." I'm more than willing to forgive the aggression and general tone of thumbing his nose at society for such a strong and personal message that made me want to be me.

Eddie Izzard for showing us clearly that intelligent, well adjusted people can be cross-dressers and do so proudly in public. Although I'm not that familiar with his material he doesn't seem to use his attire for cheap laughs but gave the audience something to think about by making something society normally finds outrageous seem so utterly reasonable and comfortable. I suspect he's also at least partly responsible for the inclusion of another cross-dressing character in his current series, The Riches.

Most importantly, every single parent who has been understanding and supportive of a child that had the courage to tell them about their gender issues. Every time I hear a story about a parent who embraced their child's gender choice I get all teary-eyed.

[Kimberly Kael]

No other thoughts on the subject? I honestly thought this thread would lead to more discussion. I certainly appreciated having a reason to think about it, and after responding I realized just how much impact being exposed to Eddie Izzard had on me. He was the first example I had ever seen that didn't seem to be intended to be funny, or freakish, but thought-provoking. Here's an intelligent, otherwise well-adjusted man who is comfortable with his fondness for women's clothing and makeup. Why couldn't that be me?

[CJ]

Hi all,

Yes, Kimberly, I guess I can add my own two cents' worth.

Pop musician Canary Conn, whose autobiography I read when I was only 13 years old, was a great influence on me--if only because she was the first transsexual I'd seen live (on the Merv Griffin Show).

French singer and entertainer Coccinelle (literally, "Ladybug") whose beauty my dreams were built on. Although her heyday was well before my time, I got an instant crush on her when I discovered her (in some long-forgotten CD pulp booklet). It wasn't a sexual crush; it was more of a "why can't I be her?" crush.

RuPaul Charles, for putting the zing! into crossdressing. He da man!

I have to agree, Eddie Izzard is a total boon to our community. He appears at ease with himself and with the world. Plus, he has an awesome sense of humour.

Finally, a bit of a local celebrity, son of a famous Quebec television entertainer, pianist Philippe Tisseyre (here, on YouTube, performing the piece "Completely" while wearing high heels, a performance accompanied by scenes of he and his GF, Zaza, playing dress-up). Oddly, Tisseyre denies being a crossdresser; rather, he affirms that he is simply being himself and that he'll wear whatever he bloody well wants to. All the more power to him, I say!

There are quite a few more I would consider role models (and, no, not all of them are entertainers). Some of them figure on the following list. Check it out!

Lynn Conway's Transsexual Women's Successes Page

Love,
CJ

[Absaroka]

The success page was very interesting. Is there another one for FTM transexuals?

I read Jenny Boylans book and was impressed by her. She seemed like she would be an interesting person to know.

The only FTM transexual to my knowledge that I knew personally had a host of other issues that she failed to address, among them drug addiction and schizophrenia. She died of an OD some years ago. At one time she had achieved a year of sobriety and was managing to function in society. At that time she was an important role model for me and I was very sad to see her defeated by her problems.

When she panhandled (begging to use the correct word) instead of giving a song or dance about food or diapers for a child she would come right out and say "I'm jonesing like a mother******. You got any spare change?" I respected her honesty even though at another level there was a lie being told; the lie being that this situation was acceptable for her and could not be changed.

Aside from that I would say that my role models/heroes have been some of the people here who have put so much into these forums, and the few people I have told about this who have been very accepting of it.

Absaroka

[KimberlyS]

Kimberly K, I also thought more would post to this thread. Maybe other CDers do not have hero's or role models they look up to or other people that have influenced their CDing.

Or maybe it is just my off of the mainstream CDing thoughts, ie first post in this case, that seems to often stunt threads I post into.

I seem to very often run into CD/TG/TS's that can not relate to and/or deal with my "guy in a dress" type of desire, attitude and thoughts. And often those that can relate to me seem afraid to voice their opinions.

joe in a skirt
aka KimberlyS

[TerriLynn]

I know this may sound odd to some, but really the first person(s) I admired in regards to my CD'ing were the Monty Python group.
Growing up in the rural area of the Texas panhandle as a teen and thinking I was THE only boy on earth who dressed like I was experimenting with, they were a massive culture shock, to me at least.
Even though the situations were comedic and mostly ludicrous, it showed me that I was not alone, and that there could be some way I could be the way I was, and not be ridiculed, as I could now point to them and say "Look at these guys."
Renee Richards would have to be my second person to look up to. I discovered her bio at a time in high school when I would find myself wondering if I too was born 'wrong'. After reading this, I finally came to the conclusion that, no, I wasnt alone.

Terrilynn

[Absaroka]

Joe/Kimberly,

Please keep posting the off the mainstream thoughts. I enjoy them even if I don't always reply. And I do relate to the man in a dress thing in some ways.

And besides, aren't we all out of the mainstream and off in our own little rivulet here?

Absaroka

[DonnaT]

Kimberly K, I also thought more would post to this thread. Maybe other CDers do not have hero's or role models they look up to or other people that have influenced their CDing.

I reckon that would be me.

I've no role models or heroes that I looked up too.

I knew I wasn't the only one in the world, but didn't know any others, as I was growing up. Not even after I got married and came out to my wife.

It wasn't until I got more into the wonders of the Internet that I began to explore the trans community,, and started to get to know all who had been before and currently were of this community.

