Morning Edition - 2/20/08

H&M; The Horror
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Hennes & Mauritz AB – better known to Americans as H&M – has 1,500 stores and 60,000 employees worldwide. It was one of these employees that heard my horrified screams as I attempted to get size 30 slacks over my hips, thighs and butt at the new H&M store in midtown Manhattan late last week. The absurdity of this story is that I had just slipped out of my very own, size 30, Brooks Brothers slacks just moments before. When the young lady that stood outside my fitting room asked if everything was okay, I hollered back, “No! I apparently have grown in the past 5 minutes!” I stepped out of the small room, my thighs bulging through the fabric, my penis contorted into an odd flattened shape, my buns pulling every inch of thread holding both panels together. Her fearful stare was broken by my accusatory, “This tag says these pants are a 30, but they fit like a 20! What the fuck is going on here!” She took a deep breath – with the self-assured look of disgust reserved for someone who has witnessed this scenario before and said, “Oh, our clothes are European, so you’ll have to get them 2 to 3 sizes larger than what you actually wear. “Oh really! Well, I’ll be damned if I’m going to sport a 34” waist to fit into some cheesy inexpensive Euro trash!” I tossed every pant I brought with me into the dressing room into her return bin and stormed to the register carrying only socks and tops. Moral of the story: Don’t move to Europe; Americans are porkers there!

The Lion Roars No More
Probably one of the most hated Leos of all time – Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz aka simply Castro - resigned his post as Commander In Chief and Prime Minister of Cuba. His rule spanned a period of 48 years. His announcement comes just five days before his mandate expires. Although there is optimism by Cubans now living in the U.S., most believe that Castro’s step down is just a formality and that the system of government and how it operates today will not change.

The Money Train
Tracy Bumpus, 40, a biological male transgender woman, was about to take her ride on the A train when her metrocard malfunctioned. When she attempted to get help from the transit workers at her station, she was ridiculed and even called a “dyke.” Attorneys for the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) thought they’d found a little loophole that would’ve prevented Bumpus from suing NYCTA saying they are protected or immune from liability under the city’s Human Rights Laws. Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Robert Miller felt otherwise and said, “By riding the subway, a transgender person doesn't become less of a person and lose the protection of the Human Rights Law." Looks like Bumpus won’t need that metrocard ever again after all. ::::Being called a dyke when you’re a transgender man transitioning into your life as a woman – PRICELESS! ::::

On Blast
The horror of feeling you are trapped in a body that does not represent who you believe to be has to be a nightmare. Throughout the years I’ve struggled to understand the plight of the transgender community and now accept that their strength is so awesome; forgoing ridicule, verbal and physical abuse, odd stares, etc. to be who they know they are.
What do you believe is the core reason society feels such strong feelings toward the transgender community?

Keep passin’ the open windows…