Diary Entries for 2009
December 31, 2009: A Quick Note...
As you might have guessed, this year I did not dress outside the home, except for Gender Free For All (GFFA) in August because it was too cool to miss and I needed to 'represent' my cross-dressing self :) (well, I guess you could also count dressing up for Red Dress PDX, in a red dress but not wig, breast forms, etc. ;-). I'm not sure whether that was a good idea or not; only time will tell... (and thanks for visiting my site anyway, if you did in 2009 that is. Actually, thanks for visiting. Period. :)
August 01, 2009: Gender Free For All (GFFA)
I went out to the first "Gender (Free) For All (GFFA)" march. It was great! Wonderful speakers, march, entertainment... well-attended with 200 to 300 people I'd say. Not bad for a first march. I have some pictures of me on my Out-N-About Miscellaneous page, and hope to have more of the march soon...
June 6, 2009: A New Home (on the web)
Today I changed my main page on GeoCities (Yahoo) to point to my new home at 50webs.com. Yahoo is shutting down GeoCities, even though they paid several Billion dollars for it in the dot-com boom days.
It's sort of sad, really. To see my old home at http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/5231/ (http://www.geocities.com/kim_yinyang/) torn down. A whole village, city, country, and virtual world gone. Granted, I'm not sure how many people still had their home at GeoCities, given the social networking ( Facebook, Yahoo 360 / Yahoo Profiles, MySpace, Live Spaces, etc.), blogging (e.g. blogger.com ), and other sites that make it so easy to create a 'home' and connect to people.
In a little over a decade I've gone from one of the few geekette's on the web with her own home page (still hacked together in text files and raw HTML, BTW. Sad, huh?), to a small voice in the maelstrom of online activity. I'm not sad as much as amazed and maybe a little bemused by this. After all, the incredible connection and community possible through a largely free and accessible medium such as the web has done so much for the transgender and other communities. Even specialized community and even dating sites for trans people; be it URNotAlone.com, TGPersonals.com, or many others. I am thankful for the change that has occurred in bringing our community, and many different people, together.
So, anyway, my site is much the same as it has always been. A lot of Yin with a little Yang (visually Yin ;-), the same basic look it's had since 1996 or so. It simply has a new address. Thanks for coming and finding me, for stopping by, and particularly for reading my little note to you.
Love,
Kim
May 03, 2009: Red Dress (PDX)
My partner and I went to the Red Dress PDX 2009 (Red Eye) party last night and had a great time! I had no idea that there could be 1000's of red dresses, and each one unique. I think my partner saw one repeat, but I didn't. Truly amazing variety. Storm Large and Tahoe Jackson performed and both were really fun. The theming was fun, the people-watching great. Of course, my sweetie was beautiful, and I enjoyed hanging out w/her...
January 15, 2009: Martin Luther King Day & Equal Rights
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s (MLK's) birthday. He was a great man; struggling for civil rights, and an eloquent speaker.
I will never forget going to the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, TN where Mr. King was assasinated; it's in the hotel where he was. I couldn't find the museum at first, as it looks like the hotel, and I was unfamiliar w/the area. Anyway, once inside there was powerful, and shocking, information about racism and civil rights in America. It is horrible what was done to the natives of Africa (and other nations) in the slave trade, and after in America.
Very similarly, the National Museum of the American Indian on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. has powerful, and shocking, information about... well, essentially cultural and literal genocide of the native american peoples in the United States. It is horrible what was done to the Native Peoples, and is still done (I have heard of it from native friends I have).
So MLK had a dream, about people of all races living in equality (at least that's how I would simplify and interepret his "I have a dream" speech). It's a wonderful dream, and one that's becoming a reality. :)
I will add that many of us are still struggling, though, for the dream to become reality. There are still many races, sexualities, genders, etc. fighting, hoping, and dreaming of equality. African-American (or Black, to simplify and broaden who's included) people , Native American, Homosexual/Lesbian/Bi, Transgendered, Queer, Latino/Latina, Asian,... the list goes on. Even white females and males are living by strict standards and are subject to gender prejudice if nothing else. [No, I'm not suggesting white males are underpriveledged or even generally less advantaged than others in the USA; there is, however, prejudice if someone steps outside the 'Norm.' My blog here can attest to that.]
There are too many people still having to fight for the dream of equality. Society doesn't move fast, and apparently won't move without a 'movement' to help it along. So, dear reader, if you care about transgendered rights, or civil rights, or human rights, I encourage you to join a movement to make those rights come about. I encourage you to fight prejudice and injustice in little ways always, in big ways when you can. Give your time, your money, whatever you can afford to give. I firmly believe that treating everyone (and everything) with respect is a great way to show the world how things can be better.
Love,
Kim
p.s.: Here's my Yahoo Avatar in honor of MLK:
More Diary Left...
Please see my Diary for 2008 for more diary entries.
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