Never Enough Legal Pronouncements Department

It's official; as of about 2 PM Pacific time on December 20, 2001, my legal name has been changed to Lilith Dawn Mitchell. Tomorrow I will go about getting a new Social Security card and a new photo ID. And then the process of informing all my creditors, previous employers, etc. may begin apace.

A right pain in the ass it is, and there will be more challenges to handle to come. And yet, I smile warmly every time I think about this landmark.

YAY ME.

Never Enough News Updates Department

I've been quiet to much of the world as of late, and it's mainly because I've been very busy with many new changes in my life. 2001 is definitely proving to be a year of transition, and I'm not just talking about gender.

First off, I was laid off in early November. While I miss the money, I'm fortunate that my unemployment benefits match up to about 75% of my income. If I am frugal, I can survive. I have a year's supply of Delestrogen stock-piled so that is not a concern of mine. My other prescriptions are more worrisome, but I will manage as always.

The layoff allowed me to visit my family in Texas for the first time in seven years, in time for Thanksgiving. The only real rough spots were that my father kept calling me by the male name. But he and I talked more in the few sentences we shared before I left than all we had effectively said to each other in years. I think he understands that I am a much happier person for this, and so he's at least trying to come to terms with my transsexuality.

Grandma Burr said I was pretty.

My mother, my brother Scott, and his wife Joy were great, too. Joy was a bit awkward just because I don't think she had known a transsexual up close before. She called me a transvestite at one point, but that was pure innocence on her part, so I gently corrected her and explained what was entailed in being transsexual. She was curious, of course. But all in all, she lived up to her name.

Joy's sister and her husband were friendly and interested in finding out more about transsexuals. That, and several pints of beer, led to some interesting conversations; the exclamation "NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS?!?"* sticks in my head still. Apparently they were talking about trying to get me to convert to their form of Baptist. Scott quickly filled in that I have already gone through my Fundie trip and got burned on hypocrisy and so isn't particularly interested in church. He sagely didn't mention my being a minister in the Church of the SubGenius.

* Brassard's going rate for SRS, last I checked. A bargain, I told them.

I'm ecstatic about the way my family is adjusting to my gender changes. It feels as if I have a family again. Of course, I was the one who moved away from them, but it felt necessary in order to move forward with my life. But it seems like all will be well in the end, and for that I am so grateful.

I then left Dallas for Columbus to visit with my OTHER family. Yes, and sorry girls, but I'm taken. SMITTEN DUMB, I am, and it's great. For I have found the perfect woman for me. Her name is Cynthia and she's cuddly and she's pervy and she's a SubGenius. And somehow we seem to be staggeringly compatible domestically, emotionally, sexually, and in every other way, and YET have enough healthy differences to help propel us forward. Did I mention she's pervy?

She and I have actually known each other for years, but it wasn't until earlier this year that I sent her to my foolspress.com site. She found my rant on Tummy Liberation and that's when her lesbian side first showed up in my life. I told her a while later that I was transsexual and found out she had a special place in her heart for all trannies, I showed her a personal ad I had written exploring my more dominant, fetishist side, only to find out that the ideal submissive I described matched her nearly perfectly. Then I started introducing her to the metal bands I enjoy, and when I found out used to be a hesher and really loved to listen to metal LOUD, I knew she was the one. Nothing since has changed that impression.

We are currently bound under a one-year Short Duration Marriage (TM) and she permanently wears a collar of some sort, usually a black bead choker to symbolize the recycled rubber collar I presented to her. She gave me a beautiful black and silver leash to go with the collar. We got matching silver rings with black triangles and will probably get something flashier for a permanent wedding ring. And we'll be married legally as soon as I can get work, with a SubGenius wedding at Brushwood and another one in Seattle later on.

This all means:

1) I now have a stepson, a beautiful 10 year old redheaded whiz kid with a mild case of Tourette's, but despite dealing with my own familial insecurities I think he's cool and I hope to be a bigger part of his life in the future.

2) As soon as I find work, we will work towards the Small Move, when she comes to live with me and help find a place where we can make the Big Move and somehow raise a small family of diverse interests without feeling like the Aadams Family or the psychos from the Dan Akroyd/John Belushi sleeper *Neighbors*.

3) I may never be lonely again. We're almost telepathic.

4) The long-distance aspect truly bites. A distance of 2,437 miles and three time zones is pretty formidable. But we shall persevere.

Oh, there's one more thing I should mention. Today I'm going to the court house to finally submit the petition to change my legal name. I will never live part-time again, it is just too painful. The only real problem is I still need electrolysis, but I am planning to use some of my tax refund to get my mouth area cleared, and maybe work on the area where I get the most ingrown hairs and razor burn. Fortunately, the Delestrogen has severely lightened my beard, although there are still stubborn patches. It all goes, but some areas must go sooner. Other than that, I haven't had to act like a man for over a month now, and I am so happy for it.