[Virginia]

Not wishing to wax to esoteric, but my heroes/heroines would be anyone that accepts our gift! Our wives, lovers, sweethearts. SO's that have the accepting character to "put up with our little idiosyncrasies."

There a quite a few on this forum and some of you -- and you know who you are -- have a relationship with them. They are or should be your true hero or heroine!!!! We all know it ain't easy for them, not only to accept that we wear dresses, but to even try and get their minds around "WHY!"

They see us from the depth of depression to blossom in the sunlight and they allow us to be who we are or were meant to be!

Bless our heroes and heroines!!!!

Love you all,

Virginia

[Jeannie]

Hi Ladies
I have admired and respected many people in my life,but the word hero is much overused and misunderstod. If you ever get the time watch Ken Burns documentary "The War" do it.It's very long but well worth it. He interviews veterans and has actual footage from World War II. The Guadalcanal segment is particularly bone chilling. Any sports hero or anyone else for that matter will pale in comparison. This was just one battle fought by our Marines who were proud to join up and serve their country for the fight against Hitler and the Japanese. The whole country pulled together to help with the war effort. Men, women and children. The Greatest Generation. When people say that The New England Patriots, Allen Iverson and Coby Bryant are role models and heroes,I'm here to tell them they're not.These are a few statistics. Hugs





Date August 7, 1942 – February 9, 1943 on
Location Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands
Result Allied strategic victory

Combatants
Allied forces including:
United States
Australia
New Zealand
British Solomon Is.[1]
Tonga[2] Commanders
Robert Ghormley
William Halsey, Jr
Alexander Vandegrift
Alexander Patch
Richmond K. Turner
Japanese
Harukichi Hyakutake
Isoroku Yamamoto
Nishizo Tsukahara
Jinichi Kusaka
Gunichi Mikawa
Strength

Allied60,000 (ground forces) Japanese 36,200 (ground forces)[4]
Casualties & losses Allied:
1,768 dead (ground),
4,911 dead (naval),
420 dead (aircrew),
4 captured,
29 ships sunk,
Japanese
615 aircraft destroyed[5] 24,600-25,600 dead (ground),
3,543 dead (naval),
1,200 dead (aircrew),
1,000 captured,
38 ships sunk,
683-880 aircraft destroyed[6]


Love
Auntie Jeannie

[Chrissie]

I don't usually watch TV or movies, so media models are out of my view. My biggest inspiration has come from my namesake, Chrissy, who is a young and very sweet and pretty tomboy, who is attracted to women, and her brother, who is attracted to men and grew up around the house always wearing Chrissy's girly clothes.

They are both sweet and calm and at ease with their sexuality. Their poise and confidence and basic goodness has always been a comfort and a beacon on my journey.

my gratitude to them is deep.

chrissie

[Absaroka]

Jeannie I agree with you.

Also, Gaudalcanal was a gruesome struggle in many ways. The jungle won all battles and it was the soldiers who managed to avoid fighting the jungle and stick to fighting each other who did the best.

The casualties figures don't tell the whole story. What gets left out is just how many of those were not killed by the enemy but by the forces of nature- disease being one. American pilots lost their effectiveness within 6 weeks due to disease and exhaustion even when they were unscathed by combat, and were supposed to be rotated out. The Japanese, who lost the struggle for supply, had a great many deaths due to starvation and from eating plants that turned out to be poisonous when there was no food left. In fact the Japanese refered to Gaudalcanal as Starvation Island. The Americans referred to the waters around Gaudalcanal as Iron Bottom Sound because there were so many sunken ships there. Naval battles lasted minutes, and within 15 minutes one night sometimes half a dozen ships would be sunk and a thousand men dead. The entire struggle lasted about 6 months.

I imagine that if Tojo, Mussolini, Roosevelt, and Churchill had been abandoned alone on that island peace would have been achieved very quickly. Not so sure about Hitler and Stalin. They were insane enough to maybe have liked it there.

Absaroka

[Chrissie]

Beyond of the sphere of dressing (or not) my heroes and heroines have been those who have made peace, who have discipline and control over egotistical anger, jealousy and pride and so, acting without anger, are able to penetrate the veil of delusion that perpetuates suffering and leads to war.

chrissie

[KimberlyS]

Jeannie, Yes I will agree that often the work "hero" is often over used. And often the hero or hero's that are given credit are just the tip of the real hero's that will never be given the true acknowledgment they really should have. Those that are in the trenches doing the hard work and doing their jobs. But they are often called grunts, low life, the workers, and other names. But to me they are much more important than the big wigs that usually get the credit

I guess that is why I put "Hero's and Role Models" as the title. And given the forum I guess I thought people would give those in the area of CDing and TG's. Yes I know never assume. As there are many other different hero's and role models in our life. Many people use hero and roll model as the same thing while they are very different. To me a hero is some one that has done something great in your eyes. It does not just mean they save a life. But some who has the courage to step up and do something that most others would not do. A roll model is some one who is doing some thing or things in life that you believe are the right way to do them. And you also want to try and do them because you think they are the right way to lead your life. So maybe I am one of those that is over using the word hero. But it is not out of disrespect for those that have War Hero's or other hero's. There are different hero's and role models for different parts of our life. Many can not be compared in greatness due to different areas of our life are so different. And also there is no comparative for the death of someone.