Never Enough Streaming Metal Radio

Lilith's Hymns Of The Dark is up and streaming most of the time, 24Kbps for the slower modems....

Main show right now is women in extreme metal. Enjoy.

Never Enough Transgender Awareness Department

Temenos, one of my favorite GLBT resources on the planet, ran an article by Kai Williams to try to illustrate what it is like to be poor and transgendered, and interviewed transgender activist Jessica Xavier:

"We continue to be one of the most stigmatized populations on the planet," says Xavier, the former director of a national coalition of transgender political groups called It's Time! -America. Xavier recently cajoled the local health department into financing a survey of around 250 transgender people in D.C. Forty percent of respondents had not finished high school, and another 40 percent were unemployed. Almost half had no health insurance and reported not seeing a physician regularly. A quarter reported being HIV-positive, and another 35 percent reported having seriously considered suicide.

Xavier's was the latest in a series of such studies done in cities where relatively emboldened trans activists have pushed local officials to begin considering public policy solutions to their health care concerns. Across the board, they have found largely the same thing: higher rates of just about every indicator of social and economic distress. "And all because of the stigma," Xavier concludes.

Never Enough Dr. Gene Scott Department

From a rant by infamous Christian televangelist Dr. Gene Scott, in response to Jerry Falwell's remarks regarding the role of The American way, gays, lesbians, feminists, abortionists, etc. in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001:

Christianity has abused Christians. As though when something wrong goes wrong, or wronger, it's because you sinned. Although there'll be those that will preach, 'Because of America's sin, the judgement of God's on them' well, go to Hell, you voices of the Devil.

Dr. Gene Scott is the Christian televangelist Spin once called "The Morton Downey Jr. of televangelists". He's one of the few of that variety I can stand, and he is a personal inspiration for my ranting style. "Bob" bless Dr. Scott.

Never Enough Courageous Women Department

My short duration personal saviors of the moment:

Women on Waves

Every year 20 million abortions are performed under illegal and unsafe conditions, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 70,000 women annually. In response to this medical calamity, Women on Waves has developed a mobile gynecological unit, the 'A-portable'. It can easily be loaded onto a ship, which enables it to travel to wherever it is needed worldwide. The 'A-Portable' can also travel by truck allowing it to go to countries where reproductive health services are legal but largely unavailable, for example due to war.

You go, girls.

Never Enough Kick Ass Quotes Department

A quote from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami: "The horrific terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, in the United States were perpetrated by cult of fanatics who had self-mutilated their ears and tongues, and could only communicate with perceived opponents through carnage and devastation."

Heavy, dood.

Never Enough Lilith Opera Department

The NY Times has an article on a new opera simply named 'Lilith'. It appears to be based upon the story of Lilith as presented in the SubGenius-like medieval parody, "The Alphabet Of Ben Sira" but includes sources such as the Seder Olam.

I really wish to see it, not just because of the subject, and not just because of the lesbian scene with Eve, but because the distinction between magick and theater is very thin, and this appears to be as much a work of powerful and beautiful ritual as singing in costumes.

There is more at the New York City Opera web page if you would like to read more on this performance.

Never Enough Pogo Department

"The best break anybody ever gets is in bein' alive in the first place. An' you don't unnerstan' what a perfect deal it is until you realizes that you ain't gone be stuck with it forever, either." -- Porkypine

Never Enough Silver Linings Department

With the revelation that our gas money has been used to fund terrorist acts against ourselves, many Americans are starting to look at last at the issues that environmental issues couldn't touch before. True, the energy crisis in California earlier this year helped press the issue. But even then, all the solutions that had been offered were solutions we have been offered before--nuclear power, increased domestic oil production, and conservation at home. None of these solutions encouraged fundamental and permanent changes to the way we view energy; once power was readily available again, the changes reverted. Witness the gas-guzzling of SUVs, largely eroding away any gas savings of the previous twenty years' worth of improved gas mileage.

But this time, we have San Francisco and Seattle moving into providing alternative energy sources--such as wind power and solar energy--for their customers. We have gas/electric hybrid cars with incredible gas mileage, and I'm sure these hybrid cars will become more popular and more feature-filled as time goes on. We have fuel cells that can convert gasoline or hydrogen directly into electric power and which are far more efficient than combustion, and car companies are finally starting to look into fuel cells as a bridge between gas-powered and electric-powered cars. And thanks to vast improvements in materials, we now have flywheels capable of storing an immense amount of energy in a compact space, which should also help the transition from gas to electricity.

So while the stormclouds of war are quite frightening and potentially destructive, the silver lining is that we may end our dependence on foreign oil and improve our relationship with the environment in one fell swoop.